On the Shores of a Dark Sea (Dark Seas Series Book 2)

by Damon Alan

  Peter grabbed Eislen by the arm. “I can’t let you to hit him any more, Eislen. He’s the adept you say doesn’t exist. I’m sorry, but it was Alarin who demanded we tell you. Captain Dayson and I were going to save you the grief until later.”

  Eislen glared at Peter. An object in an adjacent compartment crashed to the floor. “You weren’t going to tell me? I will call you Peter Corriea from now on.” Eislen stormed from the room, through the common area, and into the chamber he shared as sleeping quarters with Malco Vander. Eislen glared at Malco, who stood and fled the room. Eislen closed and locked the hatch once he was alone.

  There is no justice. The gods don’t care. The good die while the bad live full lives. There is no justice for the meek.

  Chapter 37 - On a Good Day

  22 NODER 15327

  Sarah shut her eyes, she rested strapped into her gravity couch. The bridge was, at times, the calmest place on the ship. The Stennis wasn't on the move, they were well away from Merik's reach, and all the other ships in the fleet except the Schein and EF2358 were elsewhere. The Yascurra and Hinden were in the outer reaches of the Oasis system placing listening stations. The Fyurigan was starting work on a second asteroid farm, and the Palino was docked at the first. The Hamorian refugees were transferring to Asteroid Farm One for assignments.

  The overhead speaker blared to life. “Bridge, Dantora, priority.”

  Sarah gruffly exhaled.

  It never lasts.

  “Seto here. What's the problem Ensign?”

  The excitement in Dantora's voice was electric. “I have amazing news. I found the colony ship that brought the locals here.”

  Sarah opened her eyes. She liked good news.

  Seto answered Dantora, “That’s fantastic news, Eris. Are you sure?”

  Dantora could barely contain herself. “Absolutely. I'm pushing this to your main screen. Look at the ecliptic plane of Oasis. When the colonists abandoned their colony ship, they put it in a highly parabolic orbit, ninety degrees off the plane of the ecliptic. If you look at the display, you'll see the ship... right there.”

  A display of the Oasis system appeared on the screen, and the orbit of Dantora's discovery was highlighted. A blinking light appeared where Dantora said the ship was.

  “Dantora, it's the Captain. What condition is it in?”

  “Impossible to tell at this point, sir, but if it were in pieces it would be a cloud of debris taking up a much larger area than it is.”

  “So you’re saying it's intact?” Sarah tried not to let her excitement into her voice.

  “Yes, sir. It's the biggest colony ship I've ever seen, but that might be the fuel tanks Peter said they'd need to get here. I can't make out much detail at this range.”

  “Mr. Harmeen, what are the chances it still has resources on board we can use?”

  “Unless the colonists ejected any extra fuel, I'd say quite good. If the antimatter wasn't contained, it would be the debris field Ensign Dantora mentioned. In that orbit the ship will be exposed to very few impactors. It should be well preserved.”

  “Good. Ensign Dantora, I want that ship. I'm assigning you to the EF2358. Assemble a team and we'll get a shuttle to take you over. Lieutenant Commander Montagne will lead the expedition, but you are in charge of the science and the disposition of the colony ship. You have twenty-four hours to be ready to go.”

  “Not questioning orders, Captain, but why the rush?” Dantora asked.

  “I want you to see if the singularity is still there. If it is, I want it. If it isn't, well, there is salvage if we don't find anything else useful.”

  “Right away, Captain. We'll need EVA suits and some equipment. I'd like to take an engineer and an environmental specialist along as well as several marines with search training.”

  “You're in charge, Dantora. You can choose from any non-essential personnel you need. Just get it done.”

  “Yes sir. Dantora out.” The link closed.

  “Seto, inform EF2358 all about it.”

  “Aye, Captain.”

  Sarah listened as Seto talked to the other vessel.

  The captain of the EF2358 was pleased to have a mission.

  * * *

  The bridge speaker flared to life. “Captain Dayson, Dr. Jannis. I have something you need to see. I think you'll want this at the top of your priority list.”

  Priority? Another? “Is this an emergency doctor?”

  “Not an emergen—”

  “Then can it wait until I'm off duty?”

  “I suppose it could wait, if you're not interested in hearing about a way to neutralize the adepts until the end of your shift.”

  Impetuous, grating, self...

  “You have my attention,” Sarah said.

  “When I did a brainscan on Eislen, I noticed his brain is different than ours, as you know. So I took a few samples.”

  “Of his brain?”

  “A few cells, nothing he’ll miss,” Dr. Jannis said. “The biopsy is done with nanite injection, there is no cutting or deep penetration by probe required.”

  Sarah frowned. Nanites. Shit. She doubted Eislen volunteered, but Dr. Jannis wasn't one to abuse her patients. “If you say so, doctor. Do not use those on me.”

  “Don’t be such a wimp. These are simple nanites, nothing like the advanced machinery of the Hive.”

  Sarah sighed, surrendering the argument. For now. “What do you have?”

  “I have grown several million cells from the ones I extracted. Most are quite similar to ours, even if they are diverging as a species.”

  “Doctor. The point.”

  “Of course. There is a structure in Eislen's brain that isn't in ours, it's under the corpus callosum, in front of the anterior commissure. The cells of this structure are unlike any others in Eislen's brain, and are not present in our brain at all. These cells contain thousands of times the microtubules that are present in our brain cells.”

  “Doctor Jannis.” Sarah tapped her fingers on her gravity couch. “I am not a physician.”

  “I've talked to Peter about his fifth force theory, and I think this is the organ that not only allows the adepts to detect this fifth force, but to manipulate it. I think these microtubules are antennae. We have similar structures in our brain cells, but—”

  Sarah interrupted. “To the point, doctor. How does that help me stop Merik?”

  “The microtubules in Eislen's unique brain structure are different than those in the rest of his brain. After a lot of trial and error, I have synthesized a drug that can block the receptor pathways of these new organelles.”

  “You did what?”

  “I have synthesized a drug that does what the gravity waves of our singularity do. Interrupt the function of these organelles.”

  “Doctor, you’re talking, but you’re not communicating. What does the singularity do?”

  “The cellular receptors are bent out of shape by the gravity waves. They no longer function when that happens due to their altered shape. The sensory organ for the fifth force is rendered non-functional. The process is repeated because the gravity waves aren’t constant, and I think that’s painful to them.”

  “Okay, so we know why they fear the singularity now,” Sarah said.

  “My drug blocks the receptors, which is an improvement over the gravity wave method. It should be pain free since the receptors aren’t being constantly altered, just blocked.”

  “And you’re sure that shuts them down?”

  Dr. Jannis sounded as excited as Sarah had ever heard her. “I’m almost certain. If you can get an adept to consume the drug as a test, we’ll know.”

  “How many trials did you run?”

  The doctor paused, probably checking her data. “Seventy-four.”

  Sarah grinned. Two bits of good news in one shift. “Remarkable work, doctor. Can you aerosolize it?”

  “It's too unstable. It has to be injected, or possibly eaten. I'm not sure what effect stomach enzymes have on the chemica
l yet. But once it is in the bloodstream, it will work fast.”

  “How much do you have?”

  “A few dozen doses. Enough to give you the upper hand against Merik, I think, but not enough to neuter any serious number of them. Now that I have the formula, I can make at least twenty doses a week. Production will pick up if we dedicate more resources to it, but I don’t have the facilities to be a serious med factory.”

  “You probably will have those resources soon. Is it permanent?”

  “No. Based upon my studies of the cells I've produced, the power of the adept will return slowly as the drug is metabolized and the chemical pathways are unblocked. I'd say a day to two for back to full, but for the first six hours they'll be fifth force constipated if they get my recommended dosage.”

  Sarah began untethering herself from the grav couch. “Doctor, you are the hero of the day. I am coming down to medbay, and we can hatch an evil plan. I'd like to see if Eislen or Alarin is willing to test this. Is it harmful otherwise?”

  “No, not at all. In our bodies our kidneys will just remove it as waste. In the adepts, the only receptor it will bind with are in their unique brain structure.”

  “Get a dose ready for me to take to the Outhouse. I'll be right down. Dayson out.”

  Sarah disconnected, remained motionless for a moment, then let out a cheer. “Yes!”

  The bridge crew grinned at her.

  Sarah grinned back. “Seto, you have the bridge.”

  “I do?”

  “Sure. Try on the captain pants. They fit nicely. Commander Gilbert will be up later to relieve you. I'll leave him a message.”

  Seto looked uncertain. “I have the conn.”

  * * *

  Sarah walked into the medbay with a smile. “Doctor, show me.”

  “Right here, Captain. I've already loaded an autosyringe with a dose for Alarin, if he's willing to help us test it. If he won’t, Eislen will be a secondary choice.” Dr. Jannis held out a small clear plastic bag with a syringe inside.

  “That's great. If this works...well, the future of huma—”

  Dr. Jannis interrupted. “That's a bit dramatic. I made this because I don't want any more people to die.”

  Yep. Still irritating.

  Sarah needed this woman. Playing nice wasn’t going to hurt her. “Very well. Does this need to be injected in any particular way?”

  “Since I'm going with you, you don't need to worry about how to inject it.”

  “I can't risk—”

  Dr. Jannis interrupted Sarah again. “You can't risk getting this wrong, Captain. I’ll bring some portable equipment, and we'll monitor the test subject’s brain in real time while the drug takes effect. If it doesn't work, or if it stops working early, we're going to want to know that. Whoever confronts Merik will want to know how long they have.”

  “Are you going to keep interrupting me?”

  “Only when you're wrong.”

  Sarah glared at Dr. Jannis for a moment, reconsidering her decision to play nice. “You may be the only person on this ship more stubborn than I am, doctor. Okay, you win. Get your stuff to my personal shuttle. I'm leaving tomorrow morning at 1100.”

  “I'll be there.”

  Chapter 38 – Captain’s Personal Log

  22 NODER 15327

  AI Lucy82A recording, Captain's personal log, Michael Stennis archive: Galactic Standard Date 21:04:57 Noder 22, 15327

  Personal log entry #794, Captain Sarah Dayson, origin Korvand, Pallus Sector.

  Current Location: Star System Oasis, orbiting Fandama.

  A day of good news, and I can't tell you how great it feels to finally have a day go completely right for Seventh Fleet. Ensign Dantora found the colony ship the original settlers arrived in. She not only found it, but whoever was in charge when the immigrants parked it was smart enough to give it a safe orbit. Maybe they weren't sure if they were staying or not. This is a remarkable find for us, especially if the singularity is still on board.

  [24 second pause, a sound AI estimates 86% probability is of a bed being prepared.]

  Adding to the good news is an amazing discovery by Dr. Jannis. Not normally someone I praise, but at the moment I can say I'm glad she's here. At least if her discovery pans out in a live test. She's found a way to suppress the powers of the adepts... or at least she might have. I shouldn't get ahead of myself. If her discovery is usable, we might have a way to take Merik out. I'm not looking forward to a long shuttle ride with the doctor, regardless.

  [a sigh]

  The things I do for my fleet.

  [sounds of cooler opening, two distinct sounds AI estimates 61% probability are packets of consumable liquid being squeezed into glass containers]

  On to more personal matters. Franklin will be here in a few minutes, and oh, am I excited about that. I forgot what it means to be with someone. I told myself after Vonn there would never be another, but now I've let Franklin into my life... into me,

  [laughter]

  and I don't know if it's the right thing to do or not. But I'm loving every minute of it. That man and I have a rhythm I haven't had in my life in—

  [a chime sound]

  There he is. End the log, Lucy.

  Chapter 39 - Divinity Intensified

  Morning of Firstday, cycle 91, year 8748

  Merik stood on a hill overlooking a small village, the name of which she didn't remember. Behind her, in the distance, another nameless village burned. Her military commander stood behind her, in ornate leather armor.

  “Precept. That is what rank I will call you.”

  “I would answer to any name you give me,” Seraphit answered. “If it pleases you, Master Merik, what's a precept?”

  “It is a dictate to regulate behavior or thought. I think that applies to you, since you're the highest soldier enforcing my will.”

  “I'm honored by your choice, Master Adept.”

  “Of course you are.” Merik turned and looked away from the the village. “Tell the adepts and your soldiers to move in. Once the task is done, return to me. Do not tarry, I don’t wish the demons to do to you as they did to Kahai and Maratha at Kampana. I will await you in my tent.”

  “Right away, Master Merik.”

  “When you return I will be summoning a new High Council. I will need someone worthy to serve me wine while I grace buffoons with the presence of my mind. That servant is you.”

  Merik left Seraphit to his business and walked down the hill to her tent. In reality it was a small ornate house, with room walls made of silk and carpets underlaid with grass instead of marble. She stepped inside, and the familiar scents she loved caressed her nose. Incense of the kallibbi flower, the smell of sweet fruit. She walked to her chaise and lay down.

  She despised what she was about to do. For now she needed the other adepts. The day was coming when she would not. Godhood awaited. Calling a new High Council so soon after the last one disbanded was unusual. But she was not done with the demons yet. She saw them by Fandama, waiting to strike.

  She relaxed into her pillows and let her mind wander away, in search of familiar patterns around her. Her consciousness drank in some of the information, at least that which caught her attention, but her unconscious absorbed it all. Her awareness followed the contour of the lands to the north, looking for the first adept she wished to speak with. Moments later, his agreement secured, she moved on.

  Was that fear I sensed at the edge of his thoughts?

  The nearest nations agreed to her demand for a High Council, but she was surprised as she roamed farther away. She greeted the Lord of Antecar. Master Adept Edolhirr, I request the kindness of a shared mind.

  Merik, a pleasure. How may I be of service?

  Merik paused a moment. She considered Edolhirr's failure to address her as Master Adept, then decided his advanced age was failing him. Master Edohirr, Zeffult has come under attack by the demon. Alarin, my chosen mate, has betrayed me to serve the side of evil. I know where the demon is, and
wish to retaliate. I would love to host you in High Council so that we can once again pool our gifts. Your power was magnificent when we pulled the sword from the sky.

  There was a pause, and Merik could feel something she'd not felt in a long time directed at her. Contempt. Rage began to flower within her.

  I don't think so, Merik. I have met Alarin, he would be the last man I’d expect to embrace evil. The word is, among some circles, that you have attacked the priesthood in your cities, and turned your backs on the gods. I will not collaborate with a heretic.

  I did not turn my back on the gods, they turned...

  Edolhirr's mind closed to her. She looked north, seeking to rejoin the pattern she recognized as Edolhirr, but found nothing.

  She stood for a moment, numbed. Then the reality of Edolhirr's insult settled into her mind and she exploded. Merik felt an expansion of consciousness surge into her. She let instinct take over and the cleansing around her began.

  She flushed from her tent into the camps of her soldiers. Nobody within her army was able to resist her probes into their psyche, and she purged the unbelievers from her war machine. As the soldiers returned from the razed village, she eliminated the chaff. Seraphit watched unspeaking. Her army was smaller, but now fanatically loyal. Her power proved to her followers her status as a deity. Her comfortable tent and servants were burned away, the bodies of the disloyal lay in slowly thawing pieces or piles of ash.

  New information flowed into her, details about the universe around her, previously unnoticed. She began to see the very weave of creation, the streams of data that each fundamental particle shared with every other fundamental particle in the universe. She marveled at the experience, even as her sanity slipped away. The data didn't flow individually, as wagons on a road, but as a river, where each individual droplet merges to form a whole. In this way, her mind was able to grasp far more of the gift than before. She felt as if something was born inside of her.

  Seraphit stood, his head facing the ground. “I said I had no use for gods, I didn't know wha—”

  Merik turned toward him, and rested her hand on his shoulder. “Don't worry, Seraphit. I'm not going to purge you. I need you, and you are faithful. See that it remains so.”