Frontier Effects: Book 1

by Mars Dorian

  Tavio loved hearing his brother’s confidence roaring again. Q’s sayings had always floated like a rescuing anchor above his head.

  “Why are you out here?”

  “We received your logs. When evidence showed the alien menace, the Alliance sent the best of the best.”

  Quintan’s smirk shone through the somber mood in the cruiser’s hanger. Tavio paused his joy when a recent unpleasant memory pushed into his consciousness. “Did you keep firing when I left the Verge ship?”

  Quintan narrowed his eyes. “Our division was opening fire once we confirmed the ID of the Verge carrier. We had no idea that you guys were inside. You should have contacted us.”

  “We couldn’t. The Verge jammed our connection.”

  Quintan nodded with patience. “Well, they’re debris. Apart for that one vessel leaving before the carrier’s disintegration.”

  Tavio halted. The ship must have been the Verge’s version of an escape pod. Maybe Shay remained on board that vessel. Tavio hoped so from the bottom of his essence.

  “Are you okay?” Quintan said with raised eyebrows.

  No, Tavio wasn’t. Pure willpower kept him standing, coupled with military discipline. His every limb dangled down, falling prey to the cruiser’s artificial gravity. “Feels like my insides are smashed against the plasma chamber at sub-light speeds.”

  “Well, you’re safe now. Forget about that alien trash and enjoy being among humans again.”

  Tavio had so many more questions, but the strength left him. Forming a single coherent thought challenged him. He wanted to fall down into the bunk cube of his sleeping quarters and rest.

  Quintan wrapped his arm around Tavio’s shoulders and whispered the magic words that the captain had longed to hear for weeks.

  “It’s time to go home.”

  77//Austin, Free State of Texas, the NAC

  Tavio Alterra awoke from the deepest sleep he witnessed in a decade. The electrochromic windows of his mobile Austin house, a simple cube construction made of glass and metal, flushed his 100 foot room with natural sunlight.

  Tavio felt as if he overslept eternity, although it had only been ten days since his return from the first contact mission. The journey from E405 to Earth had taken weeks, but Tavio was so exhausted he snored right through it. He didn’t even need to take a single stimulation to drift away. A rare sense of fulfillment threw him into the wonderlands of deep REM sleep.

  Tavio took a dry shower and voice-activated the holographic display. He wrapped the standard uniform around his clean body and commenced the long-range transmission. His enhanced eyes projected Chief Director Jackstadt into the living room. The haggard man looked as frail as last time, but the smile of his face chipped off some of the age. Tavio couldn’t help but salute the man. “Good day, sir.”

  The ex-fleet general smiled. “How’s your reentry into Texan life?”

  “Bumpy, sir. I’ve been running from one health check-up to the next, but the doctors tell me my body is holding up. They found some irregularities with my heart beat and eye sight, but nanomeds help with the readjustments.”

  “You certainly look the part. Frankly, I can’t believe you’ve made it back in one piece.”

  “That makes two, sir.”

  “Listen, son. I hate to jump straight into action, but at this stage, time is a luxury I can’t afford anymore.”

  Despite the doom of his existence, Jackstadt sounded almost upbeat. Maybe embracing his imminent end gave him a surge in energy. “We’re setting up a new division for the Exo Protectorate program. We call it Formation Eight, or F8 for short, numbered after the first eight seconds of the Yuugen distress signal.”

  During the last ten days, various divisions of the Alliance had seeped through Tavio’s logs and the crew’s footage. They knew as much the about the Verge and Yuugen conflict as he did.

  “F8,” Tavio mumbled under his breath.

  The captain pronounced it like fate, which fit the life-altering event. The first contact mission already appeared like a surreal memory. “Sounds good, sir.”

  “It’s about to sound better, Tavio.”

  Jackstadt’s time-beaten body straightened up like a knobby tree springing to life again. The smile shone on his face. “I want you to be the commander of this new division. You possess the military experience and the human empathy to lead exploration missions farther into the rim.”

  Tavio blushed but he didn’t mind. Showing emotions wasn’t a weakness anymore. It balanced the raw side of his battle-hardened self.

  Jackstadt continued. “The F8 program will be of scientific and exploratory nature and is co-sponsored by leading colonial tech companies.”

  “I should say something smart, sir, but the truth is I lack any witty response.”

  The old man chuckled. “Your actions outweigh whatever you could possibly screw up with words, Tavio.”

  His voice grew serious again. “We need to learn more about the Verge. Your report has given us a rudimentary idea, but as long as we don’t understand the life form’s intent, our race is in danger.”

  The footage of the Verge’s assault against the Yuugen cluster had shocked the council. Every single department must have seen the threat to human colonies.

  “We will find a way to deal with it, sir. It’s a matter of time.”

  “Your optimism is refreshing.”

  The old man reached out his hand and wanted to pat Tavio’s shoulder but waved through instead. “I hate to sound like a maudlin old geezer, Tavio, but you’ve outgrown the man you used to be during the Colony War.”

  “It feels good to be part of something bigger, sir.”

  He looked down as if to find the answer between his boots. “I know my actions don’t matter in the greater sense of the universe, but they feel meaningful on the human level.” He paused. “Late realization for someone like me.”

  Jackstadt moaned. “Some men live their entire life and never realize their true purpose. Give yourself some credit and stand by your achievements.” His smile sharpened. “Besides, your journey is far from over. Stay put for upcoming updates as we clear the details of project F8.”

  The hue layer disappeared from the depiction, which meant the call neared its end. “And please remember, Tavio, our conversation is confidential. Do not tell anyone about the Verge menace. After years of intercolonial diplomatic nightmares, the Alliance needs an uplifting story to restore moral.”

  He lingered on the last sentence. “We have to patch up the wounds of our past.”

  Tavio nodded but felt queasy during the promise. The Verge remained an unknown and dangerous variable, and with the recent confrontation, it had learned about humanity’s existence.

  Tavio saluted the old man goodbye and watched his holographic body disappearing layer by layer. The transmission buzzed out but Tavio stood still and embraced the silence of his own four walls. The words of the chief director echoed through his mind and resonated.

  Jackstadt’s words rang true; Tavio had changed. But his journey had come with a horrible sacrifice which still made him feel like debris shrapnel blown away by the winds of fate. The lessons of the Liquid Lancer had helped him deal with the emotional challenges of the interstellar mission, but the primer’s wisdom couldn’t beat the lingering insecurity. Tavio knew more inner work needed to be done to become a whole being again.

  But not today.

  He opened his eyes and checked the time—9:22 am. Damn. The last hour had whizzed by. Tavio dashed through his house and summoned the nearest auto-ride from his comlink. He pushed the existential pondering aside and readied for the big event.

  78//Houston, NAC

  Hours later, Tavio Alterra’s auto-ride steered toward the parking space of the massive Alliance complex in Houston.

  “Exo Protectorate main building,” the AI announced over the speakers and lifted the doors skyways.

  Tavio stepped out and breathed in the warm winds of the scorching Texan heat. Still as ruthless,
but now more welcomed than ever. It was refreshing to feel the atmosphere on one’s skin without fearing intoxication or skin erosion. Despite the atmogear’s excellent design, the suit’s tech couldn’t compete against the natural feel of sunlight and wind.

  Tavio balanced his boots on the self-healing asphalt and stumbled for a few meters. After all the gravity changes aboard the Martian space station, the Moonshot, and the exoplanet, his body suffered from gravity vertigo.

  He navigated toward the flower-bed graced entrance area of the glass complex. Five meters next to the double-framed wall-door, he spotted a figure stretching his limbs like someone trying to shrug off fatigue. Not an alien, but judging from the individual’s awkward behavior, he might have been. Tavio couldn’t suppress a smile as he walked toward the person with his left hand extended. “A Martian ground-pounder on Earth by his own free will. I guess miracles do exist.”

  Bellrog’s grin stretched and exposed his massive teeth. “I heard some Alliance shills are cranking out a ceremony. Suckers invited me, and I can’t ditch a party, not even a Terran one.”

  They hugged each other like brothers. The two had parted only ten days ago, but to Tavio, it felt like a month or more. Traveling across the universe tended to twist one’s sense of time.

  “Any problems with the readjustments, Sergeant?”

  “My body was bred for intergalactic travel. Plant me on planets or in space; it’s all the same.”

  Bellrog oozed a natural strength like an athlete stepping out from a beach resort ad. Tavio wondered if a syn soldier could ever suffer from PTSD. That invisible sickness worse than solar radiation and debris penetration combined. The curiosity nagged, but a heavy-handed topic felt misplaced on this celebratory day.

  Bellrog broke the creeping awkwardness. “Where’s your brother?”

  “Already inside. Probably ravaging the buffet.”

  “We should, too.”

  The two treaded into the cool lobby which smelled of industrial wax with a dash of mint. Guests lay siege upon the lobby and silenced once the duo entered their sight. Autographs and handshakes exchanged, followed by a barrage of compliments.

  “You’re a hero, sir.”

  “You’ve made history.”

  “The Alliance is proud to have you.”

  Tavio nodded politely and shook everyone’s hand—eighteen in total. He excused himself and entered the ceremonial hall where hundreds of guests had already taken their seats.

  Bellrog whistled. “Looks like they invited half the planet.”

  Press units walked up the center stage and coordinated their camera drones. Tavio spotted proxy units from the Martian and Moon media. Most of the guests craned their heads toward the duo as they passed through the rows.

  “Into the fray,” Bellrog said with a sigh.

  He sounded more aggravated than during the corridor defense on E405. The two hurried toward the restricted backstage area where Chief Naveesh helped a crew member experiencing trouble with a cam drone.

  “It’s an honor to see you gentlemen again.”

  The trio exchanged handshakes and smiles. Tavio enjoyed the mini-reunion. After surviving hell and back, the bond between him and his new crew glued tighter than aerogel.

  Another unit stood near the curtains and eyed the captain with curiosity. She seemed so out of place, with her mantis-like body and the delicate movement of a ballet dancer.

  “Tavio is back,” Hōshi said and tilted her body.

  The captain extended his hand but the Yuugen still preferred non-physical greetings, so he settled for the bow. “How’s Earth’s atmosphere treating you?”

  “Alliance engineers and Hōshi are working on extending her life support system. The technology keeping her alive can be replicated with human equipment.”

  “See? We’ll find a way. We always do.”

  An announcement droned through the auditorium’s PA. The show launched.

  “Don’t worry, they won’t hurt you,” Bellrog said to the Yuugen who seemed clearly uncomfortable. “And if they do, I’ll give ‘em a smack.”

  “She appreciates Bellrog’s support very much so.”

  Tavio smiled and walked up the platform first. The stage lights shone like far away suns and swallowed up the audience rows in the back. Tavio appreciated the blurry image—he pretended to address a faceless ocean which eased his stage fright.

  You’ve survived the rim, you’ll survive this.

  The one and only mission master Kelly LaCrosse introduced the SAS Moonshot crew and elicited applause. When Hōshi showed up, the crowd went wild, even though she had been featured on every colonial news outlet over the past week and a half. Kelly wanted to jump to the next segment but the folks in the auditorium wouldn’t let her. Hōshi mesmerized hearts and minds alike.

  When applause ebbed, the mission master spotted her chance. “Companies and Alliance troops have combined their efforts to achieve the impossible—initiate first contact with a sentient alien race.” She paused for dramatic effect. “In fact, the contact has been so successful, the new race we now call the Yuugen have sent a diplomat to deepen our mutual understanding.”

  The audience launched applause with mega smiles. Kelly morphed the background of the stage into one gigantic hologram where planet E405 glistened in its 3D beauty. “As we sit here, representatives of the Exo Protectorate are setting up our first embassy on the exoplanet.”

  Clap, clap, clap.

  “We will exchange our knowledge, experiences and technology to usher humanity into a new age of interspecies collaboration.”

  The audience whistled and cheered. The jubilant atmosphere rivaled an Astroturf concert. Amidst the audience sat Quintan, dressed in a slick nano-fibered tuxedo. He joined the applause but clapped to his own, slower beat. A frown seemed to edge into his face, but maybe the illusion sprang from the light effects. Tavio waved at his brother and mouthed a silent ‘Thanks for coming’. He couldn’t tell whether Quintan understood the message, so he kept his media smile on and pretended to greet the folks in the hall.

  “Unfortunately,” Kelly continued, “Every great journey comes with a sacrifice. Doctor Shay Eriksun, the xenologist and chief scientist of the Moonshot crew, sacrificed herself for the mission’s success. Her priceless deeds to humanity will never be forgotten.”

  The audience quieted down. For a minute, only the humming of the camera drones remained audible as thousands of guests thought of Shay’s sacrifice.

  Tavio glanced at the empty spot reserved for the doctor. It pained him to see her gone. And yet, hope flared as long as he didn’t get a confirmation of her death.

  The captain and his crew had discovered the entrance door to the frontier. A far away realm only the most advanced humans could reach. Shay Eriksun existed out there, somewhere on the edge of space, taken by a mysterious entity called the Verge. Tavio knew he was going to make contact again. The journey would be terrifying, filled with insurmountable challenges, but humans could endure almost anything once they found meaning in suffering.

  Tavio kept his eyes closed as Kelly LaCrosse revealed the next challenges of the Solar Alliance. The captain could feel the soothing heat of the stage lights as he listened to the voices of his inner Lancer…

  Tavio Alterra’s adventures have just begun…

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