by Dana Kelly
“The nightmare?” asked Lomomu. “You’re a freakin’ binary?”
“Using your MABAS Scale, I would’ve qualified as an O-class atomic,” said Ellylle. “Back then, I was known simply as a god.”
“Holy lady of thunder,” whispered Lomomu.
“Guys,” said Zella, “Ah need tae concentrate.”
“I’ll mute the rest of us,” said Ellylle.
Zella’s speakers fell utterly silent. With a smile, she resumed writing her scripts. “Aye, ‘at’s better.”
“What do you mean, ‘would’ve qualified?’ I thought bein’ a binary was a lifetime kind of thing,” said Lomomu.
“I’ll get to that in a moment.” Ellylle returned to her reverie. “Of course, I was discouraged by the Council’s shortsightedness. As a sapling, I’d heard stories about the elder races. The Caretakers, the Stillness, and the Howling Legions of Thlu—beings of immense power that once savaged our galaxy. There are as many legends about how they were driven out of the Milky Way as there are starfaring nations, so I researched the matter. Exhaustively. It turns out they all got part of it right, but… My own research led me to just one conclusion.”
Faint static filled the air.
Reggie cleared his throat. “And that was?”
“Each of the elder races understood they were out of balance. In response, the Stillness now lingers in the places between galaxies. The Howling Legions of Thlu invaded the nightmare, while the Caretakers slipped into hibernation beyond the galactic plane.”
“Where else would they go?” asked Reggie.
“Mock me again, and I’ll mute you,” said Ellylle.
“I wasn’t…” Reggie drew a deep breath. “Please continue.”
“Since the Council effectively disavowed me, I decided to enlist the aid of the only other beings wise enough to understand the urgency of my mission—the Caretakers,” said Ellylle.
“Those guys in black,” said Reggie.
“Correct. We treated, and the Caretakers distributed my world seeds equally amongst their ziggurats,” said Ellylle. “On the eve of my conquest, as we planned the last of their fleet movements, I received word from the Forest of Worlds that the Council of Ormon had reconsidered my proposition. Seeing the need to restore the balance, they pledged the Beocrann Armada to my cause, and to ensure the success of the Caretakers.”
She swooshed gently. “Joyfully, blindly, I accepted their offer, but they tricked me. They lured me to the edge of a nightmare gate, where they ambushed me. They descended upon me and tore away my nightmare body. When they were done, they imprisoned me for treason, where I languished for centuries.”
“Fast forward to today, and now look at you,” said Reggie. “You’re their Prime Minister. Seems treason ought to preclude you from that pool of candidates.”
“Normally it would, but I’m the Eternal Vanam,” said Ellylle.
“You expect me to know what that is,” said Reggie.
“I’m trying to explain it! Listen, and don’t interrupt.” Her branches creaked and snapped. “Not until very recently did the Council admit how bad things had gotten under their watch, and only because my people rose up as one and demanded we take action. Unfortunately for them, the Council couldn’t decide on what to do about it. At such moments of impasse, it’s tradition for the Council to seek the leadership of a Vanam, a hero chosen by the people with absolute executive power during times of crisis. Overwhelmingly, my people voted for me.”
“Lucky you,” said Reggie.
“Luck had nothing to do with it,” said Ellylle. “The others who accompanied us on our extragalactic journey to the Caretakers’ resting place belonged to the Council of Ormon, the Forest of Worlds’ supreme ruling body. They pardoned me, and they installed me as the Eternal Vanam, as well as acting Prime Minister until my death, or until the balance has been restored. They also gave me command of the Beocrann Armada”
“What’s a beocrann?” asked Lomomu.
“I am beocrann,” said Ellylle.
“Why’d you bother hiring us if you’ve got command of an entire armada?” asked Reggie. “Seems like they’d be plenty happy to fly you wherever you want.”
“My armada is precisely where I need it to be,” she said.
“I’m sorry to pry, but it’s been eatin’ at me ever since it happened,” said Lomomu. “Why did you kill all your friends?”
“Ah, yes,” said Ellylle. “Some were my friends, but others were not. A better question would’ve been why I destroyed the Council of Ormon, and I will answer that. I destroyed them because they posed an existential threat to my agenda. Every day I mourn the passing of my friends, but I must do what’s needed to restore the balance. That’s what it means to be the Eternal Vanam.”
Silence followed. Lomomu’s throat bobbed. “I’m, uh, sorry you lost your nightmare body. That must be awful to be cut off like that.”
Ellylle laughed musically. “My dear Lomomu, I was only pruned. I’m hardly cut off. As my roots continue to spread, I feel connected to every binary across the whole of the Milky Way. I have an especially strong connection with a certain binary, though I doubt he knows it.” She hummed quietly for a moment. “He’s as powerful as me, but he’s young, and his potential is as yet unrealized. He’s drawn to me, as I am to him, and even now he influences his friends to look for me. One day soon our paths will cross, and the nations of the galaxy will tremble.”
“Hey,” said Reggie, and he tapped Lomomu’s mask. “Zella’s ready.”
“Excellent,” said Ellylle. “Do your part, gentlemen.”
“Yeah, yeah,” said Reggie. He retrieved the digital paper and hurried to Zella’s side. Lomomu entered in each character exactly as Reggie read them off.
◆◆◆
Four days earlier on the countdown planet of Arsenal Bay, Shona and Malmoradan were heading back to Cherry Grove. They returned the buggy to its station and took the tram back to the residence tower. With heavy hearts, they prepared to show Casey the footage of the mound of discarded prosthetics…
Within the confines of Hector’s lobby, Casey listened to Malmoradan’s report. Shona fumbled with the camera for a moment before playing back the footage she had captured. Orin and Mike helped Nimbus over as everyone on Casey’s team gathered close to watch it.
“My god,” whispered Casey. “They processed everyone here and dumped anything that was artificial.”
“Even from what’s visible, I can see so many critical prostheses,” whispered Edison. “Ocular, pulmonary, cranial, cardiovascular, spinal…”
“I believe those are Hector’s legs on top of the pile,” said Mike.
“It almost feels like they’re sending us a warning,” said Orin.
“Judging by when he left, it’s possible Hector was the last one to arrive at the ziggurat,” said April. “If so, it stands to reason it was more of a first come, first processed situation. As opposed to sending us a warning, that is.”
Cajun kicked the reception table, and everything atop it clattered slowly to the floor. “Damn it! All o’ you, ya don’t need to be so damn cold about it! Once upon a time, Hector and me were the best o’ friends.”
“I’m sorry,” said Casey. “I really am. It’s just so much for us to take in.”
“I know,” said Cajun. “It’s a lot for me, too.”
“If it’s any help, I don’t think Hector’s dead,” said April. “I can still sense traces of his consciousness.”
Cajun glanced away. “So ya sayin’ wherever it is they stuck him, he’s tryin’ to get by with nothin’ below the waist?”
“I don’t sense any suffering attached to it. He may be in a dormant state,” said April.
“Don’t ya dare let me know if it gets worse, ya hear?” Cajun looked back at her. “I mean it.”
April smiled slightly. “You have my word.”
“I should’ve used my powers on them,” said Orin.
“Don’t go down that road,” said Casey. “There�
�s no guarantee you could’ve done anything to stop this. Even if you had, there’s no telling how many of them there are out there, how many ships they have, or how they would’ve responded to an act of aggression on our part. Don’t worry, I’ll send everything to First Contact. They’ll start tracking these things and come up with an effective response, like they always do.”
“C… Casey Cartwright, you pro… project certainty of an outcome w… without sufficient knowledge of our opponent,” said Nimbus. “You also lack comprehensive knowledge of the Bureau of First Contact’s tactical c… capacity.”
“I’m not in the mood to argue with a computer,” said Casey. “Nimbus, I’m aware of the assumptions I’m making, and I’d appreciate it if you save those kinds of comments until such time as you and I can discuss them in private. Okay?”
“Affirmative.” Nimbus stumbled slightly.
“I think it’s time we got back to the shuttle,” said Casey. “Shona, see if you can find some clothes for Nimbus to wear.”
“I saw a couple kiosks out in the concourse,” said Shona.
“Great,” said Casey. “Everyone, let’s be ready to ship out in ten.”
◆◆◆
A day later, docking clamps secured Casey’s shuttle to Watchtower’s hangar deck. Casey and April drifted into the passenger compartment, where Casey addressed the room. “Before we disembark, I wanted to let everyone know we’ve been offered a contract by Taranis Arms to investigate the disappearance of their entire workforce from the surface of Arsenal Bay. Before I say yes, I wanted to discuss opportunities to participate.”
“Like extending your deputy status,” said Edison, and he nodded at Orin and Mike.
“Also adding Nimbus, if you want in,” said Casey.
Nimbus stood proudly, gripping a handrail to remain in place. “Upon my activation, I was assigned both military and law enforcement status, Casey Cartwright. Both were required for optimal readiness to support any individual to whom I was assigned. Although I was assigned to neither a military nor law enforcement servicemember, my licenses were never revoked. I am not in need of deputization, as I am already an officer of the law.”
“When you were a medical fog, sure,” said Casey. “No one’s going to be able to scan you for those certifications anymore, and without a gene key, no one’s going to be able to cross-reference anything, either. But it sounds like you’re willing to take the oath, and that’s good. I’m grateful.” She regarded Orin and Mike. “What about you two?”
“I’m in,” said Orin.
“I came out here for Nimbus, so I need a little time to sort everything out,” said Mike. “I’ll let you know what I decide before we return to the nightmare gate.”
Casey nodded. “I’ll write you in for now, and we can take you off if you change your mind.” She regarded the rest of her team. “As soon as I send over the signed contract, we’ll have full access to the Taranis Arms logistics network, including their nightmare gates. We’ve gotten scattered reports of similar appearances on other countdown worlds, but nothing about how the enemy’s ships move or where they’re headed next.” She glanced at her team. “Cajun, please get a room together for Nimbus. Edison, why don’t you go with him, just to make sure Nimbus gets there in one piece. Orin and Mike, you should both grab a shower. I don’t know if it’s what you ate at the cantina, but you’ve both developed a certain funk since yesterday. The rest of you, please stay behind. I need a minute of your time.”
“Aye, Captain,” said Edison, and Cajun nodded. One by one, they both exited the shuttle, drifting out into the cargo hold. Shulana and Ikunku stepped through the door at the top of the stairs. Their mag boots clunked as they greeted their crewmates.
“Casey Cartwright, I will follow John LeKay and Dr. Edison Stone, as you have implied.” Nimbus gripped a pair of handholds mounted to either side of the open airlock door.
“It’s weightless out there too,” said Mike. “Just wait for the fire to appear around Orin’s hand and you won’t have to worry—”
“Miguel Santos, thank you for the words of caution,” said Nimbus, and with a grin launched through the passageway. Inside the hanger, Nimbus twirled and tumbled, jumping from one bulkhead to another. Nimbus sprang from the overhead to alight upon the ranch-hand and drifted toward the stairs.
“He took to his new body pretty quickly,” said Orin. “Or is it she, now?”
“‘They’ is polite enough, but we should probably ask Nimbus,” said Mike.
“I’ve never seen anyone move with such grace in zero-G.” Orin stared as Nimbus caught the rail and swung around to crouch upon the steps several paces ahead of Cajun. “Is it just me, or did Nimbus somehow manage to get a tan on the way over?”
“It’s not just you,” said Mike. “Cajun said it’ll be a few days—maybe weeks—until all the physical traits present themselves.”
“I wonder what they’ll look like,” said Orin.
They left the shuttle, and Orin turned up the gravity for Mike and himself as they made their way across the deck.
◆◆◆
Watchtower’s thrusters roared to life, echoing up from the engine room, and centrifugal gravity set in. Casey leaned against the bulkhead as her comrades stood across from her. “April, Shona, and Malmoradan, thanks for sticking around. I know you and Orin are going into business together, but I hope you’ll reconsider. At least for now. I can’t shake the feeling we’re being pulled into something big. Having you all back on the crew would make conducting this investigation so much easier.”
“Sounds like the new hires are giving you some trouble,” said Malmoradan.
“Not at all,” said Casey. “In fact, it’s quite the opposite. They’re swashbucklers, Malmoradan! Like we used to be, before we met Ky. I find myself daydreaming of the times we plundered those old space hulks, when we drew down on anyone who dared to steal our rightfully stolen goods!”
“And here I thought we considered ourselves scavengers back then,” he said, and he chuckled.
“You’re both police officers and have been since I joined the crew, so it seems like a moot point,” said April. “At least I hope it is.”
“Just daydreaming,” said Casey.
April crossed her arms. “You’re not famous for resisting your wild urges, dear cousin.”
“All the more reason to re-join,” said Shona. “Look, we can’t even afford a down payment on that Phlogiston, so maybe we’re not ready to do this on our own yet.”
“We can afford a lovely used starship,” said April. “It doesn’t need to be high-end to achieve our goals.”
Malmoradan regarded April sidelong. “Which were what, exactly? Remind me.”
“I can sense you remember them perfectly well, but I’ll humor you by repeating them,” said April. “We all agreed we wanted to do some real good out there, and maybe make enough money to get by in the process. We wanted to be heroes, for a change.”
“Rescuing everyone that got kidnapped from Arsenal Bay would do a lot of good for them and their loved ones,” said Malmoradan. “And only a bunch of foolhardy heroes could hope to stop those things.”
“They weren’t kidnapped,” said April. “They’re gone. Probably slaughtered.”
“But you told Cajun…” said Shona. “You said Hector was alive!”
April took a deep breath. “I told Cajun what he needed to hear to stay sane.”
For a moment, thoughts of Rusty played through Casey’s mind, before anger welled to the surface. “Damn it, April, we agreed you’d never lie about what you sensed!”
“No,” said April. “We agreed I’d never lie about my senses when it came to our fellow crewmates. Cajun’s not part of my crew anymore. I’m sorry, but I just didn’t have the heart to tell him the truth.”
“All the more reason to do this,” said Malmoradan. “If we can’t rescue them, we can at least avenge them.”
“I realize that,” said April, and she plopped down on the bench. “I just
wanted to do this on my own for once.”
“You still can,” said Casey. “I just need your help until all of this is over. And when that time comes, if it’s a Phlogiston you want, I can make that happen. Marble River paid me a lot for Blacktusk.”
“Well, it finally happened,” said April.
“What happened?” asked Casey.
April smiled wryly. “You outfoxed me.”
“I did no such thing,” said Casey, and she laughed as she pulled April up into a hug. “So, you’re in?”
“I’m in,” said April.
“Me too,” said Shona.
“Hell, we’re all in,” said Malmoradan.
“Great!” Casey beamed, and she glanced toward the airlock. “Do you think Orin would join?”
◆◆◆
Orin and Mike retired to their respective quarters, where they both grabbed a shower and a nap. With Nimbus standing between them, Cajun and Edison stopped before Nimbus’s room. “Ya right next to Shona,” said Cajun, and he pointed across the way. “Orin’s over there, and if ya follow the passageway past the lift, Mike’s is the first room on the right.” He pushed the latch and opened the door. The lights flickered on. “If ya develop any rapport with the greenhorns, ya can find ‘em all one deck down.”
“Thank you for the information, John LeKay.” Nimbus regarded the access panel. “As Casey Cartwright noted previously, I lack a gene key. How will I access my quarters?”
“Mon Capitaine turned off the lock,” said Cajun. “Don’t ya worry now, I’ll get ya fitted with a gene key at the next major starport, and then ya bound to have plenty o’ privacy. For now, I’ll personally see to it they all know to knock before enterin’.”
Nimbus smiled brightly. “I am not presently concerned with physical privacy, although I am grateful for your thoughtful vigilance.”
“All right, Nimbus, I got you here safely,” said Edison. “Unless either of you needs anything else, I’m going to retire to my quarters.”
“Farewell, Dr. Edison Stone,” said Nimbus.
