The Eurynome Code: The Complete Series: A Space Opera Box Set

by K. Gorman

  “Yes, Regent.”

  The slight ring of static vanished as the commander signed off.

  “Christ,” she said.

  Malouf flinched. “I…wouldn’t use that word around Centauri. It’s blasphemous.”

  Her eyebrows twitched. “Really? Because I’ve definitely heard a Centauri use it before.”

  “Really,” he said, his tone firm.

  All right, then. She could work with that. Thanks to her usual companions, her vocabulary of swears was almost indefinite.

  “I’ll make a note of that,” she said. “And I’ll tell my sister. She might try to avoid it.”

  The comms device rang again.

  At least this time, she hadn’t put it back in her pocket yet.

  “Yes?”

  “Your old ship, Nemina, has launched from Earth and is hailing one of our ships. They’re requesting docking permission and an audience.”

  Ah.

  “Is my sister on board?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Please direct them to Artemide and find a place for them. I’ll meet them down there after I change. Thank you, Commander.”

  “Yes, Regent.”

  As she put the comms device down, she had a thought.

  She brought it back up again. “Commander?”

  “Yes?”

  “Who’s piloting her?”

  “Sergeant Tian Adan Reeve.”

  Tillerman’s voice was flat.

  She sighed. “How long until they arrive?”

  “Ten minutes.”

  The call ended, and she put the device in her pocket. Then she put her hands on her hips, closed her eyes, and tilted her head back.

  At this rate, I’m never going to see the inside of my new quarters.

  When she opened her eyes, Malouf was standing nearby, watching her.

  “All right,” she said. “I guess we’re going down to the ship bays, instead.”

  He nodded. “I’ll get the docking address from the Commander and show you down there.”

  Ten minutes later, the Nemina was maglocked to the floor in the Artemide’s impressive C-block hangar, her blocky, angular form looking oddly at home against the backdrop of Centauri scouts, droneships, and fighters.

  Karin stood at the head of a small party, stifling a yawn and rubbing the side of her nose.

  The nosebleed had stopped, but that headache was looming. And her eyes were beginning to get that raw, scratchy feeling that indicated they’d been open for too long.

  When was the last time I slept? I swear it was recently.

  Yes, it was. About seven hours ago.

  Maybe she just needed to eat. And be somewhere that didn’t involve transporting entire large ships into the Shadow world and back and overtaxing her brain.

  I hope Takahashi came along. I wouldn’t mind getting a checkup.

  Oddly, he was the only one whose opinion she trusted about that sort of thing. Well, him and Tia, but she had little choice about her.

  Marc came out first, looking lean and dark. He’d changed since she’d last seen him, now wearing a pair of beige pants, a pale blue shirt, and a brown leather jacket that had a bright red and gold inlay down its sleeves. Nomiki followed, still in her armor, and then Soo-jin with her usual post-punk attire, though she’d done up the make-up.

  Takahashi appeared behind them, carrying the diagnostics crown in his hand like a peace offering.

  She let out a breath and relaxed.

  Good.

  Cookie and Shinji came out next, the two openly gaping at the size of the hangar, and Bella followed, an addition that made her eyebrow twitch.

  As a biomechanics and cyberization expert, she’d probably offered her soul for a seat on the Nemina.

  Then came Kalinsky, followed closely by Reeve and Baik.

  She pinned Reeve with a stare, her mood sinking.

  “Tillerman, Reeve doesn’t go anywhere without an escort. Your choice of who he gets.”

  “Yes, Regent. And the others?”

  “Baik’s fine. Kalinsky…” She chewed her tongue, thinking. “He’s the one who tipped me off about being Grand Regent.”

  Tillerman grunted. “Tips come with a price.”

  “Yes, and I wonder what his is.” She narrowed her eyes. “We’ll be nice to him, but…don’t let him wander without surveillance. He’s an interesting individual.”

  And bold, too, if his actions in the elevator were anything to judge by.

  “As you wish, Regent.”

  She stepped forward, her gaze flicking over the group.

  Soo-jin gave her a friendly wave as she strode over. “Sol’s child, Karin, this ship is sweet.”

  “That, she is.” She met Marc’s eyes over Soo-jin’s head. He looked…grim and uncertain. A lot had happened since their last talk, and all of her suspicions had blown up in a spectacular fashion.

  His eyes searched hers, then dropped down. “Is that blood?”

  “Don’t worry, it’s mostly not mine.” The corners of her lips tugged briefly to flash him a thin smile, then she turned to address the group. “All right, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, and…you, I’ll talk to you in my quarters,” she said, pointing to Marc, Nomiki, Soo-jin, Takahashi, Shinji, and Cookie, and hesitating before she included Bella and Baik, as well―if they’d brought her with them, she was their responsibility, and Baik had taken a knife for her, once. “Sergeant Reeve, Delegate Kalinsky…” She tilted her head, considering, then turned to Tillerman. “Commander, do we have a nice, fancy room for hosting VIPs?”

  “Yes, Regent.”

  “Beautiful. Please, take them there and have someone offer refreshments. Gentlemen, I’ll speak with you in roughly an hour. I have some things to attend to.”

  Kalinsky nodded. “Thank you, Grand Regent Makos. When it pleases you, I have something that you will very much like to hear.”

  “Can it wait until I wash the blood out of my hair?”

  “Yes. I imagine he’ll still be alive by then.”

  She stared.

  Well, that’s both intriguing and cryptic.

  “Sounds good. I’ll see you in an hour.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Soo-jin gave the room a low whistle. “Ho-lee shitballs. You certainly upgraded.”

  Taking in the room for the first time, Karin was inclined to agree. Whatever the former Grand Regent might have been to her, he’d certainly lived in style. The Grand Quarters had a broad, open look. Where she had been expecting something more in line with the rest of the ship’s style―elegant, but clinical and practical―the suite was a sprawling indulgence with high ceilings, luxurious sets of furniture, and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the starscape and part of the Artemide’s wings.

  It looked as though it had come straight out of the holos of a design catalog or a luxury hotel.

  She stared around at the room, temporarily speechless.

  “The Commander sends her apologies, as we have not yet removed some of the former Regent’s belongings,” Malouf said, giving her a small bow.

  In the background, Nomiki never took her eyes off him.

  Karin nodded, reading between the lines. “You weren’t sure if I’d move in.”

  “There’s usually a ceremony,” he said tactfully.

  “Well, I’m here now.” She moved forward. “And, as it happens, I don’t care about his stuff.”

  “Unless there’s something racy,” Soo-jin put in. “Then we might giggle at it.”

  Karin winced, the joke hitting a little too close. She’d already met with two people the former Grand Regent had slept with. Both of whom she’d recently murdered.

  “I believe those were removed in the first and second sweeps,” Malouf said. “Is there anything else you need?”

  “Med unit?” she asked.

  He gestured to the far end of the room. “Around the corner. Tap the interface in the wall to have a Med tech sent up.”

  “Is it a direct line to Med
?”

  “Yes.”

  Good. She’d been wanting to check up on Tylanus.

  “Thank you, Specialist Malouf. That will be all for now.”

  He bowed and left.

  After the door closed, Soo-jin let out another low, appreciative whistle. “Man, he’s kind of cute.”

  Karin glanced back to the door. “Well, maybe he’s single. You can finally get laid.”

  Soo-jin flashed her a grin.

  A small silence took the room as everyone looked around.

  It was really nice.

  After a few seconds, Marc approached her. His hands lifted, making a gesture to her armor. “Come on. Let’s get you out of that.”

  She nodded, letting herself be led to where Malouf had pointed to the Med unit.

  “Don’t worry. It’s mostly not my blood,” she said, repeating her line from earlier with a flash of a smile.

  “It’s the not that we’re concerned about.” Nomiki put her belongings on the nearest table and followed them in. “Takahashi, with us, please.”

  “Of course,” the doctor said, unfolding the now-familiar diagnostics crown from his pocket.

  They eased her out of her armor and into some new clothes that Nomiki and Soo-jin had raided from her locker on the Nemina. They had also brought her wallet and a netlink. She pulled the other netlink out of her suit pocket and synced the data, noticing the thirty-three missed calls and messages.

  “So, what’s the scoop on Reeve?” she asked.

  “About the same as before. He works for Fallon first,” Nomiki said.

  Karin grunted. “I trust Baik more. He took a knife for us. Plus, Alliance is being less sketchy at the moment.”

  She wasn’t sure if Baik could hear them from around the corner, but she was willing to bet that he could.

  She didn’t care. Her actions had already said as much.

  So, if Reeve wants to get back into your inner circle, would taking a knife suffice? Tia teased.

  He’d likely be falling on Fallon’s own sword, in that case. I’d rather not push it. It’d be weird.

  “Yeah,” Nomiki said. “Although I’m sure Fallon regrets how everything unfolded.”

  “I’m sure they regret it, too. But they’re the ones that damaged that bridge. I’ll continue to save the universe. They can either play along or stay out of my way.”

  Nomiki scrunched her nose and shook her head slightly, strands of her dark brown hair catching the white-blue light behind her. “Saints, and they were being so helpful before all this, too. What will you do with Reeve?

  “He will be unharmed, but will not wander without an escort.”

  Though Nomiki had alluded to him having very proficient combat abilities―ones that Karin had yet to see―she doubted he could outmaneuver one of her new cyborg soldiers. Not if Tillerman was in charge of who provided escort.

  “Tit for tat.” Nomiki nodded. “And the Centauri?”

  “Divided and fractious. You might have noticed my dispute with Center Core.”

  “Finlai? Yes. I’m not sure anyone missed that. Did you really split their ship in half?”

  “Yes. They instigated. I escalated.”

  Marc was watching her as she and her sister spoke. She was aware of his stare, felt his eyes on her. But he didn’t comment.

  He had something to say, she was sure of it. But he was probably going to wait until she was alone.

  At the rate she was going, he’d be waiting a while.

  “Were there people on it?” Takahashi asked.

  “Yes. Including their Grand Regent. I warned her to evacuate a different ship. She instead armed up. I decided that she would continue to be a nuisance and a direct interference with my ability to save the universe, so I ended her.”

  There was a small, uncomfortable silence as they all processed that.

  Suns, I hope I didn’t become their Grand Regent with that move.

  She didn’t think she had. Based on how former-Regent Leisler had fought her, the battle needed to be one on one.

  And surely, Tillerman would have told her if she’d acquired a new fleet. She had been the one to tell her that Nolen was confirmed dead, so one would have thought she'd bring up any sudden promotions or acquisitions within a few sentences of that.

  “That’s…” Nomiki trailed off, staring at her.

  “Logical,” Takahashi supplied.

  “Yes. That’s one word for it.” Nomiki’s upper lip curled. An intensity took her expression, green eyes flicking across Karin’s face. “No, this is wrong. She’s changed. You―” She made a half-gesture, stopping herself. “Don’t you feel something? You just killed thousands of people.”

  “No,” Karin said, her tone cool and clipped. “I don’t. I’m like you, remember? Except for anger, all my emotions are on the other side of an analytical wall, and they will remain there until I either die or have my regular personality stuck back into my brain―and in the case of the latter, even now I have doubts as to whether I’ll be able to completely return.” She took a breath. “We knew this was going to happen. I accepted it. Now, Doctor, please. Would you administer a check-up? The power shift earlier taxed my system much more than I had anticipated, and I would like to know if it’s caused anything permanent.”

  The next silence was more hostile than awkward. Nomiki stared her down. Karin met her gaze evenly and unblinkingly.

  Eventually, as Takahashi moved partially between them and lifted the crown over her head, Nomiki jerked her gaze away and left the alcove.

  Karin closed her eyes as Takahashi continued to work, listening to her sister’s retreating footsteps. The crown on her head beeped.

  “I think it would be good to get a few Centauri medical tests run,” she suggested. “It looks like they have an advancement in some areas.”

  “Oh, most likely,” Takahashi said. “Regardless, I would still like to care for you, Karin.”

  “Oh, don’t worry, Doctor. You’re not going anywhere.” She opened her eyes into slits and directed her gaze to Marc. “And you? How are you doing?”

  “Alive,” he said.

  His tone was little more than a grunt, and his body had a tension in it.

  She sighed and closed her eyes again. “What is it? I think we’re all friends here.”

  He hesitated, and she felt Takahashi shift, but otherwise, the doctor gave no indication that he’d heard.

  Then, Marc spoke. “Why didn’t you tell me about the Centauri?”

  Ah. So that’s what it was about.

  “Frankly, there wasn’t enough time. I only found out I was Grand Regent about an hour before I left. Soo-jin gave me the information, and then we tracked down Commander Tillerman and spoke with her in the Shadow world. When we switched back over, I was immediately summoned to the war room.”

  “And then?”

  “And then I fucked off, had a real fucking weird encounter with a Shadow, came back, got checked out, and then discovered that Fallon had invited fucking Seirlin to come investigate both Tylanus and the Cradle.”

  “So, you went to Soo-jin, but you didn’t come to me?”

  “Because she was there, and we both happened to be standing next to each other when we started speculating about Tillerman, and she offered to find out for me. What do you want from me, Marc? I can’t be the woman you want, not right now. You know this―”

  “I just want to help you, Kar. I care about you, and I am worried about you.”

  “Great. I appreciate it, Marc, but I’m fine. Or, at least, I think I am. Doctor?”

  She turned to the side to where Takahashi was standing. The crown on her head chose that moment to beep, the sound like a period in the middle of a sentence. A bar graph popped up on his netlink, along with data too tiny for her to see in his eyepiece, but he wasn’t looking at it. Instead, his gaze was slipping between her and Marc.

  Great. Of all the times he had to ‘check in’ and pay attention, it was now.

  “I think it would
be better if I finished my diagnosis at another time,” he said carefully. Gently, he removed the crown from her head and stepped away. “I will go over the initial scan and inform you if I find anything that is concerning.”

  His shoes tapped quietly on the tile, the sound muffling when they hit the rough carpet of the next room and walked away.

  She let out a heavy breath, closed her eyes, and shoved a hand through the front of her hair. Dried blood caught at her touch.

  For a long moment, neither of them said anything.

  “Karin,” he began. “I―”

  “I appreciate that you want to help, but I won’t apologize for not coming to you. Things happened the way they happened. I wasn’t avoiding you, it’s just how it worked.”

  “Yes, I realize that.” He moved then, something on his upper body that she couldn’t quite see. The soft light of the Med bay bed reflected off the rich texture of his forearm. His hand had clenched and unclenched when they’d been speaking, his fingers active and moving, clearly stressed. She felt something was hanging between them, heavy in the air.

  I’ve changed, she thought. He’s just going to have to accept that. Or not. It doesn’t matter.

  All that mattered was that he and the rest of the universe continued to live.

  I’m not sure I even care about going back to the real me. Does the real me even exist, anymore? There’s no way I can go back to being the old Karin anymore.

  Still, there was a small, tiny part of her that cringed at the thought.

  “Marc, you knew I was going to change. We both knew it.”

  “Yes, we did both know. And it upset you.”

  “It did, but I accepted it. I have to do this.”

  He didn’t answer right away, but she could feel his eyes on her, roving her shoulders, looking at the fall of her hair.

  “Kar, this is more than that. You killed a lot of people today. A lot. I think they’re still trying to recover the bodies.” He swore a little, his voice breaking.

  “I told you what I’d become, Marc. It’s not my fault that you didn’t believe me.”