Veil of Shadows (Book 2 of The Empire of Bones Saga)

by Terry Mixon

  “I bet your hardware has a way for you to figure that out. It only makes sense. We have equipment that keeps track of where we’ve been and how to get back to certain locations. I’m sure that you have something similar. You just have to figure out how to access it.”

  She stopped. Forcing herself to keep her eyes open, she sent a mental command to her implants. Show my location.

  The transparent image of a partial deck plan appeared in front of her. She assumed the green dot was her current location. The deck plan showed what she assumed were the areas where she’d already been.

  Show me the path back to the docking bay.

  A blue line led from her location back to the lift they’d taken. She could also see the partial deck plan for the deck with the docking bay. The line led from the lift to the cutter dock.

  “I can see it. It’s like a ghostly deck plan floating in the air between us.”

  “That might come in really handy when you finally learn how to use it. At this point, I can see some potential benefits when this ship comes back online. You should be able to query the system and have it tell you where someone else is, and have it show you the shortest path to get to them. If we were boarded by a hostile force, it might even be able to show you where the enemy was located.”

  The sheer number of possibilities overwhelmed Kelsey. How was she ever going to learn how to do any of this?

  Well, the answer to that tied in with what Talbot had told her earlier. Practice. The more she used these new abilities, the more comfortable she would become with them, and the more uses she would discover. Her life was going to be very different going forward.

  Kelsey hefted her bag. “So, how do we figure out where my quarters are?”

  “Captain Mertz gave me a compartment number. Let’s see how lost I can get us.”

  The burly marine led her back to the lift and they went up to deck five. He started one direction looking at compartment numbers. She figured he was going the wrong direction when he reversed course. He had to move into a side passage and go almost halfway towards the bow of the ship before he stopped in front of a large hatch.

  “This is it. Now we get to figure out how to open it.”

  “That shouldn’t be too difficult. Someone opened it to decide it was right for me, so the hatch must work.”

  On a hunch, she sent a mental command to the hatch. Open.

  The hatch slid smoothly aside. Talbot raised an eyebrow. “Well, that’s really useful. I wonder if you could set a lock so that only your specific command can open it. I’d imagine so. That’s probably how the old Empire Fleet personnel did it.”

  Kelsey queried the door. Who has access privileges?

  A list of names appeared in her mind. She knew absolutely none of them. They must be part of the old Empire crew.

  “That doesn’t make any sense,” she said. “It has a list of authorized personnel, so I shouldn’t have even been able to open the hatch.”

  “Someone said that with the main computer offline, many things are accessible that might not normally be. Perhaps it’s an emergency protocol.”

  Kelsey sent a command to the hatch. Add me to your access list. A long series of numbers and characters appeared on the access list. They must represent her in some way.

  Identify me as Kelsey Bandar. My title is Ambassador and my rank is Princess.

  Her identification changed to exactly what she told the hatch. “There we go. I’ve added myself to the access list. We’ll see if I’m still there once the main computer comes back online.”

  She led the way into her new home. It was significantly larger than the two-person cabin she’d had on Athena. Several hatches led into other compartments. A quick walk-through revealed a rather large sleeping chamber, an elaborate bathroom with a shower shaped like a tube, an office, and a kitchen.

  Each of the rooms had the remains of furnishings, but it looked like the suite had been unoccupied when disaster struck Courageous. That secretly made her very glad. She hadn’t been looking forward to living in a room where someone had died. She had enough ghosts in her real life.

  She made her way back into the large central area. “This is huge. Who the hell lived here? Don’t tell me Jared gave me his cabin.”

  Talbot shrugged. “These may be VIP quarters. You know, the kind of thing some visiting Admiral would stay in. Let’s leave the hatch open and I’ll have some of the boys come clean everything out.”

  The marine consulted his tablet and the two of them headed off for Jared’s cabin. It was just as hard to locate. Her half-brother opened the hatch when they touched the plate beside it.

  “Just the people I was hoping to see,” he said. “Come into my humble abode.”

  Kelsey looked around as soon as she got inside. “I’m impressed. Yours are even larger than mine. I didn’t think they made quarters this large on a ship.”

  “Apparently the old Empire had plenty of space for their people. I suspect it has something to do with the fact that they have so much automation.”

  “Well, I have enough gear and clothing to fill my quarters. What are you going to do with yours? You don’t have nearly the wardrobe I have.”

  “That’s true,” he admitted. “It’s going to take some getting used to. If, of course, we can get the ship operational. That’s where you might be able to help. I’d like you to work with Commander Baxter to see if you can bring the main computer fully online.”

  Kelsey nodded. “I’ll do whatever I can.”

  “Then let’s go down and get an initial assessment. He tells me that it’s powered up, but unresponsive. Perhaps it’ll respond to you.”

  “Here’s hoping it doesn’t say something rude,” she muttered. “I understand that this is important, but do you really think it’s going to react positively to some stranger? It has to be more intelligent than Workstation Twelve. Maybe even sentient.”

  “Hopefully that would make things easier, rather than harder. In any case, all we’re asking is that you do the best that you can.”

  He led them deeper into the ship. If she hadn’t been able to log her progress, she knew that she’d have gotten lost in the first minute. They stopped outside a hatch that seemed to be several times the thickness of a standard hatch. She could tell because it was open. Inside the large white room, Commander Baxter and several of his engineering technicians seemed to be cleaning up the area around the consoles.

  He looked over as they came in. “We’ve just finished tidying up a bit. Allow me to introduce you to the main computer.” He gestured at a blank wall with three consoles and numerous screens sitting in front of it. The consoles seemed active, but the screens were blank.

  “She’s drawing power, but thus far she’s not responding to input from the consoles. I’m hoping that you’ll be able to communicate with her. Tell her we come in peace. Maybe get in a good word for the rest of us.”

  Kelsey stepped over and looked at the wall. “It’s behind here?” She closed her eyes and tried to sense an old Empire connection. She immediately found the interface.

  Hello? Can you hear me?

  This unit is Imperial Fleet property. Unauthorized access is punishable by up to sixty years in an Imperial prison. Your identity code is not recognized. Authenticate.

  My name is Princess Kelsey Bandar. You don’t recognize my code because I only recently received this implant hardware and over 500 years have passed since the Empire fell. The rebels attacked Courageous and your Captain attempted to self-destruct. Obviously, it didn’t work. We mean you no harm.

  The computer hesitated for several seconds. To Kelsey, that made it seem like it was thinking for a long time. When it spoke again, it seemed more hesitant. This unit’s internal chronometer roughly confirms the passage of time, but this unit cannot confirm the events specific to this vessel. If you will allow this unit access to your implants, it is prepared to determine if it should accord you any privileges.

  I’m still learning my way around this
equipment, but I give you permission to access my implants for the purposes you have stated.

  After a few moments, it spoke again. This unit has confirmed that you were recently implanted. A scan of the programming confirms that the rebel virus has not infected you. Based on that and a lack of authoritative guidance, this unit is willing to grant you provisional access. However, this unit insists that you restore its control interfaces.

  I have a question. With the old Empire gone, is it possible to gain access on a more permanent basis? Assuming, of course, that we can demonstrate the true situation to your satisfaction.

  My programming does not contain the procedure for that, however, due to the rebellion this unit has some leeway in interpreting regulations. Query. You have stated your title is Princess. In which polity are you a Princess?

  She hadn’t been aware there were other political units beside the Terran Empire. Interesting.

  The Terran Empire. The Emperor in your time sent his son Lucian to safety. My father, the current Emperor of the Terran Empire, is his direct descendent. My twin brother, Ethan, is his heir.

  No member of the Imperial Family has ever visited this vessel. It seems unlikely that a member of Imperial Family would be exploring a derelict vessel. Explain your circumstances.

  She spent the next few minutes explaining step-by-step the expedition and the circumstances that brought them here. She included everything, including the Pentagarans and their war with the Pale Ones. She figured this was not the time to leave details out or to prevaricate.

  Is one of the people standing near you Commander Jared Mertz?

  He’s the man standing to my right. The man standing to my left is Lieutenant Commander Dennis Baxter, the Chief Engineer from Athena. They are working together to try to bring you back to functionality. With Athena critically damaged, we’re hoping to use you to defeat the Pale Ones and get home.

  At this time, restoring this vessel to full functionality appears to be the goal for both this unit and your people. This unit suggests that we work together to make that happen and then we can see what possibilities exist going forward.

  Kelsey took a deep breath and turned to Jared. “The main computer is provisionally willing to cooperate, but insists that its control interfaces be restored. It will cooperate in the repair of the vessel and will then make a decision on whether to make that provisional access permanent.”

  Jared nodded. “That’s really the best we can hope for at this point. Good work. Now it’s up to us to get the ship functional and convince the computer that we’re being upfront and honest. You’ve done your part. Now it’s time for us to do ours.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Rawlins was very careful about making contact with his computer man, but it hardly seemed necessary. No one knew one another on Courageous. The Terrans didn’t know the Pentagarans, the Pentagarans didn’t know one another, and no one really knew anything about the ship.

  Frankly, after taking a tour of Courageous on the first day, he wasn’t all that certain the mission was even possible. The idea that they could repair such an ancient vessel without a major shipyard seemed unlikely. Yes, the Terrans had restored power, but that didn’t mean that they could return all the primary systems to functionality.

  Even though a surprising number of local workstations seemed functional, the vessel wouldn’t be more than a glorified tug without its main computer. At least that was his personal opinion. And that assumed that the grav and space-time drives even worked.

  If they couldn’t make the ship operational, he needn’t bother trying to seize it. He had thirty men, with twenty times that number on two ships to contend with. Three, if you counted the crippled destroyer. Athena could likely destroy this ship, even with its battle damage. This ship had to be in Pentagaran space when they took control, or they’d never get it there.

  And Courageous was markedly bigger than the largest vessel in the Royal Pentagaran fleet. The idea that he would be able to capture it with thirty men seemed ludicrous.

  He met his senior lieutenant in the crew’s mess that evening. Jenkins was a computer specialist working in the Royal Bureau of Ships. His particular skill set dealt with ship design and upgrades. He had a knack for putting things together and spotting flaws that weren’t obvious at first glance.

  He also had a penchant for gambling. That’s what originally brought him to the attention of Lord Admiral Shrike. Seeing an opportunity to turn the man to his own purposes, Shrike had paid off his debts. He’d then held them over Jenkins’ head to coerce his cooperation.

  Rawlins wasn’t one to trust others and he certainly didn’t trust a man they’d compelled to join the movement. However, with the work that he’d already done for the cause, Jenkins was as dirty as the rest of them. If he betrayed the cause, he’d still pay the ultimate price.

  Rawlins took a bite of his salad. It was actually quite good. “I assume you’ve gotten settled in. Were there any problems?”

  “Nothing I can’t handle. Some of the marines we brought along think they might be better off in charge.”

  The intelligence officer eyed the other man coldly. “We do not have the luxury of playing games. I am in command. Anyone who forgets that will regret it. Briefly. Pass the word that the very next person who thinks they would be better off in charge will not be getting a retirement package.”

  The man grunted.

  Rawlins let that sink in. “Give me your update.”

  “I’ve been integrated into the computer restoration project. I’ll be briefed tomorrow, but it looks as though I’ll have complete access to the ship’s cybernetics.”

  “That’s excellent news. Have you gotten any word on the condition of the ship’s computer?”

  “The Chief Engineer believes that it’s operational, but nonresponsive. The lights are on, but nobody’s home. He’s going to attempt to use their Princess to establish communication with it. Personally, I wouldn’t hold my breath. If anything, it’s probably gone buggy from all the time it’s been isolated.”

  Rawlins grimaced. “While that’s the most likely outcome, that’s not the best thing for our mission. If the Terrans can’t get this ship back to Pentagaran space, we don’t act. We’re too few in number to attempt a takeover on this side of the flip point. Even if we capture the ship, the forces that they have on the freighter will take us out eventually.

  “So we need to do everything within our power to assist the Terrans in getting the ship operational. Their success is our success. What about the rest of the ship? Are they going to be able to get the primary systems operational?”

  “I believe so. The ship seems to be in exceptionally good shape for its age and battle damage. If we can get the main computer online and the drives operational, we should be able to use this vessel.”

  Rawlins took another bite of his salad. “What about taking it over? Any ideas on how to best disable the crew or lock them down?”

  “The ship has internal defenses against boarding. Some kind of non-lethal weapon. They can be used against the Terrans.”

  That idea had merit. If the Empire had designed those systems to take out the Pale Ones, they could take out a normal crew. The key would be gaining and maintaining sole control of that system. They would probably have only one chance to use it.

  “How long would it take our marines to take engineering? Localized control should allow us to steer the ship and possibly control the ship’s weapons.”

  “Ten minutes. Marine country is very close to engineering. Timing is going to be critical, though. If we give the Terran marines—or God forbid, Princess Kelsey—an opportunity to respond, they can be in engineering very quickly. I’m not certain of how we can secure the doors at this point.”

  “I’d imagine a welder does well enough, if we can’t gain control of the systems. Now, let’s enjoy this excellent dinner. We need to keep our strength up.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  The speed at which they’d completed the basic
repairs with the main computer’s assistance astonished Jared. It took less than two weeks to get the primary systems back online. Including the flip drive. The ship’s self-repair capabilities were beyond imagining.

  The time had also allowed most of his injured crew to heal. Athena brought them over as the Pentagarans released them for duty. With modern medicine, if an injury didn’t kill you, they could have you back on your feet in a very short period time.

  The computer had been instructing his people on the manual operation of the ship. Even without implants, the computer was able to make the process easier for them. He shuddered to think of how hard it would be if the ship’s AI hadn’t been functional.

  The basic concepts were easy to grasp. His people already had an advanced knowledge of spaceship operations. The Pentagaran personnel would need remedial instruction, particularly with flip drive operations.

  The ship’s computer was able to fill so many blanks in their knowledge of the Terran Empire. For example, they now had access to the flip charts used by Fleet during the heyday of the Empire. It was a revelation. The Terran Empire was huge. Much larger than the most generous estimations.

  At the height of its power, the Empire spanned tens of thousands of light years and many thousands of systems. The population had been in the tens of trillions. They’d all known that the Empire was magnificent, but they hadn’t truly understood the scope of it. Or the horror of its destruction.

  They also gained insight into the rebellion. As they’d come to learn, a virus propagated it. While they still didn’t know who was behind it, they knew which sector of the Empire spawned the virus. In fact, they knew which system.

  Somehow, the virus had infected a Fleet base in a system named Twilight River. The exact details were unknown, but the rebels had overtaken it over a period of days. Some vessels that escaped the system carried people with firsthand knowledge of the horror. People whose friends had turned into ravening killers who’d begged their victims to run as they killed them.