Vontaura

by James C. Dunn

  ‘General Vagrida, isn’t it?’ she said.

  ‘It is.’ His voice was deep, authoritative, with a touch of sincerity.

  ‘And you’re here to tell me about the craft that was discovered outside the cities last night.’

  He was surprised she knew already, but proceeded as though he didn’t care. ‘Seven occupants were found, including one Crilshan. He is currently being debriefed. A trusted agent—’

  ‘I want that report before morning,’ she said. ‘I shall leave it to you to decide the agent’s fate. Do we know the craft’s origin?’

  ‘It was a Titanese shuttlecraft, of interstellar type Gattac-Boon. Its captain was with them. One Diego Ferranti. He is now in a cell in the Martial City. He is being interrogated as well.’

  ‘No,’ she said. ‘I will do that myself. In fact, I will see all of them.’

  ‘But you—’

  ‘But I what? Am incapable? Not to be trusted?’

  ‘That is not what I—’

  ‘You say seven were found. What of the other five?’ She knew the answer, but wanted to put him on the spot.

  He looked uncomfortable. ‘Two young females from Titan themselves, and an elderly woman. The sixth is an unknown female. The last, however, is interesting.’

  ‘Tell me.’

  ‘An abomination,’ he said. ‘A man. Half . . . Crilshan.’

  ‘Xerin Kramer,’ she said.

  ‘How did you—’

  ‘I will question them myself. Although as to the issue of where they’ve been I imagine I have some clue.’

  Vagrida looked at her objectionably.

  ‘You know what I am, don’t you, General?’

  ‘Ifra. I know exactly what you are.’

  ‘Then you must wonder what exactly my echo is.’

  Vagrida ignored her, attempted to change the subject. ‘I must insist, Mistress, that my men have claim to these prisoners, and consequently the knowledge of their recent whereabouts. Titan is under Dishan rule. Those are my orders.’

  Sudana said nothing and leaned back upon the soft leather seat. ‘Why do you think you are here, General?’

  ‘It is you who seems to be confused. Why do you think I am here?’

  ‘You lead the invasion of Rotavar two months ago, did you not?’

  ‘I did. What is your point? ’

  Sudana smiled. ‘Didn’t end well, did it?’

  ‘It ended as I was ordered to end it. The planet has been razed now, anyway. If you are attempting to put me at unease, khulul, I have to say you are failing miserably.’

  Sudana sat up straight. ‘Unease? Ha!’ She thrust her torso forward. ‘I’ll tell you why you are here, Vagrida. You are here because you’re a pawn. The Dishan trust you. Because you obey. Because you do not question. Because you follow orders. Wivartha Dishan wants control of Titan, he always has, so much so that he has forgotten why. One thing he must never forget, however, is that Lord Malizar is in control. That’s why I am here.’

  ‘My lords—’

  ‘Your lords,’ she said, ‘are allowed to think they have Titan under their command. Now you know different.’

  Vagrida scowled. He did not hide his scorn. ‘Have you not read the report on the state of this colony and my High Lord’s plans for it?’

  Sudana closed her eyes, summoning her echo. He was not listening. The child materialized nearby. There was nothing else for it.

  ‘Mistress?’

  Sudana held up her hand. Slowly she stood, moved back around the desk, and turned toward him. She removed her veil and at once the Crilshan’s reaction betrayed him. He attempted to disguise the way he recoiled at her damaged, peeling skin, missing nose, and bulging eyeballs, but she could see it in his eyes.

  ‘You fear me,’ she said.

  ‘No, my lady.’

  ‘My name is Sudana.’

  ‘Of course.’ His reaction was typical. The damage she bore across most of her body was common among her Order. Many young Iástrons had suffered similar injuries as Europa fell, as Lord Malizar freed them from the shackles of their old master. The silver masks were originally worn to conceal their horrific deformities. Sudana preferred a veil.

  General Vagrida breathed out, unsure what to do.

  As they faced each other, she glanced at the little girl sat upon the floor nearby, and nodded. The Echo Child stood, glided towards the general. He seemed to realise that something was happening and so froze, unable to move, breathing in measured, aching gasps. The girl reached out her small, shaking hands and took hold of his wrist. His face could not turn paler than it already was, but his eyes widened in the cold shock of it.

  ‘I do not answer to you,’ she said.

  Vagrida grunted, fighting the effects of the vaporous process now taking place.

  ‘You answer to me.’

  He shook his wrist, but the girl held on.

  ‘And now my echo and I will show you why.’

  The General breathed out slowly, and his breath, pale blue and spectral wonder, revealed an image. Lingering, the pale air formed the shape of a woman: old and bloody, battered and weeping. Vagrida shook in terror, trembling, filled with the agony of reflection. The old woman split in two. The cloud parted and two men, also bloody and beaten, took her place. Again and again they divided. Each was lost and replaced, until more than a dozen surrounded the whimpering general. Then they moved in.

  Sudana’s heart thumped. She understood who they were. Her echo, the small child, allowed her this.

  ‘You were renowned for your brutality beneath Crilshar,’ she whispered. ‘But in your heart . . . in your mind . . . you are haunted by your past. Your choices. The lives you took.’

  He whimpered like the little girl. They both shook, encircled by the clouded forms, furious images of men and women drawing closer, suffocating . . .

  ‘Please,’ he whimpered.

  ‘Now I know your pain. Before you simply feared me, but now you tremble with terror at what I can do.’

  ‘Please . . .’

  Sudana looked to the white-locked girl, nodded. She let go. The eerie apparitions scattered. The general fell to his knees, his whole body shaking. For minutes he remained there. Sudana watched patiently until eventually he looked up.

  ‘I do not answer to you,’ she said once more. ‘You answer to me. Not your High Lord. My master has many plans for Titan, and you will aid our effort in any way you can.’

  He found his knees.

  ‘Is that clear?’

  ‘Yes, S . . . Sudana.’

  ‘Good,’ she said. ‘Now stand. We have much to do.’

  EIGHTEEN

  A BITTER BREEZE tore a hole through Aíron Veryan’s sopping wet head as she was dragged through bushes and trees, along clinging dirt, and over stinging leaves. Her body was numb, her whole figure shaking. Opening her eyes she could make out a drenched Adra Dimal following behind. Justus’ voice came from above.

  At last they stopped, and Justus lowered her onto her back among a pile of twigs. In the silence, the crackling spit of fire could be heard nearby. She sat up, realised immediately that they had circled around and were now behind the burning Flux.

  ‘Raj!’

  ‘Quiet!’ Dimal said from beside.

  ‘Sorry.’

  ‘You okay?’

  She nodded.

  Justus knelt nearby. ‘Remove your wet clothes,’ he said. ‘The top layers, at least.’ Aíron did so, and he placed his long black overcoat around her. ‘Stay here,’ he said. ‘I won’t be long.’

  ‘Justus, we—’ Dimal started.

  ‘Stay here, Adra. If I’m not back soon, head for Vortan’s. He won’t be hard to find.’

  Justus crept away. Neither Aíron nor Dimal spoke. They could feel the heat from the burning carcass of the Flux in their hiding place. The disgusting smell that came with it threatened to knock them sick.

  Who were those figures? Surely Raj, Shree, and Noah had survived. They had to. They were her new family. Then
again maybe she deserved to lose them. She had been so quick to tear off in a desperate adventure. If she’d had any idea it would be like this . . .

  A loud snap nearby. Dimal moved close and put her arms around her. Huddled tight, the two held their breath. Voices nearby. Men’s voices. Deep and searching. Aíron shivered. The cold wind and the wet clothes had rapidly taken their toll. Her body shook violently.

  ‘Couldn’t we m . . . move closer to . . . to the wre . . . wreck?’ she asked. Dimal’s lips were blue. ‘I can’t b . . . b . . . b . . . breathe, Adra.’

  ‘We shouldn’t,’ she said. ‘Whoever did this is . . . still out there. They’re obviously . . . dangerous.’

  ‘I know, but—’

  Another snap. Another twig cracking nearby. Shapes moved. Heading closer. Both hunched up and held their breath once more as a figure entered through the tree line.

  ‘Guys?’ Justus called. ‘You here?’

  ‘We’re here,’ Dimal said, up on her feet. ‘Where’re the others?’

  Aíron clambered up, still wrapped tightly in the cosy black coat, to see Noah follow behind Justus. He looked startled and shaky. But no Shree. No Raj.

  ‘Where are they?’ Dimal repeated. ‘What’s happened?’

  Justus found his breath and swallowed. ‘We need to move. Now.’

  ‘We’ll explain on the way,’ Noah said.

  ‘Tell us now,’ Dimal said.

  ‘They’re still about. Looking for us.’ Justus reached for her. ‘We don’t have time—’

  ‘Make time,’ she said. ‘I’m going nowhere until you tell me where Raj and Shree are!’

  ‘Adra,’ Noah said.

  Aíron moved forwards, but Dimal wouldn’t move.

  ‘Okay,’ Justus said, trembling himself. ‘Masked men. They blew up the Flux. They have vehicles nearby. Must have followed us here.’

  ‘The ones you saw?’

  He took a step closer. ‘I don’t know. Noah says they entered the Flux and fired on them.’

  ‘No!’ she said. ‘Raj and Shree?’

  ‘Taken.’

  ‘And he told you that?’ she said, gesturing towards the shivering medic. Aíron watched his face reflect the distant firelight. He looked purely insulted.

  ‘And just what do you mean by that?’ Noah retorted.

  ‘It doesn’t matter.’ She looked to Justus.

  ‘It most certainly does!’

  ‘Now hold on,’ Justus said. ‘This isn’t the time. I told you what you want to know, Adra. Now come on.’

  ‘Please,’ Aíron said.

  Dimal nodded, hesitated, and took Justus’ outstretched hand.

  ‘How was it you weren’t taken?’ Dimal demanded of Noah. The group panted, struggling up a deep ravine leading away from the column of dark smoke behind.

  ‘Later,’ Justus said. ‘Let’s get out of here first.’

  ‘If you really want to know,’ Noah replied, ‘I was outside . . . getting some well-deserved fresh air. There was the explosion. Then I was on my back.’ He breathed in. ‘I saw them . . . dragged away by masked men. Kicking and screaming.’ He mumbled and snivelled on at the back of the group.

  Dimal kept her retort to herself. His words did nothing to wipe out her worry. She looked back across the lake. The blazing fireball that was her home stared back. It was only when she closed her eyes, the fire burnt into her mind, that it hit her. None of them had anything. No home. No possessions. All they had was each other, and even there they were short. She prayed Raj and Shree were okay. Justus would have a plan. They’d get them back – she knew it.

  The four emerged at the top of the hill, through a cluster of trees, and onto a wide, open highway. Darkness in both directions. Life on neither.

  ‘Where are we?’ she asked.

  ‘Route nine,’ Aíron said.

  ‘How do you know?’

  She pointed to the road sign above.

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘We won’t have to wait long,’ Justus said. ‘Route nine is one of the most direct roads into Avaris City. Hell knows why it’s so quiet.’

  Just as he had said, the sharp headlights of a vehicle flared over the horizon after only a few minutes. A large van shot along the road in an unsettling silence, its bright-beam casting a ghostly view of the lost crew as they gathered themselves.

  Justus stepped calmly out into the middle of the road. The other three watched with horror. The van stopped dead. In a matter of seconds a heavy-set man climbed out, rolling his sleeves up and yelling, ‘What in the Von’s name do you think you’re acting out! Jumping out like that. I outta’ take another go ‘atcha!’

  Noah waved nervously at the two young women sat within. One ignored him and the other shot him a hand gesture Dimal could only guess was an insult.

  Justus stood his ground and didn’t seem one ounce thrown by the angry man’s size. Dimal knew what he was thinking. She took out her blaster, handed it to him. He offered it towards the large man in warning.

  ‘Your shirt,’ he said. ‘Take it off. Noah, get those girls out of there.’

  ‘Now hold on,’ the man said. ‘You dare—’

  Crack! Justus fired the blaster at the ground and aimed it at him again. ‘Dimal, get the girls out of that van.’

  She did as she was told and opened the passenger door. Noah watched their frightened faces and stuck out his tongue.

  In no time the four were racing down the dark road, bordered by trees on all sides. Justus changed into the dry red shirt while the girls swapped into the clothes they had taken from their midnight robbery. Aíron didn’t see any point in wearing them at all: the skirts and vests were so scant and inadequate she could see every nook and cranny Dimal possessed. She averted her gaze and stared out the window into the dark.

  ‘You nearly got yourself killed back there,’ Dimal said, pulling the clearly-too-small band down her neckline.

  ‘Yeah,’ Justus said, ‘but I didn’t—’

  ‘Don’t “yeah but I didn’t” me!’

  ‘I would have used the coil,’ he said. ‘But it’s broken. Shot out of my hand back there.’

  Aíron wrestled with her new clothes, stretching them around her uncomfortably. ‘That was very dangerous, Justus.’

  ‘I’m fine,’ he said. ‘We’re fine.’

  Noah started, ‘It’s just that—’

  ‘Enough,’ Dimal said. ‘What’s the plan then, Cap’n? You obviously have one. Where’re we going? Vortan’s?’

  Justus nodded once. ‘But just in case we’re followed or intercepted, or if he’s not there, we need some insurance. We’ll need a new vehicle too. Can’t keep this one. We need to stay off the grid. We need help.’

  ‘You’re not thinking—’

  ‘Yes, Adra.’

  ‘Surely there’s somewhere else.’

  ‘There isn’t. You don’t have to come.’

  ‘I’ll go!’ Aíron jumped up from beside Noah as though she had been electrocuted.

  Dimal turned. ‘You don’t even know what we’re talking about.’

  ‘I don’t care. I’ll go . . . with Justus.’

  Dimal glanced at Noah for backup. ‘Don’t look at me,’ he said. ‘If she wants to go, let her. No one usually cares what I think.’

  ‘She can come,’ Justus said.

  ‘What?’

  ‘I can?’

  ‘She might be useful.’ He glanced back at Aíron, sat uncomfortably in heavy boots, a short green skirt, and matching vest. ‘Besides,’ he smiled, ‘she looks the part.’

  NINETEEN

  INSIDE HIS DARK manor house, encircled by nameless, weather-beaten gravestones, the reputable-though-reclusive Von Lanfranc Vortan stirred. The brown leather glove which lay on his bedside table buzzed and chimed. Vortan’s lean upper body rose ninety degrees and he placed his arm inside it, lifting the glove to his mouth.

  ‘What NOW?!’

  —My Lord Von. We found them.

  ‘And?’

  —We have tw
o. The others escaped.

  ‘Find them then. You know what you’re doing.’

  —We already have, said the caller. We’re tracking them via a vehicle they stole on route nine. Four of them. Heading towards the city.

  ‘Well find them and follow the necessary paths. This should have left my knowledge once they stepped foot off my Athenaeum.’

  —Apologies, Von Vortan.

  ‘Don’t apologize. Just take care of them.’

  —Of course.

  He removed the leather glove and placed it back onto the table, but remained sat, lean hands forming a steeple beneath his chin. These trespassers would be found and dealt with. This was not his problem. There was no need to be concerned. No. He would lose no sleep tonight.

  TWENTY

  IN THE FAR south of the great River Francium, constantly threatened by storms from the east and floods from the neighboring mountains, Avaris City was awash with privation. Like many of the other great cities in recent years it was fast becoming destitute and lacking in much needed direction. Local Von affiliates had signed over all but few of the rights to the city to businesses and regional clusters of authority. They in turn had carved out their quarter and solved little else, leaving mouths to feed and work to be done. There was no question about this. It was clear for all to see.

  The ground beneath Aíron’s feet thudded and thumped as she followed Justus down the floodlit street – grotty, smelly, and damp. Just like her. It was obviously late, but the streets were full of life, albeit sordid and unclean. The stars were masked with clouds which glowed orange in the city’s blank reflection. Horns and music blared on every corner and the buildings around her stretched higher than she could see. Not in her wildest dreams had she imagined a world like this. The stories she had heard of Earth were true. She wanted to leave.

  The lane they moved down bustled with unsavoury figures. Whores in doorsteps. Beggars in the drain. In truth, they were not what frightened her. It was Justus. He walked beside her, arms by his sides, his head bowed down, bearing a brash smirk he flashed at nearly every woman he passed. It was almost like he was comfortable. Like he enjoyed it.

  They fought their way across a busy road and she felt light drops of rain begin to fall. The air smelled bitterer than before. ‘Are we near?’ she asked Justus. He didn’t reply. ‘Antal, where are we going?’