Path of Justice (Cadicle #6): An Epic Space Opera Series

by Amy DuBoff

  “Why have you come?” Wil asked, though he already knew the answer.

  “We felt the Awakening. The balance of power has shifted.”

  “Nothing has changed yet. They are no different than any other.”

  “But they will be,” the Aesir replied.

  “We must discuss this face-to-face,” Wil told them.

  “We are coming.”

  Wil took a slow breath and released it. “The Aesir are on their way.”

  “Yay…” Ian said in the driest sarcastic tone Wil had ever heard him use.

  “They seem amenable to conversation. Let’s see what they have to say.” Wil rose from his seat as the shuttle docked with the spaceport. The door opened, sending a blast of cool air into the cabin.

  The three Agents stepped out into the spaceport and headed toward the concourse where Saera’s transport ship was set to dock. Midway down the concourse, Wil spotted her jogging toward them.

  “I picked a hell of a time to go on a trip,” she said when she was within earshot.

  Wil shrugged. “This would probably be a bad time to tell you I haven’t done dishes for two days, huh?”

  Saera rolled her eyes behind her tinted glasses.

  “Kidding! The kitchen is clean. Mostly. See? Things could be worse.”

  His wife let out a heavy sigh. “How are the kids?”

  “They’re fine. And they’ll stay that way if we can convince the Aesir to leave them alone.”

  “How do we do that?” Saera asked.

  Ethan and Ian shook their heads and shrugged.

  “I’ll figure it out,” Wil tried to assure everyone.

  Before he had time to offer a more substantial plan, he felt a shift in energy in the air around him. They’re almost here.

  A moment later, he caught sight of the visitors. The five Aesir Oracles appeared to glide down the concourse, their dark robes billowing around them.

  Wil stood his ground in the center of the concourse, struck by their power. It was even more pronounced than he remembered. I’m not sure I could stand up to even five of them without destroying this port in the process. And they can always send more.

  “Bring them to us,” the Oracle at the center demanded telepathically. Wil recognized the man as Dahl from when they had come for him so many years before. He hadn’t aged.

  “I can’t do that,” Wil replied aloud. “They have only just Awoken. They aren’t ready for your test.”

  Dahl and the other Oracles stopped several paces from Wil and his friends. “This is about more than just the test this time.”

  “Then what?” questioned Wil.

  “Tararia’s future is on the cusp of change. We need to be sure it will be set on the correct path.”

  “How is that for you to decide?” Wil asked. “You abandoned Tararia centuries ago.”

  “We left, yes, but we did not abandon our world,” Dahl replied. “We have been watching from a distance, awaiting the proper time for action.”

  Wil’s eyes narrowed. “Which action is that?”

  Dahl looked him over in silence. “The Taran people were once changed against their will as a result of the Priesthood’s blind ambition. The Priesthood still seeks to correct their mistakes, but eliminating the Bakzen was only the first step. We know that you have learned the truth about the genetic manipulation that led to the loss of abilities throughout the general population, and that your line holds the key to repairing what was once lost. The Priesthood will once again rush the process, if left unchecked. Yet, elements of that work must progress. We must ensure the key is found.”

  “We already have plans to deal with the Priesthood,” Wil replied. What key are they talking about?

  “The Priesthood are more entrenched than you can ever imagine. We must walk a fine line with them. You can’t simply remove the head of the beast.”

  “What do my children have to do with the Aesir?” Wil asked, getting back to the most urgent matter.

  “Your decision to raise them away from Tararia was noble but not without its risks. It’s imperative they make the right connections.”

  “What sort of connection?”

  “Another plan that was set in motion years ago. But that must unfold naturally. We only seek to test your children now to see if they are compatible.”

  Wil shook his head. “Regardless of your reasons or assurances that they’ll be fine, I can’t hand them over to you in their current state. Even limited exposure to those with your level of ability might overwhelm them to the point of harm. You’ll have to wait.”

  Dahl evaluated him. “If we wait, then you will forge your own path.”

  “I’ve been doing that my whole life.”

  “And yet that path has led you here. Our fates are forever entwined. We share your goals regarding the end of the Priesthood’s reign, but we cannot allow you to disregard what we have all tried to achieve.”

  “I need to look out for my family,” Wil replied. “You’re not going anywhere near my children until I’m confident they are ready to face your tests.” He summoned an aura of energy around himself, ready to lash out at the Oracles if they came any closer.

  From a distance, he felt the Aesir assessing the power, weighing what it would take to strike him down. For a moment, the energy swelled around them, as well.

  Behind him, Wil felt Saera and Michael raising their own offensive. The air hummed as the Oracles and TSS Agents prepared for an attack.

  “It doesn’t have to come to this,” Wil said to Dahl in one last attempt to defuse the situation.

  Dahl gripped Wil in a telekinetic vice. “You cannot overpower us.” The words were spoken not only by Dahl, but all of the Aesir Oracles in unison.

  Wil gasped with surprise, summoning up more energy to counter the assault. Before he had time to move, the vice suddenly released.

  “To achieve the future we envision, we must cooperate,” Dahl stated. “You may have five years to train your children, but then we must show them their place, as we once did for you.”

  Five years… That’s as long as I had with the Primus Elites. It can be done. “Thank you.” He started to release the potential energy he’d gathered in preparation for the fight. However, it had been so long since he’d drawn that much into himself that it wasn’t so easy to dismiss—the intoxicating feeling of power and seemingly endless possibilities.

  “They’ll be ready,” Saera said from behind him, pulling Wil back to the present. “We would value having you as allies.”

  Dahl inclined his head. “We hope you’ll know the path when you see it. When we meet again, the time for action will be upon us.”

  “So we will act,” Wil stated. “You have been preparing for a long time.”

  “We have,” Dahl acknowledged.

  “TSS Headquarters—you built it, didn’t you?”

  “That was never the intent of this place.”

  “What, then?”

  “It was a temple. A place of isolation to connect with oneself,” the Oracle stated.

  “We will try to honor that tradition.”

  Dahl nodded. “You already do.”

  Without another word, the Oracles glided back down the concourse toward their ship.

  Wil let out a shaky breath. “I didn’t think they’d leave without the kids.”

  “Maybe it was as much a test for you as it was for them,” Saera offered.

  “You never explained just how powerful they are,” Ethan murmured as he took a step forward. “I can’t believe they pinned you.”

  “That caught me by surprise, too. I knew they were strong, but it’s even more advanced than I realized,” Wil admitted. “I guess I really don’t know much about the Aesir or what they can do.”

  “Sounds like they’re on our side. That’s all I really care about right now,” said Saera.

  Ethan nodded. “I’ll second that.”

  Wil flexed his hand and subtle electric sparks crackled on his fingertips. “I need to
vent some of this excess energy. I haven’t drawn that much for a long time. Why don’t you go see the kids and make sure they get settled in,” Wil told his wife.

  “Will you be okay?” she asked privately.

  “I’m fine. Just need a few minutes,” he assured her.

  “We’ll see you on Level 2,” Saera acknowledged aloud while they all headed back toward Headquarters.

  After traversing the surface port, Wil entered the elevator car that would take him down to Level 11 where he could unwind. The solitude would give him some much-needed time to think. What are the Aesir planning?

  CHAPTER 10

  After well over an hour, the elevator car had gone from cramped to downright claustrophobic. Moreover, Raena was starting to dread that the awful tent contraption hidden in the bench seat might soon need to come into play. Think about deserts, and sand dunes…

  “So, I hear you were on the swim team for your school?” Tom commented, breaking the silence.

  Water. Bad. Raena forced a smile. “I switched over to track two years ago. I was thinking about doing the triathlon, and then I decided that those athletes are borderline insane.”

  “Well, you won’t find anything like that around here. We have a track down on Level 10 and a gym, but that’s about it,” Tom continued. “I know your dad likes water, too. That likely came out of his internship when he was around your age. He went to a world that’s mostly ocean.”

  More water talk. Great! “I guess that would force someone to get comfortable around water.”

  “Are you okay?” Curtis asked, examining her.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” She paused. “Any idea how much longer we’re going to be in here?”

  “It could be awhile—” Curtis began, but was cut off by a chime from the main speaker in the elevator car.

  “The Alpha-One lockdown is now lifted,” Saera announced. “You may return to normal operations.”

  Raena relaxed as soon as she heard her mother’s voice. “I guess that means they were successful?”

  Curtis and Tom both exhaled and nodded.

  “It would seem that way,” Tom said. “Let’s get back and get a report.”

  Not a moment too soon. Raena tried to keep her fidgeting to a minimum as the elevator began its ascent toward the main Headquarters structure.

  “This has been such a weird day,” Jason commented.

  “The worst should be over,” Curtis said. “Though, I suppose I shouldn’t say anything until we talk with your parents.”

  “You don’t think they’d hand us over, do you?” her brother asked with sudden alarm.

  Tom laughed. “No way. I’ve seen how protective your dad is of people he cares about, and there aren’t any circumstances under which he’d put you in danger.”

  “Yeah, he always has kept a close eye on us,” Jason agreed.

  “You are a special pair, after all,” Tom continued. “High Dynasty heirs that aren’t indoctrinated with the status quo of the current political system. That’s a big investment.”

  Were we really raised on Earth to be political tools? Is that it? “I think there might be more to it than that…”

  Tom caught himself. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply that was your parents’ aim. Taran politics weren’t the motivating factor behind them raising you on Earth. Just… Sietinen is sort of like the royalty of royalty. Your family is known to everyone, and the continuity of SiNavTech is paramount to our entire civilization’s day-to-day functions. All of us would readily lay down our lives for you because we have an inkling of understanding about what it means for you to be a part of that. It’ll be up to you, though, to make that role a part of yourselves.”

  Raena sank back in her seat. I do not have the mental space to process that right now. She gave Tom a polite smile and proceeded to stare at the gray carpet on the floor.

  To her relief, the elevator decelerated and the doors opened. Waiting for them in the lobby of Level 2 was her mother.

  “Mom!” Raena ran to her and gave her a hug.

  Saera held her close. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you earlier.”

  “It all happened so fast.” Raena pulled out from the hug and gave her mother a proper evaluation in her Agent attire. “It’s going to take a while to get used to seeing you dressed like that.” She glanced at the other Agents waiting nearby. “This is a lot…”

  Her mother placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I know. We’ll be here with you every step of the way.”

  Raena nodded. “Yeah, so… bathroom,” she said quietly.

  Saera smiled. “Our quarters aren’t far. Come on, Jason, this way.”

  Raena walked with her mother and brother through the lobby and down a corridor on the opposite side. There were more people moving about than she had seen previously—mostly Agents, but also a handful of individuals dressed in dark gray. No one seemed to pay much attention to them, unlike how it had been with her father. There really is something big he’s not telling us.

  After two minutes, they reached the door into her parents’ quarters. Her mother placed her palm on the panel next to the door and it slid open following a beep.

  “Door to the restroom is there in the back right,” Saera said.

  Raena smiled with thanks and rushed across the room. She paused a couple steps from the door. “Wait… is there any special trick to how the toilets work?”

  Her mother chuckled. “Very self-explanatory.”

  Raena was pleased to find that the bathroom was, indeed, similar to the amenities she knew from Earth. Though futuristic and foreign in their own ways, the toilet, shower, and sink were readily recognizable and she was able to determine their basic operations within seconds. It was like the rest of the technology she’d encountered in her short time in Headquarters—optimized for user experience without adding needless frills to complicate operation. Everything just felt natural. Maybe the learning curve won’t be so bad after all.

  When she emerged from the restroom, Raena found her mother and brother examining a series of pictures on the wall. She walked over to get a better look.

  “So, this was from our honeymoon,” Saera said, a far-off look of remembrance in her glowing jade eyes. The picture had the same appearance of three-dimensional depth as the holopaintings of nebulae in the corridors, but this image was of Wil and Saera in their early-twenties. “I didn’t think we were even going to get a honeymoon. Your grandparents surprised us after the wedding and said we’d have two weeks to ourselves.”

  “I’d say you look so much younger, but you almost look the same, really,” Jason commented.

  “I certainly feel older whenever I look at you two.” Saera admired the picture again. “So much has changed since then.”

  “Where did you go?” Raena asked. “That looks like it could be Fiji, maybe.”

  “Similar, but no. It was a private resort planet with exclusive islands for the super-wealthy. Naturally, your great-grandparents have an estate there.”

  Raena and Jason glanced at each other, jaws slack.

  “I think I can get used to being in this family,” Jason said after a moment.

  “It does have its perks,” Saera agreed. “But there’s a price for everything. You’ll find some… rigidity in the thinking of your great-grandparents.”

  Jason tilted his head. “In what way?”

  “For starters, they didn’t approve of me when I was just a lowly Earth-born girl. I don’t want to plant any seeds of doubt, but I have to admit I’m concerned about how they’re going to treat you, given your upbringing.”

  Raena’s eyes widened with surprise. “They’d really shun their own great-grandchildren?”

  “I don’t think ‘shun’ is the right word,” her mother clarified. “But they’ll have certain expectations they’ll want you to live up to. Leaving your past behind and becoming suitable heirs will be their priority for you.”

  Jason crossed his arms. “They can’t expect us to give up our tie
s to our childhood home.”

  Saera shook her head. “They wouldn’t think about it that way. They’d consider it you trading in a meaningless existence on a backwaters planet for a proper life befitting your birthright.”

  “Going to Tararia sounds like it’s going to be awesome…” Raena said with a sigh.

  “On the plus side, your grandparents are great—at least your paternal grandparents. My mother… Well, I’m not sure how she’s going to be. I would describe my relationship with her as cordial.”

  Raena took a seat on the leather couch in the center of the room facing the front viewscreen. “I’m beginning to understand why you took us to Earth. These family dynamics sound exhausting.”

  Her mother sat down next to her. “Don’t even get me started on the extended family. But hey, the community we have here in the TSS is what matters most. Your father and I have a lot of very close friends here that will be the best aunts and uncles you could hope to have. This is an escape from all the craziness in the outside worlds.”

  “Except today,” Raena pointed out. “The Aesir were here—whoever they are.”

  Saera took several seconds to reply. “That’s part of something much bigger than our families or even the TSS.”

  “What happened, Mom?” Raena pressed. “Dad initiates a lockdown and traps us in an elevator for over an hour, and then we just go on like nothing happened? Danger like that doesn’t just go away.”

  “They won’t be back anytime soon,” Saera said, seeming to choose her words carefully.

  Jason frowned. “But they will be back.”

  Their mother looked down at her hands. “They’re giving you five years to train. Then they’ll return for you,” she revealed, finally meeting Raena’s expectant gaze.

  “But why?” Raena questioned.

  “It’s a test, of sorts—a variant of astral projection, in some ways. It will evaluate your abilities. Your father is the only outsider to be tested and pass, as far as we know.”

  Jason’s frown deepened. “How do you pass?”

  “You don’t go insane or die,” Saera replied a little too bluntly. “To attempt it now would have been far too much for you. We convinced the Aesir to give you enough time that you’d have a fighting chance. They recognize your importance, too.”