Dark Rivals_Age of Expansion_A Kurtherian Gambit Series

by Amy DuBoff

  Which doesn’t bode well for them having gotten their hands on our external processor. Luke wouldn’t dare say that aloud to anyone, especially Ava. It was that field mistake that had precipitated her regular questioning of her command decisions. Even her successful takedown of the dwarf planet in Gidyon using only her telepathic powers hadn’t been enough to reaffirm her abilities as an FDG officer in her mind.

  Everyone had hoped that the external processor had been destroyed in Gidyon along with the planet, closing the issue. But if Jack’s hunch was correct, and the Dyons maintained a connection with the Etheric that extended beyond remote mind control, then they could have communicated the details of the computer operations at the core of the Federation’s technology. Any groups of Dyons that existed elsewhere might now have that information.

  Luke suppressed the thought, knowing that following the hypothetical would only generate as yet unfounded fears about his civilization being conquered by new, invisible, alien overlords.

  “Well,” he pushed back from his computer terminal, “I guess we can definitively say now that we know the Dyons come from somewhere remote and unexplored.”

  “New life, unlike anything discovered elsewhere.” Tess was almost radiant from the revelation.

  Luke had learned over the past month that she specialized in xenobiology, which in retrospect seemed obvious, given the comments she’d made in their previous collaborations. It was also no wonder she’d accepted him as a team leader, given he came from Coraxa—regarded as one of the most biologically diverse and unique worlds within the grasp of the Etheric Federation.

  “Exciting stuff,” Luke agreed. “I wish we had answers to offer, but at least now we know to look outward to learn more, rather than inward.”

  “Yes, there is that.” Tess was silent for a moment. “Do you think they’ll come back?”

  Jack snorted. “Would you come back, if someone blew up your planet-sized base?”

  That could have been the equivalent of a tiny outpost, for all we know. Luke decided to keep that thought to himself, too.

  “If they come back, at least we know more about them now. Between the sound frequency and the chemical mixture to dissolve the mineral, that’s a decent defensive strategy.”

  “I hope so.” Tess’ tone lacked its normal enthusiasm.

  “Did you find something else?” Luke asked her, wondering where the change in mood was stemming from.

  “Just thinking back to that weirdness with the lights earlier. Last time something went wonky in headquarters, Kurtz was possessed by Nox.”

  “We’ve checked him, he’s clean,” Luke assured her. “And we’ve checked everyone else.”

  Tess opened her mouth like she was about to make a counterpoint, but she nodded instead.

  “Let’s not worry about that right now,” he continued. “I have a couple of things to finish up, but then let’s call it an early night.”

  “Works for me,” Jack replied.

  Tess smiled. “You owe me a drink! I told you the Dyons were from outside Federation territory.”

  “Yes, you did,” Luke conceded. “Time I pay up.”

  * * *

  After a month on Nezar, Karen had acclimated to the warmer environment. She still hated it—and would complain about the heat every chance she got—but at least it no longer wiped her out the second she stepped outside a building.

  Her temporary office space inside the Nezaran government building in the city was beginning to feel more like her own than the desk waiting for her back on Alucia. Based on the quizzical look President Connors gave her each time they checked in, she was sure he suspected as much, too.

  The twice-weekly video calls provided a chance for her to update him on her progress in rebuilding the Nezaran government, after it was gutted following the revelation that the Dyon alien Reya had been in control of the Nezaran chancellor. Karen had thought it would take a week, maybe two, to identify appropriate individuals to fill the power vacuum left by the removal of the planet’s leaders; in her prior experience, someone was always eager for a chance to advance.

  This time, though, no one was rising to the occasion.

  The only people who’d demonstrated genuine interest in her efforts were Trisha, Fiona, and Edgar, but the latter two had made it very clear they had no interest in being chancellor. While Trisha hadn’t outright rejected the idea, she didn’t have the résumé to support an appointment quite on that level.

  After a month of interviews and searching for other candidates, Karen was beginning to wonder if she’d need to look offworld to find someone.

  As she met President Connors’ gaze over the vid call for their check-in, she pondered whether it was finally time to share that concern.

  “Was there something else?” Connors prompted. He raised a fair eyebrow above his violet Torcellan eyes.

  “Well,” Karen began, “we’ve spent most of our time talking about infrastructure, and getting trade between Alucia and Nezar back on track. And while those operations have resumed, and seem to be going well, there’s still the issue of restoring the government leadership.”

  “I thought you were conducting interviews with potential candidates?”

  “Yeah…” she hedged. “I mean, I have been, yes. But I’m pretty much out of people to talk to.”

  Connors folded his hands on his desktop. “Are you being too picky?”

  She laughed. “Oh, I wish that was the case! No, sir, I set bare minimum qualifications to get an initial list going—there are some baseline credentials we can’t compromise. But everyone I’ve talked to who meets those basic requirements isn’t interested.”

  “I find that difficult to believe. Every time I run for re-election, there’s always some new contender, however unqualified, eager to unseat me.”

  “That’s just it, sir—I can’t find someone qualified who wants it. A handful of disgruntled miners have come forward with vocal opposition to the current system, demanding we launch a military assault on Alucia or relocate to Coraxa.”

  The presidents’ eyes widened. “Really? I haven’t seen anything about that.”

  Karen cracked a smile. “Well, I am the press secretary, remember? I know how to contain an unfavorable story.”

  “I agree that we couldn’t have someone with that level of bias in command, but I’m concerned that there’s still a vocal separatist movement on Nezar. I thought that most people on the world had begun advocating for unity in the Alaxar Trinary as soon as Heizberg’s influence was removed.”

  She nodded. “Publicly, yes. But there are going to be those that disagree, no matter what topic, or where it is. It’s the voice of hundreds versus tens of thousands.”

  Connors leaned back in his chair. “What do you propose?”

  “I…” Karen faded out. This is as good of an opening as I’ll get.

  She took a deep breath. “I believe we need to think bigger than Nezar, sir. If no one on this world wants to step up as a leader, then perhaps it’s time we consider a unified government for the Alaxar Trinary.”

  “Hmm.”

  I expected more of a reaction than that… Karen eyed him. “Sir?”

  “I’ve been wondering when you’d make that suggestion.”

  She smiled. “Was it that obvious that’s where things were headed?”

  “Inevitable progress,” he replied. “I’ve given it some thought. The Alaxar Trinary would have greater negotiating power and presence with the Federation if we were three worlds, rather than just Alucia as a single planet. One political leader as the face of the system, with a leader for domestic issues on each of the three worlds—perhaps with a ‘governor’ title.”

  “ ‘Governor’ might be an easier sell than ‘chancellor’,” Karen acknowledged.

  “Moreover, the restructure would simplify the trade agreements. You mentioned that the lingering hang-ups are all related to tariffs.”

  She nodded. “And with a unified government, there’d be no reason
to try to make money off of each other.”

  “Precisely.”

  “Hmm.” Okay, so maybe there’s more depth to that reaction than I thought.

  “See if you can subtly present the idea and gauge the response. If it’s favorable, we can discuss a more formal political strategy to gain public buy-in.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I’ll speak to you next week.” Connors ended the call.

  Karen slumped back in her office chair, pivoting around to gaze out the window.

  I think he already has someone in mind for the Nezaran governor, she mused while watching the people go about their lives on the streets below. And I think it may be me.

  She wasn’t sure how she felt about that idea. While her qualifications did exceed the minimums she’d established for her interview purposes, she hardly considered herself a qualified candidate. She wasn’t born on Nezar, and she didn’t embody the culture of the world.

  Plus, she’d already sworn her allegiance to Alucia.

  Connors knows that. He wouldn’t consider me for governor. Her initial thought seemed ridiculous the more she thought about it.

  However, the change in title offered new flexibility in the job qualifications. Karen ran through the candidates she’d previously dismissed. The governor should be a native of Nezar—someone with a vested interest in the world. She had yet to come across anyone who cared as much as Trisha Mercer.

  Stars! Though Trisha wasn’t quite ready for chancellor, she would be great as a governor, if I could convince her.

  She had the makings of a leader who could be embraced by the people—born to an average middle-class family, volunteered with charities, and had earned her present position in the government through hard work and dedication. Moreover, she had a good heart. While she could use some toughening, the right foundation was there.

  All Karen had to do was persuade her to take the job.

  * * *

  Repairing trust after an op that didn’t go well was a tricky endeavor, but also a critical component of making sure her team was ready for anything. Having had time to reflect on the Protheon mission and the decisions she’d made in the field, Ava was confident she’d made the right calls, given the information at her disposal.

  The matter was worth a follow-up discussion with Major Widmore, though she’d have to be careful to keep the conversation from devolving into an ‘I told you so’ exchange. Her unique abilities didn’t change her position in the chain of command.

  As soon as she had showered, Ava decided that she should talk with the major before her dinner with Luke. The longer she delayed the conversation, the more awkward it would be.

  She checked one of the monitors along the hall walls and saw that Widmore was in his office, right where Ava had hoped he’d be.

  She traversed the station along the familiar path, organizing her thoughts.

  When she arrived, the door was open, and Widmore was working at his desk.

  He glanced up. “Lieutenant, what brings you by?”

  “Sir, I wanted to discuss the last op. We didn’t end our previous exchange on the best of terms.”

  He nodded. “Come in and have a seat.”

  Ava stepped into the office and closed the door behind her. “I apologize for dropping in unannounced.”

  “Not at all. I’m glad you came by.”

  She looked down at her hands, then brought her gaze up to meet Widmore’s. “Sir, I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. I acted rashly without regard for the consequences.”

  The major softened. “After going through the mission recording Ruby provided from her observations, I’ve reevaluated my stance. With more people converging on your location, it was unlikely you would have been able to retreat without needing to shoot others.”

  Ava’s heart leaped. “Sir?”

  “You have good instincts, Lieutenant. I shouldn’t have doubted you.”

  >>See? Told you,<< Ruby said in Ava’s mind.

  You got me.

  “Thank you, sir. Having your trust means a great deal to me. I hated to think that I let you down.”

  “I’ve always been hard on you, Ava, but that’s because I know you can take it. Even before the changes from these nanocytes, you were capable of more than you gave yourself credit for. What you lacked in physical prowess, you more than made up for in spirit. You would never have had this command if it wasn’t for your quick thinking. I shouldn’t have passed judgment without understanding the scenario.”

  “All the same, this was an important reminder that our actions aren’t isolated,” she replied. “I acted in the interest of my team in that moment without concern for the ripple effects.”

  “It did complicate other matters, I won’t lie,” Widmore admitted. “However, the information you retrieved will allow us to set it right. No long-term harm done.”

  “I’m relieved to hear it, sir.”

  “I’ve said before that you should trust your instincts. It would do me good to remember my own words.”

  She smiled. “Yes, sir.”

  He smiled back. “Thank you for stopping by. I’ve always appreciated your strength of character to approach conflict head-on.”

  “Gladly, sir. I’ll be standing by for our next assignment.”

  “It might be a few days. We’re having the Raven checked out. Apparently, the issues we experienced weren’t isolated.”

  Ava frowned. “Luke mentioned that there was an incident here at headquarters.”

  “Reports from other ships, too,” Widmore revealed. “The technical team is looking into it. Nothing we can do for now but wait for their report.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Have a good night, Ava.”

  Ava bid him farewell. As she opened the door, the lights cut out for a second, then re-illuminated brighter than their typical output.

  Widmore’s desktop screen flickered between its normal data display and bit of gibberish code.

  Ava’s gaze met Widmore’s. “Shit, what now?”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Kurtz exited the administrative wing of FDG headquarters on his way to the officer’s mess. Another day down, another crisis averted.

  Who was he kidding? Saving the galaxy was a ’round-the-clock job.

  He smiled to himself. Wearying or not, he wouldn’t choose any other life.

  The lights cut out.

  Fuck, not again.

  Before he had time to react, the lights returned at maximum output. He shielded his sensitive Were eyes from the sudden brightness.

  Power surge?

  But no controls would have the illumination at those levels.

  Kurtz stepped over to the nearest information screen on the corridor wall, but stopped in his tracks when he saw foreign code scrolling across the screen.

  His heart leaped into his throat. We’ve been hacked.

  FDG headquarters’ security had never been compromised—not on this level. For that matter, not even an outpost had fallen under enemy control. And if they had control of the computer network, they could easily get inside.

  Without hesitation, Kurtz sprinted toward the corridor leading to the operational command center of headquarters.

  * * *

  Luke powered down his workstation for the day, relieved to finally be finished with the most recent round of Gidyon sample testing.

  “Team happy hour!” Tess exclaimed. “It’s like we’re bonding, or something.”

  “Calling attention to the fact kinda ruins the magic,” Jack replied.

  Luke smiled to himself. It felt good to be a part of a group again. He hadn’t spent enough time at the NTech lab of Coraxa to connect much with his coworkers, so he hadn’t been on a proper team since grad school on Nezar.

  “Ava will likely join us later on,” he said. “So, Jack, try to keep the ‘weird science experiment’ talk to a minimum, okay?”

  “Hey, I can conduct myself like a reasonable person. I mean, nanocytes aren’t everythi
ng. There are recessive genetic traits to talk about, like her red hair,” Jack replied.

  Luke laughed. “Dude, you really don’t want to go th—”

  He stopped short when the lights turned off.

  Instead of complete darkness like he expected, there was a subtle blue glow illuminating the lab.

  The darkness lasted only a split second. When the lights returned, they were so bright, he had to squint.

  “Did you see that glow?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I did notice something,” Tess concurred. “What was it?”

  “Hit the switch.” Luke instructed.

  Jack, who was closest to the controls, turned off the overhead lights.

  There were a few low lights from ambient equipment, but a distinct blue glow was coming from elsewhere.

  Luke looked around for the source of the light and was surprised to see it emanating from the rack containing the samples from Gidyon.

  His brow knit. “Uh, did they do that before?”

  “Fuck if I know!” Jack exclaimed. “But that doesn’t look good.”

  Luke looked closer. “Wait, is that moving?”

  The mineral fragments were crawling up the sides of the test tubes and congregating near the corks. There was no mistaking that they were trying to burrow through.

  “Shit, can it get out?” The panic was evident on Tess’ face even in the low light cast from the glowing samples.

  “Better question: what could it do if it does get out?” Jack asked.

  Luke didn’t want to find out.

  “We need to get it in something more secure,” he said, his mind racing about what that might be. He scanned around the room. “The glove box! Come on.”

  Luke raced toward the rack, grabbing a pair of tongs from a canister of tools on his way.

  Jack grabbed another set of tongs while Tess opened the top of the glove box, a one-meter-wide transparent cube with built-in rubber gloves on two walls, which was used for handling potentially contaminated materials. It didn’t come into play too often in their research activities, but the thick plexiglass walls stood the best chance of anything in the lab at containing the tiny particles.