Psychogen (Galactic Syndicate Cycle Book 1)

by N. C. Madigan

  “Gotta keep up,” Becce said.

  Up ahead, Tsuto was shifting, rapidly changing forms, his eye remaining in front of a scanner that unlocked a door at the end of the hall. Finally, some combination of his “genetics” worked, and the door flew open. Tsuto and Captain dashed through, and Becce pulled Liza through. The Captain slammed his hand against the door release button, and it closed. Becce released Liza’s arm, and she dropped to the ground. The gravity worked in this area.

  “I don’t doubt that someone already knows that we’re here. There were cameras in that hall, so we’ve got to be quick,” Captain said after removing his helmet. Liza followed suit. Becce removed her tablet from inside her suit and laid it flat on one palm. With a few quick swipes, a three-dimensional hologram appeared of the ship. Captain punched at a spot with a finger. “That’s where you’re going.”

  “Got it. Come on Liza,” Becce said. She replaced her tablet and turned. Liza scrambled to follow, while Tsuto and Captain moved in a different direction.

  “Where are they going?” Liza asked.

  “The galley.”

  “Why?”

  Becce threw a look over her shoulder at Liza.

  “For the rum of course!”

  Liza followed Becce down hall after hall, turn after turn, and down steps, until they finally reached a long hall with dimmed lights. They hadn’t seen anyone, yet, which made Liza nervous. Would someone suddenly storm in on just the two of them?

  “Here,” Becce said, skidding to a halt in front of a set of doors. Liza’s mouth dropped open as she stared at the doors.

  “They’re not metal,” she said, reaching out to touch the doors.

  “Wood,” Becce said with a nod. “Mahogany by the looks of it.” She was removing the panel from beside the door with a flat tool.

  “What is-”

  “You’ve got a lot to learn about the universe, Lizzy,” Becce said, her concentration remaining on her task.

  “Don’t call me that,” Liza mumbled under her breath, turning away to watch for anyone who might try to stop them. A few tense moments passed, when Becce began to swear.

  “This panel isn’t the only lock,” she said, her voice low in a growl.

  “What? What other way could there be?” Liza asked. She surveyed the doors. The handles were unlike anything she’d ever seen. They were cool to the touch, obviously antiquated metal, but they were smooth and gleamed gold in the dim light. Other than the now destroyed panel beside the doors, there was nothing that appeared to be keeping the door closed and locked.

  “This isn’t good,” Becce said. Liza could feel the other woman’s panic. Liza pressed her hands to the door to check its stability but jumped back in surprise. She blinked, looking down at her hands; they felt like they were on fire. Tilting her head, Liza stepped back up to the door and laid her hands on the wood.

  “What are you doing?” Becce asked. Liza ignored her, bracing herself for the strange feeling. It flew through her arms, into her veins and her very blood cells. Beside her, Becce laid a hand next to Liza’s.

  “Do you feel that?” Liza asked.

  “I don’t feel anything,” Becce replied.

  “It’s like… something electrical…” Liza said. She closed her eyes, the sensation of sparks racing through her body, humming all the way. The sensation reminded her of the time she’d been shocked while messing with exposed wires back on the Moon.

  “Stop there!”

  “Shit.” Becce stepped around Liza, her flashlight in one hand, gamma pistol in the other. Liza glanced over Becce’s shoulder and saw the men running down the halls. They had their own gamma pistols in their hands. One of them raised their arm and fired, the beam racing towards them and striking a spot on the wall just above Liza’s head. Liza dropped to the ground, removing her hands from the door.

  Bright light consumed Liza’s vision. She scrambled to shove the darkened glasses on her eyes.

  “Are you okay?” Becce asked over the shouts of pain from the men.

  “Yeah.” Liza rose again. The electric feeling still coursed through her veins.

  “Stop!”

  Liza turned. More guards ran down the hall from the other direction. Liza stepped towards Becce, their backs pressed together.

  “I’m not dying yet,” Becce growled. Liza’s heart raced faster. Her eyes shifted wildly from side to side, trying to count the number of people who now had them surrounded, all with their gamma pistols pointed on Liza and Becce. Liza closed her eyes, shrinking, images of her parents and her sister passing before her.

  “No,” she moaned.

  “Step away from the door, or we’ll shoot,” someone said. Another image flashed through Liza’s mind - her father in his last moments of being alive. Her stomach churned.

  “No,” she moaned again.

  “Fire.”

  “NO!”

  Liza pushed herself up, standing at her full height, with her arms thrown out at either side. A sparking noise blew past her ears, and from her hands, she could feel the electricity release, until it was gone. Cries, thuds, and screams filled the air. Something nearby cracked with a loud boom.

  Liza opened her eyes.

  Becce stood with her back pressed against the wall, eyes wide with terror. The men on either side of them lay in piles, trying desperately to untangle themselves and stand up. And the door-- the door had been broken and was hanging limply on its hinges.

  “Liza?” Becce asked. Liza stared at Becce, unable to comprehend anything.

  “Come on!” Liza said. She ran past the broken doors into the room. Automatic lights flickered to life, brightening the treasure. Pedestals stood in a ring around the room, each with its own gleaming stone resting in a stabilizer beam, gems and rocks the likes of which Liza had never seen.

  “Shit,” Becce said in awe. She was behind Liza, looking around. “Grab it all.”

  They split, running to the pedestals, sticking their hands through the blue glow of the stabilizer beam, snatching the gems and shoving them into random pockets on their suits.

  “I think Captain expected something more portable,” Becce called, ending with a harsh laugh. Liza grinned; she couldn’t help it. The beautiful blue gem in her hands reflected Liza’s own face back many times over. Liza shoved it in her pocket.

  Only seconds passed before the room was cleared. Becce took the lead, her gamma pistol in her hand. Liza followed.

  “Just run, and don’t stop,” Becce said, and she took off. Liza followed, but she now felt weighed down by the gems. Together, they dodged around the pile of men, who were still trying to stand. One of them managed to fire his pistol, but his aim was off. It hit the ceiling, leaving a heavy dent in the metal. But he managed to startle Liza. Inside her mind, something released, and the men behind them were able to stand, pushing each other out of the way to be the first one down the hall after them.

  “Faster,” Liza wheezed. Her energy was depleting quickly. Her muscles burned under her layers of clothes and spacesuit and the weight of the gems. More blasts from the gamma pistols flew past, destroying the hall in the process.

  By the time they reached the first stairwell up, Liza didn’t think she could make it. Her limbs were stiffening, and her lungs were straining to keep up with the oxygen she needed.

  “Becce,” Liza coughed. Becce turned.

  “Liza! Come on!” she said, motioning with her hand. Liza shook her head.

  “I can’t…” Liza dropped her head, pressing her forehead into the metal stair. Becce stepped down a few steps, holding her hand out to Liza.

  “I’m not leaving you here,” she said. Liza looked up again, sweat streaming down into her eyes. She tried to lift her hand up to Becce’s but she couldn’t. Her entire body felt like it was made of metal.

  “Girls!”

  Captain stood at the top of the stairwell. A few more blasts from the gamma pistols hit the walls.

  “Liza’s down, Cap,” Becce said.

  �
��Go with Tsuto,” Captain said. Becce nodded and rushed up the steps, tripping several times in her haste. Tsuto was waiting, in the form of a large person, slightly resembling Corbin, with two large crates under his arms. Captain trotted down the steps to Liza’s said. “Hang on tight, girl,” he said, and lifted Liza into his arms. Liza had one last thought before her mind went dark.

  How can he lift me if I’m made of metal?

  10

  The room that opened in front of Vely was something she never could have imagined, not even from the Earth books. The whole room was awash with light from small orbs, which gave the room a soft, orange glow, a stark contrast to the industrial blue lights of the regular apartments and homes. Comfortable furniture filled the room, with a small kitchenette, and doors leading to a private bathroom and bedroom. There were pictures on the walls, a trivial thing on which no normal Moon colonist would spend their hard-earned money.

  And the soft floor coverings. Vely reached down again and pressed her hand to it. She thought the texture was what a cut-up sweater might feel like, with the individual threads sticking up at odd angles.

  In the kitchenette, there was a refrigerator, a convenience not many colonists could afford. Vely crossed the soft floor and wrenched open the refrigerator door with more force than necessary. Her mouth dropped at the contents.

  Whoever lived here had real food. Not just soybeans. Fruits and vegetables of all kinds, things they’d only been taunted with as children. There was even a lump of red meat, wrapped in clear plastic and waiting to be cooked.

  Vely looked around. The small apartment was still silent. Reaching around, she pulled her bag in front of her, opened it, and began to scoop the contents of the refrigerator into her bag. She left the meat but took everything else. The bag grew heavy with stolen spoils.

  But it wasn’t for herself. A rage built up inside of Vely as she explored this apartment, rage against the people who controlled the Moon colonies and kept all the inhabitants in poverty. She had to tell her fellow colonists, and she knew no one would believe her unless she had proof.

  She closed the refrigerator door and looked around. She stuffed a few small trinkets into her bag, and one of the smaller pictures. Vely ran her hand over the picture and found the surface to be rough. Looking closer, she saw that it was made up of strokes, big and small. Content to examine it more closely later, she shoved it in her bag. With one last longing look around the apartment, Vely left it, closing the doors behind her, until she once again stood in the penetrating chill.

  Vely found a small cubby to sleep in for the night, hugging her bag close to her chest. She was not warm by any means, and as she drifted off into sleep, she could feel her breath freezing as it left her mouth.

  She was woken by the loud, booming voices of the Enforcers. Opening her eyes, she listened. From where she lay, there was a gap just large enough for her to see a troop of Enforcers marching down the alley. Following behind were the men wearing black, accompanied by someone that Vely had only seen twice, but it was enough to strike fear into her heart.

  The Chief Enforcer.

  The man was easily over two hundred centimeters tall, with broad shoulders and dark hair. Each time that Vely had seen him, he had the same murderous look on his face, like a single glance would stop a person’s heart. His uniform was red and his boots a shiny black. And he carried a much, much larger weapon.

  Vely held her breath, though she hadn’t meant to. Her mind was racing; she knew she needed to tell the colonists what she found, but with the Enforcers and those Bloodhounds showing up everywhere she went, it was going to be difficult. She’d have to keep channeling her sister.

  Vely waited until the group rounded a corner, then she was on the move. Hiding along shadows, she slinked down alleys towards the central hub of the colonies. That’s where she could talk to the most people at once. Surely the Enforcers would show up once there was a shred of unrest among the colonists. And maybe if she caused enough of a distraction, she could sneak onto a ship and get off the Moon. It was wishful thinking, but at least it was sort of a plan.

  The sounds of the market square grew louder and louder. Finally, Vely emerged into a crowd of people. Business was carrying on as usual, with the distinct absence of Liza tromping around with her bag of salvaged parts, though Vely was sure that no one noticed her family’s absence.

  Vely allowed herself to be pushed along by the crowd for a while, until she arrived at the center of the market square. A fountain that was never completed, the stone made of moon dust, sat silently in the center. It was large, depicting the first man to ever land on the moon, though his name had been lost for years. Vely squeezed out of the throng of people and jumped up on the wide ledge of the fountain.

  “Hey!”

  Only one or two people glanced at her before hurrying on their way. Vely pursed her lips together.

  “HEY!” she tried again, shouting so loud that her voice rang harshly in her own ears. Finally, she managed to catch the attention of a few colonists. They stopped and stepped closer to her.

  “That you, Vely Strange?” an older woman called up to her. Vely nodded.

  “Not everyone in this colony is suffering!” she began. She opened her bag and pulled out the fruits and vegetables, the trinkets, and the picture. The crowd at her feet grew. Vely tossed down her pilfered items to those in front, who looked them over.

  “Are these real?” someone asked.

  “Yes! I found them in an apartment. Someone in this colony is living richly, with soft floor coverings, real food, and heat!” Murmurs of outrage fluttered through the crowd. A few people had taken bites of the food and were passing them along to others.

  “Heat…” a few said longingly.

  “I’m sure there are others as well! We work harder than those running this colony, and yet, they’re holding out on us! They’ve always told us that as we suffer, they suffer. Blatant lies!”

  The murmurs grew louder. Vely grinned. A few colonists scattered, catching Vely’s attention. She looked around and saw a group of Enforcers step into the square, their expression annoyed. At least these ones didn’t have those Bloodhounds with them.

  “What’s going on here?” one asked, stepping forward, his gamma pistol already in one hand. Vely held up the painting.

  “We’re concerned about people in this colony having more money, more food, and better homes than we do!” Vely shouted. “And can buy shit like this!” She jabbed the air with the picture, emphasizing her point. The Enforcers only looked slightly amused.

  “We’re starving!” a man yelled.

  “Our children barely make it to adulthood!”

  “You kill us in the streets!”

  Vely’s stomach clenched. The image she created in her mind of her father’s death rose in her mind, forcing her to hold back tears.

  “We want fair treatment!”

  The Enforcers laughed, enraging the colonists. Vely could see it in their eyes that they had snapped– it was a long time coming, and Vely’s reveal pushed them over the edge. They were ready to fight.

  Or die trying.

  “Nothing will change here,” the Enforcer was saying. “You’ll keep working and living your same lives. Or we will kill you in the streets.”

  “Not if we kill you first.” It was a young man in the crowd, maybe a little older than Vely. He leapt forward with a surprising amount of strength and agility. Something sharp and shiny was in his hand, and when he reached the nearest Enforcer, he swung his arm. A slash of red appeared on the neck of the Enforcer. His blood began to flow, mixing red with the orange of his uniform.

  That first kill pushed the entire crowd into action. They swarmed the group of Enforcers, until Vely could no longer see their orange uniforms. The young man who’d attacked first was nowhere to be seen, and Vely felt very concerned for his wellbeing. As the first to strike out, he could easily be the first to die.

  The yelling in the square grew louder. A new group of Enforce
rs appeared from an alley, and behind them, the Bloodhounds, and behind them, the Chief Enforcer.

  “Shit.”

  “There she is!” A Bloodhound called out. He was pointing right at Vely.

  “Vely Strange! Halt and put your hands in the air!”

  Vely jumped down from the fountain and ducked into the crowd. She was jostled side to side by colonists fleeing or trying to get in on the action. But word had spread quickly; the square was filling with colonists and Enforcers, all shoving and fighting each other. A few colonists got their hands on some gamma pistols and were firing at the Enforcers.

  Vely tried to change directions, but she tripped over something solid and fell. It was a colonist’s body, the head blown apart by a gamma pistol. Vely retched, but nothing came out of her stomach. There was nothing there to begin with. With a grimace, she pushed herself up off the body and kept moving. As she neared the far end of the square, a hand wrapped around her wrist and jerked her to the side. Vely screamed and tried to wrench her hand free, but the grip was like a vice. She was pulled from the crowd and was finally able to see who had grabbed her.

  It was the boy who started the fight.

  “Let me go!” Vely cried, but he shook his head.

  “I’m helping you,” he said. Vely frowned. “Come on. I’ve got to hide you.” He yanked her along once more, with Vely tripping behind, trying to keep up. She couldn’t pay attention to her surroundings, at least until a hard body blindsided her, knocking her from the ground. The boy lost his grip on her arm, skidded to a halt and turned back.

  “Gotcha.” One of the Bloodhounds lay on top of Vely. His hand pressed claw-like into her neck. She opened her mouth to cry out, but he was crushing her windpipe. In his other hand, he held a knife. Vely tried to shake her head back and forth, but she was pinned to the ground. “Just a little prick,” the man said, pushing the knife into the exposed flesh of her collarbone. Lack of oxygen caused blackness to edge Vely’s vision, and she felt weaker and weaker. He pressed the knife into the skin until beads of blood formed. He grinned.