Deep Hydra

by Michael Formichelli

  Over a thousand eyes glazed over as they dove into the local Cyberweb to experience the evidence for themselves. The sudden stillness in the chamber sent a shudder down his back. He hadn’t realized one could hear the lap of waves in the bay from within the building.

  Zalor leaned over to him. “You’re doing well. I see I wasn’t entirely wrong about you.”

  “Maybe,” he whispered back. His stomach was on fire.

  “You have the room. Once they get done with the evidence package, they’ll be ready to tear Dorsky apart with their own hands. You really should have listened to my summons. You would not be blindsided by what happens next if you had.” Zalor nodded at him, eyes gleaming. He turned and signaled for Dorsky to be brought in.

  Cylus took in a shuddering breath, longing for the chance to get out of here and go home. He didn’t want to look over at the accused now. He didn’t want to see Dorsky’s eyes. The former premier had, as was his right, been given the evidence against him in the holding cell before this proceeding. Dorsky must know he was doomed. What did such a man look like when he was resigned to his fate? Cylus didn’t want to know.

  Praetor Prime Augusta marched the procession up to the podium and inclined her pale head toward him. He returned the gesture, then looked up at Dorsky despite himself. He expected a broken man, but saw gleaming, defiant eyes.

  “You think you’ve won,” Caspian said. “But your evidence is a lie.”

  “You’re doomed. I’m not lying now, am I?” The man’s defiance brought forth rage in his blood.

  “You’ll see,” Dorsky laughed.

  Slowly the barons and baronesses in the chamber raised their heads. Cylus cleared his throat. Before he could speak the hall erupted in a chorus of denouncements.

  He looked at Caspian. Despite the cries for his head in five different languages, the man still seemed confident.

  “Now you fall,” Caspian whispered.

  He gave the former premier a nervous glance, then leaned forward across the podium. Did he know something? Was the evidence false? No, that was impossible. The Abyssians never lied, but maybe they were involved with Siren… What did Zalor mean by blindsided? Was it Siren?

  “My fellow barons, you have now seen the evidence against the accused. The vote is yours. A vote for guilty is a vote for the protection of the Confederation. It is a vote to continue our path to glory, to end the war in victory. I trust you will all vote the right way, as your conscience demands.” He coughed and stepped back. His guts churned with uncertainty. “Does the accused have anything to say before a verdict is rendered? Do you have a defense to present?”

  The cries for blood died down and again the chamber fell silent. Caspian walked out from between the DS-109s, past the Praetor’s back, and stood beside him at the podium. He leaned forward with a smirk.

  “As many of you know, there was an assassination attempt on my life a short time ago. We lost a brave man in that attack. The evidence presented here today says I faked it, but I swear I would never seek to harm even a single one of you.”

  Boos filled the air. Cylus heard several barons shout out, “liar!”

  “They say I conspired to do just that. You have seen a portion of a record made in the Venus club to that effect, yet I claim that record was faked. What you did not see was the real architect of the conspiracy speaking in the moments before the clip began. What you did not see was the Baroness Sophiathena Cronus calling for the deaths of her own mother and aunt!”

  Cylus’ gut clenched as a tumult began among the barons, though whether they were booing Dorsky or Sophi he couldn’t tell. She sat in amusement with her hands folded in her lap. Of course, she wasn’t worried. That wasn’t a word in her vocabulary, but it was in his.

  “Furthermore, I claim that she did so in collaboration with Premier Keltan. Why else would she report back to him immediately after that meeting?”

  More chaos filled the air. Cylus glared at Dorsky. His gut clenched even tighter.

  “Barons and baronesses, you know me. I would not make up such a claim! But I also know the so-called evidence against me appears damning. So I say unto you, do not take my word for it. Rather, take the word of one you know even better than Premier Keltan. Take the word of Baron Zalor Revenant!”

  Cylus’ eyes widened. His gaze shot over to the doorway where Meia stood, then over to the Praetor afraid she might already be reaching for him—but she didn’t move.

  His legs shook as he made himself turn to the man Dorsky expected to save him.

  Baron Revenant raised a hand and the chamber erupted in applause. Light shone off his pale skin, illuminating gleaming blue eyes and slick, shoulder-length hair.

  Meia’s fists clenched and she twitched toward her gun but held fast as a man passed her to enter the chamber. Clad in the black uniform of Star Corps, he had deep-blue eyes and crew-cut brown hair. His powerful frame filled the uniform he wore.

  Cylus’ knees went weak. He fell back away from the podium as his enemy approached, smiling triumphantly at him.

  Ben? What—how is Captain Solus here? Why?

  “My apologies, Master. I do not know,” his servant replied from the Keltan box. “I am looking into it now.”

  Dorsky stood aside as Baron Revenant moved to take his place at the podium. He raised his hands, waiting for the mix of applause and shouts to die down.

  “Barons and Baronesses, I’m sure you have many questions, perhaps the most important of which is the innocence, and hence the fate, of the man beside me.” Zalor nodded toward Dorsky.

  A wicked smile formed on the former premier’s face.

  “I believe the accused has just claimed that the evidence against him is fabricated, or at the very least altered to make him appear guilty. My fellow masters of the Confederation, I have reviewed this evidence myself and I can assure you…”

  Zalor turned his razor-sharp gaze upon Cylus. He felt it digging into his body, carving away his flesh until he was nothing but bones standing at the man’s mercy. He shook with the naked feeling of it and wondered if it was all over. Was his dream of safety at an end? Was Lina’s dream of a secure, just Confederation dying before his eyes? He shot a look to Praetor Prime Augusta. Was he about to be arrested?

  “…that despite what some of you are no doubt thinking now, and perhaps have thought about what our good Premier Keltan’s intentions might be…”

  Goddess, this is it. This is the end, he thought.

  “…that the evidence against the accused is 100%…” Zalor paused, giving Cylus a wink as he leaned forward.

  Dorsky’s mouth opened in a broad, toothy grin.

  “…accurate.”

  Cylus’ mouth fell open and he swooned with the shock of Zalor’s words, yet Dorsky’s reaction was even greater. The former premier’s body went slack. The grin melted along with his ability to stand. The drones to either side of him were forced to catch his limp body by the arms before he fell.

  “I call upon you, my fellow barons, to do the right thing now. Use your consoles, and let justice be done.” Zalor bowed and stepped back from the podium.

  A hologram appeared in the air above them so that all could see. On one side was the word “guilty,” and on the other was the word “innocent.” Below them numbers ticked up as the votes of the assembled barons were tallied.

  Zalor moved toward him as they waited. Cylus felt himself fall back again, but his retreat was cut off by Helena’s body pressing into his back. When had she left Revenant’s box? Strangely, that was the only question he had as he felt her smile press into his cheek.

  The thick smell of Zalor’s cologne choked Cylus’ nostrils as he leaned in close.

  Above them the tally finished.

  7 Innocent.

  493 Guilty.

  Cylus looked up at the numbers, mainly to avoid looking into Zalor’s eyes.

  “Congratulations,” Helena whispered. “You’ve done it. You’re the next Premier. I told you not to worry.”

&n
bsp; “Guilty, hmm.” Zalor, the baron known as the Big Bad Wolf, locked furious eyes with him. “Guilty, guilty, guilty…”

  And then his knees went weak.

  Oh goddess, he knows!

  The crowd around him took up the chant.

  “Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!”

  Dorsky looked so pale it was a wonder he hadn’t died on the spot. The former Premier looked up into the crowd as though accusing each and every one there of betraying him, but a moment later that look of hate melted into one of confusion and shock.

  Cylus turned his head and followed Dorsky’s gaze up into the risers where, in Mitsugawa’s box, Sophi stood aghast. Her hands were on her hips and a severe expression adorned her face. Across from her stood two, tall individuals in red and green. Each had the lean look of professional athletes with close-cropped blond hair and blue eyes. One was male and the other female, but they could have been the same person. Cylus’ eyes narrowed as he stared, wondering what could put Sophi on the defensive like that, and why in the Spur was she dealing with the LeRouxs?

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Katozi’Slynn, Matre’s Glory System

  J2400:3326

  “Hey, you okay?” Nero asked from the doorway of Cygni’s cabin. She was seated on her bunk, her body silver from the neck down. Her shaggy mane of black hair hung like seaweed around her shoulders.

  Nero, maybe we should leave her alone, Prospero suggested.

  “I’ll be okay. I’m just—a lot has happened.” She looked up at him with wet eyes.

  He glanced across the common room at the door leading to the cockpit. He knew he had to be in there soon, but morale was important now that they were this close to the Matre’s Glory.

  “Anything you want to talk about?” He leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed. “It’s probably best to get it off your chest before we arrive. It’s going to be a hell of a mission if our predictions come true.”

  “Yeah.” She nodded.

  He watched her fidget, twirling her fingers around each other in her lap. She heaved, almost doubling over in her bunk.

  “You sick?” he asked.

  She shook her head and heaved again. Rune appeared and pushed past him into the room holding a cup of steaming tea. Cygni looked up at it and waved him off.

  “Sorry,” she muttered.

  “It’s okay.” Rune looked up at him. “Can you help?”

  He studied her body’s motions, her twitching muscles, the slow way she rocked herself back and forth. He’d seen it before.

  “Not sure, kid. It’s natural to have pre-mission jitters, but I’m not sure that’s what this is.”

  She put her head in her hands.

  “It’s also natural to have this reaction to killing people, though it’s usually more immediately after the act. This long after there are other reactions… But I’m starting to think you know that.” A sudden flash filled his mind’s eye; an inflatable habitat in the endless night, a couple of green soldiers twitching out in a cold sweat after days of attitude bordering on insubordination.

  He signaled for Rune to back out and knelt beside her. From between her fingers he saw her eyes flicker to the boy.

  “Hey, we’re getting close, right?” she asked.

  “Yeah. Dad says we’ll be at the ditch point in an hour.” Worry was etched on Rune’s face.

  “Go check that for me?” Nero asked.

  The kid gave him a look but moved off toward the cockpit.

  “How long have you been without your crutch?” he asked Cygni.

  “How do you…?” Her eyes widened.

  He put a hand on her shoulder. She flinched away.

  “Sorry, um, I know because I used to be a soldier. You’re in withdrawal, right?”

  “Oh goddess.” She hung her head and turned away.

  “What is it?”

  She didn’t answer.

  Scanning, Prospero said. In his vision Nero saw her body become translucent as Prospero used his magnetic field to scan hers. Analyzing neural activity… The neurons that are most active are—

  Skip the details, what was she on?

  I have a list of—

  “Kalkoa.”

  Nero cocked an eyebrow.

  Produced on Achinar Prime from a… oh my, a carnivorous plant known for its ability to devour the native sentient life form. It provides humans with euphoria, delusions of happiness—

  Shush. What fixes it?

  Fixes? You mean what will end her withdrawal? Time in this case. We don’t have the necessary nanos to fix her, Prospero responded.

  “You’re a tough one. Hang in there. You’ll get through it all right.” He sighed and patted Cygni on the back.

  “Nice of you to say, but you don’t know.” She shook her head. Her eyes met his for a moment, then she looked past him at the table in the rec room. “What is that?”

  He turned his head. Sorina must have come into the room while they were talking and resumed work on Login’s brain core.

  “We yanked that out of an Abyssian’s head. We were hoping to—”

  “—figure out what Daedalus was planning?” She cocked her head to the side. Drenched in sweat, her hair stuck to her scalp.

  He nodded.

  “We had one too. I mean, Lina did. She had it in her hiding place in the Bazaar.”

  Nero, if we had two of them, I think we could break the encryption, Prospero said.

  “Do you think it’s still there?” He leaned in close, scanning her eyes.

  She nodded. “I doubt the heiress took it with her on the mission. No one knew about that place, except maybe Boa. I guess it’s possible Boa took it, but she would more likely ignored it. If you don’t know what it is, it just looks like a piece of tech junk.”

  “Yeah, it kind of does.” He stood up. “Can you take us to it?”

  She nodded.

  “Thank you.” He grinned and patted her on the back again.

  She gave him an odd look, but another dry-heave bent her over.

  “How’s progress?” Nero moved to where Sorina sat at the table working her toe-fingers against its base.

  “Not good,” she stated.

  “How’d you like a second?”

  She looked up at him and the light caught in her golden eyes.

  “Our guest knows where there’s another, and all we have to do is get to Ikuzlu without being blown up.”

  “You make it sound so easy. They will be watching for us,” she said.

  “I know.” He sighed. It was likely were they would arrive facing both the CSA’s patrol ships and Daedalus’ annihilators. The odds of surviving to the planet surface weren’t good, even with Kae’s idea. “Still, best to plan for success before failure, right?”

  Her ears twitched.

  The cockpit door split in two and parted. Kae entered the rec room and spun a chair around before sitting down. Behind him Rune and Athame followed.

  “Last chance for ideas.” He looked right into his eyes.

  Nero glanced back at Cygni. She put a hand on the bunk above hers and stared back through a hanging tangle of black hair.

  “Yours might work, provided at least some of the ships that are waiting for us take the bait,” he said.

  But that is extremely unlikely. I assess that Daedalus has already calculated all of our possible avenues of success and moved to block them, Prospero stated.

  “So, what? You’re giving up?” Kae frowned. “That’s not the Nero I know.”

  “Naw, not giving up,” he said. “We’re just changing tactics. What are the odds Daedalus knows we’re on this Orgnan wormer?”

  Approximately—

  “It is unlikely,” Athame cut Prospero off, “given that it destroyed the Ol’Lekhura. I calculate that its destruction was an attempt to kill us.”

  You bitch, Prospero sent.

  “Jealousy and resentment are unbecoming of an AI,” she stated.

  Jealousy? What are you talking about?

&nb
sp; “Children, please,” Nero said, and waited for a moment to make sure he had the room. “We’re changing objectives on the ground, and I think we’re changing tactics, too. There’s a second brain core that might let us get into both, right?”

  That is correct.

  “I concur,” Athame stated.

  “Cygni knows where it is. So, Sorina will lead team A to it and finally break this damn code. Once you secure it, move to objective two.”

  “Team A? There’s a team B?” Kae asked.

  He nodded. “You’re looking at it.”

  Sorina’s ears vibrated.

  “And what are you going to do?” Kae asked.

  “Go for Objective One.”

  “Nero, do we still need that?” Sorina’s ears twitched in spurts.

  “Yes, for two reasons. The first is that it’ll provide a target for Daedalus’ forces on the ground and keep the heat lower on you. The second is that we need a sponsor or none of what we’ve seen and done will ever see the light of day.” He sighed and put a hand on Sorina’s shoulder. “I’ll be all right.”

  Her jaw muscles pulsed.

  “Last thing, if anyone wants to bail out now—”

  “Negative.”

  “No fucking way.”

  “I’ll second that.”

  “No.”

  Nero’s eyes went around the room, then turned to the only person who hadn’t yet answered.

  Cygni pulled herself up to her feet, still shaking. “Let’s get these sons of bitches.”

  “Here, have a look. Scan’s starting to fill in,” Kae said when Nero floated into the cockpit and pulled himself into the co-pilot’s chair.

  He watched the holographic sphere representing the Matre’s Glory system. First the golden star itself, then the orbits of the planets around it appeared as colored rings. Blue squares representing other ships and artificial structures in the system materialized. His eyes scanned them, the ship’s computer filling him in on what was what as his eyes moved over the icons.

  “Two military wormers?” he said at length.

  “The Laocoon and the Orion complete with their accompanying escort cruisers,” Kae nodded. “Someone’s expecting something serious to happen.”