“Fitting indeed is it to confirm the faith we have all shown,” Ani-Hata-Ga said, then vanished.
“Where’d he go” Vargis demanded, suspecting he’d been cheated.
Sarat motioned for calm. “The holographic projectors Ani-Hata-Ga has been using are required for the demonstration.”
The circular base of the transport device supporting the Codex glowed, then it floated from the table, down to the holo projector’s floor plate. When conductive contact had been established between the Codex and the holo emitter, a three dimensional image of the Local Group of galaxies appeared. More than fifty smaller galaxies orbited the two great formations at the center, the immense spiral of Andromeda and the smaller barred spiral of our own Milky Way Galaxy. Together, the Local Group formed a sparkling gathering of a trillion stars spanning a sphere ten million light years across.
“Here be the scope of the Antaran Codex,” Ani-Hata-Ga’s voice sounded from the ether. “To prove its worth, let us investigate what is known to you as the Galaxy Triangulum, three million light years distant.” The image zoomed into the local group, sending galaxies flying off the sides as the focus shifted towards the third largest of the local galaxies. “To cross the plane of Triangulum from the point closest to this galaxy to that most opposite, shown is the path to be followed.” A bright red line zig zagged through the spiral galaxy’s forty billion stars, depicting the course a ship would follow for the fastest possible transit from one side to the other.
Suddenly, I got it!
The Antaran Codex was like Mapped Space. It identified every atom of dark matter lurking in the endless void of space, but instead of covering a mere half of one percent of our galaxy, it spanned ten million light years! It’s why the Codex had to be virtually indestructible, why the Irzaen had said without it we were trapped – because we’d be unable to navigate between the stars without it. It was the keys to the kingdom! Not just our kingdom, but to dozens of kingdoms, even those currently far beyond the reach of our technology.
“It includes maps of all the galaxies in the Local Group?” I asked.
“Such is its extent, unparalleled in accuracy,” the Irzaen responded.
“And all the space between the galaxies,” Sarat added.
“How did the Kireen get all this information?” I asked, astounded by the sheer size of its coverage.
“The same way this spiral arm, or our entire galaxy, was mapped,” Ani-Hata-Ga replied. “Many thousands of civilizations over millions of years shared their individual knowledge to gain access to the whole. No one civilization could achieve this, only collectively could it be done.”
“The Tau Cetins never told us sharing existed on such scale,” Marie said.
It had been taken for granted cooperation was limited to those civilizations inhabiting the Milky Way Galaxy. No one had ever considered the senior Forum members were in partnership with civilizations in other galaxies, or even had contact with them! The distances were so vast, it seemed impossible that the true cooperative civilization we were seeking to join was intergalactic in scope.
“What purpose would it serve for you to know?” Ani-Hata-Ga asked. “Much time will pass before you could use such knowledge.”
He was right. I did a quick calculation, discovering it would take the Silver Lining more than two thousand two hundred years to reach Triangulum.
“If the Codex device is seven million years old,” Bo asked, “is the data not out of date?”
“How could it be?” Ani-Hata-Ga asked.
“In all that time, everything has moved. Old stars have died, new stars have been born.”
“Valued customer,” Ani-Hata-Ga replied, “What is once known is known for all time.”
“But that would mean the Codex can predict the evolution of the physical universe itself!” I said.
“Your description of the merchandise is correct, although this particular product’s usefulness is constrained to the extent you have seen. A larger device is required for detailed astrographic mappings of the entire universe. We have no such product for sale, although they do exist. With regret, the Irzae are not permitted such devices.”
“Do the TCs have them?” Marie asked.
“We do not know what the Tau Cetins have access to,” Ani-Hata-Ga replied, “although it is known they sent ships deep into what you call the Virgo Supercluster during the Intruder War. This demonstrates knowledge far greater than the expanse of this Codex. We Irzae have no such capability.”
As the Irzaen’s words sank in, the shocked look on the faces of the others told me none of them had fully understood what the Antaran Codex really was. It knew where every element of the visible and non-visible universe was hidden and used that knowledge to produce detailed mappings across ten million light years. It could compensate for every gravitational variation, every collision, every explosion, and predict any variable that would impact the Local Group into the distant future. The variables to be calculated were almost infinite and demonstrated complete mastery of the physical sciences.
“None of us are going to Triangulum in the foreseeable future,” Vargis said. “The proof I seek is for our galaxy.”
“As you wish,” Ani-Hata-Ga replied.
The image of Triangulum was instantly replaced by the Milky Way, and a dozen courses were plotted from a point a third of the way out from the galactic center to various points in the outer rim. “Here the Codex reveals multiple pathways from your Earth to the edge of this galaxy.”
Vargis nodded, convinced. With the Codex in their possession, the Consortium could send ships across the Milky Way in search of business opportunities. If the others had won, it would have allowed the Beneficial Society to monopolize travel beyond our current Mapped Space and build a trade empire rivaling even the Irzaens, or enabled Bo and Gwandoya to move their criminal operations far beyond the reach of Earth Navy.
“Does it know where habitable planets and resources are?” I asked.
“They are all computed outcomes from known data,” the Irzaen trade representative replied.
That explained Breckinridge’s interest. With it, his mining conglomerate could have exploited distant, untapped mineral resources.
Now that I understood what the Irzaen’s were selling, I knew whatever the price, the Antaran Codex was worth it.
“That concludes the demonstration,” Sarat said. “Are there any other questions?”
No one spoke as the Irzaen transport device lifted off the floor and carried the Codex back to its display table. The image of the Milky Way vanished the moment it lost contact with the floor plate, replaced by Ani-Hata-Ga’s cumbersome quadrupoidal form.
“Pleased we are that the moment of decision has arrived,” Ani-Hata-Ga said.
Sarat turned towards the plain rock wall behind them. A screen, identical to the one in the main dining area, glowed blue as the Earth Bank auctioneer advised it who the successful bidder was. Now that Vargis had seen what the Codex could do, he was already calculating how the Consortium would exploit its vast potential. That desire triggered a moment of uncertainty as he faced the prospect of losing. We watched the screen waiting for the winner’s name to appear. Instead, it flickered from blue to white noise and back several times.
Was Izin blocking the result?
Sarat glanced at one of his butler-guards. “What’s wrong?”
The guard shrugged, turning to the Earth Bank auctioneer and examining its settings. “Nothing, it’s working perfectly.”
Behind Sarat, the screen flashed back to life and my name appeared on it. The characters were a different size and shape to what we’d seen before, but the result was visible for all to see. And its meaning clear: Izin had broken the unbreakable.
“Yeah!” Jase declared with a fist pump. “Good work, Skipper!”
Sarat turned towards me. “Congratulations, Captain Kade. I’m sure Jie Kang Li will be very pleased with his acquisition.”
“That’s impossible!” Vargis exploded,
glaring at me. “There is no way the Yiwu could have topped my bid!”
“You underestimate Jie Kang Li,” I said. “Many people make that mistake.” I glanced at Bo who seemed genuinely surprised I’d won.
“The Promise has been fulfilled,” Ani-Hata-Ga said officially, “completing the activity for which we have gathered here this day. Humble thanks.” His image vanished, signaling the end of the auction.
Bo stepped forward to shake hands. “Well done, Captain Kade.” He leaned forward, adding in a low voice. “It appears someone underestimated you.” He glanced meaningfully at Sarat.
“Thanks Bo,” I said, following his gaze, wondering what he meant. “No hard feelings?”
Bo gave me a philosophical look. “One cannot be angry over failing to obtain the unobtainable.”
Marie gave me a grudging smile. “I thought he had you.” She leaned close and whispered, “How’d you do it?” She said, telling me she knew I’d cheated.
“I paid what it was worth,” I whispered back.
She kissed my cheek, then with her lips close to my ear, said, “Now I know you’re lying.”
Sarat motioned for me to approach. “The auctioneer will automatically update your vault-key.”
I wondered how long I had before Sarat discovered the Earth Bank auctioneer had deducted only one credit from my balance. I realized I’d made a foolish mistake, bidding only one credit. As soon as Sarat saw the transfer, he’d know the result had been fixed. I needed to grab the Codex and get out of here fast, before he set the guards on me.
Sarat retrieved the Codex from the invisible protective field encasing it, and offered it to me. “This is now yours, Captain Kade. I’m sure your benefactor will put it to good use.”
I hesitated. “You’re sure it’s not going to cut me in half, like it did Breckinridge?”
“The protective field is keyed to my bio signature,” Sarat explained. “Only I can remove it safely from the Irzaen transporter, but now that I have, it’s quite safe.”
I took it, testing its weight. “It’s lighter than I expected.”
“And infinitely stronger than the hardest polysteel,” Sarat assured me.
My palms tingled as the device began to interact with the bionetic filaments in my hands. Shocked, I realized it sensed my threading and thought I was a system it could link with! I tried blocking it, erecting a neural barrier in my wrists, but it had no effect. Whatever was coming out of the Codex passed through my defenses as if they didn’t exist.
“The auctioneer will take care of my commission,” Sarat continued, “and the transfer to our Irzaen host’s representatives on Earth.”
I turned to Jase, nodding for him to take the Codex, trying not to look alarmed by the alien-tech assault on my threading. The tingling sensation was halfway up my arm by the time Jase took hold of the alien device, breaking the nascent link that had almost turned me into a human terminal. While Jase ran his eyes curiously over the Codex, I clenched my fists, relaxing as the tingling sensation passed.
“Guard it with your life,” I said.
“Absolutely,” Jase replied, turning to Sarat. “Now that we’re done, where are my guns?”
Sarat hesitated, wondering if Jase was about to take his revenge for Hades City.
“Purely to guard the Codex,” I said quickly. “Right Jase?” More a command than a question.
“Yeah,” Jase said reluctantly, “If you say so, Skipper.”
I gave Sarat a reassuring nod, then he motioned to a nearby guard, who hurried away.
“The shuttle is waiting on the landing pad below,” Sarat said, “to take you back to the spaceport.”
“This’ll be a fun flight back,” Marie said, “with Vargis ready to skin you alive.”
“We’ll make sure it’s where he can see it,” I said, “But no touching.” Especially not by me!
Two guards approached carrying an engineering diagnostic scanner similar to what Izin used to examine sealed components during maintenance cycles. They set the rectangular machine down in front of Sarat who picked up the Irzaen transport device that had guarded the Codex and placed it in the scan compartment. The guards locked the scanner, then initiated a full diagnostic cycle.
“Your Irzaen friends may not take kindly to you stealing their technology,” I said.
“They’ll never know,” Sarat said. “This maintenance scanner isn’t designed to reverse engineer alien-tech, but you’d be surprised what some companies will pay for even partial scans of non-human technology.”
A guard appeared carrying a large tray displaying an assortment of weapons and my confiscated communicator. Marie pocketed her two small, but lethal, needle guns and a close range bolt-stunner, then Jase and I retrieved our sidearms.
“You’re carrying three guns now?” I asked, surprised as I pocketed my communicator.
“I always did,” She replied, amused that it had taken me this long to penetrate one of her many little secrets. “And you’re still lugging around that hand cannon. Isn’t it time you got something a little less . . . brutish?”
“I like brutish!” I said, feigning defensiveness as I tested the weight of the Magnetically Accelerated Kinetic Precision-50. The hard hitting heavy pistol fired the full range of smart hypersonic projectiles, making it a versatile problem solver. My top of the line P-50 was bulkier than the standard MAKs, but its range and accuracy enhancements ideally suited my ultra-reflexed senses.
“Or you might just have an issue with the size of your . . . gun?” She taunted.
Jase chuckled. She looked meaningfully at his identical pair of frag-guns. “Why are you laughing, blondie? His weapon’s obviously bigger than yours! Is that why you need two to compensate?”
Jase winced at her sharp tongue. He rested his free hand on one of the short range, gunfighter weapons now secure in its hip holster. “I thought a woman like you would know using both hands requires more skill.”
“Really? Did you learn that all by yourself, late at night?”
I grinned as Jase realized he should quit while he was behind. “I’m not saving you,” I said as I holstered my P-50.
One of the guards approached and whispered to Sarat briefly, who then turned to us. “Unfortunately, the storm has grounded the shuttle. You’ll have to stay here one more night.”
“Can’t it fly above the storm?” Jase asked.
“Yes, but it can’t land or take off in this wind. The moment it left the pad, it would be pushed into the cliff. It’s happened before. The shuttle pilots won’t fly in these conditions.”
“I’ll fly it,” Jase said. “I’ll show them how it’s done.”
“They won’t allow that. The storm will ease by morning. You can fly back to Tundratown then.”
That gave Sarat time to discover I’d cheated the auction, but unless Jase and I hijacked the shuttle, we had no choice but to stay.
“In that case, I hope you’ve still got some of that Merayan red left,” Marie said, giving me a look promising a long and eventful night.
“I’m sure we do,” Sarat replied, “courtesy of the Irzaen trade mission.”
* * * *
Jase positioned the Codex on the table in front of him like a trophy during dinner, toasting it occasionally and resting his glass on it in a way that clearly irritated Vargis. Bo sipped his green tea impassively hiding his amusement at Vargis’ irritation, while Marie and I made a heroic effort to empty our Irzaen’s host’s wine stocks. The meal had barely finished when Vargis rose and without a word withdrew to his room to escape Jase’s exuberant celebrations. Eventually Bo and Sarat departed, while we finished the last bottle.
“You’ll be a rich man once Jie Kang Li rewards you for swindling the Consortium out of the Codex,” Marie said.
“Here’s to Jie Kang Li,” I said toasting my cover story. I emptied the glass and poured another, thinking once Bo told Jie Kang Li I’d pretended to represent him, there’d be a price on my head.
“To Mukul Sara
t, may he rot in hell!” Jase said venomously. He drank directly from the bottle, then slapped it down heavily on the Codex and flopped into his chair, staring blankly ahead. “I don’t even remember their names,” he said bitterly, recalling the two girls Sarat had had killed in Hades City.
Marie watched Jase, shaking her head. “The key to untold riches, and he’s resting his drink on it!”
“It survived seven million years adrift in space,” I said, “and can withstand a fusion explosion – I think it’s safe to assume it’s waterproof.”
We emptied our glasses, then I whispered to Marie, “Another bottle or . . . ?”
“Or?” she asked, feigning innocence. We exchanged unspoken thoughts, then she smiled and stood up, helping Jase to his feet. “OK hot shot, time for bed.”
While Jase stumbled to his feet, I scooped the Codex up one handed, forgetting in my intoxicated state my earlier encounter with it. Marie gave Jase a gentle nudge towards the hall leading to our quarters, then we followed arm in arm.
“So, will you trust me enough next time to tell me what you’re up to?” I asked.
“I trust you, Sirius, just not with my money.”
I became vaguely aware of a tingling in my hand. I realized it was the Codex, trying to link with me again. The alcohol dulled my instincts, letting me wonder if my earlier wariness had been unwarranted. I decided to watch the Codex as it worked its way up my arm’s bionetic filaments towards my shoulder. When it found one of my scapula storage nodes, it began downloading masses of data, as much as it could push through my threading. It seemed to be simply a benign data transfer, then something else shot through the bionetic filaments in my arm. It passed the data storage area in my shoulder blade and rapidly spread through my body. By the time we reached the hallway, the download had consumed fourteen percent of my threaded memory capacity and the searching presence had begun to tap my sensory core. My vision blurred, the sound of the wind outside distorted and I began to lose my balance. A threading security alert flashed into my mind, warning that the autonomous command center in my collar bone was under attack. The threaded inputs in my mind’s eye went haywire, distorting into scrambled gibberish, as whatever the Codex had spawned into me shattered my threading’s innermost defenses.
Mapped Space 1: The Antaran Codex Page 13
