by M. D. Cooper
The first shark was already circling back around, its tail slashing through the water as it picked up speed. Tanis managed to cut its face again, nearly losing her arm in the process.
As the fight with the makos continued, the water began to turn red, obscuring her vision. The sharks became indistinct blobs, and Tanis was wondering what it was going to take to defeat them when one of the creatures came up from below. She twitched her ‘legs’ out of the way, but the beast managed to get its teeth around her arm, taking a sizeable chunk out of it.
Tanis was grateful that the limb was nothing more than tentacles stuffed into the divesuit, but her relief was short-lived as her lightwand flickered and shut off.
Tanis didn’t reply as she frantically scrambled backward, slapping her monofin at the first two attackers, desperate for some amount of cover.
Then, just as the other sharks arrived, a series of grey shapes shot past Tanis, and the water bloomed red with blood as a dozen shrouded forms thrashed in the underwater mist.
Tanis stared in wonder, eventually able to make out at least twenty bottlenose bulls, all swimming around their hated enemies, sharp teeth tearing the makos to shreds.
Even so, the casino’s defenders were managing to hold their own, getting bites in on several of the dolphins. Tanis worried that the bulls were going to suffer losses, when a pair of orcas arrived, one biting the tail off a mako in its first pass.
Less than ten seconds later, the sharks were all dead.
A dolphin’s wide smile and curious eye came within centimeters of her head, peering through her faceshield.
The corner of Gerald’s lips turned up in a curious smile, and he bobbed his head.
Tanis was suddenly surrounded by warm bodies that began to push her forward.
The dolphins carried Tanis and Connie down the long valley, out of Link range from the casino, and then led them through a series of caves that seemed to go on forever. Eventually, they came out the other side of the ridge, and Tanis could see the lights of Chora’s Height in the distance.
Connie looked back, a worried expression on her face.
Tanis said to the bull.
Gerald ducked his head.
“Wait!” one of the orcas said in a keening bellow as they approached the spherical building—which Tanis saw bore the name ‘Waystation 281’.
The orca who had spoken was circling Connie.
“You smell like the coral woman. Yes, you are the coral woman. You brought us the oligarch.”
At that, the dolphins all began speaking at once, circling around the two women. Tanis had trouble making out all the words, but they seemed happy.
If Tanis were able, she was certain she would have choked.
Gerald regarded her with somber eyes.
She shook her head.
CLEANUP
STELLAR DATE: 03.06.4084 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Chora’s Height, Europa
REGION: Jupiter, Jovian Combine, OuterSol
Tanis sat across from Harm and Connie in an aired room deep within a secret Division 99 facility in the city of Chora’s Height.
“So, no sign of Colonel Urdon,” Tanis said with a shake of her head. “I can’t believe he got away twice!”
“Well,” Harm said, still a pink-haired woman with hips the size of Tanis’s and Connie’s together…and then some. “He technically didn’t ‘get away’ on Vesta. He wasn’t under direct suspicion then.”
Harm laughed—a tittering, squeaky sound.
“Stars, Harm, you need to turn back into a guy. Girl doesn’t suit you.”
“What?” Connie slapped her palms on the table. “You know he was originally a guy? I couldn’t get it out of him for the life of me!”
Tanis shrugged. “Sure, Connie. Think of it. ‘Harm Ellis’. Harmellis. Harmless…. That’s guy humor, if anything ever was.”
“Shiiiiit,” she muttered. “How did I miss that?”
Harm gave an innocent shrug, which actually managed to look rather convincing. “Or that’s all part of my cover, to add in layers like that to trip you up.”
Tanis shook her head. “No, you think you’re far too clever and it shows. You’re totally a guy, Harm.”
“Unless I wanted you to think that, Tanis. The layers can go on forever.”
“Nope.” She shook her head. “I’ve got a nose for this sort of thing. You’re totally a dude.”
No one spoke for a few minutes, and then Connie glanced at Tanis. “OK, so now that that’s settled, are you looking forward to getting topside and having that mad doctor turn you back into a real woman again?”
Tanis lifted a few tentacles in the air around herself. “You know? I’m kinda getting used to this. Think you can modify my captain’s chair into a tank? Better yet, let’s fill the whole bridge with water. It’ll be like a big inertial dampener.”
Connie raised a hand. “Don’t make me slap you silly, Silversquid.”
Tanis laughed and gave Connie as much of a smile as she could manage. “Yeah, I’m more than ready to just be Tanis again. If for no other reason than a burning desire to eat something with meat in it. It’s been weeks.”
“I bet you’re pretty glad that pigs aren’t sentient,” Harm said with a wink.
Tanis let out a long sigh. “You have n
o idea.”
“Darla…” Tanis began, then turned to Harm. “Actually, Harm, this is your fault. Why did you make all my covers vegetarian? And why did you make Claire so weird?”
Harm held up his hands defensively. “I only made Bella a Vegan. Sasha ate meat, and I didn’t have anything to do with your ‘Claire’ cover.”
“Darla!”
“We’ll talk about this later,” Tanis growled at her AI. “Maybe when we finally get some shore leave.”
“Back to Mars?” Connie asked. “Plus…the rest of us would really appreciate some time off, as well.”
“Yeah,” Tanis nodded. “Though I wouldn’t mind taking a swim with Gerald and his pod before we go.”
Harm cleared his—her—throat, causing both Tanis and Connie to turn to him.
“What?” Tanis asked, her voice carrying an almost threatening note.
“Well, there’s still Urdon…and—”
“Umm…yeah, maybe a little bit of shore leave is in order.”
Connie snorted. “I’ve heard this tune before.”
THE END
* * * * *
Although Tanis, Connie, and Harm all know that there are still subversive elements at work within the Scattered World’s Space Force, they have no leads other than the missing Colonel Urdon.
What’s more, there is still the strong likelihood that someone within Division 99 is working in concert with the Scattered Worlds.
Find out where Tanis and the crew of the Kirby Jones end up next in Tanis Richards: Blackest Night.
THE BOOKS OF AEON 14
Keep up to date with what is releasing in Aeon 14 with the free Aeon 14 Reading Guide.
Origins of Destiny (The Age of Terra)
- Prequel: Storming the Norse Wind
- Prequel: Angel’s Rise: The Huntress (available on Patreon)
- Book 1: Tanis Richards: Shore Leave
- Book 2: Tanis Richards: Masquerade
- Book 3: Tanis Richards: Blackest Night
- Book 4: Tanis Richards: Kill Shot
The Intrepid Saga
- Book 1: Outsystem
- Book 2: A Path in the Darkness
- Book 3: Building Victoria
- The Intrepid Saga Omnibus – Also contains Destiny Lost, book 1 of the Orion War series
- Destiny Rising – Special Author’s Extended Edition comprised of both Outsystem and A Path in the Darkness with over 100 pages of new content.
The Orion War
- Books 1-3 Omnibus (includes Ignite the Stars anthology)
- Book 1: Destiny Lost
- Book 2: New Canaan
- Book 3: Orion Rising
- Book 4: The Scipio Alliance
- Book 5: Attack on Thebes
- Book 6: War on a Thousand Fronts
- Book 7: Precipice of Darkness
- Book 8: Airtha Ascendancy
- Book 9: The Orion Front
- Book 10: Starfire
- Book 11: Race Across Spacetime (2019)
- Book 12: Return to Sol (2019)
Tales of the Orion War (Anthologies)
- Volume 1: Set the Galaxy on Fire
- Volume 2: Ignite the Stars
Perilous Alliance (Age of the Orion War - with Chris J. Pike)
- Book 1: Close Proximity
- Book 2: Strike Vector
- Book 3: Collision Course
- Book 3.5: Decisive Action (2019)
- Book 4: Impact Imminent
- Book 5: Critical Inertia
- Book 6: Impulse Shock
Rika’s Marauders (Age of the Orion War)
- Book 1-3 Omnibus: Rika Activated
- Prequel: Rika Mechanized
- Book 1: Rika Outcast
- Book 2: Rika Redeemed
- Book 3: Rika Triumphant
- Book 4: Rika Commander
- Book 5: Rika Infiltrator
- Book 6: Rika Unleashed
- Book 7: Rika Conqueror
Perseus Gate (Age of the Orion War)
Season 1: Orion Space
- Episode 1: The Gate at the Grey Wolf Star
- Episode 2: The World at the Edge of Space
- Episode 3: The Dance on the Moons of Serenity
- Episode 4: The Last Bastion of Star City
- Episode 5: The Toll Road Between the Stars
- Episode 6: The Final Stroll on Perseus’s Arm
Season 2: Inner Stars
- Episode 1: A Meeting of Bodies and Minds
- Episode 2: A Deception and a Promise Kept
- Episode 3: A Surreptitious Rescue of Friends and Foes
- Episode 4: A Victory and a Crushing Defeat
- Episode 5: A Trial and the Tribulations (2019)
- Episode 6: A Deal and a True Story Told (2019)
- Episode 7: A New Empire and An Old Ally (2019)
Season 3: AI Empire
- Episode 1: Restitution and Recompense (2019)
- Five more episodes following…
The Warlord (Before the Age of the Orion War)
- Books 1-3 Omnibus: The Warlord of Midditerra
- Book 1: The Woman Without a Country
- Book 2: The Woman Who Seized an Empire
- Book 3: The Woman Who Lost Everything
Hand’s Assassin (Age of the Orion War – w/T.G. Ayer)
- Book 1: Death Dealer
- Book 2: Death Mark (2019)
Machete System Bounty Hunter (with Zen DiPietro)
- Book 1: Hired Gun
- Book 2: Gunning for Trouble
- Book 3: With Guns Blazing
The Sentience Wars: Origins (with James S. Aaron)
- Books 1-3 Omnibus: Lyssa’s Rise
- Book 1: Lyssa’s Dream
- Book 2: Lyssa’s Run
- Book 3: Lyssa’s Flight
- Book 4: Lyssa’s Call
- Book 5: Lyssa’s Flame
Legends of the Sentience Wars (with James S. Aaron)
- Volume 1: The Proteus Bridge
- Volume 2: Vesta Burning
The Empire (Age of the Orion War)
- Book 1: The Empress and the Ambassador
- Book 2: Consort of the Scorpion Empress (2019)
- Book 3: By the Empress’s Command (2019)
Enfield Genesis (Age of the Sentience Wars - with Lisa Richman)
- Book 1: Alpha Centauri
- Book 2: Proxima Centauri
- Book 3: Tau Ceti
- Book 4: Epsilon Eridani
- Book 5: Sirius
Building New Canaan (Age of the Orion War – w/J.J. Green)
- Book 1: Carthage
- Book 2: Tyre
- Book 3: Troy
- Book 4: Athens
The Sol Dissolution (The Age of Terra)
- Book 1: Venusian Uprising (2019)
- Book 2: Scattered Disk (2019)
- Book 3: Jovian Offensive (2019)
- Book 4: Fall of Terra (2019)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Cooper likes to think of himself as a jack of all trades (and hopes to become master of a few). When not writing, he can be found writing software, working in his shop at his latest carpentry project, or likely reading a book.
He shares his home with a precocious young girl, his wonderful wife (who also writes), two cats, a never-ending list of things he would like to build, and ideas…
Find out what’s coming next at www.aeon14.com
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