Beyond Death (Perimeter Defense Book #2)

by Michael Atamanov

  After that interview and several other statements like it from other "authoritative Alien experts," my and Katerina's standings took a sharp dive. In not even two days, my standing had managed to dip below -30, rolling back all of the recent growth. Katerina's situation was even worse than mine. My cousin was being directly accused of doctoring footage, and had been dishonorably discharged from the Journalist's Club and the list of honorable graduates of her university. And then, just now, my cousin got a warning from the Emperor's communications service: she was told that either she immediately repent for making fake news intended to sew panic, or she could expect a call to the carpet of August royl Toll ton Akad himself in the near future, where the issue of her behavior’s nonconformity with the rules and norms of aristocratic society would have to be addressed.

  To be honest, this relationship even hurt me deeply, though I tried not to show it and keep a careless smile on my face, insofar as that was possible with the extreme scars that now graced my physiognomy. But my cousin then was totally depressed at heart due to the doubt and accusations against her that were still gaining steam, and so she was making no effort to hide her utterly defeated condition.

  It was because of this doubt coming to light that I decided against my initial idea to immediately surrender all the trophies captured in battle to Imperial scientists. In the Sivala system, the battleship Master of Tesse, together with a dozen of the most damaged ships had separated from the rest of the fleet and set off through Swarm territory for repair in Unatari, taking the two trophy Alien frigates with them, as well as tons of biological and technological artifacts for research in my laboratories and three hundred Gamma Iseyek scientists, whose return the Swarm Progenitor had yet to send any demands for.

  "Here’s what, cousin. In two hours, my fleet will arrive to Forepost-4, on the border of Sector Nine. And though there are no inhabitable planets or large settlements in the system itself, the Forepost-4 station is inhabitable, and is equipped with a large border garrison and a great deal of repair berths for small-class starships. In Forepost-4, my fleet will make a stop for a few days. We need to wait for the Yayho fleet, which is hurrying to join us. Meanwhile, we can all just blow off the last couple of days’ worth of steam celebrating the end of our campaign against the Aliens."

  "And what?" asked my cousin, not understanding.

  "The official part will come first: awarding medals to the soldiers who distinguished themselves, and paying out bonuses to everyone, no exception, on account of the risk. After that, my soldiers will be free to let loose. With God as my witness, it will be quite the noble carousing. I will also be treating the local border garrison as our honored guests. And, to keep our detractors from talking about fake victories, my soldiers are sure to talk with the border guards, and stories about the battles are sure to come up. They are dying to share the stories of the hundreds of Aliens killed, as well as the assaults of the Behemoths and the Alien Queen. Let the official powers of the Empire take as much time as they want not recognizing it and ridiculing us, but normal people will start to think: how could fifteen thousand soldiers from the Sector Eight Fleet all be lying? So, forget about the Emperor's press service trying to squeeze you in their big fat ultimatum vice. The truth will get out sooner or later, no matter how the Orange and Purple Houses try to censor it. And that is when our adversaries will really start to go pale. I've got a very serious assignment for you in Forepost-4, cousin."

  "What assignment?" Katerina wondered, gradually coming back to life.

  "Have fun at the party, dance, get drunk as a skunk and make sure to find yourself a man for the evening and don't let him leave 'til morning. Don't think of this as just the advice of a close relative and senior aristocrat. This is an order from your fleet commander!"

  * * *

  The whole fleet clearly needed this event! The huge hangar in the Forepost-4 space station was now totally empty of the shuttles and close-range fighters that were normally housed there. Instead, it was filled with the ranks of the Perimeter Sector Eight Fleet's soldiers. The perfect rectangles of the crews in orange uniforms blended together with the splotchy uniforms worn by the assault troops. Human and Iseyek, android and Chameleon, all standing side by side. On the small towering platform, other than Crown Prince Georg, there were also several senior officers from the ranks of the border station, as well as Admirals Kiro Sabuto and Kheraisss Vej, General Savasss Jach, Colonel Gor ton Vulf, the Truth Seeker accompanied by her minions, and also the fleet commander's assistant, Captain Nicole Savoia.

  Katerina ton Mesfelle, as if nothing had happened, was overseeing the broadcast of the ceremony with a business-like smile, and none of those present could guess that just three hours earlier, my cousin had been crying buckets and talking about how her life was over. I had suggested that she start ignoring enemy insinuations and continue to stubbornly insist on her version of events, and she agreed.

  As for myself, without excessive modesty, I was on point. I had refused any makeup work, so my freshly scar-covered face could be shown on the huge screen on the hangar wall for my subjects. But I wasn't at all ashamed of my battle wounds, in fact, I was quite proud of them. My detractors and all other foes, no matter their reason for hating us, would not be able to achieve their goal. Actually, they had only put me on my game. I don't suppose I have ever spoken so brilliantly and penetratingly before a group of soldiers. First I ordered everyone to take a minute of silence in memory of our comrades who didn't make it to the end of the military campaign. Ninety-two thousand Iseyek, seven thousand five hundred humans, and three Chameleons had given their lives so the Sector Eight Fleet could accomplish the impossible and escape the deadly trap to get through the Alien-controlled star systems, in spite of the enemy's huge advantage in number and firepower.

  Based on their reaction, my subjects had never heard of the tradition of the minute of silence. All the same, the soldiers accepted it as a tribute to the memory of their fallen comrades very, very well. In the minute the soldiers were standing in saddened silence, I received three standing increase messages from the Imperial Military faction, two from the Iseyek, and another three from the Chameleons.

  After that, not hiding the truth from my subjects and not being shy in my language, I told them about this so-called "foremost Alien expert from the Purple House," whose whole fleet had destroyed less Alien ships than just the gunner from Vassar-3. I explained that he was casting doubt on the existence of Behemoth-class battleships, and the huge Alien fleets we had come up against. I told them about the witch-hunt that had been set up by the none-too-successful admirals and commanders after our Sector Eight Fleet. I probably did use language that was a bit rough on a few occasions. For example, when I gave unsolicited advice to Crown Prince Khayt royl Andor ton Reyekh on where exactly he should stick his authoritative opinion, given that the Arite translating to the Iseyek got tripped up in the middle of a sentence and clarified Crown Prince Khayt's gender and whether he would have such locations in his anatomy. But the soldiers were behind me all the way, and that's what was important.

  After the fleet commander's speech was over, we set about awarding medals to the participants in the military campaign. The first and most distinguished orders and medals were awarded by Admiral Kiro Sabuto, who had left his hospital room on that occasion for the very first time. If you ignored how unusually pale the admiral's face was, you couldn't notice any trace of the once-severe wounds on the flawless-looking warrior.

  After that, all the soldiers and crew members who had taken part in the escape from Alien territory with no exceptions were awarded a Black Star, a matte-black semi-glossy medal with the inscription: "For those who have ventured beyond death." This ancient Orange House medal had been discovered by my assistant Nicole Savoia in a military guidebook. In the past, these medals had been given to soldiers who had survived clinical death and been revived. I fully agreed with Nicole's opinion that there could be no more appropriate medals for these soldiers who had fallen
into such a deadly trap, and had already been effectively given a funeral and declared dead. That was why I had ordered fifty thousand such stars of black silver be made by Swarm craftsmen with an inscription in bright platinum.

  Standing change. Empire Military faction opinion of you has improved.

  Presumed personal opinion of you: +19 (warm)

  Global fame increase. Current value +21

  After all the boxes of medals had been given out to the starship captains for distribution to the crews, I took the microphone up again.

  "And now there will be a gift personally from the Perimeter Sector Eight Fleet Commander, as a sign of my gratitude for having such a brave and talented crew. You are capable of bringing the impossible to life. From this very minute, every one of you will be given a Black Star and have your salary raised by one third. You are the pride of the Empire, and honorable soldiers. You have all earned these medals with your military feats! And also, you will all be getting a bonus in the amount of three of the now-increased monthly salaries!"

  A collective roar of delight rippled across the hall. The echo came back many times from the hangar walls, deafening everyone inside.

  "In the neighboring halls of the space station, the celebratory tables have already been set for the Perimeter Sector Eight Fleet. I invite all the Forepost-4 garrison border troops to join us in the celebration. There's enough food and drink for everyone! You won't have to worry for your safety. The Sector Eight Fleet's cloaked frigates are already keeping an eye on all neighboring star systems, and not one ship will get past them unnoticed! So have fun, relax, let yourself go totally wild. You've earned it! Anyone still standing at the end of the party will be subjected to the strictest Truth Seeker testing, as a potential security risk! And so, let the fun begin!"

  Standing change. Empire Military faction opinion of you has improved.

  Presumed personal opinion of you: +20 (warm)

  * * *

  "Where am I?" the room I woke up in was definitely somewhere I had never been before.

  "It doesn't matter. It's very hard to get ahold of you, Ruslan. You tried to block mental communication. Did you think you could trick us and break the contract?"

  I would have recognized this woman's voice from among a million others. Young, resonant, and at the same time capable of freezing water, so extreme was the cosmic chill it harbored. Miya! I came to in an instant, and started looking around jerkily for the source of the voice.

  For some reason, she was nowhere to be seen, though I had no doubt that the extremely powerful Truth Seeker was somewhere nearby watching over me. I took a look around. I was on an open veranda with walls of interwoven vines. There was a small round table nearby with normal earth fruit: pears, peaches, and yellow plums. Out the window, I could see a triangle of penetratingly blue cloudless sky. I tried to sit up, and realized I was not in my own body... Well, actually it was the other way around. It was my actual body! My young healthy body. I wasn't even used to it anymore!

  "So, then, as for an answer to my question?" Miya's voice rang out from the opposite side of the small room. I turned my head sharply, but still couldn't manage to see her.

  "Show yourself!" I demanded.

  All my fear left my body. I was confident that I had not broken the contract with Mr. G. I., so I felt I was in the right.

  "No 'please,' no 'would you;' you won't even address me by name. Is that any way to talk with a lady who is several times your elder?"

  Nevertheless, Miya appeared literally one arm's length from me. I even got startled. The young, insanely beautiful woman with fiery red hair was sitting in a rocking chair. Her loose white clothes, and sitting pose somewhat hid the contours of her body, but she had simply not been able to fully cover up her big stomach. Off the top of my head, she looked to be five or six months along in the pregnancy.

  "It's actually seven," she corrected me, making no effort to hide the fact that she was unceremoniously rooting around in my thoughts. "That means that the mental block the girl put in... The girl has grown a lot, even too much... Take it off immediately after you return to the game!"

  "To the game?" I made sure to emphasize the last word. "Maybe you'll finally tell me in more detail what kind of game this is, given that the players can be killed?"

  "Don't be insolent, Ruslan." The cold of the grave returned to her voice. "You're in no position to get smart. If you want to know, I recommended Mr. G.I. to take you out right after the contract was over. Yes, Ruslan, I'm telling you the truth and so I won't try to hide it. But then my companion, despite all his negative character traits, is pathologically fastidious in matters of honor. So, we'll hold up our end of the contract as long as you don't give us any reason to doubt your honesty."

  Miya suddenly frowned and placed her right palm on her stomach, as if calming a child causing her pain by moving in the womb.

  "The future Crown Princess?" I clarified, pointing to Miya's stomach with a nod.

  "This should not worry you, Ruslan. My daughter will be born after your contract is up, so all issues of genealogy, inheritance and heraldry, are of no concern to you. Your mission is to defeat the Aliens... and not die. Don't take any more risks like that. Enough raids on Alien bases. And another thing, it was very hard for me to reach you. No matter how strong a Truth Seeker I am, my reserves are not infinite. I need crystals. I have no desire to ask Georgiy for that again, and hear out his telling-off. So, if you see an easy opportunity, call me into the game. Not right now. I spent too much energy on this. I need to restore my power first. In three days or so. Prepare the crystals for me and call me when no witnesses are around. And for now, get back into the game. And yes, I have removed your hangover. I have no idea where you could have learned to drink like that..."

  * * *

  I woke up from the ringing of my alarm clock in my bunk on the heavy cruiser Emperor August. For some reason, I wasn't wearing clothes, and was being haunted by patchy, confused memories that I had recently been making love with someone on this very bed. But who?

  Miya was not lying. My head was light and airy, like a student after an exam. I couldn't remember a bit of the previous day's events after the herd of pretty girls in ceremonial combat uniforms pulled me onto the dance floor. It would seem I even danced. But I'm pretty sure I don't know how to dance, right? Or maybe it's that Ruslan doesn't, but Crown Prince Georg royl Inoky had studied it long ago in his younger days? There was a complete hole in my memory after that. What happened last night? I suspect that very many fleet soldiers were asking the same exact question today, after really swinging for the fences after my victory speech.

  "How did I get into this room?" I asked a rhetorical question to the empty room.

  However, the empty space turned out to contain a totally real individual to answer my question. A barely noticeable haze on my bed transformed into Bionica.

  "My Prince, Popori de Cacha and Phobos took you to the cruiser at the very end of the big loud party."

  "Is that so? I honestly don't remember..."

  I wonder who I had had a tumble in bed with then? The only things other than me in the cabin were members of three Alien species, an Alpha Iseyek, the Arite, and a Chameleon. And what was more, the only female among them was a member of the Ravaash race... I had never been one to over-analyze fantasies, but I was having a very hard time digesting the information before me. The old scandal with Bionica could be considered a childish game in comparison with the "new adventures of the Crown Prince." Fortunately, Pseudo-Bionica explained everything:

  "After that, Princess Astra came to check up on your Highness. You were in very high spirits, and sent everyone else out of the room, because you said you were about to explain her your tactics for space battle with some ancient illustrated physiology textbook on human inter-gender relations. But then Astra left, because her punishment isn't over yet."

  So that means it was Astra... It felt like a stone had been lifted from my shoulders. I then started really worrying. T
here were some very weird ideas coming to mind.

  "Anything else interesting happen?"

  "The Yayho border fleet has arrived. A Swarm Meresh battleship, two Legashes, six Umoyges, twenty-three Vassars, and the rest are Safas. Admiral Kheraisss Vej is bringing the new arrivals up to speed on our tactics as we speak. By the way, it may interest your Highness that the captain of the Meresh is an Arite Iseyek, and since the Swarm Progenitor's coming to power, there has been no more sense in hiding that fact. And that captain has not arrived empty handed. He has an interesting gift for the Crown Prince: an immobilized and neatly wrapped Triasss Zess in the flesh. Nai Igir thought that this gift might be interesting to your Highness."

  "Without a doubt. And if that traitor starts to talk, this gift could become simply priceless. By the way, Arite, I still want to ask you: why did you remain on my ship after the end of the war with the Swarm? You are free to live openly among the Iseyek now."

  Bionica quickly fixed her hair and smiled her white-toothed smile:

  "The Arites know very little about your race. And as I am the first to meet with humanity, I was appointed by my kind to serve as discoverer and ambassador, in a sense, though it may not be on the most official terms. But all the same, your Highness has a channel of communication with the Arite Iseyek. You can speak with those of my kind through me."

  I see. I put myself in order, got dressed and went out into the hallway. Despite my slight apprehension, life on the ship had already returned to a completely normal rhythm. There wasn't even a small trace of yesterday's carousing. The staff officers were sitting in their places, the communications officers were talking with remote star systems and clarifying this or that piece of information. When I walked in, Lieutenant Max Stegor stood and approached me with a report.