"What could possibly be so important that a senior Omnion agent must meet me in person?" Clio tried to seem unperturbed, but she couldn’t help but feel smaller…lesser under Phineosa’s gaze.
"We must go," the Zaqaran said urgently, looking around to make sure no one had heard. "We cannot talk here. I have access to a quiet place. Follow me." Without another word, Phineosa turned and briskly walked back the way she had come.
Clio looked to Booster and the Puck shrugged. He clung to her shoulder as she hurried after the agent, following her through corridors and junctions.
"Care to tell me—"
"Hush," Phineosa said, cutting her off with a wave of her hand. "Less talking and more walking."
Clio couldn’t figure out why they should need to speak in secret, but she followed in silence as instructed.
They reached a door and Phineosa fiddled with the security pad. The door was much like any other, or so Clio thought until Omnion symbols appeared along the frame. That wasn’t unusual in itself, but a Galactic translation usually appeared below the Omnion text. She had noticed such doors before but never payed them any heed. After all, one couldn’t blame the Omnion for keeping a few rooms to themselves on board their own vessel.
The door melted in the middle, creating a dark crack barely wide enough for a human to fit through let alone a Zaqaran.
"We should be okay in here," Phineosa said, her breathing labored from the fast walk. She crouched and disappeared into the opening; her movements still elegant.
Ill at ease, Clio looked to Booster. The Puck simply offered another shrug.
"What could possibly go wrong?" she muttered under her breath.
"Indeed," Booster chided.
Clio cautiously crept through, thankful that Booster was with her despite his cocky remarks. He had to squeeze close so as not to bump his head. Clio pushed through to find a small room barely bigger than a cleaning closet, though someone had managed to squeeze in a small table and four chairs.
Phineosa waited in one of the chairs, smoothing the front of her uniform, wearing a disgusted expression as though Clio had caused her a great inconvenience.
Clio slowly lowered herself into the chair opposite, and Booster took the one to her right.
The Omnion agent regarded Booster with a questioning eye. "I was hoping we could speak privately for a few minutes."
"Then speak," Clio said. She gestured at the small room. "I’m guessing this is as private as things get on the Orinmore."
She regarded Booster with uncertainty as she pulled a small compad from a pouch in her uniform and set it upon the table. She leaned forward, her nose coming within inches of Clio’s, as though Booster wasn’t even in the room. "When I said privately, I meant you and I…alone. The information I have is…sensitive in nature. Not that I don’t trust your little friend."
Booster chirped and made to stand, but Clio threw out her hand and he sank into his seat. "Anything you wish to say to me, you can say to Booster. I owe my little friend my life. In fact, if not for him, we never would have reached the Shroud."
"Yes, yes. I read the report." Agent Phineosa sat back in her chair and waved her hand dismissively. "As you wish. If you can give me a moment to load the files. We’ve had to tighten security following recent incidents."
Anger reared its head, but Clio forced it back under the surface. She looked around the small room as the Zaqaran worked on the compad. Clio was sure she could see the faintest light glowing inside the walls. "I don’t think I’ve been in this part of the ship before…or one of these rooms for that matter. It’s unusual."
"It’s one of the Orinmore’s few quiet rooms," Phineosa said not lifting her eyes from her work. "We don’t use them often, but given that unwanted eyes might be prying, I thought it best to be cautious."
"I don’t understand the need for such secrecy."
The agent looked up from the compad. "The Orinmore might be one of the most advanced vessels in operation, but we’ve discovered several vulnerabilities in her security systems. It’ll take time before they can all be addressed. And that’s before we even get to the Aphnai creature that still hasn’t been located."
Clio’s stomach sank at the mention of the brain bug that had been inside Swigger. She looked around the tiny room, trying to distract herself. "Makes sense, I guess."
"We’ve had a communications security breach, an escaped prisoner, and several fatalities in the space of a few days. Given what’s on this compad, I’m not taking any chances."
Clio couldn’t help but shift in her seat at the mention of the fatalities.
The Zaqaran looked around uncomfortably as something approaching empathy crossed her face. "I beg your forgiveness, Ensign. I didn’t mean to be so insensitive after your companion’s ceremony…"
To Clio’s surprise, the Zaqaran’s purple-tinged cheeks darkened several shades as a moment of silence passed between them. Clio wondered whether the agent was more embarrassed by the indiscretion or by the fact that she’d actually apologized to another living creature for the first time in who knew how long.
Clio sighed. "No need to apologize, but I would like to know what this is about. Grimshaw will have me by the balls for missing the briefing."
"Your balls?"
Booster swung back and forward on his chair, grinning like a naughty school-boy.
"It’s an old Terran proverb. Never mind." Clio decided against an explanation. "You had information you wanted to share?"
"Of course." Phineosa cleared her throat as though preparing to deliver a grand declaration, but her words came out no more than a whisper. "It's about your lineage."
Clio wasn’t sure why, but her heart skipped a beat. She drew a breath, stilling her nerves. "I’d forgotten about those tests."
"That’s hardly a surprise. The medical staff ran them months ago, and you Terrans have such short memories."
"I didn’t think it worth remembering, especially since my parents are both dead. With the retrovirus taking its toll and everything else…" Clio paused. "What did the results say?"
"With Doctor Roshi’s assistance, we isolated the genes responsible for your…condition. They were transferred from your father's side. Other than that, we haven’t made much progress on the condition itself. As you pointed out, managing the retrovirus has consumed many resources."
"You brought me here to tell me something we already suspected?"
"I was hoping you could shed some light on your father’s side of the family."
"As I already told you in my boarding interview, I never met my father. He died before I was born."
"You haven’t remembered anything since the interview?"
"I was around six or seven when my mother first mentioned him. I can’t remember what she told me, not that it would be useful anyway. She abandoned me soon after. Hell, I can barely remember what I had for breakfast last week. If that’s the only reason you brought me here…” Clio stood.
"I cross-referenced my source’s report with our archives," Phineosa said quickly. "I discovered that your father's genes appeared in numerous studies conducted by the Confederation Science Division during their Fury Project."
Initially, Clio couldn’t figure out what that had to do with anything, but it gradually sank in. "That means my father…" Her words trailed off as she sank back into the chair.
"Fought in The Kragak War, yes," Phineosa finished on Clio’s behalf.
"Does Grimshaw know him?"
"We haven’t discussed any of this with your Captain yet, but our cross-referenced data suggests they would never have served together. Different times. Different sectors. It wouldn’t hurt to ask him. Quietly, of course," she added quickly. "The Fury Project was one of the most top-secret programs in the galaxy. We only learned about it decades after it had been shut down. It’s a shame. However, something in our latest research fascinated me. From what I can glean, the Fury Project’s findings corroborate something we’ve suspected about the Ancients."
"What’s that?"
"That they found a way to ascend our dimension via genetic manipulation."
"Sounds like Shanti religious crap to me."
"The Shanti religion is rooted in the ascension myth, and myths usually contain a grain of truth. I’ve dedicated my life to studying those legends, and the evidence points to the ascension being real. Where the Ancients ascended to and what form such an ascension took, we might never know, but I believe the CSD touched on an important discovery. I believe they uncovered an Ancient device that allowed them to make giant leaps in their understanding. Unfortunately, they were shut down before they could make any real break-throughs."
"Their Fury Project killed hundreds of innocent people, and most of those who survived went insane."
"Yes…" Phineosa briefly stared at the compad. "Sometimes, advancement requires sacrifice, especially when studying technology the Ancients left behind. Such a device has likely been forgotten after all this time. Perhaps it was destroyed when the Confederation shut the program down, or maybe it was stored somewhere…its potential wasted." Phineosa stared into the distance, lost in thought.
Clio could hardly believe what she was hearing. "Try telling that to those who suffered as experiments. Those who lost loved ones."
Phineosa focused again. "So far as we can tell, the CSD carefully selected subjects without personal commitments. Another measure to keep everything secret. My guess is your father was no longer in a relationship with your mother at that time. Regardless, it’s a pity you don’t know more about him. Though Captain Grimshaw possesses one of the few remaining original fury implants, it fused to his brain before the Kragak War ended. Our scans don’t show anything we don’t already know, but further probing would endanger the Captain’s life."
"Is that why it causes him pain?"
"The nature of most early brain implants, fury or not, causes them to be unstable. The Captain claimed that he experienced no negative symptoms, but our scans detected advanced deterioration in the brain’s tissue surrounding the device."
Clio’s eyes widened. It was bad enough that Booster had such an injury. "Can’t you do something to help?"
"The implant fusing to his gray-matter seems to have slowed the deterioration. It’s why he’s lasted so much longer than other…subjects. However, the madness will catch up on him eventually."
"Why hasn’t he said anything?"
"Your Captain is wise to remain silent. The Confederation Science Division likely would have killed Grimshaw if he hadn’t been key to winning the Kragak War. A failed experiment getting too vocal about a fury implant would likely change their minds."
"There must be a way to stop the deterioration."
"I’m afraid not. The Aegi Order treated Captain Grimshaw, but they only delayed the inevitable, and such treatment carries risks. Perhaps if we had more information…"
"The Omnion pride themselves as masters of information management. They have agents and spies all across the galaxy. Surely the archives contain some information."
"It is impressive that Terra hid such an ambitious program. We know little more than what I’ve already shared with you. Merely mentioning it in the wrong company leads to trouble. Someone with an implant, or fury genes for that matter, would be wise to keep quiet on the subject."
"Before he died, Aegis Nakamura said something similar." Recalling the fallen Shanti Aegi stung more than she expected. "The fury genes worried him greatly. He told me not to mention it to anyone."
"He had every right to be concerned. Aegi implants are based on the same technology, but they are chemical in nature. They do not bend our current understanding of physics as fury implants do. Certain organizations would pay handsomely to learn such secrets. Others would employ more nefarious means. Should the wrong people learn about your condition…let it suffice to say that you would be wise to heed Aegis Nakamura’s warning."
Clio looked down at herself. "What am I supposed to do?"
"For now, stay out of trouble. When you return from your meeting with the Kragak, we will restore health to the Omnion. Then we can run more tests. Unlocking the secrets in your genes could be instrumental to winning the coming war."
Clio didn’t like the idea of so much hinging on her alone. "Why not simply double down on your efforts to find the Ancient device the CSD used. They might still have it."
"You think we haven’t already looked?" Phineosa’s brow furrowed. "A year ago, we believed we were onto something, but the trail ran cold. When we learned that Chimera were interested in the fury program and the implants the Aegi Order had, we renewed the search. Nothing came back...At least until today." She tapped the compad on the table. "One of our agents reported from the Centauri system of all places. With the contention around G-Gate Alpha, remaining in touch with our people in Terran space has been difficult. The agent discovered these files in an abandoned CSD facility."
"They still have facilities?"
"We’ve come across several on small moons or hollowed asteroids. The CSD were careful to destroy all evidence. Most facilities were burned to ash. They meticulously erased the program from history…for the most part."
"But you found something?"
"Our Centauri agent discovered a facility we had previously overlooked. Unlike the others, it remained partially intact. The scene she found there was…disturbing." Phineosa paused as though actually bothered by the subject.
Clio looked at Booster, almost hesitant to ask her next question. "How disturbing?"
"They blew most of the facility, but a wing survived. He thinks it was designed to be a bunker in case of an attack. Our agent discovered storage tanks containing twisted things. The products of CSD experiments no doubt. We think they were trying to birth a Terran with fury genes."
A knot tightened in Clio’s gut. "They experimented on babies?"
Phineosa nodded. "That is correct."
"So I could be…" Clio couldn’t bring herself to voice the words.
"No," Phineosa said. "What little evidence we found suggests the CSD failed to birth a viable subject. You are an unexpected anomaly."
“They killed babies. We can’t keep silent. The Confederation must be held accountable."
The Zaqaran laughed. "A noble thought, but we’ve got enough on our hands and the Confederation already wants your head for treason."
"Someone needs to expose these crimes."
"What is it you Terrans say? ‘We do not wish to rock the hornet’s nest.’ Justice will be carried out in time. Making a move against the CSD at this point would be suicide. It is just as well they failed. Can you imagine what would happen if the Confederation or Chimera had access to an army with fury-based enhancements? This is why you must tread carefully. Why you mustn’t call attention to yourself. You are exactly what the CSD were striving for. We suspect your latent abilities are the…inadvertent results of their experiments. It’s of paramount importance that we keep that secret, at least for the time being."
"You’re certain I’m not a failed test-tube baby?"
"Your father transferred his altered genes to you naturally. Even if you were an experiment, I would hardly consider you a failure."
Clio appreciated the Zaqaran’s attempt to reassure her, however she felt anything but reassured. "I see," she said, trying to absorb the information.
Booster looked at her, his eyes filled with concern.
Phineosa gestured to the small room. "You understand my need for discretion?"
Clio nodded slowly.
"Are you certain no one else knows about your condition?"
Clio mentally scrolled through a short list of names. "Most of those who knew are dead. As far as I can remember, the only people still aware are Grimshaw, Booster, and you."
"Did Swigger know?"
Clio’s eyes went wide. "I never told him, but he may have suspected something. I mean, he was a smart guy. Whether he would have knowingly reported as much to Chimera though…Then again, the A
phnai parasite wouldn’t have tried to kill me if it knew I was valuable to Chimera."
"I think you’re right. You must keep this news to yourself until we learn more. I’ll have a treatment kit prepared for you before you leave."
"Treatment kit?"
"Fury taps into an energy source we don’t understand. What we do know, however, is that the organs involved in the conversion are damaged. Mainly the brain. We haven’t confirmed whether it is damaging your DNA, but it might do so with continued use. The so-called fury-drive designed by the Aegi Order had similar, though less severe, side-effects. Thus their need for a serum following use. If I were you, I would avoid using fury entirely."
"I wouldn’t worry too much. I haven't been able to use it for quite some time."
"Just a friendly warning. We'd hate to see anything happen to one of our allies."
"Your concern is touching," Clio said sarcastically. She was starting to suspect that Phineosa viewed her as a prospective science project.
The Zaqaran smirked. "While on the subject, do you think your mother kept records? That could help our research."
"Like I said, I didn’t know the woman." Clio was growing tired of the questions and struggled to keep her cool. "I don't even know where she was when she died. I doubt she had anything worth noting."
"I see. Perhaps we can arrange a search when things calm down."
Clio nodded, though she didn’t like the idea of people she didn’t trust poking around in her past.
"One more thing before I leave," the Zaqaran said. "I spoke with the doctors. They informed me that they still haven’t made progress on the Puck’s injuries."
Clio considered that a strange change in direction. "And?"
"With the Omnion in their vats, access to much of the Orinmore’s equipment is limited. However, we know of a procedure that might help."
"You can cure Booster?"
"We can try, but it would mean he remains here when the North Star leaves. Preparation for the procedure will take several days. Would you like us to go ahead and set things up?"
The Galactic Sentinel: Ultimate Edition: 4 Books with 2000+ Pages of Highly Entertaining Sci-Fi Space Adventure Page 83
