Ghosts of the Vale

by Paul Grover

  “Are we holed, Mira?”

  “We’re fine; it was just a kiss.”

  Rosa muttered something in Spanish. Mira did not know what it was but was sure it was a curse. She should know, she was skilled in such matters.

  The tunnel jinked and ahead of them and the round aperture of the entrance swung into view. The ship’s relative velocity increased as they broke free of the last vestiges of micro gravity and atmospheric drag.

  There was no scope for avoiding the energetic weather, so Mira plotted an aggressive ascent orbit. The inertia suppression system struggled to contain the extra Gs forced on them by the hard acceleration.

  The shell of the Mothernode was coming apart. It was not a random, chaotic collapse; this was a structured process. The crust broke into segments thousands of kilometres wide. Starlight shone through the cracks, growing brighter as the sections moved outward into space. The star at the heart of the system was rejoining the universe. The distant gas giants and their moons would once again feel the warmth of its light.

  Mira flicked to the short-range scanner and directed the array toward the structure. Ships were escaping through the gaps, hundreds, maybe thousands. Most appeared small. They shimmered in and out of sensor lock.

  “Rosa, get us clear.”

  “Okay… I can’t jump us. There is too much mass and interference.”

  Mira checked her display. They could never build an envelope in the conditions surrounding the wreck of the Mothernode.

  “Run for the edge of the system. We have a head start. Let’s hope we can out pace them.”

  The fighters were closing. Abruptly the pursuing ships stopped and turned back.

  “Maybe we’re not worth the effort,” Alex said from behind her. His voice made her jump.

  “Alex! Are you okay?” Mira asked. “Wait, don’t answer… those fighters are surrounding the structure… they’re doing something.” She tried to zoom closer, but the Chance’s sensors lacked range and resolution.

  “Alex, jump on the console and see if any of our swarm is still active,” Mira said.

  He slipped into the seat and accessed the system. “Swarm is 58% complete and fully functional.”

  “Good, point them in the direction of the structure and start them running.” She turned to Rosa. “Take us to the edge of the system and monitor from there.”

  Rosa made a course correction and tapped her console. The HUD displayed a top down view of the system. She zoomed on the gas giant.

  “Look, this moon orbits slowly and will shield us from detection for 72 hours; we can gather data and jump quickly if they turn hostile.”

  Rosa may have been a commercial pilot but she knew how to astrogate as well as any fleet jockey.

  “Let’s do it.” Mira exhaled, her whole body ached. Pain concentrated in the right side of her chest.

  “Alex, help me up; I need to get a dose of painkillers. I want to see Tish too.”

  Alex helped her stand and took her place.

  “Rosa… Alex is more than capable of running the ship. Come with me to medbay? We can talk on the way.”

  Rosa pushed the pilot’s chair back and stood.

  Mira walked with her through the ship. “Rosa… you’re from Viola Prime?”

  “Si.”

  “Viola was attacked by vessels like those we saw escaping.”

  Rosa stopped her face blank, processing the information.

  Mira took her hand. “My friend Xander was there. He told me many ships escaped, most of them headed to Mizarma. It’s where we are going.”

  Rosa blinked, either holding back emotion or too exhausted to show it. “I understand…”

  “I asked Rich to enquire about your family. We’ll have the answer soon. I promise you.”

  “No, you don’t have to…” Sadness filled her eyes.

  “My daughter is dead,” she said. “It was an accident three years ago.”

  “I’m sorry…”

  “It’s okay. I struggle, you know?”

  Mira did.

  “My husband, Raul, left me not long after. So I ran away… I went back to doing the only thing I do well.”

  Emotions held in check returned to the surface. Mira stepped forward and held Rosa. Seconds stretched into minutes.

  Mira finally got her shit together.

  “I know how it works, Rosa,” she said. “When we’re safe I’d like to know about your daughter. Will you tell me about her?”

  “I will. Thank you, Thorn. Like I said, you are honest and I like you.”

  They walked the rest of the way to medbay in silence.

  Monica was waiting for them, she gestured for Rosa to hop on the empty bunk.

  Monica pointed to a couch. “Sit there, Thorn. You are not going anywhere until I have treated you; no matter what happens next.”

  Mira agreed. She rested her head on the soft headrest and tried to concentrate on her breathing. Her ribs ached, her arms and legs heavy. She closed her eyes.

  The fear returned, spreading from the outer fringes of her mind. Its dark tendrils wormed their way through her thoughts.

  You nearly killed her Thorn, her Shadow Sister whispered from the dark corner of her mind. The dark half of her psyche was weak; Mira could banish her forever.

  But I got through it. I don’t need you.

  “I’m free,” she whispered.

  The fear evaporated and strength and confidence filled the vacuum it left. Mira thought of Zenia’s words.

  I have become.

  Mira pulled a clean shirt over her head, wincing at the pain. Monica had her given a moderate pain killer. She insisted on minimal medication in case she was needed to fly the ship.

  “Tish is in your stateroom,” Monica said. “You should go to her. Physically she is fine, but she appears very emotional. Shannon was sitting with her.”

  “What about Rosa?” Mira asked.

  “I dressed her wound. You did a good job patching her up.”

  “Well, I had a lot of practice.”

  Monica frowned.

  “I gave her some vitamin shots and rehydration rations. I was surprised she could fly the ship. I allocated her a cabin; I hope you don’t mind.”

  Mira hugged Monica. “Why would I mind?”

  “What about you?” Monica asked. “You need to take time to look after yourself.”

  The trauma of Tish being shot and the release of the Blackened had taken all she had. Somehow, she had come through it intact, perhaps stronger.

  “Good, I'm okay, really. I won’t lie to you Monica if I had lost her I would not have come back. Right now I’m in control of myself, properly in control. It’s taking some getting used to. It's been a while.”

  “Keep taking those small steps, Mira. There will be times when you crash; it’s part of who you are. When the darkness comes, talk to me or Tish or even Alex.”

  Mira promise she would.

  She paused in the hatchway.

  “Monica… I’m putting a crew together; we have a war to fight and I need a medic. I want the best and wondered how you’re fixed for the unforeseeable future.”

  “What are the hours and pay like?”

  “Long and non-existent,” Mira replied.

  “I’m in.”

  Mira thanked her and left.

  She walked toward the stateroom, stretching her arms. Her ribs were taut; it was painful when she twisted. She welcomed the pain. It reminded her of her humanity. Her mind was still reeling, a tumultuous maelstrom of twisted thoughts and raw emotion.

  Mira opened the door with a key card. The stateroom was lit with dimmed spotlights.

  Shannon stood and excused herself, giving Mira a gentle hug.

  Tish was sitting on the edge of the bed. She wore a pair of sweat pants and a white vest; her hair was wild. She sang quietly to herself. It took Mira a second to recognise the lullaby. Tish paused when she came to the end and started over.

  “Hush little baby don’t say a word. Mama’s
gonna buy you a mocking bird. If that mocking bird won’t sing, mama’s gonna buy you…”

  “A diamond ring,” Mira finished for her. She knelt and took her hands.

  “You have a beautiful voice, Tish. I never knew you could sing.”

  “I remember it from… before. It’s the only thing I remember from back then. I remember a woman singing… she had hair like mine.”

  Tish blinked.

  “Tish?”

  Tish gazed up with haunted eyes, a thousand-yard stare Mira had seen many times over. She sat on the bed next to her, close enough to be touching but not as close as to initiate intimacy.

  “I used to sing that song in the bad times. It made the hurt go away,” Tish said.

  Mira found a brush on the bed and worked it through Tish’s hair.

  “Can you remember anything else about her, Tish? The woman who sang to you?”

  Tish paused a flicker of memory brought a smile to her face. “Bells, she wore little bells and ribbons woven into her hair. They would tinkle when she moved her head; so pretty…”

  Mira continued to brush the tangles from Tish’s hair.

  “We’ll find her Tish. I don’t know how but there will be a way… a database, DNA records… she can’t just vanish.”

  “I don’t know if I want to, Mira. She didn’t want me.”

  “Whatever you decide, I’m here for you.”

  Tish sat in silence.

  “The galaxy has changed. The war has come for us,” she said, eventually.

  “Tish,” Mira said. “If we all fight for the people we love: our families and our friends, we will beat them. They are motivated by fear and hate; they have nothing to fight for. I get it now. I understand. I did what I did because I love you. I will keep fighting because of love: for you, Alex, Monica, Shannon, Rich, for everyone.”

  Mira finally understood Jon Flynt’s words on the Valhalla… how long ago was that… six weeks?

  Tish leant into her. She put her hand to her chest where the ancient bullets had torn into her flesh.

  “Tish? Are you in pain?” Mira asked. She tried to hide the anxiety in her voice.

  “Mira, before I came back I saw something… another place… A world beyond our own. It was real but beyond my reach.”

  “Do you think it was a construct?”

  Tish shook her head. “No this was something different, it was… real.” She shrugged. “I came back after I saw it… Do you think we go there when we die?”

  Mira did not know how to answer. Amy’s words came back to her.

  When you’re dead, you’re dead. Right? Thank you and goodnight.

  “Tish, I don’t know. We were in a Pharn facility; anything is possible with their technology.”

  They sat in silence.

  “I still sense, Zenia… It’s like she’s still here,” Tish said. “Weird, huh?”

  Something… a feeling passed over Mira, familiar yet faint.

  “Tish… I don’t think she is entirely lost… I sense her too.”

  “It’s not like she is inside me… It’s me Tish, I swear. I just think she is part of us now… I guess it's the grieving process.”

  Mira continued to hold her. The sparkle returned to her eyes. Mira lost track of how long they sat in silence.

  “So what now?” Tish asked.

  “We are on our own. The Pharn are gone. The Blackened have greater numbers than they did. As for Conway’s Federation, that’s anyone’s guess.” Mira paused. “Carry on with the plan, I guess. We re-configure the Chance and we build a fleet to fight them.”

  Tish jumped to her feet. “Lights!” she said.

  Mira blinked as the stateroom lights came up to full brightness.

  Tish smiled. It lit the room more than the concealed light sources.

  “I need to prep. Ship’s don’t design themselves. Don’t worry I’m in reboot. Tish 2.0."

  Mira shook her head with wry smile.

  “What?” Tish asked.

  “I was hoping sex might take your mind off things.”

  “Not tonight, Mirabelle. I have work to do. Not that you are up to it. It’s funny, I get shot and you’re the one with the bandages.”

  Mira walked to the door and stood watching Tish setup her workstation.

  “I guess some girls have all the luck,” Mira replied. “I don’t know what’s worse, Mirabelle or Thorny. You are okay though?”

  “Yes… but give me some time; I just need to… heal.” Tish tapped her chest with 2 fingers.

  Mira blinked, her eyes damp. Tish had a strength, a resilience that ran through her like the keel of a dreadnought. Mira guessed her past had made her who she was today. Out of all the ugliness something beautiful had emerged.

  The future was theirs for the taking. They would need to fight for it, earn it, but they could do it.

  Mira walked onto the flight deck and slipped her arms around Alex’s shoulders.

  “How are you doing flyboy? It was tough and I’m sorry I put you through it.”

  Dark rings lingered beneath heavy eyes yet Alex’s attention never wandered from the ship’s controls.

  “I could do with some sleep but I don’t want to miss anything.”

  She took a seat next to him and drew her legs up to her chest. She swivelled to face him.

  “How’s the ship?” she asked.

  “Auto repair has fixed most of our serious issues. We still have a few minor glitches. I detected unusual activity on our central core… I don’t think it’s a problem.”

  “Malware?” Mira asked. A compromised core could affect every aspect of the ship from navigation to environment control.

  “No… it’s like… a ghost in the machine. I picked up weird spikes and glitches in ancillary software. It’s probably a consequence of running Moonlight. I have the cyber-defence system tracking it.”

  For all the affection Mira had for the ship, right now she just wanted to get back on a planet, see a blue sky and feel the pull of consistent gravity.

  “I would not have killed them,” she said.

  “Huh?” Alex replied, pulling his gaze from the displays.

  “The Blackened. If the cube had worked as intended, I would not have destroyed them. I do not have the right to decide the fate of a whole species.”

  “I understand… Mira they would have found a way to break free somehow. They used you…” He paused. “I’m not naive enough to assume they will just go away… but to be blunt humans have spent most of our time in the galaxy fighting each other. We’re experts in war.”

  Alex continued with his systems checks.

  “Alex… I want to ask you something, you can say no. I won’t be offended.”

  “Should I be worried?”

  “Possibly… Tish is upgrading the Chance. We want to convert her into a warship. I need a crew…”

  “I’m in,” he replied, before she could finish.

  “It will be dangerous. There are no medals or promotions. No pension scheme either. You probably won’t get paid…” Mira said.

  “Mira… I respect Admiral Flynt, but he’s constrained by politics and contingency planning. The Blackened won’t respect any of that; so I’m signing on with you.”

  She thanked him.

  “One suggestion,” he added. “We should get Xander on our side. I know he’s not back from Verani space. When he arrives you should talk to him; he knows how this game is played better than most.”

  Mira had been thinking the same. “Tish has already messaged him.”

  Silence fell and she turned her attention to the swarm data. A sensor feed was scrolling through an auxiliary screen. Mira pulled the panel toward her and studied it. A knot formed in her stomach; a flush of nausea rose from her chest; her face burned.

  The data feed identified the star as a main sequence yellow dwarf, not unlike Earth’s sun. It was orbited by four rocky planets. Two worlds occupied the life zone and both had Nitrogen-Oxygen atmospheres, heavily polluted with Carbon
Dioxide. The system was only remarkable in that it was the only example of its kind she knew of in the Vale. Ship movements in the system were a far greater concern.

  The sensor suite could only track 10,000 moving objects simultaneously. A figure considered good for a freighter but woeful compared to a Steelside. A red flag on the long-range sensor panel flashed the words “OVER CAPACITY” in the top left corner of the screen. Contacts faded in and out of detection.

  “Stealth ships?” Mira asked.

  Alex frowned.

  “Not exactly. They are like Xander described. We can’t lock onto them.” He paused and reached over to the console, tapping in a command sequence. He expanded the range and instructed the system to ignore small contacts. The warning flag disappeared, and the contact count dropped to 33.

  Mira’s eyes flicked over the screen.

  “Xander’s Juggernauts?” she asked, her voice a hushed whisper. These were the planet killers Xander had encountered. She studied the data. Each ship was over three kilometres long. She called up the visual feed.

  “I got the swarm in close,” Alex said.

  The image was grainy, in part due to EM interference but mainly because of distance. The swarm panned over the star field. At the centre of the screen were three vessels. Although impossible to judge scale, the data feed confirmed them to be large. Each ship was a long slab of dark material; spines protruded fore and aft, running the length of each vessel. They hung in space, energy crackling around the forward spikes.

  She had seen ships like this before.

  “Get us out of here, Alex. Set a course for Mizarma… I don’t think we have anywhere else to go.” She pushed the seat back and stood.

  Mira stared into the dark heart of the Vale and shuddered.

  The war was coming, and she could do nothing to prevent it.

  I will end it or die trying.

  EPILOGUE

  THE lights flickered on as they did every morning, filling the anonymous room with daylight matched white light.

  “How are you feeling today, Jack?” a woman’s voice asked from a wall-mounted speaker.

  Jack Lawson stared at the featureless ceiling. Despite the efforts his captors made to dress the room as a mid-range hotel, Jack knew he was in a laboratory.