by Gregg Vann
Stenth twisted Tien’s head to the side to face him. “Forgive me. I do have a tendency to digress. You are about to die, Tien. That’s what I’m telling you. Your arrival here explains everything, so my inquiry is complete. All that remains now is to dispose of the bodies. You gave Eraz the code. It’s as clear as day. I would have changed it after your desertion, but I never conceived of you using it like this. You’ve always been very imaginative, Kiro. I suppose I should have been more proactive. In any event, you were all working together to rescue Brother Dyson from that maniac holding him captive, and to kill me, of course. It’s patently obvious. From the unusual composition of your group, to the route and means you employed to successfully reach Ko’ln. Your methods are your confession, Tien. But you failed. Failed. So now I can put this matter behind me, and return my attention to a joint venture I’m working on with Miso.”
There was an uncharacteristic hint of regret in Chancellor Stenth’s eyes, brought on by fond remembrances of his star pupil—and their deadly and productive past together. But that shred of remorse was soon displaced by a detached expression of purpose, as Awi Stenth recalled Tien’s betrayal…and the embarrassing aftermath.
“Goodbye, Kiro,” he said. “It’s time to rid myself of you once and for all. You’re familiar with the saying: The chase always ends. And the Corp always wins.”
Stenth pulled the darksuit open and pressed a spot on Tien’s torso. His chest peeled apart down the midline, exposing the artificial rib cage protecting Tien’s soul chamber. The enigmatic black cylinder where his consciousness was stored.
“Now,” Awi Stenth said, “let’s see what we ca—Gaaahhhhh!”
His hands flew behind him as the scalpel slid down Stenth’s back, slicing a deep cut right next to his spine. The chancellor desperately reached out, trying to stop the source of the pain—and to stem the flow of blood that immediately erupted from the wound. But it was much too little, and far too late, to stop what came next. The plant’s tendrils twisted deep into Awi Stenth’s flesh, tearing into the open wound to spread out between his vertebrae. They lodged in tight clusters near the major arteries positioned there. Through the shock of what was happening to him—the horror, and incredible pain—Awi Stenth realized there was only one person who could be responsible for the attack. Commander Eraz savagely punched him in the back of the head next, hard enough to knock his helmet off, and Stenth dropped the bracelet and fell to the ground. Eraz saw the device and stomped on it, snapping the bracelet into three pieces. Then her waning strength finally gave out, and she joined Tien and Chancellor Stenth on the floor.
Tien felt his mobility returning and slowly sat up—his torso sealing automatically as he refastened the darksuit. He watched Awi Stenth struggle to reach the middle of his back, frantically wrenching his arms in unnatural ways to grasp at the plant’s feeding tentacle. But the tendrils were well anchored, deep inside his flesh, and Tien didn’t like Stenth’s chances for success. He regained his feet anyway and kicked both of the chancellor’s arms out to the side, and then Tien stood on them to prevent any further attempts to remove the appendage.
He could see Stenth’s blood moving freely through the tentacle, flowing toward the habitat at a remarkably fast pace, and Tien realized that the plant was using the rapid blood loss to incapacitate Stenth—to quell his incessant struggling. He grimaced inwardly at the thought of it. In Tien’s eyes the process was disgusting, and just the idea of a plant feeding on a living person repulsed him to no end. But it wasn’t the first time Tien had witnessed the act. That he cared so little for the victim made the sight somewhat easier to accept, but it was still unpleasant and unnatural. Eraz began to stir, and Tien glanced down at her.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’ll live…probably.” She fought to stand up, rubbing her leg where the explosion from Tien’s errant missile had knocked the plant free. The mishap presented Eraz with an opportunity to grab the stunned tentacle and use it against Stenth, but the effort had also taken a heavy toll on her already weakened body. Eraz’s entire thigh was soaked in blood where the tendrils had been ripped away, and thick, coagulating trails of it sagged all the way down to her ankle. She pointed at Stenth as the very same tentacle continued to feed on its latest victim. “I want him for myself, Tien. I owe him.”
“So do I,” Tien replied tersely. “But I remember our agreement, and we’ll both have our revenge.”
He picked Stenth up off the ground and carried him over to an unoccupied table, tossing him down onto the cold metal surface, face-first. Tien then pulled the thick restraints across his former superior—dismissing Stenth’s weak and mumbled protestations, and the increasingly feeble attempts to break free from Tien’s grip. Awi Stenth was still groggy from Eraz’s punch to the head, and the copious amount of blood already lost to the plant, but the Udek chancellor was slowly regaining his senses.
Tien felt something grab his leg and looked down to find another of the plant’s tentacles, fruitlessly trying to latch on to the metal through his clothing. It was drawn by Stenth’s blood, smeared all over the darksuit when Tien carried him to the table. As the tendrils continued their futile attempt to penetrate his leg, Tien traced the length of the second tentacle back to the habitat. He discovered that a piece of debris from the missile explosion had punched a small hole through the reinforced glass, just large enough for one of the tentacles to escape. Tien reached down and grabbed the end of the appendage and crushed it in his grip. The damaged tentacle wiggled free, and then withdrew back into the safety of the glass enclosure. Tien finished securing Stenth while Eraz freed the others from their restraints, and then they all joined him at the table, Maxal nursing the extra arm Stenth had awkwardly cross-strapped to his chest.
“Where is Brother Dyson?” Ryll demanded, glaring down at the chancellor. “What has Miso done with him?”
Tien was surprised at the monk’s sudden tenacity, and the determination evident in the young Bodhi’s voice. But he wasn’t impressed enough to give way; Tien had his own agenda.
“My questions first,” he said, making it clear there would be no discussion on the matter. Tien had formed a consensus of one. “I want the truth, Awi. And I’ll know if you lie to me.” Tien gestured at the monitor to drive home his point.
Stenth coughed hard twice, heaving his body up from the table as far as the straps would allow, and then his breathing settled back down into an unsteady rhythm. The tentacle coiled tighter around the tendrils dug into Stenth’s back, protecting its purchase from the uncertain movements of its prey.
“What a disappointing turn of events, eh?” Awi Stenth said, turning his head sideways to catch a glimpse of Tien’s face. The barren metal surface he found instead revealed nothing. So without any facial clues to go by, Stenth tried the direct approach. “I don’t suppose I’m getting out of here alive. Am I?” he asked.
“No,” Tien replied bluntly. “But how you die is still a matter for debate.”
“A short one, I’m sure. Even you had to have drawn some notice when you broke into the compound. The building may not be as heavily staffed in the evenings, Tien, but sooner or later—and probably sooner—someone will notice your handiwork. A missing guard who fails to report in would be my best gues—” The plant’s tendrils quivered, settling in deeper, and Awi Stenth winced.
“Then make your answers quick,” Tien said. “Why did you keep coming after me? Any secrets I know from my time in your service are dated to uselessness. And the information I’ve collected since is hardly worth all the trouble you’ve gone through, especially antagonizing the Obas as you have. I understand why the Udek military and economic leadership would want me gone; I’ve been a thorn in their sides since I left. But even they wouldn’t go so far, or take the risks you’ve taken. This feels personal to me, Awi. What were you hoping to gain from my death?”
“It’s simple, Tien. I needed to make an example of you. I had to show the other Special Corp operatives that you can
’t get away with defiance. That there are consequences for betrayal.”
Tien looked at the monitor. “You’re lying.”
Awi Stenth knew the plant’s capabilities better than anyone. “Partially lying, if you’ll examine the readout more closely. I taught you better than that, Tien. But I’ll save you the bother. I did need to make an example of you; that’s true. I can’t have my operatives running around the galaxy doing whatever the hell they want. The Corp needs strict control and obedience. But you’re right. That wasn’t the main reason I wanted you dead. It was personal. You betrayed the Corp, and you betrayed the Udek people. But above all, Tien, the most heinous thing you did, was betray me.”
“Is your ego so fucking fragile that you’d risk a conflict with the Obas, just to teach me a lesson?”
Chancellor Stenth laughed. A hearty, rollicking laugh that soon descended into deep coughing spasms. That was disconcerting enough, but the fact he was being exsanguinated by an alien plant at the time made Stenth’s good humor almost surreal.
“My ego? You’re a fucking idiot, Tien. I was grooming you to take my place. The Special Corp was supposed to be yours after I’d gone. I’d even held preliminary talks with members of the government about an eventual transition—gauging their thoughts, and getting tacit approval. After serious review, and based on my recommendation, Ambassador O’linth and Minister Tekiol both agreed that you were a perfect fit for the job. You’re smart, Tien. And ruthless enough to get things done—without compunction, or any self-imposed limitations. Tekiol and O’linth were prepared to use their considerable influence to steer your appointment straight through the Presidium. And then you made us all look like fools. Now do you understand the damage you caused when you deserted the Corp? When you betrayed your people to run off and live with the Obas? Even helping them act against our interests? Killing you was the only way I could ever redeem myself in the eyes of the government…if even that was enough. You were right about one thing, though. You have managed to anger nearly everyone on this planet at one time or another. If it hadn’t been me trying to kill you it would have been the military, or someone else. You can take my life, Tien, put a bullet through my head. But this will never end for you. Never. Don’t forget that. You could have been my successor. But now, you will forever be a fugitive.”
Tien had no reply. What could he say? And by the looks on the faces of the others, they had no idea what to think about Stenth’s revelation, either. There was one, though, who didn’t seem to care about it at all.
“What about Brother Dyson?” Ryll asked impatiently.
“You are tenacious for one of the Bodhi,” Awi Stenth said. “Miso has him trapped in an old soul chamber, and he carries the damn thing around with him everywhere he goes. He treats it like some kind of trophy—even talks to it. The man is quite mad, you know.”
“Where is he now?” Tien said.
“At the spaceport. Miso became so much of a nuisance that I sent him back to his ship. It’s been disabled, of course. He isn’t going anywhere. I also posted a few guards there to keep an eye on him.”
“My, my, my,” Maxal said sarcastically. “Who knew the Special Corp could be so helpful…and forthcoming.” His voiced turned serious as he addressed Tien. “He might be sending us into a trap. In fact, he probably is.”
“I am not,” Stenth replied. “There’s no point in lying. None at all.” He inclined his head toward the plant. “I know a little something about that.”
“He’s right,” Tien said. “It’s impossible for him to lie to us. He’s well aware that the plant doesn’t miss a thing, and I would know immediately if he tried.” Despite his own assurances, Tien knew that empirical evidence always trumped the word of a professional liar. So he checked the monitor to make sure everything Stenth had told them was the truth. There were so signs of deception. “All right,” Tien announced, “let’s go. We can grab Dyson and Miso at the spaceport, and then get aboard Maxal’s ship. If we can escape the planet before any alarms go off, we might even make it out of the system in one piece.”
“And what about me?” Awi Stenth asked, his voice noticeably weaker now. “You know damn well that as the leader of the Udek Special Corp I’m not allowed outside backups, or cerebral recording inserts. If I die, Tien, it will be forever. No chance of resurrection.”
Kiro Tien leaned in close. “The Corp was supposed to protect my family…my wife. Instead, you handed her over to the military. The fucking military. You personally ordered it. Do you know what they did to Dasi on Nilot? What happened to my son…”
“I do. I read the report.”
“You know me better than anyone. You trained me, Awi. Do you really expect mercy? From me?”
“No, Kiro. I do not.” Stenth grimaced from a sudden flash of pain, and he fought to maintain his composure. “If only you would have completed your last mission, instead of betraying me and throwing everything away.”
“It was a child, Awi. You sent me to kill an innocent child.”
“That never stopped you before.”
“No,” Tien replied. “And there are regrets I’ll take to my grave for some of the things I’ve done. But I’ve changed. That assassin no longer exists.”
“Hopefully enough of him still remains that you’ll kill me yourself. You owe me that courtesy, Kiro.” Stenth gasped and his body seized up taut for a few seconds, and then it relaxed back down onto the table. “You know, I can actually feel its mind. I never suspected it was like this…the awareness. Don’t give this plant the satisfaction of taking my life, Kiro. Not like this. Please, not like this…”
Tien remembered his promise to Eraz and pivoted toward her. She knew the horror Stenth was experiencing intimately, and her revulsion and hatred for the plant overrode Eraz’s anger. Her thirst for revenge vanished as well, and Eraz nodded assent. Tien placed a finger against the back of Awi Stenth’s head and activated his pin-laser for a short burst. It burned a path down through the chancellor’s brain and into the table below, ending his life. The plants tendrils started to retract as Stenth’s heart stopped beating, and then Tien and the others began making their way toward the airlock door. Brother Ryll stooped down to pick up the broken pieces of the electronic bracelet as they went by.
“We’ll need to develop a defense against this for the next iteration of the android,” he explained.
Once they were all inside the airlock, Tien fired two micro-missiles at the base of the plant’s habitat, triggering a catastrophic breach. The entire enclosure collapsed in a rain of glass as he pulled the door closed. The failure of the habitat triggered an emergency system designed to keep the plant from escaping into Ko’ln’s environment, sending a fiery wave of plasma throughout the entirety of the sealed globe.
It was as if a tiny sun had erupted inside the sphere.
And seconds later, nothing remained but ash.
Chapter Thirty
“Go, go, go!” Tien snapped, as if the sound of his voice alone could propel the others forward. “We have to get to Stenth’s office quickly if we’re going to escape the building undetected. It’s just around the next corner.”
As they made the turn, following the inner curve of the corridor in a single file, Tien jumped to the head of the group to lead them to the correct door. He paused in front of it just long enough to smash the lock with his fist, and then Tien pushed the door open, stepping aside so the other four could file into the office.
“Straight to the back,” he instructed. “Stenth’s private conveyor is in the far corner.”
Maxal and Brother Ryll stepped in to grab Eraz’s arms as she suddenly faltered, nearly collapsing. They then half-carried the severely weakened Udek across the length of the office. She’d done well to make it this far on her own, but Commander Eraz’s strength was clearly failing. Whose wouldn’t be after what she had endured in the sphere? The conveyor door automatically opened as they approached and they all piled in, propping Eraz up against the back wall to help stabi
lize her. The space was small, so Ayel squeezed off to one side to leave enough room for Tien, following closely behind them.
Tien cast a fleeting glance around as he briskly moved through the large room, noting how similar everything looked to his last visit, nearly two years ago. Awi never did like change, he thought to himself. The memory made Tien feel strangely uncomfortable.
After all, he’d just killed the man.
Tien noticed a glaring alarm indicator emanating from one of the monitors on Stenth’s desk, pulsing in alternating flashes of amber and red. The visual signal was paired with an increasingly loud beeping sound that matched its cadence precisely—a warning that the sphere’s emergency containment system had been activated. Despite the pressing need to get out of the building, Tien made a quick detour to shut it off. If he didn’t, and the alarm went unacknowledged, it would eventually be re-routed to the main control room for attention. Tien couldn’t let that happen, so he accepted the alert and then promptly dismissed it; that would buy them a little time, anyway. He looked down and discovered an assortment of encrypted dataslates on Awi Stenth’s desk. So many secrets, just sitting there. Tien briefly considered finding a container of some sort and grabbing them all up to take with him. But there just wasn’t time.
No time at all.
He reluctantly abandoned the trove and joined the others in the conveyor, and then the door closed behind him. Tien slid a single finger from the top of the control panel all the way down to the bottom—bypassing each of the glowing lines indicating the floors beneath them, and sending the conveyor directly to the basement garage. As it gently began its ride down an invisible stream of charged particles—densely packed inside a variable magnetic field that provided both vertical and horizontal travel throughout the entire building—Tien twisted around in the tight space to address everyone.
