by K. Gorman
“Yeah, yeah.” Karin shook her head. “I don’t know. I am not a soldier, and I’m not anywhere close to a military leader. We’ll have to find a way to make this work.”
Tillerman grunted. “We’ll make it work. I have my retirement to think of. Crushing destruction and infighting would put a damper on that.”
“As would the end of the universe,” Karin said.
“Yes, that, too.”
She rubbed her eyes. “Okay, so, next steps…I’ll get Soo-jin to give you a netlink. That way, we can talk. I―”
She stopped when Tillerman held up a finger.
“Wait. I can do you one better.” With a surprisingly-graceful shuffle despite the bulky look of the cyberization, she managed to slip past her and up the short hall, stopped at a spot a meter down, close to where Karin had slammed the other cyborg into the wall. She paused, frowning at the damage. “Did you do this?”
“Yes. It was self-defense.”
“I don’t care. That’s vulnerable equipment.” She gave a sigh and poked at one of the panels. A holoscreen shivered up, and she quickly dismissed it, pulling a thin metal stick out of the wall. She pressed one end of it and fiddled with the holoscreen that came up for a few seconds, then handed it to Karin. “Here. This is one of our communicators. It will have better security.”
“It will?” She turned the device over, someone dubiously. “Ours have been sealed by the Fallon tech spe―”
“We’ve already broken through their encryption,” Tillerman said. “They’re not as smart as they think they are.”
Ah. Well, maybe not for a society several generations of tech more advanced than them.
“We’ll keep contact, then. I’ll give you a more in-depth overview of everything so that you will have a better understanding.” She looked around. “How long does it take for you to warm this shuttle up and launch?”
Tillerman didn’t even blink. “One second. Why?”
“Oh, no reason.” She slipped the Centauri comms device into her pocket and stepped back.
“Stay on stand-by for now, but be ready. I’m not sure I trust Fallon anymore.”
She switched herself and Tillerman back to the real-world ship, picked up Soo-jin from where she'd still been sitting in the navigator's chair, and took her back into the Shadow world for the trek back.
Five seconds after she and Soo-jin returned from the Shadow world, her netlink began to ding with missed messages.
Soo-jin chuckled as she grumbled. “Sounds like you were missed.”
“I’ve barely been gone forty minutes. Sol, what if I was asleep? Or masturbating?”
“That could make for an awkward conversation.” Soo-jin laughed. “But I guess it confirms one thing: Fallon’s definitely overstepping its surveillance bounds.”
“Yep. I didn’t mind being watched―I get it. But they appear to be watching me enough to know when I go into the Shadow world.” She shook her head, distracted. “Suns.”
She was Grand Regent, now. Fuck.
And whatever paranoia she’d had about Fallon appeared to be coming true.
A hollow feeling had sunk into her chest, and a numbness spread to every part of her skin. She flexed her hands back and forth, one of them feeling the hard edges of the Centauri communicator. Her mind whirled.
It still didn’t feel real. And yet, it was.
She took her gaze off the path to look at the communicator.
“They used to be so good, though,” Soo-jin said. “Why are they blocking you now?”
Karin blinked, dropped out of her thoughts.
Right. Fallon. The ones who were currently acting shady.
“I don’t know. I guess they didn’t have a reason not to be. I practically dropped myself into their lap, solved their problems, and embraced their protection.” She pushed aside a large leaf in the path, ducking her head. After the relative cool of the Shadow world, the heat in Brazil was seething and wet, and the jungle around them seemed to hold it all in. She’d taken the long way around to make it seem like she and Soo-jin had just wandered off. “Our goals and interests aligned, and they had an organized, effective approach to attaining them.”
Soo-jin squinted as she came up with her. “Has that changed? I assumed they still wanted to save the universe?”
“As far as I can tell, they do―but I did not go into that tank just so I could waste my time on combat missions.” She shook her head. “Maybe it’s my new inherent paranoia, but it feels like they’re keeping me at arms’ length. None of my missions have been about exploring my new power, and they won’t tell me why.” She let out a breath and stopped, shaking her head. “I don’t know. Maybe I am fucking paranoid. Maybe they do have a plan.”
“They didn’t tell you about being Grand Regent,” Soo-jin pointed out. “That’s pretty shifty.”
“Maybe they didn’t want to put another thing on me.”
“Maybe, but they don’t seem to mind sending you off on mission after mission. That’s pretty big. Have you told Nomiki any of this?”
“No. They’d be watching her, too. Besides, I don’t know where she’d stand on this.”
Soo-jin gave her a flat look. “She’s your sister. She’d stand with you.”
“Yeah, I guess. Historically, she has helped me against her better interests.” She blew out a breath and tipped her head back, closing her eyes against the backdrop of the trees. “Fuck, I don’t know.”
“Why don’t you just go off and try it?” Soo-jin suggested.
“What?” Karin looked over at her friend sharply.
“Just say you got a mental pull from Tylanus and he deposited you in another dimension.”
“Tylanus is currently unconscious on a bed and under heavy guard,” she said. “I’m not sure they’d buy that.”
“I dunno―he is pretty freaky.” Soo-jin shrugged. “Besides, what can they do about it? Reprimand you? Take your pay away? It’s not like they can hold you any more.”
She does have a point, Tia thought. What can they do to you?
I’m not sure that’s a question I want to answer with the Fallon and Alliance militaries.
But…she did have a point. They both did.
“If I did that, I would be going against what they’ve told me to do.”
“So? You’re not a soldier, and you’re not their soldier. Seriously, just make up some bullshit story. It’s not like you haven’t been randomly shifted into other worlds before.”
That was also true.
“This is a terrible idea,” she told Soo-jin. “Hells, they haven’t even done anything.”
So, you’re going to wait until they do?
Shut up.
Soo-jin raised her hands. “It’s just a thought.”
Fuck me. How did it get to the point where I actually consider going behind Fallon’s back? They used to be so good.
When they pushed you out of the loop and stopped listening to you, Tia replied. Trust is a two-way road. Not telling you about being the Grand Regent is just one of many things.
Yeah. That had been a slap in the face. No matter how Karin looked at it, not telling her that she was now the reigning monarch and literally in charge of an entire armed fleet with hundreds of thousands of troops at her immediate beck and call, and millions still in Alpha Centauri…
Yeah, it looked bad.
While it was possible they had wanted to keep the pressure off of her, there was no way they had been completely innocent in their motivations for keeping her away from the Centauri. No government worked that way, not when it came to matters of this level, and Fallon had more experience than most at that. Plus, Tillerman had clearly been trying to make contact and been told to sod off.
Kalinsky had already made a point about that.
But…why? The entirety of the human race was facing an extinction point―hells, the entire universe was facing an extinction point. No matter how nicely Sasha put it, she was ending one thing and beginning another. Kalinsky likely ha
d his own motives, but Earth was not the power that Fallon or the Alliance represented. He probably wanted her less blindly attached to Fallon.
Well, mission success for him.
Fallon, currently, had the position of power over the others. Nova Earth, the Alliance’s capital planet, had surrendered to them, and, individually, both Fallon and the Alliance outgunned what meager resources and defenses Earth could provide.
Only the Centauri provided a threat to them. And she now led half of them.
They probably didn’t want her running off and taking matters into her own hands and her own army.
Which I’d be much less likely to do if they’d just explain themselves and focus on finding Sasha instead of jerking me around like some pet assassin.
Gods, it still boggled her mind that she’d become Grand Regent.
Seriously―what kind of culture even has that as a mechanism for leadership?
Her netlink dinged again, buzzing in her hand. She pulled it out and tapped a button, skimming the message at the top.
“I have another mission. Fuck.”
Soo-jin’s brows came together in a furrow. “Didn’t you just come back from one?”
“Yes. Eleven hours ago, including the flight back. They’re keeping me busy. Now, I think I know why.” Her lips twisted. “Fuck.”
“Go see what it is,” Soo-jin said. “Maybe they actually found something this time.”
“Yeah. And maybe Sasha’s called off the whole send everyone to the Shadow world and replace them plan and is relaxing on some nice beachfront property in Belenus.” She twisted as she picked up a jog. “Don’t tell anyone about the Regent thing.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Soo-jin shot her a smile. “I’ll do some digging. See if what I can scrounge up. Maybe Reeve’ll tell me.”
“He’s Fallon’s spy guy. I don’t think he’s going to tell you their secrets.”
“Shit, you’re right.” Soo-jin flashed her a grin. “Baik, then? I think he’s softer on us.”
A smile tugged her lips. “Yes. You could use your feminine wiles on him.”
Soo-jin had the grace to look offended. She put a mock-dramatic hand to her chest. “Moi? Use my uncanny good looks and sex-on-a-stick charm for personal and professional gain? Never.”
“Maybe just personal.” A smile tugged at Karin’s lips. “I’ve seen how you look at him.”
“Shut up, I don’t want to hear about it. I totally do not have a crush on Mr. Hot Pants K-Drama Sex God. Clio. Don’t bring that up.” Soo-jin gave her a mock salute as she jogged away. “Talk to me later. Try not to do anything too stupid.”
“I make no guarantees,” she shouted back.
She turned and headed for the Courant.
Who knew? Maybe they’d surprise her and have a new and exciting packet of intel.
Chapter Fourteen
It wasn’t a new and exciting packet of intel, and they hadn’t found Sasha.
From what she could tell, they were no closer to finding Sasha than they had been in the last five days.
Karin ground her teeth together as General Crane explained the mission, only half-seeing the light map of the terrain in front of her.
“Local intel puts this group in the Carpathian mountain range. Paramilitary, this time, not a cult, so they’ll likely be more prepared―”
“You mean they’ll use weapons that were actually made within the last century?” She had a hard time keeping the sarcasm from her tone.
General Crane’s graze flicked towards her. The lights reflected in his eyes, making them turn dark. He’d unbuttoned the top of his uniform, perhaps the only concession to Brazil’s heat and his seemingly never-ending workday.
Gods, did he ever sleep? Maybe he was one of those people that had managed to trick their brain into only requiring two hours per night.
“Do you have something to say, Ms. Makos?”
Ms. Makos.
Maybe it was her, but the way he said it made it sound more derisive in tone, as if she were a child who needed things explained to her.
She knew she shouldn’t be questioning him. And he was making it obvious.
She resisted the urge to grit her teeth.
I am a Grand Regent now.
“Yes, actually. I was just wondering if you’ve managed to track Sasha at all, or perhaps spoken with her son. Given that she’s likely going to take over the entire universe, I’d thought maybe this fine combination of militaries would have something.”
“Data takes time to analyze, Ms. Makos, and we don’t have time―we can’t wait for it. Intel on this op has specified another anomaly. We need to follow up and track―”
“You should send me into the Shadow world. Perhaps my new abilities can track her energy. I clearly felt the Shift Events occur, and I felt it when Tylanus arrived.”
“Ms. Makos―”
“She isn’t going to be on Earth,” she said flatly.
“Our hands are tied, Ms. Makos. All we can do is stay the course and keep investigating.”
“Why won’t you use my powers?” She tilted her head, gaze slipping up and down General Crane, looking for tells, for slips of emotion that could clue her into what he was thinking. “I would have thought you’d want me to shift a science team into the Shadow world, to start investigating it now that you have a reliable method of transport, but you haven’t.” She narrowed her eyes. “What’s stopping you?”
“We only have so many resources, Ms. Makos, and every available science team is currently engaged with their own tasks. As I said―our hands are tied.”
Ah, yes. That excuse again. She was finding it even more difficult to believe than the first five times she’d heard it. They were fighting for their survival―every single country was at total war, with every resource committed.
She found it extremely hard to believe that they couldn’t divert the resources to investigate the Shadow world. It was, after all, literally what Dr. Sasha was using in her plan.
They have enough of a science team investigating the compound, as well as the Shadow Nemina, Tia thought. And I’d wager they’ve duplicated this effort in Macedonia, as well.
They took the other Cradle, Karin reminded her. The one with Tylanus’ sister in it.
She’d only seen it once, since. Then, it had been floated into the cargo of a small shuttle scout and flown into orbit. She had no idea where it was now.
They also have that special team coming out to examine Tylanus, Tia pointed out. That flies in the face of ‘not enough resources.’
Yes. Yes, it did.
“I find that hard to believe,” she concluded, picking the conversation back up.
“Karin!” Nomiki’s admonishment was a warning. Sharp, bright eyes slid between her and Crane. “That’s enough.”
The room grew dead quiet. The tension hung thick in the air. She felt everyone’s stares on her. Baik, in particular, had fixed her with an unreadable look from where he stood across the room. Kalinsky, the UN rep, was also watching, with the tall Martian rep beside him.
Christ, this went a little far.
They deserve it.
She ignored Tia, took a breath, and attempted to diffuse the tension by leaning back and rubbing the space where her eyebrows coming together.
“Sorry. This all came out a lot more hostile than I’d intended,” she lied. “I’m just worried―if I don’t use my new powers, how in the ten fiery hells am I supposed to know how to defend against Sasha?”
The silence continued, but it felt lighter this time, as if the tension had been cut. Everyone stared at her. Most, she noticed, were like the soldiers in the hall a few hours ago―looking like she was a bomb that hadn’t quite defused.
Then, the general stirred.
“Maybe you should sit this one out,” he said. “We’re all stressed, and you more than any of us. You’ve been through a lot, and even our best scientists can’t fully explain it.” His voice had a calm rumble to it. He shifted to the side, breathing a
deep inhale and letting it go. A small smile twigged the corners of his mouth. “You never know. Maybe the solution will present itself in the morning.”
Thirty minutes later, she walked down the ramp of the Shadow Courant, the stolen combat suit turning her long, striding footfalls into gentle, hushed taps on the metal. She’d packed a bag on the Nemina, including the comms device Tillerman had given her, but she’d stolen the suit from the Courant’s Shadow world variant―a fine exploitation of the unique duplication effect between the two worlds.
If the Shadow Nemina had worked like the real one did, she figured the Shadow combat suit would work just as well.
Plus, they wouldn’t notice it missing in the real world.
You know this likely has a tracker, too, right? Tia thought at her.
Yes, she replied. I wonder if it registers as the same suit.
The Shadow Nemina had come complete with the original’s registration and security codes―for both Alliance and Fallon systems―but she didn’t know how the suits worked.
There’s also still a tracker embedded in my thigh from the first time I got kidnapped, she added, flashing the memory up for Tia to peruse. I figured I wouldn’t worry about a second one.
She turned her attention to the camp, the silent setting suddenly much more interesting now that she was actively exploring it. The halls of the Shadow Courant had been quiet and empty, with the usual amount of diffusion to their color and that same indescribable mood to them―as if they weren’t dead or dormant, but simply waiting. That all of the people had simply stepped out of the room. It was hard to describe, but it felt as though she could feel people in them―as if those in the real world bled through like ghosts. Presences, but only in parting, and leaving an electric buzz to the air.
She hadn’t noticed it in Macedonia, but then, the place hadn’t been quite as full in the real world when she’d been doing her transitions.
That, and she’d had other things to worry about. Like a broken arm. And the lives of her friends.
A few Shadows trailed after her, their movements quiet and hushed, unobtrusive. Bits of them bled into the atmosphere, their edges not quite as blurred as in the real world―they fit better, here. A half dozen of them had watched her walk through the halls.
