"What about her?"
"That the fusion drive's overstrained her structurally. She's only got a few years of life left in her frame, and there's no fixing that." Felix's voice betrayed his clear regret at that fact. "I guess we always knew the fusion drive would be too much for the old girl one day."
"Yeah."
"Still got us out of plenty of scrapes."
"It did." Henry nodded, hoping Felix would move on from the subject. The conflict within him, that happiness of seeing Felix again clashing with the lingering feel of betrayal, was one he didn't have the emotional energy to deal with right now.
"You've at least earned enough to replace her when the time comes, right?" Felix asked. "I mean, whatever else one can say about the peace, it's been good for the economy."
"It has, and we've made a lot these last several months," Henry said. "And I could probably manage a secondhand ship."
There was no denying the halting way he said those words. Felix noted it with a careful glance. "You don't sound convinced."
"More like I'm not sure what I'll do," he admitted. "I flew the Wolf because it was all I had, and because Uncle Charlie got it for me. Now he's gone and she'll be gone soon too."
"So you're going to give up being an independent captain?"
"Maybe?" Henry shrugged. "Honestly, Tia's been running things more than I have lately. I could hand the entire thing over to her and the others and go back home. Maybe retire early, or just sign up for one of the lines in Coalition space. Now that peace has come, I mean, I'd like to see what it's like to live in it again."
Felix frowned. "I wouldn't count on the peace lasting," he said, shaking his head. "Fuentes made a mistake there. The League's not done with us."
"Maybe not. Nothing we can do about that, though." Henry shook his head. "And I'm still not sure what I'll end up doing. Right now, it's the furthest thing from my mind."
"Yeah, I can imagine that." Felix sighed. "First things first, right?"
"Right."
* * *
Yanik found Vidia in the Majha galley, trying out the ship's food. Vidia finished swallowing while noting his arrival. He nodded. "How're ya doin', friend?"
"Nothing has changed," Yanik said succinctly.
"Ah."
Something in the human man's tone sounded different. "You regret my condition, and the things I have said?"
"I regret many things." Vidia set his food to the side. "And I understand what ya said before, why ya feel the way ya do. It's a part of ya faith."
"Then what troubles you?"
"The same thing, I suppose," he replied. "From one soul ta another, Yanik, I wonder if I've been a failure at my calling."
Aside from his habitual blinking, Yanik made no other motions. He waited patiently to hear what Vidia wished to say, if he chose to continue.
"I joined the Shadow Wolf eight years ago thinking it would be just another job as a spacer. But I thought I found the purpose God set for me when I got ta know Captain Henry," Vidia explained. "I met a man with a soul full o' pain where faith used ta thrive. Tending ta him an' helping him regain his faith, that seemed ta be the purpose set before me. So I stayed longer than I'd ever planned, working with the crew physically an' spiritually. Trying ta help them." He shook his head. "But I've done them no better. Felix has left us. The Captain's no closer ta regaining his faith or forgiving himself. If anything, I think he's drifted even further from God. He barely seems ta believe God exists anymore. An' I don't know how else I can help him."
Yanik set his hands together on the table. There was a pain in Vidia's voice he'd never heard before. "You have held to the needs of your faith," he said in a gentle tone. "You saw souls in need of care and sought to care for them. There is nothing else the Divine would seek from you. Krassha is upheld."
"Ah. Ya've spoken of your Divine Principles before." Vidia nodded. "Duty, Faith, Respect, Loyalty."
"And Honor," Yanik added.
"I'm reminded of the Five Pillars of Islam, except those are about acts, not concepts," Vidia noted.
"The Principles are both concept and act." Yanik raised a finger. "Duty means to act in accordance with one's obligations. Faith is to act with honesty and trust in the honesty of others, as well as believing in the Divine and the Principles. Respect is to behave accordingly to those you are obligated to and those with obligations to you. Loyalty is to keep true, in one's soul, to the Divine Principles and all obligations. Honor is recognizing obligations paid and received."
Vidia listened to each part listed. "Some of those sound similar. Acting is the same as keeping true, yes?"
Yanik shook his head. He understood the distinction was not an easy one. "Duty cannot be fulfilled without Loyalty. Without keeping true to the obligation, action alone cannot fulfill it."
A nod came from his friend. "Duty is the letter of the law, Loyalty is the spirit? If one does not obey the spirit, then the intent of the law can be undermined even if it is followed, at least in word?"
"Yes, it is very much like that."
"Yar faith places a lot of emphasis on the idea of obligation."
"All faiths do." Yanik's tongue flicked in the air with amusement. "Ours is simply honest about it."
"Oh?"
"Yes. All faiths, all religions, are based on obligation," Yanik said. "Obligation to the believers to obey the laws and see to their rites and rituals. To have faith in the power of the Divine. The Divine, in all forms, has obligations to the souls of believers."
"Then how do ya explain when bad things happen ta believers?"
"You speak of physical matters," the Saurian hissed dismissively. "I speak of the soul. The Divine carries the obligation to care for the souls of believers, to see them safely from the world of flesh to the world of the spirit."
The look on Vidia's face betrayed how intently he was thinking about it. "I suppose… yes, I can see what ya mean. An' ya hold all faiths ta this, yes?"
"Yes. The roads to the Divine are many, and all souls have their own."
"True, it's true."
Yanik enjoyed the insightful look on Vidia's face. They were spiritual beings, perhaps more than others, and it was rewarding to speak like this with someone who could appreciate it. He might have continued if not for a tremor in his gut. "I will return shortly," said Yanik, standing up. "Doctor Kiderlein insists my diet remain regular if I am to heal. I must see to a meal."
"I'll be waiting right here for ya ta come back," Vidia promised.
* * *
Aft of the Majha bridge was the officers' wardroom. Inside were all the accoutrements of a CDF vessel, including the Terran Coalition flag and the CDF flag side-by-side. In the center was a table with a holoprojector built into it. That device was currently displaying a building, with known blueprints.
Kaiya sat at the head of the table. Felix was to her right alongside a uniformed Terran Coalition Marine, Major Albert Wu. Across from them sat Henry and Miri.
"So, we received another update from our asset in Thyssenbourg," Felix said. "They've confirmed Tia's being held here, in the prison at the so-called 'Justice and Rehabilitation Center' in Thyssenbourg. It's run by the Hestian Security Forces who are, yes, under Antoine Rigault's command."
"A prison in the middle of their capital city?" Wu's voice betrayed his confusion. The tone of his skin was dark, like Henry's, while his facial structure was definitely East Asian. "It must be a security nightmare for them."
"It's not a major prison, just a holding facility." Henry shook his head. "The Hestian government uses penal labor. All their real prisons are labor camps attached to mines, most of them infested with toxic byproducts. Between that and the lack of healthcare for injuries and sickness, they're nothing more than a delayed death sentence."
"I thought that was the megacorps, given all the things Tia ranted about?" Felix asked.
"On Hestia, the government is the megacorps," Kaiya said. "The Republic of Hestia is a corporate oligarchy that pretends to have d
emocratic legitimacy. All real power is in the hands of the Hestian Business Council, which approves proposed legislation before the National Assembly can vote on it. They've turned the entire planet into a network of personal fiefdoms."
Felix glowered at that. Beside Henry, Miri spoke up. "Do we know more about what the projects are? The ones Rigault is putting so much effort into?"
"The asset hasn't been able to determine anything beyond the fact of experiments." Felix swallowed. "They're using prisoners at the Center for whatever they're doing, and that includes Tia."
Henry swallowed and tried not to imagine what was being done to Tia. She was one of his first long-term crew on the Shadow Wolf, and it made him feel even worse for failing to stop Kepper from escaping with her.
From across the room, Felix's eyes met his. Henry forced his expression to go neutral as Felix spoke. "Well, it could make getting her out easy. From the way it looks, this place is hardly Lambert's Lament."
Wu nodded. "If we can get uniforms to pass as local security, at least for our ingress, we'll be able to hit objectives quickly, and by careful selection of positions, we can resist a lot of firepower."
"The problem will be if we take too long, then they have other resources in the capital to call in."
"Agreed, Ms. Gaon."
"We'll divide into two teams, then." Felix tapped the table. "Captain Henry and his team will enact the rescue mission by hitting their jail. Major Wu, you and your team will join me in going for their main computer access. We'll get access to their central cores and do a data dump into portable drives. We should find all the evidence we need to see what Rigault's up to with the League. Afterward, optimally, we all extract to the Shadow Wolf."
"What if we're cut off from each other?" Miri asked.
"Then my team is best-suited to go SERE," Wu offered, referring to the special forces training for Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape. "We have the training and means to get into the countryside and hide until exfiltration can be arranged. Your people can bring a data collector and more drives with them. If necessary, we can dump the contents of our portable drives into yours via a QET link as you extract."
"That works." Felix's head twisted to face Henry and Miri again. "We just need to make sure we can get you out of the system before their patrol ships react."
"Linh—Chief Khánh, I mean—figures we can get forty-five percent thrust on the fusion drive without overwhelming our inertial compensators. That should prevent further structural damage." Henry shook his head as he recalled the rest of Linh's discussion on the matter. "The problem is that, at that level, we're only ten percent over the max thrust on the GXRs. If they've got ships with proper military plasma or fusion drives, they can make an intercept before we get to the lunar L5 jump point."
"And if you set your fusion drives higher, you risk your ship," Kaiya noted.
"Exactly."
"We could use brief bursts of higher thrust," Miri recommended. "It would give us extra delta-v, perhaps enough to get our velocity high enough to minimize their ability to intercept."
"It's an idea, and if necessary, we'll go with it."
"Are you sure it won't tear your ship apart, Captain?"
To Kaiya's question, Henry shook his head. "Not entirely. And it'll certainly cut into our remaining structural life. But to get Tia out of there, my whole crew will take that chance."
"Sounds like we've got a plan, then." Felix clapped his hands on the table. "Let's get our people briefed and make our preparations."
"Let's," Henry agreed.
18
The chains in Tia's cell clinked as she struggled to turn on the hard cot. Her entire body quivered again, another aftershock of sorts to the use of the neural implant on her body. It was weaker than it'd been at the end of the last session, causing Breivik to insist they stop due to concerns about the device.
The device. Not her. For all he seemed a little squeamish about it, the damn League doctor cared more for his precious device than he did for her. He obeyed every order to continue her torture without comment.
Tears filled her eyes. Frustration, pain, rage, fear—she felt it all. She could imagine the world this cruel thing would create. Of men and women, children, innocent workers, all turned into puppets and forced to labor, being tortured with the device if they displeased in some way.
Her thoughts drifted to Xom Lang, and what the device would do to her hometown. To her parents. To her siblings. Her cousins. Every one of them would suffer this fate.
Through her despair, one point of defiant pride burned fiercely. She'd resisted, despite all of the agony she'd suffered. That was her one bright point, her one vindicating thought. Now I have to resist again. And again. And again. Until they kill me or I am rescued. She wiped the tears from her eyes and clenched her hands into fists. And right now, I don't care which it is.
Footfalls came to a stop behind her. She turned in time to see corporate security guards open her cell door. One unlatched her restraints from the ring on the floor while the other approached to haul her up. "Time for more testing," the man pulling her to her feet said.
She snarled at them both. Her voice was pure acid when she spoke. "How proud are you of what you're a part of? Turning human beings into puppets?"
Their only answer was to drag her along.
* * *
Breivik entered the small office and kept himself still while Commander Aristide finished reading something on a digital tablet. She tapped the device a few times and set it down. "Doctor. You wished to see me?"
The older man swallowed. Aristide, like all officers of External Security, had the power to destroy him. To ruin his career, to ruin his life, to see him executed or sent to a resocialization camp, all possible outcomes should she deem it necessary. "I wished to discuss the project with you."
"It is of importance. Do feel free to speak on the matter," she answered.
"The… use of the device on Subject Nguyen." He kept his arms to his sides and fought to keep the tremor from his voice. "I understand the reasoning, but I must warn you that we are using the implant in a way it was not designed for. There's no telling what long-term use as a… as a pain stimulator might do to the subject or the device itself." He spoke the words, regretting their necessity. This isn't what I wanted. This isn't at all how it was meant to go. "And this entire matter distracts us from important work. Mastering motor interactions, the physical element, is only a stepping stone to our purpose of thought interaction. Once we achieve the full potential of the implant, we can make anti-Social thinking physiologically impossible. The gain for Society will be immeasurable, and it will greatly aid our efforts in the years to come. The more we are distracted by this torture business, the harder it will be to finish the real work."
Aristide folded her hands on her desk. He searched her expression for displeasure and found nothing, which was not entirely comforting regardless. "I appreciate your concern, Doctor. You are performing your duty in expressing them to me."
"So what do you wish me to do?" He hoped she'd see things his way.
"Continue your experiments as you can. You are correct that ending the possibility of anti-Social thought is our ultimate goal." She shook her head. "But for the time being, we must also humor Director Rigault. As repulsive as his naked individualism is—" and she said "individualism" with all the disdain Breivik ever heard her muster for a word "—our work here requires we continue to work with him. That includes satisfying his amusements. For the moment, that is your priority, and you will do as he requests without protest. That is a direct order from External Security."
He nodded slowly, trying to hide his disappointment. "Understood, Commander."
"Now see to your work, as I see to mine, and Society will benefit."
"Yes, it will. Thank you for your time, Commander." He turned and left the office. I cannot complain. Rigault's resources make this work possible without causing issues back home with the Committee of Social and Public Safety.
But he is such a repulsive man. He contemplated how much work it would take before he could put an implant on Rigault and stop his individualistic behavior.
I can muse idly another time. I must get back to work. The future of the galaxy depends on my success.
* * *
The guards pulled Tia into the room with the table. Antoine sat in a chair, the amnesty paperwork before him, while Dr. Breivik sat at the side of the table. Antoine's eyes focused on her, his artificial one inhuman in its sapphire glow. "Sign the amnesty," he said, his voice down to a growl. "You know you're going to break eventually."
She was plopped into the chair opposite him. He thrust the paper in front of her with a pen. Tia glared at it and then at him. "No," she declared.
Antoine made a simple gesture with his left hand. Breivik sighed and brought up the digital tablet in his lap.
Tia reflexively steeled herself, not that it mattered any. The pain returned in full force. She felt like her entire body was being coated in flame and acid, like she might just disintegrate if it continued. I'm not really being hurt. It's this machine. It's tricking my brain. The mantra continued as a desperate distraction, but she couldn't hold the thought. The agony was too great, so great, she couldn't even breathe properly.
When it ended, she was coated with sweat. She quivered in the seat and slumped forward, sucking in air greedily with deep breaths.
"Sign the document."
"No," she rasped.
The pain came again. She was screaming, yet it seemed a distant thing. All of her senses were overwhelmed. She couldn't move, she couldn't think. Time stopped. All of her existence was consumed with the agony that seemed to roar through her body.
Eternity passed and the pain stopped. Time resumed. She breathed deeply and, despite everything, let out a small whimper. Tears flowed from her eyes, tears she'd sworn to never let her oppressors see.
Breach of Trust: Breach of Faith Book Four Page 14