by Charles Nall
“Shut up, Ed. What seems to be the problem?” Teresa stretched out and made herself more comfortable on the sofa.
The manager pointed at the display on the computer. “You two were supposed to be on Deck Five Forward working on the graviton displacement system!” The manager sprayed spit out of his mouth almost after every word. “We still don’t have anti-gravity on the front of this ship! Your shift started two hours ago! Why weren’t you there?!”
Edwin shook his head. “No, no. The shift started at noon!”
“Do you know how to read?!” The manager yelled.
“Oh, our clocks were set wrong. What time zone do we use?” Teresa smiled.
“That was covered when you were hired! You know the penalties for not showing up to your shift!” The man sprayed. “Don’t let it happen again!”
“We won’t!” Teresa replied.
“Good!” The manager turned around.
“...Asshole.” Teresa added.
The manager turned back around. “What did you say?”
“Oh, I called you an asshole. You probably get that a lot, though.”
The man took a deep breath to try to calm himself down.
“What? I figured you’d be used to it, asshole. Ed, can you believe this asshole over here?” Teresa chuckled.
The manager couldn’t quite process what was happening. “You can’t call... you can’t call your superiors these words.”
“You sure about that, Captain Asshole, sir?”
The man growled, “You two are fired. Get off of this ship! I can’t believe the nerve. Get out.”
Teresa had to explain later to Edwin that this, too, was part of the plan. They left the warship and found transportation back to the corvette on a salvage ship. The only thing they left behind on the warship were the dimensional explosives.
Chryse Planitia
Mars
Contested Space
Riko and Zebediah trudged through the Martian soil. Luckily, there were no dust storms raging across the plains today.
Chryse Planitia used to be a huge basin filled with water, ages ago. Ancient rivers from Ares, Maja, and Kasei Vallis emptied into this impact crater. There was no sign of this precious liquid in the basin any longer.
They were several miles away from home. The two were searching for the location of the object they had pinged. They carried additional oxygen tanks for the journey.
The surface of Chryse Planitia was covered with impact marks from meteor strikes. These impacts broke apart the surface and built ridges. Other ridges snaked across the surface, spawned from tectonic activity when the planet’s core was still alive.
Riko and Zebediah mapped out a path earlier using old Martian maps around the ridges and across the rocky terrain.
This world was thoroughly dead. The husk of the world still remained, unlike it’s sister, Earth, which was turned to embers during the Cataclysm.
Riko and Zebediah had no idea what was happening elsewhere in the galaxy. The Sol system was contested. Occasional skirmishes between Resistance and ISF forces took place in the system, but there wasn’t anything too valuable in the system. The system wasn’t worth fighting for. There definitely wouldn’t be any armies invading the dead world of Mars.
Riko and Zebediah walked silently across the Martian landscape.
Zebediah broke the silence. He looked up at the butterscotch brown sky. “It will be good to be gone.”
Riko was silent.
“You aren’t talkative anymore.”
“There’s a lot on my mind,” Riko said.
“I understand.”
They continued walking through the Martian plains.
Riko sighed. “Zebediah. Where do you belong? Where will you go after all of this?”
He pondered. “I hadn’t thought about that. I’ll have to go into hiding. I’d love to see my family again... but... I suppose I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. How about you?”
She shrugged. “My home could be gone for all I know. I’ve been here so long. There’s no telling what’s happening out there in the galaxy now.”
“Did you have anybody out there? A significant other? It occurs to me, I’ve never asked.”
“No, not really.” Riko paused and smiled. “Well, there was someone. I told him we’d meet again.” She sighed.
Zebediah smiled. “Oh? What was this lucky fellow’s name?”
“Arnold.”
“Well I hope you do meet your Arnold again.”
“Thanks, me too.”
They climbed over some rocks and noticed a thin tower looming in the distance. They looked at each other.
“That’s it,” Riko said.
“And what is it?” Zebediah asked.
“Not sure. Let’s keep going.”
Riko and Zebediah continued their journey.
11
June 10, 0271 AC – 20:55 Local Time
Main Sickbay, USS Empyrean
Orbit of Urbania, Galactic Union Space
”He’s awake! He’s awake!”
Jacob Carpenter felt awful. His head ached. He was lying on a bed in sickbay. He struggled to sit up. Sharon Rose Turner was standing next to him.
Arnold Lawrence and Elijah Shepherd ran up to his other bedside.
“So glad you’re awake,” Elijah said.
Lieutenant Ashara Cinderflake approached. “Take it easy, Jacob. You’ve been through quite the ordeal.”
“What... happened?” Jacob asked. It hurt to speak.
“Apparently,” Arnold said, “you had a run-in with an imp.”
“Nasty little thing,” Ashara said. “I’ve been running tests on its corpse. It’s unlike anything I have ever seen before. Your friends have told me the stories about them. I wish I had known about them beforehand, but I understand it’s quite unsettling.”
Sharon nodded. “Captain Devereaux and President Eridanys advised us against releasing information about the imps to the public. We had no real proof of their existence.”
“But now...” Arnold said.
Ashara shrugged. “I’m still not sure if the public is ready for this.”
“Do any of you think it has something to do with the ISF? Is Trachis under an imp’s control?” Sharon asked.
“Perhaps this is how the vampires are managing to take over the ISF,” Elijah said. “Vampires and normals are working together, even if it is for an unfortunate cause. I’m really not sure what the vampire endgame is.”
“I don’t want to find out,” Sharon said.
“Do you think we could figure out how to detect an imp’s presence, now that you have a specimen?” Arnold asked Ashara.
“A dead one,” Ashara replied. “It would take far too long to inspect every single person on this ship, but I have been working on something.”
Jacob struggled to speak. “Did... Is Jaxon...”
Arnold sighed. “He’s dead, Jake.”
“How...”
“When an imp severs its connection with its host, the host will die,” Ashara pointed out. “It’s completely sick. The brain becomes dependant on the imp. Knight had tremendous brain damage. His brain looked like the brain of an Alzheimer’s patient.”
“He seemed normal enough,” Sharon said. “Who—who else could be infected?”
“No idea. I’d be willing to give anybody who wants one a checkup,” Ashara said. “I’m not really sure what I’m looking for.”
“Couldn’t you just look for a gross thing on the brain?” Arnold asked.
“It’s not that easy. Jaxon Knight had a physical a few weeks ago and I didn’t find anything out of the ordinary. He was already killing women at that time.”
“It’s possible that he wasn’t the murderer then. The imp can move from host to host,” Jacob said. “The imps enjoy carnal desires.”
“We haven’t had any deaths besides the women onboard the ship. I believe the imp is very intrusive and hard to detect unless you are actually looking for it. I believ
e the best way to find it is carefully examining brain activity with neuroimaging.”
“How am I alive?” Jacob asked. “If once the imp is removed the host is killed...”
“I’m not really sure. It’s possible your brain and the imp hadn’t fully integrated, so no permanent damage was caused,” Ashara said.
“But... why did it die? Why did it jump out of me?”
“It’s anybody guess. I will continue my tests and get back to you as soon as possible. We had to do some surgery to fix the damage the imp did cause and it would be best if you got some more rest.”
Sharon kissed Jacob’s forehead. “I’m glad you are back.”
“Me... too. Is Ryn... and Trevor?”
“They’re both okay,” Elijah said. “Shaken up, but okay.”
“Get better, Jake,” Arnold said.
Captain John Devereaux walked into the sickbay. “I hope I am not intruding.”
Ashara sighed. “We were discussing how Jacob should get some rest. You have some bad timing, sir.”
John Devereaux smiled. “Yes, yes I do. I just wanted to tell Jacob the good news first.”
Jacob coughed. “Good news? There’s good news?”
“Galactic Command accepted my proposal. They have been quite impressed with your performance for a while. I have already discussed this with Lieutenants Hydrus and Alexander and they are supportive. In all honesty, Jaxon Knight was slated to become my XO. Now, I have to make a new decision.”
Jacob struggled to keep his eyes open and nodded.
“Lieutenant Jacob Carpenter, I hereby promote you to Lieutenant Commander and to Executive Officer.” The captain beamed his approval. “We’ll do a formal ceremony when you are doing better.”
Jacob fainted.
June 11, 0271 AC – 22:20
Main Sickbay, USS Empyrean
Galactic Union Space
The sickbay was dimly lit. Jacob looked around. There were no other patients in the sickbay. A computer near him on a small table beeped. A wire ran from the computer into a device on Jacob’s arm. Jacob removed the device.
Jacob climbed out of the bed. His head was feeling much better.
“Oh, XO, you’re up,” someone said from a doorway leading further into another ward.
Jacob grumbled. “XO... Yes, ma’am.”
Lieutenant Ashara Cinderflake was reading over a small personal computer in her hands. “It’s an honor, treat it as such. I’m sure you can handle the new responsibilities when you are doing better.”
“It was extremely unexpected. I am way too young to be an XO. I don’t deserve this promotion.”
“Well, you aren’t the one to make that decision. But... I have something... I really don’t know how to phrase this...”
“Yes?”
“Jacob, how long have you been a vampire?”
That sentence by itself through Jacob for a loop. His brain couldn’t quite process what was just said. “What?”
“You do have vampirism. You do realize that, right?”
“What? No. Of course I don’t. Is this some sort of joke?”
“It’s not a joke. All the tests are conclusive and it solves another riddle about you.”
Jacob hesitantly laughed. “I’m not a damn bloodsucker. Besides, I’m in the Union. I would be infecting others, right?”
“That’s a confusing part, yes. Vampirism isn’t necessarily extremely contagious, but I would assume you would have infected someone by now.”
“I am not a vampire,” Jacob stated.
“Serafina Freeman was a fine XO I served with for a while. I’m sure you have heard of her?”
“Yes?”
“Liam, Her fiancé, was a scientist. She told me he was working on a cure for vampirism. However, it wasn’t a complete cure, he was working on pseudo-vampirism. That is, vampirism without the ill effects. Vampires have extremely potent immune systems but they are quick to anger. The disease also has a good chance of killing the subject when it first infects them. He was working on creating a mutated version of vampirism where the ‘good’ effects were enhanced and the negative effects were removed completely. If you are a pseudo-vampire, that would explain why you do not show negative symptoms and do not spread the disease.”
“This is ridiculous! I don’t have to listen to this!”
“Jacob, when was the last time you were sick? I don’t think I have ever even seen you catch a cold.”
“I...” Jacob paused. “I don’t remember.”
“You aren’t nearly as pale as a vampire, but you are still slightly pale,” Ashara pointed out. “However, that would explain why the imp struggled to infect you. Your immune system fought it off. I don’t understand how, but the parasite died because of the vampire blood in you. I am beginning to suspect that vampires are completely immune to imps.”
Jacob’s head was spinning. The promotion and now this?
“I understand this may be a lot to take in,” Ashara said. “I’m sorry. Don’t worry, doctor-patient confidentiality... I won’t tell you anyone. I understand you may want to make that decision yourself. And if the crew of this ship found out their new XO was a vampire...”
“I’ve been to the Daybreak Crusade meetings, I know how that would go down. I’ll keep this to myself, thank you.”
“You would have died if you weren’t a vampire. Or pseudo-vampire, whatever you want to call it.”
“Do you think this Liam had something to do with me?”
“Yes, I believe Liam Fornax is responsible. I already sent a message to him. He has not replied.”
“I have to get to the bottom of this,” Jacob said.
June 13, 0271 AC – 19:00 Local Time
GNN Broadcast
Originating from Urbania
“We’re going live in 3... 2...”
“Thanks for joining us live on GNN! I’m Seth Corvus! We have big news today! The united coalition of the Interstellar Federation has defeated the Star Republic and liberated the capital of Amur! I understand we have a live feed from the planet. Do we have that?” Seth Corvus paused for a moment and felt his ear. “I am told... No, here we go. Our correspondent Olivia Matar is on the scene.”
Olivia Matar looked nervous. She stood on a road with rubble strewn all about. The area was in complete disarray. Burning skyscrapers in the distance produced vast clouds of rising, black smoke.
“Thanks, Seth. I’m here on Amur at the Altair Prefecture. A tremendous battle took place in orbit of this planet, but I am pleased to announce the combined might of Dynasty and Union forces have liberated this planet from the clutches of evil.”
“Evil?”
“I saw it for myself, Seth. When the battle was turning in the favor of the ISF, the Star Republic started bombing their own cities!”
“That’s horrible!” Seth Corvus replied.
“It is! There was a tremendous loss of life on Amur and other planets across this Star Republic territory. However, with this victory I can tell you the rest of the Republic will fall. It’s a great day for the galaxy.”
An elderly man, bleeding from a gash on the side of his wrinkled face, stumbled up to Olivia Matar. “It’s all lies!” He shouted. “It’s all lies! Don’t listen to them! Don’t—”
Security officers rushed the old man and dragged him away. One of the officers pulled his handgun from his hip. The group moved out of sight of the camera.
“I’m so sorry about that,” Olivia Matar said. “I have been told that to help usher in this new era of peace over the Star Republic, the Columbia Docks have been taken from Republic forces. The ISF will begin building an Apocalypse warship here, the fourth of its kind. Soon, all four of these ships will be built. These ships will serve as peacekeepers, in order to finally bring order to the Milky Way.”
A gunshot was heard just off-camera.
June 16, 0271 AC – 17:45
Jacob and Sharon’s Quarters, USS Empyrean
Edge of Galactic Union Space
&nbs
p; Lieutenant Commander Jacob Carpenter entered into his quarters. He was startled to see a smiling man sitting in a chair in the center of the room. He didn’t recognize this man.
Sharon was sitting on a nearby couch. “Jacob! Look! We have a surprise guest! Your dad!”
“That—that’s...” Jacob stammered.
Sharon hopped to her feet. “Your dad told me he had something private to tell you. Probably extremely proud of his son! The XO of this warship! Wow! I’ll leave you guys alone!”
Sharon walked up to Jacob in the doorway, hugged him, and exited into the corridor running down the ship.
“Come in, Jacob, come in! We have much to discuss!” the stranger said.
Jacob slowly walked into the room. He circled the man in the center of the room like a vulture.
“I’m not going to bite!”
“You aren’t my father,” Jacob said.
“On the contrary!” The man smiled. “My name is Liam Fornax.”
“You.”
“Me! I’m not sure where to begin, honestly.”
“Who the hell are you?”
Fornax chuckled. “In a sense, I am your father.”
“Bullshit.”
“Well then, son, tell me about your father. Tell me about your parents. Go on, tell me.”
Jacob paused. He couldn’t remember.
“You can’t remember, can you? When an imp infects the brain it actually begins processing information from the temporal lobe to learn information about the host. The imp that jumped into you started to access this information. It was rather confused and tried to make sense of things.”
“You know about the imp?”
“Your doctor told me about it. In the end, the imp removed your... let’s just say implanted memories for now.”
“Implanted memories?!”
“It’s rather simple. We build a memory matrix and upload it into your brain. The brain is basically a computer, you know, we just gave it some additional files. We gave you enough of a history to function. Fake parents and fake events, but inspired by real stories from myself and my colleagues. We molded you into the man I see today. An XO! I am so proud!”