Spheres of Influence-eARC
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DuQuesne leaned forward. “I see you’ve already got something in mind. So what’s your next crazy venture, Captain?”
“I made a promise, Marc. A promise to Orphan, who trusted us to fulfill that promise and then did a lot more than we’d ever have expected. We’re going to pay up on that debt.”
“And by ‘pay up,’ you mean…”
“We, Marc, are going to be Orphan’s crew. He said it had to do with the secret behind a power that could oppose a Shadeweaver head on. We need to know about secrets like that. And whatever has the power to do that…might just also be able to teach me what I can do…” she smiled wryly, “…other than the universe’s most spectacular wardrobe change.”
“Um…I hope I’m not going to be a wet blanket here,” Oasis said, “but…is that a good idea?”
“Oasis does have a point, Ariane,” Simon said, as Ariane looked at the redhead with a surprised glance. “Not to put too fine a point on it, but if I reduce everything of recent events to its essence, we were fighting to convince the SSC that you were responsible enough to be trusted with the power of the Leader of Humanity.”
DuQuesne nodded. “Yeah. Not saying you can’t do it, but you’d better have a reason that you have to go, one that’ll check to nine decimals with even the people who’ll be suspicious of you—like Esterhauer.”
Ariane smiled at Oasis, then at the rest of them. “You’re all correct. But really, I’ve thought about this. The reason’s pretty simple, actually. Like I said, we need to know about these secrets. More, we need—I need—to find out how to unleash and control this power that I got almost by accident. I suppose I could send other people, like you and Simon, out and hope you could get the information yourself and bring it back, but let’s face it: whoever has that information probably isn’t giving it out to anyone if they can help it, and I doubt the instructions are going to be something you can just write down, anyway.
“And of course there’s the issue of safety.”
Simon raised an eyebrow. “You think you’ll be safer going out on such an expedition?”
“Oh, no, not at all,” Ariane said. “I think you will all be safer if I’m with you.”
DuQuesne’s expression was priceless. Record that one, Mio, I don’t want to forget it!
“Excuse me, Captain?” he managed after a moment.
“Marc, you’re amazingly competent. So’s pretty much everyone here. But if we’re going somewhere that might have a power on a par with the Faith or the Shadeweavers, one thing we’ve learned is that they totally outclass us. But I have, at least, the potential to match them. Having me along means a possible defense—or at least a convincing chance to bluff. It also means I might sense, or be able to access, things that are only meant for those with these powers.
“These are things that no one else can do, and overall it’s a vital intelligence gathering operation. Any other Faction would give virtually anything to get a crewman aboard Orphan’s ship, if they realized it might give them insight into, well, what makes the Survivor the Survivor. There’s no way of even guessing the value of what his secrets are, except that they’re very, very valuable. So…yes, I think I should go, and in fact I have to go, and that’s based on not just my own curiosity but my professional judgment as Leader of the Faction.” She looked at Oasis. “Good enough for you?”
The deceptively young-looking girl nodded cheerfully. “Good enough, Captain!”
“So,” Simon said slowly, looking around at the others, “the Leader of Humanity is going to risk herself on a ship with a sometimes devious ally, traveling to some secret destination in the Deeps of the Arena, to confront some nameless force where there won’t even be a Sky Gate to help us return if things go wrong?”
He stood and lifted his glass. “Sign me up, Captain!”
Table of Contents
Chapter 1.
Chapter 2.
Chapter 3.
Chapter 4.
Chapter 5.
Chapter 6.
Chapter 7.
Chapter 8.
Chapter 9.
Chapter 10.
Chapter 11.
Chapter 12.
Chapter 13.
Chapter 14.
Chapter 15.
Chapter 16.
Chapter 17.
Chapter 18.
Chapter 19.
Chapter 20.
Chapter 21.
Chapter 22.
Chapter 23.
Chapter 24.
Chapter 25.
Chapter 26.
Chapter 27.
Chapter 28.
Chapter 29.
Chapter 30.
Chapter 31.
Chapter 32.
Chapter 33.
Chapter 34.
Chapter 35.
Chapter 36.
Chapter 37.
Chapter 38.
Chapter 39.
Chapter 40.
Chapter 41.
Chapter 42.
Chapter 43.
Chapter 44.
Chapter 45.
Chapter 46.
Chapter 47.
Chapter 48.
Chapter 49.
Chapter 50.
Chapter 51.
Chapter 52.
Chapter 53.
Chapter 54.
Chapter 55.
Chapter 56.
Chapter 57.
Chapter 58.