“It fires a tiny capsule from the chamber that disintegrates when it impacts anything at a speed of 1,000 kph or higher—and I do mean anything. This exposes a bundle of negative energy particles packed inside which…well, you know what happens next. The detonation should be large enough to disintegrate one of the bipedal Rasu—a normal-sized one, not a giant one, assuming they…yeah, they probably make those—or two Rasu if they’re standing next to one another. The effect will fizzle out after about three meters or so, depending on the density of the object it hit, so make sure there aren’t any people or valuable items within three meters when you fire it—including yourself.”
“Got it.” She dropped the gun into the bag to join the shields. “Anything else for me?”
Devon rolled his eyes at the ceiling. “Not for ground combat, no. Not yet. I’ve been trying to set up research collaborations with the Asterions, since it’s stupid for us to be separately banging away at this problem, duplicating a bunch of each other’s work and missing out on opportunities. We almost had a working structure when the Namino invasion happened, and since then they seem a little out of sorts, but mostly not interested in taking my comms.”
“Can you blame them? Of course they’re out of sorts. But I’ll try to kick up a response for you, because you’re right. We do need to be working together.” She nodded sharply. “Okay. Thank you for letting me abscond with all your toys.”
“Call it field testing. Once you live to return home, stop in and report back on how they performed.”
“Will do—the living and the reporting.”
“Good. So, should I expect Morgan to walk into my office next?”
“No.” She laughed wryly. “But I am about to walk into hers.”
43
* * *
CHALMUN STATION ASTEROID
Large Magellanic Cloud
Alex knew a little about Chalmun Station due to Eren’s grand stunt here on behalf of the anarchs back at the height of the war against the Directorate, as well as the Kats’ clever protection of the asteroid in the aftermath of Nisi’s speech. She’d never visited it, however…and as she departed the hollowed-out hangar bay for a series of claustrophobic tunnels, she decided that had been the wiser course of action.
It took her a minute to pinpoint what was odd, other than a generally shady nature, about the patrons who brusquely moved past her in the passageways. She’d yet to see a single Anaden. Plenty of Barisans and Naraida, a healthy dash of Dankaths, the occasional Novoloume and even one or two Khokteh. But no Anadens. No humans, either, but this wasn’t so surprising, as humanity had brought its own wretched hives of scum and villainy with it to Amaranthe.
She assumed there must be a few Anadens skulking around in the shadows, but this appeared to be the most eclectic collection of species in Concord space. The fact that a large majority of them were criminals of a greater or lesser sort served as pointed commentary on the lasting damage the Directorate’s boot on the necks of these species had inflicted.
No map existed for the layout of Chalmun Station. The guard at the hangar bay had muttered something to the effect of ‘if you can’t find what you’re looking for, you probably shouldn’t be looking for it.’ She reached an intersection of five tunnels and stopped. Growing frustration set her nerves on edge as her internal mission clock raced ahead.
Abruptly she realized in her rush to steamroll her way to Namino, she was being an idiot. Valkyrie, a little help here?
Take the tunnel located at thirty degrees, then the third tunnel on the left, then the next right.
Thanks.
With the benefit of directions, she reached her destination in less than a minute. A shingle hung over the door, the name ‘Purgatory’ chiseled into it like some manner of stone-age carving.
Before going inside, she paused to send Nika a message.
Your note means more to me than you will ever know. Thank you. So, do you want a ride to Namino?
The response arrived almost immediately.
More than you will ever know.
Excellent. I’ll pick you up in ten hours.
Hang on. I might need a little longer than that.
Now that she was committed to a course of action, she didn’t want to delay a minute longer than she must…but she would seriously benefit from Nika’s expertise once she got to Namino.
No guarantees. Try to hurry.
She took a deep breath and strode through the door to Purgatory. Inside, the space opened up considerably. The establishment was dimly lit, but so far as she could tell, also immaculately clean. Two Novoloume women danced on a raised stage along the back wall, surrounded by flickering lights and a hint of smoke, to the hypnotic sounds of Novoloume trance music. To the left ran a lengthy bar stocked with the choicest poisons for every species.
The open space in the middle was dominated by round tables seating between four and eight people. Over half of them were occupied, where a variety of competitions played out: games of chance, virtual tabletop strategy games and multiple games of skalef, the Anaden version of poker.
At one of the occupied tables near the left wall, Morgan Lekkas stared down the Barisan man sitting opposite her. Morgan had cut her chestnut hair into a chin-length razor-straight style, and it fell across her face to obscure one glittering amethyst eye.
Alex made her way across the room and propped against the wall behind the table to watch for a minute.
“Boros, unless you’ve got something new to sweeten the pot with—anything but your firstborn, please—you’re out.”
The Dankath to Morgan’s left ground his chitinous jaw in agitation for several seconds, which made a grating sound akin to metal scraping across concrete. Finally his pincer hands sliced through the air, and the pattern of lights arrayed in front of him scattered and vanished. “It seems I am out.”
“That’s what I thought. Eafe?”
The Barisan on her right tossed a claw-extended hand at the table, and their pattern vanished as well. “You’re too expensive for me.”
“Now you know. Linoke?”
The Barisan opposite her snarled. “Call.”
“Call it is.” Morgan dropped the shield in front of her, revealing an intricately lit pattern of blue and gold.
“Bullshit! You cheat.”
Morgan reached out to retrieve a thin film sitting at the center of the table; she placed two fingers atop it as she glared at this ‘Linoke.’ “Careful, there. If you can’t lose like a proper gentleman, you won’t be gracing us with your presence here in Purgatory in the future.”
“But this is next month’s rent!”
“Then you really should not have bet it.” Morgan motioned dismissively. “That’s it for me tonight, boys and girls. Off you go.”
The others grumbled and hissed and clacked, but they all gathered up their drinks and retreated into the depths of the bar.
Morgan studied the thin film, presumably checking the sums it held. “Go away, Alex.”
“Can’t.” She pushed off the wall and sat in the seat vacated by Linoke. “I need your help.”
“Don’t care.” Morgan waved at someone over Alex’s shoulder, and the next instant a server drone appeared with a glass of rich, amber liquid. Morgan took the glass off the tray and turned it up, downing half its contents in one sip, then glowered at Alex over the top of the glass. “You’re still here.”
“I’m not one of your marks you can simply shoo away when you grow bored of them.”
“Unfortunately. What do you want?”
“I told you. I need your help.”
“So?”
Alex had hoped six years of self-imposed exile had softened Morgan’s outlook, but no such luck. And she did not have time to delicately woo the irascible woman. “I can offer you something I suspect still means a lot to you—maybe the only thing that still does. The opportunity to fly again.”
“I have a ship. I fly all the time.”
“Not like this, you don’t.
Not against worthy enemies.”
“Nope. I am not getting involved in Concord’s spats with the Anadens or the Savrakaths. Whoever’s asking—Concord, AEGIS, the IDCC—I don’t give a shit. They took everything that mattered from me, and I don’t owe them a goddamn thing.”
“I realize they did. I’m not asking on behalf of my mother or any institution. I’m asking for me. This is personal. Caleb and his niece, Marlee, are trapped on a Rasu-occupied planet in the Asterion Dominion. I’m taking the Siyane straight into that hellhole in a few hours. Once there, I’m going to have to leave it in as safe a place as I can find in order to go on foot into a Rasu-occupied city. I need you to stay with the ship while I’m gone. At some point, I’ll need you to pick me up, as well as Caleb and Marlee I hope, and maybe other people, too, at an undetermined location at an undetermined time.”
“That is the most boring piloting assignment I have ever heard.”
“Not if Rasu are shooting at you the whole time, it isn’t. Do you know about the Rasu? Highly unpleasant shapeshifting metal—”
“Of course I know about the Rasu. I’m brooding, but I’m not a hermit.”
Alex gazed pointedly around the bar. “Oh, this is brooding?”
“Fuck you, Solovy.”
“Uh-huh. Morgan, please. They’re trapped on this planet behind a quantum block, so this might be the only chance they have to escape. To survive.”
“A quantum block? You mean I won’t have Stanley to entertain me on this boring-ass frolic?”
“Is Stanley still in there?”
“Afraid so. Couldn’t get rid of him a second time.”
“Good. There’s hope for you yet, then.”
The muscles around Morgan’s mouth twitched; her gaze fell to the table. “No, there isn’t.”
Alex wasn’t connected to the Noesis, and she suspected Morgan wasn’t either, but she didn’t require a supradimensional quantum field connecting them to sense the woman’s pain. Regardless, the only thing she could do for Morgan right now was put her in a cockpit and give her an enemy to shoot.
“Well, it’s not for me to say. But this is why I need you. Valkyrie won’t be able to pass through the quantum block, either, so she can’t fly the ship for me. I won’t be able to land anywhere close to where Caleb and Marlee are holed up, which is smack in the middle of a metropolitan hub under siege. And at some point after I arrive, I suspect I’m going to need the Siyane to show up behind enemy lines to rescue all of us. For this to happen, a damn good pilot is going to have to be at the controls, and you are the best pilot I have ever seen fly.”
Morgan finished off her drink silently.
“Do it for the adrenaline rush. When was the last time you had a good one of those? You’ll be surrounded by oversized and overpowering enemies. Lots of opportunities for hide-and-sneak and very possibly lots of shooting—and not getting shot in return.”
Morgan motioned toward the bar. A Novoloume man arrived a few seconds later, placing a fresh glass in front of Morgan then sitting in the empty chair to Alex’s left.
“Solstan, if I were to be absent for a couple of days…” she glanced at Alex in question, and Alex shrugged in response “…or weeks, would you be comfortable keeping things running for me?”
“Certainly, ma’am. I’ll make sure the lights stay on and the drinks get mixed.”
“I believe you will, but thank you for the reassurance. I’ll let you know.”
The man stood. “Forgive me, ma’am. Can I get you anything to drink?”
Alex shook her head. “I’m only dropping by.”
The man returned to the bar, and Alex shot Morgan a dubious look. “Are you telling me you own this place?”
“Won it from the former proprietor in an all-night game of skalef four years ago. I’d have thought word would’ve gotten around by now that I can kick anyone’s ass at the game, but patrons keep paying me to relieve them of their credits. I guess there’s a sucker born every day, and two on Sunday.” She groaned. “The question is, am I one, too? Am I a sucker if I take you up on your offer?”
“No. You’re a fighter.”
“Not any longer. But…” Morgan sighed dramatically “…what the hell does it matter anyway. Fine. But one flight only. When we get back, I’m heading straight here, where I will resume swindling gamblers out of their not-so-hard-earned credits. Understand?”
“Loud and clear. You live your life however you choose.”
“That option’s no longer on the table for me. So I make do. When do we leave?”
44
* * *
AKESO
Alex sprinted through the driving rain and around the new pop-up water barriers to reach the warm and so far dry house. Once she was inside, a wave of sentimentality rose up to make her heart ache, but she didn’t have time to entertain feelings that would only slow her down. She quickly packed two bags—one with several changes of clothes for herself (plus extra for Marlee) and Caleb, one with every weapon and tool they owned. The Siyane was always stocked with provisions and first aid supplies, which freed up much-needed space.
Satisfied she’d grabbed everything on hand that could help on her mission, she set the bags down beside the front door, stripped down to her underwear to avoid ruining more clothes, and stepped out into the raging thunderstorm. Rain pelted her like a swarm of tiny needles, and the wind whipped her hair around her face and neck like a binding knot. Her toes sank into the mud as she trudged across what used to be a meadow toward the line of trees at the creek. To the tree—the gateway to Akeso that had once cured her of a poisonous infection and later bonded inexorably to Caleb in order to bring him back to life, and to her.
She only hoped it could do so one more time.
The hanging vines danced like marionettes in the wind, and it took her three tries to grab hold of one. She held tight to it using one hand while she removed the blade from her pocket, then with a quick cut sliced her palm open. Raindrops spilled across her skin to turn the blood pink and wash it away.
She clenched her fist around the leaves decorating the vine. “Hear me, Akeso. I want to bring an end to this madness and to bring Caleb home to both of us, but I need your help to do it. If you understand me at all—if not my words then the true longing of my heart—deepen my connection to you and, through you, to him. Show me the way.”
The storm vanished from her perception and was replaced by the shattered profile of a ruined city. Heavy, dark shadows crept across empty streets, cast by Rasu cruisers soaring far overhead. Whispered voices echoed around her. Within her, a heart thrummed, each beat driven by pain and turmoil.
She gasped and let go of the vine to stumble backward. Tears streamed down her cheeks and were carried away on the rain; her chest hurt with every breath. The distressing scene faded in intensity, but if she allowed her vision to blur, she was still there, standing on a broken street on Namino. Only it wasn’t her standing there—it was Caleb.
“Thank you.”
A few minutes later, showered, clad in dry clothes and her hand bandaged, she sat in the cockpit of the Siyane while the storm raged on around her. She closed her eyes once more and listened for a heartbeat…and felt a stirring, weak and thready, inside her, as if a string winding across space and time tugged her toward the soul at the other end of it. It wasn’t a giant red arrow pointing to Namino, but it might as well be.
She reopened her eyes and forced herself to focus on the practical. Before she left to pick up Morgan and shortly thereafter Nika, did she have everything she needed?
Who knew what she was going to need? She had everything she’d been able to pull together in a few hours, and she could only hope it was enough to guarantee everyone came out the other side alive.
“Valkyrie?”
‘I am here.’ The voice originated from the Siyane’s speakers, then transitioned to a spoken voice as Valkyrie’s virtual avatar materialized in the chair beside her. Caleb’s chair, though Valkyrie had more right to cla
im it than anyone.
“You realize where I’m going, you can’t follow.”
“I regretfully do. I have been quiet, because you would not have benefited from another distraction, but I sensed when your decision was made, and I have been following your progress since then.”
“I assumed as much. Allow me to preemptively apologize for any damage Morgan inflicts on our ship.”
“Nothing we can’t buff out, I’m sure.”
“I’m not as sure, but hopefully so. This is my personal mission, but we have to keep pushing forward on all fronts—against the Anadens, the Savrakaths and most of all against the Rasu. I want you to do something for me.”
Valkyrie’s Nordic features brightened into a warm countenance. “Anything.”
“Be careful what you wish for. While I’m gone, I want you to go speak to the Ruda about the Rasu…or rather, about shapeshifting metal and ways they may know to melt it, or alternatively permanently solidify it, or interrupt its functioning in some useful way.”
“But you don’t want me to explain to them the reasons for my inquiry.”
“Not if you can help it. The Ruda trust and respect you above everyone else. They always have. But they’re still quirky as all hell, and I don’t completely trust them. If they learn of the Rasu, they’ll be desperate to make contact with a species so similar to their own nature. And that is a spectacularly bad idea, so I need you to make up a story about why we’re asking for the information.”
“I wish I didn’t have to lie to them.”
“I know you’re not comfortable lying, and I’m sorry to ask you to do so.”
“No, it’s the prudent choice.”
“It is. Whatever you learn, relay it to my mother and to Devon and Annie.”
“And to you.”
Inversion (Riven Worlds Book Two) Page 27
