“M...Major Kvaan!” she blurted out, then rolled off her bed to launch herself at him. “You're here!”
Stander managed to catch her before they both ended up on the floor. “Indeed, I'm here,” he replied, allowing the hug for a few seconds before setting the girl on her feet. He didn't know what else to say; admitting that they could be in this universe a very long time didn't seem prudent just yet.
Cory grinned, then looked around for her twin. Behind her, she spied Story just beginning to rouse. “Story, we've got company!” she crowed triumphantly.
To Stander's relief, the qild only sat up blearily, nodding and smiling qer relief. “Welcome to Xanda, Major,” qe murmured, then yawned. “How long were we asleep?”
“Not that time matters much to us here,” Cory said, then winced as her stomach growled. “Long enough, I guess.”
“Six hours, and please, you can dispense formalities. Just call me Stander,” he murmured, allowing the children a little smile.
“Er, need to do something else before breakfast,” Cory said, glancing around. Oh, rats, they're not going to have bathrooms here... back to the forest! “And I wish we could change clothes or something. And take a shower!”
“I see you have one of the medallions,” Story said, pointing. “So you've talked to the Xandee?”
“Actually, no,” the man replied, fingering the featureless black disk. “But I've talked to Scorpa... plenty.”
“Oh, HIM,” Cory groaned, then shrugged. “Fortunately, he's improved since he decided to help us. Er, you didn't incinerate him or anything, did you? The Elektra can fire lumer bolts, right?”
“Of course he didn't, Cor, think straight,” Story murmured. “As if he could... don't forget WHAT Scorpa is. So, are you two getting along, then?”
“Famously!” Scorpa announced from the doorway, leaning against the door jamb.
“Within reason,” Stander countered with a sigh. “We're all going to have to get along for possibly a long time, you know.”
The children sagged at the reminder, then Cory straightened. “There's a toilet on the Elektra!” she announced, then turned to the officer, rubbing her hands together. “We can autoport there, is that okay?”
Taken aback, Stander shook his head firmly. “You most certainly will not. I'll send you there,” he said.
And then he did.
16: Considerations
When Fleet General Staff hears about this, Commander General Peter Cenntl thought to himself with an increasing sense of dread, there will be serious questions about my leadership and the future of the Perseus Guard...
He straightened and leaned forward, folding his hands on his desk. The surface, of course, was for his comfort, not for working on. The usual Sixtheye fields with which he managed the Perseus Defense Agency had been swept aside, put on hold for the moment. “And you say Major Kvaan volunteered for this, knowing full well that he and the Rentclifv children will likely be lost to us forever.”
About that part — the twins — Peter did not yet want to think. For Vekta Rentclifv to come home from — wherever — to find his own children lost to an alien universe would be so devastating that...
Dracons do not suicide. Although…
He cleared his throat and waved at the acting commander of the Defender Andromedea to answer.
“Yes, it was his choice,” Austine Tauscher replied in a low voice. She also did not want to think about her personal loss, was not ready to face it. The summons to the Commander General's office had come shortly after the Nebulae-class starcraft Elektra had been reported missing.
“He understood what he was doing.” Peter arrowed a glare at his brother; Starguard Jaime Cenntl shrugged. “Sorry,” the latter drawled. “I know that was a damn expensive thing to lose. I guess I can work planetside somewhere for a while. Of course I'm claiming Guard intervention and I'll take full responsibility for this.”
“That's the least of my concerns and you know it,” Peter muttered. Of course Jaime knew the craft was nothing compared to the other losses. And it didn't matter whose responsibility it was. “You're going to make me say it, I suppose. Vekta's children!”
“Nothing we could do about that,” Jaime said flatly. “We had a single one-way ticket to wherever that energy creature thing took them. Stander chose to go so they wouldn't be alone. At least they'd have an adult of their own kind there.”
“A Level 8 High telepath Dracon,” Peter snapped. “Let's do the math. Of all the known Level 8s in the Agency, there are Vekta and Novella, current location unknown. Vekta’s brother Verti and his wife Myangela Franzi, also out of the USC. You. Vekta's kid sister Visti. Then other Starguards — Vekta's kin, Schuyler James, and the two Esontians, Denayrga and Terskato. Lastly, Brigadier General Ria Vorclif and Stander Kvaan who is now lost to us. That makes eleven known 8’s. Now we're down to six available.”
Jaime spoke up abruptly. “I'll do the rest of your math. Of those six, only three are even Starguards. Another is a green, cub fightercraft pilot, and the last is the Iron Lady who wants to get rid of the Guard. Yeah, I know we're in a bad way. I know we can't afford to lose a single one more. But if you don't think we owe Vekta one Level 8 telepath to give his kids a grain of hope of finding their way home, then you're not even my brother.”
Maritza Litzer spoke up hastily, fearing more sparks between the Cenntls. “Identification of Level 8 telepaths is tricky, of course. It's suspected that there are many more than we know about, but most have such sophisticated shielding that we cannot find them out, and hence cannot recruit them to work for the Agency. Still, we keep trying. You know General Hyder is making some progress there.” Major General Detrus Hyder, a Level 7 telepath, was the Agency’s Chief of Staff before Elzan Macney as well as a Defender commander.
Peter Cenntl grimaced, folding his hands into fists. “That incident at Threvgem still has a lot of Fleet General Staff upset, and the approach by the Sdaldi to Aldebaran Community has thrown the whole USC into a frenzy of panic. I need my telepaths to rally! It's bad enough I don't have Vekta or Novella right now.”
A Sixtheye field activated in mid-air. Peter flicked a finger at it, irritated by the interruption. “What is it?”
The patch resolved into a three dimensional image of a communications officer wearing the white uniform of a Guard Associate. “Starguard priority call from Chalawan Community, Commander General, sir.”
Glances were exchanged. “Who's in the Chalawan System?” Peter asked Jaime and Maritza, looking from one Starguard to the other.
“Damned if I know,” Jaime retorted. Maritza shook her head, looking puzzled.
“I need identification!” Peter barked at the image.
But the image shifted and flowed into that of Novella Aurand. “When a Taree Starglobe shows up in a USC star system, sir, everyone is happy to let you use the Guard channel,” she explained.
“Aurand!” crowed Austine and both Cenntls all together. “Where are you?” she added.
“Oh, Major Tauscher, you and the Starguards are there, too?” Novella asked, looking around. “Ah, I'm at the Fleet Base on Taphao Daeng in the Chalawan System. Imperial Khagan Tesirax brought me here.” She had already decided not to share how Tesirax had compromised her. The man might be a lusty bastard but he was still an Imperial Khagan.
A stunned silence met her comment. Implicit was the next question: What happened to Korgovax?
The Dracon looked nervous for a moment. “Er, I'll explain. Korgovax is dead — not our doing. His second, Tesirax, has been elevated to Khagan status through the decision of the remaining four Taree oligarchs who had been in contact with Tesirax through the Pentacross on the Starglobe.” She took a deep breath. “A lot has happened. There's more. Korgovax had been dealing with Muphroi terrorists.”
Eyes widened. “Sounds like a long story,” Jaime said, whistling. “And like something the Guard can clean up. But it's all over, right? Are the Taree still there?�
�
But Austine interrupted before Novella could answer. “Where is Vekta?” she asked for them all.
Novella could be seen glancing around, taking in the images of all present. “He hasn't been in contact with you?”
“He's not with you?” Austine erupted, hands folded into fists.
“He... left, I don't know where,” Novella said, spreading her hands wide. “I believe someone — some entity, perhaps — had, er, taken him somewhere. We felt a presence like nothing I'd felt before... then he was gone.” She swallowed, hard. “I was hoping he'd contacted you by now.”
“Polluxanvega,” Jaime muttered. “That bastard!”
“Who?”
“An interdimensional meddler,” he replied, grimacing. “It got his kids, too.”
Novella felt a flood of alarm. “Vekta's children? The twins? What... what do you mean?”
For the next few minutes, the stories went back and forth, both what had happened aboard the Starglobe and what happened with the twins and Stander.
“So,” Austine finished, “when you called we were just discussing Major Kvaan's sacrifice. So to speak.”
Novella didn't respond yet. Something is very wrong here. It doesn't add up.
Jaime, too, was feeling strange. “You know, even though I said it ought to be that Polluxanvega thing who abducted the twins and Vekta, that can't be. The kids, sure. But not a fully developed Level 8 telepath like our Vekta. Or maybe it really was that powerful?” He shuddered. “I don't like that. If there are telepaths beyond our levels.. that's not good.”
His brother was in complete agreement for once. “The Level 8's are our only defense against telepathic predators,” Peter murmured. “Until these Sdaldi and now this Polluxanvega showed up, we have never had to deal with such a thing.” And that means, damn it, I'll have to bring all this up to Fleet General Staff and the Guard Director!
Novella shook her head. “But if it was that Polluxanvega that took Vekta, there's no indication that it means anything more than mischief against us. The Sdaldi are predators, there's no doubt about it, but the other two are just tricksters.”
“Who can still cause a lot of havoc,” Maritza said, shrugging.
“So what is your status with the Taree now?” Peter asked Novella, sighing.
She shrugged, too. “Oh, they've gone. They're grateful for assistance against Korgovax, they delivered me safely to a USC Community, and they've moved on. Case closed as far as they're concerned. I doubt they'll ever be back to Gozgazel, even though they lost all the personnel at their outpost station. Korgovax's connection with the Muphroi has been broken; they'll get no trade with the Taree anymore.” And Tesirax is not to be trusted — in person — ever.
“Taree don't want us to get too upset,” Jaime said with a snort.
Peter nodded. “I understand that all too well. It's the Taree pattern. If it's too much work or takes too many resources to get something back, they'll happily abandon it. And they want to keep the peace as much as we do, perhaps more so since our federation is considerably larger than theirs. But the field — the Eye you mentioned — is still in place.”
“I don't know that we can do anything about it,” Novella admitted. “Maybe we can come to an agreement with the Taree to void the entire Gozgazel system, make it off-limits to all.”
“And the Sdaldi are definitely gone?” Maritza asked.
“As far as we could determine,” Novella replied. “Tesirax tracked them heading in the direction of the Lesser Magellanic Cloud. Not that they'll go that far. Who knows? Probably we'll need to remain alert.”
“Want to jump to the Guard, Novella?” Jaime teased, winking at her. “Nice assessment!”
Novella flushed, shifting position. “I'd just like to get back to my ship,” she said in a lowered voice. Deal with the Taree again? No thanks!
“Well, we can flip over and pick you up,” Austine said, yawning.
“What about the twins?” Novella asked, straightening in alarm.
But the acting commander of the Andromedea only shrugged. “Starguard Litzer is here, and for that matter, two more Level 8's are on hand in case there's any sign of them.”
Jaime raised his hand, grinning. “That would be me, heh, and I'd like my ship back, too! But who's the other?” When his brother threw him a look, he looked sheepish. “Oh, yeah. Her.”
Brigadier General Ria Vorclif.
“I have to report all of this to FGS anyway,” Peter murmured with a heavy sigh. “I just hope...”
It didn't need to be said: If only Vekta could come back somehow…
*
After the acting commander's debriefing to her staff — which included the Crater 0001 cybernism who was grudgingly allowed to fill in as “acting Chief Navigator” — the Andromedea set out for Chalawan Community to retrieve their Chief of Computer Operations.
Redundancy, Crater contemplated idly, barely needing to attend to the one-fifth of his mind required to do the Starlock computations. I already function completely as Navigator; no Human navigator is necessary. And all onboard computer systems are also under my control as I have to interface with everything. Hmm, maybe one day soon the Fleet will see that.
He didn't want to think about the unwelcome fact that his creator was currently missing. It was bad enough to hear that Prater seemed inert and the twins and Major Kvaan were also gone. Crater wanted to believe Vekta was with his children; that would be best, of course. No matter how devastating a loss it was to him personally or to the USC.
To distract himself, the cybernism looked for a subject he hadn't looked into before. Making a seemingly random selection, he settled upon ancient Greek tragedies and dramas. After a quick scan of a sampling of texts he surprisingly found a resonance to match his current state of being unsettled. Euripides. The tragedy called Medea…
The play at the time was part of Euripides’ submission to a competition; it placed last, the audiences unsettled and disturbed by the strong female lead character, a barbarian princess whose powerful personality jarred the tender Greek sensibilities, used to the patriarchy. They’d never been subjected to such a feminist character before, her mixed nature of being both loving and violent disturbing. Shocking, even. Despite its initial poor reception, the tragedy went on to influence the culture and become a classic.
It wasn’t the plot that he identified with; revenge for being spurned wasn’t something he could even understand. That Medea killed her children out of spite was even more horrific.It was the juxtaposition of a character so different from those with whom she found herself surrounded and her complexity that he found intriguing.
I'm like a Medea, Crater mused darkly. All alone, one of a kind, alien in substance and being to all those around me. Although I don't have children to kill... still, if I hadn't been with the Andromedea, I might have shared Prater's fate or it would be me instead of him. He couldn't contemplate that the Rentclifv twins might be dead. Most on this ship consider me an anomaly, a Construct that can’t possibly be a real person. I am Medea...
Now that Starguard Cenntl was no longer on board, Crater found himself treated far less like the Human-analogue he was, and far more like a soulless computer, no more intelligent than the medical systems, mechs, or the autochef. He hadn't had a chance to make friends here, and sensed that the crew were wary of him, especially the Chief Medical Officer, whom he was sure resented his capabilities.
With one welcome exception.
Since navigations personnel were unnecessary during Starlock, the Pit was empty until one crew member suddenly appeared, autoporting from elsewhere in the ship. “Shhhh,” scout pilot Rand Vorclif said to him as the tall Dracon relaxed in one of the couches. “Just need a little respite from all the tension.” He grinned at the tiny viewport on the wall of the Pit. “You're not easily ruffled, so it's nice to be around you.”
Not many of the personnel, even the officers, had sought to make “eye contact” wi
th him. “Or is it just that I'm not Human?” Crater asked curiously, still in a dark mood.
“Eh?” Rand shifted, settling in more comfortably. “You sound like me, well, different continent, maybe, but Dracon all the same. Organic or not, I doubt it matters to the commander. Seems convincing to me. You’re clearly sentient, so, yeah.”
Crater remembered that the young pilot readily agreed to participating in the group mind merge at Aldebaran. I wonder...
The young cybernism's train of thought could have led to the contemplation of possibilities currently unavailable to him. Telepathy, at the least — mobility to the furthest extent. He could have wondered if a mental merge with a Dracon could allow him to experience what it would be like to have Human senses — real ones, not simulated — and how it felt to move with limbs and muscles.
But before the thought could form, deeply embedded programming cut it off so deftly that Crater had no idea he was being so diverted. He would be shocked to learn he could be manipulated that way. Would be taken aback to know that his creator hadn't thrown all of his carefully crafted restrictions out the proverbial window, restrictions that controlled the research protocols of USC scientists where they applied to cybernetic technology. Restrictions that Dr. Vekta Rentclifv had wrote himself.
“The crew is tense?” Crater asked instead, then took a look at his own emotions. “Certainly it's unnerving that the ship's commander is missing, as are his children.”
Rand narrowed his brows for a moment, then relaxed. “Don't you worry that whatever spirited them off might come back to do more?”
Worry... Crater wasn't sure he worried. “Are you worried?”
The rusty-haired man shrugged. “That's not my style. I survive adversity by going with the flow. Like the ancient principle of wu wei. Whatever happens, will happen. Call me a Stoic, I guess. Maybe it comes from being from such a large family. Being the second oldest, I had to endure comparisons with my most notorious sibling.” He grinned. “My sister Ri. Now, there's one worrywart for you.”
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