by Gavin Magson
“I take it this is the new sergeant?” asked the woman, pacing over to stand between them and the machine.
“Change of plans, Dr Kendall; he has been appointed lieutenant second class. Make sure he has all the right markings on his uniform, we don't want any confusion.”
“I've told you many times before Major, just call me Valentina; I hate being called doctor. Come this way, Ajax, we need to give you a quick physiological scan, no need to remove any clothes; not unless you want to, of course.”
Ajax stepped forward, the doctor grasping his wrist gently and guiding him towards the machine. Its curved chamber spun around, the clouded glass parting to allow him to step inside.
The screen swivelled back into place and a gentle humming built up all around him. Two silver orbs, one at the top of the chamber and the other at the bottom, began to slowly rotate around Ajax. Two red beams were projected from the orbs as they gained in speed; Ajax became dizzy as he tried to focus on them.
Soon they were closing in towards each other, the light spinning too fast for his eyes to see, just a blur that made Ajax nauseous. He could not make out the words being spoken outside as the balls came so close they were almost touching, causing Ajax to tense as he anticipated the collision. He was happy that it never came, instead the humming finally ceased, and the balls rotated back to their starting positions.
When the door opened again he was greeted by a pale faced Raúl, Valentina avoiding his gaze and Major doing his best to reignite his cigar whilst staring intently at a wall.
“So, what is it? Something has got you three spooked and I would appreciate it if there were no secrets kept from me.” said Ajax, focusing his words at Major.
“You might as well tell him, Ajax probably knows, or at least already has an idea.” said Major, at last breaking their silence.
“Take a seat Ajax, this might take a while to explain.” said Valentina, pointing at the seat opposite her table.
Ajax took the offered seat, watching with uncertainty as the doctor swivelled the screen in front of her. Its display meant little to him, abbreviations with numbers he could not understand stared back at him. Raúl had moved in a little closer to better look at the readout, whispering something to Major next to him.
“I'm going to be honest with you, Ajax, in return I don't want you to lie to me,” said the doctor, picking up a telescopic tube she used to point at the screen. “These readouts are deep tissue scans of your bodies composition. They are not in line with what you would expect of a pure human.”
“Can you be a little bit more specific on that?” he asked.
The serious look on Valentina's face was not what he had hoped for, the severity of the situation was beyond worrying for him. Ajax turned to look at the screen and what she pointed at, only a few of the numbers were in white text, most yellow and a handful red.
“I've been informed about your augment. Even though it is unique my scanners have fully detailed its effect on your body; given that it still doesn't explain these discrepancies. Even your DNA is all wrong, there is considerable variance when compared against the population’s diversity on Konar. This is something closer to a Believer, yet even then your genetic make-up points towards an older common ancestor. Where are you from?” she asked.
Ajax turned to look at Major, who simply gave him a short nod of approval. He took a deep breath, a little uncertain and anxious; he did not know how the trio would react. Ajax had been dreading telling the truth.
“My home planet was called Viridus.” Ajax paused as the doctor gasped, her hands quickly covering her face. Once he was sure no words were coming he continued. “I have amnesia, brought on by centuries of cryo sleep. When I awoke in this base part of my memory had returned, though it is greatly focused around one thing; battle.
“I have no idea how far away from Viridus we are, but I can only imagine I would have heard of it by now; I remember the planet being a thousand-fold richer in fertile soil and natural resources than this one. I still don't know what Major meant by the Founders, though I believe that I might pre-date even them.”
He heard the intake of breath from Raúl, the man's body stiffened as he processed the revelation. Though the scientist had his suspicions on Ajax's origins he had not expected the man to be older than the Three.
“Are you absolutely sure this Viridus you came from was a planet?” asked Major.
“As sure as I am that my heart still beats and Raúl should lay off the garlic.”
Valentina let out a nervous laugh, a sheet of faux paper appearing in her hands swiftly.
“Viridus is an important part of Konarian history, it’s the common link between us and the Believers. Viridus, all children are told, was an ark, an endless spacecraft the Founders used to travel the universe in search of a home world. They chose Jo-tun, a planet lost to humanity now.
“You’ve confirmed a theory I have been trying to prove for a long time. You must know that it is blasphemy to believe in any form of deity? It is far worse to believe in anything other than the three civilisations. We and the Believers are fractions from the Founders. King Diamond was, so the story goes, one of three siblings, who when their father passed away fought for the vacated throne. After the Eternal War no clear winner could be identified, so there was only one option available; fraction. Diamond took his followers to Konar, the furthest known inhabitable part of the universe at the time. His sister took the Believers to Elysium, supposedly equidistant from Jo-tun. And someone, whose name exists in no part of our history, stayed on Jo-tun.”
“If Elysium and Konar are somewhere close to equal distance from this Jo-tun, how has it been lost all this time?” asked Ajax.
“Good question, something that has been pondered for over five hundred years. Most people think either we or them, them being Elysium, destroyed Jo-tun in an attempt to kill off the competition. Personally, I think that those who lived on Jo-tun migrated, knowing that they would never be free of threat if either sibling knew where they were.”
“So, what does this all have to do with me?”
“Your body is nothing like any I have seen before. Your muscles and bones are denser than the average on any Konar occupied planet, which would explain your unusual mass. My best guess at explaining it is that you and your ancestors lived on a planet with a larger gravitational field than what the average Konarian experiences. The synapses in your brain, though it is only fractional, transmit instructions faster than is normal; making your reactions and senses sharper, quicker to respond.
“A thousandth of your DNA is unidentifiable by my machine; literally so unique it has never been documented. It could be absolutely anything, a virus in hibernation that could wipe out the entire population, or simply a mutation that was never passed on by your seed. I am intrigued by it, so will take a vial of your blood and try to determine what it is. It could prove the end of humanity or unlock answers to questions I haven’t yet started considering.
“I may look into the cities archives to try and piece together more about Viridus, if you are wanting some additional information that might help unlock these memories of yours?” asked Valentina.
“I would appreciate it if you did, Valentina; any information that might help me with these elusive memories would be very helpful.”
“It’d be my pleasure. Now, as for your uniform, I'll have the fabricator produce several; I can see you wearing through them quickly from what little Major has told me. Officers get tailored uniforms, as well as body armour. What level of protection do you want? I’ll show you the selection we have, though it would help if you thought now whether you want to trade mobility for increased protection or vice versa.”
Despite how rapidly she had imparted this knowledge on him Ajax was glad that the matter of his origins had been glossed over. The abnormality had him concerned, yet he had made it this far without dying, sort of. He was intrigued about how their histories were connected, yet there were still no real answers for him.
Valentina typed a command on the desks touch screen keyboard and a section of the curved white wall behind the doctor withdrew into the ceiling above. Both she and Ajax rose from their seats and walked over to the exposed section, which now displayed both body armour and weapons, all of varying shapes, sizes and types, either hanging from hooks or resting on shelving.
“We'll start with the armour,” she said, hands pointing at the selection. “When forming armour plating several materials are mixed in varying quantities, depending on the desired characteristics. I’m sure that someone with your military background already understands enough to appreciate the different qualities of armour. Have a feel of each type of plate, perhaps even try on a couple of vests. You need to choose which will suit your work best and I'll whip up something for you.”
Ajax handled each plate on display, noting how some were almost entirely malleable, whilst others were stiff and considerably heavier. He then tried on different styles of jackets and trousers, moving around the room with careful, deliberate movements. Ajax had not expected the trousers to come with armour inserts, yet they did. He chuckled to himself as the thought came to him that he was walking like a man that shat himself. He stopped trialling the clothing, confident he knew what was most suitable.
“I'll have these semi flexible plates and this style of outfit.” said Ajax, pointing out armour that was almost on the limit of malleable before it became too stiff to manipulate. “I don't plan on being stationary long enough for someone to get a shot off, best that I can move unhindered and swiftly.”
Valentina smiled, knowing that the choice was a fine one, considering the scan had revealed more than she let on. Ajax had incredible potential for strength, agility, stamina; perhaps even more. She was going to take a close interest in the man from now on, especially the sample of blood that was coming her way.
“Now onto weapons. Lieutenants are permitted personal issue firearms, so feel free to test everything that we have on offer. Consider what would fit best for warfare, as you might require them in a whole host of scenarios.”
Ajax didn't even hesitate, he picked up the closest assault rifle and began checking every aspect of it. It's weight, manoeuvrability, the sights, even how many bullets it took to a clip. He did this with every weapon on offer, ranging from high powered rifles and handguns to close quarter shotguns and a rocket propelled grenade. He did not acknowledge the joke Raúl made about the rocket launcher, mainly because it didn't get past his ears.
Ajax soon had an assault rifle and handgun selected, which Valentina noted down on an opaque tablet. Between choosing weapons Ajax had cast a few glances at what Valentina held, curious as it was the first he had seen that wasn't transparent from every angle.
He was disappointed by the selection of knives, some were designed purely to attach to a gun’s barrel, most short and cheap. Just as Ajax had given up with finding a good example he spotted it, hidden between the extended clamps that held weapons in place.
“That isn't for field issue, it's just a relic really.” said Valentina as Ajax drew the blade.
He gave the knife, which he thought sufficient in length to be classed as a short sword, a few experimental swings. The thing was nearly as long as his forearm, and just as wide. The blade was leaf shaped and peppered with strategically placed holes.
“Blood channels? This thing was meant for killing, it should not be cooped up in some dusty display. I'll take it.” said Ajax.
Valentina was about to protest when the Major stopped her, a brief shake of his head silencing the woman.
“Have you got anything I could loop through the sheath, I think it would only fit strapped to my back.”
“I'll see what I can get the fabricator to draw up. In the mean time I will put through your uniform and armour; feel free to test out the weapons whilst you wait.” said Valentina, the bitter look on her face lost to the man.
Ajax was still holding the blade, giving it experimental swings that sounded like a scythe tearing the air apart with each stroke. It truly was a weapon made for killing. Most of the blade was jet black, only the wicked edge left as bare metal. It was perfect for stealthy kills yet was not weighted to be thrown. It even came with a sizeable guard to stop the wielder severing their own hand.
Ajax practiced several movements that incorporated the blade, testing out hand-to-hand scenarios in his head that the weapon would render very one sided. Major watched on with the appreciation of a fellow military mind, all the while trying to keep his trepidation of Ajax’s next assignment from showing on his face.
“Come on, Ajax, it’s time to see your uniform.” called the doctor.
Ajax walked over to where the woman waited in front of a machine that had, up until moments before, been emitting all manners of strange sounds. Valentina opened a lid atop the machine and pulled out a pair of trousers and a jacket, both the same dark green as the uniform Major wore. The only real difference was the obscene amount of ribbons displayed on Major’s chest, and his far loftier rank.
“Won’t it be suspicious that this lieutenant has no medals for past conflicts?” asked Raúl.
“You’ve a good point.” answered Major, pondering the question. “The other officers will think he has been promoted through nepotism and will underestimate Ajax. I think it’ll be better to leave him without accolades until he has proven them wrong.”
Major turned to Ajax, who was still studying the uniform, trying to decide whether he liked the sight before him or not.
“What do you think?” asked Major.
“I’ve seen worse. Where do we go from here?”
“The Outerlands are inhospitable, though some would say that description doesn’t do them justice. We have several customisable training facilities within the base that are suited to simulating the conditions you will face and, I hope, will help prepare you for the assignment. I’ll give you a few weeks to prepare, I don’t anticipate it will take too long for us to get you ready.”
“You still haven’t mentioned what this assignment is. Who do you want killed?”
“No one, though I don’t doubt that you’ll leave plenty of bodies behind. I want you to bring me back my son.” answered Major.
Chapter 30
“Mrs Steel, I realise that the timing of this interview is not ideal, and I thank you for coming in to talk with me. I understand that you are still processing the events of two nights ago, but our investigation requires all the cooperation and assistance we can get from you. If at any stage you feel too emotionally distressed to continue we can take a short recess. Please try to answer all my questions to the best of your ability.”
Ilya tried to listen to the officer’s words, but the drone of her voice meant Ilya could not help but be distracted by all the small details about the woman. Her uniform was pristine, each piece of adornment buffed and polished, the garment perfectly clean and free of creases. She wore a light amount of makeup that didn’t distract, accentuating her features, and her hair was neatly tied into a bun held together by decorative metal hair sticks. She was the definition of professionalism, an image only ruined by the excessive cleavage she displayed when walking through the police station, which Ilya noted had now disappeared since they were alone.
“Call me Ilya, please.” she said, her voice weary and quiet. “I will do the best I can to answer your questions, though I have told the other officers I have little memory of the night.”
“I understand Mrs-Ilya, sorry.” The officer paused as she placed a device from her pocket in the centre of the metal desk, which pulsed a series of lights at the touch of her finger. “Interview conducted by Officer Nola Cahn of Mrs Ilya Steel, widow of Mr Henry Steel.” The woman’s voice changed from warm and gentle to regimental as she announced their names, the recorder between Ilya and Officer Cahn capturing everything. “Ilya, we have invited you here as, after reading over your statement, there are some details that are causing confusion; hopefully we can clear these up.
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p; “Your husband was murdered in a barbaric manner, and all his backups were destroyed beforehand to ensure that he remained deceased. I have a report of the casualties here.” The officer dismissed whatever was open on the screen before her and recalled a detailed report. “Besides Henry there were fifteen bodies recovered, several of which were so severely burnt that their implants were destroyed by the fire. Those that were spared from the fire we identified to have been systematically killed, despite our records showing them all to have been seasoned soldiers and bodyguards. This was a well-planned assassination by skilled individuals, undoubtedly paid an exorbitant fee to carry out these murders.
“Henry was a wealthy, influential man, and as such I am aware he probably had several political enemies that would wish to take his position as mayor. In order to bring the person, or persons, responsible to justice I need to know if he told you of anyone he had dealings with that he feared might want him dead. Any detail, no matter how small, might lead to the arrest of your husband’s killer.”
Ilya took several deep breaths, keeping her gaze anywhere but on the officer. Greg had prepared her, as best he could, for the questioning that would naturally come. They had practiced her response to several questions, though preparing for today had proven difficult. Ilya knew she needed to come off as distressed, which the officer would expect from someone who had just lost their husband. The problem was that there was no love left within her for the monster she had unioned with, she could not find it within her to grieve for him.
“There were many different people that he entertained at the mansion, too much to count. He talked little about his work life to me, but whenever he did it was usually because of his dislike or distrust in someone he had business with. Henry trusted no one, not even me with his secrets, and feared attack from everyone; why do you think he kept so many guards? I couldn’t tell you names, I probably couldn’t even identify a face since I was always squirreled away whenever he had a meeting. You’d have better luck interviewing his staff, they will have greeted his guests or served them at his gatherings.”