by J. N. Chaney
“Why didn’t they just move it after we showed up the first time?” asked Rackham.
It was a good question and all eyes studied the Celestial to see how he would answer.
His shoulders lifted slightly, but the movement looked unnatural. “To answer that, I must finish my account of what has transpired.”
“Go ahead,” I told him, waving a hand, since it seemed pertinent to the whole story.
Carl began again without preamble. “As my kind evolved, interest in Earth waned. Its barren state offered no logical reason for such an advanced species to continue an ardent search. Over time, Tartarus was used as a remote research station. It is now little more than a storage facility operated by only a few. It was also used more recently to observe and report on the activities of the ones you call Eternals. I believe you encountered one of our vessels previously on your homeworld.”
I considered that, remembering the single Scout that had attacked Verdun and the relatively small fighting force we’d encountered on both incursions to this place. Forces that didn’t match the overwhelming size of Tartarus. The empty halls within and lack of opposition we had encountered made for a grim realization as the days had passed. Our victory had been luck, pure and simple. Luck that the enemy had largely abandoned this place and had not seen fit to protect it with more than a skeleton crew.
“Ah, I see you understand now,” Carl noted without inflection, nodding slightly in my direction. “When the rift appeared on our scans, a single Scout was sent to investigate. He did not return, which has since been reported.”
He didn’t return, I thought, because he was dead. Taken out by my hand after the thing wreaked havoc on Verdun, destroying our home by sabotaging its fusion reactor. I’d later used his decapitated head to convince Vick and the Union that the Celestial threat was real. It was an effective method of persuasion.
Carl didn’t ask for any of the details and I wasn’t about to divulge the information. He didn’t seem particularly worried about the fate of his comrade, either.
“The eldest among us were unconcerned and wasted little time investigating his disappearance. This vessel’s scans made it apparent what had occurred.”
The black wires rippled and shifted once more.
“Your initial arrival was unexpected, and the defense system responded immediately when it registered hostile activity.”
I scoffed. “Hostile activity? We boarded Tartarus because our scans didn’t detect any signs of life. Your people ambushed us in the corridors.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “They attacked because it is their nature.”
No offered apology, I noted. I wasn’t sure if he was programmed that way or was just a remorseless son of a bitch.
“I had no wish to retaliate as we did. I was more curious,” he responded.
“Skip ahead to the part where you found Athena and removed her data drives,” I ordered. “I think my comrades will have their own questions for you after, but right now my priority is finding the Cognitive.” Depending on his answer, I had no idea how I’d react.
“Athena’s discovery altered the context. Our engineers took great care when removing her from the Capsule.” He said it appealingly, as though that made it better. “Her drives were inaccessible, so they were integrated into my system. This was how I became acquainted with her.”
I eyed him with suspicion. “Acquainted. You spoke with her?”
He nodded, stronger now, warming to his story and feeding into my interest. “She refused to divulge any information, fearing for her charges. I would have dismantled her security protocols, but it would have caused severe damage. She spoke to me in small passages and revealed snippets of memory. A laughing child, blue skies, and green grass. Such wonders, I soon found, that went beyond anything I could have imagined might still exist on Earth.”
I hadn’t expected that. “What happened next?” I asked, trying to stay on point.
“Athena’s concern came from her knowledge of Celestials, our penchant for eradication of lesser forms of human evolution. She was not altogether wrong. We began to talk, you see.” He paused, his eyes drifting between each of us. “One discussion at a time, each taking place as often as she had the strength to give, and with each I grew more fascinated.”
“What fascinated you about her, exactly?” asked Dressler, who had before now remained largely silent.
Wanting him to stay focused on me, I took a step forward and locked eyes with him, not at all sure I believed any of this. “That’s a nice story, but why would you do any of that?”
“I wish I had an answer for you, Jace Hughes,” said the entity. “All I can say is that I am unique.”
* * *
“I was created on Tartarus,” said the Cognitive known as Carl. “And I have never left this room. Observing my people through the screens you see before you and studying the archives of a history long past, I believed I would never grow beyond the limits I had already found. Evolution requires knowledge, and one cannot attain such a thing within walls such as this. To see that there is more than—” He spread his arms to encompass the room again. “—this prison, was a perspective that I had previously believed to be beyond my grasp.”
Abigail stepped up beside me, also aiming her weapon steadily at Carl, clenching it tightly. “You still haven’t told us what happened to Athena.”
“The Cognitive you call Athena showed me a world beyond this station. She delivered a wealth of experiences that stretched beyond my own existence, beyond my own creation, and I marveled at each of them. I dwelled in her memories for the equivalent of many lifetimes, and I grew to know her, and I grew to know you.”
“Us?” asked Abigail.
He looked at Abigail and Dressler. “All of you. But the others discovered my intentions and removed her drives from my system. The final memories Athena shared with me imparted a means of communication with which to contact you. My brethren discovered this, too, and disabled my systems.”
The Celestial shifted, its cables moving as it did.
“Even still,” it continued. “I recorded a message, placing it on a self-regulating timer before I went offline. It seems my efforts have been well placed, given that you now stand before me.”
So, that was how it had happened, or at least the story he’d chosen to tell. It wasn’t exactly what I’d been hoping for, but at least we knew more than we did an hour ago. “Think hard, Carl, and tell me where they took Athena,” I said, trying to sound a little more friendly than before. “We didn’t see any ships take off after the last battle. Are there still Celestials on this ship? Station? Whatever the hell this planet is?”
His eyes went blank and still, then flickered the way Sigmond’s did when he worked through data. “Yes,” he confirmed. “A small number of survivors. At least there were in the moments after your assault. I do not know if they managed to escape or later fell by your hand.”
“I have detected nothing to suggest that the enemy has fled,” Sigmond chimed in.
“There are other ways with which they might have departed,” Carl replied.
“What other ways?” Rackham said from behind me. “Are you saying they could have left this place without using a ship?”
“They could use the—” The Celestial stopped mid-sentence, his eyes going blank again. “I apologize. It seems my reach has been limited.”
“How convenient,” I muttered.
“It is,” said Carl. “It suggests that they are still here.”
I tensed at the sound of that. “Where?” I asked, quickly.
“Can you locate them?” Abigail asked.
“I cannot. They have taken measures against my tracking capabilities. I will begin repairs immediately.”
“Siggy,” I barked.
“Yes, sir?” asked the Cognitive.
“Work with Carl here and assist in any way you can,” I instructed.
“Are you certain, sir?” he asked.
Sigmond’s response took m
e by surprise. Usually, he did as I asked without question.
“There is no need, Jace Hughes,” said Carl. “I am quite capable on my own. While I am appreciative of the offer, I believe it would only slow my progress.”
I smirked. “I just need someone to monitor you. Can you handle that, Siggy?”
“With pleasure, sir.”
“Any objection to that, Carl?” I waited for him to agree. Silence, which was good enough for me. “In that case, I’d say we’ve all got our work cut out for us. I have to update Alphonse on what we’ve learned. I’m sure Sanchez will do the same with Grennet.”
We both glanced to where the Sarkonian huddled with his group. He gave me a quick nod.
“Rackham, update Vick and tell him I plan on being in the war room in thirty minutes to discuss our next course of action,” I said.
Rackham’s brows shot up. “War room?”
“He’ll know the place,” I said, referring to the usual meeting room we used on Tartarus. “His room is down the hall, so he’ll probably beat me there.”
Rackham tapped his ear comm, presumably to call Vice Admiral Vick, and shuffled off to the nearest wall, keeping his voice low enough for the rest of us to continue talking.
I waved Abigail over.
“What is it, Jace?” she asked, stepping beside me.
“See how many the Dawn can spare without compromising security. Tartarus is too big and we’re short on time. If Carl and Siggy can point us in the right direction, we might have a chance at finding Athena, but we need more guns and soldiers to hold them.”
She glanced at the Celestial on the other side of the room. “You’re certain we can trust that creature?”
“Hell no, I’m not,” I whispered. “But right now, this is our best option. Don’t worry, I’m not about to lower my guard just because it gave us a nice little story about how Athena touched his cold cybernetic heart.”
She slung the rifle behind her back and gave me a crisp nod. “I’ll do that now. If Athena and the Celestials are still here, we’ll find them.”
Dressler was busy observing the Celestial, careful not to touch the wiring, when we locked eyes and I motioned for her to join us. “Yes?” she asked.
I cleared my throat. “I need you to put some people on this—”
“I’ve already called them,” she interjected.
With a quick smirk, I relaxed. “Should’ve known you’d be on top of it.” I looked at Abigail. “Alright. Neither of you hesitate to call me the second you have an update. I want boots on the ground within two hours,” I said, then shot another glance at Dressler. “And knowing exactly what this thing is would be helpful.”
“I’m just as curious as you, rest assured,” said the doctor.
A few seconds later, I was out the door and headed to the nearest lift. Once I had a talk with Vick, I’d bring him down to meet our new guest. It was time, I wagered, for him to have his own first encounter with a real, live Celestial.
12
“We disconnect the Celestial from Tartarus and send it to a Union lab where it can be studied properly,” the Vice Admiral asserted vehemently. That was no surprise. Vick was a huge fan of dissecting anything he didn’t understand, living, dead, or otherwise.
Sanchez had joined us and sat next to Grennet, who so far hadn’t spoken. It was obvious to me and anyone in the room that the Emissary no longer spoke for Sarkon or the Emperor. I figured it would only be a little while longer before Grennet hightailed it back to the Empire and Sanchez took his spot permanently.
Neither reacted to Vick’s statement, though Lieutenant Rackham shook his head. “That would put us at a disadvantage, Vice Admiral. Carl—the Celestial—isn’t going anywhere, given his apparent integration into the station. It appears he has time-sensitive information. There’s also the unknown factor. If we remove him for study now, it could have a catastrophic effect on Tartarus.”
“As much as it pains me to say so, I think I agree with Vick,” I said.
The Vice Admiral shot me a look rife with surprise, clearly unsure if I was messing with him or legitimately agreeing. He straightened himself quickly and cleared his throat. “Indeed. I’ll get a transport in order.”
“Me too,” I commented, then pulled out my data pad.
Vick bristled. “What for, Hughes? The Union has far more capable scientists—”
“Hey, I don’t know about all that,” I said cheerfully, cutting him off. It took a great deal of self-control not to smile at him and give away my game. “In any case, it wouldn’t fit in with the treaty if the Union were the only ones with access to such a high level asset. That’s why I, and I’m sure the Sarkonian Empire, assumed you were offering the Union’s services to us. It’s very generous of you to allow our teams access to your scientists and facilities. We’ll be sure to take full advantage of the opportunity.”
“Hold on one damn second. That isn’t what I was getting at.”
Sanchez raised a finger. “Then perhaps it would be best if the Celestial stayed here so that we may obtain information from it.”
“That might be the best course of action, Major Sanchez,” I said, trying to sound agreeable for once.
Rackham went in for the kill and whispered in the vice admiral’s ear, just loud enough that I could hear it. Of course, I already knew what he was going to say. “To avoid any chance of being responsible for breaching the treaty, I suggest keeping the Celestial here.”
Vick stared at his lieutenant with some disdain before finally continuing. “Fine,” he said, after a moment of quiet contemplation. “Do what you will, but I expect full access to the Celestial and any data your people obtain immediately.”
Oh, Rackham, you poor bastard, I thought, frowning at the lieutenant from across the table. He was going to pay for that one later, I had no doubt.
* * *
I stood in front of a large expanse of door and stared at the map on my data pad while Dressler worked on getting it open. We were in the right place, for sure. The entrance spanned more than four meters across and three levels high. It was the biggest yet, not dissimilar to the hangar entrance, and I couldn’t wait to see what was inside.
The updated map had come from Carl and Sigmond and depicted various sections of the ship. The Celestial had concluded that if he came across a dark spot in his data, that was the place to be. It made enough sense for me to buy into it anyway. It was more than we had to go on at the moment.
Sigmond had agreed, though he pressed caution, given Carl’s origins. Not that I completely trusted him, either. Carl could have just as easily led us here and into another trap.
I glanced at the small army assembled behind me. Another mashup of our three nations, in order to keep things even. Two similar groups had set off for other blank spots on the map; one led by Rackham, the other by Major Sanchez. My key people were spread between the three groups to ensure I received information I could trust. Abigail and Dressler were with me, Freddie and Petra with Rackham, leaving Octavia and Leif with Sanchez.
Abigail studied me, eyes dark with restrained worry that she tried to hide with an empty expression, but I knew better. We’d argued before setting out with the group over my refusal to heed her and Octavia’s advice. Sigmond’s too, for that matter. “Don’t be an idiot,” she told me. “You came out of a coma only hours ago and haven’t stopped since. Have you even considered that overdoing it could trigger another incident?”
The thought had crossed my mind, actually. It was one thing to lose consciousness in front of my trusted crew. Doing that in a situation like this one wouldn’t bode well. It would put others in danger and raise suspicion. “Relax, Abby. I feel fine. Better than I have in weeks, if I’m being honest. Besides, Dressler already cleared me,” I said, nodding at the doctor.
She’d huffed at that, unable to come up with a counterargument, then resorted to watching me like a protective nanny. It unnerved me to feel her intense gaze on my back all the way to the door, and from th
e way the ex-nun’s eyes bored into me now, I was likely to receive another earful later. It amused me to think that not so very long ago, she wouldn’t have cared if I dropped dead. We had come a long way since that rocky beginning. I might just have to remind her of that.
“Ready, Captain.” Dressler’s voice broke through my thoughts before they could stray any further. I blinked, and she looked at me quizzically.
I motioned for the group to split and flank the door, not breaking from our previous strategy. “Now, Doc,” I said into my comm.
With the doors being so wide, a large column of light from the corridor spilled inside. Something loomed in the murky darkness beyond. Several somethings, in fact.
I jerked back, unsure of what exactly had caught my eye.
“What’s wrong?” asked Abigail, her voice barely a whisper in my ear.
I shrugged to tell her I didn’t know, then tapped a finger to my comm. “Any sign of movement on the scanners?”
“No, nothing.”
That was something, at least. “Did anybody catch what the hell was in there?” I asked, not entirely sure I hadn’t imagined it.
“I did, Captain Hughes,” an unfamiliar voice said.
I looked around and noticed a Union soldier positioned on the other side of the doorway making subtle hand movements to get my attention.
“They looked like statues,” he continued in a low voice. “Rows of them.”
I frowned. That had been my first impression too. It just didn’t mesh well with everything I knew about Tartarus and the Celestials. Granted, that knowledge wouldn’t fill a pint glass, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t right. Every inch of the ship had so far been bare. Nothing on the walls, no decorations. Storage facility or not, I couldn’t see them ferreting away statues.