Lucifer's Nebula

by Phipps, C. T.

  “Shouldn’t we try and make a break for jumpspace?” Clarice asked, putting her hand on my shoulder.

  She was the only one who knew aside from me, though I suspected Fade probably had an inkling as well.

  “It won’t let us,” I said, suspecting it was here either at Judith’s behest or the Kathax Prime below. “Not if it wants us.”

  A small fleet of Crius vessels had once tried to rabbit from such a thing when they’d chanced upon one of the probes. Its commander’s actions would have been cowardly under any other circumstances but merely proved tragically prudent under the circumstances as the Elder Race Probe had followed the fleet into jumpspace and destroyed every single one, allowing only one communication to get through. Mostly, some believed, as a warning, since no known race other than the Nobility knew how to fight in jumpspace.

  As the captain’s chair produced a holographic keyboard across my lap as well as two hand-based controls for the ship, I proceeded to move us off the safe route and into the orihalcum cloud beside us.

  “Cassius, what are you doing?” William asked.

  “Something stupid, but it might work,” Clarice said.

  “No,” William said. “That never actually happens in real life! Stupid stuff is actually stupid!”

  “Please keep the shields at maximum but put sublight engines on a steadily increased drive as well as thrusters,” I said, aware I was risking everyone onboard the ship. “I also want a direct feed to my cybernetics about the volatility of the surrounding area.”

  “Captain Mass, do you know what you’re doing?” Fade asked, not really sounding as interested in the fact that we’d wandered into a cosmic mine field as he should have been. Instead, his attention was devoted to Anya as if she’d grown a second head or become a tiger-woman.

  “Yes, absolutely,” I lied. “I wouldn’t take this risk with the lives of my crew unless it was safer than the alternative.”

  “Then we’re screwed,” William said.

  I also heard one of the Tinas mutter about needing a raise. The rest of the crew remained disciplined enough to trust me, though.

  “Stop complaining,” Isla said, finally telling William what I’d wanted to for years but felt I had to let him have a pass on since I’d, well, helped invade his world. “This is serious.”

  “Yeah, but I didn’t think it was—” William was cut off by the entire ship shaking. “Was that the cloud?”

  “No,” U’Chuck said. “That was the unknown vessel. It just fired a single energy beam at us. It is moving at post-relativistic speeds.”

  “That’s….” William didn’t finish the word impossible. “This isn’t a Chel vessel, is it?”

  I didn’t answer him. The Elder Race Probe was gradually gaining on us, following us into the cloud and moving at one hundred and seventy-five percent of our speed no matter how much I accelerated the ship. It still had a long way to go but would be within tactical range very soon. The blast it had fired, though, demonstrated that we were completely at its mercy. The energy blast hadn’t even hit us; it had just sent shockwaves through the orihalcum cloud around us—shockwaves that passed through our shields like they weren’t there.

  “Do you think it wants to destroy us?” Clarice asked.

  “I don’t think it wants us to offer us drinks and a show,” I said, heading for the biggest pile of gas storms I could find.

  “Can I complain now?” William asked.

  “No,” Clarice said.

  “We’re overclocking our reactor, sir,” Eugene said, looking up from his position. “We can’t keep going at this rate.”

  “Divert power from all non-essential systems,” I said, having always wanted to say that.

  The lights dimmed, making the entire place look like a holo-theater with only the monitors providing light.

  “Really?” I asked.

  “You said all nonessential systems!” Eugene said.

  That was when the ship rocked even more as arcs of unknown energy shot forth all around us. Now, that was the cloud. The Elder Race Probe was coming right up next to us. Well, astrographically speaking. Clarice put her hand over mine as I ducked us two unstable pockets of orihalcum gas as the arcs tore into our shields and reduced them to thirty-percent of their maximum capacity with seconds.

  The Elder Race Probe followed.

  “Hold onto your seats,” I muttered, targeting the unstable pockets and firing.

  It was difficult to explain just how big of an explosion was caused by the detonation of the orihalcum gas pockets. The resulting explosion wasn’t really a reaction the same way fusion was but a literal ripple between dimensions. The reactions inside jumpspace engines had to be carefully contained lest they rip apart space and send you flinging across space as well as time. While nobody had ever actually entered an alternate universe or traveled through time outside of fiction, at least to my knowledge, it was about the only thing I thought might actually destroy an Elder Race ship. I was just afraid it would do the same to us.

  My fears proved to be justified.

  The entirety of the ship was sent into a spin as the gravity compensators were knocked offline and everyone soon found themselves floating in the air. The engines also went offline along with just about everyone else. About the only sign we weren’t about to suffocate was the fact at least a few of the lights on the controls remained intact. The view screens were knocked offline, though, and I found myself bouncing against the ceiling. Activating my magnetic boots, I tried to walk down the walls to the captain’s chair. Also, I tried not to throw up. I succeeded, barely, but some of the bridge crew had failed.

  “What was the fuck was that?” William asked.

  “A plan,” I said.

  “A shitty plan!” Isla shouted, showing me I’d done myself no favors even with those closest to me.

  Anya, as I had started to think of her rather than Major Terra, burst out laughing instead. “That was amazing! You killed a god!”

  “Elder Race members are not gods,” Fade corrected her, trying to stand up by sticking his boots on the ground. “Close, but not quite.”

  “Oh shut up,” Anya said. “This was like something out of a movie.”

  “Not a good thing!” William said. “Why am the only one who realizes this?”

  “You’re not,” Fade said, standing firm and covering his stomach. “People undoubtedly died or were injured in that attack.”

  “I did what I had to do,” I said, failing miserably at getting down to the ground as a cup of coffeeine floated past me along with its contents.

  “Let’s not do that again,” Clarice said, pushing herself over to the controls. Jun was floating nearby, blood on the side of her forehead. “Isla, come here, she’s hurt!”

  “That’s difficult,” Isla said.

  U’Chuck, of all people, got up and marching on the ground with her magnetic boots, got to a nearby set of set of controls and spoke into the audio receiver. “Prepare yourself for emergency reboot.”

  Oh crud. She then flipped three switches and pushed a lever. Gravity reengaged and I covered my face before my body hit the ground. It was painful but I was actually more concerned about Jun. I wasn’t especially close to the young woman but liked her well enough. Thankfully, by the time I got up, I saw her coughing with Isla at her side with a cerebral laser.

  The lights flickered back on the bridge and all of the systems started booting up again. It was a sign we were going to get through this. At least, right until the view screens popped back on and showed our exterior. The Elder Race Probe was less than a hundred kilometers away.

  Undamaged.

  “Dammit,” I muttered, staring at it like it was the face of Death herself.

  None of the bridge crew said a word, all of us just staring at the strange vessel looming over us. Our sensors, acting automatically, brought up an image of the vessel’s surface. It was completely smooth except for the tentacles that opened to a hideous black maw. A black light shone behind it.
It was terrifying in its fury, blasting outward upon us. I flinched and looked away, not wanting to look at it before I died—a moment brought about more by the fact I’d failed my crew than the fact I cared whether I lived or I died. My eyes burned as a brilliant white light passed over me, visible even through my eyelids. Then nothing. Nothing else happened.

  I opened my eyes and looked up, seeing the tendrils on the Elder Race Probe retreat back into the ship before it took off into the orihalcum cloud again. The ship I’d assumed was here to destroy us had done nothing more than scan us.

  All I’d done had been for nothing.

  William then walked over to me, grabbed me by my shirt, and lifted me up off the ground before pressing me up against the wall. “You son of a bitch!”

  “Could you have done better?” I asked, sighing.

  “Yes,” William hissed. “What the hell have you gotten us into? We shouldn’t even be here!”

  “No,” I said dryly. “But we are.”

  “William?” Clarice said from behind him.

  “Yes?” William said, turning his head.

  “Stand down,” Clarice said, a gun pointed to his head.

  “You wouldn’t shoot me,” William said.

  “Try me,” Clarice hissed.

  William dropped me.

  Clarice nodded and then looked at Isla, who’d come up from the side. She jammed the stun stick into his side and sent him to the ground, writhing.

  “That wasn’t necessary,” I said.

  “It’s mutiny,” Clarice said, growling. “William has been riding your case since you’ve taken over and I’m sick of it. He’s either going to shape up or ship out. I don’t mind dumping his ass at any port, but a second officer cannot act like that.”

  We were way, way past my pay grade. In the military, all I had to do was order my people to shoot a bunch poorly armed and poorly trained Commonwealth conscripts. Here, I was dealing with literal space gods and one of them was impersonating my wife. I decided, if we survived this, I was going to resign as captain no matter what.

  “We need William,” I said, taking a deep breath. “Just put him in a cell until we get to Kolahn IV.”

  “As you wish,” Clarice said, thankfully not suggesting that I shoot him. That would have been awkward since they used to be lovers. Not just people who slept together like most of the ship, but people who’d deeply cared for one another. Even so, her words made William deflate and he looked like someone had kicked him.

  I looked at Isla. “You need to go make sure everyone is still alive and treat the wounded. Draft whomever you need to help and take any space supplies you need.”

  Isla nodded and departed, giving Anya a look of suspicion on the way out.

  “Captain, what’s going on?” Eugene spoke, holding the hand of Jun as she lay there on the ground.

  She was alive, thank God, but probably had a concussion.

  “Yes,” U’Chuck said, standing there. “Why are you taking us to a cursed planet?”

  “What was that thing?” Eugene asked.

  I looked at them then at Fade, who was looking away. Anya, meanwhile, crossed her arms.

  I nodded. “I’m going to go tell the crew.”

  “Tell the crew what?” Fade said, his voice dangerous.

  Lies. What I did best. I didn’t say that, though. “The truth. That we’re coming here to end the war and we’re getting paid a lot of money for it.”

  Fade nodded.

  U’Chuck, however, burst my bubble. “Why is an Elder Race probe here?”

  Anya, surprisingly, answered for me. “It was searching for Judith.”

  How did she know that?

  I shook my head. “The speech will be in one hour. I’ll take my medical attention last. In the meantime, get us out of this cloud and take us back through the safe route.”

  I tried to figure out what sort of bullshit I’d tell everyone to keep them calm. It was becoming a habit.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I made a spectacular speech, doubly impressive because it had been on the fly and I didn’t remember a damn word of it five minutes later. I think my brain rattled around a bit during my attempt to save the ship, and Isla confirmed it once she finally got around to treating me. Isla wasn’t happy with my decisions and told me not to talk to her until we arrived at Kolahn IV. That had been three days ago and she’d kept her promise.

  I didn’t blame Isla for her anger. I was still trying to play the hero and slay dragons. It was painful acknowledging all I’d done was get three people hospitalized and another seven with minor injuries. I’d almost got the Melampus destroyed trying to blow up the Elder Race probe when all it had wanted to do was scan us. Was I really so desperate for glory I’d started a fight which hadn’t been needed? Was that why I was here instead of redemption? That I was addicted to danger? I couldn’t answer that. All I knew was I wasn’t so eager to start a fight again. Ironically, Clarice insisted I’d done the right thing and told me my plan in the nebula had been sound. It had led to a fight between her and Isla.

  Rather than continue putting the ship in danger, I’d asked Clarice to handle captaining the ship while I coordinated the repairs of the ship. Thankfully, the inertial compensators staying online and artificial gravity failing had combined to keep injuries from being much worse. No one had died but a few people had needed surgery. It was the only good luck I’d experienced during all of this.

  Today, I was focusing on cleaning up my ready room, which I hadn’t been to since my fight with Fade. I chose to do it the old-fashioned way with a broom and pan, two objects most ships kept with them in case more expensive items failed. I ended up cheating after twenty minutes and recruited Ida’s mech, Hunk-A-Junk, to help. Hunk-A-Junk resembled a black floating ball with several arms plus a recently added grill that looked like an aircar’s front combined with a humans. It was far enough away from a human face that it was cute rather than terrifying, but had questionable utility.

  “I am a complete failure,” I muttered, looking at a piece of reflective glass that showed my tape-covered face. It would be fine in a few hours, especially with the stimulants injected to aid healing, but was a reminder of my action’s consequences.

  The door proceeded to open and both Fade as well as the recently freed William entered into the room. We were only an hour or so until our arrival on Kolahn IV so I’d released him despite Clarice thinking he should stay there until we could drop him off at the nearest port after our mission was finished—without paying him. I argued that was unduly harsh since he’d only laid hands on me after I’d nearly gotten us all killed. It was time we settled this, anyway, and I was hoping we could do it amicably. William had changed out of civilian clothes and had a duffle bag over one shoulder. That implied to me that this wasn’t going to end well.

  “Captain,” Fade said, looking at Hunk-A-Junk. “Machine.”

  Hunk-A-Junk, being only non-sentient like all mechs, just made a bleeping noise and passed by him to clean a spot on the wall covered in blood. Oddly, I didn’t recall that coming from my fight with Fade.

  “Hi,” William said, looking sideways. “Second Officer Balder reporting for duty. If I’m not being fired.”

  “Do you still want to serve on this ship? You can jump ship at our next port if you want. I won’t stop you,” I said, looking up from my sweeping. “But if you are, you’re picking a shitty planet to do it on unless you intend to join the FSA.”

  “Not on your life,” William said, shaking his head. “I don’t have any great love for the Commonwealth, but I lost too much to the Crius to ever work with their remnant. I’d rather die, as I think I’ve expressed more than once.”

  Same old William.

  I closed my eyes and let some of my anger bubble to the surface. I narrowed my eyes and took a deep breath. “You’ve had a year to get over my background. A year ignoring my every insult, jibe, and barely contained bit of contempt you’ve directed my way. We’ve saved each other’s lives. If
you’re not going to, that’s your business, but I’m sick of your attitude. I also am not going to put up with your threatening me. If you want to settle things, then we can, but I don’t play fight. If you ever lay a hand on me again, then one of us won’t be walking away.”

  William lowered his head. “I’m sorry.”

  “Excuse me?” I asked.

  “I said I’m sorry,” William said, taking a deep breath. “It’s wrong of me to blame you for what you did in the war and for everything the archduchy did to my world.”

  “Who are you and what have you done with William?” I asked.

  William shrugged. “Three days is a lot of time to think in the brig. I didn’t even have a book to read.”

  “You can read?” Fade asked.

  William made a throat slitting gesture to Fade.

  “Apology accepted,” I said, frowning. “Truth be told, I’ve also been a shitty captain.”

  “Yeah, everyone knows that,” William muttered. “But you are the captain.”

  “A lack of respect is a big problem for any officer,” Fade said, interjecting himself in a conversation he was not wanted in. “But you have two beautiful lovers and don’t even have to lie to them about each other like I do all my partners. You are captain of your own city-sized vessel with the freedom to go wherever you want and be master of your own kingdom. You also are patronized by one of the most powerful women in the Commonwealth. In a way, I envy you.”

  “He just found out his A.I. wife is evil,” William said, glaring at him. “That’s like losing her again.”

  Fade’s expression told me he wasn’t sure how to react to a statement like that. That made two of us. “I’m sorry, Captain. Perhaps I have been speaking of matters I do not know about.”

  “I live a strange life,” I said, very much hoping to change the subject. “Seriously, William, what did I miss? Why the sudden change of heart?”

  “Clarice chewed my ass off,” William said, acting like that outcome hadn’t been expected. That was when he surprised me by giving me another piece of information. “Also, I finally sat down to read the news holos you downloaded on the Ring. I usually binge watch them a month at a time. I found out something about my home world that, well, let’s just say it put a lot of things into perspective.”