The Darkness: The Conglomerate Trilogy (Volume 2)

by William S Frisbee Jr

  Last night he had again experienced the other life. Perhaps that other life was active, a shard of his soul experiencing another existence. He turned his thoughts back to that life. The other life had experienced a difficult, life threatening trial and had been victorious. Although it had sustained minor injuries, it could enjoy itself. There had been many and varied emotions that Shum was unfamiliar with, it had been a refreshing, exhilarating experience, filling the need to be more than a tool upon a shelf.

  Falla Shum felt the bond between his current self and the other life was growing stronger, beyond the emotions and simple thoughts, he almost had actual visions. There was a power, a joy, a strength in that other life and Shum wondered if he could experience that with his current self, in this thread of the great tapestry. He could learn from this other self, but what would the lesson be? Did any of the Weave Masters know? Was this why he had been sent out as Falla? He had never heard of someone being expelled from the Pral race because of a linked thread in the great tapestry.

  This other life was not Pral, it lived in a violent, warlike and aggressive culture. It was something Shum had no control over. Pral did not have control over their other lives and by law could not be held responsible for the actions of others.

  With his eyes closed, he listened for his other self, willing to experience that lust for life and power it experienced. It was all he had now he was Falla, never to experience even the sense of pride and pleasure his other life did.

  The link was dormant. His other life must be sleeping or in some form of hibernation where the conscious self and thoughts were not active. He would like to sense through the sensory organs of his other self, to understand its thoughts and joys more fully. It would take practice and concentration but Falla Shum had nothing better to do right now. Already the separation from other Pral was painful. Being surrounded by barbaric, dangerous aliens was more difficult than he had thought it would be, but he had been Tal. He would be Tal again.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Chonka

  "Welcome to Chonka," Lieutenant Erica Desmond announced over the ship's net as Luke sat there staring at his food. Around him others had been busy chatting but Luke had been thinking about the Ultio.

  "How about a detour to launch a missile?" Gray asked, getting a grin from Luke.

  "Why?" asked Commander Pavlis.

  "There is a certain Mashgol that lives here we have an issue with," Leonessa said for Luke.

  "We won't be going anywhere near Bizzen though," Pavlis said.

  Bruce nodded. "We are en route to the Ada Vinda wormhole, we won't even be entering Bizzen's orbit."

  "What a shame," Gray said.

  "Well, now we live next door," Luke said. "We will have other chances I'm sure. I am also keeping tabs on his ships."

  "And the Topa let you hunt him?" Pavlis asked.

  "Something like that," Luke said. "I was able to acquire a license for hunting him and his business for 'damages done'. Because his crime was against the human race, the license is for the human race to attack him and his interests."

  "What keeps that from becoming piracy?" Pavlis asked and Luke locked his eyes on the Commander.

  "Nothing," Luke said with a grim smile. "That kind of license isn't granted often, but my position as Shoka and the fact he doesn't have many friends in the Chonka government helped out. Besides, at the time they didn't expect to see many humans and I think they figured granting the license would be a way to make distant friends with little cost to themselves."

  "He's pissing his pants," Brita said. "If he is still here. If he is smart, he has moved to the far side of Conglomerate space."

  "Have you decided on the route to Churen?" Bruce asked.

  "Quickest route," Luke said.

  "Even through the dark systems?"

  Luke nodded. "I doubt the Proud Infidel has anything to fear."

  Bruce grinned.

  "Dark systems?" Pavlis asked and Luke wondered how much of a briefing he had gotten or if he liked Luke's voice.

  "Any system that the Conglomerate doesn't occupy full time," Bruce said. "Think of them as lawless regions where Conglomerate law rarely reaches. They aren't a big deal, just empty, unoccupied systems."

  "Why would such connecting regions be unoccupied and without patrols?" Pavlis asked.

  "That is likely to change with humans coming onto the scene," Luke said. "Most Conglomerate races are home bodies. Not expansionist, and if the system doesn't have a planet they can terraform or inhabit, there is even less reason to go there."

  "Resources?" Pavlis asked and Luke shook his head.

  "Chances are good those resources aren't anything they can't find in their home system," Luke said. "With fabricators, smelters and manufactories, it is just too much hassle to transport resources from another system. The Conglomerate is contracting, not expanding. Has the birth rate in the Jupiter Alliance improved any?"

  Pavlis shook his head. "No. There are numerous initiatives to encourage people to have children, and some colonies are using in vitro methods and gestation chambers with limited success. It is a slow process, but it appears to be a curse of advanced and intelligent societies."

  "The Caliphate keeps people dumb and rutting like rabbits, they are having over population problems," Morals said, "But I see your point. You think the Conglomerate is stagnating?"

  "I know it is," Luke said. "The evidence is everywhere, on all the major planets, under populated cities falling into ruins, the people are turning their attention inward instead of outward and they have been doing so for perhaps hundreds of thousands of our years."

  "Do you think we will follow in their footsteps?" Pavlis asked. "Our birth rates are dropping in the Jupiter Alliance."

  Luke shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "But humans almost immortal with nanotechnologies, gene treatment and our current medical technological level. We might not be growing fast, but we are growing."

  "And we are trying to keep the Caliphate from breeding like flies," Morals said. "I hear Caliph Risyat has over ten thousand children himself."

  "Are they giving most of their people longevity treatment?" Luke asked.

  Morals chuckled. "Of course not. They save that for Risyat's favorites and the dhimmi's he doesn't want to die off yet. Most of his people suffer in poverty, disease and despair. Gives him a steady stream of fanatical soldiers, allowing him to pick the best for his elite forces. He ran out of real janissary troops about thirty years ago. The ones he has left, and are immortal, are slacking off and prefer to live forever rather than die for Allah. It seems to be a problem occurring more and more in the upper ranks of the Caliphate."

  "I say we nuke Earth back into the ice age and start over," Bruce said. "Maybe send a couple asteroids at it. We can never root out the fanatics otherwise."

  "It has been discussed," Morals said. "Support for an asteroid strike in the Alliance is growing. We don't know what else to do. There won't ever be peace with Risyat in charge."

  "So, these dark regions," Pavlis said changing the subject. "Is there a concern traveling through them?"

  "Piracy is not unheard of," Bruce said. "Outlaws and rebels lurk in dark systems where the Conglomerate doesn't patrol. Usually just rabble, criminals and such."

  "Usually?" Pavlis asked.

  Bruce shrugged. "Humans aren't the only ones to fear the dark. Most of the Conglomerate races prefer a longer, safer route through inhabited systems rather than taking shortcuts through uninhabited, unpatrolled systems. Most of the Conglomerate races aren't brave. Like children they are afraid of the dark, sometimes making it worse than it is. Patrolling is not cost effective. If a merchant is worried they hire a military escort."

  "We just got a ping from Bizzen," Erica said on dining room net. She was on duty in the CIC. "Some Mashgol asking if a Shoka Kishi is aboard."

  "Is it automated?" Luke asked.

  "Looks to be," Erica said. "Shall I reply?"

  "Sure," Luke said, finishing his dinner.
"But if he calls back wanting to speak with me, tell him I am unavailable."

  "Aye Commander, I will reply you are on board," she said.

  "Jangol?" Leonessa asked.

  "I would suspect," Luke said.

  "Why respond?" Morals asked.

  Luke said with a smile. "I want him to know I'm alive and well. The license to wage war on his business is still in effect."

  Luke glanced and Leonessa. "Sometimes I hold a grudge. I want him to sweat, if the Mashgol sweat."

  Bruce nodded, "should have killed him when you had a chance."

  "Maybe," Luke said. "I'll get a chance later."

  "He sounds like a rich, influential and powerful businessman," Morals said. "This doesn't concern you?"

  Luke shook his head. "He might hire mercenaries to kill me at most, but as you said, he is more interested in business than honor. He would much rather pay me off or find some other way to diffuse the situation. Most Conglomerate business owners are like that. Violence is not in their nature."

  "Why don't you get him to pay you off?" Morals ask. "Sounds like he could pay a lot."

  Luke fixed Morals with his gaze. "The slug tried to take humans as slaves, nor did he bother treating them well. I want people to fear taking humans as slaves. I want to make an example of him. As an aggrieved party, humans have the authority to attack and commit piracy against him."

  Morals nodded but Luke could tell the intelligence officer was not convinced. What was his problem? Did he think slavery was acceptable? Or was the Jupiter Alliance Intelligence officer calculating how he could take advantage of the Jangol's plight.

  "That is an interesting approach," Morals said. "Giving hostile parties the authority to attack and kill each other?"

  "Not quite that simple," Luke said. "We have the authority to attack Jangol's corporate interests, but he does not have the authority to attack human interests unless we accept his attacks, and humans are not required to do so. Even Jangol is not fool enough to violate that law."

  "Humans can attack him, but he cannot attack humans?" Morals said.

  Luke nodded, "He can defend himself with deadly force."

  "Fascinating," Morals said. "I wonder how well that works out. What if he launches a pre-emptive attack, when nobody is watching, striking at defenseless targets."

  Luke shrugged. "No system is perfect, but you will note that an armed society is a polite society. He now must spend resources to defend what he has. Humans do not if they stay in Conglomerate space. Defense can be expensive so that is encouragement to find a more peaceful resolution if he can."

  Morals nodded, deep in thought, which worried Luke.

  "But still, if he were to avoid getting caught," Morals said.

  "Trying to cheat the Conglomerate system causes the Topa to come down with merciless force," Luke said. "The Topa don't believe in a slap on the wrist, they believe in making a harsh and unforgettable example of the offender. They slap your wrist with an asteroid strike on your planet."

  Morals nodded, but Luke didn't think the intelligence officer understood.

  "I'm sure not everyone gets caught," Morals said.

  "Maybe the Commander isn't clear," Bruce said, a vicious edge in his voice. "If you attempt to cheat the Conglomerate system, in any way, shape or form, the Topa WILL find out. I guarantee it, they won't just kill you, they will kill you and destroy your family, your organization, your pet cat, your neighbor's pet dog and your brother-in-law's third cousin, and everyone in between. They will make an example of you that generations of humans won't forget. Their intelligence network makes the best human intelligence network look like retarded amateurs. Is that clear enough for you?"

  Morals nodded at Bruce, perhaps the message was sinking in, perhaps not.

  Luke would have to keep his eyes on Morals, and probably Pavlis. They could not be allowed to break the Topa's laws during his watch. Perhaps the intelligence officer was used to breaking laws and getting away with it. That could be very dangerous in the Conglomerate.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Attacked in Nani

  "Welcome to Nani," Kevin announced over the intercom.

  Luke glanced at the ceiling and continued rotating his arm. It wasn't severely damaged, and the nanites were repairing it. His internal diagnostic reported the damage was superficial although it didn't feel superficial. Musashi must be angry about something and Luke missed his healing pool on the Ultio. That would just be another expense for his new ship. It had taken almost a year for the Ultio to be built and Luke was not looking forward to the process. Originally the Topa had to lend New Alamo the funds to have the ships built but Luke had paid them back. He wondered if he would have the chance again, the full contract was in possession of the Sandla Corporation.

  Nani was an M5 star, an ancient red dwarf, with only a single terrestrial planet, several asteroid belts and a pair of tired old gas giants. The wormhole was further out in the reaches of the system, in a gravity shadow of Nani V. It was the third 'dark' system they had traveled through so far and it had been as boring as Luke expected.

  "Calculations to cross are seventy-nine hours," Kevin said minutes later, which sounded about right to Luke. over three days. Wormholes between systems were in gravity shadows and those gravity shadows were caused by the interaction of the different masses in a system. There was also a smaller impact based on nearby systems, but that 'small' impact could move a potential wormhole several astronomical units throughout a star system, or close that gravity shadow completely. It was one reason for unstable wormholes, or the reappearance of wormholes.

  "You pissed?" Luke asked Musashi, stretching his arm, making it ache but that also helped ease the pain.

  Musashi looked Luke up and down, like a hunter figuring out how he would skin his kill.

  "No," Musashi said. "Things are going well, but I think you are getting soft. We don't have the facilities to challenge you here. Lieutenant Commander Ferraro is advancing well in her forms, but like you, I cannot push her to her full potential because we don't have proper medical facilities."

  "Yea," Luke said sarcastically, Musashi had a mean streak. "I appreciate it."

  "No you don't meat sack," Musashi said. "You want to get fat and soft like all organics. You are genetically designed to be lazy."

  Luke chuckled.

  "At least he has that option," Gray said from where he was sitting on the sidelines reviewing some Bronkaw battle histories. "He can be more than just a stuck up personal trainer."

  "Stay out of this jarhead," Musashi said without sparing Gray a glance.

  Gray shrugged with a smile. "No need to be snippy boy," the green droid said without concern. "Or I will find an even heavier weapon for you to carry."

  Musashi scowled at Gray. Colonel Gray was the older of the two droids, by a factor of about a decade, and it was Gray who had final say on the composition of combat deployments. They both knew Gray would not take any chances with Luke's safety, and Musashi was also Luke's bodyguard but Gray could assign Musashi to other duties.

  "You shouldn't talk to your superiors like that Musashi," Gray said glaring at the black droid and then looked at Luke. "You shouldn't take that crap Commander. The snot-nosed shit is running you over. He needs to learn discipline, he talks about it, but doesn't seem to have any of it."

  Luke nodded, tuning them out.

  When Musashi remained silent, Gray went back to what he was doing.

  "Commander Kishi," Bruce transmitted through personal link. "We have three unmarked vessels on intercept. You might want to come to the CIC, although we have an hour or two before they come in range."

  "Acknowledged," Luke said. "Sound standby stations in ten minutes. I'll be there in about fifteen minutes."

  "Aye aye Commander," Bruce said. "CIC out."

  "I'll prepare the company for ship to ship operations," Gray said as Luke headed to the showers.

  "Good idea," Luke said.

  * * * * *

  "Commander
on deck," Kevin announced as Luke entered the CIC cloaked in twilight. Luke put on his helmet and sank into his cocoon.

  "Carry on," Luke said as the shell enclosed him in a tight grasp where it would protect him from high gravity forces. Once again, he missed the Ultio which had powerful gravity locks that didn't require individual cocoons. Although, one advantage was the cocoon also gave him a virtual reality view of the combat information center and showed everyone in a transparent bubble that in real life wasn't transparent. As an observer he out,behind Bruce but the system could rotate him anywhere Bruce wanted in the virtual reality simulation.

  "Is there a classification on the bogies?" Luke asked.

  "Nothing solid yet," Bruce said. "Maybe light cruisers based on the mass readings. Two are about eleven hundred gravons, the third is about nine hundred."

  "Missile launch," Ensign One, one of Bruce's bridge droids, said as if bored. Alarms went off, sounding battle stations. "Correction, multiple missiles launched. Acquiring more data."

  Luke looked at the bridge droid. It was a silver sentient droid that had as much personality as a turnip, and Bruce seemed to prefer them that way, did he like his women the same way? Did he even like women? Erica, his executive officer, watched over things, giving the droids additional instructions and information.

  "Sound battle stations," Bruce said, making it official. "Prepare to launch probes and fighters."

  "Aye," Ensign One said. "Sounding battle stations."

  "Prepping probes and fighters," Ensign Two, another one of Bruce's bridge droids, said.

  Luke brought up the threat displays as the alarms continued ringing throughout the ship.

  "Confirmed gravity foot print puts them in the light cruiser class," Erica said. The holographic display in the center of the CIC updated with the data. "Good power readings though, they don't appear to be ancient, maybe heavily modified cargo tugs or dedicated warships."

  There were twelve missile tracks, four for each of the attackers.

  "This might get interesting," Bruce said. "Return fire, six missiles, two for each."