Cromian Conspiracy (Celestial Empires Book 1)

by Raymond Cooper

  Chapter Three

  I walked into the hangar where my ship was being kept and found Xavix underneath it, tinkering with something. Xavix was my mechanic and truth be told, my only real friend. I trusted his insight more than I did anyone else's – even though he wasn't human. Or technically speaking, a living being at all.

  “What's going on? Find anything?” I asked, kneeling down to get a good look at what he was working on.

  He rattled off a litany of super-technical things that went about as far over my head as possible. When he finally stopped speaking, he just shook his metallic head and looked all gloomy.

  “In English, please?” I asked.

  “Oh yes, I'm sorry, Gemma,” he said, pulling himself into a seated position. “I sometimes forget myself.”

  I'd gotten a good deal on Xavix back when I first arrived on-planet. He was a good mechanic, but he wasn't the prettiest droid around, given that he was a little rusty on the outside. He'd been tossed aside when a newer model of mechanic droids came out. Which was great for me. I fixed him up and he was as good as new – more or less. He was a top notch mechanic, but had also become my most trusted companion.

  “The ship is pretty much dead right now,” Xavix said. “I'm going to have to replace – ”

  Replace? Yikes. I didn't know yet what needed to be replaced, but I knew it wasn't going to be good for me. Given the age of my ship, replacement parts were sometimes hard to come across. The Asteroid Class CX-500, which I'd named theUmbra, shortly after buying her, was an outdated ship.

  Asteroid Class CX-500's just weren't made anymore, which made spare parts for her a rare commodity. Which then made what spare parts were out there particularly expensive thanks to the unethical, immoral sleaze bags who hoarded the parts and charged a premium for them.

  Placing my head in my hands, I groaned and sat down beside Xavix . He joined me, putting his own metallic hands over his face.

  “I'm sorry, Gemma,” he said, patting my arm with his metal hand.

  He wasn't the best at empathizing, but he tried. He tried really hard. But it was still somewhat strange to me to think that these robots, these mechanical beings full of wires and circuit boards instead of flesh and blood, had been programmed to have empathy and compassion.

  Was their empathy real? Could their advanced programming enable them to learn enough to actually feel sympathy and compassion? I couldn't be sure, but it felt real enough to me. Even when Xavix didn't understand exactly what to say or do, he still tried to find something to say or do to make me feel better. Or to at least make sure I knew I wasn't alone. Which I appreciated immensely.

  There had been more than a few times since I'd come to this planet when I'd needed a shoulder to cry on and Xavix had always been there for me. He was about the only one who had been, really. When the world was falling apart around me, I knew I could always count on him.

  “It's okay, Xavix,” I said. “It's not your fault.”

  Leaning my head back against the cold, hard steel of my ship, I closed my eyes and thought back to the meeting with the strange man at the bar. I was at a loss. Completely adrift and didn't know what to do. On the one hand, doing the job would net me enough money to replace whatever needed to be replaced and get off this rock. On the other hand though – it was executing somebody for money. And I didn't feel good about that.

  Turning my head to Xavix, I decided to ask him what he thought I should do. He always had sound, intelligent, and logical advice.

  “I was approached today about a job,” I said. “But I'm not sure I want to take it.”

  Xavix turned his head and stared at me with his blank, black eyes. His eyes were so devoid of – well, anything really – that they used to freak me out. But over time, I'd gotten used to it and now it was just normal. I hadn't been able to afford realistic-looking eyes for him, so he was stuck with the bottomless black orbs that reminded me of the vastness of outer space.

  Maybe it was fitting.

  “Why not, Gemma?” Xavix asked. “Is this job dangerous? More dangerous than some of the other assignments you've taken?”

  “It could be,” I said. “But it pays well. Very well, in fact. It would pay us enough that we could replace what we needed to replace, fix the ship, and get back home.”

  “That certainly sounds like it would be ideal for you,” he said. “Not so much for me.”

  “What are you talking about, Xavix. I'd be taking you with me,” I said. “You could retire on Earth.”

  Although his face was expressionless, something about his bearing shifted and he suddenly seemed – tense. On edge. Or at least, as tense and on edge as a droid could seem, anyway.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “Retiring a droid often means sending them to the scrap heap, so no thank you, Gemma,” he said. “I think I'd prefer to stay here on Cromia and perhaps, find somebody else who could use my services. Although, I do appreciate the gesture.”

  I laughed out loud like it was the funniest thing I'd heard in days – which, it was. I'd forgotten that Xavix didn't understand how different Earth was from here and how words carried different meanings. Retiring on Cromia meant being melted down and scrapped. Retiring on Earth simply meant that he wouldn't have to work.

  Then again, as I thought about it, I had to wonder – what would a mechanic droid do without anything to work on or repair? It wasn't like they enjoyed reading, had other interests and hobbies, or anything else for that matter. They weren't human and didn't have the same desire for leisure-time activities like we did. I let myself forget that Xavix wasn't a person, per se – even if sometimes it felt like he was.

  “I'm not sending my friend to the scrap heap, Xavix” I said. “But once we get back to Earth, maybe I can give you an upgrade. Update your programming with some new skills.”

  “Hmmm that does sound appealing,” he said. “With an update to my primary programming, I very well could be of more use to you.”

  I laughed and shook my head. Everything with Xavix boiled down to how he could serve me better. I knew it was all a function of his programming, but it made me a bit sad all the same. I missed having actual friends – friends with interesting lives. Friends who enjoyed going out and doing things. Friends with a brain that wasn't tied to circuitry and a computer chip.

  But, the advantage to having him around rather than a real person was that I didn't have to worry about him betraying me – since betrayal wasn't in his programming. I could literally tell him anything and everything, and do so without judgment or fear of repercussion. I could – and often did – seek advice from him, though his responses were usually based completely on logic and probability. Which, of course, gave me a valuable perspective from one side. Although, once in a while, I still longed for those responses that were more – well – human.

  Even so, logic was nice sometimes, and maybe I needed a bit of logic in that moment because my gut was telling me one thing, while my heart was telling me something completely different. I had a bad feeling about even considering taking the job. I never trusted anyone, especially men – yet I really, really wanted to get back home before my mother passed away. I was ready to do almost anything to make that happen.

  Maybe even kill somebody for it.

  So, I told Xavix of the job offer – all of it. I didn't spare a single detail and even told him about my own conflicted feelings on the subject. He listened, nodding at just the right times, and when I finished, I looked over at him as he seemed to be processing it all.

  “What do you think?” I asked. “Should I take it?”

  “The probability of you getting caught attempting the assassination of a political figure seems pretty high,” he said. “But I believe you are correct in saying that the payout would be very good. Perhaps even enough to repair theUmbra ten times over. I think you need to ask yourself, Gemma – how badly do you want to get back home?”

  “Pretty badly,” I admitted. “But we're talking about taking a life – �
��

  I cut myself off because Xavix had no concept of life or what value we humans placed upon it. He didn't understand that taking a life was a life-changing thing. Once you killed somebody, you could never again get that little piece of your soul back.

  We humans placed a tremendous value on life and our soul – concepts not built into Xavix's programming. He didn't fear death. He didn't fear anything. And while empathy and compassion had been programmed into him, on some level, I knew he didn't actually feel it. Those were merely responses that people wanted to hear, so he knew what to say. It didn't mean he really meant it – no matter how much I wanted to believe otherwise.

  “I don't know why I'm talking to you about this,” I said, standing up and brushing the dirt of my pants.

  “Who else are you going to talk to?” he asked.

  “Good point,” I muttered as I boarded my ship.

  Chapter Four

  TheUmbra might be small and a little outdated, but it had been my home for the last few months. I lived, ate and worked aboard my ship. It was the ship that was going to get me back to Earth. Back home. Once I could afford the fuel and the repairs needed to help her get me there, anyway.

  There were so many thoughts crammed into and swirling around in my head that my brain was hurting. I dropped down into a seat at the table in the ship's mess area and rubbed my temples. Honestly, I just wanted to go curl up in my bink and go to sleep. Xavix followed me aboard a few minutes later and stood on the other side of the table from me. I looked up at him and despite the blankness in his face, something about his bearing seemed to convey concern.

  “What do you know about Hugo Kysos?” I asked. “Anything sketchy come up when you look into him?”

  Xavix looked away, taking his time, processing my request, before he turned back to me.

  “Kysos' opponent, Soren Arihan, died a little over a month ago. Cause of death still currently unknown,” he said. “He was found in his apartment, alone, without any apparent medical reason for his death. Authorities found no bruising, no forced entry into his home. He was simply found dead by one of his staffers that morning. Given that foul play wasn't suspected, nobody has been arrested in connection with his death.”

  “Yeah, that all sounds pretty damn suspicious, but it doesn't mean Kysos was behind it,” I said, leaning back in my chair and drumming my fingers on the table in front of me. I wasn't the most comfortable in the ship's mess area – I used it primarily for passengers or extra storage if needed – but there was nothing I could do about it.

  I used to sit up in the cockpit of the ship, running my hands across the controls, staring at them, and imagining what it would be like to fly theUmbra home once and for all. But more times than not, that little exercise just ended with me upset and depressed, so I stopped doing it. I was frustrated enough and didn't need to keep adding to it.

  “His former opponent – Soren Arihan's predecessor – Jael Shaene, also died under rather unusual circumstances,” Xavix said. “The cause of death was strangulation, though, the report states that it appeared Shaene may have committed suicide. What's of particular interest is that the polls that day showed a large jump in his favor. It wasn't long after that his body was discovered.”

  Two people dead, one common denominator. It was suspicious as hell, but not definitive. The question I found myself asking was – was suspicious but not definitive enough for me to be judge, jury and executioner? Especially when I knew so very little about the cases and those involved? It very well could be all a coincidence, for all I knew. A strange and really odd coincidence, but coincidence nonetheless.

  Or – the deaths of Kysos' two challengers could be related.

  “What are his positions?” I asked. “What are people saying about him?”

  “Kysos has a favorable rating amongst the voters. His platform is dedicated to helping the people get through this recession through bringing in more jobs and funding more educational opportunities,” Xavix said. “But the real question is – how is going to do these things? He's never given a firm answer about how he plans to fulfill his campaign promises. And of course, his critics fear he's simply making promises he can't possibly keep.”

  “Well, he is a politician, they're particularly skilled in doing that,” I said, rolling my eyes. “But that's not enough to go on. Not really. That just seems to prove he's politics as usual, not a killer.”

  “Wait a second – ” Xavix said. “Here's something you might find of interest. Wow, I don't even know where to begin – ”

  “It's rare that information surprises a droid. Which means, it must be good,” I said with a chuckle. “Spill the beans, Xavix. What is it?”

  “It appears Kysos' family is demonstrably linked with the Interplanetary Inquisition Syndicate. And some fear he may be a follower of theirs as well. The IIS is – ”

  “I know what the IIS is,” I said. “I'm not that totally out of the loop or uninformed.”

  “Well, let's just say – some people fear that Kysos may be pushing an IIS agenda.”

  “Any proof of his personal ties?” I asked, my heart racing.

  “Just that his parents are both current members and high-ranking officials within the Syndicate.”

  “Holy shit,” I said, leaning back in the chair again. The man I met earlier was right. The IIS was very dangerous – especially to those outside this specific planetary system because their main focus was on being all-powerful and spreading their influence to other systems.

  Their agenda was based around fear of outsiders – including humans – and on eliminating or otherwise marginalizing their enemies. If the IIS had their way, my kind would be in labor camps. Or worse. In their view, we were lesser beings. We were dangerous. At least in their eyes, we were.

  They blamed us for the fall of their economy, for the genocides that infected nearly every system I knew of, as well as the instability in current government regimes. Essentially, the IIS blamed humanity for just about everything.

  “Have I been of assistance to you, Gemma?” Xavix asked.

  “Yes, yes you have,” I said, closing my eyes.

  The headache was only getting worse, even though the answers to the questions rolling around in my head were becoming crystal clear. I knew I couldn't let a man like Kysos take power. If somebody like him – with his family's ties to a regime like the IIS – took control, there would be little stopping them. Every war, every genocide committed throughout history would look like a child's slap fight compared to what they would do. With the IIS in power, the lives of millions – tens of millions perhaps – were at stake.

  Mr. Boygan was right – I really had little choice. I knew what I had to do.

  “Looks like we're going to Acrov, Xavix.”

  Chapter Five

  “I trust that you have made your decision?” Mr. Boygan said as I sat down next to him at the bar.

  I opened my mouth to speak and then closed it again. I was having a hard time actually saying it. I looked around the bar, which was sparsely populated. More sparsely populated than usual. It's not like Sy's bar was a place to go on a Friday night. But there were at least a dozen shady looking characters hanging around at any given time.

  Boygan looked at me, seeming to be urging me with his eyes to speak. To give him the answer he wanted. I cleared my throat and then met his gaze.

  “I have,” I said with a sigh. “And I'll do it.”

  Those were the hardest words I'd ever had to say in my life. But with the information I'd gotten from Xavix – as well as his logic-based guidance – I knew that Kysos was an evil man with terrible goals. And I knew that taking him out was the best option for everyone in this system and beyond.

  I'd come to the conclusion that this job wasn't just about getting home anymore. It was about making sure I had a home to return to.

  “Excellent,” he said. “If you leave tonight, you should get there prior to his next speaking engagement. I have some confederates working security that
will allow you easy access into the venue and help keep a route of escape open for you.”

  I nodded my head, not really trusting myself to speak in that moment. Honestly, the idea of murdering someone in cold blood like that made me sick to my stomach – potential evil despot or not. I was specifically going there to kill him. Not to capture, not to injure, not even to just get information. Straight up murder. If I were caught, I couldn't imagine what the consequences I would certainly face would be.

  But I knew that if I didn't do it, the consequences not just for me, but for millions across countless planetary systems would be far worse. Kysos could very well launch an interplanetary war that my people couldn't win. That maybe nobody could win.

  Boygan passed on maps – one of Kysos' home and another of the streets around his house.

  “His last public speaking engagement before the election is tomorrow night,” he said. “We need to make sure he never makes it there. This needs to be done before that.”

  “Got it,” I said, looking over everything he'd handed me, grateful for the distraction of the dossier he'd compiled.

  “So we are good to go then, yes?” Boygan asked. “I'll be on Acrov myself, waiting for the news. And once the job is done, we will find you and pay the rest of the money you are owed. For now, here's half. I trust you, Gemma. Don't make me regret that decision.”

  “I never back out of a job,” I said. “I've never let anyone down.”

  “No, you haven't. That much I've gathered from what I've learned about you,” he said with a smile that sent a chill down my spine. He got up from the bar and paid the tab. “Which is why I knew you were the one for the job. I'll see you in Acrov.”

  As he walked away, I stared into my drink and couldn't even bring myself to finish it. My stomach was roiling from the mere thought of the job I'd been tasked with and I thought I might be sick. Sy, obviously sensing something was wrong, stopped by and leaned on the bar across from me.