by Eva Brandt
This was a problem, since Penelope had already told us the price for her help. “I’m not staying behind, at the mercy of these crazy people. I tried to be discreet, but my father will be able to tell I looked into the files. I need a way to escape.”
For obvious reasons, we couldn’t take her with us. That would just be a recipe for disaster. But there were other ways to make sure she stayed safe.
Penelope arrived in a drone-piloted shuttle that stood out like a beacon on the displays of Charon’s Barge. With August’s aid, I made sure the systems didn’t register her presence and she could land in the outskirts of the city. I didn’t like to ask August to use his secondary abilities so many times, since I knew for a fact that it wasn’t easy, but we didn’t have a choice.
I left August and Pollux to make sure there weren’t any problems with possible information leaks and took Knox with me to meet with Penelope. I didn’t feel very optimistic about this whole arrangement, but I lacked the time and resources to dig too deeply into my father’s affairs. I’d provided him with my report earlier, and he seemed to not suspect a thing, but that didn’t mean I could afford to underestimate him.
When Penelope emerged from the shuttle, I barely recognized her. She was dressed in an ill-fitting uniform and had shielded her face and hair with holographic technology. It was an imperfect method, since people who were looking for her could dissolve the illusion through localized tachyon blasts. But it was better than nothing and I was impressed she’d thought of it.
Clearly, I hadn’t given her enough credit.
“Your Highness,” she greeted me in a low voice. “You’re here… alone? Nobody saw me fly in?”
“As promised,” I replied. “It’s just me and Knox. August and Pollux are keeping an eye out. Do you have the files?”
Penelope nodded and retrieved a tablet from her large coat. The moment I saw it, I knew she’d been honest. It looked just like mine—like one of the few secrets I had left and kept hidden out in the open.
I didn’t take it immediately. Instead, I shuffled her back onto her vessel, uncomfortable with standing out in the open, where any drone could see us. As much as I trusted August and Pollux’s skills, I still had to be cautious.
Once we were on board the ship, Penelope handed me the device. It remained dormant and unresponsive. “How do you activate it?” Knox asked when he noticed the issue.
“There’s a genetic lock on the device. It didn’t occur to my father that I’d ever try to take something of his or investigate a sensitive issue.”
No, it wouldn’t have. Like me, Paul Welton had believed Penelope was just another useful tool, a weak woman who wasn’t worth much. In hindsight, that had been stupid of both of us. It had long ago become clear that she had her own ambitions, since otherwise, she’d have never dared to push me and approach me on her own so many times.
As she spoke, she produced a white glove and handed it over. It was clearly hers and it was smudged with spots of crimson. Blood.
The DNA would be embedded in the materials for days on end. I wouldn’t need the tablet for that long, since I fully intended to get rid of it as soon as I transferred the files to my own device. In the meantime, Penelope’s blood would be an excellent tool.
The moment I pressed the bloodstained part of the glove to the screen, the tablet activated. There was a secondary password, but Welton had apparently jotted down the string of letters and numbers on a different pad. “That’s how I stumbled into this, really. I saw the numbers and got curious.”
How had someone who couldn’t take the most basic of security precautions ended up as a leading figure in The Grand Judiciary? Oh, right. Through unethical human experimentation.
After we input the password, the tablet booted with no issue. The holographic files on the drive weren’t labeled following any system I could understand, but when I picked one at random, I wanted to throw up.
The image was of a child, less than five year old, if that. She was obviously an alien, as she had two extra arms and a second pair of eyes. The collar around her neck reminded me of the devices used in Tartarus City for sex slaves. That was for a good reason, because the video depicted the child being sexually abused by five men in an attempt to impregnate her.
The child didn’t look mature enough to conceive, but for all I knew, apsids didn’t follow human rules of sexual maturity. Either way, it was absolutely disgusting.
The only bright part of the situation was that, toward the end, the collar cracked and the girl burst into flames. The men were burned alive and their victim vanished without a trace.
“It’s some kind of method of transportation then,” Knox said, his voice level even if I could sense he was disturbed. “The fire.”
“It looks like it. It may be another form of advanced tachyon manipulation, something we don’t use here.”
I shut down the video file and turned toward Penelope again. She was staring at the ground, obviously having no desire to join us in watching what was on the tablet. “You mentioned another file, something that contained a list. Do you remember where it was?”
She did, and as promised, the document contained references of both Stella and August. There were other people we knew there, including, much to my surprise, some of our teachers. Commander Trevor was listed, and the notorious battle injuries that had turned him into a cyborg suddenly seemed to take on an entirely different meaning.
Under different circumstances, I would’ve investigated each person more. But right now, my interest was in a different field.
The tablet was vague on the current location of the entrance to the Apsid Quasar, because none of us knew where it actually was. It did, however, offer possible options, based on where the recently captured apsids—most of whom were scouts—had been caught.
It also provided us with another brilliant piece of intel without which I’d feared to venture into the quasar. The area was basically a whirlpool of terrifying gravitational forces and infernal heat. In theory, it wasn’t impenetrable, since there was some kind of world within it, something that sustained life. But never, not in all the years since the first Apsid Wars, had we managed to breach the natural defenses of our foes.
What we did have was a solar energy shield frequency which could protect certain vessels from the energy of the Apsid Quasar. But our best bet would likely still be the chimeras, since they were more resilient to such temperatures than regular ships.
If we left today, we could get to the quasar by tomorrow. Too long, but better than what we’d had before.
“Thank you for this, Lady Welton,” I said, looking at Penelope once again. “I owe you a favor I can never repay.”
Penelope shook her head. “All I want is for you to keep your part of the deal. You promised you’d find a place where I’d be safe.”
“Of course, and I’ve already made arrangements. I’ll program your shuttle to take you to Terra. We’ve spoken to High Priestess Tanya Renard of New Washington. She’ll receive you there and keep you hidden.”
“And that will work?” Penelope asked in disbelief. “My father won’t find me?”
“The Terrans are resourceful. I admit I can’t offer any perfect guarantees, but it’s your best chance after this. The High Priestess will make sure you’re safe.”
“But why would she do that?” Penelope asked. “I treated her daughter horribly.”
“So did we,” I admitted. “But her goal is to get her daughter back, and right now, the only way to accomplish that is by working together. She’ll cooperate, as long as you’re useful.”
“Just in case, don’t make any insulting comments about Terrans,” Knox added. “They tend to not react well to that.”
I hoped this would be enough to keep Penelope from acting out and betraying us. For the moment, she seemed cooperative. “I can understand that,” she whispered. “Very well. I’ll go to Terra. It’s not like I have much of a choice. I suppose it’s too late now to turn back.”
&
nbsp; “It is, for all of us,” I replied, “but I don’t think you’d want to turn back even if you could. You know better now.”
Our eyes met and in her gaze, I could still see a slight spark of hope and yearning. I didn’t want that spark to bloom again into something that would be a problem. “We don’t have much time at our disposal. Let’s see the ship’s systems.”
Penelope showed us to the navigational panel without comment. She knew a few bits and pieces about shuttle piloting, but had heavily relied on the machine to get her here.
As promised, I input the New Washington coordinates I’d already agreed upon with Tanya Renard. The High Priestess hated me with a passion for what I’d done to Gaia’s Haven and for almost getting Selene killed, but she wasn’t petty enough to ruin Penelope’s life because of it.
“Have a safe trip, Lady Welton,” I finally said. “I will do my utmost to make sure you don’t suffer any repercussions because of the aid you’ve given me.”
It was a goodbye, and she understood the underlining message. “I believe you. I hope we’ll see each other again, one day, under different circumstances. Best of luck with your quest, Your Highness.”
With that, Knox and I made our way out of the shuttle. As we watched Penelope’s vessel take off and disappear into the distance, Knox let out a small, irritated growl. “She loves you.”
“She thinks she does, although I have no idea why. I suppose I’m the only real option she had at her disposal. But I don’t think it’ll cause a problem, not anymore.”
“Why not?” Knox asked.
“Because she also believes I’m going to my own death and she’s given up on me. And first and foremost, she knows she has to prioritize her own survival if she wants to avoid the wrath of The Grand Judiciary.”
I shot Knox a small, dark smile. “But of course, that won’t be an issue since we will come back. And when that happens, I’ll find a way to take care of all of them, once and for all.”
The Tale of a Human Heliad
Jar’yd
All things considered, Selene reacted to the truth much better than I expected. She didn’t outright deny anything I’d said. She didn’t scream at me, nor did she try to defend her lovers.
But that didn’t mean she was all that willing to accept it either. “Can I please have some time alone?” she requested.
I didn’t want to leave her. Hidden here, in this mating den I’d built for her, she was more beautiful than ever before. But I was trying to be honest and patient with her, because otherwise, everything would blow up in my face. And so, I agreed.
I knew I didn’t need to rush. Selene had no place to go, and eventually, she’d come around, out of sheer necessity. There was no way for a Terran to leave Eos. It was physically impossible. Assuming she’d be able to sneak past our guards—which was doubtful, without a thick temperature shield, Selene would be burned into a crisp. Her skills might be remarkable, but they wouldn’t help her here.
No one would be able to come after her in time. They’d likely figure out she was still alive pretty quickly, since that blasted chimera was still an issue. But the time difference between our two worlds was a huge advantage for me. Selene might spend years here before the Grand Chimera Unit even left Tartarus Base. All I needed was a few months, and once I started breeding her, she’d never leave me, because we’d have a child together.
For the moment, though, I could give her a little time to process. Good things came to those who waited, and I’d know how to do that.
With that in mind, I left the mating den and headed down toward the kitchens. It wouldn’t hurt to have a meal prepared for her, something light which she’d be able to eat despite being upset.
The solar spirits welcomed me with cheerful waves. “Milord Jar’yd. What can we do for you?”
“Could you prepare a meal compatible with a humanoid life form? My new mate requires sustenance.”
“Of course, Milord,” one of the spirits replied, swirling around me in an excited dance. “We’d be happy to. Congratulations on your mating. We look forward to the birth of your new heir.”
“I’m taking my time with that, for now.”
The solar spirits didn’t reply, but I knew they understood. They were ageless creatures, a hive mind of sorts that was attached to the Great Mother. In a way, they weren’t actual people, but manifestations of Helios’s Gift. They’d always been kind to me, and when I had bad days, that reassured me and reminded me that I truly belonged here.
As I waited for the solar spirits to prepare something for Selene, a familiar reptilian figure entered the kitchen. “Ah, there you are,” Kallios rumbled. “I’d heard you’d returned from Terra, but I was beginning to think it was only a rumor.”
I hugged my friend, mindful of the sharp spines that lined his back. “Sorry for not dropping by to see you sooner. I was successful in my secondary mission.”
Kallios’s tail swayed around and his reptilian snout twisted in a predatory grin. “You have your female, then? The flame-haired Terran?”
I nodded. “She’s in a mating den now. It’ll take me a while to convince her to see sense, but the important thing is that she’s here.”
“The best females are always hard to convince, but you can absolutely do it,” Kallios replied. “Congratulations, my friend. If anyone deserves a good female, it’s you.”
I appreciated his words. Kallios had been a good friend of mine ever since I’d come here to Eos. He’d been the first to volunteer to join my unit, at a time when no one had really trusted me. The others had come after, and I appreciated their support too. But without Kallios, I might have had more trouble adapting to Eos.
“I’ll introduce her to everyone, but not just yet. I don’t want to overwhelm her.”
“Yes, about that… It would be best to handle it with care. There was a mild issue while you were away. It’s Teela.”
I cursed viciously under my breath. I’d been afraid of this. Teela was an excellent, reliable warrior, but her past connections to Terra remained dangerous. Unlike me, she wasn’t willing to cast aside her old life and forget she’d ever had a family. Her parents might have disappointed her, but her brother had not and still cared about her.
“I believe it would be a good idea to talk to her in private before she meets your flame-haired female again. I heard from Viu’an that they had some kind of astral confrontation and Teela lost.”
An astral confrontation? Between Teela and Selene? That was odd and somewhat worrisome. I’d been aware Selene had unusual talents, but if she had astral projection abilities powerful enough to overwhelm Teela, it could become a problem.
I turned toward the solar spirits, who were unashamedly listening to our conversation. “Could you please take the meal to my mate? It would seem I can’t do it personally, since my attention is required elsewhere.”
“Naturally, Milord. You can count on us.”
With a sigh, I followed Kallios out of the kitchens. Together, we made our way toward the training nucleus. Several teams were already there, sparring or practicing their photon summoning. Viu’an was fighting Danadu again, and once again, I had to wonder what had possessed him to agree. You’d think that a creature who primarily consisted of a mass of fleshy tentacles would avoid fighting a rocky monolith out of sheer self-preservation, but apparently not. I was beginning to suspect Viu’an had some kind of weird crush on Danadu, and this was their foreplay. If that was the case, maybe congratulations were in order for him too.
I left the duo to finish their battle and tracked down Teela. Unlike the others, she was resting. It wasn’t a good sign, since inactivity had never been her thing. Ostheo was keeping her company. They’d always gotten along, his feline-like form providing her with an anchor of familiarity at a time when she’d been desperate and afraid.
“Jar’yd,” she greeted me with a nod. “Is it true?”
She must have had more information than Kallios, because she obviously knew about Selene. “
If you’re referring to my new mate, yes, it’s true. Does it bother you?”
Teela pursed her lips and stared at the sky. “I’m not sure. I feel like I should be angry with her. I could have pulled August and Pollux in if she hadn’t intervened. But maybe for now… Maybe this is a good thing. Assuming they’ll get over her, at least.”
“You don’t sound like you believe that, Teela.”
“That’s because I don’t. Jar’yd, you need to be careful. My brother loves me. I know he does. But that woman… All she had to do was step between us and it was like Pollux just forgot about me. Remember who and what she is. At the end of the day, she’s not a Heliad. Her soul was bound to a chimera, and that’s never a good sign.”
“Maybe, but I will break that bond.” I took Teela’s hand and threaded our fingers together. “I know this isn’t ideal, Teela, but please, do try to welcome her here.”
“I don’t have much choice, do I?” Teela mumbled. “We need more women and the Great Mother believes she’s going to be an asset.”
I suppressed a flinch. That was a sore subject for Teela. Because of the way her human life had ended, she’d so far been unable to have children. The Great Mother was skeptical about Teela’s ability to ever reproduce. That didn’t make her any less valued in our community, but it still hurt her.
Teela got up and freed her hand from my hold. “Tell me, Jar’yd. What does Selene Renard have that I don’t? Why is she so important and I’m not?”
“Don’t say such things,” I replied. “Of course you’re important.”
Teela didn’t acknowledge my words. She wasn’t prone to falling into bouts of self-pity, but she was obviously unhappy with the situation.
I didn’t know what to say that would improve this, but Ostheo saved us all from further awkwardness. “Come, Teela. I heard the new recruits around the Eastern gates have been making mischief. We should drop by and remind them of their duties.”
