Dark Iron King Volume I: Thy King's Will Be Done (Unreal Universe Book 1)

by Lee Bond

  It was tricky, because if you gave a Specter an inch, you’d be missing an entire light-year and your pants before lunch was over.

  It was going to take time. And an AI, though he didn’t have much hope there: even AI found it difficult dealing with irascible Specters.

  “If only,” Aleksander mused to himself as he typed, “I knew why Enforcers were stealing my ships.”

  “Allow me to explain that mystery for you, Commander Aleksander Politoyov.”

  You didn’t get to be leader of Trinity’s Army and then Commander for Special Services -with an intervening fall from grace to assure that the latter occurred in a timely and unquestionable manner- by being hot under the collar or quick to act. Or by screaming like a little girl. Add dealing with Garth Nickels onto your resume, and you were a man who could take immense surprises on the chin without blinking.

  Random strangers appearing in rooms requiring multiple passcodes and several face-to-face checks with real live beings without having gone through those security measures was off-putting, absolutely, but again. Garth Nickels.

  Politoyov had lost count of the number of times Nickels had been found in places he shouldn’t have been. Couldn’t have been in. The reluctant Commander of Trinity`s Army snorted derisively.

  Weirdoes appearing on his ship was de rigeur these days.

  Aleksander saved his work before giving his unexpected visitor even a cursory glance. Of far more importance –to him and his men- was the wording of paragraph three; he was trying to say ‘do as I tell you or I will kick all your asses’ without being so specifically blunt. Some of his men –and quite a few women as well as a few … its- would deem that as an invitation.

  It’d be unseemly.

  Politoyov looked up, and an eyebrow arched precisely one-quarter of a millimeter.

  The commander pursed his lips speculatively at the rarity of his visitor.

  His guest was AfroEgyptian.

  True AfroEgyptian, not one of numerous darker skinned subsets found within NorthAMC and IndoRussian societies; ‘true’ AfroEgyptian citizens were identifiable by tribal scarring across every inch of visible skin, and the man standing before him in what amounted to an adult diaper/leather bandolier combo was a knotted whorl of scarification from head to toe. Legend and rumor had it that if you understood how to read those markings, you would know everything there was to know about the man or woman you’d just met. The only problem in gleaning those secrets was that AE tribal warriors were hardly ever seen and were even less inclined to allow someone to take pictures of what essentially amounted to their soul.

  Examples were made of fools who mimicked the highly stylized, extremely personal tattoos and scars; the lessons taught were severe and lingered in the memories of those related to the ‘pupil’ for generations. To Politoyov’s certain knowledge, AE citizens hadn’t crossed from their own solar systems into space populated by ‘Trinityfolk’ in well over two hundred years, just as he knew that there wasn’t a single person on any vessel surrounding the Latelian Shield stupid enough to have tribal markings giving the AE Civilization any cause to reveal themselves; AfroEgyptians were most secretive, the most protective of their heritage, the most … mysterious and did not enjoy spending time away from home.

  As far as the SpecSer Commander could remember, the AE systems held no special rights –at least nothing similar in scope to what Latelyspace had enjoyed for so long- but they enjoyed the next best thing. No one they did not want in their systems entered their systems. They had free rite of passage wherever they wanted to go. They were inviolate and mostly untouchable by Trinity’s Laws. The reasons for their rights and liberties weren’t recorded in any official capacity –as Latelyspace’s were- but … they got away with it all the same.

  Politoyov let loose the breath he’d been holding.

  This was the first purebred AfroEgyptian citizen he’d ever met in his life, and it was fair to say he’d seen a damn lot in his life.

  It warmed an old Offworlder’s heart that there were still ‘firsts’ in the world. He flashed his guest a smile, gesturing to the only other chair in the room. Gods, Aleksander was enthralled, and that wasn’t something that happened often. One of the AIs chirped up with the last known sighting of any true AE citizen. Six hundred years between official sightings. Amazing. Truly amazing.

  The smile faltered when the AfroEgyptian shook his head, but Aleksander forged on regardless. A man could sit or stand if he so chose. Who was he to force the issue? “And who are you?”

  “Call me …” The dark-skinned man smiled, flashing teeth so white they gleamed, “Osiris.”

  Aleksander couldn’t help but eye Osiris speculatively. Way back in the beginning of the expansion of the Universe, during –or possibly before­- the first of the Exodus Wars, something had happened to drive a wedge between the assembled African and Egyptian cultures and damn near the rest of Humankind, some awful … thing that no amount of peace talks had been able to repair. What that was, historians and Exodites alike had failed to uncover, but that wedge, that … hostility, had persisted for eons.

  By the time Trinity revealed itself as the true proctor for Humanity, the AfroEgyptian representatives –largely untouched by ADAM’s depredations- had demanded –and received- right of refusal. For everything. Trinity relented with a single caveat, demanding It be given the right of veto when –and only under dire circumstances- necessary. Everyone had agreed, and thus, an entire quarter of Humanity’s bloodlines disappeared.

  Again, not quite sovereign status but near enough as made no ever mind. AI had found a walloping three instances where Trinity or It’s direct forces had come knocking on the AE civilization’s doors, a staggering display of beneficence from an otherwise tight-fisted and micromanaging machine minded overlord.

  “You are wondering,” Osiris broke the silence, “how we are different from these Latelians, yes?”

  Aleks nodded, keeping one eye on the AI systems. They were running scans, looking for signs of deep implants, weapons, genetic modifications … anything to explain how the man had gotten into this inner sanctum without triggering any alarms.

  Or, for that matter of fact, how a lone envoy from a Human offshoot that had not been seen in over five hundred years could make it onto the ship without setting off alarms in the first place.

  Osiris gestured grandly to the large screens displaying computer-generated images of Latelyspace and the assumed location of all their army’s military assets. His rich baritone filled the room. “Unlike Latelians, we never closed ourselves off as they have, Commander Aleksander Politoyov.”

  Aleks couldn’t help himself. “Untrue. The instances of Trinityfolk being given leave to enter any of your systems is absent, suggesting to me that not a single man, woman or Offworlder loyal to Trinity Itself has set foot on a planet under direct AE control in thousands of years.

  On the other hand, instances of direct and overwhelming violence against Trinityfolk perpetrated by AE … wanderers are well documented, as invariably, there is quite a lot of bloodshed and little explanation other than ‘an insult was made’. I can see little difference.”

  Osiris nodded slowly. “To an outsider, the similarities must surely be very … similar.” He smiled at his poor choice of words before continuing. “And perhaps I misspoke in the first place. Unlike Latelians, who came to this sector of space and abruptly decided they hated everything and everyone that was not them, my people fled to the stars during the First Exodus War because a terrible crime had been committed. Our isolation is on religious grounds. The Latelians did as they did out of fear. Religious persecution, commander, so great and terrible it has lasted the entire span of Human history thus far. That is how badly we were hurt. Trinity continues to recognize those old hurts as a perpetual, deep wound in our collective souls and will continue to do so until the end itself.”

  The AI systems could neither corroborate nor deny Osiris’s claims of religious persecution, just as they failed to identify
anything dangerous –mechanical or organic- on or in the man.

  Aleksander took a deep breath. While he was enjoying what surely amounted to one of the rarest encounters in the known Universe, he was a busy man and Osiris –a name ringing so false he was personally impressed that he hadn’t scoffed outright at it- had broken into his private offices. The Specter commander said as much, finishing with, “So if you could do me the honor of explaining your cryptic comment in great detail before leaving in a manner similar to your arrival so as not to aggravate my trigger-and-grenade happy Specters, I would consider that a great gift.”

  Osiris smiled that pearly-white smile again. “Of course, Commander Politoyov. My apologies. Firstly, allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Osiris, and I am a Trinity Representative.”

  Aleks quelled a surge of fear. Well, not fear. Worried anticipation. Yes, that sounded better. Reps dropped by every now and then to see how the war was going, so Trinity could be provided with ‘fresh eye Intel’. The AI was no fool in that regard; It knew that Men were prone to color things so they came out –even if they were completely screwing up in every way possible- as untarnished as possible.

  Thus far during the two year engagement, Trinity Reps had been arriving full of zeal and purpose but leaving the front line looking grimmer each time. Aleksander had practiced being unconcerned with their unspoken opinions early on in order to save himself a continual assault on his nerves and digestion; they learned soon enough that every effort was to breach the shield was already being made and that was that. This ‘war’ was something Trinity Itself wanted, partly because –Aleks assumed- It found the xenophobic race of maniacs too dangerous to leave lying around any longer. Getting worked up over perceived flaws or faults outlined by Adjutants –who were just as incapable of dealing with the systemic shield as every other damn person in the Universe- served no other purpose than to ruin an already tasteless breakfast.

  As far as Commander Politoyov was concerned, any fault previous Trinity Representatives had found in the way the conflict was being managed could be handed right back to the machine mind Itself. The damned Latelians were safe and secure behind that unbreakable shield of theirs while they had the Ghostly Five and their bloody deep space shenanigans.

  But this …

  Sending an AfroEgyptian Representative to the front lines allowed for a greater range of actions because they would all be handled by someone with no emotional concerns over fallout; it would be ‘easier’ for Osiris to authorize waiting Enforcers to do anything at all, up to and including the deaths of everyone on every ship, whereas other Adjutants would find it difficult to pull the trigger on someone they might –in a roundabout way- be related to.

  “Fear not, Commander Politoyov.” Osiris ran a finger over the whorled scars on his right forearm. “I am not here to judge the war effort. Things are going as well as can be expected, yes? With this shield,” the Rep turned an eye to the screens displaying the AI simulation of where the energy field surrounding the solar system truly sat –and it was a daunting parcel of space, to be sure, driving everyone crazy as to how the Latelians had suddenly conjured up such fearsome tech-, “covering Latelyspace, there is little anyone can really do until it is brought down. Such marvelous construction, this shield. You have tried everything available to you?”

  Aleks grunted. “The … machinery is non-responsive. We are attempting to retrofit Gamma Plateaus with black hole engines, but they keep breaking. Something in the inner workings of the Plateaus is too fragile, even with the gravnetic shields. We are working on assembling a barebones Quantum Tunnel about ten thousand miles away from the ‘edge’ of this thing. The theory there is that we might bounce someone or something through their shield. We … all we have are theories. We’re pushing the limit of AI processing here. Even the few tens we have are getting cranky.”

  “Ah. That is to be expected.” Osiris digested the news with a nod. “And several Enforcers have already made their way here, no?”

  “Yes.” Aleksander squinted. Something was bothering him, but the intuitive feeling was far out there, buried under the several billion tons of worry already firmly rooted. “Enforcers Grave Kallan, Varan Seems, and TwinForcer Ketchum Killem all dropped by for an afternoon visit several months back. They tried everything at their disposal, including, I might add, one of their damned Singularity Cannons. Not to mention, one of them used their Superstring Collider. Fifteen light-years of real estate on the far side of the Latelian Shield Wall is now useless. Damn near shat a brick. I had to get Trinity to issue restrictions on those fools. No Enforcers will be coming back this way any time soon.”

  “The Twinforcer made an appearance.” Osiris’s lips quirked. “That is a wonder. I assumed it was them who used the Collider?”

  “I don’t know which one of them did it, Representative Osiris.” Aleksander laid his hands flat on the table. “All I do know is that I lost my temper and started hollering at all four of them like children and they just stood there. They apologized for ‘wrecking space’ before Tunneling out. Since then, no other Enforcers have come. After Trinity’s brand of reprisal, I am certain none will come voluntarily. And lo, we have come full circle. Please, tell me why Enforcers are stealing my ships. It will come in handy if I can explain to my boneheaded Specters just what is going on. They keep attempting to kill Enforcers. Sooner or later, they’ll succeed.”

  “Yes.” Osiris nodded, slightly bemused. “I’ve heard that might be the case.”

  There. Again. A tiny flare of … was it distrust? Something about the Rep was … off. His unwanted guest seemed amused by something and this was hardly the venue for hilarity. Specter gallows humor, certainly. By all means.

  Aleksander surreptitiously ordered the AIs to recommence scanning the AfroEgyptian, authorizing them to draw on as many resources as possible. He’d catch hell from the Tech Experts down the road, but Aleksander couldn’t shake the feeling things were not as they appeared. Then, the Specter commander gestured to his workstation. “If you don’t mind? Specters? Stealing?”

  Osiris sketched a circle in the air with two fingers. “What if I were to tell you, Commander Aleksander Politoyov, that Enforcers can no longer Tunnel to where they need to be? That without these black hole ships of yours, they are stranded all across the Universe?”

  “Highly unlikely. Rumor backed by scientific principle indicates that the Enforcers’ Suits possess miniaturized Quantum Tunnel generators. Everyone in Trinityspace knows our machine mind possesses equipment thousands, if not tens of thousands, of years in advance of anything available. And that’s just in areas where we are allowed to explore. Trinity Itself has access to science outlawed everywhere but for It…”

  Osiris stood there, laughing silently. He wasn’t sure if he could keep the charade up for much longer.

  Out of decorum –and the sudden worry that this man was no Representative at all but one of the Five somehow passed through the shield- Aleksander kept his cool, though he did move one hand towards the panic button. “By your amusement, I assume that this isn’t true?”

  “Indeed, Commander Aleksander Politoyov, it is not true.” Osiris cleared his throat of laughter and resumed. “Of all the things Trinity Itself is capable of engineering –and there are wonders out there, all constructed by the AI, that you cannot imagine- the one ‘scientific principle’ It has been unable to perfect is Quantum Tunneling. In fact, try as It might, It cannot even replicate the smallest Tunnel in existence. If you are unaware…”

  Aleks interrupted. “The one in the home system. The one not built by Trinity. The one built by… built by someone else.”

  Osiris bowed smoothly. “Indeed. You are very well informed.”

  “Before being summarily planted at the head of this ridiculous war because Army can’t think properly, I was sole commander for Special Services, ‘Representative’ Osiris. Part of my job is to know where everything of tactical value is hidden. The list is quite extensive and the items on the list a
re generally too risky to move. In the instance of the Home system Quantum Tunnel, it is small enough to fit inside another Tunnel. If necessary, I expect it could be Tunneled elsewhere.” Aleksander smiled grimly. “A thought exercise only. To while away the nights here on the empty front lines.”

  “I assure you,” Osiris countered, skin darkening considerably at the thought of someone actually attempting to move a Tunnel inside another, “doing so would result in a singularity of absurdly catastrophic destruction. The TwinForcer’s Cannon would seem a firecracker by contrast, Commander. I am told Trinity is quite fond of the Milky Way. It might react rather unfairly to it’s sudden disappearance.”

  “So.” Aleks shifted in his chair. The AIs were coming up empty. He authorized them to network with the 8’s and 9’s aboard his ship. It meant temporarily shutting down all Tech work. Aleks was about as interested in dealing with upset Tech Experts as he was in being involved in a war that would probably have no outcome at all, but it had to be done, and honestly, smoothing over the frayed nerves of excitable Tech Experts was infinitely easier than explaining to anyone why he’d allowed an enemy combatant –or whatever Osiris really was- into his ship, or why they’d sat around chatting amicably.

  Osiris was coming off as the least trustworthy person he’d met in some time, and that was including the genetically shifty Babel Sinfell and the garrulous Garth Nickels in there. Every time the so-called ‘Rep’ alluded to things without being truly specific and this unwarranted smugness literally screamed ‘one of the Five’. With everything the quintet was thus far capable of, Aleksander wouldn’t put it past them to’ve figured out a way to push some bit of their essence onto their ships.

  Commander Politoyov reiterated Osiris’s statement for his own benefit because it sounded just as stupid as something he’d come up on his own. “You claim Enforcers are stealing my black hole ships because they can’t tunnel, a concept I find virtually impossible to believe. The implication here is they use a method we’ve never thought of, which makes me wonder why you’ve come all this way to tell me in person. If it’s a concern of Specter versus Enforcer fisticuffs, I assure you, this is a wasted…”