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

by Amy DuBoff

  Cris shook his head. “No, I’m afraid it won’t be.”

  There was a long pause. Both of the Sietinens sat in silence with their own thoughts. “What will we do at Headquarters when we arrive?” Wil asked eventually, looking over at his father.

  “Meet the other High Commander, I suppose. I don’t know. I’ll follow their lead.”

  “I wish I had that luxury.” Why did everything have to change?

  “What makes you say that?”

  Wil stared at his father. “They’re looking to me as their future leader. Their hopes are all riding on me, and this will be our first meeting. They’ll scrutinize my every move. I’ll need to inspire them, show them I’m worthy of their trust. That initial impression will determine so much.”

  “You don’t have to do this, Wil.”

  Yes I do. And he knows it, but I appreciate him saying I have a choice all the same. “The path has already been set.”

  Cris bit his lip and nodded. “I’ll be here for you.”

  CHAPTER 12

  Wil wanted to hide when his father told him that the Vanquish was approaching TSS Headquarters. It’s one thing to hear about what they want from me, but this will make it real.

  He had gone back to bed after their late-night talk. The extra time had allowed him to process the information about his origins and purpose, and it felt like a cruel joke. My life has been planned for me. I have to fight a war I know nothing about. As much as he wanted to run away and pretend things were different, that wasn’t an option. They need me, so I can’t turn away.

  Wil had awoken to find a new black TSS uniform waiting for him. He was surprised by the black color—as a Junior Agent, the clothing should have been dark blue—but the electronic credentials in the jacket lapel indicated that the clothing was his. It may have been Banks’ suggestion, or his father had struck out on his own. Either way, he was grateful because it meant he wouldn’t stand out as much against all the senior Agents he would undoubtedly be meeting, and that gave him some reassurance. He was now dressed in the perfectly tailored black shirt and belted pants with a sleek black overcoat that hung to the back of his knees. He liked the way it felt to be in such an iconic uniform.

  “How long are we going to stay here?” Wil asked his father.

  “I don’t know.” Cris leaned against the wall. “It depends on how well we get along, I suppose.” He shot a wry smile toward Wil.

  Wil was not in the mood for joking, however. “What you really mean is if they approve of me enough to keep me around.”

  “Wil, don’t do this again. You have no reason to doubt their acceptance of you.”

  Wil frowned. “I’m sure they’ve been keeping tabs on me. Progress reports can be embellished. Even if I’m more capable than they hoped, if they have built up a false impression of my abilities, nothing I do will ever live up to their expectations.”

  “I’m sure your progress reports are all accurate, Wil. Just take this day as it comes.”

  Wil stood silently as his father made his latest vain attempt at soothing him. He can’t say anything that will make this better. “We should go,” Wil stated.

  “Okay.”

  They walked out of Cris’ quarters and took the lift up to the Command Center. Wil took a seat along the back perimeter of the room.

  Before them was a massive ring nearly a thousand meters in diameter. Everyone took it in, mouths agape.

  Stars! You could fit an entire fleet through here in one pass. Wil’s chest tightened. A fleet they expect me to command one day.

  Cris checked in with Alec. Once everything was in order, he sat down in his command chair.

  The Vanquish headed toward a smaller ring to the right, appropriately sized for transporting a single cruiser-class vessel. As they approached, a blue-green energy field began to form within the ring.

  “TSS Vanquish cleared for rift gate,” came a female voice over the intercom.

  “Take her in, Alec,” Cris ordered.

  The Vanquish glided forward into the spatial distortion within the ring. Unlike jumps with an onboard jump drive, there was hardly any vibration. A wave of blue-green light rippled across the domed viewscreen as the Command Center at the core of the ship entered the gate. Only the swirling light was visible for a moment, and then faint stars began to show through. The looming form of a space station also began to take shape. The structure continued to solidify, becoming even grander as it came into better view. By the time the spatial distortion dissipated, the space station stood out against the echo of the starscape as a monument to engineering achievement.

  Everyone on the bridge stared with wonder at the view wrapping around the domed ceiling and floor. The Headquarters structure was a multi-ring cylinder, making even ships the size of the Vanquish look like a speck. It was predominantly metal, and windows dotted the perimeter, some illuminated and others darkened.

  Maybe the Bakzen aren’t so far ahead of us, Wil mused. He felt the same sense of invigoration as when he entered the rift the first time. Whether it was seeing the impressive H2 structure or the energy within the rift itself, he started to feel like perhaps victory over the Bakzen was possible.

  “This station is absolutely huge,” Cris breathed.

  “That’s an understatement,” Wil agreed. He kept taking slow, even breaths to keep himself calm and centered, trying to control his nerves rising in anticipation of the upcoming meeting. My perception of myself will define what others see in me.

  Wil observed silently as Alec docked the Vanquish with the TSS space station in a berth along one of the central rings. The ship shuddered as the docking clamps closed around the hull.

  “Docking complete, sir,” Alec announced.

  “Right,” Cris muttered half to himself and stood. Everyone but Wil in the Command Center rose to their feet, as well. “Ready, Wil?”

  Wil said nothing, but stood and moved to the door. Cris came to his side. They left the Command Center together and walked straight down the hallway to the gangway leading off of the ship.

  Guards from the TSS Headquarters stood to either side of the gangway just outside the Vanquish. The sentries looked on with suppressed wonder as the two Sietinens passed.

  Cris occasionally glanced over at Wil as they walked down the glass-lined pathway. “Wil, you need to relax.”

  “I’m fine,” he replied telepathically. “Worry about yourself.”

  “Calm down. This won’t be as bad as you seem to think—” Cris cut off as they reached the end of the gangway. There were several uniformed officers already waiting, and another came to join them. The last was the most decorated of them all, and he looked agitated.

  The final TSS officer walked directly to the middle of the group and began urgently speaking with another officer. After a subtle point from the other man, he turned around and laid eyes on Wil and Cris who were making their final approach down the gangway.

  Cris pulled back slightly and allowed Wil to walk in front of him. Wil stopped several paces in front of the group as they scrutinized him.

  After an elongated moment of silence, the man standing front-center straightened his uniform. “I am High Commander Erik Taelis. Welcome to TSS Headquarters. You are Williame Sietinen, I presume?” He directed the inquiry to Wil.

  “Yes, sir, though I only go by such in the most formal situations. As my father does,” Wil replied with a small backwards gesture toward Cris, “I use the pseudo last name of ‘Sights’ within the TSS.” He paused momentarily. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

  “That it is,” Taelis responded with a slight smile that Wil didn’t perceive as very genuine. “Jason Banks, as I believe you call him, mentioned something about the name. I’m afraid he tends to be more accepting of such things than I. We don’t often have time to deal with the unnecessary confusion of multiple aliases.”

  “Please forgive me. I have grown accustomed to the luxuries of a place still untouched by war.”

  Taelis eyed Wil. �
�Hopefully, with your help, we will no longer need such distinctions.”

  That sounds promising. “It is a goal for us all to work toward.”

  The High Commander nodded gravely. “Shall we go to the briefing room? It will be a much more comfortable place to talk.”

  “I’ll defer to your judgment, sir. I know our arrival was unexpected, and—” Wil began.

  “Not at all,” Taelis interrupted. “It was inevitable that you would come here. In the end, it’s better sooner than later. This encounter with the Bakzen has undoubtedly left you with many questions.”

  “Yes,” confirmed Wil, “but even this glimpse of your facility has already answered some.”

  “Good. The briefing room is this way.” Taelis again gestured toward an elevator down the hall, but then paused. He looked at Cris standing calmly behind Wil. “Er… Cris, you’re welcome to join us. You are just as much a part of this as the rest of us.”

  Cris came to attention with the acknowledgment of his existence. “Thank you, sir.” He fell into step with the entourage following Wil and the High Commander.

  I wonder which one of them is Taelis’ Lead Agent. When Wil examined the rank markings, he found that they were all 9.5, which in his home Headquarters was reserved only for Lead Agent. Well, that narrows it down.

  Wil looked on in wonder as the procession walked further into the space station. He could tell from the outside that it was laid out differently than the Headquarters where he had grown up, but that was especially apparent from within. Though the overall shape was roughly cylindrical, it was wider in the middle and then pointed at either end. Like most space stations, the different sections were joined by a central axis—a homage to the times before the advent of artificial gravity when centrifugal force was still a key function in space structure design. All around the outside middle region were docking ports for larger vessels. Though it was different than what he was used to, it seemed just as logical and efficient a format as the Headquarters he knew so well.

  Wil glanced back at his father and saw his own awe, but also that he looked uncomfortable. Wil slowed his walk and fell into step next to his father. “You can wait on the Vanquish, if you want. I think Taelis is including you as a courtesy rather than by necessity.” I didn’t mean for it to come out that bluntly. “Sorry,” he muttered quietly. “I meant, I know you don’t want to be here,” he clarified telepathically. “I’ll be fine on my own if you want to go.”

  Cris looked lovingly at his son. “Thank you for the concern, but I want to know what they have to say. I’ve been waiting a long time for this.” He looked over at Taelis, who was eyeing them. “You better go back to your new friend. I think he suspects we’re conspiring amongst ourselves.” He smiled playfully at Wil.

  Wil shook his head with exasperation, but smiled slightly. “All right.” Wil jogged two steps to catch up to Taelis.

  When Wil was once again abreast with the High Commander, Taelis continued, “I’m anxious to hear about your time with the Bakzen, but we thought it best to give you some orientation before holding a formal debrief.”

  “Thank you, sir. I’ll answer your questions as best I can.”

  Taelis nodded. “I’ll give you a tour of the fleet tomorrow. We have the new TX-80 jets that you designed under construction at a nearby shipyard.”

  “I didn’t realize those would go into production.” Only a handful of people ever saw those files.

  “Oh, a great many of your designs end up on the production line,” Taelis revealed. “I think you’ve become something of a celebrity to the engineering staff. Anyway, I’d like to first introduce you to my highest-ranking officers. Many of them are walking with us right now, but I have requested that others meet us in the briefing room.” He led Wil into an elevator. “None of us thought that we would be meeting you anytime soon, but after you entered the rift, there was no sense in delaying any longer.”

  “It was all unexpected for me, as well,” Wil replied as he examined the ceiling and walls of the elevator. Like many things in the space station, it seemed very different than those of the other Headquarters, though he could not quite place in exactly what way.

  “Here we are,” Taelis stated when the elevator stopped. Directly across from the elevator were large double metal doors set in a very substantial-looking wall. Taelis stepped off of the elevator first and walked toward the door, which was opened for him by the sentries on either side.

  As Wil stepped into the conference room, he saw that the far wall consisted of an expanse of windows. The panoramic view of space was breathtaking, and Wil exhaled slowly with awe; he could hear his father doing the same behind him. In the center of the room was a broad oval table that already had four Agents sitting around it. Five of the people following Wil and the High Commander also dispersed around the table.

  Taelis gestured for Wil to take the seat at the far head of the table as he took the one closest to the door.

  Cris paused at the door and blinked with surprise as he scanned over the other Agents. “Hi, Jon,” he said after a moment when he recognized his former roommate.

  Jon Lambren inclined his head politely. “Cris, it’s been a long time. I’m glad to see you did so well for yourself.”

  “You too.” Cris sat down in the one remaining empty chair, located directly to Taelis’ right. “That’s right, you were assigned to Jotun.”

  Jon nodded and turned his attention to the High Commander, waiting expectantly.

  Wil could tell that his father was still uncomfortable, but he was starting to hide it much better having a familiar face around.

  Taelis waited for everyone to get settled. He removed his tinted glasses and the other Agents did likewise. “I suppose formal introductions are the best way to begin. As I’m sure you have surmised, this is Wil Sietinen, our future Primus Elite Agent.” When Taelis paused, everyone in the room directed their gaze toward Wil.

  Wil held his poise as the eleven pairs of glowing eyes looked him over. I have no idea what I’m supposed to do.

  “And this is Cris Sietinen, Wil’s father,” Taelis continued. “He is the Lead Agent of the primary TSS Headquarters, and second in command under Jason Banks.” The Agents in the room nodded with understanding.

  Taelis then acknowledged the person on his left. He was tall and slim with black hair, and looked to be the sternest of the group. “Connor Ramsen is the Lead Agent of this Headquarters, and my second in command. Though I know Banks doesn’t run things this way, Ramsen, as Lead Agent, takes care of many things that you consider the High Commander’s duties. Of course, he is also commanding Agent of Primus.” He introduced the other officers, including Jon, who was the logistics officer in charge of coordinating fleet movement.

  “None of us are old enough to have seen the beginning of the war, but we have all seen its effects firsthand,” the High Commander went on. “I know I speak for everyone here when I say that we will faithfully follow you, Wil, when it comes time to end this war that has destroyed so many lives. Though it is still years off, we all look forward to the day when we will no longer be plagued by the Bakzen.” Taelis stopped and everyone nodded solemnly at his last words.

  Wil looked for the deeper meaning implied by Taelis’ phrasing. What haven’t they said yet? “How did the war begin?” Wil asked when the soberness in the silence had begun to fade.

  “The first skirmish was 487 Tararian years ago,” Taelis explained with renewed gravity. “But we’ve been in an official state of war for 364 years. They say the true war began when a Bakzen vessel opened fire and decimated an unarmed Taran freighter. The TSS was far from the military service that it has become, and it was unprepared to handle attacks from an enemy with advanced telekinetic abilities. Because of this, diplomats were brought in from Tararia and sent to meet with a so-called Imperial Director of the Bakzeni Empire. The details of what happened next are unclear. To the best of our knowledge, when the diplomats asked why the freighter had been attacked, the Imperia
l Director claimed that it had violated Bakzeni Territory. The Taran government had no knowledge of such a territory. According to our sources, the Director then said that Tararia’s laws were unjust and our tyranny would not be tolerated. What we know for sure is that the heads of the diplomats were returned to us, mutilated almost beyond recognition. Along with the heads was a message: ‘Do not deny perfection. Truth will prevail.’”

  Wil’s stomach turned over. Such hatred for us… I saw that in Tek. What is the truth the Bakzen hold? “They will do anything to be the victors.” He looked down at the smooth surface of the table. But Tarans feel the same way about ourselves. How can we pass judgment?

  Hovering just above the thoughts, Wil sensed someone observing his mind. He pushed back and identified the intruder as Taelis. He closed him out and shot a brief glare toward the High Commander. No one back home would make such a violation of privacy.

  The High Commander looked taken aback for a moment when only emptiness met his attempt to probe deeper, but then appeared pleased that Wil had been able to block him. He brushed off Wil’s accusatory gaze. “We must trust in our own right to survive,” Taelis said in response to Wil’s unspoken question. “Though we may never know our enemy’s mind, some actions stand on their own. Could you honestly say that the Bakzen’s violence is valid in any context?”

  “No,” Wil responded. “You’re right, we must take a stand for ourselves—retaliate if we must. In such dichotomies, we have to make our own survival the priority.” He paused, testing his mental guards against further observation. He wasn’t used to TSS officers being so openly distrusting. “Still, that was one event centuries ago. What’s happened since then?”

  “It’s only gotten worse.” Taelis sighed, pain and weariness in the exhale. “The Bakzen continue to force their way out from the rift, tearing it wider. They’ve overtaken several planets, killing anyone who stands in their way. We’ve offered treaties and resources—anything to end the fighting—but they’ve made it clear they won’t stop until Tararia falls.”