Blood Siren (Chronicles of the Orion Spur Book 1)

by Michael Formichelli

  Standing opposite her, Kiertah’s glowing eyes cast odd shadows about her face. Noticing his attention, she gave him an acknowledging glance. The cerberai that had found him sat at her side with its head nuzzling her ribs.

  Between the two, at the far end of the projector, Baron Mitsugawa Ichiro rose from his seat. He was dressed in black poly-ceramic armor similar to that worn by the mercs, but of obviously much higher quality. The dark, glossy surface made the white swords at his hip and the encircled white stripes on his shoulders appear to glow. His black hair was pulled back and waxed into a stiff tail. His dark eyes looked tired when they met Nero’s own.

  “Baron Mitsugawa.” He bowed as best he could, trying to observe the Taiumikai custom. “I didn’t expect you here. I thought you were burying your father.”

  “It’s what I should be doing,” the baron nodded. “But just before I departed the system I received a notice that the proof of my father’s murder was here on Elmorus. I admit I was torn between tradition and revenge briefly, but I am a Mitsugawa. In the end, there was no real choice.”

  Nero nodded. “I can respect that.”

  “I sent my father’s body on to our home world, and I came here with a small detachment of artificials and ‘bots from our private armed forces. I also neglected to tell my half-sister, something I hope that you will continue to do as a favor to me.”

  “Alright,” Nero said. His was not to judge. Whatever family games they were playing, he didn’t want any part of them. He was here for the evidence alone.

  “This is Commander Armstrong, and Setha here tells me you two have met before,” Baron Mitsugawa said.

  He gave Kiertah a look, curious about the name change. “We have.”

  “Your presence here is something of a happy coincidence. I’m impressed that you figured out you had to come here to find Siren.”

  “I can’t claim credit, Baron. It was Chief Irin of the Savorchans, who put me on coming here. I saw him after following the lead you gave me about the VoQuana embassy.”

  “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t realize the VoQuana were working for Baron Revenant. Setha has since remedied my knowledge on that point.”

  “I managed to dump the nosy Maskhim you had me meet. No harm done. Chief Irin mentioned Setha was already tracking down the lab where Siren was made,” Nero said.

  “She did. The lab is several kilometers from here. We found residual samples of the nanomachine that killed my father as well as deleted data caches that my techs are working on reconstructing right now. I’d send word to start tracing the owners of the lab, or at least who built it, but we have a new problem.”

  The baron pointed to the red deltas hovering near the edge of the system. “The Broghites are here. I doubt we’ll be able to leave the system anytime soon. Their warships are closing in towards the planet, and I suspect they’ll have us blockaded before I can get back to my ship and off the ground.”

  Nero scowled. “So we’re trapped here.”

  “Unless you’ve some way to get us out. Perhaps by contacting Daedalus through that quantum communicator you Abyssians have.” The baron referred to the q-comm in the SCC of every Abyssian that enabled instantaneous communication with Daedalus no matter where a Praetor was in the spur.

  “My SCC is offline. I don’t know why or how I’m even still conscious without it, but I’m unable to use most of our special abilities.”

  Baron Mitsugawa frowned. “Then we may be here a while. I’m glad Setha thought to hire you, Commander Armstrong.”

  “We’ll do our job and keep you out of the worst of it when the fighting starts,” the commander said in a strong voice.

  “My ship has advanced stealth capabilities, but my SCC usually does the flying, and it’s not FTL capable.”

  “We’ve got pilots,” the merc commander said.

  “So if we can make it to an FTL ship undetected, perhaps we can get out. How close are your techs to completing the reconstruction?” Nero asked.

  “You’ll have to ask them, but I suspect it will be a while. I think we’re going to be here well after the fighting starts,” Baron Mitsugawa said.

  “Just as well. My partner is in a Relaen hibernation state and I won’t leave without her.”

  “Just as well. We’ll reconvene in the morning once I have an update from my techs. Praetor Graves, I’m happy to loan you one to have a look at your SCC,” Baron Mitsugawa said.

  “Thanks, but I’ll wait for my partner to wake up,” Nero said.

  Baron Mitsugawa nodded.

  Nero bowed and left the tent. He hadn’t gone five steps before he found Kiertah Rega at his side, her cerberai trotting along behind them like a large, shaggy shadow. She was a head shorter than him, though Nero imagined he could feel her presence like a hot wind, and had no doubt that she had a lot of will packed into that tiny body.

  “Nero, will you walk with me?” She asked.

  “I need to check on Khepria,” he said.

  “She’s fine, and she’ll still be there in ten minutes. I would appreciate your attention, briefly,” she said.

  He sighed. He couldn’t get over how much she’d grown. “Alright, but would you mind if we don’t go far. I’m still a bit woozy. Thanks, by the way, for helping us.”

  “I owed you my life. That debt is taken seriously on Savorcha,” Kiertah said.

  “All the same, thanks.”

  They passed a Taiumijin in black with unusual, dark-red eyes. The man had a face that managed to look passive and stern at the same time. He stared at them as he walked, thoroughly scanning both before moving on.

  “Who was that?” Nero said, frowning.

  “Mamiya Ryouichi, Baron Mitsugawa’s personal aide.”

  He waited for Prospero to look the man up for just a moment before remembering. He shook his head, it felt like an empty room without his companion.

  “He didn’t seem to like me,” he said.

  “I think he is neutral on most sentient beings. He has a lot of cybernetic implants and I believe they may have affected his humanity,” she said with casual indifference.

  “He reminds me of some of the other Abyssians I’ve met,” Nero said.

  Kiertah turned her ear up to the canopy, as though listening to something thirty-meters above their heads. “He does, in a fashion, resemble the Abyssians. Not yourself, though,” she said.

  “Thankfully.”

  She led them to the edge of the camp, near one of the Mitsugawa ‘bots. Nero leaned against a tree trunk to steady himself. It gave a little but held firm against his weight, like padded leather over steel.

  “Tengu, right? The cerberai’s name is Tengu?” The name had come to him like a ray of sunlight bursting through clouds.

  Kiertah nodded. “It is Tengu.”

  Tengu barked.

  “Good to see you again, too. I thought you had to leave him behind when your father took you away.”

  “I got him back. It took a long time, but when I got back to Savorcha we were reunited. You said your SCC is offline?” she asked.

  He nodded. “I don’t suppose you know how to fix one? As much as I hate that thing’s voice in my head, I’m going to need him back.”

  She shook her head. “I ask because your answer means this conversation will not be heard by the machine, Daedalus. Do you know why it is you are so uncomfortable with the machine’s voice in your thoughts?”

  He scrunched up his face. “What? It just bothers me, I guess.”

  “It is more than that, Nero. You care deeply for Sorina Khepria, don’t you?” She asked.

  “Huh? She’s my partner. I’m worried about her. Wait, are we still talking about the same thing? You’re jumping around a lot.”

  “In a way, we are. It’s unusual for an Abyssian to care for someone. Your kind are supposed to have machine hearts, after all.”

  “I guess, but they say a lot of things about us.” Now that Kiertah mentioned it, he hadn’t heard of an Abyssian having attachments or
a relationship, but he didn’t suppose there were many sentient beings who could return such a sentiment to one of his kind.

  Kiertah watched him with her glowing-green eyes. “It’s something to think about.”

  “Uh, okay. Hey, since we’re asking each other random, weird questions. What’s with the name change? The little girl I met on Savorcha was called Kiertah.”

  “Setha is the name my father and chief gave me on the day I became what I am. Kiertah Rega is the name my biological father gave me. Call me what you will, but the being named Kiertah is no more.”

  “That’s rather dramatic.”

  “It is what it is.”

  He frowned. The way she was talking was freaking him out. “Uh, alright. I’m going to go check up on Khepria.”

  “Nero, one more thing. There is a way out of this system without using an FTL ship. There is a Cephalon temple on this world.”

  “Huh? Like the thing I found you in on Savorcha?”

  Kiertah—Setha, or whatever she wanted to be called, nodded. “It is not far from here. I studied alongside my father. I can make it work, but we’ll need your ship’s stealth capabilities after.”

  He blinked. She just wasn’t making sense. So what if there was an old, dusty temple about—and what did she mean by making it work?

  “I’ll need my SCC online to call the ship over to us. I left it back at the port in Sanakrat.”

  “Something else to keep in mind, then. I will mention it to Baron Mitsugawa. Tend to your Relaen friend.” Setha started to walk off, but stopped a meter from him. “I know I must sound strange to your ears, but think about what I’ve said, please. You are not now what you were when we met.”

  “What?” he said to her back as she retreated into the camp.

  “Hey, there you are,” Nero said when Agent Khepria opened her eyes.

  They were in a tent that Baron Mitsugawa had designated for their use nearby the main one where he slept. True to the medic’s estimate, it was a little over twenty hours before Sorina’s breathing returned to something Nero’s unaided senses could perceive. The sun was up, but the camp remained illuminated mostly by the hovering glow-spheres as very little of its orange light reached the forest floor.

  “Nero, ah, I mean Praetor—” she started.

  “Nero’s fine,” he said.

  “You look like shit. Where am I?” she asked, sleepily.

  “Thank you, I was hoping you’d notice. At least both sides will match once I’m healed. We’re still on Elmorus, unfortunately. You’ll never guess who’s here with us. We got rescued by Baron Mitsugawa.”

  Her ears twitched. “Really? What’s he doing here?”

  “Apparently the Gaians told him about this place before they mentioned it to us. He’s got techs working in the lab on reconstructing the data. I believe you’ll have to join them as soon as you’re able. I got us an invite this morning.”

  “Thanks. Can I eat first?” She sat up and blinked, flexing her ears back and forth. “I feel like an old processor. What happened to Qismat?”

  “Defeated, hopefully destroyed but Prospero doubted it. Haven’t seen it since the crash. You’ve been through a lot. Go easy on yourself, the nanomachines only finished putting your legs back together a few hours ago.”

  “I’ll be okay. So I take it we’re closing in on getting what we came for?”

  “Almost. There’s a complication, though.”

  She frowned. “What kind of complication?”

  Off in the distance, a deep rumble like distant thunder reverberated through the air. In the forest around the camp, animals began chirping and screeching in response.

  “What was that?” Khepria sat up straighter.

  “The complication I mentioned. The Broghites have invaded, so we’re going to have a hell of a time getting the evidence off-world.”

  She inhaled until her chest was straining, then let the air out slowly. “Great.”

  Nero nodded, looking at the blue-white flashes of light in the sky through the part in the tent flap. His ship was out there, a sitting duck on the spaceport tarmac. Spaceports were usually among the first targets hit in an invasion.

  “Yeah, just great.”

  OS.EXIT

  Cast of Characters

  The Great Houses of the Confederation

  House Altair

  Baroness Brudah Altair

  House Cronus

  Baroness Hephestia Cronus

  Heir-Representative Aurora Cronus - Wife of Baron Mitsugawa Yoji, mother of Sophiathena and Mitsugawa Ichiro

  Heiress Sophiathena Cronus - Daughter of Heir-Representative Cronus and Baron Revenant

  House Keltan

  Baron Cylus Keltan

  Ben - Artificial Manservant to Baron Keltan

  House Mitsugawa

  Baron Mitsugawa Yoji

  Heir Mitsugawa Ichiro “Sable” - Son of Baron Mitsugawa and Heir-Representative Cronus

  Heiress Mitsugawa Aki – Sister of Baron Mitsugawa Yoji

  Mamiya Ryouichi – House Mitsugawa’s top retainer

  Mizushima Kaito – Taisa (Colonel) & C/O TSS Musashi Maru

  Hamasaki Akira – Chūsa (Lt. Col.) & X/O TSS Musashi Maru

  House Olivaar

  Baron Hagus Olivaar

  Heiress Pasqualina Olivaar - Daughter of Baron Olivaar and Baroness Helena Olivaar

  House Revenant

  Baron Zalor Revenant

  Qismat - His artificial bodyguard and assassin

  Doctor Suman Rega - Expert in the Cephalon civilization, xeno-archeologist & xeno-technologist working for Baron Revenant

  House Sordekaar

  Baroness Helena Olivaar - Wife of Baron Hagus Olivaar, cousin to Baron Revenant

  Non-House Affiliated Characters

  Investigators

  Abyssian Praetor Nero Graves

  Confederate Space Authority Agent Sorina Khepria

  Eckortaan Setha a.k.a. Kiertah Rega - Daughter of Suman Rega, adopted daughter of Chief Irin of the Savorchans

  Reporters for the Spur Herald News Feed

  Cygni Lau-Aragón

  Pawqlan

  Ax’xoa Iai – Chief Editor of the Spur Herald

  The Nyangari Protectorate

  Ambassador to the Confederation of Sovereign Systems Rugor Shef

  Guror Shkur Ithros

  Genealogy of the Houses

  Cronus, Keltan, Mitsugawa, Revenant, and Sordekaar

  Glossary of Terms in 25th Century Orion Spur

  Term

  Definition

  Abyssian Praetor

  Member of the Abyssian Order, a cyborg servant of Daedalus.

  Aegis Field

  Term for a series of energy fields designed to serve as a barrier, either permeable, semi-permeable, or completely repulsive in nature. Most typically they are comprised of overlapping dark energy and electromagnetic fields.

  Anti-matter

  Grenade

  A fist-sized sphere containing a tiny amount of anti-hydrogen gas in a magnetic field. When the fuse is triggered, the magnetic field collapses allowing the anti-hydrogen gas to contact the inside of the housing, resulting in a highly energetic matter-anti-matter interaction.

  Arcology

  A self-contained, self-sustainable, floating fortress and home environment favored by the barons of the Tri-Terra Republic. They are now considered status symbols, but largely archaic and out of production.

  Artificial

  Short for “artificial person” or “artificial soldier” etc. -A synthetic being built from silicon-based cells to resemble a living being. They typically have polymer skeletons beneath the silicon flesh, and a substance called “Silocar” flowing through their veins (see Silocar). They are ubiquitous in Confederate society.

  Barons &

  Baronesses

  Title for the CEO of a major company or corporate entity. Barons also get automatic membership in the Barony (see Barony), and function as part of the government.

&
nbsp; Breather

  membrane

  Adhesive membrane that fits over the repertory organs of the host organism and either filters, or recycles the air in harsh environments.

  Broghite War

  War started in 2401 CE with the deaths of the ambassadors to the Broghite Commonwealth from the Confederation- the Keltan family.

  C-37

  An aerospace light cargo vessel with memory-polymer wings. It is the most ubiquitous aerospace ship in the Confederation, with both civilian and military models.

  Cerberai

  Genetically engineered canine organisms. They are about as intelligent as an average, unenhanced teenager. They come in many varieties.

  Cerebral

  Computer

  a.k.a. CC

  A silicon-cell, neural-fiber computer that sits between the meningies of the brain, or directly on the central-nervous system (in some species that lack meningies), with neural-fiber links into the central nervous system of the host organism. They provide cognitive enhancement and link the host to any external system able to receive its electromagnetic signal.

  Cleebians

  Dominant species of the Greater Cleebian Prosperity Sphere noted for their mathematical abilities and lack of empathy for other sentient life. They have a capitalist economy, like the Tri-Terra Republic. They are considered an elder space-faring species who has had an interstellar empire for a thousand years.

  Confederate Space

  Authority

  a.k.a. CSA