Agent X

by Morgan Blayde

  “What is it?”

  “It looks like we’ll have to advance our departure time. We’re receiving a priority-one alert. Coordinates have just come in.”

  “Good.” He slipped from bed and pulled on a fresh, jade body-sheath adorned with gold and silver contact points. “I need a little action to divert my mind from haunted silences. Give me a run-down on the problem.”

  “Chim—it’s our worst nightmare. A leviathan-class star cruiser has turned rogue. Several freighters have been destroyed. The imperial fleet can’t pin the vessel down long enough to destroy it. The rogue comes out of nowhere, blazing a swath of destruction, vanishing before forces can mobilize to stop her. All available x-class agents in this sector are ordered to lend assistance.”

  He made his way to the bridge, taking the captain’s chair. One part of the holo-field danced with multiple streams of data on past attacks while another section displayed information on the rogue. The renegade ship turned out to be the CASSANDRA. She had a long record of valorous service, being one of the first leviathans built. Her captain was Nathan Gunn. His file identified him as one of the first graduates of Project X, a

  real old-timer.

  “What do you think pushed them over the edge?” Chim wondered.

  “Alzheimer’s with a bit of senility thrown in?”

  “Doubtful. What was the CASSANDERA’S last mission?”

  “Accessing file. Records indicate she was investigating the Oberon Rift. Contact was lost. The ship was presumed destroyed. The quantum mechanics in that region of space often behave in strange and violent ways.”

  “Then why go in?”

  “Orders. The rift is growing at a frightening rate. It will soon present a threat to several key solar systems. Equipped with the most advanced sensor array, the CASSANDRA was supposed to discover the nature of anomaly so Imperium scientists can find a way to deal with it.”

  “Apparently, whatever’s in the rift broke them.”

  “That’s too bad. That’s where we’re heading.”

  “Why?”

  “The edge of the rift is the last known location of our prey.”

  Chim shrugged philosophically. “What can’t be changed must be endured. Bring me some coffee, anything but decaf.”

  “Sure, Lover, coming right up.”

  He settled back in his chair, absorbing details from the data streams. Later, deep in thought, he accepted a cup from an animated coffee maker on treads. The bitter brew warmed his hands. Its aroma teased his nose. He took a sip and then remembered his manners, “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome,” Elissa answered. “Getting a handle on the problem?”

  “I’m working on it. No matter what, the leviathan is going to be a tough nut to crack. We’re going to have to hunt her in a pack, over-whelming her before she gets away. The Cassandra’s a much older ship. Records indicate she’s due for a major refitting. One on one, we’d probably win, but I want to avoid a situation where we’d get mauled doing it.”

  “I can’t argue with that. I have confirmation for rendezvous with three leviathans and a military fleet under the command of Admiral Mercedes Jourdan.”

  “Old Show-No-Mercy Jourdan? I know her.”

  “Yes, her fleet hosted your class for special ops training before any of you were assigned a ship.”

  “Right. I always thought she suspected we were more than our cover suggested. She once tried to ply me with alcohol over dinner, fishing for scuttlebutt.”

  “Are you sure she wasn’t just interested in a covert liaison involving carnal knowledge?”

  “That wasn’t the vibe I got. Jourdan often bends regulations, but isn’t known for breaking them.”

  “Good. She can just keep her mitts off. You’re taken.”

  Chim grinned. “You wouldn’t be a little jealous, would you?”

  Elissa’s projection faded in beside his chair. She laid a golden hand on his forearm. “You know I don’t have a jealous bone in my body.”

  “You don’t have any bones in your body.”

  “That’s beside the point.”

  “If you say so. How long until we reach the target area?”

  “At top speed, ten hours.”

  “Fine. I assume your drones are busy securing the ship for combat?”

  “Need you ask?”

  “Attention to detail. It’s been drilled into me.”

  “Everything necessary is being done, including the manufacture of breakfast. You want it served here?”

  “Yes. I have a lot more reading to do. Clear these data streams. I want a feed covering Gunn’s past missions so I can get a feel for his tactics. He’s gone crazy, not stupid. I need to be ready.”

  “The core personality of his ship—my counterpart—must be equally affected,” Elissa said, “or she would have removed him from command. It’s even possible she’s the real problem. For all we know, she’s got Gunn locked in his quarters, on a diet of chocolate chip oatmeal cups and Tang.”

  “Speaking of food—”

  The door to the bridge opened, and a flat-topped drone rolled in with several covered dishes. “Here you are,” Elissa said. “Fresh from the kitchen. It’s your favorite—anything.”

  He lifted a lid and discovered French toast swimming in butter, sprinkled with powdered sugar. Another dish contained maple-flavored, simulated bacon. He picked up a leathery piece and began to chew. It was supposed to be indistinguishable from real pig meat. It wasn’t. Chim could taste the difference, not that he’d complain. The last menu item he’d objected to had resulted in a diet of burnt toast for a week. Fortunately, they’d been in port. He’d been able to order out.

  He forced an appreciative smile. “Wonderful!”

  “You are too kind.”

  I know. He washed the vegetarian bacon down with coffee, then started in on the rest.

  The holo-field displayed the area of space around the IMPERIAL DRAGON. They drifted next to a thick cluster of tubular warships and a much larger carrier that housed a dozen flights of short-range fighter drones.

  Two leviathans swept into view. That left one more on the way.

  Well off to the side, a band of violet plasma lay like a gash in the side of the universe. The rift. Its edges shimmered, its substance roiled. The sight induced disquiet that edged toward fear. Chim didn’t try to fight the emotion. He accepted it, knowing that was the best way to lessen its power. There was reason to be afraid of such an unpredictable region. He’d have been stupid or insane to feel differently.

  “Elissa, any new reports on the CASSANDRA?”

  “I’d have mentioned it. Relax, Chim. We’ll get the job done. We always do. Oh, I’ve got a call coming in from the admiral. She knows the other x-class agents are letting you call the shots and she wants a meeting.”

  “It probably doesn’t sit well with her that we’ve taken control of fleet operations. She must doubt our expertise.”

  “If not our sanity. What do I tell her?”

  “Have her come over. If we need to isolate her, we will.”

  “You’d make her sit out the whole thing?”

  “I’m happy to let her run things from here, as long as I get the last word.”

  “You’re sure she’ll give you trouble?”

  “Orders are often subject to interpretation, and the staunchest of souls can be tempted toward innovation in the heat of battle. The only one I want getting creative around here is me. Fewer things go wrong that way.”

  “You’re the only one who gets to play god?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Fine. Just don’t let it go to your head. I’ve a message from the admiral. She’s on her way.”

  Chim nodded, sliding out of his chair. “Then I better get into character.” He left the bridge. Minutes later, he reached the departure bay, next to the main air lock. An array of gray exo-suits waited in silent ranks with Metallic bands crossing their chests, anchoring crimson cloaks. Chim stepped up to one of the suits and
began dressing. Nearly done, he studied the pale thin face reflecting back at him from a greenish-black visored helmet in his hands. He turned it around and slipped it over his head, obscuring his humanity.

  He sub-vocalized, “Elissa, get these other suits out of sight. If the admiral were to see them, it might raise awkward questions.”

  Her voice, small and intimate, unwound in his ear. “Ooops. Sorry, I’m on it.”

  By the time the admiral’s shuttle docked, the spare suits were stowed out of sight. That just left the special terrain vehicles scattered about. Designed to take on the worst conditions of a thousand worlds, the metallic beasts formed a formidable menagerie. There was no reason to

  hide them.

  An inner door irised open, revealing a mature woman in uniform with dark hair and a piercing gaze. She wore an impressive excess of medals and campaign ribbons, as she entered the bay. She came to attention, saluting crisply, adjusting at once to the artificial gravity aboard ship. “Admiral Jourdan, requesting permission to come aboard.”

  Chim knew the ancient ritual, though he didn’t often practice it. He returned her salute in time-honored fashion. “Permission granted.”

  She possessed an air of confidence and open curiosity.

  Chim smiled behind his visor. Most people in her place would have also displayed trepidation. X-class agents were commonly rumored to not be human. With the authority to order the deaths of entire worlds, they were seldom received with joy, even when needed. Certainly, the admiral had no reason to welcome his intrusion into military affairs.

  She started right into him as she approached. “I’d like to know why you think your help is needed with this operation.”

  Nothing like the direct approach. Chim said, “The target is a guardsman, his ship a leviathan. We clean up our own messes.”

  “I don’t have a problem with that. I just don’t want the lives of my men wasted—regular military ships shouldn’t be sacrificed on the altar of your cybernetic perfection.”

  Chim replied in a bland, well-modulated voice. “I don’t know what you mean. I’m as human as you are.”

  “Yeah, right, and I’m a Vegan moon-calf. Open up that tin can and prove it to me.”

  “I’m sorry, that would be a violation of standing orders for x-class agents.”

  “Well, then, I’ll settle for a decent cup of coffee. Got any aboard this monstrosity you call a ship?”

  Elissa’s voice broke from concealed speakers, coming from everywhere and nowhere. “Twenty-three varieties. Would you like to see a menu?”

  Admiral Jourdan scanned the bay. “Who’s that?”

  “My alter-ego,” Chim explained, “the artificial intelligence program that runs this ship.”

  “That was a female voice,” the admiral observed.

  Really?” Chm said. I hadn’t noticed.

  Elissa shimmered into view, a curvaceous phantom draped in golden veils, rippling as if teased by a gentle wind—an absurdity aboard a space ship without a hole in the hull. She kept herself translucent. Her ability to go solid as a ‘hard-light’ construct wasn’t something they wanted known to just anybody.

  “My name’s Elissa. I am the ship. And it’s rude to talk about people

  as if they aren’t there.”

  “People? You have a high opinion of yourself for a hologram,”

  Jourdan commented.

  Elissa’s face clouded with wrath. She scowled in mounting fury, stalking silently toward the admiral, rolling a ghostly flutter of scarf back from a petite fist.

  Chim hurriedly interposed himself. “Belay that,” he ordered.

  “But Chim—”

  He turned his attention back to the admiral. “What’s your problem? Don’t play well with others?”

  An amused smile clung to the admiral’s face. “I’m sorry. I meant no offense.”

  “Yeah, right.” Nursing her anger, Elissa vanished like a popped soap bubble, but her voice continued to fall from the speakers. “Well, you’re not getting any of my coffee. Put that in your cup and choke on it.”

  The admiral straightened, smile still in place. “She’s the type to hold a grudge, I see.”

  Chim sighed within his visor. “You have no idea.”

  He led the admiral from the bay, down several corridors, to a tactical room with interlocking holo-fields. Entering the room, they walked into an illusion of space as seen by some vast, intangible entity. Images of the admiral’s military ships were clustered together—blue diamond markers. The rift was shown off to the side, a burning slash in a sea of stars. Chim walked over to a great silver sphere. It represented the IMPERIAL DRAGON. Next to it were two sister ships, the VANGUARD and ORION’S KNIFE. The RANGER was the fourth leviathan, just coming into view near the farthest wall.

  Chim addressed Elissa, “Add the grid.” In response, the curved wall of the compartment lit up with vertical and horizontal lines.

  “Impressive,” the admiral said. “I have this same set up on my flagship.”

  “I know.” Chim handed her a laser pointer. “Your tactical room is now on a direct link with this one. Changes made in this display are replicated on your vessel so it can coordinate with the other military ships.”

  She took the pointer. “I take it this is where you want me for the duration of the conflict.”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll need my personal staff. They’re waiting in the shuttle.”

  “Elissa will bring them to you.”

  She eyed the monstrous leviathan ships of Project X. “Are they under my direction as well?”

  “No. We guardsman only take suggestions. Every x-class operative

  is autonomous, even from one another.”

  The admiral frowned. “Isn’t that what’s caused this whole mess in the first place?”

  “No.” Chim pointed at the sinister wound that bled violet light. “The rift caused this, and we’re going to shut it down, once we’ve dealt with the Cassandra.”

  The admiral had a skeptical look on her face. “I suspect the rift will not go quietly or quickly, if at all. Some problems must simply be lived with until a drastic solution can be found.”

  That’s what we are. Drastic solutions. “I’m glad I have your full confidence,” Chim murmured.

  The admiral’s wandering gaze returned to him. “Sarcasm? Whoever programmed you did a good job, tin man.”

  “We are all programmed, one way or another. I hold the authority I do because I am much more than the sum of my programing. Anything else you need, just beg the ship. She’s always listening.” On that note, he left, returning to the bridge.

  In his chair once more, he studied the holo-field that offered a discrete window into the tactical room. Elissa faded in beside him. “Chim! That last leviathan is using a false ID code. She’s not the Ranger.”

  “You’re sure?” he asked.

  “Yes. It’s the Cassandra, trying to fox us. There’s a subtle difference in ship design between the older and newer leviathans. The Vanguard confirms. The admiral’s deploying her fleet in a curved-wall formation to maximize weapon fire.”

  “Have the leviathans ascend and establish a vertical axis for a cross-fire,” Chim instructed. We’ll descend on a diagonal to keep clear, acting as a reserve force.”

  “The admiral’s staff is plotting the battle,” Elissa said. “She approves of your strategy.”

  Chim mused aloud, “Now we’ll see if the Cassandra wants to run or fight.”

  “What do you suppose happened to the real Ranger?” Elisa asked.

  “She’s supposed to be here by now. She’s not, and the Cassandra knew the right identity to assume. My guess is the RANGER was ambushed in route. That we haven’t heard from her indicates she’s either destroyed or damaged too badly to call for help.”

  Elissa’s projection displayed a stricken expression. “I don’t want to believe that, but I know you’re right.”

  The Cassandra continued to close. She wanted a fight.
It was time to do what had to be done. When a dog goes rabid, you put it down. The same was true for a ship.

  The admiral’s voice was relayed to Chim. “The Cassandra’s heading straight for us. She’s ignoring the fleet and other leviathans. She must know we’re Operation Command. I’m letting her get well into the target zone before firing.”

  He smiled briefly. Jourdan was informing him of her plans, not asking for orders. He gave them anyway. “Fine. Fire at your discretion.”

  Beside him, Elissa snorted. “As if she ever had any other intention.”

  Chim watched the scene in the holo-field as the fleet riddled space with shafts of energy. The beams needled the Cassandra’s shields, forcing them to radiate visible light. As the shields went down, the beams snapped out, making way for a flight of missiles. Hell-bores blossomed, obscuring the rogue. A second wave of missiles followed. The Vanguard and Orion’s Knife added nova beams to the mix. Though similar to fleet emitters, the leviathan beams were fifty times stronger.

  The admiral’s excited voice reached the bridge. “Guardsman, what the hell are those, and can the Cassandra generate them as well?”

  “No, she can’t. The nova beam technology wasn’t available when the CASSANDRA was built. The weapon up-grade was going to be added at the vessel’s next refitting.”

  “Thank God for small favors,” the admiral said. “When this is all over, I want to talk to you about getting my fleet equipped with those.”

  “It’s certainly possible,” Chim said.

  “Really?” the admiral was surprised.

  “Really?” Elissa echoed.

  Chim sub-vocalized so only Elissa heard his explanation. “Project X has kept the nova beam technology suppressed so it wouldn’t get out to those who would use it against us. But we don’t need to keep it under wraps any longer. Now that we have the Hera crystals to amp those beams even higher, we can be generous and still have an edge.”

  “Chim,” Elissa said, “sometimes you amaze me.”

  “I don’t believe it,” the admirals voice centered Chim’s attention on the holo-field. There was no way for the rogue to have survived, but there she was, unscathed, bearing down on the IMPERIAL DRAGON.

  “We’re well within range,” Elissa said. “Why isn’t she firing on us?”