“Find that General, Darvin. I’m not sure why he is so important. They wouldn’t even tell me. But when I saw his eyes as he told me I had to find him, I knew it was for something important.”
“Yes, well you know it’s not easy dodging PTZ cameras.”
Exsid’s vision began to gray out a bit, blackness creeping in along the edges of his sight. It was beginning to block off part of his Exovision. He pulled the channel window into the center of his view. “Don’t freeze up when you see Death, Darvin,” Exsid said seriously.
“I’ll try not to,” Darvin replied back warily.
“Your father said the same thing to me, when he was teaching me the ropes. He would say it all the time right before he changed. That’s why I say it was like someone took control of him. He would never do what he did if it was really him.” The blackness was creeping closer in on his vision.
“Exsid, are you alright?”
“Always keep looking for the truth Darvin. Keep believing. He never froze up. Stay true to the Silver Eyes,” Exsid said as his vision disappeared. The channel closed with Darvin not able to say a thing back to him.
***
Looking towards the general direction of where Exsid was, Darvin saw that immediately after the channel closed an emergency navigation point was placed where Exsid said he was. Using the police server that was still live, Darvin set the situation as responded to. That action took Exsid’s position off of the map, making that area seem as if there was no one there to the casual observer. It would also make anyone who was looking for a police officer, at a time when all of them were being hunted down and killed, to not have a spot for them to go to in plain view.
Since Darvin had clicked that he responded to the situation Exsid’s Biocomp downloaded his medical status to Darvin. Darvin brought up the display as if it was a genderless outlined and transparent body facing towards him. A few areas were flashing red while one are, mainly his lower right leg, was in a solid black. He began to read the medical status list that was next to the image. Ballistic trauma, hypovolemic shock, gross blood loss. Exsid’s Biocomp had automatically cut off circulation below the knee due to how much blood loss was occurring and injected stored intravenous fluids to compensate for lost blood plasma. Exsid could have done that himself, most likely saving himself from passing out. As it stood Exsid would not be getting up until his body naturally produced more natural bloods cells to compensate for the loss of the artificial ones. Hell, Darvin thought, if it wasn’t for those artificial blood cells than Exsid wouldn’t be alive right now with his forty percent blood loss.
Putting a mental note to teach Exsid how to use his Biocomp more after he was done here, Darvin gave himself a mild sedative to calm his heart. Seeing Exsid go out like that took a toll on Darvin’s mind and body. Darvin ached for going after Exsid and fixing him up, but the mission he was on was much more important. It was, after all, a mission given to him by Exsid himself.
Still, Darvin stood there in the corridor with his back against the wall. The things Exsid brought up in his obviously delirious mindset did rattle Darvin. Darvin had always searched for why his father suddenly went ballistic on his family and friends. The change of behavior was very apparent even to the young boy he was back then. He remembered the day his father was shot and killed, watching the spray of blood land on him. His father had been holding him tightly, refusing to let his little boy run away from the scary man he had become. His father’s body had fallen landing right next to his dead mother, the same woman whom his father had loved for every day of his life.
Why, Darvin thought, would he just change like that? Why would he pull the trigger on his mother? Why would he shoot Exsid as he tried to approach and consul him? Why did he leave me alone in this world? A tear fell down Darvin’s face at that last thought.
Darvin had never been able to look at a dead body after that without freaking out. Yet, the quest for finding out why his father changed was not all there was to it. He also wanted to find out who was the one who pulled the trigger. Who was the one that acted out against direct orders from the government and from the police chief that was on scene? The answer was written, buried, dug up, rewritten, buried again, and half hidden. He could never find out who the person was. But Darvin just wanted to know the answer to one question and he knew that only that person would have the answer. Why? Why did you pull the trigger? Darvin would then decide if revenge was necessary or not. Revenge for leaving a boy alone in the world with an awkward, non-blood uncle as a guardian. Exsid did try his best though, Darvin thought.
Anger followed, it always did. Darvin imagined his wrecked cruiser in the park, the last view he had of it when he zoomed in on it. One of the only original physical photos of his family left, before his father changed. It reminded him of the good times, the few memories he had left before that life changing moment. With renewed determination and energy, Darvin pushed the thoughts of his father out of his head. He had a person to find. He only hoped he could find him alive.
Moving down the corridors, Darvin didn’t notice the lack of cameras. He expected it. This wasn’t Earth after all. Things were different around here, especially when dealing with privacy. Besides, why would a private company want to put the capital down to purchase a security system for a nameless corridor? But all it did was make it easier for Darvin to move through the halls.
It wasn’t until he turned a corner and almost knocked into a guard that he had trouble. However, even though the guard was standing away from Darvin it didn’t mean he didn’t hear Darvin skidding to a spot. The guard turned around with just one word, “Steve?”
There was no running away. Darvin’s unconscious mind kicked in, taking notes in that single second he had. The guard, the first one he has seen inside the plant, was wearing that traditional black exosuit that he saw the others wearing but no helmet. His rifle was slung along his shoulder, his helmet clipped to his belt, and his hands free at his sides. However, he was stronger and faster than Darvin was while in that suit. His Biocomp automatically ran a subroutine for close quarter combat fighting.
Punching was out of the question, automatically ruled out by the fact that punching metal usually lead to broken bones even if your bones were reinforced by genetic engineering and nanites. Nerve points were all blocked by the armor of the exosuit as well. That left joints, the only thing always vulnerable even in machines.
Stomp kicking at the back of the guard’s knee, Darvin knocked the guard off balance. Taken by surprise, the guard reached out with his left arm to try to keep Darvin away. But Darvin grabbed the guard’s arm, locking out the elbow joint and slammed his elbow down into the guard’s triceps while pulling back on the guard’s forearm. The guard’s exosuit resisted, preventing Darvin from breaking the joint.
If Darvin was in an exosuit himself, he would have broken the joint. But all Darvin was in was a highly scuffed leather jacket and synthetic jeans. The guard broke his arm out of the lock, breaking himself free. Darvin kicked out, hitting the guard in the back and pushing him forward. As Darvin fell back, using the force of the kick to also help push him back, he threw a concussion grenade from off his belt. The grenade, landing near the guard’s feet, went off just as Darvin managed to dive around the corner.
The position Darvin was in mitigated most of the blast of the grenade but it didn’t stop all of it. Getting up groggily to his feet Darvin unhooked his pistol from his belt and peered around the corner for a quick second, snapping a picture with his Exovision. Studying the picture, he saw the guard on the ground and on his back.
Swinging his pistol over the corner with only a part of his body he found the guard still on his back. He walked over and kicked the guard slightly. The guard was unconscious, not dead. Too bad I won’t be able to take the armor, Darvin thought.
Running down the hallway to the end Darvin stopped right in front of the elevator. Panting, he hit the down button. Nothing happened. Darvin looked down at the button and hit it again. Nothing hap
pened. There was no response from the elevator control unit itself. He looked back at the guard. The guard’s Biocomp must have sent out a warning when he went unconscious. That would mean they know Darvin is here. It also wouldn’t be too long until the guard’s Biocomp would be able to wake him.
Darvin looked around the map of the plant, trying to find a way around without using the elevator. His thoughts went back to Exsid. No matter what Exsid’s failings were with technology, he would know what to do. But Exsid was unconscious in a part of the ventilation system.
At that thought Darvin looked at the map once more. He couldn’t find the ventilation system on the blueprints. But how could that be? Every station had to have one. It was not only mandatory it was also necessary. You would suffocate if there was no air circulation. Darvin looked around and saw the vents near the bottom of the walls.
The realization hit Darvin and he called himself stupid. The map he had was of the property owned by the plant’s company. The ventilation system was part of the public works division, owned by the government. It would be on a different map.
Grabbing the vent cover he popped it off its clamps and slipped inside the vent shaft. It was a narrow fit as it was, he couldn’t figure out how Exsid would manage to move while holding Betty. Slipping the cover back into place, he downloaded the ventilation system map off of the police server. Overlaying the vent system on top of the plant map, Darvin plotted out a path to the offices.
***
The giant size of Callisto blocked the sensors on the destroyers. But because Admiral Jevins had sent the unarmed destroyer to a higher orbit he was receiving sensor updates along with the mediocre sensor data from the Marines on Ring Three. The picture it painted did not bode well with Admiral Jevins. Yes, he had destroyed the secret fleet Jillian had built up, but he had killed thousands of civilians that were caught in the crossfire as he dropped a Collar Project unit.
It was a sickening device for the brutality it represented, but it was necessary. Designed to penetrate hardened pirate bases in the asteroid belt, the true reason the destroyer was designed for, it also meant in open space it irradiated a great amount in its effective radius.
Sinking out of being immersed in the crystal computer, Admiral Jevins felt a strange sense of relief as his mind settled back into his body. Being in the world that the computer depicted, separated from the body and all of its senses, the mind tried to grab on whatever it could and tried to relate its experiences to that. But this was the reason why most people went insane if they spent too much time in the Immersion Field. The more you got used to it, as if it was a muscle you have never used or flexed before, the more you could stay inside.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Admiral Jevins felt like he had sank back into the acceleration chair and this time that feeling had been one of reality. Off to the side Captain Eru said, “Welcome back sir.”
“Yes, yes,” Admiral Jevins said slowly and warily. His time spent in the Immersion Field had worn him out.
“I think one of your Sun Tzu quotes is best for this situation. No battle plan survives contact with the enemy?”
“Indeed, indeed.” Admiral Jevins looked over to where Officer Brut was. “Officer Brut, how long until we can make a transversal back to Ring Three?”
“Three minutes sir. It doesn’t take much for short hops.”
“Three minutes was all the information I asked for Officer Brut.”
“Yes sir,” Officer Brut said shakily.
Admiral Jevins sighed again. The Immersion Field had affected him more than he had initially realized. But Admiral Jevins could not apologize on the bridge for that small outburst of his, not if he wanted to lose the confidence the other officers had in him. “Captain, how much longer until Jillian reaches Ring Three?”
“Thirty minutes, sir. She is decelerating right now.”
“Where is she projected to stop?”
“Sending coordinates to your display. She’s going to be stopping near where our Marines dropped into the Ring.”
“Hmmm. Interesting, interesting.”
Looking at the display Captain Eru sent to him in his Exovision he saw the projected track of Jillian’s ship. It curiously was projected to stop right in front of the Ring. “Captain, has her ship performed any rotations?”
“No sir.”
So she can accelerate and decelerate while pointing the same way, Jevins thought. And at the same rate, or at least that is what the computer says, he added to his thoughts. What is she using as a propulsion system if she still has a blanket of plasma covering the space in front of her baffles? It doesn’t make sense. It can’t be an ion thruster. That would blast the plasma away in its normal operation. These physics are just beyond me. I might actually be getting too old for this job, he thought with a slight smile.
“Enough with her prowess with technology. Let’s get down to the point right now. She wants something in Ring Three. Otherwise she would just fly past it and destroy it outright.”
“What could she want?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Admiral Jevins looked at the timer, twenty five minutes until she was there. They had enough energy stored in capacitors to attempt a translation now.
“Sir, what do you suggest we do then?”
“We lay siege to what she wants.”
“Yes sir,” Captain Eru said warily, unsure of what Admiral Jevins was talking about.
Admiral Jevins opened a private channel to Captain Eru. “Captain,” Admiral Jevins said with a serious and slow tone.
“Yes sir?”
“I am going back into Immersion Field. When I come out, you are to confine me to quarters immediately and order the ship’s doctor to see me there. Do not acknowledge a single order of mine after I come back out, regardless of what I say. Use the Marines if you need to get me to my stateroom. Understand?”
“Yes sir,” Captain Eru said, sounding a little unsure.
Admiral Jevins felt his mind disconnect from his body once more. He entered the realm of the Immersion Field for the second time. Not sure if he was going to be in the right state of mind when he returned, he had given those orders to Captain Eru to make sure he did not kill any more people than he has already. He thought about the pilots and the civilians. Yet it was those pirates of long ago that haunted him the most.
***
Chancellor Burreta stood, flanked by Senator Williams and Senator Kino, seated at his sides behind the table that was in front of them all. They were to be the ones to receive the delegation from the Islamic Theocracy in this small square shaped ten thousand square foot room. But while they were to be the ones physically present the Senate lay in the electronic background and would watch the whole meeting before they broke for debate. Empty chairs for the other leaders were in front of the table, waiting for them to come.
“I wish you would just see my way,” Senator Kino said with his teeth clenched.
“I do see your way,” Senator Williams said back with a slight smile. “I just don’t agree with it.”
“It’s the same thing you have always taught me.”
“You always twisted my words after you were done with my sponsorship.”
“How dare you,” Senator Kino said with a raised voice.
“You two,” Chancellor Burreta yelled, looking at them each. “If either of you misrepresent the Senate I will have you stripped of your title and privileges. We are to receive a delegation, don’t bicker. And you, Senator Williams, are almost like a teenager in a hormone rage.”
“You have no idea,” Senator Williams said under his breathe, his voice too low for either of the other two to hear.
“Senator Kino,” Chancellor Burreta continued. “Act like you have respect for someone else for once. I am not going to tolerate it.”
“We should just do away with them. It would solve everything,” Senator Kino said angrily.
“You cannot erase a religion from our race. And remember that. It is our race. The human race. You are a p
art of it as well.”
And it’s a tenant of our charter to accept everyone for who they are. The Islamic Theocracy refused to sign the Unified Religions Act based on the fact that someone did not need to respect their religious rules within their country. Some of their leaders refused to allow even the worship of other faith on their land. They would not relinquish the idea of territory and their religious laws, which is not allowed under the Act.
But those were also a time when their highest leaders were very intolerant, Senator Williams thought. If Senator Kino would just look back to history, just like he taught him to, he would see that there were times when their leaders were very intolerant and there were other times when the successive leaders were tolerant. Time changes everything and Senator Williams could only hope that time has changed something.
Their aides opened the door, walking through with the Islamic Theocracy delegation in tow. Uneventfully and without a word the two ambassadors, flanked by their many aides of their own, walked the distance to the table. Senator Williams and Senator Kino both stood up. Standing in silence for almost a minute, they all stared at each other until Chancellor Burreta spoke up. “On behalf of the Earth Commonwealth I welcome the ambassadors of the Islamic Theocracy.”
Twenty minutes later, without knowing what was happening at the planet of Jupiter yet for another few minutes, everyone’s mouth dropped at a bomb of a suggestion from none other than Senator Williams.
***
It is an interesting thing to imagine a mind that was in two places at once. The mind actually resided physically inside the body yet electronically it lay in the Immersion Field. It felt nothing from the body but everything from the Field. These thoughts still swirled through the mind of Admiral Jevins as he looked at the tactical situation through the Immersion Field.
Currently behind Callisto, Admiral Jevins engaged the wormhole engines. A wormhole opened up in front of the destroyers, showing them a view of space that should not normally be in front of them. Engaging their main engines they moved their masses through the wormhole, appearing at their endpoint near Ring Three.
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