by Jerry Aubin
Last year Zax chose to stand by his convictions and defied the Boss. He exposed the existence of the human fighter and revealed how Mikedo was most likely murdered in an attempt to cover it up. What had sacrificing his career back then achieved? It obviously triggered massive changes on board the Ship, but it didn’t cause much impact on the Boss himself. He just chugged along in power while Zax wasted a year of his life in Waste Systems. Sure the civilians had taken over, but hadn’t the Flight Boss really just traded one boss for another? If anything, his power had only increased since he was now effectively in charge of the Crew and just dealing with civilian “oversight” for the big decisions.
Why should Zax turn down the man’s offer again? He had already suffered for a year and achieved nothing. He deserved to get his career back on the track it was before. If anything, getting close with the Omega again might allow Zax to uncover evidence of the man’s guilt which Kalare missed during her time with him. Zax finally nodded his acceptance.
The Boss smiled again. “Good decision, Zax. I understand you’ll be getting out of here tomorrow morning. Report to my conference room after breakfast, and we’ll talk about what will come next.”
The Omega left and Zax closed his eyes to obsess about that very same thing—what will come next?
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Not this all over again...
The next morning Zax skipped the opportunity for a final meal in bed in favor of getting out of medbay and checking out what was happening around the Ship in the wake of the civilian revolution. His leg felt weak and he still required a few days’ worth of physical therapy, but, for the most part, his body had recovered from the shock. His mind, however, was a different story. Particularly whenever he allowed his thoughts to slip back to Kalare.
His first destination was his berth for a new uniform. He had been discharged from medbay into the same uniform he was wearing when they brought him in, and it still reeked of Waste Systems. Zax was tempted to burn it altogether and suffer the huge slug of demerits for wanton destruction of resources, but he decided otherwise once he walked in and saw his name listed at the very top of the Leaderboard display in the Theta berth. He wasn’t going to do anything that would throw any of those hard-earned points away. At least, not right away.
Zax’s breath caught when he noticed Kalare’s name a few slots below his. He breathed deeply for a full min to keep his emotions in check. Damn administrators. Leaderboard scores were always accurate since they were updated automatically in real time, but there was often a delay in removing names from the Leaderboard when Crew were Culled. Or in Kalare’s case, murdered by civilians.
The Theta berth was empty, but otherwise looked the same as when he had left to share his completed sim with Kalare over breakfast just a few days earlier. Everything he had seen along the way, in fact, looked exactly the same. Zax expected armed rebels to be roaming the passageways but had not seen a single civilian. The only weapon was carried by a Marine who looked like he was heading to guard duty somewhere.
Zax stripped out of his uniform and took a shower which was regulation in both length and temperature. He got dressed and walked quickly to the mess hall to grab breakfast before his scheduled meeting with the Boss. Once again, everything along his path seemed as perfectly normal as it had days earlier. Zax loaded up a tray with everything he wanted except for his favorite pastries which were missing. If it hadn’t been for his limp and the residual pain in his leg, Zax might have been convinced he had dreamed the entire civilian revolt. And then, he saw incontrovertible evidence it had all been real.
Rege was sitting with a group of the civilians who had been with him in Engineering. They were sprawled around the table with their blasters jumbled in a heap at one end. Their trays were piled high with half-eaten food. The civilians were talking boisterously, and Zax noticed how the nearby Crew had left a buffer zone of empty tables all around them.
Zax turned to head off to a different section of tables, but Rege noticed him and called out.
“Cadet Zax—a moment please.”
Rege’s hair wasn’t greasy like it had been, but rather appeared freshly washed. It was also pulled back into a neat ponytail so it no longer fell across his eyes. He wore his brother’s knife in a sheath on his belt and his hand casually rested on its hilt as he approached and spoke.
“It’s amazing to see you up walking around cadet, especially knowing how hard I crushed your leg the other day. It’s impressive what Crew medical treatment can do. If a civilian had been hurt like that, he’d have been crippled for months. Only the best for the Crew, though, just like all of this amazing food. My friends and I could spend every minute of the day in here for the next month stuffing our faces and still not catch up on the calorie deficits we’ve dealt with for the past few years. Hell, just taking the trash from some of your fellow cadets’ trays would feed a civilian family for days.”
The man seemed like he was trying to bait him somehow, but Zax maintained a neutral expression and stared back silently. The civilian continued.
“Well, I’d really love to chat more, but I need to finish up breakfast and get back to work. I’m leading the transition team for President Imair, and we need to figure out how to start reallocating the Ship’s resources more equitably. Be sure to enjoy your breakfast as I’m guessing mealtime will start looking a little different around here soon.”
Rege turned to walk back to his table but then paused and looked back. “By the way, we’re going to be seeing a lot more of each other in the future. Once I’m done with the transition, Imair’s promised me I can be her representative in Flight Ops. I hear that’s where you’re getting assigned as well now that you’re done with Waste Systems. I look forward to working closely with you.”
The civilian returned to his table where everyone laughed uproariously at whatever he said to them as he sat down. Zax hung his head and shuffled over to his usual spot. The excitement he felt at returning to Flight Ops was shattered at the discovery he would have to work side-by-side with the civilian responsible for Kalare’s murder. He plopped down in this seat and picked halfheartedly at the food on his tray until footsteps approached from behind.
“Hey there, Zax! It’s great to see you! I hoped I’d find you here. I just missed you this morning when I went to see you in medbay. I was in to see you yesterday too, but you were still sleeping. It was that same medic on duty who treated me last year. He said you’d been sleeping for thirty-six hours. It was such a weird coincidence how you were in that same bed again where I was the first time you came to visit me. Remember—after Cyrus blew out my knee? My leg was in a cast that day and you were in there yesterday with a cast on your leg! It seems crazy for someone with nothing more than a busted leg to sleep that long. I’m the one who practically died, and I was awake and moving around within twenty secs of the anesthesia wearing off. It just goes to prove yet again how girls are tougher than boys. Why are you looking at me like that?”
Zax had spun around as soon as he heard the voice, and his eyes went wide at seeing Kalare in front of him. He wanted to interrupt and ask a million questions, but she got so deep, so fast into one of her monologues that he decided to just sit back and happily wait it out. As he did so, his smile grew larger and more intense. When Kalare finally paused and allowed him to respond he could only get out one word. “How?”
She beamed and lifted her shirt to reveal a massive scar on her stomach. It was a shade of furious scarlet, but the borders were fading and it would eventually disappear.
“I got this thanks to that oxygen thief, Aleron. We had almost reached a Marine garrison when Captain Clueless stopped listening to the corporal’s directions and bolted ahead of us. Of course, he ran straight into a group of civilians. The corporal had no choice but to engage them in a firefight which ended when he got shot. They took us prisoner, and we listened as their squad leader called in for orders. It took ages, but I overheard when he was finally told to kill me and Aleron and mak
e it painful.
“The civilian didn’t hesitate before shooting us both in the belly. I guess his plan was to have us bleed out slow since gut wounds are supposed to be pretty nasty. He was about to shoot the Marine in the head when the passageway lit up with blaster fire. We were close enough to the garrison that they had heard the firefight and sent Marines in ChamWare to check out what was happening. They got us back to medics pretty quickly, so here I am!”
Zax was flabbergasted. He had given Kalare up for dead when Rege first gave the order and had relived that pain so many times in the hours since. To have her show up looking and acting the same as always was almost more than his heart could bear. He was trying to figure out what to say when the screens lit up around the mess hall to show the morning newsvid. Kalare squealed with excitement.
“Ooohhh, we’ve got to watch this! There haven’t been any broadcasts since everything happened, but I heard last night that we’d see a full report this morning about what ended the revolution and how things are going to work around here now with the civilians in charge.”
She pulled up a chair and sat brushing against him. Zax wanted to do nothing but bask in the warmth of her body so close to his, but he forced himself to pay attention as the announcer spoke.
“We’ve got a special report for you today with the full details of what happened recently along with initial information about what you should expect to see moving forward.
“A group of brave civilians took decisive action three days ago based on concerns which have simmered this past year regarding the viability of our Mission. After evidence surfaced that additional humans are traveling the stars, these selfless individuals concluded they must influence a change in our Mission.”
Zax couldn’t believe his ears. The same announcer who had spent the past year bemoaning the atrocious behavior of the civilians was now describing them as heroes.
“Their goal was to avoid as much bloodshed as possible while ensuring their message was heard and acted upon by the Captain and Omegas. They only took this action after repeated attempts at peaceful discussion through normal channels had been rebuffed. Thankfully, through the calm thinking of their leaders and the eventual cooperation of a senior member of the Crew, they were able to achieve their objectives.”
A picture of the Boss appeared on the screen. He was bloodied and disheveled—the exact opposite of how he had looked right before handing over the FTL engine.
“The final resolution became possible when the Flight Boss determined he needed to step in to do what was best for everyone on the Ship—Crew and civilian alike. He was initially resistant to the requests of the civilians, as can be seen here with the physical evidence of how he withstood their augmented interrogation techniques. In an exclusive interview this morning, we learned the thought process behind how his conclusions shifted and we will air that footage later. Suffice it to say, you’ll want to hear it straight from his mouth.
“What I can tell you now is that the Boss realized the Captain’s intent to vent the Ship and murder ten million humans was unjust and unlawful. He halted his resistance to the civilian’s requests and ultimately brokered a deal between them and the Captain. This deal included the Captain’s agreement to step down, temporarily, pending a full review of her actions. The Flight Boss is now in charge of all Crew matters, albeit within a new command structure that includes much needed civilian oversight. It is this new leadership structure that we are going to discuss first, starting with this footage from an announcement that was made earlier this morning.”
Zax bolted upright. “That’s entirely a lie! None of that happened like what they’re saying! The Boss wasn’t tortured, he didn’t broker any deal, he just gave in to the civilians plain and simple and sold out the Captain in the process. All so he could save his own skin and stay in charge!”
Kalare had become alert and sat ramrod straight with the shock of Zax’s sudden movement, but after listening to his outburst she leaned back, slowly shook her head, and sighed. “Not this all over again...”
If you liked reading about Zax and Kalare and would like to read more about their adventures on the Ship, send an email to [email protected] and ask for the first 5 chapters of Volume 3.
Acknowledgments
About three years ago I was going through some particularly khrazy times in my life. My therapist (thank you R.G!) suggested that a great way to get myself more grounded would be a creative, right-brain activity that would balance all of the left-brain work that dominates my professional life. The seeds of this story had been bouncing around in my head for a while so I decided to take the plunge and write a novel.
Me being me, I actually decided that I would not write just one novel, but a series of SEVEN. Thankfully, I managed to talk myself off that particular ledge and you are holding in your hand book two of what will be only (!) a five volume series.
There are many people who played a role in getting this book published. The first is Owen Egerton. Owen is a creative polymath of the highest order who I am fortunate enough to call a friend. The degree to which he is wildly talented is surpassed only by the generosity with which he shares his talents. I remember how terrified I was the first time I talked to Owen about this project. He could have easily patted me on the head and said “nice try, kid”, but instead he gave not only warm encouragement but also invaluable advice.
I was also lucky to benefit from my friendship with the other half of the talented Egerton duo when Jodi became my first editor. I’m tempted to go back and read some of the early drafts to see how far the story (and the prose) has come in that time, but I’m not sure I really want to subject myself to that kind of abuse. Jodi gave fantastic guidance and support when this project teetered between an absolute lark and something I really wanted to pour my heart into. Her encouragement pushed it forward into the form it is today.
Jodi eventually handed me off to a new editor in Stacey Swann. Stacey’s guidance has absolutely made a huge difference in where this book wound up–both from a plot perspective as well as the writing style and quality. Her contributions were endless and will be eternally appreciated.
Outside of the professionals, I also benefited tremendously from the input of early readers among my friends. Kathleen Trail gave a couple of gentle pointers in the very early going that stuck with me throughout. Michael Lee was not only willing to read multiple drafts, he was also tremendously supportive and encouraging throughout the entire process. I will state here for the record that his life debt owed to me is discharged in light of his service to the Ship.
As the story got more and more refined, I was brave enough to share it with a larger group of friends who all provided encouragement and feedback. Huge appreciation for Laura Parrot Perry, Amy Nylund, Clayton and Tisha Havens, Scherry Sweeney, Scott Hyman, and Zachary W. All of those folks took the time to read and provide some great input.
Many thanks to Bryan McNeal for the cover concepts and art. I am honored that my book and Gatti’s Pizza have both benefited from Bryan’s artistry.
Finally, I want to express tremendous gratitude for my family. My lovely wife Kerry has provided constant encouragement and exhibited fantastic restraint about the number of Saturday and Sunday mornings I’ve spent typing away at Starbucks. My eldest, Parker, was super enthusiastic about reading the very first draft of volume one, even though he probably should have been begging me to refine it before unleashing it upon him. My youngest, Wesley, had book one read aloud by Kerry, and still managed to remember it a year later when I read volume two to him. The whole family provided great feedback and inspiration–even if Kerry still rants about the pronunciation of Kalare’s name.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE What the hell were you thinking, Zax?
CHAPTER TWO Just protecting the Ship one pipe full of sewage at a time.
CHAPTER THREE They get all the benefit and we bear all the cost.
CHAPTER FOUR Ouch!
CHAPTER FIVE You eat
it.
CHAPTER SIX Why the apple?
CHAPTER SEVEN Hello, Zax.
CHAPTER EIGHT Pretty effective, if I do say so myself.
CHAPTER NINE We know they are out there somewhere.
CHAPTER TEN You can help them.
CHAPTER ELEVEN I agree with Aleron.
CHAPTER TWELVE Give me the blaster!
CHAPTER THIRTEEN We have to deliver a message.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN Why did you do that?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN With all due respect, sir, we shouldn’t split up.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN Where are we?
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN It was delicious, sir.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN You can thank Captain Clueless over there.
CHAPTER NINETEEN We can pretend all of that silliness never happened.
CHAPTER TWENTY We can’t let you have all the fun today.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE I know where one is.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO He will be awake in thirty mins.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE Why are you nice to me?
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR Permission to speak freely, sir?
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE Peace is at hand.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX I know exactly what I'm doing.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN I'll carry the boy.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT Everyone take a deep breath.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE You need to look at the big picture.
CHAPTER THIRTY I need you out of that suit, Corporal.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE The fate of the Ship is in your hands right now.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO Don’t let her get away!
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE Will you actually shoot this time?
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR Show your hands!
