The Circuit, Book 1

by Rhett C. Bruno

  Sage watched Talon talking to Zaimur out of the corner of her eyes until she was ushered up onto the vessel and they were out of view. There were two rows of seats and she took an empty one next to a tall mercenary with a scarred chin.

  “Lucky bastard. They pay him a shit load more than us for workin’ that fuckin’ mech,” Vellish complained from across the aisle while he pulled his restraints down over his shoulders.

  “He’s smart. Hasn’t got a death wish I suppose!” Ulson shouted back from the cozy cockpit.

  “You two girls gonna complain the whole time?” the mercenary with a scarred chin grunted.

  The lot of them began to bicker as Sage sat quietly thinking. She had spent around two weeks living in Julius’ shack. They didn’t speak much, but he was kind to her. He offered water and implored her every night her to sleep on his hammock while he took the floor. He had seemed keen to join in their mission, and so whatever was keeping him behind had to be more important than any of the men whining around her cared to consider. There was even a part of her that wished she had said goodbye, Ceresian or not. Though it was only a very small part.

  Everyone quieted down immediately when Talon entered the ship and the ramp sealed shut behind him with a snap-hiss. He moved to sit next to Vellish, directly across from her and laid his rifle flat over his thighs before pulling down his restraints. As he did, he quickly glanced over at her. Sage didn’t even realize she’d been staring, but he must have. She noticed his lips wriggle into some semblance of a smirk before he barked out. “Ulson! Take us up!”

  The whole crew howled in unison until the whining of the engines powering on drowned them out. Sage remained quiet. For the first time since she got to Ceres she began to doubt everything she was doing.

  What if I don’t discover anything about the attackers? She thought. Then I’d be helping the Ceresians. The very people who stood against the Tribune and all that she was. And then it dawned on her. When they attacked the freighter, retainers of the Tribune were going to try and kill her. It wouldn’t be the first time she would have to kill her own for the greater good—such was an Executor’s duty—but never before as a supposed Ceresian.

  Her mind raced so fast that it made her head hurt. She squeezed her eyes together to try and alleviate some of the pain, but when they reopened they fixed firmly on Talon, watching as he fiddled with his rifle. A sinking feeling pulled at her chest as if her heart was slowly drowning in water.

  I am a knight in the darkness, a vessel of their wisdom. She took steady breaths as she recited the Executor Vows in her head, but the sensation refused to leave her.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN—CASSIUS VALE

  From the Ashes of the Earth

  Cassius Vale leaned over a large HOLO-Screen with the image of Tribune Joran Noscondra on it. “Cassius. I hope you have been able to make progress since we last saw each other?” Joran asked calmly, though he wore a stern glare.

  “A pleasure to see you as well, Joran,” Cassius quipped. The Tribune was clearly not amused. “No time to waste I see. I’ve recoded the protocol. Your technicians should be able to adjust the system manually on any ships you desire. It won’t be a permanent solution, but whoever has been staging these raids won’t be able to crack the encryption on those ships at least. Should they try again, the protocol will work as expected, and you’ll have them dead in space.”

  “That is excellent news! Send your updates to the New Terrene Enclave and it will be distributed to trusted engineers throughout the Circuit. With that in place, alongside operations at our end, hopefully we will catch those damned Ceresians in the act!”

  “Glad to be of service, even though you have hardly upheld your end.”

  Joran’s eyebrows wrinkled. “What are you talking about?” he asked.

  “Random searches of my colony were not a part of the agreement. They claimed to have been sent by Nora, but I know Benjar was behind it. I must say, Hand Belloth was less than courteous, not nearly representative of the infallible Tribune.”

  “Inspections are to be expected.” Joran’s expression betrayed his words. Cassius could tell by his flushed cheeks that Benjar had left him completely in the dark. “The Vales have long presided over Titan, but you are a member of the Tribune. Remember that.”

  “I know whom I serve!” Cassius growled and slammed his hands on the end of the console. “This was no ordinary inspection, Joran. I don’t know what Benjar thinks I’m up to, but I don’t need him causing more unrest amongst my people. A Gravitum leak is no small hazard.”

  “Cassius…” Joran sighed and looked off to the side. “Because you fulfilled your end of the bargain, I will speak with him.”

  “At least there is one member of your Holy Council who gives way to reason,” Cassius slighted, readjusting his collar.

  “I will keep you apprised. In the meantime continue searching for a more permanent solution. As always, may the Spirit of the Earth guide your steps.”

  The transmission cut out before Cassius could respond, but the conversation brought a smile to his lips. The changes would be meaningless in helping to stop the true culprits. He shut down the communications array and exited back into the lower level of Edeoria: Shaft 23, a hop in his step.

  It was deafeningly loud there, with the Plasmatic Drill working tirelessly to carve through the crust of Titan. Cassius had brought back the mining bots from his last trip to Ennomos. They had already been re-outfitted for Gravitum recovery and were sent down with ADIM. He was anxiously awaiting their return, rocking back and forth from his heel to his sole. This was everything. The future of the Circuit he imagined was at stake. He hadn’t felt such exuberance in so long that it was almost too much to bear.

  Just as he was about to go and distract himself with lesser business, he noticed the reddish glow of ADIM’s eyes as the android clambered up the side of the bottomless pit. Cassius hurried around the rail to get a better view. His heart was either beating unfathomably fast or had stopped completely. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead and back, his eyes darting in frantic search for the luminous blue of raw Gravitum.

  “Creator!” ADIM projected as loud as his vocal systems could. His arm rotated so that he could begin running sideways up the walls of the circular fissure. He sprung up onto one of the drill’s legs, twirling around it to build momentum until he launched himself toward Cassius and landed dexterously a few feet away on the same walkway.

  “ADIM, is it there? Are we free of our shackles?” Cassius stuttered, unable to contain his excitement.

  “The others are behind this unit,” ADIM replied. He stepped forward and, clearly unable to display the emotion he thought was proper, grabbed Cassius’ hand. “The core, like Mars, is without Gravitum. This unit has failed.”

  “So Titan, as well, is not destined for more. It is the damned Universe which has failed me, ADIM, not you!” Cassius’ smile quickly faded. He slammed his fists down against the railing. ADIM grabbed his arms to calm him as Cassius gazed hopelessly at the mining bots scurrying out of the endless chasm empty-handedly. The drill was like a beating heart, expanding and contracting, hissing and wining, but it offered nothing. A tear rolled down from Cassius’ eye while he continued staring. He was deeply distressed, but not surprised. He turned his cheek so that ADIM wouldn’t see.

  “This unit did not think you truly believed there would be any here.”

  Cassius wiped his eyes and turned back to ADIM. “I didn’t,” he grumbled weakly, “but I hoped. Blindly! So many lives could have been spared if only it were here.”

  “The weak will perish in the flames, and from the ashes of Earth humanity will rise to claim their mantle,” ADIM recounted.

  Cassius turned to face ADIM, his wet eyes reflecting the red of his creations. “I said that, didn’t I?” he asked.

  “On the four-hundred and eighty-fourth day of my existence.”

  “Oh, ADIM.” He placed his hand on the android’s shoulder, his lips trembling. “Titan has
failed us today, as it has continually failed my family. Are we ready to do what must be done now?” “The will of the Creator is what must be done. This unit was forged to be ready.”

  “Well then.” Cassius took a step back to observe his disappointing venture. He averted his gaze and shook his head. “We must leave this futile experiment behind.” He switched on the HOLO-Screen along his bracer and keyed the commands to slowly power down the drill.

  “Is it finally time to test the new weapon on a physical subject?” ADIM’s eyes began to spin rapidly.

  “Yes. All of our preparation will now come to light.” Cassius stopped to take one last moment to breathe in the sight of the drill. There was some solace in knowing that now that there was no other alternative. Then, as if suddenly reinvigorated, he set off toward the upper level in a decidedly spry manner. “Come, ADIM. You must help me complete all the preparations on the Titan Conduit Station before you head back to Ennomos.”

  “The Creator will not accompany this unit?”

  Cassius placed his hand on ADIM’s shoulder as they walked. “How I would love to see it, but unfortunately I must remain here to greet my Tribunal guests when they soon arrive.”

  “This unit understands,” ADIM responded, surprising Cassius with his answer. He was rarely so easily convinced to separate for any long period of time. “If you are too near to the weapon unprotected, or are caught in its blast, it is probable that you would contract the Blue Death. This unit would not risk your health.”

  “It is appreciated, ADIM. We will be reunited soon after, and all the Circuit will envy what we possess.”

  They reached the hangar above where the White Hand was safely docked without any interruption. Once they got aboard, Cassius powered it on began to guide it up through Edeoria: Shaft 23.

  It was darker then when they had arrived roughly a month before, and far quieter. As they rose up the shaft, it didn’t take long for Cassius to recognize what the Drill, as well as all his other expensive ventures had cost the people he was meant to protect. The displaced Edeorians were either severely emaciated or dead. Many guards were positioned around the levels to keep a starving population at bay. Rations had to be traded to fund his work, and he imagined all the shafts of Edeoria were suffering. They would blame him first, and then the New Earth Tribunal. And if they ever rose up and the Tribune sent their warships to seize his colony, he would make them watch with a smile on his face as his plans came to fruition.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT—TALON RAYNE

  Splinters through Space

  “Tal, we’re closin’ in on the coordinates fast!” Ulson shouted back from the cockpit as he slid his hands across the map projected on the viewport. Zaimur had scouts feeding them Intel and the map showed them closing in on a red blip.

  Talon unfastened his restraints and hurried to the front to get a view of where they were headed. “Pull behind that asteroid,” he said, signaling to a lone fragment of floating rock that appeared no bigger than a thimble from their vantage. Then he returned to his seat and strapped himself back in.

  His index finger began rhythmically tapping the chambers of his rifle as the ship veered. When he noticed Agatha was watching he stopped and brought the weapon to rest on his lap. As nervous as he was, he couldn’t afford to let any of his crew see it.

  “You ready?” he said to her, but she didn’t hear him. She’d hardly moved since they left, falling into a sort of ruminating stare as if she were in a trance. There was no excitement or anxiety, just numbness. Talon figured he knew what was wrong. “Was the man in the arena your first?”

  “My first?” she replied. She hesitated to make eye contact, pretending that she was trying to listen in on the other quiet conversations throughout the vessel.

  “Kill. Was he the first man you’ve killed?” Talon said.

  “No.” There was a coldness to her response, a sort of apathy that only comes from those who have seen more than their fair share of carnage. At that moment he knew she wasn’t born with the hollow stare she wielded. Whether out of self-preservation, or to keep her mind at bay, life had taught it to her.

  “First man with a rock to the head?” Talon joked, leaning forward with his rifle as a crutch and lifting his eyebrow.

  “Yes, actually,” she muttered. Her mouth creased into a feeble smile. Her hand quickly rose to her lips as her eyes lifted to look at him. She hid it well, but there was so much emotion swelling in her cavernous, green eyes that the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Before he could respond, however, Ulson shouted back again.

  “I got a readin’ on the freighter! The metal in the asteroid should keep us hidden for long enough. You guys ready back there?” The ship banked hard to the side a grayish mass of crags and craters passed across the viewport.

  Everybody answered right away with a grunt or a slap on the side of their guns. Everybody except for Talon and Agatha. He stared into her eyes and she didn’t look away. “We’re ready,” he said, as if speaking directly to her. “Helmets on gentlemen! Let’s make this quick.”

  Each member of the squad hoisted their helmets and placed them over their heads. They went on with a rasp, the tops of their armor latching on and connecting to an air supply located on their backs. Talon gave Agatha a nod before he pulled his own over his head, his view tinted as the visor came down over his eyes.

  Agatha pressed a button on her bracer and from the upper part of her back, plates of metal rose up like a conveyer belt. When they were all in place, a bowed, amber visor slid down from the piece above her brow, connecting to the plates which rose to fit around her jaw.

  Who is this girl? Talon wondered as he gawked, never having seen a suit like it in all of his life.

  “Ready to send you boys down, Tal. On your signal.” Ulson pulled up the map again.

  Talon took a few deep breaths and firmly gripped his gun. He reached up and held down a button on his chest. All of their com-systems were set to the same frequency. “Send us out,” he said.

  Ulson keyed a few commands and all of their seats rotated vertically. Talon’s restraints shifted as the floor opened, sliding him down the back of the ship and into a small, narrow chamber. It was large enough to fit no more than a single man lying on his back, and Talon leaned up to catch one more glimpse of Agatha’s white armor before the transparent lids of their respective chambers sealed over them.

  “Remember, once we get in to stay together,” Talon ordered through his com-link. “Alpha squad, you’re on me. We’ll be shot in first and head to the command deck. Beta squad you’re on Chavos. When Ulson banks around, you’ll be sent toward the back of the freighter. Secure the engineering quarters and the cargo deck.” Talon received a chorus of “yes sirs,” though he heard no female voice amongst them.

  “Don’t worry about breaking anything,” he continued. “We don’t want the ship, just the Cargo. We’ll disable the freighter and any resistance, and that’ll be the end of it. Beta you get that cargo hatch open for Ulson and we’ll load up and get out. Easy as taking you fools in a game of cards.”

  “Remind me when we get back to take you up on that offer,” Vellish mused.

  “Will do. Everybody stay off them comms unless it’s urgent. We’ll take these bastards for all they’re worth.” Talon let go of the com-system switch and held his rifle at his chest. The chamber was rumbling intensely as Ulson swung the ship around the asteroid. His finger began to tap his gun again as his pulse quickened. He could hear the roar of the engines even through his suit. He closed his eyes and pictured Elisha’s face, smiling as she ran toward his open arms.

  I will see you again, he promised, and then metal cuffs rose up to strap around his limbs and helmet so that he couldn’t move.

  “Alpha squad. Have a good trip.” Ulson’s voice filled his ears before his vessel was shot forward like a missile.

  The pressure was almost too much to bear. Talon screamed as his eyes snapped open, looking through the glass to see only blackness a
nd stars rushing by in blinding fashion. It wasn’t his first time using the splinter tactic of raiding ships that the Ceresian Pact had grown fond of in the war, but he forgot how much it hurt. It had taken decades to perfect the strategy enough to keep the impact from severely injuring or killing the passengers, but that didn’t keep Talon from doubting the Splinter Chambers every time he crawled into one.

  He clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes, the g-force almost too much to bear. And then, when he felt like his skull was going to explode, the jagged front of the chamber sliced into the hull of the Tribunal Freighter. A coupling of the restraints, advanced recoil technologies and the use of magnets and Gravitum kept his body from breaking as it came to a sudden and bone-chattering stop.

  “Alpha squad engaged,” Ulson updated them. “Coming around the Freighter. Firing Beta Squad.”

  The restraints lifted off Talon and the front of the chamber opened like prongs. He stretched out his limbs. He was sore all over, with lines of burning pain shooting along his elbows and knees. He knew the pain would linger for days because of his affliction, but he would live. The surface within the chamber suddenly lurched forward, launching him through a narrow gash and into the freighter.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE—SAGE VOLUS

  A Knight in the Darkness

  “Beta Squad engaged,” Ulson said over her Com-link as Sage was thrust forward into the Tribunal Freighter. Her feet landed against the wall and she pushed off, falling into a tight roll and coming to a low, battle-ready crouch with her eye aimed straight down the barrel of her pulse-pistol.

  The interior was flashing with emergency red lights to the tune of a wailing alarm. Around her were only the five other members of her squad, all of them scrambling to their feet after clumsy entrances. It may not have been the prettiest strategy of boarding a vessel, but it was efficient. She would give the Ceresians that.