A Line in the Sand

by Ryk Brown

  Nathan sighed, sitting back down. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

  “Do you know how the current Dusahn leader came to power?” the kor-dom wondered.

  “By killing off the heirs ahead of him in the line of succession.”

  “No doubt his own brothers,” the kor-dom surmised. “That is good.”

  “How so?”

  “It means they still honor the old traditions of the Jung.”

  “I’m not following,” Nathan lied.

  “It means that, if the challenge is done properly, Lord Dusahn must agree or risk losing control of his own caste by default.”

  “How?” Nathan asked, already knowing the answer.

  “Only two people can challenge a dom for leadership,” Kor-Dom Borrol explained. “A member of the same caste or the leader of another caste. If either issues a challenge, refusing to accept that challenge would be considered a forfeit, bringing the ultimate shame upon him who refused. By Jung law, which governs all the castes, this would make him unfit to lead. If you wish to issue a challenge, one that Lord Dusahn cannot refuse, you must first be made a dom yourself.”

  “How does one become a dom?”

  “Of an existing caste, one must be appointed by the elders of that caste.”

  “What about of a new caste?” Nathan wondered.

  “A new caste can only be created by a two-thirds majority vote by the Leadership Council.”

  “Can you make that happen?” Nathan asked.

  Kor-Dom Borrol looked at Nathan. “You already know that I can, otherwise I would not be here.”

  “Forgive my subterfuge, Kor-Dom,” Nathan apologized. “I needed to ensure that your answers were in earnest.”

  “I see you have inherited the skills of your father,” the kor-dom commented. “I can submit the proposal and call for a vote, but that is all I can do.”

  “What are the chances the motion would carry?” Nathan wondered.

  “Not good,” the kor-dom warned. “However, I do have some influence over the other doms.” He paused a moment before continuing. “It might help to know what the empire would get in return.”

  “An end to the attacks against the Jung Empire by the Sol Alliance,” Nathan replied.

  Kor-Dom Borrol laughed. “You will fire on your own people?”

  “I had something else in mind.”

  “Such as?”

  “The details are not your concern,” Nathan told him. “Suffice to say that if the Jung Empire agrees to make me a caste leader and to back my challenge to Lord Dusahn, the Sol Alliance will no longer be a threat to them.”

  “As long as we are without jump drive technology, all those who possess it will be a threat to us.”

  “I cannot give you jump drive technology,” Nathan told him.

  “Yet you have willingly shared it with so many others.”

  Nathan sighed. “It was necessary at the time.”

  “As it is necessary now,” Kor-Dom Borrol replied.

  “You’re asking me to share the technology that saved my people from destruction with those who tried to destroy us. Surely you can see how some might not consider that a good idea.”

  “Even if doing so prevents the destruction of both empires?”

  Nathan leaned back in his chair, thinking. “The Jung Empire was built on the backs of the people they conquered. Sharing the jump drive technology with you would only enable you to continue that practice unchecked.”

  “The Jung Empire had to expand to survive,” Kor-Dom Borrol insisted. “The limitations of linear faster-than-light travel necessitated the acquisition of those worlds nearest us.”

  “I might believe that if you had just limited your expansion to a few worlds.”

  “Most worlds we encountered were in dire straits, having been unable to properly recover from the past ravages of the bio-digital plague. Our presence brought health and prosperity to those worlds.”

  “But at what price?” Nathan countered. “On most of those worlds, you forced your culture, language, and ideals on those people, eliminating those who were unwilling to accept them.”

  “I am not defending our past policies,” Kor-Dom Borrol replied. “Nor do I feel the need to defend them. They are what they are, and I cannot change them. I can only change the future of my people.”

  “If I gave you the jump drive, what would you do with it?” Nathan wondered.

  “I expect you have noticed that Nor-Patri has very little open land,” Kor-Dom Borrol began. “Our world depends on the import of resources for its very survival and has for more than a century. The jump drive would relieve us of the need to control the resources of neighboring inhabited worlds.”

  “So your empire would spread across the galaxy,” Nathan surmised.

  “I will not deny that possibility,” the kor-dom replied. “However, the events of the last seven years have caused a shift in the empire.”

  “What kind of shift?” Nathan asked.

  “The number of caste doms supporting expansion through conquest has diminished. Until recently, it was in the minority. However, the unwarranted attacks by the Sol Alliance have swung that support back toward conquest.”

  “Even though it will surely lead to your destruction?”

  “The Jung are a proud people,” the kor-dom reminded him. “We would rather die fighting for what we believe than live subserviently.”

  “Yet you deny that to others.”

  “Which is why support of conquest has faded in recent years.” Kor-Dom Borrol leaned forward, his elbows on the table. “Were you to share the jump drive with the Jung and end the attacks on our people, support would undoubtedly swing back in the other direction. There might actually be a chance for true peace.”

  “True peace meaning that the Jung Empire would stop conquering others and imposing their will upon them.”

  “Is that not the definition of peace?”

  “There are many definitions of peace,” Nathan insisted.

  “If we had access to countless uninhabited, hospitable worlds, we would no longer need to conquer our neighbors.”

  “Until the resources of those worlds were depleted,” Nathan replied.

  “Which would likely take thousands of years.”

  Nathan paused, considering the kor-dom’s position as if it were his own. “We would need assurances.”

  “What kind of assurances?” the kor-dom inquired.

  “That you would not use jump drive technology to conquer more human-inhabited worlds or uninhabited worlds previously claimed by others,” Nathan explained. “After all, you yourself stated that with the jump drive, you would no longer need to conquer others to survive.”

  “And how do you propose that we achieve such a détente?”

  “You would need to join our alliance,” Nathan replied.

  “Your alliance?” the kor-dom wondered. “Then you wish us to become allies?”

  “It would be better than being enemies.”

  “Perhaps,” the kor-dom admitted. “I would require more details, of course.”

  Nathan picked up his own data pad, touching the screen several times before setting it back down. “Your data pad now contains a copy of our draft charter. A formal constitution will be created by a convention of the founding members. I am offering you the opportunity to be one of them.”

  “I see,” the kor-dom replied, picking up his data pad again. “I shall consider your proposal.”

  “When can I expect a decision?” Nathan wondered.

  “It will take time,” Kor-Dom Borrol cautioned. “Several weeks, at least. Persuasion requires patience, especially when trying to change the minds of the devout. In the meantime, I would urge you to do what you can to end the attacks by your people against mine. That alone will go a long way toward convincing t
he doms to support the creation of a new caste with you as its dom.”

  “I need not remind you that time is of the essence…for both our worlds.”

  “I should warn you that even the most passive of the doms will not look kindly at the idea of bowing to the control of others.”

  “You don’t find that ironic?”

  “Nevertheless.”

  “Read the draft charter, Kor-Dom. You might be pleasantly surprised.”

  “I shall do so,” Kor-Dom Borrol assured him. “After you return me to Nor-Patri.”

  “Of course,” Nathan agreed.

  “I do have one other question,” Kor-Dom Borrol stated. “To end hostilities between our worlds, Admiral Galiardi will likely need to be removed from power. How exactly do you propose to accomplish this task?”

  “I have a few ideas I’m working on,” Nathan assured him.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  The sound of footsteps in the corridor caused Loki to quickly switch off the broadcast on the wall-mounted view screen. Without delay, he returned to his bed as the door was unlocked.

  A man in his forties appeared. His features were rugged, and his eyes told the story of the things he had done. Loki recognized this look, for he had seen it in the eyes of both the Ghatazhak and the Corinari. It was a look shared by men who had killed without regret.

  “Not many survive the Jung memory extraction device,” the man commented as he entered, and the guard outside closed the door behind him. The man looked Loki over, assessing him. “I would not have guessed you to be one of them.” The man pulled up a chair and took a seat. “What is your name?”

  “Shouldn’t you already know that?”

  The man smiled. “Answering a question with a question. A wise tactic, but surely it cannot hurt to know how you should be addressed.”

  Loki studied the man for a moment. “Loki Sheehan.”

  “A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sheehan. You may call me Joe.”

  “Just Joe?” Loki wondered.

  “It is enough for now. I must say, the memories extracted seem rather difficult to believe, or should I say convenient.”

  “I’m not sure what you mean,” Loki admitted.

  “These memories tell us a story which seems designed to make us trust you,” the man explained. “It seems far more likely that these memories are false.”

  “Shouldn’t your memory scans have revealed deception?”

  “Yes, unless the memories that you carry were planted, in which case you would believe them to be true.”

  “If my memories were planted, then interrogating me would be of little use, correct?”

  Joe smiled, shaking his finger at Loki. “An excellent response, but you are being evasive. If your memories are true, you have no need to be.”

  “What is it you want from me?” Loki wondered, becoming frustrated. “If you have extracted my memories, then you already know everything that I know.”

  “We did not extract all of your memories,” Joe corrected. “To do so would most certainly have killed you. This is how the Jung got information. But you… Your surface memories are so intriguing I felt compelled to spare your life so that I could investigate further.” The man stood back up again. “However, if you do not wish to answer my questions, then I will have no choice but to probe deeper. For your sake, I hope the inevitable coma comes sooner rather than later.”

  Loki sighed. “How do I know that you’re not EDF?”

  Joe laughed again. “If I were EDF, you would already be dead.”

  “Fair point,” Loki nodded. “Do you have anything to eat?”

  “You were watching the news for nearly an hour. You did not eat?”

  “There is no food in the refrigerator.”

  Joe closed his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief as he turned toward the exit.

  “You might want to bring some for yourself as well,” Loki told him. “This could take a while.”

  * * *

  After returning the kor-dom to Nor-Patri, Nathan decided it was best to execute the evasion algorithm, just to be safe.

  “Did you find the relay station?” Jessica asked.

  “It was right where we thought it would be,” Nathan replied as he entered the Voss’s common room. “I sent an update back to the Aurora and told Cam to keep the ship long jump ready, just in case we need them.”

  “Good idea,” Jessica agreed. “So, what’s the plan?”

  “Well,” Nathan said as he took a seat at the table, “I figured the next step is to try to contact Aleksi Rusayev.”

  The name got Vladimir’s attention. “Aleksi Rusayev?”

  “Why do you sound so surprised,” Nathan wondered.

  “He never reads the daily intel reports,” Jessica commented.

  “I’m an engineer,” Vladimir reminded her. “Besides, at the rate you people break things, when do I have time to read reports?” Vladimir moved from the kitchenette to the table, setting his plate down as he took a seat. “Why Aleksi?”

  “You know you are a command officer,” Jessica reminded him. “You’re supposed to be aware of these things.”

  Vladimir dismissed her with a wave, his attention directed at Nathan.

  “Then you know him,” Nathan surmised.

  “We went through basic together,” Vladimir explained. “Russian Marines. It was a long time ago.”

  “Were you two close?” Jessica wondered, becoming curious.

  “Back then, yes. But I haven’t seen Aleksi for over a decade,” Vladimir explained.

  “Do you think he would remember you?” Nathan wondered.

  “You don’t forget someone who saves your life,” Vladimir assured them.

  “Maybe you can help us contact him,” Jessica said.

  “I’m still waiting for someone to tell me why,” Vladimir said.

  “Apparently, he’s a leader of some sort of insurgency against Galiardi,” Nathan explained.

  “That makes sense,” Vladimir said. “Aleksi despises the EDF, as well as the unification of Earth into a single global government. At one time, he even led the movement to separate Kamchatka from Russia.”

  “Do you have any idea where we could find him?” Nathan asked.

  “Aleksi is from Klyuchi, a small city on the Kamchatka River south of Shiveluch. If he is operating an insurgency, it would be from somewhere in that area, as far away from any EDF installation as possible.”

  “Wouldn’t the EDF also start there?” Jessica suggested.

  “Aleksi’s records show that he was born in Petropavlovsk, but his parents moved to Klyuchi when he was a baby. He ended up back at Petropavlovsk when his parents died in a car crash in the mountains. He was a teenager at the time and stayed with his aunt in Petropavlovsk while he finished school. But in his heart, Klyuchi is home.”

  “How is it you know so much about the guy?” Jessica wondered. “I went through basic with a bunch of people, and I don’t know where any of them grew up.”

  “That is because you are not very social,” Vladimir insisted.

  “Hey, I’m social!” Jessica objected.

  “We were stranded in the wilderness together for a week,” Vladimir explained. “A training exercise that did not end well. Aleksi had a broken leg. I had to carry him out. We had plenty of time to get to know one another.”

  “That was a long time ago,” Nathan pointed out. “How do we know he’s still living in Klyuchi?”

  “I went to visit him just before I started at the academy,” Vladimir explained. “He was living in a small dacha on the outskirts of Klyuchi, very close to where he was raised. He had just been discharged from Russian special forces. He asked me not to tell anyone that he was not from Petropavlovsk. At the time, I got the feeling that he had done some pretty bad things in Spetsnaz and didn’t want to leav
e a trail that led to him.”

  “If he didn’t want to leave a trail, he should’ve gone to live someplace he’d never been,” Jessica said.

  “Like I said, Klyuchi is home to Aleksi.”

  Nathan looked at Jessica. “It sounds like our best option.”

  “I don’t know,” Jessica said. “It sounds like the guy has some skeletons.”

  “And you don’t?” Vladimir asked.

  “Is there anywhere near Klyuchi where we could sit down without being noticed?” Nathan asked Vladimir.

  “There is a volcano that has several lava tubes coming out from just above its base,” Vladimir told them. “Aleksi told me about them. He explored them once with his father. They might be large enough to park the Voss inside.”

  “Might be?” Nathan wondered.

  “The Aurora has fully detailed maps of the earth,” Jessica reminded him. “Even subterranean ones. We can ask Cam to send them.”

  “Good idea,” Nathan agreed. “With any luck, one of those tubes will be big enough for us to jump straight into.”

  “Did I just hear you right?” Dylan wondered, stopping suddenly as he entered the common room. “You want to jump us into a cave? Are you serious?”

  Josh pushed past him. “Nothing I haven’t done before.”

  * * *

  Loki finally pushed the plate away from him. After days of barely enough food to keep him alive, it felt good to eat a full and hearty meal.

  The conversation had turned out to be quite cathartic, which was something he hadn’t anticipated. He had revealed virtually everything about himself, holding back only those things that he felt Nathan would not want revealed. Whenever Joe had pressed for more specific details, he played dumb, pretending to be just a pilot, without close associations to the leaders of the Karuzari Alliance.

  Of course, he had no idea how much this man already knew. At times, the man appeared to know very little, so much so that Loki often found himself wondering if the Jung memory extraction device had worked on him at all. Loki knew very little about the device, only that the technology did exist. He remembered rumors from long ago about the technology being used on Admiral Galiardi. Many believed that it had been the real reason for the admiral’s extended hospital stay after being liberated from Jung captivity.