by Michael Orr
Watching Nash’s pathetic ‘goodbye’ holo was a far cry from the breakfast she’d hoped for. He didn’t even have the courtesy to come escort her to the gig himself. She’d had to call on one of the majors from dinner; the only one whose name she could remember.
Stew on it later, she told herself. Right now, there were several hundred eyes clinging to her gyrating form as she fitted herself into the latest hits. It wasn’t her usual dance routine, but it was likelier to boost these guys’ spirits, given that this wasn’t a proper dance club.
She glanced out between beats at the oddity of performing in a military hangar, catching hints of wings and cockpits and armor peeking out from between the ranks of dazzled men.
I...am...stark naked in the middle of a hangar bay, she realized. How in the hell’d my life lead ta this?
JAY 2
* * *
WESTERN USA – EARTH – JUN 1, 2004
Everything was a blur: Orange County, Inland Empire, Barstow, high desert. The gixxer raced through the red glow of Utah at dusk as thoughts and fears raced through my frantic mind.
All my fault.
The Rockies whipped by unseen in the night as I tore through serpentine I-70, and it was deep into the early hours when I stopped on the shoulder of the road somewhere in the Great Plains past Kanorado.
Nightfall draped the world like sorcery. Turned the sky into the crystal dome of a sno-globe. All I could do was stare up at the stars like a living telescope.
There’s no seeing the Milky Way from Southern California. Not even after the Santa Ana winds clean it out. In fact, you’re lucky even to find Jupiter in all that light pollution, so experiencing that cloud of galactic lights in the deep sky was mystical to me.
Skittle’s...I should probably say Anita’s...gleam had dazzled me, only to drown herself in an ocean of despair I could never have guessed at.
The only person I’ve ever known who’s died. Even my grandparents are still alive and well.
The flat earth cupped me in its palm and I gaped up at a sky that knew nothing about me — a sky that continued as far beneath the planet I stood on as it did above my head. And here was Roy whispering in my ear about attack ships and the Tannhauser Gate.
It made me shiver, and I was all about tears in rain when something on the horizon caught my eye. I’d been staring at the darkness of the sky and the darkness of the ground. They’re different shades in the night. Did you know?
But at some point, a star fell. ’Course, we see shooting stars in SoCal, too. And who doesn’t keep watch for another? But the more I looked, the more there were.
I was snapped back to the present when I realized I was watching a ribbon of stars fall to the Earth in the same spot. It was clear as life...a steady stream of stars dropping to the ground where sky kisses horizon. The hairs on my neck stood on end and I forgot to breathe. They weren’t just falling...they were rising! An elegant, effortless exchange of stars gliding gracefully upward, downward, waltzing on a velvet backdrop.
Jacob’s ladder?
Instantly, I was hurtling through space. Hurtling into absurdly distant regions, with their bright proto-stars and bizarre gas clouds. Quasars beaconed out in the vastness and sailed blisteringly past. An audible hum suffused everything, like the almost imperceptible rumble you hear beneath the hush of a city as it wakes with the dawn. It slowly grew into a roar until I could no longer separate sights from sounds and it all dissolved into raw energy.
Everything came to rest. Everything stopped.
I found myself...nowhere. Darkness swamped all existence with its lulling quiet. I’ve never felt such a thing, and I realized the world we live in is constantly at war with itself, pushing and pulling and causing friction in every conceivable way. It’s the nature of existence, this tension. But at that moment, the Universe itself was absolutely dead still.
Then, something added itself to the nothingness. At first it was only a sensation; maybe a premonition. But at length I recognized a change — a light so small it was easier to miss than to see. I couldn’t tell if it was on some unknown horizon or right in front of me. Either way, it began to grow. And with it came a new sound.
Voices, but not language.
I watched the pinpoint of light grow into a terrifying flood that filled the whole sky. It came forth, this onrushing spectrum, dwarfing me... dwarfing what I would’ve thought was the universe... dwarfing the span of every star chart I’d ever seen.
The brilliance grew and grew while I looked on from a dizzying precipice. It crested in majesty until, arcing with the grace of a sword, it swept down and crashed upon what could only be called rocks.
The tide of light washed through that ravaged barrier, leaving dark eddies swirling in the lees.
Dazed, I turned away from the rocks to follow the light’s progress as it cascaded out, illuminating what had already been there waiting — the structure of the universe we know, lying as dark and empty as an abandoned building.
If you’ve ever seen the sun rise across a field, you understand how there seems to be nothing at all in the shadows until the sun strikes and lends it all the colors that make up reality. Wherever the sunbeam stops, the world ceases to exist. Just like that, the breath of Creation began pouring itself through the secret backsides of stars, filling them and causing them to gleam and spout forth until they became infinite faucets, emitting the breath of creation’s brilliance into the newborn Universe.
Being there was like floating in the center of a glass sphere with all the galaxies swirling on the surface of the glass, raining their light outward into the outer darkness while the source of the light filled them from the sphere’s core.
I was speechless for eons as the universe grew more structured with light, becoming a finer and finer mechanism — a living organism that pulsed with this breath of brilliance. There was no space for my mind to store it all, and everything jumbled around inside me like pocket change.
That was when I discovered the abyss...
35
* * *
ESS ASHERAH – ALLIANCE SPACE – JUL 24, 2371
“Heya, girl!” Fey’s infectious cheer came over the pre-recorded holo. “Got sump’m for ya. Now that you’re a big deal, you might be wonderin’ if we could make some changes. After all, you’re not a probationary hire anymore. You’re a big ticket item. So first of all, I gotta show ya this...”
The holo morphed into an official document listing Trish as a registered tourist attraction.
Trish paused the holo and re-read the notice with rising angst. A human being as a tourist attraction? What the hell was that! Was she a thing now instead of a person? She scowled as the holo continued:
“Now don’t freak,” Fey went on. “This’z more of a publicity stunt than anything else, and I didn’t have anything t’do with it. It was an executive idea. So just think of it as advertising. It makes ya famous. Anything for more bookings, right? But I know my girl, an’ I bet this’z gonna weird you out, so I have an antidote.”
Fey leaned in close like it was conspiracy hour.
“Now, we could renegotiate your contract for more digics, and I’m perfectly willing t’do that if ya want. But I was thinkin’ maybe I buy you something you’d really like. Maybe a certain skycar you’ve had your eye on?” She raised her eyebrows. “Or maybe a swanky condo somewhere they only serve umbrella drinks? Or...I dunno? You tell me. Think about it ’n lemme know, ’k? Luv ya!”
The holo faded with Fey’s big bright smile looming beneath her even brighter hair. It brought a smirk to Trish’s face despite the fact that this was clearly an appeasement tactic. Fey was desperate to keep her newest name from abandoning ship.
There was no way she could show the holo to Amber. It wouldn’t be fair. Even Saia would have good reason to be upset. Both of them had worked for Goddess longer than her, doing heavier jobs; and they were still working their way up to where they wanted to be. There was only one person she could trust to have an even response
.
“Tourist attraction?” Caylee screwed up her face.
Trish shrugged. “Right?”
“Sounds pretty desperate. They didn’t even ask. s’Like they think they own the rights ta you or sump’m.”
“’Zactly how I felt.”
“Well,” Caylee wiped the knot off her face, “if they’re desperate, ask ’em for sump’m you’ll never be able ta get on yer own. Take ’em for all they’re worth.”
“Ya think?”
“You watched the same thing, right?” Caylee duh’d.
“I just dunno what I could get away with.”
“Well,” Caylee paused. “Maybe s’not about gettin’ away with anything. Maybe you just ask for sump’m you really want. Liiiike...”
“A runabout...” Chills flooded Trish’s body. Even Caylee’s stony eyes went wide.
Becoming a civilian starpilot was as far out of reach as anything Trish could imagine. Most pilots worked for the Conglom in some fashion. Being able to afford a runabout and earning a license for open star travel was way beyond any commoner’s grasp. Personal star travel was the exclusive domain of the wealthy elite, and even outside the scope of some nobles.
Trish deflated back to reality. “Too much?”
“All she can do is say ‘no’.” Caylee sounded matter-of-fact. “She’s still gotta promise ya sump’m else, right? Can’t hurt ta ask.”
“Guess it can’t.” Trish wondered if she could even learn to fly a spaceship. It had to be hella technical.
“Trisha, my Trisha...” Fey was as bright as ever, but with an unaccustomed note of cynicism. Trish had never experienced Fey in any kind of mood other than ‘perfect’, and she was glad this was a recording instead of chatting in real-time.
“You do know how ta push buttons, dontcha? But I found an angle.” The gleaming smile came out in full force. “I mean, just how glamorous can one girl get? Our very own Trish parading around space like she owns the place? Wellll...”
She broke out into a sing-song: “They bo-ought it!”
“And...” she announced proudly, “if it works for the execs, it works for you! Go find the jumper you want, hun. I’ll make it happen. I’m beginning t’think I’m the miracle worker everyone says I am.”
The holo ended and Trish sat dumb. Had to watch it with Caylee just to make sure it was real. And the terrible thing was, she couldn’t possibly tell the others. It had to be her and Caylee’s secret. She’d have to tell everyone else that she just got a wild hair. Implausible, but they had only a vague idea what she was earning. The star of the Zodiac Lounge might just be able to swing it.
CRUSADER NINE – ALLIANCE SPACE – AUG 18, 2371
Loni‘s breaths came short and shallow as she worked to mask her noise. The only thing between her and a multitude of fates worse than death was the door of the cabinet she’d crumpled herself into.
Outside the stifling box, shouts and sounds of violence filled the air. Crusader Nine was enduring yet another mutiny as Captain Harlowe’s rivals staged a coup. Not that Loni was for one side or another, but housekeepers made ready targets when crusader passions ran high.
She’d been through at least three of these. They materialized from thin air the way viruses had been shown to manifest. The ethers were more than willing to manufacture evils dreamt up by any critical mass of losers, and Loni had long since lost her tolerance for it. Not that her feelings mattered. At least, not here.
The cabinet door shot open and she looked up into flushed faces and creased brows.
“You!” They all recognized the map girl. “Who d’you side with?”
“Th-The Crusade.” She couldn’t imagine giving any other answer.
Her discoverers met one another’s eyes and reached down to help her out. She was surprised that they didn’t just yank her free, ruining whatever parts of her might not come loose easily. But now she was on her feet amidst a throng of white-robed ‘zombies’ who’d wakened from their stupor of blind obedience.
“I saw her hiding from Surryah before,” said one of them as they studied her. Loni had no idea if that was good or bad.
“Works fer me,” another decided, gaining his cohorts’ support. “Take ‘er with. She knows the ship better’n anybody.”
Loni nodded haplessly and they hurried her along, their jumbled voices calling out possible places for a strong defense. It didn’t take long to realize they wanted input.
“You’re asking me?” She hoped a question wouldn’t draw their ire.
“You’re the guide.”
“Well...I guess the petite atrium’s pretty central. And it’s got two exits. Less chance’a gettin’ trapped, but not too much ta guard.”
“Best way there?” they demanded, and she led them down a series of minor corridors. It was a circuitous path, but marginally safe.
After several minutes of stealthing through corridors, they heard low murmurs around the corner ahead. Her group halted, listening for clues to the voices’ affiliations, but when none were forthcoming a new plan was hatched.
Loni approached the corner in question with loathing. Whatever waited on the other side had every chance of being lethal. But she was the only neutral member of her party...and by far the most expendable.
She peered around the corner, her timidness requiring no acting skills. The voices were six strong and noticed her immediately.
“Y-You guys with Surryah?” she twittered, just as she’d been ordered.
They stared. “Well, we know you ain’t.”
They came her way, offering their group as safe haven. She was about to step out from around the corner when her own group presented themselves. The two clans united around her as Loni cringed for the clash, but each group was the other’s welcome relief, and soon the combined gang was headed for the stronghold she’d suggested.
They were a force to be reckoned with now, and for Loni it was a matter of staying small and not being noticed. There was no trusting jihadis. They’d turn on a dime for any perceived offense.
The gang reached the petite atrium, and once again she was pressed into taking point. A contingent of Surryah’s forces had claimed the stronghold for themselves, and Loni’s job was to get them off guard. How she did it was up to her.
She swallowed miserably, feeling the strength seep from her bones as she approached the enemy. The men behind her were no less dangerous than the ones ahead. They were all enemies as far as she was concerned, and if any of them survived this, her choosing sides would make her a pet target.
“Um...I-I was hoping you guys might let me hide here?” She crept forward beneath their suspicious gazes. “I’m willing ta help.”
“Help how?”
“I dunno.” She shrugged. “I know the ship.”
They nodded at each other. “But we got this place.”
“We’re entrenched,” another added.
“You don’t wanna go on the offensive?” She planted the seed. It occurred to her that the longer she kept them talking, the more distance she was putting between herself and the coming ambush. Long enough and they might not think she was part of it. “Yer just gonna sit here ’n wait?”
“You got sump’m better?”
She shook her head. “N-No. I just thought you might wanna take control. Waiting here’s just a–”
Her own group attacked at that moment and Loni reacted with all the genuine terror inside her, ducking at the sound of men rushing their opposition. She scrambled out of the way, molding herself to a wall as the two groups collided.
“FuckFuckFuck!!!” She crouched down into a ball at the edge of the melee, hands over her head as blows rang out all around her. A knee jammed her ribs, knocking the wind out of her as the battle raged.
She toppled over, gasping for breath amidst their scrambling feet. A body fell, tumbling when the wounded man lost his balance against her.
Still trying to make her lungs work, Loni was helpless against the shuffle of warring boots that kept running int
o her and losing their way. Her straining, breathless form caused skirmish after skirmish to collapse in heaps upon her, but the men would quickly right themselves and lunge at their next target, often using her as a step to launch from.
She was only just beginning to breathe again when a combatant’s sudden footfall snapped her wrist. Her first cherished lungful of air sang out in a sharp squeal.
Blinded by the pain, she squirmed and cried as the battle wound down. Only a few men were still standing now, but no telling which side had won.
There was a sudden onrush as fresh men from the outer corridor swept in on the scene. At last, Loni was left alone. Now freed from the clash of boots, she writhed on the floor and cradled her flopping wrist. There was no telling what was taking shape around her as she coughed and gasped and wept.
“Get ’em all ta medbay,” ordered a stern voice.
Loni winced up through her tears to see Captain Harlowe taking stock of the situation, and right beside him, Surryah was doing the same. The coup, violent and short-lived as it was, had come from Nine’s minions, not its leaders.
Someone knelt and took possession of Loni’s shattered arm. She gasped as shock flooded her body and sent her reeling toward a faint.
“Needs reconstruction,” he told the men standing over him. Then he moved on and Loni was hefted to her feet by a pair of robes who silently helped her to medbay.
JAY 3
* * *
ÆTERNUM
Standing at the edge of a great abyss, I could see a thriving city maybe a mile down going about its business in the bottom twilight.
I seemed to know the place, though I had no idea why it was sunk into the ground. There was no way down from here, like standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon with no trails to the bottom. From my vantage I saw how the abyss spread out like a bell below the ground, so most of the city was sheltered from above by overhanging rock. And across from me on the far side sat a lone figure.
