by Dana Kelly
Eridani stopped by her quarters long enough to don her uniform, and she soon boarded the command deck.
“What’s going on?” asked Torsha. “I kind of feel underdressed right now.”
“It’s Admiral Schurke,” said Eridani. “Brady, put him through.”
“Aye, Captain,” said Brady. “Putting him through.” Eridani and Torsha sat down at their stations as he sent the call to the main viewscreen.
“Greetings, Eridani Webb,” said Schurke. “You look a little worse for wear than the last time I saw you. As the distressed mother-to-be, you were delightful, but it was your denshies that stole the show.”
“Admiral Schurke,” said Eridani. “Enjoy your freedom while you can, because it won’t last long.”
“That’s part of the reason I’m calling.” He leaned forward, and his leather gloves creaked as he brought his hands together. “I just wanted those damn drives!”
“By the way, we gutted your backup plan. Every camera, every microphone, and every bomb you planted on this ship is gone,” said Eridani. “You’ve got nothing on me, and I’ve got everything on you.”
Fury burned in his eyes. “Foolish child. You could not be more wrong.”
Eridani leaned back in her chair and tapped the armrest. “You’re going away for a long time.”
“I assure you I am not,” he said. His face vanished from the screen, replaced by a satellite view of scattered clouds. Frame by frame, the camera zoomed in until it focused on an island surrounded by a lake. A river flowed into it from the east, emerging from the far side as a coursing waterfall. A grove of yellow aspens ringed the body of water. “Recognize this place?”
“That’s Cavern Lake,” said Torsha. “If you hurt my mom or any of our friends, I’ll hunt you down and gut you!”
“Hurt them? Oh no, I promise you they won’t feel a thing,” said Schurke. “You know, at first I believed it was coincidence that Orin erupted on the same backwater world as my biggest customer. When he delivered Blacktusk to Marble River, it stung, but I found a way to keep the money flowing through Blacktusk’s idiot brother.” The camera zoomed in again, showing Aurora and Oliver as they sat by the lakefront, fishing rods in hand. “But when you slammed that door in my face, I started taking it personally.”
“Taking it personally?” Eridani smashed her fist on the console. “You murdered the woman I loved!”
“Bloodtusk killed Thuraya,” said Schurke. “Not me.”
“Semantics! You gave the order to invade Cavern Lake! Everything that followed is on you.”
He chuckled, a sinister and humorless sound. “You demonstrate sound reasoning. Then by your own standard of accountability, you acknowledge everything that happened on Ruslheimur is your fault.”
“You’re damn right it is!”
“That extraordinary man you destroyed had a name. Not just the Grey Cardinal, but Marcel Rhone.” For only a moment, his voice wavered. “He was dear to me.”
“He was a psychopath,” said Eridani. “I fought for my life, and he lost.”
“Normally I wouldn’t blame you for that, but you keep… making it… personal,” said Schurke. “It’s obvious you care a great deal for your brother. How much do you care for your parents? Or Torsha’s mother, or the entire Santos family!”
Eridani stood. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Such a trite sentiment.”
“Fine,” said Eridani. “You want the drives? I’ll send you the drives!”
His leather gloves creaked. “Except I know you already transmitted the data to the Interstellar Police. How sad for them. More innocents to die in your misguided crucible of vengeance.”
“What do you want!” said Eridani.
Schurke chuckled. “I want you to remember this moment.”
“Whatever you’re planning, do not do it,” growled Torsha. “I mean it. I will kill you!”
“Drown in your rage,” said Schurke. “Choke on your empty threats.”
“No,” said Eridani. “Schurke, don’t!” He laughed, and she grabbed her phone to dial her mother.
Aurora answered with a smile and set down her fishing pole. Light glimmered from the lake surface. “Oh, hi Eridani! This is a nice surprise.”
Oliver muttered something in the background.
“Mom, listen to me! You have to get out of there right now!” said Eridani. “Get everyone and get out now!”
“What is going on? Take a deep breath, take a second to calm down and—”
Light flashed, and the call disconnected.
Silently, explosions filled the viewscreen. When the image came back into focus, only a smoking crater remained of the island. Water crashed into newly formed channels, and the aspens burned.
“No!” shrieked Torsha. “Mom!”
“You son-of-a-bitch,” said Eridani, and her phone dropped to the deck. Tears welled in her eyes, and her face twisted with grief. Numbly, she walked toward the communications console. “I’m coming for you.”
“I’m about to have a meeting with your brother,” said Schurke. “Unless you want to be an only child, I suggest you—”
Eridani reached past Brady and ended the call. Gritting her teeth, she clenched her fists and forced herself to breathe as evenly as she could manage. “Navigation,” she said, and she picked up her phone.
“Captain,” said Lanchelle, her voice almost a whisper
“Set course for Trionides.”
Lanchelle nodded. “Aye-aye, Captain. Setting course for Trionides.”
Eridani faced Gretchen. “Helm.”
“Captain, if you need a minute, take it,” said Gretchen.
“Get us out of here.”
“Aye-aye, Captain,” said Gretchen, and she slid the throttle all the way over. “Full speed ahead.”
“I’ll be in my room,” said Eridani. “Myeong, you have the bridge.” She offered Torsha her hand, but Torsha angrily swatted it away, cutting ribbons along Eridani’s palm. With a subtle nod, Eridani turned her back on the command deck and called the lift. Blood dripped from her fingertips. The chime seemed muffled when the lift car arrived, and she stepped inside. As the doors closed behind her, she collapsed against the wall and wept.
Chapter 33
Conjunction
Hazy neon drifted by as Casey flew her shuttle north toward Sunset Beach. April manned the co-pilot’s station, tracking the landing data. “Any word from Lord Blösch?” asked Casey. “I’d much rather be doing this with his endorsement.”
“Something came in a minute ago,” said April. “Let me check.” She opened the communications interface. “Yes, it’s from Blösch. He welcomes the esteemed Captain Cartwright and her honorable crew to Trionides—especially the Rhyondan Rampart, Hero of Rocksaugh. Regarding our investigation into a hostile alien presence, he can’t officially condone any actions that would jeopardize the safety of his citizens, but he wants to meet us in person after we’ve landed.” She faced Casey, wearing a curious expression. “He sent the address to his personal estate, not his public office.”
“Photo op, I bet.” She glanced at April. “‘Rhyondan Rampart…’ Is he talking about Orin?”
“I imagine so, considering the shields he created and how Rhyondan he is,” said April.
“Okay, smartass,” said Casey. “How did he get associated with the Battle of Rocksaugh? That was classified as a Falcon military operation. There wasn’t any press about Orin at all!”
April typed into her browser. “Wow,” she said, and she swiveled the screen toward Casey. “It’s all over the t-net.”
Casey sighed. “Wonderful. Has anyone mentioned Orin by name?”
“A handful of New Cal college students seem to be on his trail, and there’s that security guard we talked to, but no one’s taking him seriously,” said April. “I think for as long as we keep the Skyler Stern persona in good standing, Orin’s real identity should remain secret.”
“Good.” Casey skimmed April’s search results and
tapped the screen. “There! This is helmet-cam footage from Rocksaugh. One of Falcon’s marines leaked this.”
“It could’ve been stolen,” said April.
“Doubtful,” said Casey. “Falcon gear is notoriously difficult to hack.” She chewed on the inside of her lip for a moment. “Damn it. Someone connected Rocksaugh to the night club.”
April took a deep breath. “I suppose it was just a matter of time.”
“If this ever gets back to MABAS, we’re screwed,” said Casey. “Well, it sounds like Lord Blösch replied with a very diplomatic ‘no,’ which means we’ll have to move in the shadows. Did he specify a time he wants us to stop by?”
“No specific time, and he didn’t confirm yes or no, either. The endorsement certification is still blank,” said April.
Casey stared toward the distant wall of sun shields as she considered. “I bet someone’s reading his mail. He wants our help, but he has to make it look like he doesn’t.”
“It’s more likely that his assistant forgot to check the box,” said April.
“Possibly,” said Casey. “We know some of the things those xenos are capable of, and that could make for some serious eggshells to navigate. It’s possible they’ve got Blösch over a barrel. Let’s send a response: we’d be honored to accept his invitation and will visit as soon as we can.”
April nodded, and she began drafting the message.
In time, landing control guided them to the Sunset Beach starport. Casey touched down and taxied to a nearby hangar. As she completed the post-flight routine, the rest of her crew geared up. Malmoradan tightened his tactical vest and grabbed his duffle bag, following Shona, Mike, Nimbus, Orin, Edison, and Cajun as they disembarked.
Nimbus stood before a tool cart, running her fingertips across dozens of devices. Dark brown, wavy hair sprouted from her scalp. “Everything’s so clean,” she said. “If not for minute signs of wear, I’d think none of these tools had ever been used.”
“Nimbus, are you feeling okay?” asked Mike.
“Miguel Santos, I’m fine.” Her BICOM vest hung slightly off one shoulder, and she pulled it back into place. “Why do you ask?”
“You’re using contractions.”
“As are you,” said Nimbus. “I’m trying them out. In my previous form, I feared their imprecision, but now I experience an odd sort of yearning to belong with the group. The nuances of my prior speech patterns caused me to stand out in a way I find… undesirable.”
Orin hugged her sidelong. “That, dear Nimbus, is called social awkwardness. Don’t worry, it never goes away, no matter how many contractions you use or don’t use.”
“Orinoco Webb, I want to thank you for your reassurances.” She leaned into him enough to throw him off balance. “Let me know when you’re ready to offer me any.” With a playful wink she sprang away, her boots clomping as she swiftly closed the distance to the others. Gracefully spinning to face Orin and Mike, she shouted, “Come on!”
“That was sarcasm,” said Mike, and he cast Orin a sideways glance. “She learned it from you. I want you to know that.”
“How dare you!” said Orin, and he held his hands to his chest. “I don’t have a sarcastic bone in my body! Besides, she was being ironic, not sarcastic.”
“And people call me pedantic?” Mike smiled as he watched Nimbus speaking cheerfully with Shona. He cinched his utility belt and checked the clasps that secured his bandolier to his vest. “Let’s go.”
Casey took the lead, guiding her team quickly through the starport’s unpopulated halls. Groundskeeper robots followed them at a distance, sweeping and scrubbing away all signs of their passage. A black sky bus awaited them as they stepped out under the mantle of twilight.
A well-dressed, older gentleman leaned into view from the cockpit. Thick, silver muttonchops jutted from his jaw. “You’re Captain Cartwright?”
“I am,” said Casey.
“Hop in.” He tilted his cap, and the doors unfolded. “Lord Blösch is expecting you.” Casey led her team aboard, and the vessel soon lifted off. They soared high over the city proper, past Edenbridge Palace, and the market district beyond. Far below them, thick smog obscured the slums and landfills.
In time, they approached a vast dome. Large pentagons composed the shell, forming an enormous, hemispherical fullerene. One of segments receded, and the sky bus descended toward the gap.
Inside, they beheld an expansive community with tree-lined streets and rolling hills, each one crowned with a mansion estate. Projected upon the dome’s interior, an image of the sun shined overhead, and artificially generated, fluffy white clouds scudded by. Inhabitants zipped along manicured walkways, standing atop personal transportation disks as they hovered just off the ground.
Soon, the vessel touched down on a broad landing tower that sprouted from the luxurious, detached garage of a palatial home. As Casey and her crew descended the stairs, several figures approached on foot from the mansion’s main entrance.
“We’ve got company,” said Casey, and she retrieved her binoculars. Peering through them, she counted five individuals, all of them human: a sharply dressed, mostly bald man with a crown of blonde hair, a well-groomed woman also with blonde hair, and identical towheaded twin boys. Nathaniel Knox followed a few paces behind. He wore a constable’s cap and uniform, and he took a pull on his cigarette.
“He’s got a local beat cop for a bodyguard,” said Casey. “But the guy’s keeping his distance.” She lowered her binoculars and snapped a picture of Nathaniel. “April, I want you to run this guy’s profile and do a quick dive if it’s safe. I smell a binary.”
“I’ll let you know what I find,” said April. She took Casey’s phone and initiated a profile search based on a closeup of Nathaniel’s face. Looking away, she closed her eyes and allowed her consciousness to drift toward Nathaniel. Fear sliced the air as he recognized Orin and Casey. A gentle green haze lingered between him and Lord Blösch’s family.
Opening her eyes, April spoke quietly as their hosts drew nearer. “Whoever he is, he’s terrified, and he almost instantly recognized you and Orin. My guess is someone has a bounty out on him. He has genuine affection for and a desire to protect Lord Blösch’s family—especially the wife—but not the lord himself. If you’re getting ‘sordid’ from my implications, that’s because it’s intended.”
“What a dirtbag,” said Casey. “Did you get anything we can use?”
April shook her head. “There wasn’t enough time, but I’ll keep listening.” She flashed Casey her phone. “The search is still running.”
“Pay Lord Blösch a visit too, if you can,” whispered Casey.
“I’ll try,” said April.
They both brightened as Florin stepped close and grinned. “This is wonderful! The mighty bounty hunter and star marshal-errant, Officer Casey Cartwright! And at her side, the peerless master of gravity himself—Skyler Stern, the Rhyondan Rampart! I’m Florin Blösch of the Galactic Parliament. This is my lovely wife, Andrea, and these are our two boys: Erwin and Othmar. They insisted on meeting you in person, Mr. Stern.” Glancing behind him, he waved Nathaniel closer. “And this suddenly shy fellow is Constable Nathaniel Knox. He’s been such a big help to everyone here on Sunset Beach. Why, ever since he arrived, crime rates are at an all-time low. I don’t know how he does it.”
“Constable Knox,” said Casey, and she shook his gloved hand. Discreetly, April entered his name into the search parameters. “What’s your secret?”
“It’s no secret,” said Nathaniel. “Community outreach works wonders.”
“If you ever have a minute to discuss, I’d love to hear about it,” said Casey. “Lord Blösch, did you get a chance to read my report and review the footage?”
“Yes, I did.” Florin’s smile faded. “Officer Cartwright, I assure you there’s been some mistake. Furthermore, I do not appreciate you making outlandish claims! No one on Trionides has reported any contact with an unknown alien species. If you ask me, it looks rat
her like an animagenic—and a very simple one at that.”
“I’m going to guess that means you didn’t bother checking your transmission towers for anything unusual,” said Casey.
“Even if I had the authority to go rooting around in the towers—which I don’t—it could take years to review even a single day’s worth of traffic!” Florin squared his jaw. “If you insist on wasting people’s time, subpoena the carriers. They’re the ones with the records, not me.”
“Perhaps you can help us with something else then,” said Casey. “About three weeks ago, one of my people had an exchange with an ent-maiden out this way. It’s unusual to encounter any of the beocrann outside the Forest of Worlds, and they usually make an impression wherever they go. Any chance you’ve heard something about one of them passing through?”
Florin looked disgusted. “You must be referring to Ellylle Fenmore, that nasty prime minister they installed last year. I had a most unpleasant conversation with her. She is a zealot! She has no business being in politics. As to her whereabouts, her shuttle is still docked, so it’s reasonable to assume she’s still here somewhere. I do not know where, so don’t ask.”
Casey chuckled. “Wouldn’t dream of it. If I may, why did you invite us here?”
Florin’s grin returned. “My boys wanted to meet the Rhyondan Rampart in person, of course! I said this not three minutes ago. Maybe you should’ve written it down.”
“Ah,” said Casey. “Well, now you’ve met him. I suppose we’ll be on our way.”
“Papa, you mustn’t let them leave!” said Othmar. “The Rampart hasn’t done anything at all!”
“He’s not a circus animal, my boy,” said Florin. “If he’s happy to break the hearts of his biggest fans, we will not hold that against him. If his captain says it’s time to go, then it’s time to go.”
“Papa, I’m afraid I’ll hate him forever if he leaves without using his powers,” muttered Erwin.
Orin crouched before Erwin and Othmar, wearing a warm smile. “You know what, kids—it takes a lot of energy to activate my abilities, and they can be very destructive. Since I’m not yet with the agency, we need a signed waiver from your dad excusing us from liability, in case anyone gets hurt, or anything gets damaged because of my actions. As soon as he sends that over, let’s schedule some time to flex my powers. What do you say?”