Eye of the Abyss

by Michael Formichelli

“Sensor scans have identified some of the debris from the destroyed FTL vessel. We won’t know its name or registry until we locate its flight computer, but we have detected objects that appear to be luggage, cargo consisting of common civilian items.” Tanaka paused. “I’ve also directed the ship to move into position to generate an ERB to remove the neutronium core of the vessel to a safe distance from the system before it can disrupt any planetary orbits.”

  “Of course,” he responded, feeling a numbness wash over his body. “What was that vessel doing carrying household items and common luggage?”

  Tanaka-taisa took a deep breath. “It seems the mercenaries masquerading as Yulong Gongsi forces hired a civilian transport instead of using a corporate sponsor or another mercenary service. I don’t know how they convinced a civilian captain to turn off its IFF and answer as he did when we hailed. He must have known what our response would be, but they did.”

  Ichiro’s mouth went dry. “A civilian transport?”

  “And clearly a trap in case they lost the battle here. They could not have known you lived at the time of their arrival, so I assume the trap was meant to discredit Shiragawa. Perhaps it was meant to counter any claims against Daedalus, or whoever attacked us, since we have now killed thousands of civilians.”

  He shuddered. “Thousands?”

  The bridge fell silent.

  The fact of what he had done overwhelmed him. Thousands of civilians, probably on their way to other worlds, their families, or to new lives, were just been snuffed out by his hand because someone wanted to make sure his people had no recourse after their planet was destroyed. He hung his head, covering his face with his hands as the energy drained from his body and it became heavy despite the lack of gravity.

  Tengu whimpered, drawing his gaze down to the cerberai’s glowing-green eyes. He shivered. Something in Tengu’s gaze gleamed, pouring a sense of comfort and purpose into him. For just a moment he thought he could feel Setha at his side again. He knew that he couldn’t allow this trap to overcome him, not now, not while Zalor Revenant still threatened the Confederation, and not before he discovered the identity of those who murdered his home. He could not allow any dirty tricks and dishonorable attacks to stop him, no matter their scale. It was up to him to find a way, and he would, but he had just given the order to kill innocents. That was an inescapable fact. No matter what he did, it would not change. Those people were lost because of his decision.

  “Let’s get that neutronium core out of my system.” He moved his eyes from Tengu back to Tanaka. “And then let’s return, save the remaining colonies, and find my uncle.”

  Tanaka-taisa nodded. “Yes, Lord Mitsugawa.”

  He nodded once, then closed his eyes and clenched his mechanical fist.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Ikuzlu City, Kosfanter

  41:3:22 (J2400:3209)

  Cygni opened her eyes in the darkness of her implant’s personal Cyberweb node. Her digital incarnation was silver-skinned, and unlike when she normally booted it up, was nude. Perhaps her cerebral computer had to reset? She wasn’t sure, but that was a very rare occurrence and usually meant there would be some data loss—

  No! She realized that she was still carrying around the records that proved Baron Revenant was working with the VoQuana. If she lost those, all of her struggles, the deaths of Pawqlan and Thuban, would be for nothing.

  Thuban… The attack on the Premier’s office came rushing back to her. Thuban had been killed, and she had a half-meter long shard of wood driven through her—but she wasn’t dead or she wouldn’t be floating in the startup node of her cerebral computer. Someone must have gotten her help somehow, but why hadn’t she woken up in a hospital? Regaining consciousness here made no sense.

  She called up her control window, expecting it to materialize in the darkness before her, but instead of the glowing square menu an androgynous, silver being appeared before her.

  “What the hell?”

  The being opened its glowing blue eyes. “Welcome to the Programmable Limited Intelligence Assistant installer. I will install your new PLIA. Would you like to begin installation?”

  She blinked. “What?”

  “Would you like to begin installation?” the being repeated.

  “I—Where am I?”

  “I cannot respond to requests until installed. Would you like to begin installation?”

  “Shit.” She shook her head.

  “Would you like to begin installation?” the silver being said.

  She rolled her eyes. “Fuck it, why not?”

  “I do not understand your response. Would you like to—”

  “Yes!”

  The being fractured into a thousand buzzing beads and swarmed around her. She shrieked, trying to flinch away but the silver droplets were too quick, penetrating her digital incarnation, boiling its skin as they entered her. There was no pain, but the sight of her churning body made her scream until all of them were gone and her digital skin became silky-smooth.

  “Installation complete.”

  Cygni heard the hissing of hydraulics before her eyes opened in the physical world. Doors peeled apart in front of her. They were steel and shaped like two halves of a five-point star—no, it was the outline of a person, she realized. Standing before her on a narrow catwalk in a spherical room, was Premier Dorsky.

  “Forgive the attire,” he said gesturing down at his green robe. “You wound up being ready a bit before my normal waking hour.”

  She blinked.

  “Come forward.”

  She took in a deep breath and flexed her leg. It was harder than she thought it should be. She seemed to be stuck against whatever machine this was, and she grunted with the effort. On her third attempt her leg came free with a sucking sound, and the rest of her body followed with the sensation of pulling herself out of a shell. As she moved a sudden feeling of emptiness deep within her clawed across her nervous system, and caused her to convulse. She stumbled, catching herself just shy of plunging into the Premier.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, and held up her hand. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw a silver statue of herself reflected in its mirror-like surface. Thoughts of her empty stomach evaporated in her shock.

  “Sorry for what?” he asked.

  She couldn’t respond, her eyes remained fixed on her reflection. It looked like she was made of solid chrome, and faintly beneath it she could just make out a hexagonal grid-like pattern.

  “It’s called—”

  “Armacorium,” she completed his sentence. “Thuban had it.”

  “All Umbrals do. A marvelous invention by our friends at EpiGenome. With it deployed you’ll find it repels most forms of harm. Lasers, bullets, blades—but try not to test its limits too much. Do you understand?” he asked.

  She nodded. “I—yes, I think so.”

  “It is a morphic material controlled with your PLIA, so it can flow and be solid at your command. It can assume nearly any shape, generate an electrical charge on its surface as a weapon, and even colorize itself to disguise you as any form close to your own combined with your chameleon implant, the results should be impressive. Tell your PLIA to load your uniform,” he ordered.

  She loaded her UI and did so. The silver around her body flowed as she watched in her hand. Her face and hair assumed their normal coloration as a uniform with squared shoulders took shape around her. Her eye caught the gold ringed opal on her lapel a moment before she lost her mirror when the armacorium retreated from her hands.

  “You see?” Dorsky smiled. “You’ll never need to go shopping for clothing again.”

  She rolled her eyes at him. “It’s bullet-proof?”

  The door behind the Premier slid open, and Giselle walked in dressed in the same uniform, holding a gauss pistol. She brought it up and fired before Cygni could react.

  She felt the bullet kick her in the chest. The whole uniform vibrated around her, and she fell back to the ground with a grunt.

&nb
sp; “Dammit, Miss Tauthe!” Dorsky shouted, covering his ears as the gunshot reverberated off the walls.

  Cygni coughed, sucking in her next few breaths to get her lungs moving again.

  “Sorry, Cyg. I couldn’t help myself.” Giselle holstered the weapon on her hip.

  She looked down, her eyes widening at the flattened bit of metal laying between her breasts. “It works?”

  “It works.” Giselle nodded.

  “My apologies, Cygni.” Dorsky frowned at Giselle, who shrugged in response.

  Still numb, she climbed to her feet. The bullet made a clicking sound when it struck the catwalk. “I thought you couldn’t join.”

  “I became convinced after the attack,” Giselle said with a pointed look at Dorsky. “He’s quite the salesman, and maybe I was a bit emotional after seeing you hurt.”

  Her hand went to her ribs where the door shard passed through. Muscles twitched beneath her fingers. In her mind she saw Thuban on his back, staring up at her with empty eyes, and shuddered. Stupid Lalande, she thought, gritting her teeth. She noted the date and time in her UI, and gasped.

  “Are you all right?” Dorsky looked concerned.

  “What happened? I’ve been out for two days?”

  “The first to heal, and the second to have the necessary hardware and software installed,” he responded.

  “You too?” She looked at Giselle.

  “Can’t risk losing what makes me valuable,” she said, tapping her head. “I took the consultant’s position.”

  “Do you still work for the baroness?”

  “That will be worked out,” Dorsky said. “Sophi is on her way over by Miss Tauthe’s suggestion.”

  Cygni frowned at Giselle.

  “We need allies.”

  She knew it was the truth, but questioned Giselle’s judgment in inviting the woman who would see her enslaved.

  “Do you think she will punish you now that you’re working for the Premier?” Giselle asked, as if reading her mind.

  She looked at Dorsky.

  “She won’t. I’ll talk to her concerning her darker associations when the time is right. For now, unfortunately, Miss Tauthe is correct. We need allies. The attempt on my life has given us some popular sympathy. I intend to make use of it. Cygni, if you will do me the pleasure of accompanying me, I’d like to share a few things. Miss Tauthe, please see to our guest when she arrives.”

  “Yes, boss.” Giselle winked at her and left the chamber.

  Premier Dorsky gave her a few moments head start then beckoned Cygni to follow him.

  They stepped out into a bright hallway with white walls and a narrow, green carpet running its length. Up ahead Giselle entered a lift and vanished behind its doors. Dorsky walked towards it on slow feet.

  “Now we can talk. I’m sorry about the gunshot,” he said.

  “I appear to be okay,” she responded and took a breath. “It was actually kind of exhilarating.”

  “Try not to make the experience a habit. Armacorium has its limits, and if you get hit in an area where it’s not deployed…”

  She shuddered. “Thuban.”

  He nodded.

  “Why didn’t he have it deployed everywhere?” she asked.

  “Keeping its flexibility eats up power. It can run for thirty-hours before needing to be recharged. If you run it out while it’s deployed it’ll harden and trap you in its embrace. If it’s over your head, you suffocate. It takes four-hours to recharge off your body-heat, so use it sparingly if you can. If you lose some for whatever reason, don’t fear. The micro-factories implanted in your skin will produce more from elements found in your body, but that uses up power as well, and you’ll need to eat a good meal high in minerals soon after or risk nutrient depletion. Understood?”

  She nodded as they reached the lift doors.

  He took in a deep breath. “I know this is a lot to absorb. Are you all right?”

  She nodded, then remembered the face of her assailant and her heart skipped a beat. “What happened to the Gaians?”

  Dorsky sighed. “I’ll tell you, but I need to ask you something first. Thuban Vargas was my personal bodyguard, a position which is now vacant. Would you do me the honor of taking it?”

  “Are you having them arrested?” she persisted.

  He frowned. “They attacked the Premier of the Confederation with an Abyssian on-planet. I’m not doing anything.”

  She closed her eyes, thinking of Biren and Boadicea. Ila would be worried sick about him if he were arrested, and come to think of it, niu might be arrested as well. Her whole team could be in jeopardy. What would happen to them now? Lalande you stupid idiot. Why didn’t you wait?

  “Will the Abyssian come for me and my team, too?” she asked.

  “I don’t know, but seeing as though you were both among the victims of this crime and are now my personal guard…” He gave her a pointed look.

  She nodded. “Okay, yes, I’ll do it, but my team must be taken care of.”

  “Of course. I doubt she’ll be after you. I take it a member, or members of your team are Gaians?”

  “Two,” she nodded.

  “I’ll do what I can if they are arrested, but on the condition that they now serve my ends.” He smiled.

  She sighed, realizing she was about to shed one set of bonds for another. Perhaps Dorsky would prove a better master than Sophiathena Cronus. He seemed nice, at least.

  “Yes,” she responded in a small voice.

  “Relax, Cygni. You’ll get to do your story on Zalor. Have your PLIA get in touch with your team and focus. Sophiathena is a wily bitch. You’ll need to pay close attention, as I’m sure you know.” He winked at her. “I’ll see about your training afterward.”

  “Training?” Her eyebrows lifted.

  “Unless I am mistaken, you have none in regards to combat arts.”

  “I do not,” she said, starting to feel her hunger return.

  “That will change. I need my bodyguard able to defend us both. It won’t take long. When you have an opportunity, access the Umbral Net with your PLIA and download the combat routines. You’ll need to practice to get your body up to speed, but the knowledge will be in your head, at least.”

  The lift doors opened a moment later and they boarded in silence. The ascent was fast enough to make her ears pop. During the ride, she accessed her new PLIA if for no other reason than to distract herself from the hunger eating her alive from the inside.

  PLIA?

  [PLIA online] the pleasant, robotic voice responded.

  “Premier?”

  Dorsky turned towards her.

  “How do I tell it what to do? Um, the PLIA?”

  “Just tell it. It’s limited, but it is intelligent enough to understand you. It’ll start anticipating your needs once it gets used to you,” he said as the lift slowed.

  “Anticipate my needs?”

  Premier Dorsky nodded. “Abyssians are AI’s, or have them in their heads. We’re not sure which, but the PLIA is meant to be a counterweight to that. It will protect you from electronic attack.”

  Cygni’s eyes widened. “Are you meaning to take on Daedalus?”

  “Only if necessary,” Dorsky said. “The Confederation must be protected from all enemies foreign and domestic.”

  PLIA, connect me with Biren, Sanul, and Ila’Anaeriae. Their CPAds are in my contact list, she ordered. Message them to meet for dinner tonight.

  [Acknowledged, connecting.]

  The lift stopped and the doors opened into a broad room lined with thick pillars supporting a ceiling three stories high. Twenty-meters ahead of them a picturesque view of the city shimmered behind the soap-bubble haze of a plasma window with the claws of Revenant Tower rising above the horizon. Cygni stared at it for a moment before her eyes fell among the chairs and sofas filling the space around a large holographic projector. Giselle reclined among them, and behind her stood the high-crested Isinari, Haem Clearach’Kul’Tearae. To her left, clothed in a white an
d blue robe, Baroness Sophiathena Cronus tapped pale fingers against her armrest. Cygni trembled as the sight of the white braids spilling from the baroness’ hood brought the memory of the limo and the Orgnan’s touch to her mind.

  Baroness Sophiathena’s gleaming eyes moved up and down her body. “You made her an Umbral?”

  “Not your concern,” Dorsky said moving towards the baroness.

  “To the contrary, that woman is my creature.”

  “Sophi—” Giselle began, but was silenced by a glare.

  “Not anymore.” Dorsky sat down across from her and spread his arms across the chair’s thick armrests. “Welcome to my home.”

  “Caspian—”

  “Premier,” he said.

  Baroness Sophiathena’s face soured, and she bowed her head, allowing the hood to fall forward and eclipse her face in shadow. “Premier Dorsky, then.”

  “And Cygni is my new Umbral by executive privilege, or would you deny me that?” He smiled, bearing his teeth at her.

  She had to fight hard to suppress her urge to chuckle.

  “Of course not, Premier. Her people—”

  “Mine as well,” Dorsky said.

  “Most are Elthroa employees,” the baroness countered.

  “They are now consultants for the Umbrals, hired after their dismissal from Baron Revenant’s service by Helena. Do you wish me to invoke executive privilege again?”

  The baroness sat still; her lip twitched. “No need. I will lend them gladly.”

  “Then we understand each other,” he said.

  Cygni almost couldn’t believe her ears. She was free of the baroness.

  “Yes.” The response was almost a hiss. “You should have brought me in on your plans, Caspian.”

  “It’s Premier Dorsky, and why?” He leaned back in his chair. Cygni took the opportunity to move towards the one beside his, but he signaled her to stand on his right. “Who I make part of the Premier’s Umbral Service is my own business.”

  “I am not referring to your new staff, Premier.” The baroness said the title with clear contempt. “I refer to your little conspiracy against my father. Who is in it? Vargas—”

  “Baron Vargas is dead,” he said.