The Chaos Sutra

by Gregg Vann

  Seeris, do you think we can trust this Obas?

  {I don’t trust you, Udek}

  Then that’s a sentiment we share. Tell me, what’s that thing in my…your wrist? Something slid out of it when Uli showed my arm to Toz.

  {It is a prehensile extension of our skeletal structure; a tool for when we need to grip something strongly. But it also has sharp edges and can be used in combat, more so in the past than now}

  And how did it mark you as one of the Yano clan? As soon as Toz saw it, he knew.

  {They are called, bledi. In the Yano, they extend from the bottom of the wrist and curl upward, extending out past the fingertips. In the Saba, they come out of the top and curl down. The Isk have one on either side of their wrists, opening and closing in opposing directions—we are all different}

  Interesting.

  I approached the transport station and two doors slid apart automatically—one receding into the ceiling while the other disappeared into the floor. I stepped into the waiting car and sat down in one of the rearmost seats.

  The vehicle had six chairs in all—placed two abreast in three rows. Luckily, they were all unoccupied. Glancing down at the armrest, I noticed a control panel and tapped it lightly. A map resembling the one Uli had shown me in the infirmary popped up, and I quickly located the exercise room. When I pressed down on the blinking indicator the car quietly slid into motion. Brenin technology or not it was an intuitive interface, and I was thankful that I didn’t have to ask Seeris for instructions on how to use it.

  But I did have other questions for him.

  What do you know about Marshall Toz?

  {He has a reputation for ruthlessness, even among the Brenin. But he is a good leader—enjoying victory after victory as we move through your systems. And he is very popular, Udek; his murder will bring reprisal}

  Good. Then his death will matter.

  {You have no idea what this will bring down on my clan if they learn that I was involved}

  You weren’t too concerned about that when you thought to rescue Uli.

  {A rescue, even if I’d been caught, would have led to a personal punishment. If this assassination is traced to me, there will be violence between our clans}

  That’s my plan, Brenin. And like it or not, that’s exactly how it’s going to happen. You heard Eraz, and you know what we intend to do.

  {So sure of yourself, Udek. The marshal may well kill you instead…kill both of us}

  We will see.

  But Seeris made a valid point, and it was one that I’d been suppressing this entire mission. I was a seasoned assassin, but I didn’t have any of my usual equipment. I’d taken two long-handled scalpels from the infirmary, and even though they were surprisingly well balanced, they weren’t designed for fighting. But there was a much larger problem; I wasn’t even in my own body, and I had no idea how these creatures fought.

  What I wouldn’t give for a gun right now, I thought to myself, any gun. But Seeris had assured me that all firearms were heavily guarded, and the danger of trying to obtain one far outweighed any possible benefit.

  The car stopped and a female Brenin boarded, taking a seat at the front of the shuttle. I was relieved when she didn’t bother to look back or offer a greeting. Uli had repaired my head wound and covered it with a small bandage, and I was worried that it might draw attention to me and elicit conversation. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case…so far, anyway. We started moving again and I prodded Seeris for any information that might help me win against Toz.

  What do I need to know to beat him?

  {Stay far away…attack and retreat. If he grabs you with his bledi, it’s over. And remember, they are very sharp—serrated on both sides and pointed like a knife}

  Anything else?

  {Yes. The Veilcat is going to be the real problem, and I have no idea how to counter it. If it compromises your mind, it can slow you down—maybe even paralyze you. Toz would be able kill you in seconds…if the cat didn’t take you for itself first}

  The car stopped again and the female Brenin stood up to leave; my armrest vibrated to let me know it was my stop as well. I got up and followed her out, then turned left and started down a long hallway. The design scheme here matched that of the infirmary—a white, glowing ceiling that provided light; shiny, metallic walls with various control surfaces and maintenance hatches, and a shadowy-black floor that defied any attempt to examine it closely.

  I continued to question Seeris as I walked down the hall. Won’t he have guards?

  {No. Not here. Training with a Veilcat is a singular experience, and other minds in the vicinity can disrupt the bond between the creature and its master. Intruders might even be perceived as prey and fall victim to the cat}

  Two doors…three. This is it.

  I peered into the room through a small, square glass panel set into the middle of the door—just as a silver blur flew by. As I continued to scan the darkened interior, looking for Toz, the massive Veilcat’s head slowly rose up from the bottom of the window to stare me in the eyes. Its nostrils flared and I froze.

  {Get inside, Udek. If the cat saw us, then Toz knows someone is here}

  I grabbed the handle and twisted it—there was a loud pop as the lock disengaged and the Veilcat vanished from the window. I pushed the door open slowly, and then cautiously entered the room. It was a large chamber, broken up into different sized sections by partial walls and pillars. I looked around for the marshal and Veilcat, but spotted neither.

  I saw dozens of platforms—some square, others round— scattered throughout the room; ranging in size from short, squat pieces that were barely a meter tall, to large structures that almost reached the high ceiling above. I also noticed horizontal bars hanging from wire cables, and handgrips mounted vertically on every flat surface. The pillars, walls, even the ceiling, were littered with handholds of different types.

  Unlike the rest of the ship there was only a modicum of light here, and the room was dominated by deep, black shadows. Between the copious dark spots, and the open areas hidden behind the larger pedestals, there had to be twenty or so places to hide from view.

  Marshal Toz called out from one of them.

  “Who are you?” he asked. “Who are you really? My cat senses your mind, Yano. You are the one from the infirmary, yes?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then if you’ve come here, it can only be to kill me. This room is as far from escape as you can get.”

  “Did your cat tell you that as well?”

  Toz stepped out into the light; he was standing on a high platform on the far side of the room.

  “She didn’t have to, it’s obvious. But why, Yano? You know what will happen because of this treachery. After I kill you, I will make your entire clan pay for your actions.”

  “You needn’t worry about that,” I replied. “In fact, Toz, soon you will have no worries at all.”

  “I’m not so sure, Yano. You see, I’m up here and you’re down there. And as you know, the trees are life…”

  {And the ground is death} Seeris finished.

  The powerful Veilcat slammed into me from behind and the impact knocked the air from my lungs. As I struggled to regain my breath, the beast stood on its hind legs, pushing me across the floor with its large torso. It grabbed at my chest from behind with both front paws—the razor sharp claws mere inches from my flesh. And it took all of my strength to push out against the gradually tightening grip. The effort left me no opportunity for escape or counterattack, but what choice did I have? It was an embrace I knew I wouldn’t survive.

  The animal grew frustrated, and instead tried clamping its jaws down on my neck. But its head was in a bad position and I managed to dodge the snapping jaws each time. The Veilcat shifted its weight for a better angle of attack and I spun sideways, dropping to the floor and rolling away. The cat’s momentum continued to carry it forward, giving me just enough time to reach into my tunic and jump back up with a scalpel in each hand.

 
; I’d heard nothing!

  {They are silent, Udek. Don’t let it out of your sight}

  The animal circled around and stood facing me about three meters away. The cat was thickly built, and powerful muscles quivered and drew taut as it shifted its weight from leg to leg. Even with my Brenin senses, I couldn’t anticipate its next move. It was impossible to tell when it might leap, or in what direction. The cat bared its teeth as we stared at one another, and I got the impression that the creature was waiting for me to make the next move. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Toz watching from the platform.

  The Veilcat turned its head sideways and looked at me quizzically.

  “What are you?” Toz asked. “You are not Yano! My cat can’t fathom your mind. You are blank!”

  The cat leapt.

  I guessed correctly and spun off to the left, drawing both scalpels down its flank. I could feel the sharp knives puncture its skin and carve their way into the beast’s flesh, but also intense pain as it reached out and raked its claws across my chest. I heard fabric rip away as the animal’s nails dug deep into my body, and blood began to run freely from the long gashes. The Veilcat and I both cried out, then turned to face each other again; the beast pacing back and forth in front of me, confused. It was unable to affect my mind—to paralyze or suppress my actions—and it had never encountered this before.

  Neither had Marshal Toz.

  “That looks painful, assassin. Are you still so certain that you can kill me? Personally, I don’t think you’ll live long enough for us to even meet properly. Why don’t you just go ahead and tell me who you really are.”

  “Oh, we will meet, Toz. But I’ll tell you nonetheless.”

  There was no reason to hide who I was from him. If I killed Toz, my secret would die as well. And if I died, the chamber in my chest would tell the Brenin all they needed to know anyway. Even if they couldn’t access the information inside, the construction alone would point to a non-Brenin source; the plan to seed dissent within their ranks would die along with me.

  {Watch the animal, Udek. Toz is trying to distract you}

  Silence, Seeris! YOU are distracting me.

  I kept my eyes trained on the Veilcat as I spoke, watching it pace back and forth menacingly. “My name is Kiro Tien. I’m an intelligence officer in the Udek Special Corp.”

  “Udek? Impossible! There is no way those thick skulled, half-evolved animals could get past our defenses. No…no… You are something else.”

  “Believe what you will,” I replied.

  “No matter, assassin, I’ll find out at your autopsy.”

  The cat lunged again, but this time I misread its attack. The large beast twisted in the air, dropping low enough to grab my legs with its claws. The nails punctured my skin, pushing deep into the muscle below. The cat used the firm grip to yank me violently toward it, and I fell hard to the floor. I knew the Veilcat had me, but it had left itself vulnerable as well. The animal’s large head was directly above, and I reached up with both hands and plunged the scalpels into its neck—driving them so far in that the creature’s tough skin closed over the wide flanges on the handles. The scalpels were lodged deep in the flesh, and even though the closing skin had seized the knives— resisting all of my attempts to pull them back out—it couldn’t stem the flow of animal’s blood. It ran down my arms in a steady torrent. The cat let out a guttural scream and ran off—taking my only weapons with it.

  I tried to stand, but my legs gave out and I fell to my knees. My blood mixed with the Veilcat’s in a blue and red pool on the ground.

  {She severed an artery, Udek. You must put a tourniquet on that leg or we will be dead in moments}

  I looked around and saw no sign of Toz or the Veilcat, then ripped off part of my tunic and wrapped it around the hemorrhaging leg. I pulled hard, tightening it as much as I was able, then knotted it several times to make sure it held. The blood slowed down to a trickle and I struggled to stand up again.

  {Toz is a pompous fool. If he and the cat fought as a true pair, we would be dead already}

  Forgive me for not being disappointed.

  I didn’t think the Veilcat would survive, not with those slash wounds and the two scalpels in its neck. More than likely, it had run off to die. But Toz was still uninjured, and undoubtedly watching me right now. His voice rang out loudly, echoing throughout the room and confirming my suspicions.

  “You killed my cat, assassin! Do you know how long it takes to pair with these animals? Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Murderer! Oh… I won’t kill you now. Oh, no. I’ll keep you alive—but you will beg me for death. I will make you beg, assassin!”

  Silence…

  And then I heard him drop from the ceiling and moved aside just in time. Toz rolled away and hopped up as I staggered into a fighting stance. I watched as he calmly walked toward me, and as he got closer, I could see the barely controlled rage in his eyes. Two bony knives slowly extended from his wrists; they curved closed tightly, then snapped open straight and rigid.

  The bledi.

  “I am going to gut you, assassin…see what’s inside. Then I’ll sew you back up again for a nice, long interrogation. You and that Yano bitch.” He shook his head. “That quarantine… I should have known. She let you escape.” He stopped in front of me—just out of reach—then raised his arms and noisily raked the bledi across each other. “We are all going to have such fun together, Yano. Well…fun for me anyway.”

  How do I extend the bledi, Seeris? Tell me now!

  {You just do, Udek. It’s not something I can explain}

  Toz lunged forward and stabbed at my head; I leaned off to the side to avoid it.

  A feint!

  I saw the other bledi coming toward me in an upward thrust and pushed his wrist to the side—falling back against a large pillar. The weapon missed its mark and became lodged in the column beside me. I pulled away from Toz as he struggled to free himself, hobbling as fast as my damaged legs would take me toward the back of the exercise room. I stayed in the shadows and tried to move quietly.

  I need the bledi, Seeris! If you want to get Uli to safety, I must have them.

  {Give me my body, Udek. And I will fight him}

  You’re insane. You would never return control to me. I don’t trust you, Brenin, and I must complete my mission.

  {Dasi. Yes…I know}

  I heard a noise overhead and looked up to see Toz swinging across the ceiling, using his bledi as hooks. He moved from handle to handle with remarkable precision, then dropped onto a high platform nearby and started climbing down the side of it. At the halfway point, he leaned out and peered around the room; I ducked back further into the shadows.

  Toz called out cheerfully, “I will find you, assassin. But even if I don’t, sooner or later you will bleed to death, and then I’ll find your body.”

  He looked around for a moment, as if trying to pierce the darkness through sheer effort alone, and then jumped off the pillar to a low hanging bar and swung off—back toward the front of the exercise room. In desperation, I turned my left wrist over and pinched it with my other hand; the skin separated and I saw a scant bit of bone, but then it slid back in again just as quickly.

  Damn it!

  {Give me control. Do it, Udek! I can defeat him. I am Yano!}

  By the way Seeris was pleading with me, I could tell that there was a long history of hatred between the Saba and Yano. One that provided a wellspring of motivation for revenge—for affronts extending far beyond today’s events. I knew that Seeris wanted to kill Toz, of that I was certain, but I was equally convinced that once he controlled his own body again, I would never complete my mission…never see Dasi again. And I wasn’t about to let that happen.

  What is tha—?

  I sensed it more than heard it, a slight pressure change, an unnatural feel in the air. I was not alone. I flattened my back against the wall of a tall, square platform and tried to move quietly away from the presence. But creeping stealthily was impo
ssible—my injured leg betrayed me with every step. The tourniquet had rendered it numb, and I was forced to drag the useless appendage along. But the slight, scraping sound I made was almost inconsequential, because I knew that if I could sense Toz, he knew I was here as well.

  “Last chance to give yourself up, assassin. Why prolong your misery?”

  The voice came from everywhere…and nowhere. With so many structures—so many different sizes and shapes—scattered throughout the room, the sound bounced around indiscriminately. I edged myself around a corner, emerging from the shadows where I’d been hidden, and found Toz standing there, waiting for me. But he was no longer calm; he’d put aside all pretense of the game we’d been playing. And when he saw my face, his demeanor changed even further. Something feral had been triggered, and now, Marshal Toz was enraged.

  He growled, “Let’s finish this, assassin.”

  He ran up a side wall and launched himself through the air, coming down on top of me as I tried to spin away. I felt two sharp punctures rip through my back, tearing the flesh aside as the bledi passed all the way through me…then again as they were withdrawn. His momentum, and my attempt to evade the attack, sent us tumbling to the ground. As we both leapt back up, I found myself standing behind him, and before Toz could turn to face me, I kicked out with my good leg—striking him in the small of his back and pushing him face-first into a partition wall. I leaned into Toz hard, pinning him flat against the smooth surface, then grabbed his hands while he struggled and yanked them down to his sides—trying to neutralize the bledi. It didn’t take Toz long to realize that he couldn’t break my grip from this position and he jumped up, placing his feet flat against the wall and pushing violently backward.

  We both went down again and Toz landed on top of me; the hard impact forcing me to let go of him. I heard air passing through one of the holes in my back and knew that the bledi must have struck a lung. The organ was now collapsing, and robbing me of much needed oxygen. Toz hopped up and spun around as I lay there struggling to breathe. He placed a foot solidly in the center of my chest and held me down to the floor.