Imperium: Coda: Book Three in the Imperium Trilogy

by Paul M Calvert

  “Awake her? I think I understand, but she wouldn’t want to come back as a disembodied mind. That would be too cruel, Vimes. Both for her and for me. Having her here but unable to touch or hold her again would be worse than death for both of us.”

  “You don’t understand yet, Alex. I can create a body for Christine’s consciousness to reside in, indistinguishable from that of a human to both of you. For all intents, barring accident, it would be immortal. I can offer the same to you, but only if you are willing to relinquish your living body.”

  A stunned Alexander sat motionless, his mind going through various scenarios, trying to make sense of what he was being told and how much of it to believe. He’d seen the various avatars used by Vimes, often being completely taken in by them. What he was told sort of made sense, but he didn’t know what to do.

  “But would we be the same after the…” he hesitated, not knowing what to call it, “…the procedure, or whatever it is you do? How can I know it really is Christine?” he asked, then paused again. “If I agree, when can you start and is there anything you need?

  Vimes smiled, his avatar changing to take on the form of Josef, the first Emperor. “Because it’s been done before, Alex. As I lay on my death-bed, I transferred my consciousness into the Vimes programme. I have been watching over my descendants all this time. Obviously, I have changed over the millennia as the numbers of my avatars and functions increased, but the personality is still fundamentally me. Josef Doone.”

  “But what happens to you when this physical body dies? You are tied into my DNA, and your personality stored in Dauntless will degrade without a physical form to merge with on a regular basis. We’ve been together almost all of my life. Much as I want Christine back, I would miss not having you in my mind almost as much. You are as much a part of me as I am.”

  “I thank you for your concern, but don’t worry, the avatar would mimic your body down to the smallest detail, Alex, including your DNA. I would transfer over with you. Your new body would feel exactly the same as your real one, the only difference being it would be virtually immortal, barring catastrophic damage. Christine’s would be the same. Think about my offer, Alex. You could be together again.”

  Alexander went silent. Ten minutes passed in an instant. Decision made, he finally spoke.

  “Do it. But there are a few things I have to attend to first.”

  SCENE 26, EPILOGUE. THREE YEARS LATER

  In their private quarters in the Palace, Adam and Karen were playing with their two children, Crown Princess Freya and Prince William. It was important for them to take time from their busy schedules and be together as a family, for Adam wasn’t going to make the same mistake as his father, if only to avoid Freya turning out as willful as he’d been. Of their two children, Freya was the quiet, yet stubborn one, named after the Felidae Empress, who made a point of communicating with her on a regular basis. Since Freya’s birth, relations between the two Empires had grown close, helped in no small part by her naming; to the Felida Empress’s obvious delight. William, although only eleven months old and named after Christine’s father, was already shaping up to be a handful, with a beautiful smile and happy disposition.

  To Karen’s regret, neither of the two children had ever seen their grandfather, despite the best efforts of the ISS and Vimes to locate him. In the almost three years since Alexander had stopped communicating, Adam and Vimes had numerous arguments over what had happened to him, with Adam accusing his companion of holding something back. Eventually, Adam had to admit defeat, but that didn’t stop him from sending out across the galaxy literally millions of drones fitted with the once secret Jump Drive to find out where his father had gone or what might have happened to him.

  Since their Coronation, the reconstruction of the Empire had gone relatively smoothly, although the process of rooting out the spy cells and dismantling Frederick’s network of sympathisers was still ongoing. More problematic had been what to do with the newly released technology and how to avoid another Frederick from usurping control of the data networks, especially the Imperial Navy.

  Adam retained the Empires monopoly on Jump capable private vessels and had begun the slow process of moving the Jump Stations away from the redundant Jump Points at the edge of solar systems and relocating them in geostationary orbits around the habitable planets, drastically shortening transit times between star systems. This allowed them to continue acting as Customs Posts and enabled the Crown to retain its hold over tithes and Customs duties. The secret of instantaneous communication he kept hidden, with only the newly retired Admiral Frith party to the secret. As a result of the faster transit times, tourism was booming across the Empire and with it trade, boosting Imperial revenues and helping to offset the cost of putting right the effects of the rebellion.

  Relations with those neighbouring empires who had sided with Frederick remained tense, and both Adam and Vimes suspected open war was only a matter of when, rather than if. Plans for a new age of expansion were almost ready to put into action, using the millions of Quantum Signatures held in Vimes’s memory from the original probes sent out by Josef millennia before. Across the Empire, dozens of colony fleets were being prepared, initially targeting uninhabited systems, the would-be colonists eager to begin their new lives.

  Despite their concern for Alexander and their sadness at him not being in the lives of their two children, life for them both was busy, but good. Much of their time had been spent visiting those planets that had been under rebel control, reassuring their populations and overseeing the elevation of loyalists to the many vacant positions in the thinned-out ranks of the Nobility. Regrettably, Frederick’s cancer had gone deep into the Nobility, requiring a root and branch review. Karen had suggested that the populations of the affected planet’s should be allowed to decide who should be elevated, a novel idea that Adam accepted. It had proved a popular move, increasing the Imperial family's popularity.

  Karen and Adam were currently taking a short break from their tour of the Sectors and had decided to visit Duke Gallagher and be his guest for a few days. Part of the reason was to decide what to do about Earth and the deteriorating situation there. The two of them were currently trying to tire their two children, in the vain hope of having them sleep during the journey. William didn’t take kindly to space travel, unlike his sister who fell asleep within minutes of take-off. Once Freya caught sight of Gallagher they knew it would be difficult to separate the two of them without a major tantrum.

  Adam was watching Freya play with her toy Marines, arranging them in ranks, giving instructions to Vimes to control their movements, reminding him of the many processions he and Gallagher had to attend since his Coronation. Thinking of the Duke, he recalled visiting him immediately after the final battle, just before being discharged from the infirmary. Patrick had sworn never to wear armour again, insisting he was getting too old and slow, yet for all of that, whenever they had met there had been a large case somewhere nearby.

  “Adam, Karen,” Vimes spoke to both of them, “there is an incoming transmission from one of the probes looking for your father. You will want to see it. I am already changing your travel arrangements and letting Duke Gallagher know.”

  A projection formed above them. Freya, used to such things, glanced up at it for a moment, then lost interest and went back to playing with her toy Marines, sending them marching up and down the deep carpet. Karen picked up the already tired William and began rocking him to sleep, his eyes closing almost immediately, safe in his mother’s arms.

  Vimes began narrating the scene as it unfolded, showing a darkened Dauntless hanging in space. Both Karen and Adam felt their heart rates increase. William, picking up his mother’s changing mood, became restless in her arms.

  “The probe found Dauntless orbiting a supergiant star not long from going nova. The ship didn’t respond to hails and was dead, other than for a few sections where life support had been maintained. As per your standing orders, no-one else has investigated
it, and I await your instructions. I have informed Duke Gallagher, and he has asked if he can meet with you there. Two nannies will be here in a moment to look after Freya and William.”

  The scene vanished as two nannies came in and took over. One gently took William from a reluctant Karen, the other knelt down to play with Freya. Karen nodded at Adam, then at the door. “Come on then, what are you waiting here for?” she said, heading towards the door, getting to it first with Adam a split-second behind her. They both ran towards the transit tube, making a race of it, drawing smiles from the Palace servants they passed, used to the behaviour of the young couple.

  An hour later, their yacht rendezvoused with Duke Gallagher’s new flagship, INS Waylander, one of the new super-battleships commissioned by Adam after becoming Emperor. Dauntless was hanging in space, twenty miles away, her hull illuminated by the brilliant sun and tinged with red. Holding his impatience in check, Adam docked with the flagship and was met by the Duke and his bodyguard.

  “Why the battleship and the bodyguard, Patrick?” Adam asked, shaking hands then hugging the Duke, patiently waiting for a response while Karen received similar treatment. Putting her down, Patrick looked behind them both, hopeful he might catch sight of his god-children.

  “Didn’t bring them with you, then?” he said, sounding a little disappointed when they both shook their heads. “I suppose it was too much to ask for. As for Waylander and these fine Marines here,” he gestured behind him, “ I’m not taking any chances as to what we might find when we get there, and neither should you two.”

  Karen nodded, “Depending what happens here, afterwards we will Jump back to Capital and get the children, then come straight to you on Wayland. If that meets with your approval, Patrick?” she asked him.

  “Good, that’s settled. Everyone is so excited you are coming to visit. Now, suit up and let’s be going. Your yacht or one of mine?” Gallagher asked.

  Adam piloted his yacht, carefully moving it around Dauntless and checking it for any sort of battle damage or open hanger doors. Sensors showed her wall shields remained powered, protecting the ship from the immense solar winds emitted by the dying giant as it neared the end of its cosmically short life. Nothing could be seen, nor did the sensors detect anything out of the ordinary.

  Adam looked at the schematic of Dauntless hovering in the air to his left and slowly moved towards where the main hanger was situated. The yacht trembled slightly as it passed through the final wall shield and slowly closed with the hull, Adam skillfully bringing it almost to a stop. Close enough to Dauntless that the viewscreen showed nothing but an endless black wall, Adam turned to his two companions.

  “What do I do now?” he asked, not wanting to blast his way in and risk automated defence systems taking action.

  “Why don’t you hail the ship using Vimes and let it know you are here?” Karen suggested, “It might respond to you rather than automated messages from strangers.”

  Adam did as suggested and in response, part of the giant wall vanished, revealing the hanger bay. Adam slowly entered, noticing nearly all of the docking cradles were full. Various shuttles and yachts of all sizes were lined up, powered down and given off an air of melancholy, as did the hanger bay itself, devoid of the usual hustle of servitors and crew going about their allotted duties. Not bothering to wait for a docking tube, Adam guided the yacht to an empty cradle, just as Gallagher came and stood next to him, a protective suit already forming around him.

  Patrick suddenly had a moment of déjà vu, an image of his last visit to the old Dauntless coming unbidden into his mind. “What was that young pilot’s name?” he asked himself, then remembering. “Christine Harris, that’s it. Fine pilot; sassy.” He suddenly realised they had docked in exactly the same cradle as when they had first become acquainted. Curious, he checked with Carmen what had happened to her.

  “Commander Harris is First Officer on INS Winchester. She married Commander Wanderley two years ago. Do you require any more information?” Carmen asked.

  “No, Carmen, I was just curious. She left a good impression, that’s all. Thank you.”

  Followed by Patrick’s bodyguards, the three walked across the hanger and into the reception area. Their suits registered vacuum and temperatures close to absolute zero, so they waited for a moment for Vimes to see if he could interface directly with the ship’s barely functioning AI. It took a few seconds, but then their suits began registering an atmosphere, the room filling with condensing moisture as the new air hit the super cold surfaces around them. They waited patiently for life support to bring the ambient temperature up to what was acceptable and disperse the icy mists, then cracked their helmets.

  “How are you getting on with the AI, Vimes?” Adam asked, watching as the bodyguard fanned out, taking point and looking for any threats or problems.

  “It’s coming back nicely and will be fully operational in a minute. It was almost completely shut down with just minor sub-routines left on, maintaining the shields and a small area of life-support. My avatar here has degraded to the point of being a simple AI, with no personality or memories. I’ve put it out of my misery. Unfortunately, that indicates your father hasn’t been here for some time.”

  Adam copied what Vimes had told him to Karen and Patrick, then instructed Vimes to lead them to where life support had been maintained. After being reassured the tubes were fully functional now, the three of them each took turns to ride with bodyguards, meeting up at the exit.

  Adam exited, recognising the place as part of the large area making up Officer’s quarters for the lower ranks. With the bodyguard again taking point, the party headed towards the suite of five interconnected rooms which had remained habitable when everything else had been shut down. Standing outside one of the entrances, Adam closed his helmet and instructed the door to open, waving away the Marines who wanted to enter first. Reluctantly they stepped aside, allowing him to enter. Everything seemed normal, apart from a servitor that stood silently in one corner, out of place but obviously deactivated.

  The Marines fanned out, moving from room to room. Immediately, one of them called out from what was being used as a bedroom. Adam and Patrick entered. The room was comfortably appointed, albeit sparsely furnished. A large bed dominated one corner. A badly decomposed body lay on the bed underneath the covers, arms on top, its face unrecognisable.

  Beside him, Karen muttered, “Dear God,” and started to walk forward to see if she could recognise it. Before she could get too close, Vimes stopped her, speaking to the three of them.

  “No need, Karen. It is not Alexander. Analysis of the corpses DNA from the air filtration sensors match with that of Duke Frederick. He has been dead for at least two years, and sensors indicate he died from crude slashes to his left wrist, resulting in fatal blood loss. They are most likely self-inflicted. Look, you can see the dried blood where it soaked into the covers.”

  “Any sign of my father?” Adam asked.

  “No, but I will initiate a complete search of the ship using avatars and servitors, then try and reconstruct from the sensors and records what happened. This will take no more than an hour, so I recommend you go back to your yacht and wait. If you agree, when we are done here I will ready Dauntless to Jump to the shipyards on Arisia. I am truly sorry your father isn’t here, Adam. I miss him too.”

  Back onboard the yacht, the three of them spent a subdued half an hour drinking tea and speculating what might have happened to Alexander and on how Frederick met his end. Vimes broke into their conversation and began projecting and narrating his findings.

  “After leaving Capital, ship’s records show Alexander travelled widely, always to systems far from the Empire, following the earliest probes sent out by Emperor Josef. The information held is of great interest, and there are several intriguing findings which I will share later. During this time he was in good health. Finally, Dauntless Jumped here and remained. Although Alexander kept no personal log or diary during his travels, manifests confir
m Frederick had been personally brought on board by him after his trial. I have checked the records from the prison planet where he was exiled, and they show he died there. Obviously, Alexander had them doctored, probably by myself, and then had him brought secretly to Dauntless. For all this time, Frederick’s quarters were maintained by servitors, bringing him food and water, but nothing else. He was left alone, and I can find no record of him ever being visited by Alexander during that time.”

  Adam interrupted. “So what did happen to Fredrick?”

  “I can only surmise your father left Frederick alone on Dauntless, giving him a small chance of eventually being found. Frederick’s quarters contained no access to entertainment systems, books or music so he would have had plenty of time to think about what he had done, what he had lost and what might happen to him in the future. It would seem that Frederick, faced with being alone with no-one to talk to or anything to look forward to other than years of boredom, took his own life. I am certain Alexander had no hand in his death, for he would never become a man like Frederick. Ask Patrick to tell you and Karen about the things Alexander witnessed during his own training on earth and how it changed him. I know he never told you himself.”

  Patrick turned to Adam and Karen. “I would like to do that if you are willing to listen.” He smiled, a bittersweet memory of his friend coming to him from decades ago.