One body eventually escaped from the ruck with the sphere and made a beeline for the yellow end. The remaining players tussled with each other, green trying to break free while yellow tried to hold them back. But the player with possession was not having it all his own way. An opponent was hot on his heels and gaining.
The crowd cheered on the chase, applauding and groaning in equal measure as their team won or lost control of the sphere. The game had become a messy affair, with both sides willing to physically block or attack their opponents with a sense of wild abandon. It was the last quarter and caution had been discarded. Every player was now all in.
Sebastian had totally succumbed to the emotional rollercoaster of the game, cheering like the best of them when green had possession, booing when they lost it. Even Fredrick could not help himself when green finally evened the score. He rose from his seat, clapping and cheering without realizing it.
Lui Wei called over to him when he finally sat back down.
“It’s all to play for now, the next blow will win the game and take the prize. But does your team have what it takes, Fredrick? Or will they be like your node-runners and fail at the last hurdle?”
The answer came in the last seconds as a green player closed in on the hoop, poised to take the winning point, only to run out of gas for their thrusters. With no way to correct course, they shot too soon and missed.
With one player now out of commission, the yellow team grabbed their chance, and in three swift passes had the sphere back at the opposite end and into the hoop, just as the final horn sounded.
Sebastian threw his hands up in the air in despair, while Fredrick seethed. Wei leaned over to commiserate. “Bad luck, old boy. Seems your team didn’t leave enough in the tank to finish the job.”
8
Shipping Out
Regardless of Lui Wei’s taunting of Fredrick at the ZeroBall final, he had been growing increasingly frustrated just knowing that Luca, along with the entire former crew of the science vessel Hermes, were out there, just waiting to be taken. Yet he was not in a position to do anything about it. All his resources were dedicated to the renewed assault on New World One, and much as he hated to admit it, Lui Wei was right: this was not the time to get distracted. If he were to divert one of his ships now and go after them, it would not go down well with the other families. In reality, he would just be giving them an opportunity to undermine VanHeilding’s grip on power.
Already, Xiang Zu Corporations were making hay out in the asteroid belt, taking over outposts, eliminating competitors, and generally causing chaos. Once the full complement of ships arrived in a few months, they would surely have total control of all the Belt’s resources. Provided, of course, that VanHeilding took control of the habitat.
Yet it was not all bad news, either. Particularly since his treacherous daughter, Miranda, had decided to abandon New World One and take Luca to Mars. So with Luca out of the way, he was virtually guaranteed success in taking control of the habitat. Yet somewhere in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help thinking that it could all be just a ruse by Miranda. A trick to make him believe they had left, only for his new armada to face the power of Luca’s extraordinary node-running abilities once again. There was no way that he could risk walking into a trap like that. Xiang Zu were already waiting in the long grass, ready to pounce given any opportunity. If Fredrick failed to take control of New World One again, he would give them that excuse. It would be the beginning of the end for the family.
Nonetheless, some of the stories coming out of New World One were that Luca was in a coma, with little or no sign of recovery. But again, this could simply be a bogus story put out there just to set him up. What Fredrick really needed was clarity. He needed to know precisely where Luca was, and her true mental state. Was she actually on the Perception like he was supposed to believe, or lying in wait on the habitat, or was she somewhere else entirely?
All this uncertainty weighed heavily on Fredrick’s mind as he made his way on a personal shuttle out to Sebastian VanHeilding’s fancy-assed ship, Daedalus, which was still parked in close proximity to Neo City. He would be leaving soon to continue his so-called grand tour of the solar system, heading to Mars for the Festival of Lights. This presented Fredrick with an opportunity—that is, if he could trust Sebastian not to screw it up.
The ship, an M3-class luxury interplanetary transport built by Cerellian Engineering Shipyards, was indeed a thing of beauty. Sleek, elegant, almost organic, with a purposeful-looking engine array. Yet it was small and lacked a gravity ring—a rotating torus that provided the occupants with simulated gravity. However, this was not some flaw in its design, but a feature that allowed the ship to land on any body within the solar system with a gravity well less than one-third that of Earth’s. This meant it could land on Mars, hence the M3 classification. It was also fast, possibly one of the fastest in the entire solar system—as Sebastian VanHeilding so often crowed about to anyone who would listen.
The shuttle slowed to a halt directly over a docking port on the ship’s topside, then rotated slightly to orient itself for correct alignment. Both shuttle and ship were now operating autonomously, making all the micro-adjustments needed to allow the umbilical to telescope up from the docking and make a secure connection. Alerts sounded in the cockpit, and the pilot called back to Fredrick, “Docking complete, sir. Opening the hatch now.”
As Fredrick floated over to the hatch, he considered how much he hated zero-gee; it was unnatural and disorienting. He could not understand how anyone would spend an entire journey in deep space with absolutely no gravity—the concept was beyond him. Yet it seemed that the zero-gee experience was becoming more fashionable these days. With faster engines and shortened transfer times, it was now the favored mode of travel for a new generation seeking out the “real” space-travel experience.
The hatch door swung open, and after some help from the pilot, Fredrick managed to float through into the ship. Sebastian was waiting for him on the other side, smiling like a child at a fairground, no doubt delighted at the opportunity to show off his elegant ship.
“Fredrick, so glad you decided to come for the guided tour.” Sebastian extended a welcoming arm.
“I’m not here to get a tour of your goddamn ship.”
Sebastian’s face morphed into one of near heartbreak.
“I only came here so we could have a discussion in private, away from the snooping of Lui Wei and Xiang Zu.”
Sebastian regained some composure and shook his head. “You don’t want to see the ship?”
Fredrick replied by way of an angry glare.
“I see,” said Sebastian. “Very well, follow me to the bridge. We can talk there.”
As they floated through the ship en route to the bridge, Fredrick was surprised by how spacious it was. From the outside it seemed small, but perhaps that was just a trick of design. Yet now that he was moving along its corridors, he sensed it could carry at least fifty or more people in comfort, as well as a reasonable complement of rovers and drones. He found himself becoming more impressed with the craft as he progressed—not that he would let Sebastian know this. It would only inflate his already overblown ego even more.
The bridge also had an odd design, one Fredrick had never seen before. But as he cast his eyes around the space, he could see that since this ship could land on a planet, it needed to be able to accommodate this. So, unlike ships that spent all their time in space, where up/down had no meaning, this had a very definite up-and-down orientation. Yet it also had a multitude of grips and handles to assist moving in zero-gee.
He moved himself onto a seat and strapped in so that he would not have to hold on to something to keep himself oriented. Sebastian, on the other hand, preferred to simply float with one hand holding the edge of the central holo-table.
Fredrick settled himself in and gave his distant cousin a long, cold stare. “So why are you really here, Sebastian? And don’t give me that bullshit about wanting to see the
famous game of ZeroBall.”
“What do you mean?” He feigned umbrage. “Isn’t ZeroBall a good enough reason?”
“I said don’t bullshit me.” Fredrick glared at him.
Sebastian remained silent for a moment, looking at something on the holo-table. “The family thought you could do with some…moral support, now that we need to kowtow to Xiang Zu.” He looked around to face Fredrick, returning his glare.
Fredrick pursed his lips and sighed. “So you were sent here to spy on me, report back on my state of mind, I suppose?”
“No, nothing as vulgar as that. But they are…how shall I put it…concerned that the foundations of our power are being mortgaged.”
“They seek to undermine my authority?”
“There are rumblings of discontent. Factions are forming, some who think the quest to acquire New World One is a game where the stakes are simply too high.”
“And you, where do you stand?”
Sebastian gave a broad smile. “Fortune favors the bold.”
Fredrick considered this response for a moment. It could have several meanings, not least Sebastian’s bold desire to rise up the family ranks. But that was common knowledge; Sebastian didn’t try to hide his ambition, which was partly why Fredrick put up with him. At least he knew where he stood.
“Fortune may well favor the bold, as you put it, Sebastian. But it can also get you killed.” Fredrick leaned in a little and nodded. “You would do well to remember that.”
Sebastian glanced down at the holo-table again, gathering his thoughts. “So let me ask you the same question then, Fredrick. Why are you here…on my ship? What is it you want to discuss?”
It was now Fredrick’s turn to pause and gather his thoughts as he contemplated his proposal. It was risky. Could he trust Sebastian to pull this off without his ego and ambition getting in the way? But as he ran through all the possible permutations in his mind, Sebastian and his fancy ship could be utilized for a far greater purpose than simply pursuing a decadent lifestyle.
“I’m offering you a chance to do your duty for the family. To do something that will allow you to rise up through the ranks. Perhaps even gain a seat at the high table.”
Sebastian smiled, his eyes widened, and he gave an expansive gesture with his free hand. “I’m all ears.”
Fredrick unstrapped himself from the seat and floated over to the holo-table. After a moment familiarizing himself with its operation, he brought up a 3D rendering of the local solar system, a standard navigation map. He pointed to a line that scribed itself through open space. “This is the estimated flight path of the Perception, en route to Mars, as you can see here.” He pointed at the line. “Do you think this ship can intercept it?”
“So you’re going after Luca. I knew it.”
“No, I’m not going after her, not yet. I just need to establish if she’s actually on this ship. So can you intercept it or not?”
Sebastian entered some data into the navigation chart and a new line appeared, emanating from Neo City. “Yes, it seems we can.” He glanced at Fredrick with a broad smile.
“Good, very good.” He gave Sebastian a careful look. “Understand that establishing Luca’s presence on that ship is critical to our planned takeover of New World One. All indications suggest that she is on it, but that may just be a ruse, something they want us to believe. It may be that, in reality, she’s lying in wait for us at New World One, and that would be a challenging situation, to say the least.”
Sebastian nodded. “I understand. But even if we intercept the Perception, how will we know if she is on board?”
“I’m giving you one of my top node-runners, César Castello. You need to get your ship close enough so that he can do a probe of the Perception. Remember, this was once a VanHeilding ship before Miranda stole it, so it should be possible.”
Sebastian gestured toward a side bay on the bridge, with two node-runner terminals. “I already have two of my own, both at the top of their game. Why do I need another?”
“You have no idea who you’re dealing with here, Sebastian. If Luca is really on that ship, and she’s even half-functioning, any contact with her by an inexperienced node-runner would just end in potential brain death. Trust me, no matter how highly you think of your people, they are no match for her. Let César initiate the probe. Your people can back him up under his direction.”
Sebastian looked at Fredrick with wide eyes. “So the rumors are true, then. She is this ghost in the machine that all the node-runners fear?”
Fredrick gave his distant cousin a considered look. “What I’m about to tell you, Sebastian, is above your current rank. But since you are accepting this mission, I feel it’s only right that you should know the truth. Do I have your word that you will keep what I’m about to tell you a closely guarded secret?”
“Of course. You have my word.”
“Very well. As you probably know, Luca’s my granddaughter. One of hundreds that I have, all of whom are the product of a generational experiment in quantum biology. You see, the family have been working for a very long time to create an enhanced node-runner. One who can utilize quantum effects and operate more like a QI. However, all our efforts came to naught, except for Luca. The irony in all of this is that her inception was natural, as opposed to all the others, which were lab-grown.”
“So…would I be right in assuming that she was on New World One when we attacked, but nobody realized her abilities…until she entered the habitat’s data-stream?”
Fredrick was mildly impressed with Sebastian’s analysis. Perhaps there was more to him than met the eye. Maybe this indolent fop persona of his was all just an act, in which case Fredrick may do well to keep him close.
“You are correct. But I don’t think she knew, either, so we were all caught off-guard—we won’t make that mistake again. That said, if the intelligence we’ve been receiving is correct, she was greatly weakened by the encounter and is believed to be in a coma. But that too could be just a bullshit story. So it’s critical that you find out if she’s really on that ship, and not setting up an ambush on New World One.”
Sebastian nodded. “Understood.”
“And listen”—Fredrick jabbed an index finger at him—“if she does prove to be on that ship, don’t get any ideas above your rank. Do not, under any circumstances, try and take her on. You will almost certainly fail. Is that clear?”
Sebastian seemed a little hesitant in his response. “But what if it turns out she really is in a coma, as they say she is? Surely it would be an opportunity not to be missed, to capture her while she’s exposed and isolated in deep space?”
“I appreciate how tempting that scenario might be, and believe me, capturing her is the ultimate objective. But now is not the time, and you do not have the resources to take on the Perception. Don’t forget, Miranda turned it into a den of mercenaries—it’s a veritable warship. It’s well armed and would cut you to shreds. So stay well away. All I need is for you to establish if Luca is on it. That way, we can proceed with the invasion of New World One with confidence. Once that’s achieved, then we can develop a more comprehensive plan to acquire Luca.”
Again, Sebastian hesitated before replying. “Very well. We’ll depart in a few hours, as soon as the ship is finished with the resupply.”
Fredrick nodded and moved away from the holo-table, heading for the exit. He turned to look back at the doorway. “Don’t let me down on this mission, Sebastian. And more importantly, don’t let the family down. This is your chance to prove that you’re more than just the decadent playboy you let people believe you are.”
9
Auxiliary Command
Luca sat cross-legged on a packing crate, one of a great many that now occupied the old swimming pool on the interplanetary ship Perception. She remembered the pool from her early childhood—how it used to be in all its grandeur. But it had fallen into disuse as the ship became home to a crew of mercenaries who had no use for such luxuries. It was n
ow part storeroom, part workshop, part boneyard. The crates and supplies were needed to balance the weight on the torus, according to Cyrus, so the old pool was now just a storage bunker.
Yet Luca still liked this place. It was the largest open space on the ship, and it had a gloriously wide window where she could look out at the universe beyond. She sat and gazed out at the stars, trying to imagine that she could see Mars, although this was impossible since they were still much too far away.
They had left New World One twenty-nine days ago and spent the first three days burning hard, trying to shake any ships that might try and follow them, taking heavy-gee in the process. They kept this up intermittently for a further fifteen days until everyone was utterly exhausted and simply couldn’t take any more.
Nevertheless, two ships still tracked them, not far behind. Quite what these ships hoped to achieve was questionable since the Perception had considerable firepower on board, more than enough to deal with scavengers and bounty hunters. Miranda reckoned that they were just opportunists, hoping that something might happen to the ship, a technical failure or meteorite strike. Then they would pounce. Yet no one seemed that concerned about these pursuers.
Of more concern was Neo City. Soon they would be at their closest point in space to the asteroid enclave as it made its orbital journey closer to the Belt region of space. This was where VanHeilding had retreated to, and if the family were going to make a move on them, then it would more likely be coming from Neo City, and soon. So for the last four days, they had all been resting up in anticipation of a further heavy burn, the longest of the journey so far, which should keep them ahead of any opportunists from Neo City who had aspirations of catching them.
Exodus: Sci-Fi Thriller (The Belt Book 5) Page 5
