Aeon

by Cianien Bloodstone

  “Come on, Twi,” she muttered, looking beneath a bed. “This isn’t a game of hide-and-seek. I just want to know where you are.”

  She continued down the hallway, retreating several times in order to double-check rooms. She leaned against a wall and closed her eyes, allowing the Eiha to flow off her and seek out anything with Twi’s unique energy signature.

  “Nice try,” Twi acknowledged in her comm. “But I thought of that and have become more in sync with the ship.”

  “Damn it, Twi. This isn’t a game!”

  “Well, it’s amusing me. But of course it’s not. Which is why I’m wondering why it’s so important for you to know where exactly I am.”

  “Give me a hint.”

  “Reaghan…”

  “Interacting with the hologram isn’t the same. I feel like those guys are seconds away from knowing the truth if I say the wrong thing to it.” She glanced down the hallway in both directions. “And I just have a bad feeling that I’m going to blow it for us.”

  “Don’t feel bad. The hologram is programmed to mimic humanoid behavior, including what happens when they are injured. There’s a level of connectivity that I have to keep to make the reactions as realistic as possible.”

  “That isn’t that comforting.”

  “I have a suggestion. Why don’t you interact with them? It seems to me that your nerves are simply a result of your lack of humanoid interaction. While I find our conversations quite entertaining, it cannot be the same for you. I know sometimes my reactions are quite… muted, by comparison.”

  “Our conversations are just fine,” Reaghan insisted. “There was a reason they didn’t bother to socialize me before stuffing me in that pod.”

  “You’re no longer a soldier who only has to follow orders and get the job done. We have a while to go yet and it could be a valuable experience.”

  The comm went silent. “If you say so, Twi,” she murmured, though she knew she had no intention on following the AI’s instruction. Being on the fringes was where she felt most comfortable, and she had no desire to change that.

  Silence fell over the bridge as they all gathered to watch the approach to the area of space Twi had been monitoring. Nothing was visible, but Reaghan trusted Twi’s calculations and the Aeon’s sensors.

  Miraz and his crew were huddled near one of the navigation stations, eyes fixed on the screens at the front of the bridge. Twi had moved five together to form one solid image.

  “How far away should we be from this thing?” Reaghan asked.

  “Close. The energy levels are fluctuating wildly just ahead of us so I’m holding us here for now,” Twi replied.

  “So,” Ja drawled out the words. “How long until whatever we’re waiting for happens?”

  “It should be any time now.”

  “Wait,” Urg spoke up. “What is that?”

  Reaghan unconsciously leaned forward in her seat as though it would help her see better. “Enhance on whatever that is.”

  Another ship, about the size of the Aeon, was approaching their position. Reaghan had no doubt they were seeking out the same thing they were—a way out.

  “Twi?” she asked.

  “Nothing yet.”

  “You think they’re hostile?” Miraz asked.

  “As hostile as any other ship seeing something between them and freedom,” Reaghan replied.

  “Shields are active on the other ship and I’m detecting power building in their weapons.”

  Twi was looking at her, silently communicating that she were ready and willing to step in to protect the ship. Reaghan glanced at the others, then shook her head. The systems were easy enough to understand now that they were translated into Banal so they could do things a bit more traditionally to keep up appearances.

  “Urg, take weapons,” she ordered, pointing to the station. “Ja, you’re on shields.”

  “Where do you want me?” Miraz asked.

  Reaghan was relieved he didn’t take offense to her ordering his crew around as though they were her own. “Take the second weapons console.”

  They sprang to action and took seats at the appropriate stations. Their hands hovered above the controls as they waited for orders.

  Reaghan activated the comm, “This is the Aeon calling the other vessel. Please respond.”

  Silence filled the room.

  “I repeat, this is the Aeon calling the other vessel. Please respond, we mean you no harm.”

  “I’m detecting their weapons are powering up,” Urg called out.

  “Shields up,” Reaghan ordered. “Be ready to answer their attack. First fire the missiles, with the Eiha enhancements it should break through in no time.”

  “That’s on me then,” Miraz said.

  The first attacks hit their shields only to splinter without doing much damage. Miraz and Urg began alternating their attacks so that their opponent wasn’t sure what was coming next. Miraz’s hand on the console glowed a bright green as his Eiha worked in conjunction to the system. The result was echoed on the missiles which exploded in a flash of green light.

  “Their shields are starting to waver,” Twi reported.

  “They have to have auxiliary power,” Ja said.

  “They’re likely already running it,” Urg protested. “Otherwise they’d be as stranded as we were.”

  Reaghan frowned, studying the ship and possible targets to strike. She quickly dismissed the thought of hitting near the engines. She wanted to disable them, not blow them up, and the odds were too great that it would be the latter that happened.

  “Shields are down,” Twi’s voice rang out across the bridge.

  Reaghan could feel the others’ eyes on her. “Fire a bit more. Let’s see if they’re willing to talk now.”

  There was a halfhearted attempt to return fire by the other ship. Most were intercepted in the space between them, and the few that traveled the distance impacted the shield harmlessly.

  “Shield’s holding at seventy percent,” Ja said.

  “Keep it up,” Reaghan replied. “Just be ready to reinforce them with Eiha if they manage to pull off some heavy fire.”

  She adjusted her posture in her seat and kept her gaze locked on the screens. Twi swung the ship around so the other ship was forced to change their direction of fire. If they thought the maneuver odd, they didn’t show it. Both Urg and Miraz were focused on their tasks with such dedication that they almost gave Twi a run for her money. On screen, she could see the hull starting to break.

  “Hold fire!” she ordered quietly, then opened a comm channel. “Aeon to the other vessel, please respond.”

  “Reaghan,” Twi said, her voice quiet. “I’m detecting a massive power buildup.” A section near the engines was highlighted on screen.

  “Move us to a safe distance!” she barked.

  The Aeon reversed with as much thrust as she could muster. Urg and Miraz sat back, while Reaghan could see Ja reinforce their shields.

  “Vessel, you have to power down,” Reaghan pleaded. “You’re having an overload.”

  The ship ripped apart in a fireball that was quickly snuffed out. Large pieces, sometimes entire sections, sailed past and vanished into the darkness. Smaller shrapnel hit the shield, causing it to warp under the impacts. The Aeon gave a slight wobble as it rode out the shockwaves.

  “Their method of powering their ship was likely unable to take the strain of a battle,” Twi explained.

  “Good call on getting us out when you did,” Miraz said.

  “Good calls all around,” Urg added.

  Reaghan bobbed her head in acknowledgment of the compliment. She stared at the traces of the other ship and wondered if there was life on board. Maybe it, like the Aeon, was simply carrying out the final orders it had been given a long time ago. She let out a small sigh, knowing she’d never know
. Twi stopped in front of her, staring at her with wide eyes.

  “You did what you needed,” the AI offered. “You also gave them several chances to stop being destroyed.”

  “I know,” Reaghan said, then met Twi’s eyes. “But it doesn’t change the fact that it did.”

  Reaghan relaxed in her seat as the ship returned to the initial location they were observing the distortion from. A rip in the fabric of space opened in front of the ship. Her companions let out small gasps at the sight of stars on the other side. She checked the straps holding her to her chair to ensure they were tight before looking over her shoulder.

  “Hopefully, you don’t have anything unsecured,” she called.

  “So, we’re going through?” Twi asked.

  “You bet!” Miraz cried. “What’re we waiting for?”

  She and Twi exchanged a look and Reaghan chuckled. “Set the course.”

  “Border approaches in two minutes.” Twi focused on the screens in front of them.

  Reaghan shut her eyes briefly, praying to whatever higher power was out there that they wouldn’t lose their second home. The loss of the Scavenger still stung, but the Aeon had eased it with the potential she could see in its rooms. It allowed them to keep going, despite the setback.

  “One minute.” Twi’s voice rang out like a shot.

  Her heart was beating fast in her chest and no amount of calming breathing would still it. She could feel each finger tighten its grip on the arms of the chair; the claws unsheathed themselves, extending until they grazed the metal.

  Her breath hitched as the stars grew closer. She hadn’t thought she would see them again. Twi’s hologram turned toward her with a smile. “Here we go.”

  The Aeon quaked much more than when they did their usual jumping from location to location. Reaghan clenched her jaw in order to stop her teeth from chattering together. The lights overhead flickered, though the screens around them remained steady. Then, everything went still.

  “Are we through?” Reaghan asked.

  “Not quite,” Twi replied. “Adjusting thrust to compensate for the slight hold the tear has.”

  Twi adjusted the settings with exaggerated movements. The ship lurched once, then caught again. Twi grumbled under her breath. Finally, the Aeon popped free and started to traverse normal space.

  “Barrier is closing again,” Twi reported.

  Chatter from a hundred different comm channels filled the bridge. Most were in Banal, though she recognized many unfamiliar words among the jumbled mess. She covered her ears to provide some protection against the onslaught.

  “Twi!” she called out. “Mind shutting all that”—silence fell—“off.” She removed her hands. “Thanks.”

  “I’m sorry. I had them on while in the Void in case we happened upon anyone else.”

  “No problem. So, where’d we come out at?”

  “Based on the comm signals, we’re near the Rinl system.”

  Reaghan let out a low whistle. “That’s over a month from where we were.” She turned to where the three passengers sat. “Is this going to be okay for you?”

  Miraz had circled around the console, blaster at the ready, “Sure. It’ll do.”

  She unfastened her restraints. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “Oh… we’re going to be rewarded big time,” he said. “But first… Sorry, Twi. No hard feelings.”

  Reaghan realized what was going on a second before the blaster fired. “Twi!” she screamed. The automaton’s holographic form fell to the ground, a bit of blood blossoming on her chest.

  Reaghan whipped around, blasting them with a gust of wind. They ducked below the console. She knelt beside Twi.

  “Reaghan,” Twi whispered. “Save…”

  “Save your strength. We’ll get out of this.” She studied the wound, then bent low. “Pain receptors?”

  “Authen—”

  “Gotcha. Disconnect so you’re safe.”

  “Then you’ll—”

  Miraz blasted the shield Reaghan had put between them. She pulled Twi up and toward the stairs. Even if they took the bridge, Twi could lock them out of anything critical.

  Movement behind her drew her attention. A massive rock barreled toward her. She blasted it aside with a burst of wind. “Damn it,” she muttered. “I can’t dare go full strength in such an enclosed space.”

  “Then don’t. Just get away,” Twi whispered.

  Reaghan adjusted her grip so the other woman was draped over her shoulder. “Not a chance.”

  “You fool. This isn’t even—”

  “Shh…” Reaghan said, her gaze locked on them. “What gives? You have your cargo. You don’t need anything else. Just let me get her to the infirmary.”

  “Can’t do that,” Ja said. “And you’re worth way more than any of our cargo.”

  Reaghan continued to retreat. “How do you figure? I’m a captain of a no-name vessel who travels around on a whim.”

  “Gotta commend you for sticking to the story. Finally get tired of your crew? Or are you on your way to meet them?” Miraz asked.

  Reaghan glanced backward. If she ran for it, she could reach the stairs in just a few strides. Twi grew heavy as the realness of her wounds began to sink in. Miraz and his crew spread out, circling around her as they tried to trap her.

  “I think you have the wrong person,” Reaghan said.

  “You mean you’re not Rei Phoenix, pirate captain?” Ja let out a hearty laugh. “You could’ve fooled me with your training and ability to run lap after lap without breaking a sweat. The whole galaxy knows what happened to you, lab rat.”

  An odd shiver of fear ran down her spine. She reached deep as she dared and used a spurt of speed to race toward the door.

  “I don’t think so,” Urg said, suddenly appearing ten times larger than his usual bulk. Short, metal walls rose around her legs, causing her to trip and fall to the ground. Twi spilled out of her grasp.

  Damn it, I should’ve made a tighter shield. The metal closed around her, holding her fast. She could feel it dig into her skin, making it impossible to form a shield between her and it. Harsh hands grabbed her arm while Miraz’s blaster in her face brought her struggles to an end. Something heavy hit the back of her head and the last thing she saw before it all went dark was Twi’s lifeless hologram being dragged away.

  Her world became an existence of dreams and darkness. Some part of her was aware of the fact they were keeping her subdued somehow, though each moment of consciousness became more fleeting. Somewhere in the back of her mind memories stirred of another time of darkness. Another sterile room she was held in. Every time she rose to the top of the wave of memories, she fell back into darkness.

  “Why do we have to prove it?” Ja was asking. “It was hard enough to find her. It seems like that’s their problem, not ours.”

  “The Dynasty did it too much,” Urg replied, his voice a rumble. “And since they have to come out to us, we have to make it worth their while.”

  “Shouldn’t you be trying to fix this damn ship?” Miraz asked.

  “I tried, but can’t find anything wrong with it,” Ja said. “It’s like it has a mind of its own.”

  Reaghan’s heart beat fast in her chest as she struggled to keep her glee from showing. Despite everything, Twi managed to maintain control over the Aeon. She felt a rough hand grab her bound hands, pull her to her feet, and hang her on a hook. A hand smacked her face, gently at first, then hard enough to make her head turn.

  “There she is,” Miraz proclaimed. “About time you joined the land of the living. Let’s just cut to the chase; tell us how to run the ship.”

  “Couldn’t tell you.” She was shocked at how weak her voice sounded. Reaghan coughed in an effort to clear it up. “Twi handled all that and you killed her.”

  Pain rippled through
her gut from a punch. “I’ll ask again,” Miraz said, straightening. “The ship.”

  “Cap,” Urg broke in. “We’ll deal with the ship. We need to know her ID.”

  “Oh, come on,” Ja snapped. “Let’s at least make this part easy.” She stepped in her field of vision, a long needle and a scanner in her hand. “Think a DNA test would do it?”

  “They want a confession,” Miraz said, “but that might get them biting. Do it.”

  Reaghan tried to shield herself, but she found herself unable to even reach for Eiha.

  Ja grinned. “Yeah, we might have used you as a battery. Had to take out the threat as much as we could.”

  The needle plunged deep into her arm, much deeper than was probably necessary. Reaghan couldn’t help the small cry at the pain. The wound left behind continued to bleed, though they did nothing to stop it.

  The three of them crowded around and watched the results formulate. As one, they turned toward her, a vicious gleam in their eyes.

  “Well, who would’ve thought it possible. It’s a match,” Miraz announced.

  “That’s not—”

  Another blow across her face cut her protest short. She spat out the blood that flooded her mouth, the red liquid sprinkling the area.

  “Would’ve thought they’d make her more durable since she’s supposed to be a super solder,” Urg commented. “She’s already spitting up blood.”

  “She’s been out of service for a good year. And before that, she always took her targets unaware,” Miraz said. He cracked his knuckles as though it was necessary to do what was ahead.

  Reaghan tested her bonds, which dug deep into her wrists. The rope was thick, far too thick for her to work through while they were watching. Switching plans, she reached deeper for her Eiha, far into the abyss where her true strength dwelt. Unfortunately, her focus was too absent, too scattered to get far.

  Miraz’s right hand came back while the other curled in preparation for an undercut. He stood squarely in front of her. “So, Rei Phoenix. You’re going to tell us and the galactic authority about the thefts you’ve pulled off.”