by Dave Bara
“You’re right,” said Aybar. They watched as Amanda’s hands flew over the display board. Zueros turned around to watch the commotion.
“Does he see it?” asked Mischa.
“I don’t think so,” replied Renwick. After a few tense seconds Zueros turned back to his board. Amanda handed the display back to Thorne, then resumed her stoic stance. Thorne turned and walked away.
“Did they make the exchange?” said Makera.
“I didn’t see it,” said Renwick. “That doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. They move damn fast when they want to.”
A few moments more passed and a Gataan soldier came up to Zueros, who turned his attention from the board momentarily. As he did Amanda took a step up and activated the board, her hands flashing across its surface. Zueros turned quickly, a pistol in his hand. Amanda knocked it away with one hand and then drove him back with the other. Zueros went flying out of the camera sight. They all let out a small cheer as Amanda completed her task and then stepped away from the console just as soldiers came up.
Alarm claxons sounded inside the corridor.
“She’s activated the internal defense systems,” said Renwick. He watched as the console display showed the bridge area filling with a thick gas. The Gataan soldiers collapsed almost instantly. “Get back from the door!” he said to his crew, pushing them back towards the area of the safe room.
Several minutes went by and then the alarms went silent. A few seconds later and the door to the hallway opened again. This time it was Amanda, or rather, Yan in Amanda’s body.
Welcome back,” she said, smiling. “The ship is ours again.”
“I WANT ZUEROS,” SEETHED Makera when they were back on the bridge.
“He fled when I turned on the gas,” said Amanda/Yan. Renwick assigned Aybar, Kish and Mischa to move the Gataan soldiers into the safe room. There were only about ten aboard at the time of the gas attack.
“The rest returned to their main vessels after we were taken,” said Amanda/Yan.
“I’m just glad you’re still with us,” said Renwick. “I thought we’d lost you during the skirmish.” Amanda/Yan smiled at him.
“Always back up your files,” she said. “Did you really think I’d take a risk like charging the Gataan like that without a backup plan?”
“I don’t know,” admitted Renwick. “Frankly, I don’t know you that well.”
“Oh, I think you know me well enough,” she said. Renwick was shocked at the depth of emotion she was able to display through Amanda’s body; the voice, facial expression, even her eyes seemed much more alive than he’d seen before. And the emotional expression was one of seduction.
“I see you’re handling the android body much better this time,” he commented.
“Practice makes perfect. I was able to learn a lot about suppressing the android persona while I was inside Thorne. I did have three days to study, you know,” she said.
“Yeah, three days of hell for us,” he replied.
“If you two are done with the foreplay, I have a status report,” the voice came from Makera, who had busied herself at the command console.
“Good news or bad?” asked Renwick.
“Mostly bad,” she looked up at them. “We’re already in the Vadela system. The Kali broke through about six hours ago. The Gataan cruisers are nowhere in sight of our scanners, which must mean they are inside the system, probably hiding and waiting for the main Soloth fleet to arrive so they can join in the attack.”
“You’re right, that isn’t good news,” said Renwick. He turned back to Amanda/Yan. “How much weaponry does the Kali really have?” She shook her head.
“Not much, as far as I can surmise. If there are more systems aboard, Amanda is keeping them well hidden from me. What we do have isn’t enough to take on twenty cruisers, certainly. Remember the Kali was a purpose-built ship. Her main asset is the Void emitters.”
“Yes,” said Renwick thoughtfully. “How much dark energy have the scoops accumulated?”
“They’re full,” Amanda/Yan said. “Any extra has been dissipated as excess.”
“And what’s the full capacity of the Kali?”
“You’ve seen it. She can swallow a star system whole,” said Yan. Her features showed she was unhappy with the direction of the conversation.
“What are you driving at, Renwick?” asked Makera, equally alarmed. Renwick started pacing.
“If we encased the colony-“ he started.
“No!” said Makera. “You’re insane.”
“Hear me out,” he asked.
“I won’t,” said Makera, backing away from the console. “I won’t let you suffocate an entire colony.”
“We wouldn’t be ‘suffocating’ them, we’d be protecting them,” he insisted.
“I don’t agree,” said Makera. “We don’t know enough about what the process might do to them.” Renwick looked to Amanda/Yan.
“It is theoretically possible to direct the energy plasma on an object as small as a planet,” she said.
“A moon,” said Makera. “The Vadela colony is on a habitable moon of the third planet.” Renwick deferred to Amanda/Yan again.
“As I said, it’s possible-“ said Amanda/Yan.
“I won’t allow it.”
“Makera, you have to,” implored Renwick. “It’s either that or the colony faces destruction. You know that. We can’t defend them, can’t defeat the Soloth fleet. It’s their only hope.”
The Raelen Ambassador took in a deep breath. “May your human god damn you Renwick,” she said.
“You know I’m right.”
“Yes, you are,” she said. “But it may be months before we’re able to get back here and free the colony. Months in complete darkness.”
“We could encase it with the star,” Renwick offered. Yan shook her head.
“It would take too long. Perhaps a day. The colony itself and the parent planet could be covered in perhaps an hour,” she said.
Makera looked at her two companions. “Very well, I give you my authority as Ambassador of the Raelen Empire. But I have two conditions. First, you give me a ship and allow me to warn the colonists first. And second,” she said, turning towards Renwick. “You entrust the treaty papers to me,” she said.
“The treaty papers? But why?” said Renwick.
“Because once I have warned the colony I am proceeding to the nearest Raelen military base and bringing back a fleet. I’ll forward the treaty papers to Raellos. You can sign them there, after this fracas is at an end. And you have to promise me you’ll be there to sign them,” she said to Renwick in her intense manner.
“That sounds like three conditions,” he deadpanned.
“Renwick-“ he took her hand in a show of affection.
“I will be there to sign them,” he promised.
“Then it’s settled,” Makera said. “Now get me your fastest jump ship,” she said to Amanda/Yan, “before I change my mind.”
“THIS SHUTTLE IS OUR fastest jump-drive capable ship,” said Amanda/Yan barely an hour later as Makera exited the tiny ship onto the landing deck for a final time. “Do you think you can fly it?”
“Oh yes,” the Raelen Ambassador said. “Besides, it’s not like I have a choice.”
Renwick watched as Kish and Mischa loaded the last of Makera’s supplies onto the shuttle. Then he turned to his constant companion for the last two years, fellow negotiator, and former lover.
“So this is goodbye,” he said. She smiled in her humorless Raelen way.
“For now, Tam Renwick. For now,” she said. Then she came up and kissed him hard on the lips, as if no one else were around. She pulled away just as suddenly and bounded up the stairwell. “Give me two hours, then start your emitters. If I’m not clear of the colony by then I won’t ever be,” she said when she got to the top.
“What about the Gataan cruisers?” asked Amanda/Yan. Makera stood in the hatch and shrugged.
“If they chase me, I’ll just jump o
ut of the system. You’ll have to warn the colony.”
“Understood,” Renwick said. “I take it you know where we’ll be?” Makera looked down at him from the hatch.
“I’ll just follow your trail. Our fleet should be able to find both you and the emitter station,” she said, then she looked to Amanda/Yan. “Take care of him,” the Ambassador said to her romantic adversary. Then she stepped back and pressed a button, turned, and headed inside the shuttle. The hatch closed with a thump.
Renwick and Amanda/Yan watched as the shuttle was lifted out of its dock and deposited on the landing deck. A few seconds later and the engines fired up, the outer doors of the landing deck opened and the environmental field collapsed to within just a few feet of them.
Then Makera engaged the hydrazine afterburners and flew swiftly off the deck and into open space.
Renwick looked into the face of Amanda, but inside he knew was soul of Tanitha Yan. He took her by the hand.
“Let’s go,” he said, his jaw set firm.
“We have work to do.”
BACK ON THE COMMAND deck Renwick took up a station in the bridge area at the command console. Amanda/Yan stood at his side, monitoring the Kali’s main systems. Captain Aybar had taken up a station at the weapons console to one side, and Mischa Car was on station at the navigation console. Kish was behind them, monitoring engineering functions again. Renwick was glad to have them all working. He hoped it would get their minds off of what they had lost and get them focused on what was ahead.
“Captain Aybar,” said Amanda/Yan. “Do you feel able to handle the emitter functions?”
“Oh yes,” said Aybar. “I have it well in hand.”
“Good. Just remember, you’ll be turning over emitter control to me at the end. No one fires my weapons but me.”
“Understood,” said Aybar. Amanda/Yan turned her attention to Mischa.
“Lieutenant Cain, are we underway yet?” she said.
“Affirmative captain,” said Cain. “On our way to the Vadela colony. ETA is twenty-two minutes.”
“Good, just drive her straight, lieutenant.”
“Aye sir.”
“Mr. Kish?” she said. The engineer was last on her rounds.
“All systems nominal captain. Ready to flood the emitters with dark energy plasma at your order,” said Kish.
“I can see that on my board, Mr. Kish,” snapped Amanda/Yan with the most emotion Renwick had ever seen her express. “My question was going to be about our Gataan prisoners, since you’re now in charge of security as well.”
“Aye Captain. They’re doing fine. That repair shuttle we stuck ‘em in should hold ‘em just fine until their friends out there pick ‘em up,” Kish said.
“As long as they’re off my ship,” said Amanda/Yan.
“Aye captain, and snug as bugs in a rug. I saw to it myself,” said Kish.
“Very well.” She turned her attention back to Renwick. “You seem pensive, Senator.”
“I am. What about Zueros?” he asked. Amanda/Yan brought up a recorded display on the command console. Renwick watched as Zueros moved among downed Gataan soldiers with ease, boarded one of the escape shuttles, and launched himself into space.
“Thirty minutes after this was recorded our sensors detected a hyper-dimensional jump out of the Vadela system,” she said.
“Off to meet his masters,” replied Renwick. “It’s curious though, the stun gas didn’t seem to have any effect on him.”
“I noticed that,” said Amanda/Yan. “Do you suppose the Soloth are immune?”
“If that DNA sample he gave us was accurate, and I have no reason whatsoever to believe that it was, then he should have been effected,” said Renwick.
“But he wasn’t,” said Amanda/Yan.
“Yes,” Renwick played the tape again.
“A theory?” asked Amanda/Yan. Renwick smiled.
“None I’m prepared to put forward yet,” he said.
“Captain Yan,” it was Mischa Cain. “We’ll be in range of the Vadela colony in ten minutes, sir,” she said.
“Any sign of interference from the Gataan?” said Amanda/Yan to Captain Aybar.
“No,” replied Aybar. “Scans are clean at the moment.” Renwick noticed Aybar refused to use the honoraria of rank with Amanda/Yan, who, for her part, didn’t seem to notice.
“Good,” said Amanda/Yan, looking down at her console again. “We might just make this mission work yet.”
RENWICK WATCHED OVER her shoulder as Aybar targeted the Vadela colony. It was a small moon, but it had a good gravity field with a temperate atmosphere. Soon it would be enveloped in a protective blanket of dark energy, one that would plunge them into perpetual night until the Kali could return and free them, and one that could snuff out all life there in a matter of months if the Kali weren’t able to return at all.
But it would keep the Gataan and the Soloth away from the colony, and keep the Raelen there safe from the coming invasion. It was gamble, and it was Renwick’s gamble.
“We’re set here,” called Renwick to Amanda/Yan from Aybar’s station.
“Transfer control to my console,” she said.
“Transferring,” said Aybar. Renwick watched as the android he knew as Amanda reacted to the situation. He fancied she actually looked pensive. He made a mental note to ask her why she had decided to stay in the android’s body instead of using her own holographic body, when they got a chance.
Renwick joined her back to the command console.
“Emitters are charged,” said Amanda/Yan.
“How will we keep the field from catching the solar wind and expanding all over the system?” Renwick asked.
“We can focus the emitters on the magnetic field generated by the planet and the moon. Their magnetic fields will be much stronger locally than the star’s. Once we have a closed area, we just shut off the emitters. The solar wind will actually act as a buffer to keep the planet and the colony satellite contained,” she said, not looking up from her board. Then, “we are maximized, Mr. Kish. Open the vents.”
“Vents open, captain,” said Kish.
Renwick watched as Amanda/Yan manipulated the console controls with just her fingertips, touching key systems in a particular order, an amber glow emanating from her each time she interfaced with the smooth console surface. It was a delicate dance of color and light, and it controlled the most deadly energy force humankind had ever known.
“Emitters engaged,” she finally said, then she switched to a master display that all on the bridge could see, showing the dark energy, like black ink, spreading outward towards the Vadela Colony.
“Contact with magnetic field confirmed,” said Kish from his station. “The plasma is beginning the enveloping process.”
“I hope Ambassador Makera managed to get her message off to the colonists, otherwise they’re likely to be pretty frightened,” commented Amanda/Yan.
“Wouldn’t you be?” said Renwick. She looked up at him for a second, then put one hand on her hip as she contemplated her board again.
“I’ve worked with this equipment more than anyone alive in this century, Renwick. It doesn’t frighten me, but I respect it” she said. Then she turned back to Cain and Aybar.
“I’ll need a report the instant you see any activity from our Gataan friends, captain. And keep the engines warm, Lieutenant Cain. I want to be able to move out of here at a moment’s notice,” she said.
Forty minutes later and all was quiet. The Void material had encased eighty-five percent of the colony and its parent planet.
“Mr. Kish, shut down the emitters,” said Amanda/Yan. “What we’ve already extruded will do the rest.”
“That’s it?” said Renwick. Amanda/Yan nodded.
“And not a peep from the Gataan,” she said.
“That’s what worries me,” said Renwick. “It’s like they’re waiting for directions.” Amanda/Yan stood back from her station then.
“Senator, you are still in charge of
this mission, but I suggest we get the hell out of here before that fleet arrives,” she said. Renwick nodded.
“Agreed. Lieutenant Cain,” he said, turning to her at the navigation console. “Take us out of the system, back the way we came, and step on it,” he said.
“Aye sir,” she responded. “Heading, sir? Once we’re back in the Void?”
Renwick looked to Amanda/Yan.
“We have an obligation to fulfill,” he said. “Make heading for the emitter station, as fast as the scoops will take us.”
“Aye, sir,” said Mischa. He looked at Amanda/Yan, who raised an eyebrow at him in a ‘what do we do now?’ way.
“Captain Aybar, please take over for me,” called Renwick. “I’ll be in the back, resting. Let me know immediately if anything changes.”
“Of course Senator,” Aybar said, rising from her station and heading to the command console. Amanda/Yan looked at Aybar as she came up, but reluctantly relinquished the console. Renwick turned and headed for the rest cabins.
“And what would you have me do, Senator?” asked Amanda/Yan, taking a few steps away from the console.
“You and I need to have a strategy conference, in private, Captain Yan,” he said without turning back or breaking stride.
Amanda/Yan smiled, then started after him.
“You have the con, Captain Aybar,” she said over her shoulder as she walked away.
“Aye Captain, I have the con,” Aybar said. Then she laughed as she watched the two of them rushed for the rest cabins like teenagers.
14. Through the void
Renwick had been in his cabin for nearly two hours, but he hadn’t gotten much rest in that time, and his partner didn’t need any. He lay on the small bed with his eyes closed, relishing the interlude between their passionate lovemaking spells. The sound of Amanda’s voice stirred him from his quiet reverie.
“Which do you prefer?” asked Yan as she absently twirled the course hair on his chest. “The Amanda body, or me?”
He shook his head. “A smart man never answers questions like that,” he said, laughing.
