The Tortuous Path (Fall of the Terran Empire Book 2)

by G. P. Hudson

  “Sure. No problem,” Danny said, wondering how much longer it would take for them to leave.

  “When the time is right, my people will give you further instructions, including where the money should be sent.”

  Eight members of the security team stepped past Danny and Gerry to board the starship.

  “Is there anything else?” Danny said, becoming increasingly tired of this little man’s power play.

  “No, that’s all. Safe travels,” the security officer said.

  Danny nodded and followed the security team on board the waiting starship. The two clones wasted no time, and proceeded straight to the cockpit, ignoring the security team accompanying them.

  In the cockpit, they lowered themselves into the pilots’ chairs, and the instrument panel lit up. Danny checked on the status of their cargo. Upon confirming that it had been delivered, he proceeded to release the starship’s moorings. Once free, he fired thrusters and maneuvered the starship away from Aurora station. When they were far enough away from the station, the main engines came to life, and the ship took off toward the jump gate.

  The time passed quietly, with Danny spending much of it monitoring the security team, and the women through the ship’s cameras. At first, the security team split up and inspected the starship’s interior. When they were done doing that, they all settled in one area and seemed content enough to remain there.

  As they approached the gate, one of the security team came into the cockpit to check on their progress.

  “Just take her through, nice and easy,” said the man. “Security clearance has already been arranged, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”

  “Whatever you say,” Danny said, steadily nearing the jump gate. You see, he said to Gerry. We’ll get out of this system without any problems.

  Can we kill them once we are in metaspace? Gerry pleaded.

  You’ve got some real anger issues. Danny said. You know that? Why not just take them prisoner?

  “Let me know if you run into any problems. I’ll be down in the cargo hold.”

  “The cargo hold?” Danny said with alarm.

  “Yeah, my men and I are going to sample the shipment.” The man slapped Danny’s back. “Quality control, if you know what I mean.” The sound of his laughter grated on Danny’s nerves, but he controlled himself and waited for the man to leave.

  When the man finally exited the cockpit, Danny could not contain his anger any longer. He turned to look at Gerry. You’re right. We should kill them.

  Chapter 19

  The smugglers’ ship passed through the jump gate, into metaspace without incident. The military vessels stationed at the portal merely watched as the vessel sailed by. Were they paid off as well?

  Danny’s muscles flexed as they entered metaspace and traveled away from the jump gate and the Volsung system. He thought back to the first time he met Catherine and her two little girls. He remembered the UHSF soldiers who had shown up looking for him, and how they tried to rape Catherine. She had been strong enough to kill the two men before they could assault her, but the women in the hold? What chance did they have?

  “Ready?” Gerry said, rising from her pilot’s chair.

  “Yes,” Danny said.

  The two clones left the cockpit, their holo-disguises still active. They moved with inhuman speed and soon reached the cargo hold where the women were kept. Weaponless, they opened the hatch and entered to see the women cowering before the armed men, while one shouted at them.

  Hearing the hatch, they all turned to face Danny and Gerry. The one who had entered the cockpit earlier smiled. “Shouldn’t you two be flying the ship? Don’t worry, everything is under control here. We won’t harm the goods.”

  The two clones looked back in silence.

  The security officer waited for a response, and his smile slowly faded. “You two really are stupid, aren’t you? Get the fuck out of here before you get hurt.”

  Gerry’s hand reached up and switched off her holo-disguise, revealing her true self.

  “What the-”

  Danny struck first. He leaped forward, covering an impossible distance in one fluid motion. Even as the man reached for his weapon, it was too late.

  Danny fell on the man like a rabid wolf, striking with unimaginable speed and force. A flurry of fists pulverized the man’s skull. Bones cracked. Cartilage snapped. Blood gushed from the man’s nose and mouth as he fell, dead from the blunt force trauma before he hit the floor.

  Danny took the man’s sidearm and bolted, barely registering the symphony of screams. He fired the weapon. Plasma bolts bore into a cluster of security officers. The nauseating stench of burning flesh filled the room.

  He saw Gerry snap a hapless man’s neck. She hadn’t bothered to arm herself with her victim’s weapon like he had. Instead, she chose a more personal approach and used her hands, especially her fingers, to pass judgment. She ripped through the room, and men shrieked in agony as their blood sprayed the walls.

  Danny watched Gerry’s ferocity with awe. He let her deal with the remaining security team in her own way, firing a couple of times only to disarm. She was inquisitor and executioner all rolled into one.

  When the last man fell, Gerry turned to face him. To Danny, she seemed like some great warrior from the past. Perhaps a Viking, or a samurai. Blood dripped from her face and hair, as she smiled back at Danny. Justice has been served, little brother, she said through her implant.

  Well done, sister, Danny replied.

  They both turned to face the women, who now screamed with heightened intensity.

  “No, it’s okay,” Danny said. “We’re not going to hurt you. We are rescuing you.”

  “Your disguise,” Gerry said.

  “Right,” Danny said, and deactivated the holo-disguise, revealing his true form. That prompted a fresh round of cries from the women.

  Gerry raised her hands, palms facing the women. “I know this seems scary, but we really are here to help you. Those men were going to rape you and intended to sell you into slavery. That’s why we did what we did.”

  The women settled down a little after that but were still frightened. They huddled together at the other end of the room, unsure of what to believe.

  One of the women finally spoke out. “I know what you are,” she said, pointing a trembling finger. “You two are Zeta clones. What does Zeta want from us?”

  “We were Zeta clones,” Danny said. “But not anymore. We are free now, and so are you.”

  “Zeta soldiers laid waste to my home. Killed my friends and family. Left me destitute. You’re the reason I am here.”

  “Zeta has done a lot of terrible things,” Danny said. “I know that. But we are no longer part of Zeta. We were freed, and we are freeing you.”

  “But why?” the woman continued. “Why would you care about what happens to us?”

  “We were on Aurora station on other business,” Danny said. “That was when we learned of your plight. The criminals who abducted you were going to sell you into slavery. We couldn’t stand by and let that happen.”

  “But why?” said the woman, raising her voice this time.

  “Because we were slaves once,” Danny said but added nothing more.

  The woman who asked the question still seemed confused, but some of the others nodded, showing that they understood.

  Gerry walked back to the cargo hold hatch and opened it. “You are no longer captives,” she said. “You can move freely on board this vessel. I will show you where the bathrooms and shower facilities are. I suggest you all get yourselves cleaned up, and then we can all have something to eat and discuss what happens next.”

  The women still seemed apprehensive but were eager to leave the confines of the cargo hold. They followed Gerry out, and to the bathrooms.

  You might want to wash up yourself, Danny said as they left. A blood-soaked face probably isn’t the best way to instill trust.

  Great idea, Gerry replied. In the meantime, why don�
��t you do something about this mess I made?

  Chapter 20

  “Where are we going now?” Korinna said. She was the woman who had spoken after the security men were killed. After they were freed, they had washed up, eaten, and were now free to do as they wished. Many chose to sleep, others to sit quietly and contemplate their return to their homes. Korinna sat in the cockpit with Danny and Gerry.

  “We are heading to the Avar system,” Danny said.

  “What’s in the Avar system?” Korinna said.

  “We have to meet some people there and conclude our business with them.”

  “The business you had at Aurora station?”

  “Yes.”

  “What were you doing there?”

  “I’d rather not say,” Danny said, exchanging glances with Gerry.

  “It’s okay. I understand. You don’t want to tell me.”

  “What about you?” Danny said. “Where will you go now?”

  “I don’t know,” Korinna said. “I don’t have anywhere to go.”

  “Where are you from?”

  “A small planet called Thiva.”

  “I see,” Danny said somberly, remembering the Thivan campaign. The tiny world had rebelled, and Zeta had been paid to put down the uprising. The system’s governor had demanded that they make an example of Thiva, to discourage other worlds from following the Thivan lead.

  “There’s nothing left there for me.”

  “Is that where you were abducted?” Gerry said.

  “No. I left Thiva with hopes of making a life somewhere else. After leaving, I was offered a job on a starship. I didn’t have much money and thought it an opportunity to earn while traveling. The job didn’t exist. It was a trick to get me on board. Once there, I was imprisoned and brought to Aurora station.”

  “I’m sorry about everything that’s happened to you,” Danny said.

  “Thank you. Where will you two go once you are finished your business in the Avar system?”

  “We will return to the rest of our people. Our home.”

  “Where is that?”

  “In metaspace.”

  “Metaspace? Out there?” she said pointing to the fiery chaos on the viewscreen. “That’s what you call home?”

  “Yes.”

  “Huh. What’s it like living in metaspace?”

  “Different,” Danny said with a smile. “Aren’t you tired? Wouldn’t you rather get some rest?”

  “No. I’m good.”

  “Okay.”

  “Can I come with you?”

  “What?”

  “To your home. Can I come with you?”

  “Uh, it’s not really a home. It’s a warship. And it’s full of Zeta clones.”

  “Are they free clones? Like you two?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then they’re not like the ones who attacked Thiva.”

  “Some of them might have been involved in the attack. In fact, I would guarantee it.”

  “But that was when they were slaves like you said. Right?”

  “Well, yes.”

  “So, they were forced to do what they did.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Then they wouldn’t bother me.”

  “Still, I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do. Wouldn’t you rather live in normal space? On a planet somewhere?”

  “Where? I have no money. No family. Where can I go? I’ll just end up homeless and vulnerable again.”

  “I understand, but our life is perilous. You could get hurt. Even killed.”

  “I get it. You’re in metaspace because you are hiding, probably from Zeta Corp. I bet they don’t like the fact that you are free. Trust me, I know what Zeta is capable of.”

  “And that doesn’t scare you?”

  “Of course, it does. The thing is, everything scares me. So what difference does it make?”

  “Why don’t you think about it some more. We have some time until we reach our destination.”

  “I’ve done enough thinking. Sitting in that container, living in filth, all you can do is think. Most of the time you imagine what the next horror will be. The next degradation. Trust me, I don’t need to think. The galaxy is full of evil people. You two are the first who have helped me since I left Thiva. I trust you, and I want to come with you.”

  “Okay,” Danny said. “You can come with us. But please, try and give it some thought. There must be somewhere else you’d rather go.”

  “How can you tell when you are near the Avar system?” she said, changing the subject. “Everything looks the same out there. It’s like one never-ending firestorm.”

  “The navigation system will tell us. We’re getting close now. We’ll reach the jump gate in about two hours.”

  “Really? Can I stay and watch?”

  “Sure. Stay as long as you like.” Korinna’s curiosity seemed endless. She observed everything with a childlike awe that Danny found endearing. He felt terrible about what had happened to the poor woman.

  Even though he hadn’t been involved in the Thivan operation, he still felt partly responsible. Zeta clones had destroyed her home and killed her family. It had all happened while he still fought for Zeta. He could’ve been one of the clones sent to Thiva. He could’ve been the one to murder her family. It was pure chance that he didn’t end up there.

  I can feel your sense of guilt, little brother. Thiva wasn’t your fault, Gerry said through her implant.

  Perhaps. But it still bothers me, Danny said.

  He continued to ruminate over Thiva and other similar atrocities. Korinna asked a never-ending stream of questions, and Gerry indulged her, answering as many as she could. Despite everything that had happened to her, Korinna still possessed a small world fascination with the universe. Danny figured that she had never left her tiny world before, let alone gazed on the red-orange turbulence of metaspace.

  Almost two hours later, they neared their destination. “I can’t see it,” said Korinna.

  “Right there,” Danny pointed to a spot on the screen. “Do you see that black spot?”

  “Faintly.”

  “That is the jump gate. My ocular implants make it easier for me to find it. The black part is normal space. It’ll become clearer as we get closer.”

  The spot on the screen grew as they advanced. “Are those stars?” Korinna said in wonder.

  “Yes.”

  “That’s amazing. Why do you think there are no stars in metaspace?”

  “I don’t know. Some people think that metaspace existed before regular space. That it’s volatility created the universe.”

  “You mean the big bang?”

  “Yes. Some think that metaspace caused it.”

  “Interesting. So, what is stopping metaspace from creating other universes?”

  “Nothing, I guess.”

  “Does that mean that we can travel to other universes through metaspace?”

  “If we can, nobody has figured it out yet.”

  “Metaspace is still a mystery,” Gerry added. “We don’t really know much about it. We know enough to use it for travel, for example. We can build jump gates, and travel vast distances, but not much more than that.”

  “Here we go,” Danny said, as their ship entered the jump gate. They crossed through and entered the inky blackness of regular space.

  “Incredible,” Korinna said.

  “Shit,” Danny exclaimed.

  “What’s wrong?” Korinna said.

  “That!” Danny pointed at the warships on the viewscreen. “Those are UEDF destroyers.”

  “Scans are indicating more UEDF warships around,” said Gerry. “A fleet of them. The Empire has invaded the Avar system.”

  Chapter 21

  Premier Margaret Reese stared at the ceiling, as Admiral Michael Reynolds, the would-be conqueror of the Avar system snored beside her. She wondered who she loathed more, Reynolds, or herself. Thankfully, experience taught her that the self-loathing would pass. She would compar
tmentalize it and push it out of her conscious mind. There was no room for weakness here. Not with this man.

  A man like Reynolds could be extremely dangerous. She knew that. Her part needed to be played flawlessly. Another role, she thought. How many have there been? Too many.

  From her earliest years, she had performed. She acted on stage, and in real life, using her aptitude to get what she needed. Her talent and intelligence allowed her to climb out of poverty, and into the highest levels of Avar society. While she had been well educated, it was her gifts that made her successful. Who would have thought that the daughter of a street merchant would become the leader of the Avar system? Nobody.

  Except her.

  Reese had always known her capabilities. Everyone around her seemed to be standing still by comparison. She also knew how to conceal them. Even as a child she understood that if people realized how gifted she was, that they would try to control her. They might also fear her. None of that would do. So, she learned to put on a performance, hiding her true nature, and putting everyone’s minds at ease.

  Outthinking those around her was easy enough. Convincing them that they were in control was the real challenge. The actor in her rose to that challenge and excelled. While someone like Reynolds was indeed dangerous, his ego made him susceptible to manipulation. Strange that someone who wielded such power possessed such a common flaw.

  No matter. His arrival had been a curse for other star systems, but she saw it as a boon instead. She contemplated the recent string of events, and how they had altered her plans. Up until Reynolds appeared, her ambitions remained solely within the Frontier Alliance. It had always seemed the obvious choice.

  The various leaders were all greedy and corrupt. Rising to the top of their food chain was merely a matter of time. But the arrival of the Empire, and Reynolds had changed all that. Even with the Empire’s dwindling power, its influence dwarfed that of the Frontier Alliance. That meant she needed to modify her plans. She needed to aim higher. Much higher.

  Reynolds would be her key. He liked to brag about his accomplishments, a clear sign of insecurity. She had taken advantage of that quality, and the fine Avar wine she had brought with her a little over a week ago. It didn’t take long before he began rambling about how he hated the nobility. This man, who had access to the highest vestiges of power, had an ax to grind. That was valuable information indeed.