Etude to War (Earth Song Cycle Book 4)

by Mark Wandrey

  Suitably cryptic, Katoosh decided. However, what the Grent was asking him did not conflict with his duties. He was already tasked with being vigilant in the Enigma system. It was hardly a secret that any other species would covet the ancient Lost ships. It was only bad luck that the Mok-Tok finally discovered the cache of powerful ships and worse luck that the Mok-Tok were much more technologically savvy than his own species. It was even conceivable they could gain access to the ships. That would mean the end of the Quorum, and likely, the beginning of a Mok-Tok dominion.

  “You don’t want the Mok-Tok getting these ships,” he typed.

  “You are perceptive.”

  And I’m much more than what you claimed you made me, he thought. “We lack the resources to resist the shambling beasts,” he typed, referring to the beastly mounts the Mok-Tok rode. It was widely understood the true beings were small creatures living symbiotically on the big, three-legged furry animals they saw, but to his knowledge no one had ever seen a Mok-Tok. “It is likely they have additional ships nearby.”

  “You have carriers available. Use them.”

  “They are en route but will not arrive for months.”

  “There is a way for your carriers to arrive faster.”

  Now the Grent had Katoosh’s complete attention. Aside from some meager details on the Kaatan ship and some supposedly covert help with his career, they had provided nothing but anonymous text messages. Could they somehow make his ships faster than the 3,000 times the speed of light all T’Chillen ships of the line were limited to?

  The technical data on The Lost Kaatan-class ships’ gravitic lens drive spoke of 5,000 times the speed of light. It was significantly faster, but not that much. Even doubling the speed only put the carrier on station in a month and a half, instead of three months. And it would take more than a wave of a magic Grent wand to make such a thing possible. “How can you do this?”

  “We will show you.” A data packet arrived on his computer. As Katoosh read, he began to get excited.

  * * * * *

  Chapter 2

  March 4th, 534 AE

  War College, University of Plateau, Tranquility, Plateau Tribe, Bellatrix

  The hardest thing for Minu Groves, Dean of the War College, was going back to work as if nothing had happened. At the end of the weekend, she flew her aerocar back to the university, left it in her marked parking space, went to her office, got a cup of tea, and sat down at her large desk. Ariana had left her a stack of papers to review on Friday before going home. She picked up the first, an admissions file from the university bursar, and began reviewing it. She was still staring at it when Ariana arrived.

  “You okay, Minu?” the plump woman asked from the outer office door.

  Minu jumped slightly and looked up, then glanced at the little holographic clock set into the desk. It had been two hours since she arrived?

  “Sure, no problem. Can you warm up my tea for me?” Ariana came over and took the cold cup, eyeballing the empty out basket skeptically before going to the little microwave heater. Minu always arrived several hours before she did, and Ariana always found a half-full “out” basket waiting for her, unless something very serious was going on. She’d known her Chosen boss for quite a few years, since becoming her assistant during the construction of Ft. Jovich. Knowing her well was part of the job description.

  She set the warmed cup next to Minu’s elbow and glanced at the admissions record, then put a hand on Minu’s shoulder. Her boss looked up at her, a tear rolling down her white cheek. “You never have been a good liar.”

  “Probably why my Chosen career is in such a shamble.” Minu wiped away the tear and chastised herself for being so emotional.

  “Are you going to tell me what happened?”

  Minu sighed and told Ariana the story, starting with the arrival of the team from the Plateau Historical Society on her island and ending with the horrible revelation about her paternity.

  * * *

  The needle didn’t hurt. Concordian technology incorporated a tiny field generator that numbed nerves in the skin. It wasn’t a big needle, but Minu wondered how many children over the centuries would have wished for such a device.

  It extracted a tiny piece of her flesh just below the skin. The man handed the device to another technician who interfaced it with his computer which analyzed the sample on a genetic level in just five seconds. The man looked at Director Porter, then at Minu. Porter moved closer and examined the screen as Minu felt shivers run up her spine. Why was she so afraid of this? She was who she was. Chriso was her father, Sharon was her mother. The test couldn’t change that.

  “You are indeed related to Mindy Harper,” Porter confirmed.

  “I knew that already,” Minu said, a little sharper than she intended.

  He looked at the data, and his eyes narrowed. “There is...more.” She cocked her head, inviting him to continue. “We ran the DNA we had from your family, including your father, Chriso Alma, and your mother, Sharon Alma.”

  Minu didn’t like the way he said father. “Please get to the results?”

  “It will take some time to completely sequence your DNA, but the mitochondrial elements are quickly analyzed along with some genetic markers. Those markers are well-established for the Harper line. There were seventeen distinct markers shared by direct decedents of the Harpers. Chriso Alma had fifteen of those markers. Mindy Harper only had one surviving child, and her genetic legacy has always been poorly passed on.”

  “Father used to joke that our family always had better things to do than reproduce.”

  “That is unfortunate,” he said with a halfhearted smile. “Anyway, with the genetic data from Sharon Alma, we knew what to expect from your genetics. Her markers would interact with yours, and you would not have more than one or two of those specific Harper markers. Mitochondrial DNA pass from mother to daughter. Chriso, as your father, was unable to pass any of those markers to you.” He turned the screen to show her a complicated display. Even with her nominal scientific background, little of it made sense. He reached out and touched points on the display. “You have all seventeen markers.”

  Minu took that in and studied the display. “I don’t understand. If I have the markers, then I am related to Mindy Harper, as was my father.”

  “Remember, those markers can only be passed on from a female.” Minu looked at the man, profoundly confused. “Please understand, I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry for what? Damn it, are you purposely trying to annoy me?”

  He took a deep breath and said, “You cannot possibly be the child of Sharon and Chriso Alma. We aren’t sure who your parents are.”

  Minu gawked as he proceeded. “Chriso Alma’s great grandmother, Ester Harper, was the last woman we have genetic records of who held all seventeen markers. She was also the last person to have the name Harper. She married Lester Alma who came from the Summit tribe of mixed genetic background. As a result, two markers were lost. In the generations between then and now, the markers were further diluted. We expected to find no more than four in you, which would have been more than enough to point to the Harper line, of course.”

  “Maybe it’s just an accident of genetics? A random combination?”

  “It’s simply not possible. Even if some of the markers appeared through non-dominant DNA pairings, your mitochondrial DNA should match Sharon Alma’s. Frankly, it’s not even close.”

  “So, how do I find out who my parents really are?”

  He looked at the computer and thought for a moment. “We have genetic records for nearly one hundred percent of the population of Plateau and New Jerusalem, and more than seventy-five percent of Summit and Rusk. From there, the percentages decrease. However, considering the purity of your Harper line markers, it shouldn’t take more than a few weeks after we’ve finished sequencing your DNA to find them. Say a month, two at the outside.”

  * * *

  “You’re taking it surprisingly well,” Ariana said. She’d pulled
one of the guest chairs around the desk to sit next to her boss as she talked. She reached out a hand and grasped one of Minu’s. Minu squeezed back, thankful for the gesture.

  “It isn’t about finding out my father lied. He’s still my father, that hasn’t changed. I guess I’m adopted. They raised me, and I’m still their child. But, it isn’t the lie.”

  She silently thought about P’ing’s revelation months ago that the Tog forced the marriage of Chriso and Sharon to produce an offspring. She felt her innards twist in knots. Father, what did you do? Am I a damned clone?

  The thought hit her like a club to the head. She was almost a dead ringer for Mindy Harper. Comparing their images side by side, they looked like sisters. Was that possible? Was she a clone?

  The horrific look on her face made Ariana fear her boss was about to completely lose it emotionally. “Minu, I’m here for you. I know we’ve never been friends, but you keep that list short on purpose. No-one blames you for that, really. But I’ll help any way I can.”

  “You’re right,” Minu replied, jerking out of her panic. Clone? Don’t be an idiot. “I am too miserly with whom I call friend. You’ve worked with me for years, and I’d like to think of you as a friend.”

  Ariana leaned forward, and the two women hugged, separating after a moment. Ariana appreciated the gesture, but she knew better. The key to Minu Grove’s heart was a carefully guarded combination that she allowed few to know.

  “I’ll be okay,” she said and got to her feet, going over to reheat her tea for the third time.

  “What will you do?”

  “Wait for the results to come back.” Minu shrugged. “It looks like my parents are dead no matter who they are, but it would be nice to know.”

  “If the press gets hold of this, they’ll have a field day.”

  “Of that, I’m certain. There are more than a few people who hate me.”

  “Do tell.” Minu laughed, and Ariana joined in. As Minu’s assistant, she often had to deal with the fallout from her boss’ less than diplomatic dealings with the press. Minu had become an accomplished speaker over the years, but her technique for handling the press had not softened. She hated them with a passion, and the feeling was mutual.

  Something about Ariana looked different that morning.

  “Are you pregnant again?” Ariana blushed and looked down.

  “Oh my God, you do know where those things come from, right?”

  Ariana laughed and shook her head. “Yeah, we know.” She shrugged, a happy yet helpless gesture. “Bill and I just love kids! I’m only thirty-three, so we figure we’ll let God take his course with our family.”

  Minu knew this was their fifth. What she hadn’t known was that her assistant was religious. Faith was something in short supply on Bellatrix. Her friend Ted Hurt, Dean of Sciences at the same university she taught at, thought it was a natural progression, since there hadn’t been any divine intervention to save Earth. She didn’t have much of an opinion on the matter. Her personal thoughts were somewhere between whatever makes you feel good and you believe in that, really?

  When it came to children, her feelings were even more split. She’d known plenty of people who were marginal parents, or worse. Pip was a great example of a completely indifferent parent. There were some who treated their pets better than their children, and some who lived for their children, investing every ounce of themselves to make sure their little people became great adults and wanted for nothing. Luckily, Ariana was one of the latter.

  They talked for a few more minutes, Minu telling Ariana she was happy for her and insisting she’d be fine without her while she had her fifth child. This time she promised herself she’d request a temp. Finally, Ariana returned to the outer office and Minu tried to get back to work. But as she sat there staring at the same file, she realized it was a hopeless task.

  “I’m going for a walk,” she told Ariana as she passed through the outer office, snugging the broad-brimmed hat on her head. It might be only March, but the UV levels were elevated and bad for her light complexion.

  Ariana gave her a knowing smile and nodded. “The botanical garden is beautiful; the daffodils are in bloom.”

  Outside the air was a little chilly, more so than her island, which was far enough south that the climate was already warming. Chilly but pleasant. She reminded herself that she needed to make time in her schedule for a regular run. She’d put on three kilos over the winter. Aaron never said a thing, and never would. But she’d noticed in the mirror that morning after showering, before flying back to Tranquility. She’d always been lean, on the edge of too lean according to the doctors. The life of a Chosen was tough, and she’d spent a good part of her life in constant training. Like most athletes who gained weight, the distribution wasn’t even. She had a tiny paunch on her tummy, and her breasts were sagging a bit. She scowled as she walked.

  Before long, her troubles began to recede as she reached the botanical gardens on the eastern part of the campus. Just as Ariana said, a carpet of yellow daffodils led down the gently sloping hill to the arboretum and past the clam-shell stage built for summer concerts. The daffodils were subtle, but the chilly air carried the gentle smell of flowers to her eager nose.

  As she walked, her thoughts drifted back to her once-again pregnant assistant. She’d caught ‘the bug’ the first time only weeks before the completion of Fort Jovich. That baby and the two following him were born while Minu had been off rescuing Pip.

  Minu had conceived Lilith on that same trip, and when they returned to Bellatrix, Minu and Aaron married. Having another child, this one on purpose with all the expected benefits, had always been the plan. She loved Lilith, but their relationship was not what she felt a mother and daughter should have.

  How could it be normal? The computer had educated and formed Lilith’s intelligence and inserted super-powerful computer interfaces, similar to those that brought Pip back from his coma, into her brain. It was a miracle she was as human as she was, and Minu sometimes wondered where her loyalties were. She’d already proved a willingness to kill another human to protect her ship.

  What would it feel like to carry a child until it was ready to be born? She unconsciously stopped and placed a hand on her nearly-flat stomach. The ship had fixed her old wounds, the results of an attempted murder during her Chosen Trials. Everything worked the way it was supposed to work. What should she do with it?

  Hours later, Aaron closed the door to their apartment, setting his briefcase down by the door and stretching. He’d had a long day of meeting with his engineering staff, but production was ramping up nicely. Pip, Ted, and Bjorn had some amazing ideas for orbiting facilities using the Phoenix shuttles.

  The sound of the bathroom door closing made him spin around in surprise. Minu stood there naked, her copper hair still damp from the shower. The look on her face was an interesting mixture of excitement and fear.

  “To what do I owe this surprise?”

  “Aaron,” she said, her eyes sparkling from unshed tears, “I want to have another baby.”

  He froze, his face showing shock. “W-what?”

  “It’s been five years, sweetheart.” His eyes widened, and he felt his heart pounding in his chest. “We talked about this when Lilith was born.”

  “Talked, yeah,” he admitted. “You aren’t bringing this up because of that stupid test, are you?” he croaked, his throat suddenly dry.

  “I’m bringing it up despite the test,” she laughed brightly. “Ariana is pregnant again.”

  “And you’re inspired?”

  “You could say that. I’m not my father. These special genes of mine need to be passed on.”

  “They have been, in Lilith.”

  “I want to hold a baby,” she said, her voice husky. “I want you to put a baby inside me. I want to feel it grow—”

  “And scream in pain when it’s born?”

  “Life is pain,” she reminded him. “I’ve experienced my share of pain.” She gently touched
the nearly-healed skin where his prosthetic legs joined his natural flesh. “As have you. That pain had a reason, and so will birthing.”

  “I deactivated my birth control implant six hours ago,” she told him. “The computer said I’ll be ovulating in another hour.”

  “Impressive technology,” he said, taking a deep breath.

  “I’m not the only one involved in this decision, though,” she told him, looking into his dark eyes. “The baby needs a father who wants it as much as I do.”

  “I’ve been waiting for years for you to make up your mind,” he told her and nibbled her ear. He reached down and lifted her like she weighed nothing and carried her to their bedroom.

  They made sweet love and cried out together as they spent themselves with more passion than they’d felt in years.

  “That was…awesome,” she gasped. Neither wanted the moment to end.

  “I guess it’s done then,” he said finally.

  “Like a lot of things,” she reminded him, “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.”

  “That’s sound planning,” he agreed. “Let’s do it again.”

  * * * * *

  Chapter 3

  March 5th, 534 AE

  Chosen Compound, Tranquility, Plateau Tribe, Bellatrix

  Minu decided to forgo any additional technological interference in her attempt to conceive. Once the implant had reversed the effects of the carefully-tailored hormones that kept her from getting pregnant for so many years, and pushed her to ovulate that night, she stopped. She could have used the implant to help her ovulate nightly for a week at a time. The devices generated a fertility rate well into the fiftieth percentile among those who used them.

  But she decided she didn’t want the extra help. She’d gotten pregnant with Lilith without it. If a pregnancy was meant to happen, it would happen. Gregg’s wife, Faye, was hugely pregnant. Her growing belly inspired Minu but made her nervous at the same time. Would Aaron still want her when she was huge with child?