Veil of Reality (Cadicle #2): An Epic Space Opera Series

by Amy DuBoff

  Cris stepped aside so he could enter. “What is it?” He closed the door.

  Banks seemed dazed. “I’m sorry to barge in. This couldn’t wait.”

  Kate emerged from the bedroom. “What’s going on?”

  Banks looked to each of them before removing his tinted glasses, since Cris and Kate weren’t wearing theirs. He took an unsteady breath. “Wil didn’t return to his quarters last night.”

  Cris tensed. “Then where—”

  “You might want to sit down.” Banks gestured to the couch at the center of the room.

  Cris’ pulse quickened. “I’d rather stand,” he replied, but moved within arm’s length of the furniture. Kate came to stand next to him and took his hand.

  Banks looked down. “Wil’s roommates couldn’t track him down, so they alerted central services. When we went to investigate, we found that most of the security footage from last night had been wiped. However, we recovered one file from the spaceport on the surface.”

  “Where is he?” Kate demanded.

  Stars! Wil… Cris’ stomach was a solid knot.

  Banks swallowed. “It appears Wil was captured by the Bakzen.”

  “No!” Kate collapsed to the floor, choking on her tears.

  Cris felt like all the air had been sucked from the room. He staggered and was relieved to find the couch there to support his weight. After a moment, he sunk to his knees and placed an arm around his wife. He wanted to offer her more comfort, but it was taking all of his strength to not completely break down alongside her.

  Looking up at Banks, Cris opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t think of what to say. The Bakzen! Since becoming a TSS Agent, Cris had learned frustratingly little about the Bakzeni Empire and their mounting forces beyond the outer Taran colonies. Like everyone else in the TSS beyond first year Trainees, he knew the Bakzen by reputation as a distant enemy—powerful and dangerous, but not an immediate concern.

  “How could you let this happen?” cried Kate.

  Banks came over to kneel next to them, absorbed in his own thoughts. He looked almost defeated. “I’m so sorry. I never thought they would break into Headquarters like this.”

  “Why would they take him?” Cris finally croaked.

  Banks gathered himself and looked Cris in the eye. “Wil’s far more important than you can imagine. It’s imperative he’s rescued.”

  “He’s our son.” There’s nothing more important.

  “I know you’re going to take this as parents no matter what I say. But this goes beyond your family, and even the High Dynasties. This isn’t a random kidnapping.”

  Cris searched the High Commander’s face. “What do you mean?”

  Banks hesitated. “Wil was targeted. And I think the Bakzen had help from inside the TSS.”

  Targeting Wil? Cris shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

  Kate swallowed. “Who would help the Bakzen capture Wil? And why?”

  “There’s no time to get into that now,” Banks replied. “We need to get him back.”

  A glimmer of hope ignited in Cris. “You know where they took him?”

  Banks nodded, but his face was drawn. “We have a guess, anyway. The Bakzen homeworld, beyond the outer colonies.”

  Cris’ throat felt too tight to breathe.

  Kate wiped her cheeks. “When do we leave?”

  The High Commander sat back on his heels and shook his head. “I can’t allow both of you to go.”

  Cris rose to his feet. “Try to stop us.”

  Kate rose more slowly. “No, he’s right, Cris. You’re the Sietinen heir.”

  And this might be a one-way mission. Cris’ stomach turned over. “Then I’m going alone.”

  “I just said—” Kate started to protest.

  Cris shook his head. “If this is about preserving the bloodline, then my contribution is on file with the Genetic Archive. A matched surrogate is more valuable.” It was a cold way to look at it, but it was a truth.

  “Are you sure?” she asked him telepathically.

  “I don’t want to leave you, but I have to do this,” Cris responded.

  Kate looked down, then nodded and wrapped her arms around Cris, burying her face in his chest. She took a shaky breath as she pulled away, keeping ahold of his hand. “While you’re away, I’ll try to find out who’s working with the Bakzen.”

  “Then it’s settled,” Banks said, turning his attention to Cris. “I had Haersen get everything on the Vanquish prepped for you. I figured you would want to leave right away.”

  “It’s back from the shipyards?” Cris asked.

  “Just returned a few days ago,” the High Commander confirmed.

  “Which makes it untested in the field. And it’s large. Maybe a smaller tactical vessel would—”

  “The new upgrades make it the best ship in our fleet,” Banks countered. “You’ll want every advantage.”

  Cris nodded absently. “Okay. I need a First Officer.”

  Banks nodded. “I already sent out a request for volunteers. Scott Wincowski was one.”

  “He realizes this might be a suicide mission, right?” Cris asked.

  Fresh tears filled Kate’s eyes as she gripped Cris’ hand tighter.

  “Yes, everyone knows,” Banks replied. “You have a full skeleton crew, plus a few others.”

  “And,” Cris continued, “I need access to the restricted Bakzen files.”

  Banks hesitated. “Granting that clearance isn’t entirely up to me.”

  Cris glared at the High Commander. “Then I’m being set up to fail.” Wil’s life is at stake! What secret is so important to jeopardize a rescue?

  “I’ll see what I can do,” Banks said after a moment. “You should get going. Good luck.” He rushed out the door.

  When they were alone, Kate wrapped her arms around Cris again. “Come home. I can’t lose you both.”

  Cris looked her in the eye. “I’ll bring him home, I promise.”

  CHAPTER 2

  Cris stepped out of the transport shuttle onto the cool metallic floor-plates of the spaceport anchored above the moon’s surface. The normal serenity of space was overshadowed by Kate’s sobs still echoing in his mind.

  He wished he could join her in expressing the fear and anguish that threatened to bring him to his knees, but there was still a chance—slim, but a chance—that he could find their son alive. Though he could barely stand, he forced himself onward. There was no time to reflect. The Bakzen have Wil. He was targeted. It didn’t seem real.

  As Cris approached the entry gates, he caught sight of Scott pacing back and forth. His black overcoat billowed as he spun on his booted heel.

  Scott looked up at the sound of Cris’ approaching footsteps. “How are you holding up?”

  “Well enough,” he replied, even though it was anything but true. “Thanks for offering to come along.”

  “You know I never turn down a challenge,” Scott said with a grin.

  Cris couldn’t bring himself to share the same enthusiasm. “Let’s go.” He gestured toward the entry gates.

  They went through the automated security checkpoint with a palm scan and voice identification, then made their way toward the docking location for the Vanquish.

  Cris’ stomach knotted as they approached the ship. Don’t think about where we’re going. He turned to his friend. “You haven’t been on the Vanquish for some time, have you?”

  “No. Is she still the same beauty?”

  “You know it.” Though most Agents trained on the Command track didn’t receive a starship without at least a decade of service, Cris had been assigned his first ship shortly after graduation. When he assumed the role of Lead Agent, he’d been transferred to the Vanquish. As the TSS flagship, the Vanquish played a key role whenever the TSS required an authoritative command presence. Though it lacked the intimidation factor of a full warship, Cris and his crew had taken part in the occasional battle and the Vanquish could hold its own against larger vessels.
However, generally their objective was to diffuse a situation without it turning into a firefight. Over the twelve years the Vanquish had been under his command, Cris had been on more missions than he could count, most of them with Kate as his First Officer.

  The two Primus Agents walked in silence down the long, glass-walled gangway leading to the Vanquish. The ship was always just as awe-inspiring as the first time Cris saw it, its seamless hull gleaming with blue-green iridescence under the lights from the spaceport. The sleek ship dominated the view to the right of the gangway, filling the window that curved from the floor up to a thin metal strip along the top. However, it was the star-speckled expanse of space beyond that captured Cris’ attention. The vastness that normally called to him with the promise of excitement and adventure was now a dark and dangerous unknown. We’ve never heard back from anyone sent to Bakzeni Territory. He tried to push down the apprehension gripping in his chest. We’ll have to change that.

  The gangway led to the fifth deck of the Vanquish, near the Command Center in the core of the ship. The two men took a lift down one deck to the Senior Officers’ quarters. “You can take the Delegate’s Suite at the end of the hall,” Cris told Scott as they parted. “Freshly remodeled.”

  Cris walked into the room he usually shared with Kate. It seemed desolate without her. He yearned to be with her, to seek comfort in her companionship. But, he took solace knowing she was safe at home. Not that anywhere feels safe anymore. As much as he didn’t want to think about it, there was something going on—a deception far greater than he ever suspected, and Wil was part of it. I need to figure out what.

  His thoughts were interrupted by a buzz at the door. “Come in, Scott,” he muttered. When he looked up, he was surprised to instead see a former Chief Engineer, Matt Nomalor, standing in the doorway. Cris hadn’t seen him for years and it took a moment to register. “Matt? I thought you were testing prototypes over in the Kaldern System.”

  Matt grinned. “I was, but I didn’t trust that new guy with the Vanquish.”

  Cris couldn’t help but crack a smile despite his low spirits. Matt had more than thirty years of experience on combat ships as a Militia officer and was an asset to any crew. “It’s just like you to arrange an intervention.”

  “Besides, I couldn’t wait to check out the upgrades. Apparently there’s some pretty innovative tech in there.”

  Cris sighed. “I haven’t even had a chance to look over the new specs.”

  “Don’t worry, she’s still the same ship. I’ll take good care of her so you can focus on what’s important.”

  “Thanks. I need all the help I can get.”

  Matt’s smile faded. “That’s why I’m here.” He crossed his arms, face drawn. “Cris, I feel terrible that you’re going through this. I’m so sorry.”

  The words cut deep. They all dance around it—saying they’re “sorry about what happened.” But what they really mean is, “The Bakzen captured your son, and you’ll be lucky if you ever see him alive again!” Cris’ resolve broke. He turned away from his old friend as his eyes began to burn. The sickening ache in his chest swelled with every thought of what he was facing and everything he was leaving behind. He bit his lip, hoping to hold back the tears, but the emotion flooded out. I must be strong… Wil needs me. He fought to regain control. I can’t give up on him.

  Cris took several deep breaths to calm himself. He felt better after releasing some of the pent-up emotion, but he wished Matt hadn’t been there to see it. He cleared his throat and dried his face, thankful that his tinted glasses hid his eyes. “We should take our posts.”

  Matt only nodded in response.

  They stepped into the hallway and found Scott waiting outside the door.

  “I should get down to Engineering,” Matt said to Cris as he glanced over at the other Primus Agent.

  “Right,” Cris said, turning his mind to business, “have you met Scott Wincowski?”

  Scott and Matt looked each other over. “Yes,” said Matt, “but it was a long time ago.”

  Cris nodded. “We can finish the reunion later.”

  After a parting nod to Matt, Cris and Scott made their way up to the Command Center. As they entered the spherical room, the two other crew members rose out of respect for their senior officers. Both pairs of eyes rested on Scott.

  Cris waved his hand. “At ease.” He always ran the ship with casual protocol compared to most of the other captains, likely a product of his time spent traveling on a cargo freighter—the Exler—before joining the TSS. “Scott will be joining us as First Officer.”

  Cris and Scott stepped across the transparent floor bisecting the sphere. The lower hemisphere of the holographic projection screen that surrounded the Command Center was darkened, making the floor appear black. Lights around the perimeter of the room cast a soft glow on the upper dome.

  Alec Braensen, the ship’s pilot, took his seat at the navigation console a step down from the command chairs in the center of the room. “Our course is plotted and ready to go.” His normally exuberant demeanor was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a stoic mask that only partially hid his apprehension. He was also a Primus Agent, with a Navigation specialization.

  “Good.” Cris looked to the other officer, Kari Wilsen, who managed the weapons and communications systems from a station next to Alec’s. “How’s everything look, Kari?”

  “Top marks across the board,” she replied. “Looks like they put everything back together properly.” She looked Scott over again before sitting down.

  Cris sensed her wariness about the new addition to the crew. They don’t have any history with Scott, but they do trust me. It won’t take much to win them over. “Scott and I were roommates. He introduced me to Kate,” Cris said as he took the Captain’s chair.

  “I’ve known Wil his whole life,” Scott added as he sat down in the First Officer’s chair next to Cris. “I want nothing more than to see him return home safely.”

  Kari nodded and seemed to relax a little.

  We’re all in this together. Cris activated the final verification scan of all systems via the console between the two command chairs. A holographic readout popped up midway between his chair and the front domed wall, displaying a list of the ship’s systems with a progress bar advancing over each. The headings turned blue as subsystem scans completed.

  While he waited for the scan, Cris brought up the crew manifest. In addition to Matt, he was shocked to see Irina Saunatev, the Head Medical Doctor for the TSS, on the list. Any Captain would be lucky to have them.

  The scan completed. Everything checked out.

  The knot in Cris’ stomach cinched tighter. “We’re all set.”

  Alec and Kari swiveled their chairs around to face Cris, and Scott looked over at him. All faces were expectant.

  This isn’t just any mission. Cris swallowed. He reached over the center console and opened a ship-wide communication. “You all know why we’re here and what we have to do. If you have any reservations, say so now.”

  His officers looked each other over. “I’m scared shiteless,” Scott said, “but I’ll follow you to the bitter end if that’s what it takes.”

  “We’re all in,” Matt said over the comm.

  The two helm officers murmured agreement.

  Cris gave a resolute nod. “Take us out, Alec.” He ended the communication.

  “Aye.”

  The domed ceiling and floor of the Command Center came to life, projecting a perfect representation of the space surrounding the Vanquish. Other ships and the spacedock filled the left side of the screen, with the cratered, white surface of the moon below and an open starscape above.

  Will I ever see this again? Cris took a deep breath and gripped the arms of his chair. Don’t think like that. I have to succeed.

  Alec brought up his programmed navigation sequence on the console in front of him. Such long-range courses along the network of subspace navigation beacons were a challenge to plot, but Alec’s exception
al instincts as a navigator and pilot were why Cris had selected him for his crew.

  When the docking clamps disengaged from the hull, the ship began to slowly move away from the port. Once far enough out, Cris gave the order to activate the spatial jump drive.

  Vibrations from the jump drive’s reactor emanated through the floor as the air began to hum. A distortion field grew around the ship as the reactor rose to full power. Slowly, the image surrounding the Command Center morphed from a starscape into ethereal shifting blues and greens. Swirling colored light overtook the ship. The Vanquish slipped into subspace.

  Cris slumped back in his chair. The shifting blue-green shimmer of subspace gave no sense of forward movement. “What’s the estimated transit time?” he asked Alec.

  “Six hours, give or take,” the pilot replied.

  Cris sighed. The duration of the jump was variable with such an extended beacon sequence, depending on the subspace flow. Halfway across the galaxy. What will we find when we get there?

  With the computer’s navigation system locked onto the necessary sequence of beacons to keep the Vanquish on course, there was little to do until they dropped back into normal space.

  I need a distraction. Cris pulled out a tablet from its pocket next to his chair. He brought up the Mainframe to check on his access to the Bakzen files, hoping Banks had followed through. Still nothing. With an inward groan, he set the tablet aside and tried to clear his head. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift toward a trance.

  A shudder ran through the ship. Startled, Cris snapped back to attention. “What was that?”

  The Vanquish lurched to the side, rattling the Command Center.

  “The signal is failing,” Alec stammered. “I’m losing the third beacon in the sequence.”

  Shite! “What’s the cause?”

  Alec manipulated the controls at his console. “I can’t tell, but we need to abort. The signal isn’t holding.”