by A. K. DuBoff
“Lucky, then, he’s not invited,” Kira replied.
Leon nodded. “I’m always up for a good chat.” He made brief eye contact with each of them, giving a subtle indication that it would be an opportunity to expand upon his breakfast comment.
“Besides, I’ve been out of touch for too long,” Kira added. “I need to check my messages.”
Lexi recognized the phrasing to mean that Kira needed to touch base with her TSS handler. She hadn’t been privy to the conversations directly, but what little Kira had said about the matter was that her undercover mission had come directly from the top of the organization. It had taken months to get even that much out of her—not that Lexi blamed her for being cautious. Though Lexi had solicited the help to investigate the Alliance’s dealings, it could have easily been a setup. She’d needed to earn Kira’s and Leon’s trust, but she now proudly called them her friends.
“All the more reason to go out tonight,” Leon reiterated.
Stars, that does sound good. Despite her desire to get outside the office and speak freely for a change, she was well aware how important it was to not draw attention to herself by rule-bending. “Go for it. Have fun.”
“Come out with us,” Kira urged. “It’s been too long since we had a change of scenery.”
The phrasing made it sound like a friendly offer, for the benefit of anyone who might overhear the conversation. However, as she spoke, Kira made eye contact with Lexi and initiated a telepathic link.
“You’ll want to hear what Leon has to say,” she said in Lexi’s mind.
“What if we get caught?”
“We won’t.”
Lexi broke eye contact and shook her head. “As much as I’d like to, I don’t need Oren giving me another lecture about my ‘commitment to the cause’.” He was the most infuriating manager Lexi had ever dealt with, not even taking into account his psychopathic tendencies. She did everything she could to avoid crossing the man, fearing retribution.
Kira waved her hand dismissively. “It’s just for an hour.” She caught Lexi’s gaze again, “We’ll say we’re going to scope out new recruits or something. It’s not like we’re never allowed to leave the building.”
Lexi wanted to protest. She knew it was a risk to leave, even for a short while, on non-Alliance business. Yet, she was curious about Leon’s information, and her nerves were frayed from being cooped up for too long.
“All right,” she yielded.
The other woman beamed. “Excellent. Let’s head out at 17:00?”
“Sounds good.” Normally, it would have been delivery pickup time, but there weren’t any on the schedule for the rest of the week.
Kira smiled. “Great! It’ll be a fun time.”
It really might be. Lexi was relieved to not feel alone anymore.
Kira had quickly become a good friend, and Leon was the kind of level-headed person who was easy to be around. None of her other relationships within the Alliance had offered any kind of meaningful social connection, and she hadn’t realized how much she’d missed having real friends. She’d been on her own for a long time, aside from Melisa, but that didn’t mean she liked being a loner.
After finishing her lunch, Lexi returned to her desk to finish up the remaining administrative tasks for the day. Having the evening outing to look forward to helped pass the time, and she soon found it was approaching the planned departure time.
She met up with Kira and Leon at the office’s back access door and slipped outside into the shadowed rear alley.
Kira breathed in deeply, despite the slightly foul air wafting over from the nearby dumpster, and smiled. “Oh, it feels good to be out!”
“I’ve been going a little stir crazy,” Leon admitted. He tousled his light-brown hair. “When are we going to do something?”
“This is what it was like before you joined up,” Lexi told them as they walked away from the office. “A whole lot of nothing, and then the, uh… incident.”
They nodded, catching her meaning. She couldn’t explicitly talk about the attack on the space station or attempted seizure of the supply ships.
“People are getting restless. It doesn’t take anyone special to see that,” Kira said.
Lexi tilted her head questioningly. “And what might a more perceptive person pick up?”
“That pieces are moving. The wait is almost over… though, whatever is going on is happening at a higher level than us little cogs.”
“The question is, how does one ascend to that higher level?” Lexi asked.
Kira gave her a confident smile. “Leave that to us.”
Kira’s abilities largely remained a mystery to Lexi. She knew the other woman was some kind of telepath, but she wasn’t Gifted in the usual sense. It made her a great asset to extract information—assuming she got access to the right person—and also prevented her from being detected. However, it also meant Lexi was unable to read the woman in the way she would other people.
She trusted Kira, for the most part, but she wasn’t entirely sure where she stood in Kira’s eyes. Lexi wanted to think she was one of the team, working on the inside of the Alliance to help the TSS. Yet, she might just as easily be an expendable tool who the TSS would only keep around so long as she was useful.
Regardless, aligning herself with Kira was Lexi’s best—and, really, only—play at the moment. She needed answers about the Alliance’s operations, and what may have happened to her missing friend, Melisa.
I wish I could be more help. When I called in the TSS, I thought we’d be able to get in deeper by now. The whole mess with the aborted revolt had shut down the Alliance’s activities, leaving their mission at a standstill. They couldn’t press the issues without leaders like Oren getting suspicious about their impatience, so they’d been keeping their heads down.
Though the waiting was annoying, and it was frustrating that they couldn’t talk openly about their real purpose for being in the Alliance’s ranks, it set Lexi at ease to know that she had two allies who viewed the Alliance as the bad guys. Too many others around the office seemed eager to swallow whatever propaganda the Alliance was spewing as their flavor of the day.
The group stuck to the back alleys as they put distance between themselves and the Alliance office. A kilometer from the building, they transitioned to the main streets.
Kira looked around them, as though checking for a potential tail. “I think we’re good to go.”
“Should we chat before you do your check-in?” Leon asked.
“Yeah, let’s find somewhere to talk.”
They spotted a moderately busy pub a couple blocks away and ducked inside. The buzz of conversation made for the perfect background noise to have a private conversation in plain sight. One of the back corner tables was available, so they grabbed draft drinks at the bar and then settled in.
Kira dramatically motioned toward Leon, as if making a big reveal. “Take it away.”
He placed his elbows on the table and leaned in. “I may finally have a lead,” he said, barely above a whisper. “I’ve started hearing rumors about a big project they’re working on offworld.”
Lexi perked up. “Where’d you learn that?”
“I overheard a group of researchers talking early this morning. They were making plans for a new lab.”
“Were you able to get any more specifics?” Kira asked.
“Based on their specializations, it’s related to something biological… and nasty. It sounds like they picked this new site because it’s remote.”
“An uninhabited world, then?”
“I got the sense there was some kind of existing settlement on the planet. It’s difficult to start up a research operation without any resources, so that’d make sense.”
“A heads up on where would be really nice to pass onto our friends on the outside,” Kira said.
He nodded. “Secret research on remote worlds rarely bodes well. Whatever they’re planning to work on can’t be good for the rest of the Empi
re.”
“It’s like their goals have completely changed,” Lexi mused. “They were focused on that plan to isolate Duronis, but then… nothing.”
Kira swirled the beer in her glass pensively. “The shift happened right when the Erebus showed up.”
Lexi stared at her. “Stars, you’re right! But why would that impact their plans? You’d think they’d want to take full advantage of that distraction to push things forward.”
“Unless that revelation opened up a new, better opportunity.”
“Such as?”
“I don’t know. The whole thing has me worried. They’re recruiting all these people, and no one is doing anything.”
“It’s like they’re gathering troops,” Leon said.
“An army to activate and direct when the moment is right.” Kira shook her head. “What in the stars are they up to?”
Leon shrugged. “This information about the planet might offer some clues. I’ll ask around, find out what I can.”
“I’ve never been so happy to get bad news.” Lexi let out a satisfied sigh. “It’s a lead. Finally!”
Kira raised her glass. “Cheers to that.”
Lexi clinked her glass with the others. All the waiting is paying off. Now our hunt can begin.
Chapter 3
Jason frowned at the cryptic message from Kira displayed on his office desktop. It simply read, >>Might have a lead. Looking into it more. Will be in touch soon.<<
Well, at least I know she’s alive. After weeks with no communication, he was happy to see the note when he checked his morning messages. However, he’d hoped for more of an update. With any luck, ‘soon’ will be a lot faster than the last interval.
The assignment was proving to be tedious, and she was a soldier who thrived on action. She was probably losing her mind. Ever since she and Leon had entered the Alliance, nothing had gone like they’d planned. The organization had apparently gone into lockdown after the thwarted takeover on Duronis, leaving Kira without a means of upward mobility in the organization.
However, after investing this much time, Jason didn’t want to abandon the project. To admit defeat would mean they had been outplayed by a band of criminals. Jason couldn’t abide that. Kira wouldn’t stand for it, either.
But if this new lead doesn’t pan out, we might need to call it quits, regardless. He didn’t like that possibility. Even so, at a certain point, keeping a valuable asset like Kira tied up undercover no longer made sense; realistically, they were already past that point.
He wasn’t ready to give up quite yet. We need to know what the Alliance has been doing for the last seven months. They’re too well-connected to have been idle all this time.
Jason resolved himself to be patient. Kira had a new lead to chase. He had to trust in her ability to unveil the larger plan.
— — —
After spending the full prior day traveling to and from Tararia, Wil was looking forward to time at TSS Headquarters so he could get caught up on work. Saera had given him a gentle reminder at breakfast to review the proposed course catalogue, among other languishing tasks.
I just need a day without interruptions. Such days were a rarity, but maybe he’d get lucky.
Before diving into the course lineup, Wil decided to reach out to Dahl to broach the topic of the Aesir manufacturing the Erebus power core. He expected it to be a brief conversation, with eager acceptance of the proposition. After all, the Aesir were currently reliant on MPS’ power cores, like the rest of the Taran Empire, so having control over the manufacturing would be a natural fit with their proclivity for resource independence.
He initiated a direct vidcall to Dahl and waited for the Oracle to answer.
“Hello, Cadicle. What is the purpose for your call?” Dahl’s pale, glowing eyes studied Wil through the viewscreen.
No talk of this discussion being foretold in the cosmic pattern, for a change? Wil smiled. “I wanted to give you an update on where we stand with the Erebus’ power core.”
Dahl nodded. “We have been curious about how it performed in your testing.”
“Wonderfully. In fact, our engineers have given it clearance to go into mass production.”
“Is that so?”
“Which brings us to the matter of how to manufacture it,” Wil continued. “MPS was the natural choice, but they have declined the offer.”
The Oracle scowled, his dark robes washing out the already pasty complexion of his ageless face. “Why?”
“Celine didn’t offer an explanation. However, I received a nice warning shot—literally—as I was leaving. Needless to say, that relationship is finished.”
“What have you seen of this in the pattern?”
Oh, here we go. Wil waved his hand dismissively. “Not every action has a deeper cosmic meaning. What are your thoughts on the core manufacturing?”
“This is not a conversation to be handled remotely. You should join us to discuss the matter in person.”
Wil sighed inwardly. “I have a lot going on right now, Dahl. I’m afraid a trip isn’t realistic.”
“Come here to speak with us,” Dahl insisted.
“This isn’t a good time.”
“You, of all people, understand how critical a reliable power infrastructure is to the health of the civilization. What else could possibly be a higher priority?”
It’s not like the current power cores are failing across the board. We have plenty of time to roll out the new equipment. Wil was on the verge of voicing his rebuttal but decided against it. Past experience told him that Dahl’s sense of urgency and timing was warped after living for more than twelve hundred years.
“Yes, you’re right, Dahl. Can it wait until tomorrow, though?”
“Sooner is better. We’ll send a ship to meet you at Bolhem Station.”
Dahl ended the comm link.
I shouldn’t have said anything to him today. I should have known. Wil groaned softly.
Meeting with the Aesir in one of their home bases always gave Wil conflicting feelings.
On the one hand, the Aesir welcomed him and were peers in the way few others in the Taran Empire could ever be. Their relationship with bioelectronic technology and ubiquitous Gifts made them easy to relate to. He felt understood by them, and that allowed him to relax in a way he couldn’t around some people.
However, the Aesir lifestyle was also like stepping into another world. Their massive stations housing millions, encircling artificial stars, bent his sense of orientation. So much of his life had either been spent inside TSS Headquarters, which had no exterior reference points, or on a planet with a defined sky, that the notion of rotating around a central point—where ‘up’ was also down—that it messed with his perception. Whenever he visited a base, he found himself in a perpetual state of analysis that kept him from appreciating the comfort of being around other Gifted people like himself.
Part of that was by his own design. He recognized that giving himself the time to get comfortable with the surroundings would make the place feel more like home than anywhere else, so he was sure to keep the visits infrequent. The Aesir had made it clear that Wil was welcome among them, and his children would be, but Saera and every other Taran he cared about were not. The distinctions for ‘why’ were stupid and infuriating, tracing back to the Aesir’s feud with the Priesthood and decision to break off from the rest of the Empire. There was no changing their mind about it, so Wil didn’t bother bringing it up anymore. They could invite him all they wanted, but he would never leave everyone behind—especially not his wife.
He reached out telepathically to Saera. “Are you in your office?”
“Yes. What’s up?”
“Dahl wants to meet in person about the power core manufacturing. Right now.”
Her annoyance came through full force in the direct mental link. “You have to be kidding!”
“I wish. I’ll go over the course list in transit—I got through most of it on my way home from Tararia yester
day, so I should be able to finish up by the time I get home.”
“All right. I’ll gather up a few more things for you to look over. Swing by on your way out.”
“I’d never leave without seeing you. Be right over.”
Wil grabbed a travel tablet and checked that everything he needed for the TSS course review was saved to the device’s onboard memory.
He left the High Commander’s office and went the short distance down the hall to Saera’s Lead Agent office. She came around to the front of the desk to give him a hug and kiss goodbye.
“Dahl is a great guy, but he really doesn’t understand how much you have going on,” Saera said as she held Wil at arm’s length, gazing into his cerulean eyes.
“It shouldn’t be too long. At least it’ll be a faster trip than to Tararia. I’m meeting them at Bolhem Station.”
“Try to get him to hand over their jump drive tech, while you’re at it. I’ve been dying for us to have their transit speed for decades.”
“Oh, I’ve tried. It wasn’t in the Archive they gave us, and I don’t know why.”
“This so-called ‘alliance’ with the Aesir is confounding.”
“Maybe this upcoming conversation can be the start of something good.” He gave her another kiss. “See you soon.”
“Safe travels. And good luck!”
Wil took a deliberate pace toward the central elevator. As he passed by Jason’s office several doors down from Saera’s, his son flagged him down telepathically.
“You look irritated. Everything okay?”
“Not sure yet,” Wil replied. He detoured to the doorway of Jason’s office. “Dahl has asked to meet with me.”
“Didn’t you just get back from Tararia?” He stood up behind his desk. “And is it really a good idea for you to be out and about after what happened?”
“I’m not in any danger with the Aesir. It’s precisely because of how that meeting with Monsari went that I need to speak with Dahl now.”