‘They elected me the mayor of Luzasand by a landslide, and the tables turned. With easy access to capital, I bought into another firm and renamed it Puissance. Only one could have become the number one, and if Runore were to be it, the economy of the whole planet would’ve suffered. Your family firm wanted to stay planet-bound, whereas I wanted Puissance to become an interstellar player.’
This man had the same thoughts as I did, I realised. I nodded for him to continue.
‘My success worried him. He threatened me with action. He said he’d blow me out of the sandpit—’
‘So you did it first,’ I said.
His face became darker, as if pulled harder by the gravity. With an almost inaudible voice, he said, ‘There was no other way.’
I could understand why he hated my father, and why he wanted him gone, but that didn’t shadow the fact that he had just confessed to killing my father. My blood boiled; a flush grew on my neck as I clenched my fists.
I punched his face four times in a row. ‘You. Piece. Of. Scum!’
He whimpered with his head drooping, blood dripping from his nostrils and his upper lip, down across his chin and onto his ragged white shirt. In the low green lighting, his blood looked like a hellish black mess.
I stepped back, rubbing my knuckles with my palm.
He whimpered, ‘I never…’
‘What?’
‘Intended to kill him.’
‘Why did you do it, then?’
‘I sought revenge and went too far.’
‘You did,’ I said, and punched his guts.
He coughed blood.
‘I’m so sorry. Your dad was a fine man,’ he uttered, spitting blood on the floor, ‘but this won’t bring him back.’
‘Think I don’t know that?’ I shouted in a fury.
‘Listen,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘Hate will only breed more hate.’
‘Look who’s talking! You killed my father.’
‘I was wrong,’ he mumbled. ‘Now I know: revenge proves its own executioner.’
I shook my head and pulled up my sleeves.
As he cried and whimpered, I hit his stomach, his neck, his ribs, and his face. I went berserk, thinking about my father, my childhood, and what that man had taken away. I never felt the pain in my fists as I pounded his bloody mess of a face, even long after he had stopped breathing.
Zap
An agonizing electric zap reminds me I am nothing but a head in a box.
Or that’s what I think it means to say. Who knows what and where I am? If this way of living continues for long, I might confuse the jolts with my memories and perhaps my memories will morph… or maybe they already have. I have no way of knowing.
I remember the feeling I had after making mash out of the president’s head. It was an eye-opening moment, and also the one that set me on my path.
By avenging my father’s death, I got emotional satisfaction and closure, and on the back of Puissance’s downfall, also a substantial financial gain. What I didn’t understand at the time was that everything I had taken was a bullet loan.
I’d achieved the success I wanted, but without my noticing, a wicked storm was gathering on the horizon.
Part III
Chapter Fifteen
Ten years later, at the height of my glory years, I woke up to sunlight gleaming into our bedroom and the gentle wind fluttering the white curtains. The other side of the bed was empty; Tiana had gotten up before me.
I put on a pair of slippers and strolled to the kitchen, led by a delicious aroma. She was frying eggs wearing nothing but my shirt, barely covering her buttocks. The bump of her tummy had become impossible to avoid.
I couldn’t wait to be a father.
We lived in a penthouse above the third street, with a massive terrace all around us. We had everything we ever wanted, including Runore, which had become the biggest corporation in Runcor, expanded to dozens of planets, including Regnar, Persevero, and even NC-2 in the far reaches.
Not long after the merger of Runore and the Sweeps, I became the de-facto CEO. I had the vision and the ability to execute; Usher showed the strength of his character when he admitted that the company was better off under my leadership. I also took the role of the chairman, with my board of directors: Usher, Sander, Pereen, and our lawyer, Prudencia Terscher, who, shortly after we announced the deal, jumped ship from Hicks & Renner to work solely as our legal counsel.
The president’s disappearance had been a shock to the entire planet. The press said it heralded galactic terrorism coming down on our sands. However, the shock to the political system from the president’s sudden disappearance didn’t last for long. There were plenty of hopeful candidates to fill the void, and we were lucky to get a liberal pro-industry president. The people quickly forgot Puissance—turned out they never truly loved him—and we bought a number of assets from the Puissance corporation in the few years that followed.
As she saw me enter the kitchen, Tiana opened up her arms and said, ‘Happy anniversary, honey.’
I leaned against her, wanting to grip her hard, but careful not to squeeze the baby. ‘Five years married,’ I said, ‘but I’ve known that you’re the one for thirty.’
‘I love you,’ she said, and ran back to pick up something from the kitchen counter: a small present wrapped in grey patterned paper. ‘It’s just a paltry thing.’
I took the package and carefully tore the wrapper. Inside was a thick brown book—of vintage paper—with some of its pages loose. I couldn’t understand the text or the words in it, the letters were of an ancient script, but I understood what it was. ‘How did you get this? How did you know?’
‘I, too, have some connections,’ she said with a wink. ‘Well, your brothers. I know you have a thing for historical artefacts. It's one of the greats. I wanted to give you something real but spiritual.’
‘You sure did. It is more than I ever imagined,’ I said, and leaned over to kiss her.
The book in my hands was an ancient scripture from the birthplace of humanity, which, in the original human script, explained how Shades, the divine creatures, came about to nurture and protect humans as they took the first steps outside of the home star. I had read the book’s current translation, but to touch an original copy was like feeling history and reaching the gods.
‘They said it’s the story of Shinzaburo the Shrouded.’
He was my favourite Shade; sharp and just, a warrior spirit who upheld the highest code of honour.
‘You’re the best,’ I said, and gave a smirk. ‘I’ve something for you, too.’
‘What’s that, baby?’
‘Let’s go outside,’ I said, and took her hand.
We passed the dining table, and through the fluttering curtains, stepped out to the terrace. The wind cooled the intense rays of Reuna. I led her around the corner to the stairs that led up to the roof.
At the foot of the stairs, I stopped. ‘Close your eyes.’
She did, and I took her hand. Carefully helping her find the steps, I led her up the stairs. As we reached the top, I positioned her just right, and said, ‘Open your eyes.’
Her mouth fell open. Eyes wide, she trembled. ‘I love you,’ she said, and kissed me on the lips before darting off.
On the landing pod lay a crimson red-and-grey personal luxury craft, the Aether model by Petals. I had been in a queue for one for quite some time and was one of the first to receive the latest model. It was exorbitantly expensive, but then again, I wanted only the best for her. She had seen it on my screen once and said the ship was beautiful. She had no personal craft, and this would be the best vehicle in which to arrive at the upcoming charity event in Roona station. She ran her fingers over the craft’s sleek surface in joy. ‘A Petals… You shouldn’t have!’
‘It’s nothing,’ I said, and pulled up a small packet. ‘This is also for you.’
She sighed in joy and took it, and upon opening it, sighed again. ‘Is this…?’
�
��A real Draonier? It is.’
I had gotten the stone through the Sweeps operations down in Guilier in an auction, and because only a few connoisseurs had attended, the price had remained low. I could have paid at least triple if it had been an online auction. But that would not have stopped me in any case. The fifth anniversary with the love of my life was a thing to celebrate, and I was loaded.
Everything was going my way.
‘Let me put it on,’ I said, and clasped the necklace around her neck. ‘You wear this, arrive in that, and you’ll be the queen of the gala.’
She smiled and held the stone under her palm. ‘I like the way it feels.’
She looked great with the stone. It accentuated her black hair and gazelle-like neck—precisely what I loved about her looks.
‘Does the Petals have a cabin?’ she asked.
‘Sure, why?’
She let one of her shoulder straps fall, and whispered, ‘I wanna fool around…’
The next week, I went to accompany Tiana on her trip to Roona. I took the company ship, Sweeper, one of our bigger ships, big enough to carry multiple smaller vessels, including Tiana’s Petals and a few below-the-line escorts to protect us should anything happen. She thought they were external security contractors. For ten years, I had kept her unaware of the BTL side of things. The merger of the Sweeps and Runore Inc complete, we didn’t use the Sweeps name anymore in public.
The venue of the gala was the Roona Intergalactic Event Space, one of the biggest luxury venues in the galaxy. The station was a frame, like a canvas, for setting up events that made it come alive. The intimate gala of just a few thousand people needed only a small portion of the station.
The gala was a charity event for Human Heritage Organisation, a group that existed to preserve the cultural history of humans once all species started mixing and evolving. It was something Tiana had loved as an idea, and their latest project, the Million Year Library, would be announced at the gala. Tiana was one of the biggest donors and a well-respected member of the organisation.
Contributing made her happy, and I supported her every way I could. But a gala like this wasn’t my thing; I found social gatherings a nuisance. Tiana didn’t mind, because as a powerful woman in her own right, the gala was her time to shine.
And shine she did: that night she wore a long, silky dress in gold—her favourite colour—sparkling high heels, and the Draonier stone I had given her. Turning around in front of the mirror, she said, ‘How do I look?’
‘Killer.’
She smiled and gave me one last kiss before climbing on board the Petals. As she walked up the stairs to her craft, I watched the sway of her hips—her dress had a deep cut to the small of her back—and the flicker of her toned calves. We spent a lot of time together, and now that we had a child on the way, it was almost heartbreaking to leave her. She waved goodbye with her fingers, and then disappeared as the hatch came down between us.
I walked away from the craft and found Naido leaning against the railing before a small escort ship. He had been a soft, baby-faced fellow when we first met, but now he was pumped-up and bearded, like a real tough guy (which he had always been, but now he also looked the part).
‘Relax, man. She will be all right,’ he said, as I approached.
‘It’s just, you know… we will be a family soon.’
‘I don’t know much about that, but I know Tiana is one of a kind.’
‘She sure is,’ I said, and turned to look at her craft. The shiny surface of the Petals reflected the port lights, as it turned gracefully in mid-air and floated towards the exit, through which the venue glimmered in front of a backdrop of stars. The force field that kept the air pressure in and the vacuum out shone blue on the craft’s surface as it passed through.
It wouldn’t have been possible for me to buy the Petals without Naido. I had the money, but he had the connections. Craft, spaceships, everything you could fly, had been Naido’s speciality even before he’d joined Sweeps. Now he oversaw the Sweeps fleet and ran our used no-questions-asked craft trade. The business was excellent but required significant care to make sure the money left no audit trail. Naido ran the operations without a fault.
‘Remember when we met in the asteroid?’
I smiled. ‘Thought you were a little brat.’
He chuckled. ‘The same.’
‘And here we are. The galaxy is ours to run.’
‘It’s yours to run; I couldn’t care less—it’s too much of a hassle. I’m happy as long as we’re doing stuff that matters while I get to operate the best ships.’
Even as Runore and Sweeps had made him a fortune, and given him the freedom to do what he wanted, Naido never succumbed to hedonistic pleasures. I was the same, because nothing pleased me more than seeing my empire grow. But then Naido’s expression became serious.
‘What is it?’
‘This thing with Sander in Zalda,’ he said, and brushed his beard with a small comb. ‘It bothers me.’
‘Tell me.’
‘The planet has been favourable with Kisha Clan, and they might have an idea what we’re up to.’
I knew this was the case, but Sander had assured me he had it under control. Naido had exposure with Kisha Clan, so I said, ‘I have a meeting with him in just a few minutes. Why not join me?’
‘Of course.’
We met with Sander in the presence room. Standing in small quarters with green-tinted light shining through the window, his usual happy-go-lucky demeanour was replaced with fluster. As the one responsible for expansion, he had been the conquistador, riding onto foreign planets, setting up operations, and bringing in the product in masses. He was our rainmaker and ran on optimism. Now it seemed as if he had run out.
‘Brother, what’s wrong?’ I asked.
‘They said this was a peaceful society! Now everyone in our team is dead, almost a hundred people, including Dr Darius. I’m the only one alive!’ He stared up as if pleading, then buried his face in his palms.
I gritted my teeth. Dr Darius was our head geologist, and losing him was like losing a family member. Wanting to understand, I asked, ‘What happened?’
He raised his head. ‘Early morning, just when everyone had arrived on the site, a cyborg stormed the mine blasting plasma rifles and grenades.’
‘Just one cyborg?’ Naido said. ‘Our team should’ve handled them… what about the below-the-liners?’
‘The cyborg was too fast. First the BTL folks took a while to react and then gave the cyborg a hard time, but they were too late. It was blasting away, dropping every one of our guys, one by one…’ His voice broke, and he sat down, holding his head between his palms.
I let it all sink in, not knowing what to think as my heart thumped hard inside my chest. At least Sander was alive. ‘How did you survive?’
‘I tried to shoot the cyborg down, but his combat armour repelled the weak shots of my pistol. Before I knew it, he tackled me.’ He pressed his palm on his side and grunted. ‘He raised me up with a squeezing metallic fist. I thought I would die.’
‘What happened?’
‘He didn’t strike me; instead, he said: Tell your brother that revenge proves its own executioner.’
I gasped. ‘What did he mean?’
He leaned back and said, ‘I don’t know.’
Naido looked at me, then Sander. ‘Did he say anything else?’
‘No. He just dropped me on the ground and disappeared, leaving me with my heart racing in the middle of death and destruction,’ he said, his voice faltering.
‘Where are you now?’
‘I’m in the Dananar medical centre in Zalda. I have a pickup with ZD504 soon.’
‘I would come over, but I have to wait until Tiana comes back. I will rendezvous with ZD504 on the orbit in ten hours.’
He nodded.
‘Take care, brother.’
‘Wait, bro,’ Sander said. ‘Do you know what he meant with that revenge thing?’
‘No idea
,’ I said. ‘Perhaps Usher knows, I will connect with him.’
‘I hope he’s not in trouble.’
We disconnected. Usher was in trouble, and so was Sander. He was lucky to be alive. But I was shaking, because I remembered all too well who had said those words—revenge proves its own executioner: the former president of Runcor.
A ghost of the past was after me.
Chapter Sixteen
I stood on the deck of the Sweeper and gazed out at the Roona Intergalactic Event Space and the stars beyond. Small ships emerged from the station and flew across to bigger ships like ours.
Thinking about the scale of the universe was often humbling, but at that moment, I could not feel it. Instead, my mind raced with thoughts of Sander, the planet Zalda, and our latest expansion. The star, Jezenera, was among the ones visible behind the station, and I wanted to take a strike group to avenge the attack, but I had no leads; I didn’t know what the cyborg’s agenda had been, or where he had gone. I only knew he had worn a Dawn Alliance Navy Marines combat suit.
The navy wouldn’t send a single cyborg to kill civilians like that. Either he was a rogue, or somebody was trying to make it look like the navy. The visuals from the site were of no help; he had laid out destruction in a fast and efficient manner, in a matter of minutes—and while he looked one hundred percent navy, everything else said that he was alone.
It pained me that Zalda was right in front of me, but so far away, with an abundance of emptiness in between. And there was nothing I could do to help.
I took a sip of cold Berdunamian tea and turned my gaze to the station. An eyesore, with its rectangular boxes and haphazard expansions, it resembled something made with a random bunch of kids’ building blocks. It wouldn’t be long until Tiana came back, and when she did, I would have to ask her to make a detour with me.
I had already deployed fighters and one transport to Zalda, but there was nothing more they could do. The new mining site had ground to a halt. We needed company experts to resume the operations, but had none available. It would take time.
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