Arkship Obsidian (The Arkship Saga Book 1)

by Niel Bushnell

  ‘I will,’ Bara smiled.

  About them the diners finished their meal, breaking into smaller groups to talk further. The Chancellor drifted away, taking time to speak with others at the dinner.

  Wynn, Bara and Derward took their drinks to the edge of the courtyard where a long chair rested under a thin tree. Wynn admired the dazzling view overhead. The Circadia obscured the daylight shining on the opposite quadrant, letting just a handful of star-like islands of light through its vast cowl.

  ‘What are you thinking about?’ Bara asked.

  Wynn laughed, feeling embarrassed. ‘I was wondering what it was like to stand on a planet. Imagine being there, no helmet or visor, air to breathe, and that view.’ He pointed upwards at the artificial lights. ‘Imagine seeing stars from a planet.’

  ‘I’ve seen pictures,’ Bara replied, ‘but I don’t think it’s the same.’

  ‘I met a man who says there’s a planet out on the edge of the Cluster, he said he’d been there,’ Derward said with a mischievous smile.

  ‘Oh, we’ve all met guys like that,’ Bara laughed. ‘There’s been stories like that since the Fracture!’

  Derward nodded. ‘I’d like to think there’s some truth in those old stories, Bara. Maybe there are still parts of the Cluster left to discover. Doesn’t that make life more interesting?’

  ‘After the last few days I don’t think I want it any more interesting.’

  Wynn laughed, feeling the effects of the wine on his head. ‘Earlier, you said you’d tell me about the Draig family.’

  Derward’s eyes widened. ‘Yes, I did. Now, let’s see . . .’ He waved to get the attention of a bot, waiting until it had filled his glass. ‘Thank you,’ he said, then continued. ‘Draig . . . yes, Draig. I’ve never been on a Draig arkship, they tend to trade with other arkships rather than independent merchants like me, but I hear plenty. They’re a small family, just four or five arkships to their name. They’re mineral miners around the Jupiter ring, always in territory disputes with the Li-Zhang family. But it’s a big ring, room for plenty there, right? What was the name of the old girl in charge? Sinnsro . . . something like that. She was Valtais until she died last year. Since then they’ve been in transition. Her holograph is still in power but her son is soon to take charge. Orcades Draig: He’s the one to watch. Young guy with big ideas about expansion. Bit of a hot head, from what I hear.’

  Wynn listened, hoping some of this might revive a lost memory. ‘So, you think he’s the one who attacked the Obsidian?’

  ‘Maybe,’ Derward shrugged.

  ‘And you think this has nothing to do with Wynn’s memory loss?’ Bara asked.

  Derward laughed. ‘Sol! It’s connected! I’m sure of that.’

  Wynn stared at him. ‘But . . . what you told the Chancellor . . .’

  ‘Was a complete lie,’ Derward grinned. He lowered his voice, aware of the other guests nearby. ‘I just like to wind the old girl up. An accident during surgery? Oh, come on! How likely is that?’

  ‘So, you think it was deliberate?’ Bara checked.

  ‘Of course it was deliberate! There’s secrets inside that brain, and I’d bet good fruit on it being connected to the destruction of the Obsidian.’ He tapped Wynn’s head playfully as he spoke.

  ‘I have to find out,’ Wynn muttered in frustration. ‘I need to remember.’

  ‘Maybe I can help you with that,’ Derward replied quietly.

  ‘How?’

  Derward glanced at the other guests, noting the position of the Chancellor, then swung his arm round Wynn’s shoulder as he spoke in a loud voice. ‘My ship? It’s the best little ship in the Cluster. But I don’t have time for tours, I’m a busy man.’

  The chancellor watched as Derward emptied his glass, swaying slightly as he drank.

  ‘No, no, far too busy,’ he continued. ‘But!’ Derward handed his glass to Wynn and walked towards the exit. ‘But . . . come to the dockyard tomorrow around eleven, maybe twelve, and I might be able to show you round, as long as you don’t get in the way.’

  Bara laughed. ‘If you’re awake.’

  ‘Awake? I’m always awake.’ Derward grinned, turned to find the chancellor and bowed theatrically towards her.

  Chancellor Varjo nodded politely, her face fixed.

  Satisfied, Derward turned to leave, bumping into the wall as he made his way out of the courtyard.

  LEUGHADAIR

  Derward Tarkkail’s ship was a oddly-proportioned vessel, larger than Bara’s Lexica but its mass was in its height rather than its length. Most of its bulk came from the stocky cargo containers that hung beneath the body of the ship, dwarfing the slender legs that held the ship above the dockside platform. The hull was a mess of reds and browns, discolored by years of travel. High above, Wynn saw the soft lights of the upper decks and the bridge of the ungainly ship.

  A steep entry ramp extended from the rear of the craft, squeezed beneath two dirty-looking engines that dripped oil into puddles on the platform.

  ‘It’s an ugly ship,’ Wynn noted.

  Bara turned to him, her eyes wide. ‘Don’t say that to Derward, he won’t be happy. Besides, it’s bad luck.’

  She gazed up at the stained hull as she waited by the ramp. ‘Don’t listen to him, he didn’t mean it.’ She kissed her palm than slapped it against the engine, removing a layer of dust in the shape of her hand from its pitted surface.

  Wynn smirked, joining her by the ramp.

  ‘What are you laughing at?’ she asked as she patted his shoulder with her dirty hand. ‘Say hi to Derward from me.’

  ‘You’re not coming?’

  ‘No, Lexica needs me. If I don’t give him some attention soon he’ll never speak to me. Besides, I get the feeling Derward wants to talk to you alone.’

  ‘Oh,’ Wynn said, feeling nervous. ‘Will I see you later?’

  ‘Sure. Call by when you’re done. I’m on platform 39A, just over there.’ She gestured into the distance, to the characteristic shape of Lexica.

  Wynn smiled his thanks before turning to climb the ramp. Inside was a narrow corridor with a low ceiling that forced him to stoop as he entered. Ahead, steam vented from a pipe, hissing as it spread through the passageway.

  ‘Welcome aboard the Leughadair,’ a voice bellowed. ‘She’s a little beauty, isn’t she?’

  Wynn peered under a large pipe and saw Derward grinning at him from beyond the billowing steam.

  ‘Come, this way.’ Derward disappeared up a narrow ladder. Wynn squeezed past the grey-white gas and followed him up through deck after deck until he emerged into a wider space at the top of the ship. The noise of the dockyard was all but gone now, and Wynn could hear faint background music drifting from the bridge, just ahead. Old rugs hung from the walls, softening the edges of the room, and a thick carpet cushioned the floor. Derward pulled at the hatch, cutting them off from the rest of the ship as he waved Wynn into the space.

  ‘Please, sit, make yourselves comfortable,’ he said, gesturing towards a collection of assorted cushions that littered the floor.

  ‘You don’t believe in chairs?’ Wynn asked.

  ‘Oh, I believe,’ Derward laughed as he climbed the short ladder that led up to the bridge, ‘but this is much nicer, don’t you think?’

  Wynn watched Derward as he searched through a crate, his host just a dark shape against the large windows. After a moment, Derward returned to the top of the ladder, grinning.

  ‘Relax, make yourself at home, Wynn,’ he encouraged as he leaped down the steps and joined him on the carpet. In his hand was a cylindrical container which he placed between them on the floor.

  ‘You like my ship?’ Derward inquired, his eyebrows raised.

  ‘She’s beautiful,’ Wynn lied.

  ‘Beautiful? You think?’

  ‘Y–yes.’

  ‘Hrmm,’ Derward thought. ‘Really? I always thought she was a bit dumpy, but – Sol! – she’s a gem of a ship! Now, I don’t have a lot of time, but I can gi
ve you the tour, show you the bridge.’

  ‘I came to talk,’ Wynn said urgently.

  Derward leaned forward and picked up the canister in front of him. ‘Oh, yes, we can talk. I’ll tell you about the engines, how I keep them running so quietly . . .’

  As he spoke he pressed the base of the canister and twisted it. The device clicked and Wynn heard a high-pitched vibration. Derward put his finger to his lips. ‘. . . This is an excellent ship and I’m sure you’ll like it.’

  The device pipped twice, and Derward smiled with relief. ‘It’s okay, we can talk openly now.’

  ‘What is that?’ Wynn asked, pointing to the device.

  ‘A jammer,’ Derward explained. ‘Old habit, I don’t like eavesdroppers.’

  ‘But we’re in Melchior’s dock. Isn’t it safe here?’

  ‘Indulge me,’ Derward replied. ‘I feel more comfortable with it on.’ He looked up from the device, his eyes scrutinizing Wynn. ‘So . . . you want your memories back?’

  ‘Of course! You know how to do it?’

  Derward laughed, rolling up the sleeves on his loose shirt. ‘Well now, I’m not going to make any boastful claims, in case this doesn’t work, but I have some meditation techniques that might help.’

  ‘Meditation?’ Wynn asked skeptically.

  ‘A method I’ve picked up on my travels. Calms the mind, helps you unlock things that are hidden.’

  Wynn said nothing.

  Derward noted his doubtful expression and added, ‘You don’t have to try it if you don’t want to.’

  Wynn sighed. ‘I don’t have anything to lose, do I?’

  ‘No, you don’t’ Derward grinned. He pulled out a small disc from his pocket and offered it to Wynn. ‘Here, do as I do.’

  Derward produced a second object and placed it in the center of his forehead. The device took hold and throbbed softly with a bluish light.

  Wynn looked at the little device in his own hands. ‘What is this?’

  ‘Theta state inducer. It adjusts and amplifies your brain wave frequency, helps to generate a meditative state. These two devices are linked. I act as a sort of pacemaker, to help to get you to the right state of mind. It doesn’t hurt.’

  Wynn placed the device onto his forehead. It was cool to the touch and vibrated gently on his skin. ‘Okay, what happens now?’

  ‘Just relax,’ Derward said quietly, ‘Close your eyes and follow my instructions. I’m going to start bringing you down from a gamma state to beta. You should start to feel calmer.’

  Wynn sensed the device sending a cooling wave through his brain, slowing his thoughts. It was as if the rest of the world faded away; Melchior, the dockside, the ship, one by one they became insignificant, until only Wynn and Derward remained.

  ‘That’s good,’ Derward said, sounding distant. ‘We’re coming down through alpha state . . .’

  Images began to form in his mind, appearing as if from nowhere, hazy at first but soon they were clear and vivid. He saw the Obsidian, frozen in time, moments before its destruction. Then he saw himself inside the lifeboat, adrift in space. His fear was gone, he felt in control. It was almost as if he could step out of the lifeboat . . .

  ‘Theta state,’ a voice said from somewhere far away. ‘I can see your thoughts now.’

  Wynn was in space, adrift amongst the wreckage of the Obsidian. He turned to see his lifeboat: he was still inside, his face frozen in a scream.

  ‘. . . that’s good. Focus on the moment . . .’

  He turned back to look at the Obsidian, at the pockets of red and orange that erupted from her skin.

  ‘. . . good. Hold that moment. Now, take us back, slowly . . .’

  The explosions tumbled back towards the ship, pushing their way inside. The holes in the hull closed up around them. Something moved past him, towards the ship: it was his lifeboat.

  ‘. . . go with it. Follow it . . .’

  Wynn moved with the lifeboat, past the maelstrom of debris, towards the Obsidian. As he got closer it became harder to move, as if he was pushing against some resisting force.

  Ahead was the tiny dot of the launch bay. The lifeboat dropped towards it, getting smaller and smaller. He couldn’t follow it; the force was too great.

  ‘. . . keep going. This is the start of the wall in your mind. You have the power to go through it. I am with you . . .’

  Wynn felt a surge of energy pulse through him and the resisting force gave, just a little. He began to chase the lifeboat, watching as it grew in size. He fell into the launch tube, through the lifeboat, and into the Obsidian itself. The force grew again, trying to repel him, and he felt as if he might tumble out of the vision at any moment.

  ‘You can do this. You are inside the wall now. Hold this moment . . .’

  Wynn tried to focus. The lifeboat sat in its launch silo, the main hatch open. He saw himself sat in the chair, his chin resting on his chest, his eyes half-closed. He turned to see another figure, close by. Their shape was blurred and dark, devoid of detail.

  ‘. . . concentrate on them!’

  Wynn gazed at the dark shape. Its arm was outstretched towards the lifeboat. What were they doing? He moved closer to the figure and he saw the fingers appear out of the murk. There was a hand, strapping his unconscious body into the lifeboat. His eyes followed the hand, up the arm, towards the shoulder. As he did more and more detail revealed itself. The arm wore a uniform, grey and red with a rank of office on its shoulder. Then the chest and neck formed out of the darkness. It was a man! He let his eyes trace the head, revealing the face. He was dark skinned with a bald head and broad nose. He hoped he might know the face, but there was no instant of recognition, no flood of memories unlocked.

  Wynn moved back to see the man properly. His uniform was formal, with dark boots and a thick leather belt pulling the buttoned jacket in. Along his chest was a line of badges . . . medals, perhaps? The details were blurring again, it took so much effort to focus. He felt the edges of the world begin to crumble.

  ‘Let time go forwards . . .’

  The figure began to move, fastening the harness around the unconscious Wynn in the lifeboat. He was aware of another figure moving nearby, of splinters of conversations between them. The military man stood over the lifeboat and said something to Wynn. The words were far away, just distorted noise coming from the man’s mouth. Wynn forced the image back. He let the words play again, trying to decipher them. Nothing. Again, he forced the vision to replay itself, and he moved closer to the man’s mouth, listening intently, watching as the lips formed syllables. Still, it was little more than a discordant noise, but one fragment of a word came to him: Hal. Confusion broke his attention and the edges of the vision frayed.

  ‘. . . hold your focus!’

  The image began to collapse. The deck of the Obsidian buckled and fractured. The man dissolved into dust until just his hand remained, grasping the harness to Wynn’s seat. The colors shifted, blurring into one until all that remained was Wynn in a storm of noise. A shape came to him, drawing him out of the mayhem, a golden line of light: The Infinite. He followed it, feeling its warmth as it grew. Wynn reached out, sensing it change from a twisted star into a piece of golden jewelry hanging from a chain. His fingers touched it and the last of the vision collapsed.

  Derward knelt over him, his face full of concern.

  ‘Finally!’ he said, relived. ‘you’ve been out for ages.’

  Wynn sat up, feeling groggy.

  ‘You passed out,’ Derward said as he handed a bottle of water to Wynn. ‘Can you remember anything?’

  ‘I . . . I saw the moment before the lifeboat launched, and a man in military uniform.’

  ‘Did you recognize him?’

  Wynn pictured his face again. ‘No.’

  ‘A pity,’ Derward said. ‘It seems the memory wall is substantial. We could try again but I don’t think you’ll be able to get through it.’

  Frustration overwhelmed Wynn. ‘Then how am I going to find out w
hat happened to me?’

  Derward thought for a moment. ‘Whoever did this will no doubt have some way of removing it. A keyword, an image, perhaps. Something that will trigger your subconscious to eradicate the wall to your memories. But until you know what that trigger is I don’t see how you’re going to get past the memory wall.’

  Wynn nodded, feeling exhausted.

  ‘You should go,’ Derward said briskly. ‘You’ve been here far too long for a simple guided tour. We don’t want to raise any suspicion.’

  ‘Are you always this nervous?’

  ‘Cautious, not nervous. It’s kept me alive this long.’ Derward straightened, staring at Wynn. ‘Look, I’m leaving the day after tomorrow. Perhaps you might like to join me? I can always use an extra pair of hands. In return, maybe we can test that memory of yours some more . . . and I can see what I can find out about the Kenric arkships.’

  Wynn thought about Derward’s offer. It felt like Melchior was a dead end for him now. He needed to be out there, to find other Kenric survivors, to learn about the Draig family. Then he pictured Bara and doubts clouded his mind. He didn’t want to leave her, but he couldn’t live without knowing who he was.

  ‘Yes,’ he said eventually, ‘I’d like that.’

  ‘Good. Now go, get out!’ Derward laughed. ‘I’ll be in touch when I’m ready to launch.’

  Derward’s smile fell away as he watched the boy leave, replaced with a sense of foreboding. He had shared his vision, he had seen Wynn’s last moments on board the Obsidian. The boy had not known the other figure in his vision, but Derward had. Long ago, he had been on board the Obsidian and had met many of the royal household. The uniformed man Wynn had seen in his vision was Cam Tanis, the Lord Chamberlain to the House of Kenric, second-in-command to Prince Thyred. Derward had recognized him immediately, his surprise almost breaking the vision. He had suppressed his knowledge, wondering as to why such a high-ranking individual would be tending to Wynn in his lifeboat.

  Then, as the vision moved forward, he had seen Tanis speak. His voice was inaudible but Derward had read his lips as easily as if they had been words on a page.