by A. K. DuBoff
“I was on an op. What’s so urgent?”
“You… on an op?”
“Yeah, it’s a long story.” Leon shook his head, not wanting to explain what was going on with Kira, if he even could. “So, why’d you call?’
“I wanted to follow up regarding a message President Joris sent Colonel Kaen.”
Leon crossed his arms. “I wouldn’t know anything about that.”
“No, but you’re close to Kira, and Kira is in Kaen’s chain-of-command, right?”
“Yes, but it’s not like she can just ask about his private conversations with the president,” Leon pointed out. Not to mention the suspicions that Kaen isn’t himself. Yet another thing he didn’t want to explain to Ellen.
“Well, we relayed a rather important piece of information, and it’s being dismissed—even to President Joris’ face.”
Leon’s breath caught. “And this only went to Colonel Kaen?”
“Yes.”
Shite. Leon leaned back in the chair and sighed. “If Kaen didn’t act on the information, then he had a reason.” And the information didn’t match with the goals of whatever influence he’s under.
His sister eyed him. “Leon, do you know something?”
“What is this information, anyway?” Leon hedged.
She swallowed. “Is this communication encrypted?”
Leon checked the details of the comm link. It would route through Guard headquarters, which meant there’d be a record someone of Kaen’s rank could access. “Not well enough,” he told her. “But the fact that we’ve already had this much of the conversation won’t make a difference.”
Ellen nodded. “We told Kaen that the Mysaran Chancellor might be under some kind of influence.”
That explains what she was doing on Valta today. Well, part of it. Leon groaned. “There are people I can trust. I’ll pass on the message.”
— — —
Kira couldn’t take being strapped down any longer. Getting agitated will only make it more likely I transform. I need to work off this energy more productively.
She took a calming breath and pressed the call button they’d placed near her right hand. “Doctor Elric, may we have a word?”
“I’ll be right there, Kira.” The doctor entered through the tunnel three minutes later. “Is everything all right?”
“No,” Kira admitted. “I don’t think being strapped down here is the answer. I thought I might keep transforming randomly, but there hasn’t been so much as an eye glow since that incident soon after I arrived in the infirmary.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“Let me use one of the sparring rooms. Put four guards at the door. If I transform and lose control, they can subdue me with a sonic blast.”
The doctor considered the request. “I don’t have any medical grounds to hold you in quarantine. Those safety measures seem appropriate for the circumstances.”
Kira perked up. “I can go?”
“I know Colonel Kaen would approve, so I don’t see why not.”
She looked into the doctor’s eyes and asked telepathically, “Why did you tell me Kaen isn’t who he seems?”
Elric hesitated. “We shouldn’t talk about it here.”
“This telepathic link is the most secure communication there is. Tell me. Pretend like you’re giving me an exam.”
He took an unsteady breath and began checking Kira’s limbs, making eye contact on occasion to maintain the telepathic link. “He thinks I don’t remember, but I do.”
“Remember what?”
“Right before you came for your medical check-up, after getting home from Valta, Kaen came to see me,” the doctor explained. “He told me to delete the test results showing your new nanites and to forget I saw anything—or that I’d even talked to him. And I did, until I saw you transform. The memories slowly came back until I realized what the colonel had done.”
Kira’s heart skipped a beat as she thought through the implications of the revelation. “Have you been able to test him?”
“No. I didn’t want to give any indication that I suspected something was amiss,” the doctor replied. “I have no idea what he might do to us if he learned we were discussing it now.”
“We have to go to someone about this,” Kira urged. “Major Sandren. I trust him with my life, especially with my current state.”
“Whatever happened to the colonel, it must be recent. He’s always been a reliable member of the Guard.”
“I’ve never doubted him, either, but something has been off since the Valta op…”
“The ability to exert telepathic orders—especially to alter memory—isn’t something he should be able to do,” the doctor added.
“What could enable that kind of skill?”
“I can’t think of a single thing that we have access to within the Guard. That’s the TSS’ area of expertise.”
“Do you think the TSS or its Agents are involved?”
“No, they’ve always stopped this kind of subversion. The closest incident was a neurotoxin first used by the Bakzen and later adapted by the Priesthood.”
Kira raised one of her arms for the doctor to fake-examine. “Could some survivors from the Priesthood be behind this?”
“Unlikely—none of the other facts line up. Given how even our advanced scans can’t readily detect any issues, that suggests this is something we haven’t encountered before.”
“Any theories?” Kira prompted.
“Against all odds, it might be alien,” the doctor asserted.
“That would align with what we learned from MTech.”
“Are the nanites and the method of telepathic subversion from the same alien source? I can’t be certain,” Elric continued. “Either way, it’s alarming to think about MTech having access to alien technology the Taran Empire hasn’t seen before.”
“No shite.” Kira sighed inwardly. “I’ll meet with Major Sandren as soon as I can. We’ll figure out what’s going on with Kaen.”
The doctor nodded and broke the telepathic connection. “No further symptoms, Kira. I think that workout you requested is just what you need.”
“Thank, you, Doctor.”
“I’ll arrange an escort to the training room for you.” The doctor departed.
Kira sat in quiet contemplation for the next twenty minutes, thinking about the opponents she’d encountered in missions over her decade-long career. Though rare, people with telepathic and telekinetic abilities would occasionally make an appearance, but those abilities were always innate traits. For someone to be possessed by another sentient presence was a whole new situation. She couldn’t think of an explanation.
A new alien foe. Well, that’s fantastic. She groaned. It was shaping up to be quite the week.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a complement of guards arriving outside the containment chamber.
“Captain Elsar,” the largest of the four guards said, “we’ve been directed by Doctor Elric to take you to one of the sparring rooms for physical training.”
“I’m thrilled to hear it, Private,” Kira replied. “Have you been apprised of my condition?”
“Yes, ma’am. We’re prepared for any contingency.” He patted a sonic handgun on his hip.
“All right. Now get me out of here!” Kira smiled and jangled her restraints.
The four soldiers entered. Two cautiously released her restraints while the other two stood by with their sonic pistols at the ready. Kira had to admit it was a disconcerting change to be on the receiving end of a weapon in close quarters.
When the final cuff was disconnected from the bed, the soldiers directed Kira to her feet and placed stasis cuffs on her for the walk down to the sparring room.
“My friends are going to wonder what kind of crazy shenanigans I got into over the weekend to end up being escorted by you guys,” Kira jested as they bound her wrists behind her back with stasis cuffs.
“I bet we could come up with an epic story if you’d like,
ma’am,” the lead guard offered.
She grinned. “Nothing yet. We should keep people guessing. Helps with my mystique.”
They led her from the containment chamber and through the infirmary. Workout facilities were located near the residential sections of headquarters but also in designated team training areas within the outer reaches of the facility. They headed to one of the lesser-used areas to minimize the number of potentially prying eyes, not knowing if she might transform.
As they worked their way through the facility, she found herself questioning whether or not she wanted to transform. As frightening as the prospect was, she was curious about what she might be able to do. All the same, she recognized that Colonel Kaen wanted her to do just that, and following the advice of a potentially subverted individual under unknown alien control was undoubtedly a bad move.
By the time they reached the entrance of the designated sparring room, Kira had decided to fight the transformation to the best of her ability. If Kaen wanted her to gain mastery, then the opposite course of action was what she needed to do.
The guards ushered her inside the six-by-six meter chamber, which had pads arranged on the floor in the center of the space and various weapons and other training implements along the side walls, including racks of free-weights.
“Give me forty-five minutes,” Kira told the guards.
“Yes, ma’am.” The lead guard undid Kira’s stasis cuffs and then went to wait in the hall with his colleagues.
Kira grabbed some weights off the rack and began her usual rep routine. It felt great to get her blood moving after sitting nearly stationary for two days. She moved on to body weight exercises and combat forms.
Twenty minutes into her exercise, Kira noticed something was off. The weights and movements that were historically her most challenging were coming to her easily. She looked in the mirror on the back wall of the room, but she appeared normal—no glowing eyes, even. Is this like the strength my teammates always seem to have?
It was entirely possible she just had excess energy after doing nothing for days. She was about to continue the workout when one of the guards poked her head into the room.
“Ma’am, we were just informed that Leon Calleti is back. He wants to see you.”
CHAPTER 9
Colonel Kaen paced across his office against his conscious will. It was curious that the being controlling him, despite not having a body of its own, liked to pace as it thought.
“They’re onto us,” Nox muttered in Kaen’s mind.
“Onto you, maybe,” Kaen clarified. “You haven’t been doing a very good impersonation of me.”
“All your official procedures… it’s wearisome.”
Kaen made no indication, but Nox had inadvertently given him a gift. The alien had disclosed an annoyance, which presented a weakness for Kaen to exploit. He just had to find the right opportunity to use the Guard’s regimented structure as a means to get him the help he needed. His unwanted tenant was about to get an eviction notice.
“Your interest in Kira will be your undoing,” Kaen said, hoping to provoke a reaction. He had found that when Nox was emotional, the alien’s grasp loosened.
Indeed, Nox’s energy moved to the surface, giving Kaen room to flex within the inner recesses of himself.
“I am in control,” Nox insisted.
“The Guard will come for you. They’ll kill me rather than allow a subverted officer to live.”
“Your people value individual lives too much to do that.”
In reality, Kaen wasn’t positive what would happen to him when he was inevitably found out, but he would rather die than compromise the Guard’s security. He’d already caused enough inadvertent damage as it was. “They will kill me, and you’ll die with me.”
“This work is too important to abandon,” Nox replied.
“You said Kira had to be delivered to your benefactors, though. How can you deliver her if you’ve been eliminated?”
Nox was silent for several seconds. “She must embrace her abilities. Someone must be here to give her guidance.”
“Your presence won’t make a difference either way. By remaining here, you’re only putting yourself at risk,” Kaen insisted. “As soon as they discover you inside me—which won’t be long now since they already suspect—you’ll either be removed or we’ll both die. Neither option gets Kira wherever you want to take her.”
“Then I will do a better job of blending in.”
“The damage is already done.” Kaen raised as much of a mental presence as he could muster. “If you want to succeed with this mission, then you have to run. Hide and wait for Kira to come into her own, then retrieve her.”
“You’re lying to me. You have your own intentions.”
Kaen gave a mental shrug. “That’s your call. I’m a prisoner in this body regardless.”
“I suppose you would suggest the option that keeps you alive,” Nox said.
“Of course. My own life is most important to me,” Kaen lied.
“Then perhaps a change of plan is required.”
“We’ll need a ship,” Kaen urged, shifting his language to promote a sense of team. Even faking it disgusted him, but he had no intention of letting the alien get its way. He’d play along just enough to get Nox in a vulnerable place.
“Will they let us go without a fight?”
“If we’re quick,” Kaen replied. “Do you know somewhere safe to go?”
“Yes, there is a place,” Nox acknowledged. “If you can get us out of here, I will take care of the rest.”
“Let me have control. I’ll get the ship.”
“No!” Nox swelled in his mind. “Don’t mistake my acceptance of your warnings for trust. I merely agree that it’s not safe to remain here.”
“Then I’ll tell you where to go,” Kaen responded in a calm mental tone.
Kaen relayed the directions to Nox—first a list of items he’d need, since Nox tended to forget that Kaen required things like water, food, and clothing, and then directions for where to head with a travel bag. The plan wasn’t up to the standards Kaen demanded of himself in the Guard, but he couldn’t think about it too much, lest Nox discover his intentions.
The instructions entailed walking to one of the remote docking wings, like he was on official business, and then commandeering one of the craft. It was unclear where Nox planned to go from there, exactly, but that didn’t matter to Kaen. If he had his way, they’d never make it off Orion Station.
Nox allowed Kaen to lead the way to the docking wing, though Kaen could tell his movements were being regulated.
He passed by several soldiers in the halls, and they nodded to him with respect. Despite Nox’s annoyance, Kaen returned their gesture with nods of acknowledgment. Nox would know that’s how he’d behave normally, and he needed to play the part.
As Kaen anticipated, the docking wing entrance was staffed by two guards at a reception desk.
“I need a transport ship for immediate departure,” he ordered.
“Sir, no request has been filed,” the first guard stated.
“I’m ordering you now,” Kaen-Nox continued without missing a beat. “Direct me to a free vessel and I’ll take care of the rest.”
The two guards looked at each other, but they weren’t in any position to question an order from a colonel, however irregular.
“The Lisbeth II is available,” the second guard stated after consulting a monitor behind the desk. “Berth 23.”
“Thank you.” Kaen-Nox stepped through the doorway before the guards could ask for further clarification. His plan hinged on getting to the transport ship.
Beyond the door, a corridor branched in either direction. Airlock doors along the outer door led to gangways, which extended to the docked ships. Control panels next to each doorway indicated the docked vessel. Kaen-Nox continued to the left until he saw Berth 23 and double-checked that it held the Lisbeth II.
Kaen then used the control panel to enter dum
my deployment orders, adding just enough detail to satisfy Nox’s watchful eye, but the alien was unfamiliar with specifics of Guard policy. The moment any authorized personnel reviewed the orders, they’d know something was amiss.
“Are you finished yet?” Nox asked in an agitated tone within Kaen’s mind.
“Do you want this done right or done fast?” he replied.
The alien backed down just the slightest measure.
Kaen finished inputting the dummy orders, and then cycled the airlock.
He stepped through, and the door sealed behind him. The ship was a straight shot down the gangway, viewports in the side walls revealing the vessel. The Lisbeth II and its sister ship were small craft suitable for little more than system-hopping on a day trip. However, it would serve Kaen’s need just fine as a single passenger—not that he had any intention to go far.
“You do know how to operate this craft?” Nox asked.
“Of course. All officers receive basic flight training, but all these ships operate on autopilot, anyway.”
It was a true statement, so Nox would never detect the lie hidden within. Operating the craft out in the open black was straightforward, but the undocking procedure was layered with tedious process—the kind of activities Nox seemed eager to overlook.
Once Kaen was on board, all he’d have to do was intentionally mess up a few commands and they’d lock him down, and then they’d see the error-riddled orders. Nox could take over control and say whatever he wanted, but there’d be no way to get out of the situation without a thorough med eval. It was Kaen’s best chance to be freed from the prison within himself. With the plan tucked safely in the recesses of his innermost mind, he stepped aboard the Lisbeth II.
Kaen-Nox passed through the ship’s airlock and cycled the inner door. He located the cockpit at the end of a short hallway to the left and took a seat in the command chair. He began powering up the craft.
“You’re keeping something from me.” Nox’s words were accompanied with an icy vise around Kaen’s mind.
“No, I’m—”
Kaen didn’t have a chance to object. He was instantly immobilized within himself, just as he had been when Nox first asserted itself. But this wasn’t the time to admit defeat. Kaen had to fight it. This might be his only chance to make it out alive.
