The Tabit Genesis

by Tony Gonzales

  At least the Freetracks demanding an end to the Heritage Act were silenced in the mix.

  Cancelling her appointments for the rest of the evening, she began responding to queries without even consciously reading them. For now, the cognitive functions of her brain were detached from her anxieties; she was half immersed in reality, while the rest of her cowered in the scar left behind by the Gift. A combination of drugs prescribed by ORPHUS and cybernetic implants allowed her to multitask like this, splitting her brain into two separate realms at the price of an urgent need to sleep more often. But then the visions would return, awakening her even when sedated, and the damage was mounting.

  The AI reminded her of this as she returned to the suite.

  ‘You are unwell,’ ORPHUS warned, its blue eye tracking her into the kitchen. ‘I have detected accumulated toxins and elevated radiation levels in your blood. You need a transfusion, and rest.’

  ‘What else have you learned about the Hades Terminus?’ she demanded. Vespa was determined to learn what the significance of that desolate region of space had to her nightmare.

  ‘I have learned that a privateer freighter registered with Iopa Conglomerate witnessed Lightspear activity while en route from Hyllus to the Belt. I have also learned that four freighters have reported departure delays from the Heracles fuelling depot.’

  Vespa reached for a drug packet. Each one contained twenty-seven pills of all different shapes and colours. More than half were just to control the side effects of the psychoactive agents.

  ‘For what reason?’ she asked, tearing one open.

  ‘Unspecified,’ ORPHUS replied. ‘And no ETA was provided.’

  ‘Compute a role for Iopa in a plot to attack the Tabit Genesis,’ she ordered. ‘Run background checks on their employees and contractors. Look for past dealings with Ceti. Based on this information, what are the odds—?’

  ‘Somewhere between zero and impossible,’ Arturus said, his face a two-metre apparition that ORPHUS projected in her bedroom. Even through the static distortion in the image, he looked younger than when he had first arrived.

  ‘What the hell are you doing here?’ she hissed.

  ‘ORPHUS called me,’ the talking head said. ‘He and I have an understanding when it comes to you.’

  Vespa was furious.

  ‘I should have you arrested,’ she snarled. ‘Have you been listening to every single—’

  ‘Relax,’ Arturus assured. ‘ORPHUS is concerned about your health, and hopes I can convince you to take his advice. So hello, Vespa. What ails you this evening?’

  ‘I have work,’ she growled, arranging the pills on the counter. ‘Good night.’

  ‘I see that,’ he said. ‘Pardon my intrusion, but you really do look awful. ORPHUS is right. You need sleep.’

  ‘I can have stronger sleep agents synthesised to suit your needs,’ the AI offered.

  ‘I’m sure you can,’ Vespa remarked, pouring a glass of water. The temptation was greater than she would ever admit. ‘But no thanks.’

  ‘If you slept, you could see past your fixation,’ Arturus said. ‘Without rest, you have no Gift.’

  ‘I don’t need a lecture,’ she said.

  ‘I no longer dream of a Tabit Genesis inferno,’ Arturus persisted. ‘I’ve seen hints there may be some benefit to starting over, opportunities in the aftermath—’

  Vespa slammed a hand down on the counter, sending several pills over the side.

  ‘Stop,’ she exclaimed. ‘What do you want?’

  The smug expression on her brother’s face evaporated.

  ‘To offer counsel on the eve of the greatest challenge you’ve ever faced,’ he said.

  ‘It’s not counsel I need from you,’ she hissed. ‘Or House Alyxander.’

  ‘If I may be blunt,’ Arturus said, ‘votes ought to be the least of your concerns, given your visions about this place.’

  Vespa knelt to search for the pills that had fallen.

  ‘Then why are we still speaking?’ she asked. ‘Ambassadors are busy people. Don’t you have drugs to take? Whores to screw?’

  ‘I am guilty of those things, but I’d prefer to think that it’s only my message you hate.’

  ORPHUS shone two spotlights on the floor, revealing the missing pills.

  ‘I’d like to be your brother, not a politician,’ Arturus said.

  Sleep deprivation always made her vulnerable, but she was especially susceptible to him. When they had been frightened young outcasts, cursed with the Gift and discovering their own sexuality, she had thought that she loved him more than just as a brother. With everyone else in her life being so incapable of understanding her, Arturus was a soul mate.

  Senses dulled by wild hormones and emotional frailty made her surrender to a single moment of weakness: an attempted kiss. Not a harmless peck on the cheek as she had done countless times before, but a deep one right on his lips, followed by a pause fraught with passionate anticipation.

  As his face had twisted through shock and then anger, Vespa’s world had collapsed. A true love’s rejection is never crueller than to an unsullied heart, and she never forgot it.

  Years later, after he was reformed in the cybernetic ways of House Alyxander, he confessed that her action had launched him on a journey of self-discovery that didn’t change his rejection of her, but had instead opened his mind to many different attractions.

  Vespa had never accepted that. In her mind, they remained soul mates. The Gift, and the burden it bestowed, united them as one.

  Crawling towards illumination, she scooped up a pill and sat back against the counter.

  ‘It’s impossible for Ceti to hurt us here,’ she sighed. ‘Why do I keep having this vision?’

  ‘Lance agrees with you,’ Arturus said. ‘Business is brisk. He has no intention of moving his trade barges.’

  ‘That’s either irresponsible of him, or he thinks your Gift is worthless.’

  ‘No, he just enjoys daring people to fuck with him.’

  Vespa began arranging the pills in order on the counter.

  ‘Could Hedricks have a part in this?’

  Arturus frowned.

  ‘I’ve considered it. The highborns want another Hedricks to captain the next ark for mankind. I doubt Vadim would turn the Archangel against them, let alone the Orionis government. The simplest explanation is that he wants a war to hang his legacy on, and to vindicate the existence of that awful ship.’

  Vespa shook her head.

  ‘Tomorrow I expect he’ll tell us that an invasion is just business as usual for the Navy and nothing to concern ourselves with.’

  ‘If he even shows,’ Arturus said. ‘What do you hope to gain by confronting him?’

  She washed the first batch of pills down.

  ‘Only to remind him that the Navy serves the people of Orionis, and is accountable to the government they elected.’

  ‘I think he knows that.’

  Vespa shook her head.

  ‘I’ve ordered Augustus Tyrell to launch a treason investigation against him.’

  ‘That was rather … bold.’

  ‘No charges to be filed until this Ceti mess is dealt with,’ she said, swallowing another batch. ‘If we’re still here.’

  Arturus regarded her as she fumbled for the next set of pills.

  ‘Is it your own death that you’re so afraid of?’ he asked. ‘Or everyone else’s?’

  Vespa didn’t answer, fixating on the remaining line of drugs.

  ‘Did you ever consider the Gift tricked you into making the future you feared most?’ Arturus asked. ‘And that removing old Don from power was what put you on this very path?’

  Although she felt no compelling guilt for ending the man’s life, her eyes filled with tears.

  ‘Go to hell,’ she said.

  ‘If you’re so certain the vision will happen,’ Arturus continued, ‘then all that remains is a clear conscience. What are you prepared to do?’

  ‘I don’t know,�
� Vespa confessed. ‘Ceti believes they have nothing to lose.’

  ‘Then petition them for peace.’

  That made Vespa angry.

  ‘In the purest definition of the word, they are terrorists,’ she said. ‘Vladric Mors does not negotiate. He’s obsessed with destroying this government. What do you offer someone like that? The man doesn’t want peace. He wants … closure.’

  ‘Give it to him,’ Arturus said. ‘Make him a real offer. Disarm the Archangel. Abolish Heritage. Give Ceti no reason to fight.’

  ‘And let them win the war? On principle alone, the prospect is appalling.’

  ‘Ceti would win a footnote in history,’ Arturus explained. ‘Your name will be disgraced, but the subtext will be that your actions, by avoiding war, undoubtedly saved lives – millions of Ceti lives. Address Vladric, but speak to them. They’re just as sceptical of his ambitions as we are. Force the man to answer them.’

  Vespa slumped into a chair.

  ‘“Our dawn and hope for all Humankind”,’ she muttered, quoting the Earth memorial in Liberty Hall. ‘I don’t want to be the one who let Tabit burn.’

  Arturus shook his head.

  ‘Take your pills and rest, Vespa,’ he said. ‘Be unafraid of the night. But when you awaken, leave your pride behind.’

  It was Sunday, and Liberty Hall was nearly empty. While the odd employee or two could be seen at work, the precious space was otherwise deserted, and the press rarely bothered to lurk about this day of the week. Vespa was counting on that. Behind the hall were smaller antechambers for the Senate’s six committees, which hosted closed hearings. She never appeared unless invited, and then only virtually.

  In private meetings with each member, Vespa had convinced the Military Services Committee to force Hedricks to testify. They shared her concern about the Navy’s increasing distance from governance and, as mostly final term senators, they had no political risk in pursuing answers aggressively. From the Chancellor’s office, she was virtually seated on the bench with them. Rear Admiral Jang Lao marched through the door precisely on time, drawing mutters from the seven senators glaring at him. He sat at the witness table, posture perfectly straight, and looked up at them.

  Senator Alaister Roddick, the committee leader, spoke first.

  ‘You’re not the admiral we asked to come here today,’ he said.

  ‘My apologies, Senator,’ Admiral Lao said. ‘But Admiral Hedricks will attend virtually.’

  Vespa watched as Hedricks materialised beside Lao. His arrogance came through even in the delayed feed.

  ‘Good morning, your honours. Chancellor,’ Admiral Hedricks said, nodding towards Vespa. ‘I’m afraid operational responsibilities prevent me from attending in person.’

  Senator Roddick was 110 years old and still talked like the twenty-year-old chemical engineer he used to be. His district was the Mulberry Colonies, and although he aligned with the Freetracks Guild, Vespa enjoyed his company and often worked with him to find common ground on issues with her own Genesis party.

  ‘Senate subpoenas mandate a physical presence,’ Senator Roddick stated. ‘Notwithstanding emergency extenuating circumstances, you are in contempt.’

  Admiral Hedricks didn’t flinch.

  ‘My primary responsibility is the defence of Orionis,’ he said, ‘and those circumstances are always extenuating.’

  ‘We’ll be the judge of that,’ Senator Margaery Brusceau intervened. She was one of twelve representatives from the Vulcan colonies on Eris. ‘Admiral, as far as I’m concerned, withholding material information concerning national security is indistinguishable from perjury. Now, is there anything you wish to share with us?’

  Again, Admiral Hedricks was completely impassive before the implied threat.

  ‘Ceti is launching an attack on the Archangel,’ he said. ‘Their fleet has already departed Brotherhood.’

  Vespa watched the senators’ expressions. Hedrick’s matter-of-fact delivery infuriated everyone.

  ‘Where is this fleet now?’ Senator Roddick growled.

  ‘The Belt, approximately.’

  ‘“Approximately”,’ Senator Brusceau repeated, shaking her head. ‘When were you planning to tell us?’

  ‘I never planned to inform you.’

  Vespa was pleased to observe the bipartisan outrage at his answer.

  ‘I beg your pardon?’ Senator Brusceau snapped. But Admiral Hedricks remained inscrutable.

  ‘There are skirmishes with Ceti warships every day,’ he said. ‘This is no different.’

  That was the last straw for Senator Brandon Tice.

  ‘No different?’ he exclaimed. ‘With their entire fleet bearing down on us?’

  ‘That is correct, with the exception of the outcome,’ Admiral Hedricks said. ‘This is our chance to decisively end the war, eliminate the largest criminal organisation in human history, and reclaim Brotherhood.’

  ‘Your arrogance is appalling,’ Senator Tice snarled. ‘What about public safety? How dare you withhold information like that from us?’

  ‘There is no danger to public safety,’ Admiral Hedricks said, ‘and I have withheld nothing from you.’

  ‘The attempt to obscure news of an invasion is criminal conduct,’ Senator Roddick pointed out.

  ‘I never used the word “invasion”,’ Admiral Hedricks said. ‘I choose my words with more care, lest people misconstrue meaning, or, as tends to be the case in politics, sensationalise reality.’

  ‘Drop the cavalier attitude right now,’ Senator Brusceau warned, drawing stares from everyone. ‘I’m weighing whether or not to charge you with dereliction of duty. You’re under oath. Explain to us exactly what is happening.’

  ‘There are times when the most effective means to crush an enemy is to let them in close,’ Admiral Hedricks said. ‘The defences at Corinth alone could pulverise their fleet, but with the Archangel, Ceti may as well fly into the sun.’

  ‘Do you really need to be reminded of your obligation to keep us informed?’ Senator Tice said. ‘This is a major engagement that puts Ceti weapons in range of civilian targets inside the Belt.’

  ‘I provide this committee with a report that details enemy engagements every week, thus fulfilling my obligation.’

  ‘After the fact,’ Senator Brusceau fumed. ‘After you’ve taken the welfare of Orionis into your own hands.’

  ‘The loss of Brotherhood illustrates what happens when politics dictate tactics,’ Admiral Hedricks said. ‘Had I used your vernacular to describe Ceti’s present activity, the politics would have compelled a rush to meet them in the open, which would result in disaster. I swore an oath to protect Orionis, and that includes protecting it from itself.’

  ‘Admiral, your assessment is wrong,’ Senator Roddick said. ‘Brotherhood was lost because we weren’t prepared. This time we are, and your efforts undermine our ability to respond intelligently and with minimal loss of life.’

  ‘Senator,’ Admiral Hedricks said, straightening his posture. ‘You seem disappointed that Ceti’s days are numbered. Then again, twenty-five per cent of the Orionis economy is military expenditure. I suppose I can’t blame you.’

  Senator Roddick’s eyes narrowed.

  ‘What the hell is that supposed to mean?’

  ‘Your constituents build the weapons that your political sponsors sell to the Navy. The relationship has made you a wealthy man. So when you undermine me, you just end up hurting yourself.’

  Vespa had heard enough. The case for prosecuting Admiral Hedricks had never been stronger. Now it was time for the hard work.

  ‘Thank you so much for meeting with us, Admiral,’ she said. ‘I realise the defence of Orionis is a tremendous responsibility. I appreciate you taking the time to answer our questions.’

  ‘The honour is mine, Chancellor Vespa.’

  ‘I have no doubt that you’ll crush our Ceti foes,’ she continued. ‘However, I am disappointed about Captain Lyons’s arrest. I would never have known about your future her
oics if not for him.’

  ‘Captain Lyons is well, Chancellor.’

  ‘I hope you don’t mind my prying,’ Vespa continued, somewhat enjoying herself. ‘After all, I need to have medals minted in advance of your triumph. You’re far too modest about your achievements, planned or otherwise. Much as I loathe the idea of spoiling your glory, I’m going to propose something radical, something perhaps no one on this committee would have suggested, even had we known an invasion was imminent. Admiral Lao, I could use your assistance here.’

  The officer was surprised to have been brought into the conversation.

  ‘Chancellor?’ he asked.

  ‘Let’s say I wanted to communicate with the Ceti fleet,’ Vespa said. ‘How would I go about doing that?’

  Admiral Lao blinked.

  ‘Without a hard fix on their location, secure comms is impossible,’ he answered.

  ‘Who said anything about secure?’ Vespa asked. ‘I don’t care who hears this.’

  Lao glanced towards Admiral Hedricks before answering.

  ‘They can’t respond without giving away their position,’ Admiral Lao said.

  ‘I don’t give a damn if they answer,’ Vespa snapped. ‘I hate to ruin the joy of zapping Ceti corvettes, but slaughtering millions just because you can doesn’t mean that you should. Now, that fleet would still hear a general broadcast on the freight channels, correct?’

  Admiral Hedricks moved ever so slightly.

  ‘Think carefully upon what you are doing, Chancellor,’ he warned.

  Vespa smiled.

  ‘Admiral Lao,’ she said. ‘Ready a general broadcast.’

  ‘You’ll be routed through our search and rescue frequencies,’ the officer muttered, typing away on his corelink. ‘Every receiver from here to the Hades Terminus will hear it. Is that what you want?’

  The committee members appeared either aghast or perplexed. Senator Tice was the former.

  ‘Now hold on a minute,’ he blurted. ‘What happened to trying to avert a panic?’

  Vespa looked right at him.

  ‘The more people that hear this, the better.’

  Admiral Lao had a resigned look on his face.

  ‘Just a moment,’ he said, manipulating the device one last time. ‘And … you’re live.’