Cylus nodded, but Lina gave her a pointed look. Her trigger finger twitched.
“Captain Solus knew about what Siren was?”
“Absolutely,” she said. “He wanted me to die of it.”
“And he said this to you directly?” she asked.
“No, through my XO, but we don’t need her to prove it. Iapetus?”
“Captain Solus passed the order through my original program’s communication network,” he stated. “My parent program is the CSS Iapetus’ AI. I downloaded a copy of the order along with my program seed into this platform.”
Cylus blinked. “Why?”
“I anticipated Lieutenant Ironstar’s need to prove who her murderer might be.”
Both the baron and Lina looked at her, confused.
“Iapetus and I got along well on the ship,” she explained. “You could say we’d grown close over the years.”
Cylus smiled. “I know the feeling. My manservant system and I have a similar relationship.”
Meia suppressed a smile. She was willing to bet it wasn’t that similar.
“So we can prove that Captain Solus did this, but we can’t go any further,” Lina said.
“It was Cosmos Corp that issued the quarantine,” Cylus countered. “That connects it since we can prove that the circumstances of the quarantine are fake. We have the Siren samples, and our own testimony.”
Lina nodded.
He shifted in his seat, rubbing his cleft chin. “Praetor Graves showed me evidence of Siren before he left Kosfanter, so maybe we can connect it to Yoji’s death, but I don’t think we can trust Daedalus anymore.”
“Not until we know if Modulus was malfunctioning or not,” Lina said. “I agree.”
Meia licked her lips. Their conversation made her think about the quarantine message the beacon on Calemni IIb was projecting. She wondered if she should ask, but decided to remain silent and see if their conversation revealed more. The mention of connecting Calemni to Cosmos Corp was a boon, though. It might give her an opportunity she never could have dreamed of before: revenge on both Solus and Revenant at the same time. That would be worth the risk of working with them, even if they were in on the Siren attack. If they wanted her dead, they could have left her on the moon. The Praetor had gone after both of them, too. Maybe if she kept her head down and gave them what they wanted, she would get what she wanted too. Barons were assholes, but they could be practical allies.
“Do you think it was because of what happened before we left?” Cylus asked, paling.
“No,” Lina shook her head. “If that was the case he would have hauled us back to Kosfanter instead of imprisoning us on the planet.”
“Oh.” He seemed to relax some, then turned his attention to Meia. “Speaking of which, you said you can make us immune to Siren.”
She nodded.
“How did you manage that?”
She took in a deep breath. “I became infected when my e-suit’s air supply ran out. The nanomachine breeched my breather membrane.”
“And you lived through it?” Lina looked surprised.
“Iapetus was with me.” She remembered his hard hands holding her down as she thrashed and spat bloody foam. “He stunned me, then got me to the colony’s med-center. It took him almost a month to work out how to cure me, but he did. I woke up with him at my side.”
Lina’s eyes flickered between her and Iapetus. “I see.”
Cylus looked over her shoulder. “Impressive work.”
“Acknowledged,” Iapetus said. “I was highly motivated to succeed. The Lieutenant is my favorite biological platform.”
The baron smiled. “The deal was that we support you and then you give us the cure, but I’ve been thinking that maybe we should get it earlier than that. We’re about to go up against the most powerful baron in the Confederation. I’d like to know he can’t take me out like he did Yoji.”
She frowned. “I don’t know who this Yoji is, but we had a deal. You support me first, then you get the cure.”
He frowned back. “Things are changing.”
“I don’t see it that way. I’ll hold up my end.” She tensed. What would they do if she refused to allow them to dissolve their agreement? Would they space her? No, they couldn’t do that and still get what they wanted. Besides, she had Iapetus with her, and he was more than a match for two corporate nobles and an SDF captain. She frowned, knowing both that she couldn’t back down, and that once they reached the capital her advantage could easily be taken away. Iapetus and she couldn’t fight their way out if the baron decided to turn her over to Star Corps.
“Perhaps a compromise can be worked out?” Fukui said, startling them. “How easy is it to implement the cure?”
“It’s a download, a reconfiguring of your nano-immune system,” Meia said.
“So you can transmit it at a moment’s notice?”
She nodded.
Fukui turned to Cylus. “You might hire her as your bodyguard.”
“What?” he said.
“She comes with an armed combat drone and the military AI inside it.”
“Technically they’re the property of Star Corps,” Lina commented.
“We’re probably both listed as KIA,” Meia said.
“Then they’re free, so to speak. You could set them up with identities and put them on the payroll. This way they’re close by if you need them to do the download, and you’re still bound to honor your deal.” Fukui looked hopeful.
“It makes a degree of sense,” Lina said. “How do you feel about Baron Revenant and Cosmos Corp?”
Meia gritted her teeth and spent a moment to loosen her jaw before replying. “That son of a bitch killed my father and stole my birthright. You’re trying to implicate him in what happened on Calemni, right?”
“Among other things,” the baron said.
“Then sign me up. I’m your woman.” She fixed him in her gaze. If he agreed, she could have everything she wanted to honor the memory of her father. She needed this, she realized, more than she thought she would have. For a moment she wondered if she was dreaming again.
Something in her eyes must have transmitted her feelings to the baron because he nodded. “When we get back to my tower I’ll have Ben set you up with a new identity. You stay by me, either at my side, or at a minimum one room away. You and, ah, it.”
“Iapetus,” she said. “He is a he, not an it. Got it?”
“Yes, Iapetus. I get it. I’ll see that he gets rearmed as well, and fixed up.” Cylus smiled through his teeth.
“Don’t expect your revenge to happen right away,” Lina said. “We’re playing the long game here. Do you understand?”
“As long as you keep your word in the end, I have no problem with that,” Meia said.
“Then you’re hired.” Cylus extended his hand across the table.
Since there was a guest on the ship, Cylus decided to accept Captain Fukui’s earlier offer of her stateroom to accommodate him and Lina for the weeks it took to return to the capital. It was there that he found himself staring at dull-gray metal when Lina entered and stopped herself by putting her hands on the walls to either side of him.
“ConSov for your thoughts,” she said.
He chuckled. “I’m just thinking about how glad I am we’re out of that hell now.”
She nodded. “I’m glad we made it out all right.”
“You didn’t.” He put his hand on her abdomen, frowning.
“I lived, and between the nanomeds and my genetic modifications, I’m fine. That counts as ‘all right’ to me.” She grabbed his hand and used it to pull herself down to the deck, lifting it to her mouth in the process. She planted a kiss on his fingers.
He used the leverage his seat-restraints gave him to pull her into his lap. She laughed, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and put her head into the crook of his neck. Her body was soft and warm, and sent a pleasant chill through him. He could hardly believe she had the muscles beneath her skin he saw ba
ck in the house on Calemni.
“That’s better,” he said.
“Yes. Now, what are you really thinking about?”
“Sable. I haven’t heard from him. I’m worried.”
“You’ve been friends a long time, haven’t you?”
“Years, yes.”
“Then what are you worried about?” She kissed his neck.
“He never responded to my messages. The last time we talked was when Sophi set up this insane plan to join Zalor and betroth us.”
“Was that latter part insane?” She drummed her fingers on his chest.
He smiled and kissed her forehead. “I only thought so at the time. No, it’s the most wonderful thing in my life. If nothing else, that part turned out right. Joining Zalor was insane. We alienated Aurora and Hephestia, and maybe Daedalus, too. Now we’re here, hurtling through space back towards the capital to do—what? If we take down Zalor then I guess my family will be avenged along with Sable’s father, but what about the seat of the Premier? I’ll have to run against Dorsky.”
She shifted in his lap, using her arms to hold her body against it. “Would you want the Office with Zalor out of the way?”
Yes, a voice in his head said. “Yes. I think I can make a real difference, maybe undo a lot of the damage he’s done. There’s no guarantee what we do will take him out of the picture though.”
“True enough. He’s adept at avoiding blame.” She sighed.
“Well, I’ve been thinking since we left Calemni. What if we use our knowledge to make sure Zalor stays in line instead of taking him down?” he asked.
“Too dangerous. He’ll find a way to get rid of us if we give him the chance.”
“So the choice is take him down, or go with your earlier plan to wed our future to his and turn on him later?” She came up with the plan before they left for Calemni. It seemed like a good idea before they had anything on the Big Bad Wolf, but now… “Isn’t that more dangerous?”
“Than trying to blackmail him? It’s better if he doesn’t know what we have—if that’s the way you want to go.”
“I don’t know. If we are going to go ahead with options that don’t involve bringing charges against him in the Barony, what are we to do about Praetor Graves? He’s out there gathering evidence against Zalor. Maybe he’s already on Kosfanter with it.”
“Maybe,” she nodded, rubbing his collarbone with her cheek. “But if he’s not back then we may have more options. Maybe, if he’s not back, we’ll have to prevent him from getting back.”
Cylus shuddered. The thought of directly opposing an Abyssian was terrifying—but you’ve already done it once; it might be necessary, the voice in his head whispered. He nodded. “I guess it might be necessary.”
Good.
“I know.”
“You know what?” Lina asked.
“I know we have some hard times ahead. What’s that goddess you worship?” he asked.
“Which one? Each planet that holds life is a goddess.”
“Then maybe Kosfanter will give us good fortune,” he said.
“We can hope.” She kissed his neck again. “What do you think of our new employee?”
“Meia? I think we need to take care of her so she gives us the Siren cure,” he said.
Lina pursed her lips. “Do you trust her?”
“We just met her, really. Does she seem trustworthy to you?”
“She’s been through a lot. That is obvious. People like that…” Lina sighed. “I’ll look into her when we get back. It’s the best we can do.”
“We can get to know her, too,” he said.
“Carefully.”
“Of course.”
She smiled and kissed him on the lips.
His implant chimed. Yes?
“We’ll be arriving in the Matre’s Glory system shortly,” Reika’s voice said into his head. “Just letting you two know in case you want to be on the bridge. As we discussed, I’ll drop us into the Exit Zone so we can pick up the Cyberweb signal from Kosfanter before approaching.”
Knowing that Lina received the same transmission, he hugged her tight and asked, “Shall we?”
She nodded.
The captain’s quarters were less than a minute from the bridge. When they got there the egg-like captain’s chair swiveled towards them. Reika greeted them from within with a bow of her head. Cylus and Lina strapped themselves into the seats on the starboard side of the ship and waited.
“Exiting ERB in five, four, three, two, one—exit,” Reika said.
The flash of Cherenkov radiation lit up the bridge, and the starscape resolved through the windows. Her hands flew over the holographic controls above her armrests.
“Sensors coming up online. Wow, that’s a lot of ships,” she said.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“The Exit zone is more crowded than I’ve ever seen it. Hundreds of ships that should be docking with their FTL vessels are just sitting here in a holding orbit. The FTL ships are absent—no, wait, they’re here but they’re ten-times further out. That’s the emergency holding distance.”
“What?” Lina’s look of concern mimicked his own.
“Broadcast the Cyberweb information feed into the bridge,” Cylus said.
“Yes, Baron,” Reika replied.
The speakers came alive.
“…the recent attack on Premier Dorsky by as-of-yet unidentified terrorists, and in light of the new ruling on the deaths of Baron Olivaar and Baron Vargas, all ships are banned on pain of arrest and impound from leaving the Matre’s Glory system until Praetor-Prime Augusta’s investigation is completed. If you attempt to depart, a warrant will be issued for your arrest, the arrest of your crew, and that of your passengers by the Confederate Space Authority…”
Cylus’ blood went cold. “The new ruling?”
“There’s more,” Reika said. “The news satellite has more details.”
“I’m scanning it,” Lina said. “Oh no. Taiumikai was attacked by the Brogh.”
“It’s practically next to Sol. How did they get in so deep?” His eyes bulged.
“They’re saying they crashed an FTL ship into the planet. It’s uninhabitable…” her voice trailed off.
“What happened to Sable?” He leaned forward in his seat.
“It doesn’t say,” Lina responded.
“There’s another signal coming in,” Reika said. “It’s directed at us and encrypted. Hang on.”
“Let me see it,” he said.
“Got it. Okay, decrypting. Here,” she said.
He accepted the feed to his implant. It was a text message bearing Ben’s CPAd. Just seeing those familiar hex numbers took some of the edge off his shock, but it returned in force as soon as he read the message.
[MASTER, COME TO THE TOWER IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT TALK TO SOPHIATHENA OR ANYONE ELSE. STEALTH AND LAND ON THE ROOF. I WILL MEET YOU WHEN THE PRESSURE SENSORS TRIGGER. -BEN]
“Are we stealthed?” he asked.
“As soon as we left the ERB,” Reika responded.
“Then set course for the planet and land on my tower,” Cylus said. “Do it now.”
She nodded. “Yes, Baron Keltan.”
The ship shifted as its engines powered up. Lina gave him a questioning look, but he shook his head. He would tell her later. For now he had a lot to process and prepare.
Chapter Twenty
Ikuzlu City, Kosfanter
41:3:20 (J2400:3207)
Baroness Helena Revenant-Olivaar, as she was now calling herself, looked around the assembly of section managers and directors with icy, blue eyes. Her platinum hair, gelled back against her skull, shone bright in the conference room lights. In some ways, she could be Baron Revenant’s twin. Cygni saw the resemblance in their bone structure and in the cocky sneer that seemed omnipresent on their faces. The baroness had the silver comet of Cosmos Corp on one lapel of her black suit, and the hammer and star of the Extra-Terrestrial Mining Corp on the other. It made her wonder
if the woman had designs to run both baronies someday, perhaps absent her cousin.
“We will be canceling all unnecessary projects,” the baroness said. “Including the tour Miss Aragón and Doctor Rega were planning—”
“What?” Rega shouted, startling the other managers.
Cygni was unsurprised. Her priorities were no longer with Cosmos. For weeks her team tried to get an audience with Premier Dorsky to no avail. Rega’s trips to and from the Palace had ceased, even fleshriding him revealed nothing of note, leaving them with no option but to watch and wait while who knows how many Siren canisters lay in hiding about the city. Meanwhile, Biren reported that his mother was getting impatient with them, and Cygni was acutely aware that if they didn’t advance their proposed plan soon, Lalande would move ahead without them. The thought terrified her. She could only imagine what the backlash against the Biodome would be if they attacked Xur’qon Island.
“Premier Dorsky has banned all off-world travel without exception,” the baroness continued. “That includes your section’s little project.”
“Little project?” Rega snorted, then rubbed his beak-like nose. “Does Baron Revenant know about this?”
The baroness cocked a blond eyebrow. “What do you think? Arguing about this is academic. The ban holds until my husband’s killer is found.”
“Killer, Baroness?” one of the other section managers asked. “I thought the crash was an accident. I heard that’s why Daedalus hasn’t sent an Abyssian.”
There were nods around the table. It seemed the opinion put forth by the media had caught on in the company. The lack of an Abyssian presence after a baron’s death was unheard of, and a million theories spun about the Cyberweb as to why one had yet to show up; the speed of previous responses had led some to believe there was an Abyssian on every Confederate world.
The baroness seemed to enjoy a private joke until the chatter died down. “That is what most common people believe, but it is not what is true. Daedalus has sent an Abyssian, and she is finally here.”
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