Shards of Eternity

by John Triptych

  The insides of the airlock had the typical xtid organic look of a gargantuan beast’s underbelly, and it always gave Baz the chills. The Tiburon’s executive officer figured he would never get used to living the Concordance way of life. “Captain, once you’re crowned as archon, is it alright if I have your cabin in the Tiburon?”

  Vega chuckled as the walls at the far end of the chamber parted like an open slit, revealing a tunnel in front of them. “The Tiburon shall be yours, Baz. You can do whatever you want with it when I become archon.”

  Baz grinned despite his unease at the surroundings. “Thanks, Captain. I’ll be spending more time in League space after your succession ceremony.”

  Vega used the small maneuvering thrusters on his life support backpack to propel himself forward into the corridor. “I wouldn’t go too far from Scythia if I were you. There’s no doubt in my mind the other buccaneers all heard about what happened by now, and they’ll be hunting you.”

  “I’ll take my chances. I don’t fancy living at all in Concordance space when the inside of every ship and every building feels like I’m forcing my way through giant innards.”

  “Get used to it,” Vega said. “You’ll be safer in the long run.”

  “I’ll try, Captain.”

  The gravity became more pronounced as they got closer to the spinning sections of the ship. In a short time, they stopped using their jump jets and began walking along the curved sides of the cylindrical corridors. The xtid tended to create spherical chambers rather than the rectangular ones found in both Union and League structures, and it made finding the area where the gravity increased a chore for them.

  When his helmet told him there was enough oxygen for him to breathe the outside air, Baz lifted up his visor and took a deep breath before slamming it shut once more. He had failed to account for the chlorine gas, and it burned his lungs for a few minutes, making him cough violently.

  Vega kept laughing. The slight yellowish mist in the air made it obvious. “You ought to know these xtid prefer to add chlorine to their atmosphere mix.”

  Baz groaned as he sipped on some water using the straw inside his helmet. “Yeah, m-my throat feels like it’s on fire.”

  “Keep your helmet on,” Vega said as they both got to the next chamber entrance.

  The adjoining hollow was the largest room they had entered so far. The curved flooring was solid but not wholly smooth, for there were dune-like curvatures and sloping layers resembling sediment found on beaches and low cliff sides. Stalks of glowing bulbs provided pale yellowish light, protruding outwards at various intervals to cover the entire area.

  Three xtid males stood near the central arc. Based on their stances, Vega knew their leader stood at the front, while his subordinates flanked him on either side. The captain of the Tiburon made his way towards them while holding up his right hand in a gesture of peace.

  Executor Zytll folded his four arms together in the traditional xtid way of greeting. His culture considered open hands as an invitation for battle, but he was well aware of the differences between gestures of the various races, so he knew what his visitors meant. Zytll’s two subordinates remained still, for custom regarded their presence as being invisible until the event of a conflict.

  After turning on the com-link loudspeakers in his helmet, Vega made a slight bow. “Hail, Executor. I have received your hidden message and I thank you for meeting up with me.”

  “All hail the new sub-archon,” Zytll said. “I see your ship has at last been repaired.”

  “Yes, thank you,” Vega said. “If it were not for your timely intervention, I would not be speaking to you now.”

  “Damned repairs took a long time,” Baz said. “We had to wait for some imported parts to come through. Very low compatibility with Concordance tech, I tells ya—”

  Vega’s sudden, hard slap across his executive officer’s chest quickly silenced him. The pirate captain glared while shaking his head. “Goddamn it, Baz. You’re supposed to be seen only, not heard.”

  Zytll let his two pairs of arms dangle by his sides. “It seems your second is not well versed in manners, Captain.”

  Vega returned his attention to his host, making an even deeper bow. “Apologies, Executor. My crew are still learning the … nuances of xtid and Concordance culture in general.”

  “For your sake you’d better learn quickly,” Zytll said. “This gambit of yours still has a chance to fail.”

  Vega’s demeanor changed from shameful to mildly surprised. “Oh? How so?”

  “The title of sub-archon is merely an honorary one,” Zytll said. “Hrothgar can easily dismiss you should an opportunity arise to do so.”

  Vega shook his head. “That will not happen. I’m already betrothed to his daughter.”

  “Yet this archon has shown his craftiness,” Zytll said. “He has hedged his bets, so to speak, and can delay the pending wedding indefinitely.”

  “This is why I have come to you for help,” Vega said. “All I need are the whereabouts of this last shard. Once I have it, the archon will be compelled to have his daughter marry me at once.”

  “What makes you think I know where it is?”

  Vega’s cheeks crinkled into a smile. “You knew where the other parts were—down to their precise locations. The only reason why you didn’t try to make a grab for them all is because you wanted to stay in the shadows.”

  Zytll made multiple clicking noises, indicating laughter. “You are learning fast, Vega. It is true that revealing my presence would have created major political incidents in both Union and Concordance space, so it’s better I have others to do it all for me.”

  “Our partnership is as strong as ever, Executor,” Vega said. “All I need is one last favor from you.”

  “Oh, very well. Do you not remember our pact?”

  “Of course I do,” Vega said as he held out the cylindrical transparent container holding the three glowing shards out in front of him.

  One of Zytll’s hands gestured at the other xtid standing behind him, and his subordinate quickly shuffled forward and used a hand scanner to analyze and record the shards’ readings before moving backwards to take his place behind his leader once more.

  “Good,” Zytll said. “Do you still remember the terms of our arrangement?”

  “Obviously.”

  “Then state them again, please,” Zytll said. “It is customary for my species that the accord always gets mentioned every time we meet.”

  Vega sighed before he began talking. He hated all these protocols, but the xtid were sticklers for it. “As per our pact, you have given me your support in exchange for these shards.”

  Zytll made a buzzing noise, indicating his satisfaction. “You must not forget, the moment the archon hands over his remaining shard during the marriage ceremony, you must then find an opportune moment to deliver all five to me, for I shall be present at your wedding as the official representative of my race.”

  Vega pursed his lips. The plan had changed. He was supposed to deliver the shards to Zytll long after the wedding. “But they’ll surely realize the crystals will be gone since I’ll be required to show the shards during certain ceremonial functions.”

  Zytll turned his spout-like head and gestured to the other xtid standing to his left. His second subordinate instantly manipulated the controls on his handheld device, and the floor in between the two sides opened up.

  Vega stared in surprise as a pseudopod protruded out from the ground and unfurled its tip, revealing a translucent container with five glowing crystals inside, looking virtually identical to the shards he carried.

  “These will be put in their place,” Zytll said. “They glow and react to each other’s presence, just like the real shards do. The people of Scythia will never know the difference.”

  “I’m curious,” Vega said. “It seems you have gone a long way in trying to gather all these relics together. What do you want with them?”

  Zytll’s body sheath became more
crimson than ever. His once glib politeness had morphed into a terse response. “It is none of your concern. All that matters to you is our contract. You will hand over those shards to me once you have all five in your possession, is that clear?”

  “Yes, yes,” Vega said. “Though I might just use their combined power on you. I read the legends too, you know.”

  Zytll was on him in a flash. The executor used his four legs like a spring and jumped quickly to where Vega was standing, grabbing him with one of his long arms and slamming the pirate captain down onto the ground.

  Vega groaned as the back of his helmet banged against the rock-hard floor of the chamber. The xtid’s powerful, wire-like fingers dug into his collarbone. It felt like being shot by a gauss rifle.

  Baz was tempted to act, but he was unarmed and, seeing the other two xtid were ready to pounce on him should he try anything, he instead wisely chose to stand still.

  Zytll leaned closer and used his multiple pinheaded eyes to stare at the subdued pirate captain. “Was that a joke or a threat? I find it hard to discern the nuances of your species.”

  Vega panted to try and get some air into his lungs in order to alleviate the pain. It felt like the bones in his shoulder were about to snap. “I-it was … a j-joke!”

  “You humans are such fragile beings,” Zytll said. “I can’t help but wonder why you would ever want to taunt someone of my authority and power. Do you wish to go on living?”

  “Y-yes.”

  After letting go, Zytll backed away until he got to the exact same spot he stood in just before he lashed out. “Remember this, I shall be watching you closely. Any hint of betrayal and your life will cease.”

  Vega staggered back onto his feet after angrily slapping away Baz’s helping hands. Mentally inscribing Zytll’s name onto his list of beings he wanted revenge on, Vega continued to breathe deeply as the pain in his shoulders and head began to slowly seep away, leaving a hollow ache.

  “Repeat the terms of our agreement,” Zytll said.

  “I … I am to hand over all five shards to you at the first opportunity,” Vega said. “After that, you will give me a set of fakes in their place.”

  “Good,” Zytll said. “Now I shall tell you the location of the fifth shard. Sadly, I only know what world it’s in, but no more.”

  Vega finally regained his breath. “So where is it?”

  “On a planet named Pirindra,” Zytll said. “It is within the Scythian cluster, so you can use your authority as sub-archon once you’re in-system. I have an … insider there, someone of great influence. This person will be the one who can guide you to the location of the fifth shard.”

  25 Rebels

  After they searched and disarmed them, their captors led the three ever deeper into the abandoned tunnels of Pirindra’s once promising colony. Garrett Strand walked alongside Duncan Hauk and Fytti, while the ones guarding them stayed mostly behind and gave them directions on which branch of what particular passageway to go into.

  Fytti would occasionally glance back at their subjugators while holding up her bound hands in protest. “There is no need for this. I am the one who arranged for this meeting.”

  “Be silent, woman,” one of the men told her. He was armed with a needler rifle, and it had the customary melted metal finish, typical of Concordance manufacture.

  “But I am one of you.”

  The man had the same type of eyes as her, and the reflective layer of his oval-shaped pupils reflected back the dim neon light from the encrusted glow crystals in the ice. He aimed the sharp tip of the needler rifle at her. “I said be silent!”

  Strand nudged her with his elbow as he kept walking. He was itching to escape, but he needed to wait for an opportunity. “Let it go.”

  Fytti clenched her mouth shut while staring ahead. She heard a number of them making short chuckles, and it filled her with shame.

  Hauk had been quiet the whole time, and he could feel the bindings over his hands were somewhat loose. They must think I’m just any old kid, and so they didn’t tighten the ropes. Remembering his training, he figured he could slip out of the loose restraints quickly and wouldn’t even need the various fastening pins he had hidden in his clothing. All he needed was the right moment.

  The group’s pace was hurried but steady. The boy lost his balance on the slippery ice flooring and fell a few times, only to be propped up by one of the abductors before being ordered to continue on. Strand could tell Hauk was just putting up an act in order to play the role of a clumsy, helpless lad. In the end, one of the guards felt sorry for him and unbound Hauk’s hands, even though the sentinels stayed warily behind as they prodded the prisoners to keep moving.

  They eventually came upon what looked to be a dead end, where a large tunnel was blocked by a wall of solid ice. One of their captors strode forward and began groping a small cluster of glow crystals by the angle of the wall.

  A sudden rumbling startled all three of them, and it felt like the entire tunnel shook, ready to collapse and bury everyone in the ice. The frozen wall suddenly slid up, revealing a once hidden shaft in front of them.

  One of their guards pointed a rifle towards the newly opened corridor. “Go on.”

  Strand, Hauk, and Fytti continued into the concealed area, followed closely by the guards, and one of the men resealed the wall as soon as the whole group had made it through. The air seemed to get thicker with oxygen since their abductors began taking off their breathing masks and goggles. More clumps of glow crystals also created a much brighter illumination, marking this place as being far more active than the previous area.

  The tunnel grew larger in diameter, and they soon encountered a number of buildings embedded along the sides. A number of armed individuals looked down at them from behind raised blast walls and bunkers.

  The largest building was just ahead. The double doors opened up as they got close, and a small group carrying rifles poured out and surrounded the three abductees. One of the men, an older individual with silvery hair and a goatee, stared stonily at Fytti while cradling his rifle with both hands.

  Fytti’s eyes grew wider. “Unus, it’s me.”

  “I know who you are, info merchant,” Unus said. “I got your message.”

  There was a hint of indignation in her voice. “Why have you bound me and treated me like a prisoner? I have always supplied accurate knowledge to your group.”

  “For a price,” Unus added. “And you also traded away information about our movement to the archon’s people, just to enrich yourself.”

  Fytti looked down. “That is true, but I have never named names, nor revealed the hidden places of your organization. The information I deal with is mundane.”

  One of the other men in the group took a step forward and pointed an accusing finger at her. “My brother was killed because of the information you supplied to the archon’s security forces, you gossiping whore!”

  Unus held up his right hand to silence his subordinates before returning his attention to her. “Someone who plays both sides cannot be trusted by either side. You should have stayed on Kurgan with your bodyguards. Out here, you aren’t safe at all.”

  “I came to this place personally because I’ve chosen my side, and it is with your group,” Fytti said. “This new sub-archon is a former pirate, and he wants to kill me.”

  Unus leaned back and gave a long, throaty laugh before he answered. “Do you know what karma is, Fytti? It seems your foul deeds have finally caught up to you, and you’ve become desperate enough to come begging to the ones you betrayed.”

  “I didn’t come here to beg, I came to do a trade,” Fytti said. “I have information that you will find useful, for our mutual enemy has very powerful friends backing him up.”

  Curses and shouts of outrage erupted from the gathering crowd of resistance fighters. Two of the guerrillas leaned out and spat at Fytti, while the others began jeering at her. A few more tried to get even closer to deliver a blow, but the more disciplined officers in
the group began herding them back while Unus gestured for calmness.

  Fytti stood there stoically while taking the spits and insults. One glob of saliva landed on the top of her forehead, and her nictitating membrane instinctively closed over her eyes. “You know I have never told lies, Unus. My reputation as a purveyor of accurate information is unparalleled. It’s why I managed to stay alive for so long.”

  Despite his repugnance at her chosen profession, Unus knew she was right. He pointed at both Strand and Hauk. “What about them?”

  “They are also enemies of the sub-archon,” Fytti said. “They can help.”

  Strand figured it was time to reveal their identities. “I’m Lieutenant Strand, strike team commander of the Nepenthe.”

  The outraged crowd instantly became silent the moment they heard the ship’s name. The Nepenthe had a fearsome reputation across galactic space, and everyone knew of their exploits.

  Unus could only imagine the possibilities. Their resistance movement had very few space assets to speak of, and having a powerful vessel on their side might just be enough to tip the balance. He gestured at his subordinates. “Untie them and bring them inside.”

  Holding a cup of steaming iceberry tea, Strand leaned back on the chair as Unus and his two most trusted officers joined them in the meeting room. Simple thermal heaters warmed the air, making it comfortable enough to remove their thick parkas, and they had placed the coats on the benches by the walls after stepping inside. Hauk sat just behind the lieutenant, munching hungrily on a nutrient bar.

  Fytti had been spending the last few minutes wiping her head with a towel. She darted a brief glance at Strand, who was sitting beside her. “How come you never admitted to being an officer of the Nepenthe to me?”

  Strand shrugged. “It didn’t seem important at the time.”

  Unus and his men sat down on the opposite side of the long table. “Alright. I apologize for the conduct of my people. But I hope you all realize that they have lost much in this conflict, and the feeling of betrayal runs deep in their veins.”