The Circuit: The Complete Saga

by Bruno, Rhett C.

  A few glares lingered on Kitt a little longer than Talon cared for as they moved, so he pulled him along quickly. They boarded an underpass car bound for the West 534 Housing District—his home. As far as he was concerned, Zaimur could wait a little bit while he checked in on Elisha and Julius.

  “I’ve seen yours. Welcome to my home,” Talon said, smiling widely as the hollowed-out district he grew up in came into view. The tram stopped in front of Dome 534, vibrant colors spilling out through the club’s latticed structure the same as they always did. Talon hopped off the tram while Kitt gawked at the club.

  “C’mon, we’re going to go check on an old friend.” Talon smiled as he directed Kitt up the stairs leading to the residential block. He went to Julius’ shack first, and nobody answered. He then headed to his own shack and found it just the same.

  “Nobody home?” Kitt said.

  Talon shook his head and stepped out of his shack. “I forgot to check the time. They must be down at the Dome. C’mon, I’ll get you a spot at the bar. A little fresh water will do you well.”

  Kitt’s eyes went wide. “Fresh?”

  “They harvest it from the oceanic core of Ceres and a few other asteroids. Far better than most of the shit that gets served around here.”

  Kitt nodded excitedly and they started heading back toward Dome 534. Just as they did, Talon made eye contact with Ulson’s wife. A palpable sinking sensation filled his chest as she hurried in the opposite direction.

  “Yuri!” Talon shouted as he started off after her.

  She might know for sure where Julius and Elisha were. He and Kitt followed her up to the second level of the stacked housing units, where Talon was unable to ignore Vellish’s shack nearby, the door closed tightly. The sight made his throat go dry, but he swallowed hard to steady himself and continued after Yuri.

  Ulson had a nicer place than any of his friends—a hollow built directly into a bulbous knob of rock. The only one of them with a wife to help keep it nice too. Yuri glanced over her shoulder and scowled before slamming the entry hatch behind her. Talon wasn’t surprised. He knew everyone left behind would blame him for what had happened on the freighter, just as he did.

  Talon knocked on the circular metal hatch with all his might and struggled to force words out. “Yuri, where’s Julius?” he asked. When she ignored him, he kept repeating himself, banging on the hatch until some of her neighbors started staring.

  Finally, a man hollered, “Just let him in, dammit!”

  The entrance popped open and Yuri stood in it wearing a disapproving glare. “Just leave us be, Talon Rayne,” she sniveled. “You’ve done enough.”

  Us? Talon stormed in past her and found Ulson lying on their rock-carved bed. Blankets covered him up to his neck.

  “You made it?” Talon asked.

  Ulson turned his head. A grotesque burn covered one side of his face, from his cheek to a missing ear. He smiled weakly, and just that effort of moving his face was enough to make him grimace in pain.

  “Back from the dead, old friend,” he said, his voice frail and raspy.

  Talon raced over to him and grasped his outstretched hand, which was also covered in burns. His grip was weaker than even Talon’s.

  “By the Ancients, it’s good to see you!” Talon exclaimed.

  “Never thought I would,” Ulson whispered. “How the hell did you get off of there?”

  Talon looked over his shoulder at Kitt, who stood politely in the doorway behind Yuri. “I had some help.” Talon scanned Ulson’s ravaged body again and exhaled. “I heard your transmission cut out. Thought for sure they got you.”

  “Aye. Ship took a hit right to the engines. All life-support systems went out, but the cockpit held its integrity somehow. I would’ve suffocated if there wasn’t a spare suit in there with some oxygen. The Tribune mistook me for debris and cleared out, and some Morastus scouts picked me up, barely alive and almost in one piece.” He stuck the stump of his right leg out from the side of the blankets. It was amputated halfway up his quad.

  Talon bit his lip. “Ulson, I’m—”

  Ulson reached out and placed his hand on Talon’s shoulder to silence him. “I knew the risks. I’ll never mine again, but at least I got out alive. Shame what happened to Kalliope.” He paused and looked at his wife. “Yuri, can you please bring us something to drink?”

  She didn’t move.

  “Please.”

  Yuri pursed her lips and fought back another scowl before heading over to their refrigerator. She brought them two glasses filled with discolored synthrol. She didn’t even make eye contact with Talon as she gave him his. Then she offered one to Kitt, who declined wordlessly.

  “Is it only you?” Ulson asked.

  “Only me and Agatha. The bitch was working for the Tribune the whole time. Led us right into a trap.”

  Ulson’s attempt at sitting up failed as he groaned in pain. “Damn… It’s always the pretty ones. Except you, honey.” Yuri didn’t answer. “What about Vellish?”

  Talon’s hands balled into fists. “She shot him in the head before sending me to the Keepers.”

  Ulson appeared similarly displeased, though not surprised. “I ever see her again, I’m gonna see if her arm works for a leg.”

  “I’ll screw it on myself.”

  They exchanged a pair of wicked grins, and then Ulson held up his glass, his hand trembling. “To Vellish.”

  “To Kalliope.”

  They clanked their glasses together and took down a mouthful of the liquid. The taste of home was so refreshing after everything that Talon didn’t even mind how bitter it was. It was easily the worst quality synthrol he’d ever ingested.

  “You’ll have to tell me how you managed to get back here,” Ulson said once his mouth recovered from the taste.

  “You can thank Kitt and his people mostly,” Talon replied.

  Ulson tilted his head to look past Talon, as if he hadn’t even realized the quiet boy was there. His brow furrowed even though the singed side of his face could barely move. “Is he a—”

  “Vergent, yep. I was as surprised as you are.”

  “Talon Rayne, you’ll have to tell me everything. I could use a good story, stuck in this bed all day.”

  “And I will, but first I have to find Julius,” Talon replied. “He wasn’t home, so I’m guessing he’s down at the Dome. I left him behind to look after Elisha; I didn’t realize I was saving his life.”

  “I figured that was why he stayed. He must’ve taken the duty more seriously than he usually does. I haven’t seen him since I’ve been out of the med center. Her either. Though I haven’t left this hole much, but I figured he’d stop by once he found out I made it.”

  Talon’s heart started racing again, but he took deep breaths to try to stay calm. “Not at all? I told him to stay away from anything Morastus-run on Ceres, but that’s not like him.”

  “He’s a social butterfly.” Ulson chuckled, then moaned. “You think they’d still come for them after what happened? Seems like a waste of time.”

  “You never know with Zaimur Morastus running things.”

  “Julius is probably just being overly careful to make you proud. I’d go ask Vera. You know he can’t go too long without seeing her. I’m sure everything is fine.”

  “Yeah… probably.” Talon allowed himself a slight nod of self-encouragement. “I’ll keep looking. After I find him, we’ll sit around here and I’ll tell you all about what happened, and we’ll drink until our minds are numb.”

  Ulson put on a frail grin. He extended a hand, his arm shaking. “It’s good to see you, Tal.”

  “The Tribune can’t get us all,” Talon replied.

  He decided against embracing Ulson, as much as he could use it, and settled for a handshake. Then he opened his mouth to say something to Yuri, who watched from the kitchen, but as his gaze met her grimace, nothing came out. All he could do was nod and head outside. He could hear Ulson groan behind him, rustling around in his bed
to try to find a comfortable position. No longer having to act brave in front of a friend.

  “C’mon,” Talon said to Kitt as he closed the hatch behind them. He wished he could spend more time, but even after learning of his friend’s miraculous survival, finding Elisha was all that mattered.

  They headed down to the Dome without exchanging a word. Kitt stared at the two androids with rifles posted at the entrance while they waited in the short line. When they finally reached the front, the Morastus bouncer at the tarp-covered entrance said, “Cards.”

  Talon reached down before remembering he didn’t have his anymore. It had been lost somewhere aboard Tribune Vakari’s New Earth cruiser. As he was busy trying to think of a proper excuse, Vera came stumbling out.

  “Tal!” she shrieked and threw her arms around him and kissed him before he could refuse. “Where have you been?”

  Her skimpy leotard was half pulled down and she could barely stand. Her eyelashes fluttered as she tried to look at him but couldn’t focus. Directly behind her was a Morastus enforcer wearing a suit of armor similar to the one Talon used to wear. He didn’t look happy seeing his girl clinging to another, but Talon didn’t care.

  He helped Vera onto a bench outside the club and leaned her head back. Her pupils were dilated three times their usual size, and the area under her nostrils was chapped. He couldn’t pick out what synthetic drug she was on exactly, but she’d always had a taste for anything concocted in the depths of Ceres.

  “Vera, what are you doing?” Talon sighed. Sometimes it was hard to believe she was the mother of his child.

  She giggled maniacally. “We’re going to war!”

  “Back off, ya filth!” The agent she was with pushed Kitt out of the way and then yanked Talon up by the wrist.

  Talon considered announcing who he was, but it had been so long since he’d worked directly under Zargo Morastus that most Morastus thugs wouldn’t know of him anymore. Instead, he lashed out and struck the inebriated man across the jaw. Blue death or not, he drew on all that had happened since last leaving Ceres and produced enough force to knock the man out.

  A few people nearby glanced over for a moment before continuing on with their conversations. The Dome was no stranger to drunken brawls. Business as usual.

  “Man, that felt good.” Talon exhaled, shaking out his hand. The punch made his entire arm instantly burn with soreness, but it was worth it. He hated seeing Vera strung out on drugs when Elisha could be anywhere nearby and see. “So where is she?”

  “Elisha?” Vera mouthed, enunciating each syllable individually. “I haven’t seen her in foreeeever. Have you?”

  Talon leaned in closer to her. “What do you mean? She was with Julius. I’m sure they’ve been down here all the time.”

  “Him either.” She playfully poked Talon, pretending her fingers were legs walking on his chest. “Or his big ol’ muscles.”

  “How long?” He grasped her by the sides of her head and pulled her face close to force her to focus. “How long!”

  “What?”

  “How long since you saw our daughter?” he growled, shaking her.

  “Days… weeks…” Her eyes closed and she let her body droop back as if she were about to fall asleep. “I don’t know, Tal. Right after you left, maybe. I don’t know.”

  Talon’s heart skipped a beat. He almost completely let her fall before Kitt had a chance to lunge forward and help lower her head down to the surface of the bench.

  Talon fell to his knees, his fists quaking. “Zaimur,” he whispered, holding back a roar. If nobody knew where Julius was, then there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that the Morastus prince was behind it. All because of Talon’s failure to obtain a freighter’s cargo on a mission that had no chance of success. Sure, Talon had recruited Agatha, or Sage. A Tribunal. But Zaimur’s men had cleared her too.

  A part of him knew he should have expected it. After all he’d been through, he knew he shouldn’t have thought seeing Elisha again would be as simple as getting home. But he wouldn’t let anything stand in his way. If Zaimur was willing to ignore all that Talon had done for his father, then Talon would do the same.

  I’ll kill him, he thought before turning to Kitt. “Watch her. I’ll be back.”

  14

  Chapter Fourteen—Adim

  The White Hand hurtled through space toward Ceres Prime. ADIM sat in the captain’s chair on the command deck in a fully aware state. Cassius himself was asleep while the ship’s computer, Gaia, had them on autopilot, but ADIM had to be ready just in case something happened.

  The stars danced slowly by. No matter how many of the belt’s scattered asteroids passed in the distance, nothing bothered the White Hand. Even though they were traversing countless miles of Ceresian space, its stealth systems were far too advanced to be caught by anything but top-of-the-line scanners. According to Cassius, the Ceresians were far behind in that technology.

  ADIM heard something moving behind him and snapped to full attention, his head whipping around one hundred and eighty degrees.

  “Relax, it’s only me,” Cassius announced as he entered. He appeared to be well rested, which was not a state ADIM was accustomed to seeing him in. “We should be there shortly.”

  “Twenty-four minutes precisely,” ADIM said.

  “Good.” Cassius walked up to the captain’s chair. ADIM went to get up so that his creator could sit down. “I need the exercise,” Cassius said, stopping him. “Gaia, show us the last location of all Tribunal ships uploaded with the Vale Protocol.”

  “Yes, Captain,” the White Hand’s virtual intelligence responded promptly. A minute went by without anything happening.

  “Forgive me, ADIM,” Cassius groaned. “She’s not as fast as she used to be after all these years. I’ll have to clean out her memory banks sometime and see if I can improve performance.”

  Finally, a hologram shot up from the command deck’s main holoprojector, displaying all the planets, moons, asteroids, and artificial stations comprising the Circuit. Tiny red dots popped up along it, each of them blinking. ADIM eyed it curiously.

  “Creator, can’t your protocol be used to disable the entire Tribunal fleet?” he asked.

  Cassius exhaled. “Unfortunately, no. When I designed this program, I served the Tribune loyally. The ability to disable ships on command can only be controlled from within the Enclave in New Terrene, and even then there are strict fail-safes. The Vale Protocol requires both an iris scan and a subdermal handprint from an active Tribune to be accessed. I was very thorough. It will, however, take them a little longer to figure out how to block our ability to at least see the location of all linked ships. This is a gift I think the Ceresians would greatly value.”

  Cassius pointed to Jupiter on the map, which harbored the brightest cluster of red dots in its orbit. “They are amassing here,” he said. “Waiting patiently for the signal to wipe out the Ceresian culture for good this time. Tribune Noscondra’s cruiser remains stationed over Mars, and look, Tribune Yashan and his sizeable fleet are preparing to leave Earth to position themselves at the edge of the asteroid belt.”

  “Leaving Earth and her moon undefended,” ADIM stated.

  “Why waste ships on what they’ve already won?” Cassius replied. “After losing their taste for the old war, the Tribune resolved to slowly bleed the Ceresians out over time until they came crawling over to the side of the faithful. They would’ve succeeded eventually if not for us. Now, the Ceresians have fewer and older ships, while for twenty-eight years the Tribune has worked to double their fleet.”

  “The Ceresians would be unwise to provoke total war. Their dispersion across many more settlements is their only advantage.” ADIM quickly counted eighty-seven settlements holding populations of over ten thousand people throughout the asteroid belt.

  “Kalliope will force their hands, and the Tribunal response will be swift,” Cassius said. “Benjar has been waiting for this moment since the old war ended. He was never in favor of s
igning the armistice, but there were only three Tribunes at the time, and the others voted against him. Just one of the reasons he recommended that I be named to the council afterward, thinking I’d always side with him.” Cassius paused for a moment, ruminating. “When his cruiser moves from its perch over Titan, our new war will begin. I’m sure of it.”

  “This unit does not understand,” ADIM stated. “If the Creator is so certain that the Ceresians will be annihilated, why are we aiding them?”

  Cassius turned back toward ADIM. “Despite what they may think, they are no longer my enemy. I have come to envy their passion for life even.” He placed his palm against the side of ADIM’s blank face. “Without them, I never would have thought of building you.”

  A trio of spindly blue lines in the distance lanced by the White Hand’s viewport.

  “Captain, three Ceresian vessels are rapidly bearing on our location,” Gaia interrupted. “Fighter class. They are transmitting orders.”

  “Patch them through,” Cassius responded.

  “This is Brego Yahn of the Lakura Clan,” the hoarse voice echoing throughout the White Hand’s command deck said. “Identify yourself.”

  “Just our luck,” Cassius whispered to ADIM. “Countless hours building a ship that can’t be picked up on scanners and we get seen in the most traditional manner there is. By eyes. What are the chances?” Before ADIM could calculate, Cassius stopped him. “Don’t tell me.”

  He keyed the commands to open comms. “This is Cassius Vale of the White Hand,” he transmitted. “I am requesting permission to address the heads of the clans of Ceres Prime, yours included.”

  There was no answer, and after about a minute of silence, the console beeped and Gaia said, “Captain, three rocket projectiles have been fired, targeting our engines.”

  Cassius groaned. “As I said earlier, despite what they may think.”

  ADIM scanned the readouts on the holoscreen. “Creator, it does not appear that they’re attempting to destroy the White Hand.”

  “They will try to board us and claim that they found and captured me. The Lakura Clan is as radical as they come. They ran an android production plant on Lutetia before I destroyed it, and have been attempting to respark the war ever since—setting off bombs wherever they can get them.”