by Drew Wagar
‘The purists?’
‘Those who disagreed with genetic modification in its many forms. Perhaps they might have had a case in the beginning. Some of the early genetic modifications were most unstable. But their eventual persecution knew no bounds. Once intelligence had been granted, it could not be taken away. A violation of rights. But that didn’t stop them. They subverted other opinions and spread their propaganda. A coup for governmental control. Ultimately it meant war.’
‘War?’ Jim echoed. ‘There was no war!’
‘The early years of the 25th century were times of terror if you weren’t human. The authorities on Old-Earth declared all intelligent creatures other than themselves unclean and began their programme of… cleansing,’ Daddyhoggy said with distaste. ‘It came to a head at Diso. A few humans fought alongside the other species, a group that would eventually become the Far Colonies Alliance. Finally, after decades of fighting and trillions of deaths on both sides a compromise was agreed. The Far Colony worlds would be ostracised from the worlds under the purist control, worlds that now form the Federation and the Empire. All the genetically modified species would submit to regressive gene therapy to tame predatory and violent tendencies. It took years but it was finally agreed. Further genetic modifications were declared illegal, even cloning was banned. Each planet was given over to its now native inhabitants, with the Far Colony Alliance forming an administration divorced from the Federation, a cooperative between the isolated planets formed, on a galactic scale.’
‘Galcop.’
‘Yes,’ Daddyhoggy mused. ‘Galcop.’
‘But that doesn’t explain…’
‘The Thargoids?’ Daddyhoggy said with a nod.
‘Surely they’re not from Earth?’
‘An insect, just like all the others. I think their genesis was a species known as the Praying Mantis, which they still resemble by all accounts. Yes, they were from Earth too.’
‘And their hostility?’
‘They refused to accept the compromise. Of all the species they insisted on remaining who they were. As such they are the most intelligent, most aggressive of all the outcomes of that one experiment seven hundred years ago. Attempts were made to reason with them and later subdue them. All were ineffective. The Thargoids stole what technology they could and fled. Disappearing into the darkness but vowing to return.’
‘But why…’
‘Do they attack?’ Daddyhoggy continued. ‘For Galcop to remain in existence it was a condition of the Old Earth administration that all animal species be subject to the compromise. Galcop had little choice but to attempt to subdue them. Within a short time Galcop, driven by desperation, committed similar atrocities to those perpetrated by their ancestors from Old Earth. The Thargoids were declared a threat, targeted and relentlessly pursued. That phrase they’re quoting, from this book. These words were used to justify their extinction. They were declared enemies of Galcop. Enemies of humanity. A menace to be exterminated. Propaganda and brainwashing ensured they were vilified within a generation. Naturally they fought back. They invested much time in their technology and they continued enhancing their genetics to such a point they far outpaced the capabilities of their progenitors.’
‘They became a serious threat.’ Jim whispered.
‘The Thargoids were beginning to win. Their reproductive cycles faster, their technology better. Their warriors indefatigable, genetically engineered to have no fear. Galcop was desperate, seeking anything they could use. Finally the seals on forbidden technology were broken and a bio-weapon was deployed on the Thargoid homeworld. It was utterly destroyed. It was assumed that with no base the Thargoids would be swiftly defeated.’
‘But they turned to guerrilla tactics,’ Jim volunteered. ‘Striking from hiding, taking what they needed to survive and then moving on. Ever since…’
‘Indeed.’
‘But why now, why the heightened attacks? By report they’re heading for Lave, throwing every resource at Chart One to the exclusion of everything else.’
‘Lave is Galcop’s centre of power.’
Jim shook his head. ‘For all its faults, Galcop remains decentralised. Lave is significant but destroying it will not end Galcop any more than the destruction of their homeworld stopped them!’
‘Then they have another reason for their actions,’ Daddyhoggy replied. ‘The second part of your message perhaps?’
Rebecca stretched, languidly rolling onto her side, pulling the bed covers up around her. She curled up in a foetal position, looking idly at the star spangled view out of the apartment windows as her body cooled.
Nice to feel like a woman again…
She continued to ponder the view in silence. Jaenus had already gone, making some irrelevant excuses. Rebecca hadn’t bothered to listen properly. It hardly mattered; she knew what the arrangement was. He’d been a talented lover, rather too well practiced for her taste but a welcome diversion.
Never thought I’d be a cradle snatcher. He must have been nearly ten years younger than me!
She’d surprised herself, truth be told. Maybe it was finally cutting the ties with her old dreams and longings. She’d given herself permission to let go, to be herself.
Coyote was right, it’s easier. No ties, no compromise, no broken promises.
The stars were silent, unmoving, devoid of the friendly twinkle she experienced when she had been planet-side on rare occasions. She fancied they almost looked stern, disapproving. She felt her stomach clench.
So why do I feel guilty? This is what I want! No responsibility!
She threw the bed clothes off and stood up. She stumbled on something and noticed her comm-tab clattering across the tiles. She picked it up and put it on the side; she’d switched it off a little earlier on.
I didn’t want him interrupting anything!
She walked over to the bathroom to distract herself. She was delighted to find a real bath. Jaenus’ pad was well equipped.
She ran herself a bath complete with excessive bubbles and lowered herself gently into it, luxuriating in the feel against her skin. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a proper bath, somehow they never seemed to make it onto essential equipment aboard ship. The water was cosseting, warm and indulgent. She leant back, only then noticing that was ceiling was mirrored. She caught sight of herself.
Her brown eyes were as distinctive as ever and she looked as young as she ever had. The red welt where the Thargoid had impaled her shoulder was an obvious mark of the dangerous life she led but even that was fading.
But I am getting older. Even if I don’t look it, I feel it…
Images of laser fights, tough battles and narrow escapes flashed across her mind. Living on the edge couldn’t help but be a strain. It was only going to get worse and it was never going to stop.
What am I doing?
She sank into the bath, submerging herself, her hair floating up around her like a veil.
Chapter 9
! DUX DUCIS, INCOLUMITAS!
Daddyhoggy reviewed the words again.
‘Perhaps if you told me the context,’ he instructed.
Jim told him about the Thargoid attack at Tionisla. How the Thargoids deliberately diverted their attack to pursue Rebecca’s ship, chanted the obscure phrase at the same time.
‘Curious,’ Daddyhoggy acknowledged. ‘Was it her or her ship they were after?’
‘Her ship was just an old heavy fighter. More than ten years, nothing they should have interested in,’ Jim said. ‘They were scanning deliberately, it must be her.’
‘And what can you tell me about your friend?’ Daddyhoggy said, with a gleam in his eyes.
More than I care to…
‘She’s a fighter, a bounty hunter, probably one of the best pilots in the charts,’ Jim said with a sigh. ‘She’s special.’
‘That doesn’t sound that remarkable,’ Daddyhoggy replied. ‘There must be more to her than that.’
‘I’m not sure…’
Jim thought about it for a moment, ‘It’s only a theory so far and you won’t believe me anyway.’
Daddyhoggy grinned his avian grin. ‘I am an avian librarian. Not only does my designation have a pleasant rhyme, such a combination is famously hard to ruffle and famed for its credulity.’
Jim told him what had happened to Rebecca and him a decade before. The clandestine search for Zerz, the lonely planet of Oresrati, the battle, the chase and the technology behind the deadly Plasma Accelerator.
Daddyhoggy thought for a long moment, staring intently at Jim as if trying to peer into his mind
‘Well?’ Jim prompted after almost a minute had gone past.
‘Well,’ Daddyhoggy returned. ‘If what you are saying is true, that would be reason enough for the Thargoids to take an interest in her… or you for that matter. Which brings us back to the next phrase.’
Jim blinked. Daddyhoggy was completely unfazed, as if stories of high adventure were common place.
‘Any clues?’ Jim prompted, recovering from his astonishment.
‘Several,’ Daddyhoggy replied. ‘Now we have the language and a context, it should merely be a case of matching the words. Let’s start with Ragazza. If we select an original book with an equivalent modern translation we may be able to find a match.’
Jim took a deep breath. ‘Let’s get started.’
Coyote and Derik were on their fifth Evil-juice when Rebecca joined them at the bar.
‘Hey Princess,’ Derik called, waving to her and already looking a little worse for wear. ‘How’s my favourite murderous-space-damsel-in-distress?’
Rebecca raised an eyebrow but didn’t deign to respond to him.
‘Lizard can’t take his drink I see,’ she said.
‘It’s that cold blood. Gets clogged up easily.’ Coyote replied with a wink.
‘I am not cold-blooded…’ Derik roared, tottering on his bar stool. ‘Isss jussst rumours. No truuuuth in it whatsooeverr.’
‘Somebody gonna buy me a drink?’ Rebecca asked.
Coyote gestured to the bar and a waiter came over.
‘Whatever the little lady wants,’ he said.
‘Evil-juice?’ the waiter prompted, looking at the evidence surrounding Derik and Coyote.
Rebecca grimaced and shook her head. ‘Something a little more subtle. Any Anlian Gin in the house?’
‘Anlian Gin. I’ll have to see,’ the waiter shuffled away and then promptly returned with a glass of transparent liquid. It was smoking slightly.
‘You’re supposed to serve it in plastic,’ Rebecca said. ‘It eats glass.’
The waiter looked non-plussed. ‘I… er.’
Rebecca downed it in a single gulp, licking her lips.
‘Bit rough,’ she said after a moment, spitting the last bit on the floor.
Coyote grinned. ‘Didn’t see you as a connoisseur.’
‘There’s a lot you don’t know about me,’ she returned. ‘Better make it a couple of these Evil-juices then. Gotta catch up with my compadres here.’
‘Another round,’ Coyote, waved at the waiter, who scuttled off once again.
‘Having a good time?’ Coyote prompted. Rebecca ignored him.
‘Yeah,’ Derik said loudly, grabbing an Evil-juice off the table. ‘How was Jaenus? Did you have great sex…?’
Rebecca’s eyes widened in surprise and shock. The buzz of conversation around them stopped abruptly. The entire population of the bar looked around at them.
‘Moving swiftly on,’ Coyote said loudly.
Derik look aggrieved, ‘What? Just asking. Did I miss something about monkey reproductive rituals?’
‘Derik!’ Coyote hissed. ‘Shut the frak up…’
Derik looked confused. ‘What’s the problem? She was in heat wasn’t she…?’
Coyote grabbed the lizard’s tongue and pulled his head around with it. Rebecca looked as if she was about to murder him.
‘Listen, gecko features, just drop it, ok?’ Coyote said softly. ‘Or I’ll drop it for you, comprende?’
Derik made a muffled sound which might have been acquiescence. Coyote let him go, turning back to Rebecca.
‘Sorry about that. He’s pissed as a newt.’
Derik growled angrily. ‘I am not a frakkin’ newt! Pissed on the other hand… ha ha!’
Coyote rolled his eyes.
‘Anyway. I want you to know our next move. Udian will already know about this, having been there before.’ He began, looking more seriously at the pair of them. ‘Our next move takes us to Anxeonis.’
‘And into the Tortuga expanse,’ Rebecca said. ‘I’ve heard of it. Sounds like fun.’
‘You’re talkin’ about the Knife Edge,’ Derik said, taking a further slug of his Evil-Juice.
‘Right,’ Coyote said. ‘The expanse is bad enough but we’ve got to negotiate the way in.’
Their conversation stopped as the waiter returned, dishing out more drinks. Rebecca took one and took a sip.
‘So what’s the big deal with the Knife Edge?’ Rebecca asked.
‘The Knife edge is the jump to Anxeonis from Xequerin. It’s pretty much the only way in or out of the region. It’s a natural choke point, crawling with Galcop ships on the one side and a potent mix of bounty hunters and pirates on the other. Access is heavily monitored. ’
‘What’s the other route?’ Rebecca asked after the waiter had left them again.
‘We could go via the Teraed Region,’ Coyote said, ‘But that would take us almost an extra week. We can’t afford the time.’
Rebecca nodded. ‘So?’
‘The Galcop presence shouldn’t be a problem,’ Coyote continued. ‘They’re going to be more interested in checking stuff coming back out of the Expanse rather than stopping anyone crazy enough to be going in. The main problem will be getting your ship past them.’
Rebecca sat back on her bar-stool. ‘I’ll just stay here then, not a problem.’
‘Yeah, we know why that is…’ Derik laughed.
‘Shut up, lizard breath.’
Coyote shook his head. ‘We’ll need the firepower. Xequerin isn’t exactly friendly and Anxeonis is worse. The Galcop contingent isn’t above a little bribery either. Four tough looking ships entering the Expanse will raise eyebrows and get the comms lines buzzing regardless of how stealthy we are. We can expect a very warm reception on the other side.’
‘Can’t we just make another jump straightaway?’ Rebecca asked. ‘Oh no, that breaks the first rule of smuggling doesn’t it.’
Coyote shot her a look. ‘I’d make an exception this time but it’s not an option. The Xequerin transit authorities require each ship to make an individual jump across the Knife Edge unless they’re towing freight. Each ship is individually scanned. No multiple jumps, that’s why you never seen the bigger convoys going that way. They can’t take their escorts unless they’ve all got witch-space drives. The next jump from Anxeonis is further than we’ll have fuel for and there aren’t any refuelling stations. We’ll need to fight our way to the Sun. Be ready for that.’
‘But Galcop will take one look at my ship and impound it!’ Rebecca said. ‘No way I can sneak through with a Thargoid style thruspace drive. The ship is brand new. I’m assuming I can’t use a cloak.’
‘They’ve got scanners for that anyhow,’ Derik said, with a gulp.
‘Quite right.’ Coyote said with a grin. ‘So you can’t go through with a new ship, so you’re going through in an old one.’
‘Huh?’
Coyote smiled. ‘Why do you think we came to a breakers yard?’
Rebecca nodded. ‘Ok, I get it. Clever.’
‘Well I don’t,’ Derik said, taking another drink and looking at them with his head rocking from side to side. ‘Frak… will you two sit still?’
The big lizard leant back and fell off his stool.
‘I think you�
��ve had enough, mi amiga,’ Coyote said, trying to pull the lizard off the floor. Rebecca helped on the other side. Derik was far too heavy for even both of them to carry but they managed to wrestle him across to a nearby couch that seemed ideal for the purpose. Several other individuals were sprawled out in a similar fashion. Huge rumbling snores came from the big lizard long before they managed to finish moving him.
‘Sorry about that,’ Coyote said, as they both settled back at the bar.
‘It’s ok,’ Rebecca said softly. ‘He’s not the only one who’s making a fool of themselves.’
Coyote looked at her for a moment. ‘So how come he gets off so lightly?’
Rebecca looked up with a frown. ‘What?’
‘If that had been me you’d have been over the table slapping me into next week,’ Coyote said, rubbing his jaw as if he had a bruise.
Rebecca smiled. ‘Yeah. Maybe. I know where I am with him. Derik’s an easy mark, black and white. You’re different. You see stuff. That makes me nervous.’
Coyote propped up his sombrero. ‘There could be a compliment in there somewhere, though I’m not sure. Might have to go digging.’
Rebecca looked away, pensive again.
‘I thought about what you said,’ she said softly. ‘Back on Ermaso.’
‘So I saw.’ Coyote said with faint amusement.
Rebecca had the good grace to blush a little. ‘I made the wrong call again. As always.’
‘Trying to get him out of your system,’ Coyote said.
Rebecca nodded. ‘Something like that.’
‘Did it work?’
Rebecca didn’t respond. She was biting her lip. Coyote took another deep quaff of his Evil-juice and studied her for a moment.
Rebecca sighed and then looked back at him with a frown.
‘And where you do fit into all this?’ she demanded.
‘Me?’ Coyote replied innocently
‘Yeah.’ Rebecca said. ‘Mister I know everything and never make a wrong call. Do you know how frakkin’ irritating you are?’
Coyote grinned, lit a colita and puffed a smoke-ring at her.
‘I’ve made plenty of wrong calls, little one. Plenty.’