by Ryk Brown
Nathan shot him a look, one eyebrow skeptically raised.
* * *
“Doesn’t this place have any actual restaurants?” Jessica wondered as they waited in line at the mobile food vendor, outside the council building.
“Casbon does not have such extravagances,” Aristaeus explained. “It is still in its early development, barely a hundred years old. The first time I came here, it was nothing more than a city of tents, and a few mining and support landers.”
Jessica glanced at him as they moved forward a bit in line. “How old are you?”
“Age is nothing more than a number others attach to your name for reference. I was traveling by linear FTL using stasis pods long before your parents were born. Quite possibly before your grandparents, even. My daughters, whom you met on Gatonda, are from my third wife.”
“What happened to the other two?” Vladimir wondered.
“They both led long and happy lives, most of which I was not a part of. I was present for both of their passing’s. I am thankful that the jump drive now allows me to be present for far more of my third family’s lives.”
“What about your first two families?” Vladimir asked. “Did you have children?”
“Oh, yes, many,” Aristaeus replied. “Four from my first, and three from my second. I have dozens of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.”
“Sounds confusing,” Vladimir admitted, taking a step forward again.
“Not really. It is actually quite nice. My oldest son is physically older than I. In fact, his oldest son is the same physical age as myself. We are quite good friends.”
“Are such extended families common on Gatonda?” Vladimir asked.
“No, but they are not uncommon.”
The line moved again, and all three of them stepped forward.
“My oldest brother, Robert, was the captain of one of the first FTL scout ships that left Earth after the recovery,” Jessica told Aristaeus. “He was twelve years older than me when he left. The next time I saw him, he was only half that.”
“It almost seems a shame that such families will no longer exist,” Aristaeus said. “But I suppose all things must change, for better or worse.”
“You don’t think the jump drive is a positive change?” Vladimir asked.
“Like all things, it is a double-edged sword. Yes, it connects us all in a way we could not imagine only a few short years ago. But, it also immensely complicates things. Take the Casbons, for example. They settled this world, expecting to profit from its rich mineral resources, but also expecting a decent amount of isolation, since it was so far removed from the rest of the Ilyan. Even Ahka, their closest neighbor, was still too far away to interact with on a regular basis. Had the jump drive not been introduced to the Ilyan, Ahka would still be too far away for raids on Casbon to be logistically feasible. Their isolation all but guaranteed their safety. Now, it all but guarantees their doom. Although they are now within easy reach of Ahka, they are still too far from the core of the Ilyan to expect any protection.”
“Why can’t the core worlds just jump out here once in a while?” Jessica wondered, stepping forward in line again. “I’m sure if they made their presence known on a regular basis, it would be enough to make the Ahka think twice.”
“The core has not yet installed jump drives on all their ships,” Aristaeus explained. “And they care more about the core worlds than the ones on the rim.”
“But I thought Casbon was rich in mineral resources?” Vladimir said.
“Yes, but to the Ilyan, it matters not from whom they buy their ores and metals. In fact, the Ahka can sell the stolen ores more cheaply than the Casbons, who must bear the cost of extraction and refinement.”
“As usual, it all comes down to profit,” Jessica grumbled.
“And so shall it always,” Aristaeus stated. “For the strongest instinct of humanity is survival, and profit all but guarantees it.”
“If these people are so poor, then why do the Ahka attack them?” Jessica wondered.
“I did not say the people of Casbon are poor,” Aristaeus corrected, “I said they lacked the extravagances of more developed worlds. Casbon has huge stores of both raw and refined ores, minerals, and precious metals, but, due to their location, they are still far removed from the normal shipping routes.”
“If they have so much to sell, why don’t they just trade it for a few jump ships of their own?” Vladimir suggested.
“Casbon was originally started as a separatist colony, desiring limited contact with the Ilyan and its patriarchal society,” Aristaeus explained as they moved up in line again.
“My kind of people,” Jessica commented.
“The attacks by the Ahka have forced Casbon to rethink their separatist ideals in order to survive.”
“So, the Ahka are trying to steal Casbon’s resources?”
“Mostly just their precious metals,” Aristaeus replied, “but they have been known to take other resources, as well, even people.”
“They kidnap people?” Vladimir said, surprised.
“Mostly females, whom they need to grow their population. You see, about fifty years after being settled, the Ahka suffered a plague, which killed more than half their population, and left the majority of their women infertile.”
“They’re kidnapping Casbon women to use them as breeding stock?” Jessica scowled as the line advanced another spot. “I’m starting to agree with the council about taking the fight to Ahka.”
“The people of Casbon are quite peaceful, and most of them do not agree with the council’s desire to attack Ahka.”
“Not even to free their kidnapped citizens?” Jessica wondered.
“Most of these people do not see violence as a solution to violence. It is only a slim majority of the council who have voted in favor of attacking the Ahka. Most would prefer to simply defend themselves, in hopes that the Ahka will look elsewhere for an easier target.”
“More likely they’ll just come back in greater numbers,” Jessica insisted.
“Numbers is something the Ahka do not have.”
“How far is the next closest world to Ahka?” Jessica asked.
“At least twice as far as Casbon, if not further.”
“Then bigger, more deadly ships.” Jessica looked at Vladimir. “The council may be right. Attacking the Ahka, and destroying their ability to attack Casbon, may be the only way to stop the raids for good.”
“Unfortunately, the people of Casbon lack the internal fortitude to carry out the wishes of the council,” Aristaeus said. “This world does not even have organized security forces, let alone defensive ones.”
“How is that even possible?” Jessica wondered.
“Such pacifism is common amongst the core worlds of the Ilyan. Everyone and everything is monitored, so crime is rare. What security forces they do have, only carry non-lethal weapons.”
“Didn’t you say they have patrol ships?” Jessica asked. “What about those? Do they only have non-lethal weapons, as well?”
“Of course not,” Aristaeus replied. “But the Ilyan Protectorate has not fired a weapon in anger in centuries…not since long before I was born.”
“If the people of the Ilyan are so non-violent, why are the Ahka raiding their neighbor and kidnapping their women?” Vladimir asked.
“Ahka was settled by those who commonly ran afoul of Ilyan law. They were of a lower class of society and chose to start their own colony, rather than conform to the expectations of Ilyan society. So, their behavior is not surprising.”
“Next!” the man in the window yelled.
“Finally,” Vladimir declared. “I’m starving.”
Aristaeus stepped up to the order window. “Three wampa perinaya with whit
e sauce.”
Several distant claps of thunder sounded behind them, followed a split second later by half a dozen more. The man at the order window slammed the window shut, and the roller doors began descending over the front of the mobile food unit. People began yelling and running in all directions.
“What the hell?” Jessica wondered as she turned to look in the direction of the thunder. At least ten flashes of light appeared low on the horizon, followed seconds later by additional claps of thunder.
Alert sirens began to wail, and multiple warning cries of ‘Ahka’ were heard as people ran for cover.
“What are they doing?” Jessica asked, looking around. “Why aren’t they preparing to fight?”
“What are they to fight with?” Aristaeus asked. “Wampa rifles?”
“If that’s all they’ve got, yes!” Jessica insisted. “Anything’s better than running and hiding.”
“They are hiding because they know that while those ships are raiding the storage depots, others will land here in town to take other items…and people,” Aristaeus told her. “We, too, should seek…”
A brilliant blue-white light suddenly lit up the area, and a deafening clap of thunder sounded directly over their heads. The air displaced by the arriving ship knocked the three of them to the ground and sent dust swirling in all directions.
“Jess!” Vladimir yelled over the roar of nearby thrusters.
Jessica rolled onto her back, just in time to see the underside of a small spacecraft as it descended toward her. She rolled to her left several times, moving out of the way of the landing ship, just as its gear extended and touched down beside her.
Jessica breathed a sigh of relief as more claps of thunder sounded from all around her. Her relief was short-lived when the side boarding ramp of the ship that had landed right next to her swung down toward the ground, threatening to smash her. She scrambled on her back, using her feet and elbows to quickly move out of the way, and pulled her sidearm as soon as she was clear.
The ramp hit the ground, and a bearded man carrying an assault rifle came out, followed by several more. Jessica opened fire from her supine position on the ground just aft of the boarding ramp, dropping the first three men before they realized what was happening.
The next three, now alerted to the unexpected threat, did not exit immediately, maneuvering, instead, to the side of the exit to return fire in her direction.
Jessica spotted a rifle muzzle coming around the edge of the open hatchway, angling toward her. She moved her weapon to the right to fire, just as a stream of red-orange plasma bolts came streaking from the left into the open hatchway. The rifle muzzle that had been maneuvering to bear on her suddenly fell to the deck, bouncing off the ramp, landing on the ground beside her.
“Jess! Behind you!” Vladimir shouted.
Jessica glanced in the direction of Vladimir’s voice to her left, spotting him crouched low next to the mobile food vehicle, again firing into the open hatchway above her. She rolled onto her belly, grabbing the dropped assault rifle and taking aim at another ship that was landing only a few meters behind her. She peppered the front of the ship with bolts of energy, causing its pilot to abort his landing and begin climbing out again. As the climbing ship rose, it turned to starboard, away from her, showing its open port hatch. The men inside opened fire on her position, sending bolts of energy slamming into the ground around her, as well as the ship next to her, which was already firing its thrusters to lift off.
“Run!” Vladimir ordered, opening fire on the second ship to cover her escape.
Jessica jumped to her feet, rifle in one hand, sidearm in the other, firing on the second vessel as she rose. She turned, ceasing fire, and ran toward Vladimir’s position as the first ship dusted off, rising quickly upward as it accelerated forward.
Vladimir continued firing on the second ship as Jessica ran to join him. His fire struck one man in the open hatch, knocking him backward into the ship. Another man stepped forward to replace him and was struck in the chest by Vladimir’s continued fire. The injured man lost his balance as the ship turned further to its right, and he tumbled forward, falling to the ground fifty meters below.
After landing with a thud, the man, injured but not dead, tried to pull himself to his feet, only to be met with more weapons fire from Vladimir, ending his struggle.
“We must find shelter!” Aristaeus demanded as he crouched against the mobile food vehicle next to Vladimir and Jessica. “There are more of them landing!”
“Go ahead!” Jessica barked in reply as she handed Vladimir the energy rifle.
“What are you going to do?” Aristaeus asked.
“I’m a bit curious myself,” Vladimir added.
“Whattaya think?” Jessica replied with a smile.
“Of course,” Vladimir replied. He noticed she was taking off her gun belt. “What are you doing?”
“We need more firepower,” she told Vladimir as she handed him her gun belt. “Don’t lose this. I’m going to want it back shortly.”
Vladimir looked confused. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Play along,” she replied, rising to a standing position as two more landers jumped in nearby and settled in to land. “You’ll know what to do.”
Jessica dashed out into the open, screaming as if she were in a complete state of panic. She ran to the right, then stumbled, and changed direction to the left, when a third ship jumped in to her right. In her pretend panic, she appeared to be running directly toward a fourth ship that had just set down and was unloading a handful of armed men.
“What is she doing?” Aristaeus wondered.
“I have no idea,” Vladimir admitted, raising the assault rifle she had just given him and preparing to fire.
Jessica changed direction, yet again, as if she suddenly recognized the threat of the men coming out of the fourth lander. She purposefully stumbled, falling to the ground, and appearing to be confused and desperate.
Four armed men came running up to her, grabbing her from either side. Jessica fought back halfheartedly; trying to free herself, but the two men who had grabbed her knocked her down and dragged her back toward their ship.
“This is what you call fighting back?” Aristaeus wondered.
Vladimir took aim on one of the men abducting Jessica, but she shook her head not to fire.
“You must shoot!” Aristaeus insisted. “They will take her, and you will never see her again!”
“You do not know Jessica,” Vladimir replied, keeping his weapon held ready.
The two men dragged her up the ramp and into the ship, while the other two men stood outside, sweeping their weapons back and forth.
“You should have fired! Now it is too late!”
Several flashes of light came from the open hatchway of the fourth ship. The two armed men outside turned around to run back to the ship but were met with several energy bolts, killing them instantly and leaving them in smoldering heaps on the ground.
The fourth ship’s engines went back to full power, and it began to rise from the ground to depart.
“Oh, no,” Vladimir said, getting ready to fire on the departing ship.
More flashes of light came from inside the ship, and a body came flying out of the open hatchway. A moment later, the ship settled back down onto the surface, its engines shutting down completely.
Six armed men came running out of the shuttle that had just landed to Vladimir’s right, toward the fourth shuttle that Jessica was in. Vladimir turned and opened fire, dropping three of them with the first five shots, but was forced to tuck back behind cover when the other three returned fire.
Jessica jumped out of the open hatch of the fourth ship, an assault rifle in each hand and one slung over each shoulder. She opened fire, mowing down the other three men firing on Vl
adimir’s position.
Vladimir smiled. “You see?”
Jessica ran over to their position, immediately handing one of the assault rifles to Vladimir.
“That was incredible,” Aristaeus exclaimed.
“Thanks,” Jessica replied, handing the other rifle to him.
Aristaeus took the assault rifle, with a curious and fearful expression on his face. “I have never used such a thing.”
“Simple,” Jessica assured him. “Point it at the bad guys, press that button, and hold it until the bad guy is dead.”
“What do we do now?” Vladimir asked.
“We kick some Ahka ass,” Jessica replied as she turned and headed toward the sound of a woman screaming.
Jessica ran out across the square, toward several men who were dragging women toward their waiting ships. As she ran, she raised her rifle and opened fire, striking the first man in the back and the second in the side of his chest.
Vladimir was hot on her heels, firing to his right at four armed Ahka heading their way. He glanced back at Aristaeus, who was still hiding behind the edge of the mobile food vehicle. “What are you doing?” he hollered. “FIRE!”
Aristaeus closed his eyes and swung his assault rifle around the corner of the vehicle, screaming at the top of his lungs as he squeezed the trigger and held it. Vladimir hit the deck as Aristaeus’s stream of energy bolts swept over his head. Aristaeus continued screaming as bolts of energy streaked from his weapon in rapid succession, slamming into the group of Ahka and cutting them to pieces. After nearly twenty seconds of firing, he took his finger off the trigger and stopped screaming. He slowly opened his eyes and saw a pile of four smoldering hulks with burning body parts strewn about. His eyes grew wide, and he looked in disbelief at the ominous weapon in his hands. “Oh, my.”
“Very good!” Vladimir yelled, climbing back to his feet. “Only next time, keep your eyes open!”
Jessica jinked from side to side, staggering the length and direction of her strides as she ducked incoming fire. She dropped two more men with her own weapon by the time she closed on the last of the four Ahka—the one dragging a woman by her hair. Without missing a stride, she leapt up in the air, executing a backflip and coming down in a sitting position on the startled Ahka’s shoulders, his face in her crotch. Her momentum knocked him backwards, releasing his hold on the Casbon woman as he grasped at his attacker. Jessica twisted her body slightly to the right as she squeezed her thighs around the man’s head. Her momentum carried her to the man’s left, twisting his head around and snapping his neck as she tipped over upside down along his back. As her left hand touched the ground, she released her thigh-grip on the man and allowed his limp body to fall away as she cart-wheeled over and came up firing on the last two men coming out of the ship. The ship began powering up its engines, and she scrambled around to the side, sticking the muzzle of her assault rifle into one of the engine intakes and pressing the trigger. Several blasts of energy lit up the intake, causing a chain of secondary explosions deep within the ship. She stepped backwards as the ship struggled to ascend, looked up at the cockpit, and waved farewell to the pilot, just as the ship’s port engine exploded, and the ship rolled to starboard, crashing into the ground.