Angela said, her avatar giving a wry twist of her lips.
<I like talking to them when they answer to me. Here…I feel like I’m back on Vesta, having to cajole every concession out of everyone. And we’re bolstering their military—you’d think they’d be grateful.>
Angela’s avatar shrugged in Tanis’s mind. <Well, at least we finally have everyone in agreement that attacking Silstrand is no longer a priority.>
<That took far more effort than it should have,> Tanis replied. She began to drift off to sleep, relaxed by the fire’s heat and the muted light dancing on her eyelids. A sound on the porch caught her attention and Tanis’s eyes snapped open.
<It’s me,> Sera said quietly. <I know you told everyone you were taking the night off, but you’ll want to hear this.>
<Come on in,> Tanis said.
As Sera entered the cabin and walked down the hall to the living room, Tanis admitted that it was nice to hear someone else in the cabin. Its layout was not dissimilar from her home on Carthage, and being here, bathed in relative silence, sometimes made her miss her family even more.
This was, after all, Cary’s childhood home. They’d lived here for the first few years of her daughter’s life, and the memories they had made were good ones.
<I’m becoming a sentimental fool in my advancing years,> Tanis said privately to Angela.
<No more than the rest of us,> Angela replied.
Sera entered the room, a grave expression on her face. She didn’t speak at first, and Tanis sat forward. “That bad?”
“What would you like to drink?” Sera asked.
Tanis gave a rueful chuckle. “If that’s not telling…. I’ll have something light. Whichever wine is in front.”
“You got it,” Sera said and walked to the bar at the back of the room. “It’s a whiskey night for me.”
“Whiskey, eh? Sounds like one thing after another.”
“Well, you know that operation that Diana was running to destabilize Silstrand’s border so she could march in and set up a proxy nation?”
Tanis nodded. “It has spent more than its share of time in my thoughts. I assume that the message to abort didn’t make it in time?”
Sera mirrored Tanis’s nod, only hers was tight and short, filled with tension. “Yup. It’s a shit show. Diana’s plant, that woman named Vaax—what a weird name—was set to take over when some sort of crazy thing happened. From what I can tell, one of the Silstrand generals attacked the Gedri capital to retrieve his daughter who has the nanotech Diana tried to steal from S&H Defensive Armaments.”
As she spoke, Sera poured the drinks, walked back to the seating area and handed Tanis her wine.
“Stars,” Tanis said as she accepted the glass, “that does sound like a shit show. But I get the feeling there’s more.”
Sera sat heavily in a chair adjacent to Tanis. “Yeah, somehow in that mess, Maverick became president of Gedri and declared independence. Totally screws up the whole stability-in-the-fringe thing we were shooting for.”
Tanis took a sip of her wine and tapped her index finger on the rim of her glass. “That name sounds familiar…”
“He’s always been a big player in Gedri. Has run Jericho for over a century. When we took out Kade and Padre, it created enough of a power vacuum for him to really step up his game.”
“How much of a problem is this?” Tanis asked. “I mean…it’s just one system.”
Sera laughed. “Stars…the scale of our issues sure have changed. Anyway, Maverick is filth—maybe pond scum at best. But he’s vicious and brutal too. If he gets a taste of real power in Gedri he may destabilize things further, just when we’re trying to get things under control.”
<Seems like we need to get ready for a trip to Silstrand,> Angela said.
Sera nodded. “We’ll need to wrap things up here, though. Silstrand is important, but not enough to leave our alliance with Scipio half-baked.”
“We could send a pair of cruisers to Gedri…assist the local SSF against this Maverick,” Tanis suggested.
Sera ran a hand through her hair and reclined in the chair. “I suppose that could work. I doubt he has much that could go up against a pair of our cruisers especially with our stasis shields.”
Sera snorted. “Don’t have to tell me twice. When an AI orders me to take the night off and offers to do my work, I’m all in.”
Tanis sighed and tapped her head with her forefinger. “Easy for you to say. I can feel her working away in here.”
Sera gave Tanis a funny look, then shook her head and winked. “Better you than me.”
ELSEWHERE
STELLAR DATE: 09.25.8948 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: RFS Ark of Justice
REGION: Edge of Gedri System, Silstrand Alliance
“Kylie!” Nadine screeched in horror, lost somewhere in the dark. “Help me!”
Kylie sprung up in bed, her eyes wide open. “Nadine!” Her eyes were fogged over with film from a long sleep. She rubbed them, pushed her hair back from her face and slowly took in the fact she was lying in a large, sterile-looking room with blue plas walls, pristine white floors, and a ceiling that glowed with a warm, amber light.
The bed she sat on was large with a fluffy white comforter. Next to it stood an end table on which rested a small cactus. On the far side of the space stood a large dresser with an ornate mirror above it. It occurred to her that the room was bigger than the bridge of the Dauntless. It was a lot of space for a starship—if it was a starship. If it was, then this was a converted cargo hold.
As her vision cleared, Kylie realized that one wall was actually a holodisplay, an exterior view of the ship. She could see a bit of hull at the bottom and some running lights, but beyond that was nothing. No planets, no stars.
Whatever ship she was on, it was travelling through the DL—but Kylie couldn’t remember getting on a ship at all.
She thought back, remembering the fighting on The Futz, breaking Nadine out of lockup. They had made it off the central spire to the docking ring…it had been a warzone. She recalled ducking for cover, and running for her life. She had been with Nadine and together, they had met someone…who?
Then it hit her. David. They had met her injured brother, David.
Nadine had injected her with some sort of nano cocktail, something that had managed to keep even her new nanotech at bay. The memory filled her with heartbreak and anger at what could only be betrayal. So, this was her brother’s ship? Or was it her father’s? If it belonged to Peter Rhoads, he’d show himself soon.
Kylie threw back the comforter and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She was in white and paisley pajamas. On the floor sat a pair of green fluffy slippers. Well, that was quaint.
<It’s good to see you are back with us,> Marge said. <I’ve been getting bored.>
<Marge!> Kylie had…completely forgotten about the AI in her stupor. <Are you all right?>
<Yes. I’ve been lying undercover, waiting for you to wake up. Just listening a lot. I caught the tail end of some conversations as they brought you onto the ship. From what I’ve gathered, the crew are not keen on AI so I thought it was best if I lay low. For both our protection.>
Kylie stood and felt a shiver run through her as her feet met the cold floor. She slid her feet into the slippers and walked to the dresser. The drawers slid out with an oiled smoothness, and inside she found her clothes and boots—which was weird, who put boots in a dresser—but no weapons.
Not that she had expected to find any, but a girl could hope.
<What else have you figured out?> Kylie tossed her pajama top into an empty drawer and started to pull on her own clothes. If David thought she’d allow him to have a conversation—and what a conversation it would be—with her in a pair of girly pajamas, then he didn’t remember her very well.
<We’re traveling through the dark layer to meet up with
a larger fleet. We’re on a ship called the Ark of Justice. It’s running with a sizeable crew. Several hundred from what I can tell.>
<Several hundred?> Kylie’s forehead scrunched up as she considered the information. <That doesn’t make sense. Not if this ship is part of my father’s fleet. He has converts, but not that many. Certainly not ships big enough for crews like that.>
<Maybe it’s part of another fleet. I don’t think Peter Rhoads is here, not as far as I can tell. I could try hacking into the ship’s computer but the ship’s non-sentient AI may notice.>
<There won’t be NSAI if it’s part of my father’s fleet.>
<Oh!> Marge’s tone brightened enthusiastically. <I can get in then and if any human’s get suspicious, I can fool them into believing I’m just another system hogging resources.> Marge sent the image across of a female avatar giggling.
<I completely agree. I’ll be very careful. I’ll admit, the idea of flying through the dark layer with human brains running the show and no NSAI to check things over is terrifying enough to begin with. I wouldn’t want to make it worse.>
Kylie heartily agreed. Even on the Dauntless, Rogers employed an NSAI to help pilot the ship—especially in the DL. The thought made her wonder where Rogers was…and Winter, and her ship…. She hoped they had managed to get away from The Futz. Maybe—though it would take heaping doses of luck—they were coming after her.
She did not, however, wonder where Nadine was.
Refusing to let her mind go down into that spiral, Kylie sat on the bed and pulled on her boots, zipping them up to the knee and rising once more. She glanced at the mirror and realized her outfit looked great, but her hair looked like she’d been attacked by a flock of magpies.
She strode back to the dresser where a brush lay and quickly tamed her short locks.
Finally feeling like she was ready to face whatever may come, she walked to the room’s door and tried the handle.
Locked.
Not that she expected anything else, anyway. She let out a long sigh and considered using her nano to unlock the door. Wouldn’t David be surprised if she hunted him down on his own ship. Or she could play the helpless damsel and sit on the bed, waiting for someone to show up.
Kylie had never been very good at playing the role of a helpless woman.
She pressed her hand against the keypad beside the door. It was old fashioned, no holo interface, no Link presence. Just a coded system that her nano walked through in seconds. Kylie gave a smug smile as the door unlatched, and she slid it open.
“Bingo,” Kylie whispered, and peered out into the passageway. She supposed there must’ve been some trust left between her and David, because there were no guards posted outside her room. Kylie took a moment to inspect the long corridor.
It went in both directions and appeared to curve around in each direction. It had the same look as her room, green plas walls out here, clean, white floors and the glowing ceiling. It was brighter too, and the light felt like sunlight. It certainly was the most well-lit starship Kylie had ever been on.
From the curve of the corridor, Kylie suspected both directions would eventually meet up if you went far enough. There were a few doorways further down, but Kylie saw no other people. If there were hundreds of crew, she would have expected there to be people everywhere. Maybe the ship was really, really big. David said he had his own ship docked at The Futz. Could this really be his vessel? Or was it some other ship? And would they even know who she was?
<Marge, if you can get your hands on the ship’s schematic, send it over, would you. Would be handy to have a map on my HUD.>
<Anything special you’re looking for?>
Kylie considered the question as she crept down the corridor. <Weapons, comm relay, escape pods. My brother, if possible, though for no other reason than to know where he is.>
<Got it. You’re planning an escape or to take over the bridge?>
Well, Marge really had her pegged. <With a crew of a few hundred, I don’t think I could take over the ship, but thanks for the vote of confidence.>
Marge sent a smiley face. <Well, if anyone could….>
Kylie continue down the well-lit corridor and eventually heard voices. A door was on her right, and she tried the latch.
Unlocked, perfect!
She ducked inside and found the room to be filled with conduit stacks, monitoring equipment, and a small service bench. She left the door open a crack and peered out to see a woman—blonde hair pulled into a tight bun—and a man approach. They were dressed in matching light gray uniforms. They were talking and laughing as they passed by, perfectly content and happy from the looks of it.
At least it wasn’t a ship filled with angry modded-up brutes. Kylie could use some happy opponents in her life.
<Overlaying the schematics on your HUD. Looks like we’re on the same level as the main weapons lockup.>
<Main?>
<Yes,> Marge said. <Each level has its own, but the biggest one is on this level.>
<Well that’s not a prudent place to stick your prisoners…>
Interesting. Why would a ship—one with her brother on board—have so many weapons? Her father was a preacher of sorts, a minister against the AI. He had never espoused a need for weapons when Kylie had been growing up. Although the region of space her family lived in had grown more hostile over the years. Maybe they needed weapons for protection.
<Try to track down Nadine. I don’t know if she’s here but let’s find out.>
<Okay. If you think that’s wise.>
<Why wouldn’t it be wise?> Kylie located the weapons lockup on the map, and slipped back into the corridor, keeping her ears peeled for any more crew. With her enhanced hearing and vision, she should see or hear anyone long before they approached. Especially if they were as loud as the last couple.
The ship’s schematics labeled her current location as the executive level. Which meant her room wasn’t a converted cargo bay. The ship really did have rooms that big.
<Nadine dosed you with nano—some very advanced nano, I might add,> Marge said, responding to Kylie’s question. <She did it so David could get his hands on us. She’s working against us.>
Kylie still had trouble wrapping her mind around being an ‘us’ let alone that Nadine—of all people—could be working against them. <I know, but if she’s here, I can’t just leave without her. At least not without finding out why….>
<She lied to you and your crew. She got you here by taking you out. If she’s here, that’s exactly what you should do. For some reason—crazy as it sounds—she wanted you to end up on this ship. Maybe you should try to figure out why before we see her again.>
Marge made a good point, and Kylie knew she should be enraged by what Nadine had done. After five years together, the instinct to protect Nadine was strong—it had become second nature. But Marge was right, Kylie had to stop and consider what was going on.
<Duly noted. At least see if you can pinpoint where she is.>
Kylie reached the weapons lockup; a nondescript door on the right side of the passageway. <Just looks like a regular lock. Can you spot any alarms on the door?>
<No, it’s like this ship flew out of the stone ages.>
Kylie smirked as she used her nano to unlock the door. Inside, Kylie saw rows of lockers and benches. She followed them down and reached a caged-off area where the weapons were stored. The size of it surprised her. Rows upon row of files, railguns, grenades, particle weapons, and personal sidearms stretched for over one hundred meters. Beyond that stood racks of armor. Along the right, another caged area held heavier, crew-served weapons systems.
This was not defensive armament. This was the sort of equipment you took to war. A full-scale war.
Kylie unlocked the cage’s gate and selected a standard ballistic handgun. Beneath the weapon was a box of magazines, all loaded with rounds. She slid one into the handgun and
chambered a round. Then she tucked two more mags into her jacket and checked the handgun’s safety before tucking it into her waistband.
She considered grabbing a rifle, but decided that if she ran into enough trouble and the handgun couldn’t do the trick she’d be SOL anyway. No point in losing any element of surprise by lugging a rifle around.
She zipped her jacket up half way and looked at the armory one last time. A sickening feeling came over here—she needed to get out of here.
What all this was for…
Kylie brought the schematic back up and looked beyond her current level. She found the shields stronger than necessary, but not alarming—not like the weapons systems. Those took her breath away.
Particle beams, lasers, relativistic missiles, nuclear warheads, bombs for planetary attacks…. This wasn’t a cruiser sent on a mission to rescue a missing sister, a lost daughter, this was a warship, and it was meant to do only one thing—destroy.
Kylie hurried back to the door to the passageway. <Did you find the roster for personnel? Who is captain of this ship?>
A few seconds passed as Kylie snuck out into the hall.
<Captain David Rhoads.>
Kylie felt like she was punched in the stomach and turned back toward her room. So, this was a ship in her father’s fleet and her brother was captain, but what did that mean? Why were they armed and ready for war? With a name like Ark of Justice, it was bound not to be a peaceable vessel. Kylie tried to put the pieces together but they didn’t fit right. You didn’t need a war ship when you were spreading a message of peace, of encouraging humanity to get back to basics without AI.
It just didn’t make any sense.
<Marge, back out of the network and lay low. It’s too risky.>
<What changed your mind?>
<Just do it for now. I’ll explain later.> Kylie entered her room and hoped no one had noticed her little field trip. She searched the room to make sure there were no cameras or listening devices in the closets, the light fixtures, or under the mattress. <This ship, it’s built for war. If they find out I have you…Well, I don’t think they’re going to appreciate it.>