by M. R. Forbes
He met her in the corridor right outside the lift, unable to hold back a smile when he saw her. Full frame, round face, bright smile. Cornrows of purple hair matched the purple jumpsuit she was wearing, the silver threads in the jumpsuit coordinated with silver shoes. Her sharp eyes regarded him beneath horn-rimmed purple glasses.
“This thing wouldn’t have done you no good if I hadn’t gone up there. It uses a fancy mesh to provide power to nano-cells embedded in the high-density fibers, and the mesh was damaged in the fighting,” she said.
“You’re saying you repaired it?” Jackson asked.
“Of course I repaired it,” Faith replied. “I couldn’t do anything useful with it broken. What do you need it for, anyway?”
“You figured out how it works?”
“I didn’t say that. I said I fixed the mesh. That was probably the easiest part. I learned to mend when I was three years old.” She laughed. “Raggedy old clothes we have in this city. If you want to look good, you need to do it yourself. What did you say you needed it for again?”
“Do you know what happened here?” Jackson asked.
“I know Carol and Joe are dead,” she replied. “And I know we’re on a hostile new world. That’s all I need to know. Some people, they panic and get all afraid. What good is that going to do?”
Jackson’s chest tightened. He had panicked and let fear get the best of him. And she was right. It hadn’t done any good. “We think it can act as a translator for whoever wears it.”
“Everybody in the colony speaks English, Governor.”
“Did they tell you the person who was wearing the bodysuit isn’t dead?”
“No, sir. Person? You mean alien? Well, I guess we’re the aliens here, aren’t we?”
“It’s a long story, but they’re human. They don’t speak our language though.”
She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Obviously. So you think this thing will help you communicate?”
“That’s what we’re hoping.”
“Any way I can get in on that action? I’d love to see it work.”
“I expect you to participate. I also expect you to help us reverse-engineer as much of their equipment as we can. We have replicators. If we can copy their technology…”
“I’m down with that, Governor. We need to be able to stand up for ourselves, right?”
“Exactly. Follow me.”
He rotated the chair and started back toward Tsi’s room.
“Governor, I was in such a rush getting here, I didn’t even notice the chair. What happened to your legs?”
“The enemy shot me and damaged my spine. They’re paralyzed.”
“Rathy can’t fix that?”
“Maybe later. We don’t have time right now.”
Jackson was grateful he had found a few minutes to put on a fresh pair of pants and a collared shirt while they waited. His signature long coat was out. It hung over the edge of the seat and interfered with the wheels.
He brought Faith back to Tsi’s room, rolling in ahead of her. She was sitting up when he entered.
“Hello,” she said. It seemed to be one of the few English words she knew on her own.
“Hello, Tsi,” he replied. He pointed to Faith. “This is Faith N’yongo. She’s one of our Senior Engineers.”
He knew Tsi didn’t understand most of what he said.
“Hello,” she said to Faith.
“Hello, beautiful,” Faith replied, smiling. “You’re a bit different, aren’t you? I can appreciate that.”
“Give her the suit,” Jackson said.
Faith moved to Tsi’s side, somewhat reluctantly handing the bodysuit over. Tsi smiled when she saw it, pulling the blankets away and slipping out of bed next to Faith. She didn’t hesitate to lift her hospital gown over her head, revealing her bruised, naked body beneath.
“Excuse me,” Jackson said, quickly spinning the chair around. She hadn’t offered any warning at all.
“I guess they’re a bit less self-conscious than we are,” Faith said, laughing. “Poor Governor, your face is probably the reddest thing on the ship right now.”
“Call me old-fashioned, but a man should only ever see his wife in that condition,” Jackson replied. “Tell me when she’s done.”
He waited for a minute, facing away from Tsi, Faith, and Doctor Rathbone. Maybe his perspective was in the minority these days, but his father had taught him to have respect if nothing else.
“Whoa,” he heard Faith comment behind him. He resisted the temptation to turn around to see what had caused it.
“I am done,” Tsi said a moment later, in perfect English.
He turned around. She was wearing the black bodysuit with the head covering pulled up, leaving her appearance flattened, like she was an unfinished clay sculpture.
“You didn’t disable the weapons systems,” she said, her head turning slightly toward Faith. “I could kill you all and escape your ship without much difficulty.”
Faith looked horrified. She glanced back at Jackson.
“If that were your intention, you would be doing it, not telling us about it,” Jackson said. “Obviously, you agree that it’s better if we talk first.”
“Yes,” Tsi admitted. “I believe we can help one another.”
“Good.” He rolled forward, holding out his hand. “I’m Jackson Stone, Governor of Metro. I’m in charge of things here.”
“Governor Jackson,” Tsi said. She took his hand in hers. “I am Sergeant Tsi Ong of the Free Inahri. I wish we were meeting on better terms. If no one has said it before, welcome to Titang.”
Chapter 4
“Titang?” Stone said. “I thought this was Arluthu’s World?”
“The Relyeh Inahri call it that,” Tsi replied. “When the Inahri first arrived with the Axon, the settlers called it Titang. That was before Arluthu arrived.”
“He’s a Relyeh,” Jackson said, remembering what Harai had told him. “The one who sent the trife to Earth.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“It doesn’t matter. I think you know what does matter.”
“You’re concerned for the safety of your ship, and the people in it.”
“Yes.”
“You should be. The Relyeh got the Quantum Dimensional Modulator they were seeking. They may have left your ship. They’ll be back once they get the Seeker operational again. They need more soldiers.”
“I told Sergeant Harai, we aren’t soldiers.”
“Did he tell you that you have no choice?”
“Yes, he did.”
“Then he was honest with you. Titang means paradise in our language. But this place is no paradise.”
“You don’t have to tell me that. All I’ve experienced since we got close to this planet is suffering and loss.”
“Titang is the crossroads of a war hundreds of thousands of years in the making. This is where the battle lines will be drawn. On one side, the Relyeh and the Hunger—Arluthu. On the other, the Axon. They have been absent many ens, but when the Relyeh Inahri bring war to them through the Seeker, they will not remain absent for long. When they return to claim you as theirs, what will you do?”
“We’ll fight.”
“You didn’t want to fight before. You were helping them.”
“I wanted them out of the city. I was afraid.”
“And you aren’t afraid now?”
“I’m terrified. I think we all are.” He glanced at Rathbone and Faith. They nodded in agreement.
“Good,” Tsi said. “You should be.”
“Who are you?” Jackson asked.
“I told you, Sergeant Tsi Ong--”
“No. I mean, you came to Metro with Sergeant Card. I assume to stop Harai from capturing the energy unit. But how did you and Card wind up together?”
“He destroyed the Intellect preventing the Inahri from recapturing the Seeker. Not just the Relyeh, but for us as well. I captured him there, once the Intellect’s defenses were down.”
/> “Wait. Sergeant Card brought this misery down on us?” The anger began building in Jackson’s chest. He was trying to accept Orla’s death wasn’t completely Card’s fault. But if he had caused Harai to come, if he were responsible for Beth...
“No. They would have come here regardless. They knew the energy unit was here, the same as we did. If they weren’t bringing it to the Seeker, they would bring it back to Arluthu.”
Jackson breathed out, trying to calm himself again. “Okay, so you took Card prisoner?”
“Not exactly. He showed himself to be a courageous opponent. I brought him back to our compound with the hope of enlisting him to our side. We’re in desperate need of fighters.”
“And Valentine? You enlisted her too?”
“She came to us. She promised her loyalty, and then she betrayed the promise.”
“It seems that’s what she does.”
“Caleb told us not to trust her, but we didn’t listen. It was stupid to think we knew her better than he did, and now...” She shook her head. “The Relyeh were attempting to capture the Seeker at the same time they were here trying to get the modulator. We launched a counter-attack to stop them, but I don’t know the outcome. Governor, I need to restore communications with my people.”
“I’m not done with my questions,” Jackson said. “I’ve barely gotten started.”
Tsi was suddenly panicked. He couldn’t see her face, but he could hear it in her voice. “Governor, please. This is of the utmost importance, especially since the modulator is in their hands. If the Relyeh have activated the Seeker, they could be minutes away from launching a barrage on this ship that will leave it nothing more than a pile of ash for the wind to carry across the jungle.”
The statement froze Jackson in place, his breath catching in his throat. “What?” he whispered.
“The Seeker is heavily armed. If it gets off the ground, you can be assured it will come for you. Its weapons systems can reduce this ship to nothing in seconds.”
“Harai said he wanted us alive.”
“That may be so, and if it is, then he will return for you. He will take the men, put them on the Seeker, and send them into Axon space to join the Inahri in war. He will take the women, bring them to the Citadel, and make them concubines for the highest ranking Inarhi in Arluthu’s favor. They will have as many children as their bodies can manage.”
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Faith said. “No way.”
“At least they’ll still be alive,” Jackson said, his resolve beginning to break.
Harai had the energy unit. The Relyeh would probably capture the Seeker. Maybe it would be better to accept that it was already over. That it was already too late.
“It is no life,” Tsi growled. “Believe me. I know. I had my first when I was just old enough to carry to term. I bore eight more before I escaped.”
“You have nine children?” Faith said. “You’re so young.”
“One after another,” Tsi said. “I don’t know who the fathers are. There were so many…” She trailed off, her voice breaking. It hardened a moment later. “They take them away as soon as they’re born. I’ve never seen any of my children. It could be that I’ve fought against them. It could be that I’ve killed them. I don’t know. I escaped. I made it to the Free Inahri. I learned to fight. Please, Governor. I need to know what happened. We both need to know what happened.”
Jackson stared at her. A whirlwind of emotions coursed through him. He was struggling to trust her. To trust her words. Everything was happening so fast. He wanted to slow it down, just enough to take a breath. His heart thumped in his chest, his body shaking, his hands cold and clammy. He wanted to go back to Beth, to crawl into the bed beside her, close his eyes and wait to die.
It might have helped him escape his fear. It wouldn’t help the twenty-six thousand people in Metro.
“We have comm systems on the ship’s bridge,” he said. “Do you think you can use them to reach your people?”
“Yes. We can use your systems to amplify the signal from the Intellect Skin. I should be able to raise our Dancers at the very least, and relay the message back to our compound from there.”
“Okay. I’ll help you get in touch with your people, but I’m going to need something in return.”
“What is it, Governor?” Tsi asked.
“You said we could help one another, and I think you’re right. You said you’re in desperate need of fighters. My people are rounding up volunteers as we speak. We have weapons and armor from Earth, and we have replication machines that can produce more equipment as needed. But we have two problems. One, the only military we had on this ship was Sergeant Card and his team. You made a stupid mistake trusting Valentine. I made one by turning the colony against Card. Meaning, we have no one to train them. Two, I’ve seen what our technology does against your battle armor. Almost nothing. We need better equipment.”
“And you want the Free Inahri to provide both,” Tsi said.
“Yes. We both made our share of mistakes. Maybe together we can make up for them. Or I can bring you down to Law and throw you in a cell as a prisoner of war.”
“I would kill you before I let that happen. Bring me to your bridge. Once we establish a link, I will help you negotiate an alliance. Is that satisfactory?”
Jackson smiled, his hope beginning to return. “It’s a start.”
Chapter 5
Caleb slumped on the bench inside the Relyeh transport. His heart was broken. His spirit broken. His soul a mess of guilt and pain. He tried to keep his eyes closed, or at least facing down. Washington was on the floor in the back of the craft, his head bruised where Caleb had struck him with the rifle. His knee in pieces. His body bruised and scraped. Caleb couldn’t bear to look at his friend and fellow Marine. He had never felt such shame in his life.
This was a satisfying journey.
Caleb felt the concept wash across his mind, wincing slightly at the Advocate’s statement. It wasn’t satisfying. It was nauseating.
For you, Earther. But you will learn. Your strength will increase. Your resolve will harden. You are a tool for the Might of the Universe. One day, you will be proud.
“Never.”
It is unlikely Arluthu will allow me to keep you. I am a lowly servant to our Lord and must take the few opportunities I am given to live beyond his perfect word. Most satisfying.
“Shut up.”
Still so willful. Have you learned nothing, Earther? You cannot resist. You cannot decide. I am in you. I see all of you. Every hurt. Every loss. Every scar. You are a tempest to the uluth—a warrior of a kind I have never seen before. Sergeant Harai is skilled, but I can sense it in you, and see it in your past. If he does as I believe he will, you will kill him. Perhaps then I will be permanently reassigned. Maybe then you will be mine.
Caleb’s body shook at the statement. He had killed dozens of innocent Inahri. Women and children to go with the soldiers who tried to stop them. Some, he had ended with his bare hands, squeezing the life out of them with the power of his replacement arm. He would never get the sights and sounds out of his head. He would never be able to escape their screams and pleas for mercy. He was a Marine. One of the good guys. And this thing, this worm on his arm had turned him into a monster.
It didn’t matter that it was controlling him. It didn’t matter that he had no choice. He had still seen it. Felt it. Experienced it as though he was doing it himself. The excitement, the pleasure, it washed through his body and mind as though it was his excitement and pleasure, to the point that there was a moment in time where he couldn’t be sure the Advocate, Ishek, was even still controlling him. It all blended together, only adding to the confusion.
And then, when he thought the worst of it was over, Washington and Dante had shown up out of nowhere to steal the transport he was waiting in. Of all the lousy, shitty luck. Of all the horrible decisions John could have made. Ishek delighted in the moment. In the agony of what Caleb knew the Advocat
e would force him to do.
Despite everything he had already done, he wasn’t expecting to be the one to put a bolt through Sheriff Dante’s brain.
Tears welled in his eyes. Not only for her but the Inahri he had slaughtered. Not only for the Inahri but for Washington unconscious nearby. He had seen John’s face after he had shot Dante. The anger. The fear. The pain.
But he hadn’t seen blame. Washington didn’t know about the Advocate, and yet he knew Caleb wasn’t himself. He believed it so strongly there was no question in his expression that what he had just watched Caleb do wasn’t who Caleb was.
It was the only thing he could try to hold onto.
Your underling is loyal, I will admit. He has faith in you that betrays all logic. Believe me, that faith will be broken before long. The only loyalty that can survive among the Relyeh is loyalty to Arluthu.
“Didn’t I tell you to shut up?” Caleb said. He wiped at his eyes while Ishek laughed.
“You make everything too personal, Card,” Riley said, sitting across from him, next to Harai. “You should know better. You’re a Marine. This is war.”
“This is the wrong side,” Caleb said.
The Advocate let the words come out without manipulation. Caleb had tried to warn Washington. To tell him he needed to kill him to get away. Ishek hadn’t let that happen.
“This looks like the winning side to me.”
“Do you hear yourself, Valentine? How do you live with yourself, knowing what you’ve done? How many innocents have you killed or abused? Did you ever have a heart at all?”
“For our people, yes. You heard the deal I made. I’m going to convince Arluthu to set Earth free. To spare it from the Hunger.”
Arluthu will never agree to that.
Caleb didn’t need Ishek to tell him that. Valentine was making a huge mistake. She wasn’t going to get what she wanted.
She was only going to get what Arluthu decided to give her. Scraps at best. Imprisonment? Enslavement? She didn’t understand how the Relyeh functioned. They believed they were the owners of the universe. The entire universe. It was ingrained in the Advocate, a minor servant to the ruler of the Relyeh. It would be exponentially greater in Arluthu. Whatever she asked for, he would grant her only morsels of it, and he would take more than she could imagine.
