Arkship Alliance

by Niel Bushnell

  They moved past a horde of captured asteroids waiting to be broken down and used by the shipyard, towards the heart of the site. Valine’s shuttle slowed, passing through each of the security cordons, to join the other docked vessels at the central hub of the complex. Out of the cockpit window she could see the curved wall of the structure, it’s owner’s logo glowing in the dark: Carter & Grey Shipyards.

  Years ago, Valine had visited the Narwoulf shipyard, a truly breathtaking site close to the heart of the Cluster. Carter & Grey was nowhere near its competitor’s scale, but that did not diminish its startling grandeur. This was human engineering on an immense scale.

  As the shuttle completed its docking procedure, Valine acknowledged the nervous tension she was feeling. Suddenly, the magnitude of what she was attempting hit home, and she felt her heart pounding in her chest.

  The airlock hatch opened, and a rush of cooler air pushed against her skin. She closed her eyes, inhaled, preparing herself for what was to come, then she stepped through the doorway and into the station’s main reception area.

  A thin man with sunken cheeks greeted her. ‘Admiral Valine, it’s a pleasure to meet you.’ He held out his hand, glittering rings on three of his fingers.

  ‘Valtais,’ she said coolly.

  ‘I’m . . . I’m sorry?’

  ‘I am Valtais now, not Admiral,’ Valine explained.

  ‘Forgive me,’ the man oozed. ‘Valtais Valine.’ His clothes were expensive-looking, a patterned coat that flowed to the ground, exaggerating his slight figure. Arkship construction was a profitable business, Valine observed as she took his hand.

  ‘You must be Purser Moore.’

  ‘Please, call me Lloyd,’ the man grinned. ‘No need for formalities here, yes?’ His teeth seemed to be too large for his mouth, pink gums flashing at the edge of his thinly drawn lips. He waited, as if he was expecting Valine to offer him her first name. She said nothing, enjoying the silence.

  ‘Well,’ Purser Moore said eventually, ‘what do you think to our facilities . . . Valtais. This is your first time here?’

  ‘Yes. You would have dealt with my predecessor.’

  ‘I was very sorry to hear of the death of Orcades Draig. Such a loss. On behalf of everyone here at Carter & Grey, please accept my condolences.’

  Moore led her away from the reception area, through a spherical corridor with unbroken views out to the shipyard. As they walked along its length, the clarity took Valine’s breath away.

  ‘Stunning, don’t you think?’ Moore prompted. ‘It never fails to amaze me.’

  ‘You’re very proud of your work, aren’t you, Purser?’

  Moore laughed nervously. ‘It’s true, we take great satisfaction in fulfilling our client’s needs. We have the best customer service of any shipyard.’

  A shadow fell over the corridor. Valine looked up to see a section of hull moving towards its waiting arkship, a precise maneuver involving six small tug ships and a host of other craft. The segment was lowered towards the exposed superstructure, glinting as it caught the light.

  ‘It must be a difficult time for you,’ Moore said. They left the glass corridor behind and entered a tree-filled atrium with doors leading off the main hall. ‘Transition is never easy. Friends become enemies overnight. A show of strength is often the best course . . .’

  ‘I’m not here to order a new arkship.’

  ‘No, of course not. But, for future reference, you will find our most recent sales information in the pad in your suite.’ He gestured towards one of the doors. ‘Call me if you need anything. The meeting is at seven, I’ll return then to take you there.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Valine replied, opening the door. She didn’t look back, glad to be rid of the man. The suite was as she expected: opulent and comfortable, high ceilings with views out over the shipyard. She stood at the windows, taking it in, hoping that soon all of this would be hers.

  PURPOSE

  Reader Mallory stood under the giant effigy of The Infinite that hung on the end wall of the chapel. The congregation had faded away, as had the memory of this morning’s service. She could barely remember what she’d said to them. They listened in communal respect, responding at the right moments, but it was hardly inspirational. It was a clockwork routine where both sides knew their roles, but neither showed conviction. That was the problem with rituals, Mallory noted to herself, they lost all meaning over time.

  She stared into the gently pulsing light, wrestling with her doubts. Six months ago, her world had been built on certainties. She was a Reader for the Church of the Infinite and her faith was immovable. After all, she was doing the work of the Infinite Gods. There was no space for doubts, no place for questions.

  Now, that was all she had. Her faith was in tatters, torn apart by the nagging thoughts that would not leave her alone. It had begun with her betrayal of the House of Kenric. She didn’t think of it as a betrayal at the time, but now . . . she wasn’t certain. All her life, she had felt different, an invader who didn’t belong. She was born Draig, but Derward Tarkkail had taken her away when she was very young. In their short time together, he had been more of a father to her than her own flesh and blood. But then he had left her in the care of the Church, abandoned by the one person who had treated her with kindness.

  ‘Who am I?’ she asked the altar. It had taken six months on a Draig arkship for her to know she had made a mistake. She wasn’t Draig, and there were no answers for her here.

  ‘If not here, then where?’

  The pulsing light of the artificial Infinite carried on, oblivious to her interrogation. She sat on one of the pews, knowing that the answers she sought were not in the Church either. She had lost her faith, and with it, her purpose.

  ‘Where are you, Derward?’ she whispered. He was coming to find her, she had known this for months. He was coming to rescue her again, like he always did. He would make things right, he would give her the love she needed this time.

  But he was missing. Derward wasn’t coming. She was alone in a broken universe. No family, no gods, no love. Nothing. The tears came, as they always did when she thought of him. Guilt, fear, hope, love, all tangled up together, too many emotions to deal with. She let it wash over her, knowing that the pain would subside, leaving her numb again. Only then could she think.

  Months ago, she had made contact with the Scribe again. The conversation was terse and icy, but Keres had found an unexpected warmth in that hard face. They had never been close, but now they had something in common: Derward. The Church, with all its resources, knew nothing beyond his last stop-over. He had disappeared between there and here. But there had to be something, a trail of information. Even if his ship had been destroyed there would be a trace of debris. People didn’t just disappear, especially if they were important to the Scribe.

  She tested the problem, thinking through all the possibilities until they boiled down to three potential outcomes:

  Derward was alive, and the Church knew where he was.

  Derward was alive, and the Draig Empire knew where he was.

  Derward was dead.

  Keres shuddered, unable to cope with the third outcome. She dismissed it, focusing on the two remaining results.

  Perhaps the Scribe knew where Derward was. She could be lying, although Keres couldn’t see why. During her training, the Church showed her how to tap into restricted systems, how to access encrypted data. Perhaps she could access the Church’s archive and . . .

  No, it was a stupid idea. The Church kept its secrets. Even if they knew Derward’s fate there was no way Keres could find out, not without the Scribe’s consent.

  But the Draig systems were nowhere near as sophisticated. In time, she could probably break into them and learn their secrets.

  Reader Mallory smiled, feeling better. She had a purpose once more.

  NEW BLOOD

  By time Valtais Valine entered the room, the board meeting was already in session. She had arrived late, a deliberate act t
o offset the balance of the other people assembled there. She had changed out of her militaristic official uniform into a more glamorous gown. She knew it would distract. They would underestimate her. As she approached the table, smiling with confidence, she saw the expressions on the board members faces, judging her, a mix of attraction, revulsion and curiosity.

  ‘Forgive my lateness,’ she said, talking over Chair Vassal. ‘Official business that needed my attention.’

  ‘Thank you for joining us, Valtais Valine,’ Vassal said with an air of condescension. ‘The board has been discussing the last quarter’s figures. The House of Khanna’s debts have put considerable strain on our cashflow, as you’ll see on appendix twelve.’

  Valine sat in an empty chair as Vassal activated the large display screens that bookended the table. ‘The House of Khanna owes you money?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes,’ Vassal replied with a sigh. He didn’t want to get into this. ‘Outstanding credit from their last order with us.’

  ‘The arkship Manali,’ someone said from the far end of the table.

  ‘Manali, yes,’ Vassal said, straightening the pad in front of him. ‘The question for the board is: what we should do about this? We have already added interest to the outstanding amount, but I’m aware of some personal issues within the family and I’m inclined to offer–’

  ‘The Manali should be seized. Or destroyed.’

  Valine felt all the faces around the table turn to look at her. She recognized most of them, there were just one or two unknown variables.

  ‘Valtais, you are new here, and you are welcome to observe,’ Vassal said slowly, ‘but I would ask that you keep your opinions to yourself until you have had time to understand how we work here. We will vote on the matter of your membership to the board at the end of the meeting.’

  Valine drummed her fingers on the table, piercing him with her unblinking stare. She waited until Vassal was about to return to his dry delivery before she spoke over him. ‘I am new here, Chair, you’re right, and I am shocked to find your methods of business are so lax. The House of Khanna owes you money, and yet someone allowed them to take charge of their new arkship before payment was completed. Who is responsible for those sorts of decisions, Chair? Who sanctioned the release of the Manali?’

  Vassal smiled tightly. It was almost a grimace. ‘We are on a very tight schedule, Valine. We can schedule that for discussion another time.’

  Valine slid a pad across the table, watching as it slowed in front of Vassal. ‘That is your signature on the release form, isn’t it?’

  Vassal shook his head, refusing to acknowledge the pad in front of him. ‘There is a time and a place for this. If you cannot–’

  ‘Your authorization, your collusion with the Khanna family, that is what has led this company into financial difficulty.’

  Vassal stood, his arms tensing, uncertain what to do next.

  ‘You are good friends with the Khanna family. You dine with the Sardar often. I’m sure if we looked deeper, we’d find some of his money in your pocket, wouldn’t we?’ This last part was a lie – Valine had no proof – but she knew that the accusation alone was enough without the need for evidence.

  Vassal exploded, jabbing his finger over the table. ‘That is quite enough! Your presence here is no longer required, Valine. Your request to join the board of Carter & Grey is denied.’

  Valine paused, letting the silence grow. ‘I hadn’t realized this was a dictatorship. Don’t the board members get to vote? Or is your power absolute now?’

  ‘Well, of course they do, but I know my fellow members well, and they will not stand for such slander. You should leave, now.’

  Valine leaned back in her chair, oozing calm.

  ‘Very well,’ Vassal raged. ‘We will vote, and then you will leave.’

  Valtais Valine nodded her acceptance. She glanced around the table at the other board members, catching the eyes of those she knew: General Leonov from the House of Fedorov, Genshu Hoshino from the House of Li Zhang, Chief Sinclair from the Clan Sinclair, Captain White from the House of Jackson, and Leider De Vries from the House of Vermeulen. She recognized Lady Addington from the House of Addington and Harrison Miller representing the New Horizons Consortium from her surveillance reports, but she could not guarantee how they might vote. Still, Valine felt confident that she would have the advantage.

  Vassal spoke, picking up his pad. ‘All those in favor of Valtais Valine from the House of Draig joining the board of Carter & Grey, please vote now.’

  The board members touched their pads, making their choice. Almost immediately, the result of the vote flashed up on the large screens. Valine smiled with satisfaction.

  Vassal shook his head. ‘Let the record show my dismay at this decision. I do not think that Valtais Valine is the sort of person . . .’

  Valine had stood up. Vassal watched her walk towards him, his words fading away.

  ‘Thank you, fellow members, your faith in me is gratifying. My first act as a member of this board is to table a new proposal.’

  ‘Anything not on the agenda must wait until the end of the meeting.’

  Valine ignored the Chair. ‘This board has been ill-advised. This company is on the brink of financial disaster. I have studied the financial reports in great detail. It is only a matter of time before you are so weak that acquisition by a competitor like Narwoulf will be your only choice. The blame for this mishandling does not lie with you, my fellow board members. It is your Chair who has brought you to the brink. Therefore, I propose that the Chair be stripped of his position and removed from the board.’

  Vassal stood, trying to be heard over Valine.

  ‘I further propose that a new Chair be elected,’ Valine continued, raising her voice. ‘One who is clean of the corruption that has dogged this board in recent years.’

  ‘I cannot allow this!’ Vassal said, pushing Valine away from the table. Her hand swung in a blur, and Vassal fell to the floor.

  ‘It is time for new blood,’ Valine declared, standing over the whimpering Vassal. ‘It is time for a new leader, and that leader is me. I propose that I am the only one of us who can pull Carter & Grey out of this disaster. Ladies and gentlemen of the board, I put it to the vote.’

  CONSCIOUSNESS AND PREJUDICE

  The arkship Benwick was not at all how Bara expected it to be. At first, when their shuttle landed in the hanger bay, it appeared to be just like any other arkship she’d visited, but it soon became apparent that it was very different. They were greeted in the hanger bay by Faron himself, who welcomed them with a rendition of his family anthem played by the Benwick’s official band. Bara tried to hide her laugher as the instruments played with gusto – if not with professional skill – until the song came to a rousing end. Cheers echoed around the hanger bay, and she realized that every single worker had stopped to join in with the song. This place had none of the formal ceremony she was used to on the Caerleon, instead it wore its traditions with pride and humor. They were a family, without the stark hierarchy that stifled the Kenric arkships.

  ‘A blessed day,’ Gofal said as he offered a gift of a rare bottle of wine to their host. The greeting was, he insisted, the correct way to hail someone of Dulac decent, but Faron reddened, smiling awkwardly.

  ‘It’s an old greeting, Lord Chamberlain,’ Faron explained as he took the gift. ‘My grandfather was keen to use it, but it belongs with that generation.’

  Bara grinned, certain Gofal looked crestfallen.

  ‘But it’s still correct,’ Faron added quickly, noticing his guest’s response. ‘And your desire to adhere to our traditions is gratifying.’ He glanced behind Wynn. ‘Where is the commander?’

  ‘She sends her apologies,’ Wyn explained. ‘Commander Watson has duties on the Caerleon.’

  ‘The repairs?’ Faron asked.

  ‘She feels we are vulnerable until we can repair our Cube drive.’

  ‘She would be right, if not for our arkships at your side.’


  Wynn smiled politely, but Bara knew his concerns. He didn’t trust easily, especially after they had been betrayed by Wynn’s previous Reader. He was being cautious.

  ‘Reader Aditsan has come in her place,’ Wynn said.

  Faron’s warmth dimmed as he glanced at the purple robed man who stood quietly behind the others.

  ‘Is that a problem?’ Wynn checked.

  ‘Not at all,’ Faron replied, his smile returning. ‘All are welcome here.’

  Finally, he turned to Bara. ‘Sēbarā. I’m glad you came.’

  ‘Call me Bara.’

  ‘As you wish, Bara.’ His child-like grin was contagious.

  Faron led them to an intimate space, a softly lit circular chamber with a low ceiling. In the middle of the room was a recessed floor, furnished with cushions and rugs. Faron removed his shoes at the door and gestured for them to do likewise. He climbed down and lounged on the soft cushions, fussing over his guests.

  ‘Relax,’ he insisted. ‘Make yourselves comfortable.’

  Bara hesitated at the edge of the seating area.

  ‘Is everything okay?’ Wynn asked quietly.

  ‘I was expecting another big hall, another long table,’ she confessed.

  ‘I apologize,’ Faron responded. ‘Is this unacceptable?’

  ‘No, not at all. This is . . .’ She took in the room, with its rich colors and unusual fragrances. ‘It’s perfect.’

  Faron beamed, helping her down to the cushions.

  Wynn and Bara shared a smile as the Reader struggled to lower himself onto the seating area. His old knees cracked as he found a spot. ‘I think I will be staying here now,’ he joked wearily.

  Almost at once, waiters offered trays filled with tiny portions of unidentifiable food. They each took some, eating with their fingers. Drinks began to flow, and Bara felt her tensions ease in the company of their new friend.