Typically, he would have had help in coordinating all of this but the director had been unexpectedly absent today, and as he addressed the spherical thought-nuggets sent to him from the captains and dispatchers far below, he wondered about the reason. Assisting the director was a pleasant experience for him. If any of the ships had policy questions or staff shortages, Torin would ensure that those problems were resolved while the director handled more serious concerns. But today he was stuck with everything. The director had recommended he call in a student to help him, but the last thing Torin wanted was an inexperienced assistant. In his opinion, such a person would create more hassle than they were worth.
He tried to remember his purpose. It wasn’t for the prestige, although that was a good perk.
Torin had a burning desire. A desire to know.
A mental ping came in, spurred by one of the spherical nuggets flying into his head.
Great. I have enough chaos already and someone wants to chat.
He blinked, focusing on the person coming through.
Hello?
Hello. Hey, you’re not the director! Where is he?
How should I know? I’m his apprentice, not his mother. He’s completely missing in action. It’s been a big headache. Can I help you with something?
Then you must be Torin. Hold on. Yes, your identity checks out. This is Khandan, overseer of your 5th Ambrosia channel. I’m sorry to report that our supply contractor failed to produce the full amount for your order. Only 30,000 units will arrive today. Apparently, the demand has been more than they anticipated, and they’re fulfilling orders as fast as they can.
What?! These shipments are for Mirage City, Khandan. Did you tell them that? What am I supposed to say to the Empress if she wants an explanation?
Of course I told them that! Doesn’t matter. That’s all our supplier has. And for what the city pays, I don’t think they’re holding out on us. After all, any contractor who can produce enough is practically guaranteed riches, so I don’t think they’d hold out on Mirage City unless they were completely dry. They even complained about harvesting problems.
Well, maybe supply would be less of an issue if the ambrosia formula wasn’t considered a state secret. Have you ever considered that? I realize it can be dangerous, but these supply problems are starting to get ridiculous.
Tell the director that when he gets back, and see what he says! If he doesn’t slap you across the face for such an absurd notion, I’d be shocked. Such talk is reckless and dangerous. If other nations were to discover the secret, we might have a war on our hands. Anyway, looks like they won’t have anything for us to ship until the next cycle, so the city will have to survive on 30,000 for the next few days.
I don’t care if the supplier didn’t come through! That’s only half of what we need, and we have to fulfill that quota. If you can’t find anyone to fulfill, then I’m going back to my supervisors and we’ll find another ambrosia channel to meet our needs.
You think the entire empire revolves around you. Do you think the people over here in Khata City are any different from you? Everyone in the empire needs ambrosia, Torin.
You’d better find more, Khandan, or I’ll personally recommend that your contract be suspended. Need I remind you why Mirage City is crucial?
Fine. I’ll look around, but everyone is having the same shortage. Just remember, if I find anything, I’m doing it for the Empress, not for you.
Well, we’ll see what—
But Khandan had already dissolved the link.
“Ach!” Torin yelled and flung up his arms, causing dozens of spherical thought-nuggets to fly off in all directions. For a few seconds, he watched some plummet below the grass while others zoomed up into the sky.
He was about to call the nuggets back when he heard a voice from behind.
“Do you honestly think using scare tactics will get the best out of them?”
Torin turned around and saw the face of his love, gliding toward him. Her expression was twisted in disappointment, and the red clouds behind her, splashed with the colors of the sunset, matched her emotions.
“I’m sorry, Jyana,” he said, “you shouldn’t have heard that. You’re here early. What’s the occasion?”
She looked past him, and he spun around, realizing that the thought-nuggets were still flying off into the distance.
“Oh, that’s right.” He made a loud whistle, and the few still in view halted for a moment before slowly heading back.
“I finished early today,” she said. “Thought I’d come by and surprise you. I didn’t think you’d be threatening your contacts.”
“It’s complicated.” Torin twitched his head, as if he was shivering. “It’s getting bad, Jyana. The suppliers are having more and more trouble with the ambrosia shipments. I just wish…” He groaned in frustration.
She put her hand on his shoulder. “What is it?”
“I just wish someone would tell me, you know, where the ambrosia comes from. It’s so important to our way of life. None of this,” Torin gestured toward the floating nuggets and the shipping lanes far below, “would exist without it. Our thoughts would just be thoughts. We’d never have been able to build Mirage City if we didn’t have ambrosia.”
“I know, Torin. But it is a security concern. I mean, if everyone knew where the ambrosia came from, who knows what could happen. The Sovereignty keeps it secret for a reason.”
“Well, someday I’m going to know, Jyana. Mark my words. I’ll become Chief Ambrosia Director if it’s the last thing I do. I have to find out what it really is.”
She furrowed her eyebrows. “Why?”
“Jyana, I’ve worked with ambrosia my entire life. If I never even find out—”
“Don’t worry, my dear.” She took his hand and massaged it. “You’ll find out someday. I can feel it.” Jyana turned toward a sparkling city floating over the sea in the distance. “Come on. It’s time to eat.”
As before, Jyana’s body pulsed in brightness. And like lightning, their luminous bodies arced across the sea.
CHAPTER 4
SLIPPING UNDER THE SURFACE
Once again, Asha found herself surrounded by the cold, unforgiving darkness of space.
Yet this time, it was different. This time, the world that she had held so close to her heart, the world that she’d been told was destroyed, hung more or less intact ahead of her, a pale dot in the distance.
She blinked her eyes to focus on the dozens of lines of data flashing in front of her vision via the ship’s mindcap. Detailed readouts of the ship’s trajectory, speed, and destination were set in crisp, clear text in the middle space ahead, an untouchable hologram. Since their battle in the caverns of Vaari, they’d only been able to perform limited repairs on their ship, Navika. In an ideal situation, Asha would have stopped at her father’s outpost first, but she knew that time was running out for them. The Vakragha had stolen the Kiss of Life, and with it the power to raise the dead.
Every minute counted now.
“Navika, status?” she spoke within her mind, and the ship replied through the mindcap.
“My cloaking cells are resonating well, but shield strength is at 51%. I advise caution.”
No matter. At least the people of this world didn’t have a vested interest in seeing them killed, or in the case of the Vakragha, enslaved after having their planet stolen from them.
She hoped.
Still, she calculated their approach vector to be as short and elegant as possible to minimize their chance of discovery.
After all they’d been through, she didn’t want any surprises for a while.
Asha glanced down to the curved passenger bench ahead. The bench reached just above Zahn’s shoulders, providing good back support, but now she couldn’t see him at all.
Where’d he go? Did he lie down?
This would have been a completely reasonable explanation, except for the fact that they’d just opened a hole in spacetime and jumped halfway across
the galaxy.
Had he really gotten so used to the timespace drive that he could sleep through it?
“Zahn, are you okay?”
Silence.
“Hey, Zahn! Are you actually asleep? We’re almost there!”
“Wha—huh?” His head popped up from the plush, white bench. “Sorry, I was thinking. And then I shut my eyes for a second or two.”
“Are you serious? We just jumped over 20,000 light-years and you fell asleep?”
“What?” Zahn turned around to face her, his blond hair catching the light. He’d changed into one of the silvery uniforms that were standard on Confederation ships, and it suited him well. Beside him on the bench, she heard the small jagrul bird chirp brightly.
“Sorry, Asha,” he said. “I guess between fighting to get the Kiss of Life and everything that happened on Vaari, I haven’t gotten much sleep.” He paused. “You’re making a funny expression. You can see the planet, can’t you?”
Asha blinked, several thoughts crossing her mind at once as she observed her birthplace ahead, a world she had not seen since she was a child.
“Faint visuals, yes,” she said, hesitating for a moment. “And it doesn’t look good. The Confederation indicated that the planet was thriving, but I don’t know. It’s been a long time Zahn, and the surface looks totally different from what I remember.”
“We’ll get through this, Asha. Together. And like you said, it’s been a long time, which reminds me. What about Avani? Have we heard from them? Our families back home should know what’s going on.”
“Navika was able to contact my father’s ship a few minutes ago. He relayed everything they need to know. We’ll get a notification once my dad reads it.” She glanced down to him, noticing his concern. “Thanks for being here for me, Zahn. It means the world to me.”
Zahn smiled. “Always.”
Ahead, the pale dot grew in size, and Asha noticed streaks of brown and red across its surface. Unlike Zahn’s world, this planet didn’t have a single expansive ocean. Instead, midnight blue seas punctuated the globe.
“Hmm. Does Tavisi usually look like that?” Zahn said.
A chill washed over Asha as she analyzed the wealth of new data flooding into her from the mindcap. “No,” she said softly. “Where are the forests? The surface has been utterly changed.”
“Oh.” Zahn grew downcast. “I’m so sorry you have to see it like this, Asha.”
Asha was silent. Seeing her home like this was difficult, like stabbing an old scar that had never fully healed.
“The seas are lower too,” she finally said. “What did they do to this place?”
“What about life? Was the Confederation right? Is anyone down there?”
“Yes, Navika confirms thousands of life signs below. There’s also some strange interference, though I can’t find a source. Navika only detects one intact structure on the surface, uninhabited.” She paused. “Interesting. The life signs appear to be underground.”
As they grew nearer, the ruddy mountain ranges and sheer cliffs became clearer and clearer.
Zahn had trouble looking away. “Where do you think we should land?”
A message flashed in the middle space of Asha’s vision.
“Well, Navika has received updated orders from the Confederation. We’re instructed to land underground, if possible. The latest recon missions detected a vast underground complex. Once we find a way underground, we have to reach our contact, who is identified only as Manu.”
“So, he’s going to help us?”
“Yes. He’s been gathering intel on the Breath of Life. Just imagine, Zahn. Soon we’ll be able to see the hidden Vakragha leaders. We’ll finally be able to destroy the pinnacle of their command structure.”
“I just hope we find it in time.”
Through the transparent hull of the ship, a panorama of eroded, snowcapped mountains was spread out before them, their jagged shapes leading down to a dark sea in the distance.
Asha’s expression grew cold. “I can’t believe this is Tavisi. The Vakragha ruined it, Zahn.”
He stood up and walked over to her, placing his hand on hers. “But there are people. And we’re about to meet them.”
She looked up to him, her expression softening. “Thanks, Zahn. Well, I do have good news. Navika detects a network of tunnels near the coast. Looks like they lead to the underground complex. Okay, here we go.”
From their low angle, the sea appeared almost green, and they slowed, slipping under the surface with scarcely a sound.
CHAPTER 5
A REFUGEE RETURNED HOME
The underwater world was hazy with a greenish hue, and Zahn guessed that visibility was only twenty meters or so.
From here, Zahn could see little except the waypoint Navika had overlaid on the transparent walls, marking the underwater opening they’d detected earlier. Even in the face of all that had happened, Navika’s transparency was so perfect, that if Zahn wished, he might believe that he was resting on a bench beneath the sea, and he watched as they gracefully broke through a green stringy substance suspended in the water.
Zahn could just make out the faint movements of a few large fish as they zipped away, and he wondered what life remained here after the Vakragha attack. He hoped they would learn more about what happened to this place and why it hadn’t been swallowed up by the Vakragha’s fissures like so many others.
“Odd,” Asha said, “Navika indicates the tunnels go on for dozens of klicks laterally, and some downward, as well. Zahn, this is new, or if it existed before the attack it was kept a state secret. Not even my father has ever mentioned anything like this, and he was granted some pretty high clearance. Look!” Asha pointed ahead. “The entrance is carved into the rock.”
Zahn squinted his eyes, peering through Navika’s hull, still set in transparent mode. “I don’t see anything. Only haze.”
“We should be coming up on it in a few seconds. And—”
“Wow,” he whispered.
A wide rectangle cut into the rock with a smooth, chamfered edge was spread out before them, much wider than the ship itself. A ship five times the width of Navika and twice the height could easily fit inside, and as they grew nearer, the expansive cavern became more visible.
“What is this place? An underwater base?”
Zahn glanced back to see how Asha was doing, and wasn’t surprised in the least when he saw her eyes darting around. It was the look of pure absorption, and he’d only seen that look on a person when they’d been using the mindcap. He must have looked like that in the past, and Zahn reflected on the times when he would have entire mental conversations with Navika in mere seconds. It was efficient, but to the outside observer, it could look worrisome.
“So, what’s the plan?” he finally said.
She jolted her head down to him. “This tunnel network is even more elaborate that I even imagined. There are tens of thousands of people here, Zahn, but they all appear to be stationary. Strange.”
“You mean they aren’t moving at all?”
“No. Navika’s scans run deep, and he detects no movement. Only life signs. I’m sending us through the threshold. We’ll find a place to land and investigate.”
Zahn watched as they neared the top edge of the wide opening, and as they slipped under, Asha gasped. “Yes, I suppose that was fast. Okay Navika, better put it on surround.”
An arid voice filled the cabin.
“—demand that you announce yourself and deactivate any stealth technology. You have arrived uninvited and unannounced. You have 18 cycles to comply. Otherwise, we will be forced to exercise deadly force upon your vessel. I repeat, this is the Mirage Sovereignty Defense. We demand that you announce yourself—”
As the voice continued, the chamfered edges of the entrance glowed an angry bronze light for a moment before dimming.
Zahn turned back around. “Well, so much for that idea. Better talk to them.”
“Already am,” Asha replied. “We�
��ve been talking for a while. They communicate crazy-fast, almost as fast as Navika. They seemed to relax a bit when I told them we’re acting on behalf of the Confederation. They’re directing us to meet someone, an emissary, above ground.”
Asha spun the ship around and, in the course of about a minute, eased them out of the water. From this angle, they could see a wide valley ahead, littered with boulders and adorned with tall yellow grasses, set afire by the setting sun. By now, most of the clouds glowed a deep orange, and Zahn admired the jagged shadow of the ridge as it draped over the landscape. Farther ahead, he recognized a familiar red triangle that Navika used to mark waypoints, perched up on a ledge in the distance.
As they soared by a tall ridge to their left, Zahn noticed Asha kept her gaze fixed ahead. Perhaps seeing her world so utterly changed was still too much for her.
The waypoint marked a wide, dusty patch of ground, elevated from the grassy valley below, and as they grew closer, Zahn noticed a large coppery square set into the ground. The waypoint was in the exact center of the square, and as Asha set the ship down, Zahn hoped that for once, just once, no one would try to steal their ship, trap his friends in a volcano, or shoot them up through a watery tube. At least, not without asking.
Asha landed the ship with scarcely a sound, and they both waited, processing their new view of the landscape in silence. Through the transparent hull, Zahn noticed pockets of bushes beside the boulders that littered the landscape, and at the far end of the valley, the sea glistened in the warm colors of the sunset.
“Who do you think they’re sending?” Zahn asked, turning around to face her once again.
“I don’t know,” Asha said. “I hope it’s someone reasonable.”
Asha’s gaze drifted upward, and Zahn followed it, studying the copper landing pad and the dusty trail that weaved around the edge of the ridge. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a few small birds fly into one of the cracks halfway up the rock wall.
The Mirage on the Brink of Oblivion (The Epic of Aravinda Book 3) Page 2
