The Impossible Future: Complete set

by Frank Kennedy

  “Not one we recognize,” she said. “If we should decide to become your allies, we’ll consider your title. Until then, you are James Bouchet, terrorist and mass murderer. You are neither god nor human. You were born as a Chancellor and remade by the perversions of Chancellor science. And now, your delusions of grandeur have divided the indigenous peoples of the colonies.”

  Ulrich turned to James, who hesitated. Had he even considered the possibility of resistance? Ulrich needed to step in.

  “My name is Ulrich Rahm,” he said, “First Minister to Salvation. We have come here to negotiate for the support of the Chinese tribal leaders in our conflict with the Chancellory. We have no ill intent. May I ask, are you the Honorable Pao-Lin Mie?”

  “I am Pao-Lin Jie.” She glanced to her left. “This is my sister, Pao-Lin Mie. Today, I speak for us both.”

  James briefed him on this. They were twins who rotated duties as the voice of Mandewatt. Ulrich wished he had guessed right.

  “And the honored elder between you?” He said. “This is Zhang Yong, Master of the Convocations?”

  “He is,” Jie said. “Do not underestimate his appearance. Though his sun is about to set, his mind remains acute. He understands why we are here.”

  “To forge an alliance. By now, you know about the fealty we have received from the Khaavat and Tuvaan clans. We …”

  She silenced him with a hand. “The Mongols have always been superstitious morons. You caught them at a good time. Yes, we know of the miracles and those cured of Lumac’s Syndrome. And we are impressed. While Lumac’s has rarely encroached on our territories, it is both terrifying and resistant to Genysen. We also saw the vids of what the terrorist Rayna Tsukanova did to the Guard’s base at Skarfigg. We are glad to see it gone. There has been a long history of pain associated with Skarfigg.” She took a step forward.

  “But do not confuse our gratitude with servitude. Do not confuse our traditional ways of life with primitivism. Though we might not possess the shining cities of Azteca, Catalan, or Hokkaido, we are as educated and technologically advanced as any colonial race. We have no interest in gods – real or imagined. You came at our invitation to sell us on why you offer a better arrangement than the Chancellory.”

  Ulrich started to speak, but James placed a hand over his chest.

  “Pao-Lin Jie, you talk as if this is a competition. What if I said the Chancellory will be gone soon?”

  She grinned, as if humored. “Gone? The ones who have orbited Tamarind for eleven hundred years? The ones we thought would leave soon after their fall at Hiebimini?”

  “The same.” James pointed to the stars. “They make you think we are small and insignificant. That you have no options. But have you considered life after the Ark Carriers? I know your people want to build system ships of your own. You’ve been leasing from the Chancellory for two centuries. Yes?”

  The sisters locked eyes. Jie nodded with enthusiasm.

  “We’ve spoken to many of your acolytes on the other colonies. They told us of this promise. This is the bait you lower before them.”

  “Not bait. A guarantee. Every colony that follows me will become a truly sovereign world for the first time.”

  “Sovereign. But worshipping at your feet.” She pointed her index finger and waved it in an arc. “Study the trees, James Bouchet.”

  The conifers came to life, with figures they missed on the walk here. Ulrich saw shadows take human form, with rifles visible.

  “Your game ends here,” she said. “Prove your value to us, or we kill you all. Even try to trigger the Berserker inside, and our firepower will scatter your blood among these trees.”

  Ulrich felt like a fool. He envied the immortals.

  60

  Lioness, Level 4

  Habitation quarters

  O PHELIA WASN’T READY WHEN THE HOUR arrived, but she pressed forward anyway. If not for herself, then for the boy. Give him a chance these other children will never have. Which is why, upon receiving the green light to make her move, Ophelia went for Rikhi Syed straight away.

  She found him in the entertainment commons along with a few dozen other immortals. He was riding a virtual cycle.

  Ophelia drew agog reactions from the soldiers, who had not seen her among them like this in months. A few nodded – the ones she worked with the hardest to overcome insecurities about their new identities. She caught Rikhi before his eyes shuffled her way. There was simply no subtle way to do this.

  She strode alongside. He laid back on a cushioned stanchion, his hands weaving a design through a holowindow while his feet pedaled furiously. Ophelia took a closer look. He was cycling along the coastal shelf of Peshawan on Brahma. Home.

  She hated herself as she leaned in. “It’s time.”

  Rikhi shot her a darting eye but continued to cycle.

  “This is where I want to go.”

  “Like I told you before, I can make no promises. But if we don’t leave now, we never will.”

  He cycled a few more meters.

  “What do I pack?”

  “We don’t have time.”

  He threw away the holowindow. “I don’t have any possessions.”

  “Of course not. As we leave, be casual. If anyone asks, you’re joining me for therapy.”

  No one asked.

  If the soldiers had an inkling of what she was doing, they’d beat her to death without hesitation – even the most grateful ones. Ophelia knew she’d deserve it.

  “What now?” Rikhi asked inside the lift.

  “We meet the people who will help us.”

  She programmed the lift for Level 2 – munitions and materiel. She sighed when they passed Level 3 without a forced stop.

  At Level 2, they stepped into a cargo hold stocked with the spoils of raids, supply runs, and mining operations. The bounty was neatly organized by long rows, monolithic black metal storage cabinets, and tables upon which precious metals sat beneath hololock domes. Heavy cargo rifters rested in silence side-by-side.

  “Why are we here?” Rikhi asked, to which Ophelia shushed him.

  She kept him at her side as she advanced within. She’d never been here before, but the sheer volume of supplies stolen from throughout the Collectorate did not surprise her.

  Ophelia jumped back a step when Harrison Malwood rounded a corner, a finger to his lips. He waved them ahead.

  Four rows along, she made a sharp turn. Harrison was waiting. He didn’t try to apologize for the large body crumpled on the floor behind him, a pair of burn holes on his back. She recognized the former peacekeeper, though she didn’t remember his name.

  Harrison showed off his laser pistol.

  “He’d be dead soon enough. They’ll all be.”

  “Did you have to?”

  He nodded. “Afraid so. He was the duty officer. We have an hour until his replacement arrives. Which would you prefer?”

  He pointed to a cart containing a variety of weapons.

  “None.”

  “Bad choice. Select something small, good for a novice.”

  As Ophelia lingered, Rikhi leaped in, grabbing a Mark 8 blast rifle.

  “Hold on, boy. We’re not looking to shoot up the place.”

  He refused to return it. “Then why you’d put it out?” He looked at both adults. “I know how to use this. I started training on it a few days ago.”

  Ophelia started to object, but Harrison waved her off.

  “Actually, this might be to our considerable benefit. I have an idea. And for you, Dr. Tomelin?”

  She selected an Ingmar Pulse Gun.

  “What now, Malwood?”

  “Now, we wait. The rest of our merry crew should arrive momentarily.” He tapped his ear. “We’re in place.” He tapped again and rolled his eyes. “I despise these communicators. Give me an amp, and I shall be happy. Do you miss yours, Ophelia?”

  “Mine works as well as ever. At least, I assume. I never dared use it after Brother James ordered it nullified.”
<
br />   “And what of you, good Soldier of Salvation? Did they promise you an amp someday?”

  Rikhi scowled, but Ophelia knew it ran deeper. He genuinely despised this man.

  “I’m nobody’s soldier. I never had an amp, so why would I care about one?”

  “Ah. Attitude. I’ll need you to hold on to those wicked little features when we head out. Understand?”

  “Yes.” He held the rifle against his chest. “You want me to play soldier on the landing bay, don’t you?”

  “You’re too clever by half. And you live forever. What a combination. Yes, Rikhi, you may have to shoot if our efforts run afoul. Five immortals have landing bay duty. Older but untested.”

  “I won’t kill anyone.”

  “Even if their hearts will start again?”

  Rikhi didn’t answer. Ophelia spoke for him.

  “Have you thought this through, Malwood?”

  “Every beat, Dr. Tomelin. I’d prefer if you called me Harrison.”

  “I’d prefer not, thank you.”

  Harrison settled two laser pistols into pouches on his bodysuit.

  “Ladies choice,” he said. “Don’t worry. I’m used to that cynical shade in your voice. As a Special Services agent, I lived my life dealing in the art of deception. How do you believe a man whose life is off-book?”

  Ophelia smirked. “Or perhaps nobody likes your personality.”

  Harrison returned the favor. “Fair point. It reminds me, one of my last duties involved an attempt to rejuvenate a dying program. Organic killing machines. Highly efficient, devastating works of art. But they had the unfortunate tendency to drive the human operator to the edge of insanity.

  “We dispatched two units to Moroccan Prime to test their effectiveness in urban warfare. I worked with a man who also believed in their usefulness. Henri. Our transport was inside lunar orbit when we received recall orders. An admiral requisitioned the units. Never explained why.

  “I was livid, fully prepared to ignore the orders. But Henri was, to his detriment, a stickler for chain of command. He …”

  Ophelia jumped in. “What is your point, Malwood?”

  He waved her off. “Hear me, hear me. I pretended to accept Henri’s decision with grace. He ordered the navigator to reset our course for Earth. Five days later, we docked at Vasily Station. An officer went to check on Henri. Poor fellow died in his sleep. Brain aneurism. Fulcrum travel has always carried a risk.”

  She sighed. “Since this conversation is about trust, I assume you had him killed?”

  “I felt entitled to a small measure of satisfaction. Losing those Shock Units was the final straw for me. I resigned from Special Services soon after. They botched my eye then I found a quiet home on Qasi Ransome. And so it goes.”

  Ophelia turned cold. “Shock Units, you say?”

  “Yes. Familiar with them?”

  “I wasn’t until two years ago. Which admiral requisitioned them?”

  “The one and only Augustus Perrone.”

  She recalled the terrifying moments outside the Interdimensional Fold when a transport arrived, commanded by Major Sexton Marshall, under orders to send the Shock Units through the fold to protect the emerging hybrid. She agreed with hesitation, not wanting Perrone to suspect her backdoor alliance with the major.

  The machines were filthy beasts, reeking of unbridled malice. They cloaked before crossing the fold. Her only solace was that they never returned.

  “I only learned of their fate later,” he continued. “After I worked my way into Brother James’s circle of trust, I told him about my contacts and escapades inside SS. He was impressed. He told me of his death and rebirth, which would not have happened without the appearance of my Shock Units. He thought I was exactly the man who could help him with the filthier tasks that lie ahead. He trusted me. Amazing, isn’t it? How circular life can be.”

  Her blood curdled. “Yesterday you said James didn’t know of your Special Services history.”

  “I lied. Of course, he knows. You think I’d slip that past him? I lied, Ophelia, because you needed me to.”

  She wanted to kill the man where he stood, but he wasn’t wrong, and she knew it.

  “Who are you lying to now?”

  “Excellent question. But not the time. Company has arrived.”

  She heard voices, casual yet professional. She recognized both.

  “Follow my lead,” he said, and moved ahead, releasing a pistol from a pouch.

  Ophelia told Rikhi not to say a word as they advanced. Two bends ahead, they turned right and looked down an aisle of materiel. Magnus Levinson and hybrid Ursula Amondala – belly thick with triplets – examined a holoreader. Magnus scrolled data and could be heard saying they were running desperately low on needed ore. Another mining expedition might be required.

  Harrison cut them off in mid-sentence. He held the pistol behind his back. “So sorry to be a bother, friends. I’m afraid we’ll have to take this confab elsewhere.”

  “Excuse me?” Ursula said. “What do you need, Mr. Malwood?”

  He revealed his pistol. “Passage out of Black Forest would be a wonderful start. Yes?”

  61

  Tamarind

  U LRICH TIGHTENED THE GRIP ON HIS BLAST rifle and turned about-face to make sure the flanking guard did not overreact. He took stock of their predicament. The Chinese snipers blanketed them from every angle. How did we not see this coming?

  “Is this how you negotiate?” Brother James asked Pao-Lin Jie.

  “This is how we protect our interests,” she said. “We have also dispatched a squadron to protect your ship.”

  “Protection?” James responded to the irony with a mischievous smile. “From whom? Our Mongol allies? The peacekeepers? You?”

  “You are not as revered as you may believe. In fact, many of our people counseled against this meeting. They believe you to be a fraud, a man whose miraculous abilities are no more than the product of a new science you keep for yourself. They do not believe your talents are sustainable. My sister and I also doubt.”

  Ulrich shouldn’t have been surprised. Eventually, the indigos were bound to think critically before blindly accepting James’s godhood. He hoped James would take care to avoid a condescending tone.

  “Yet,” James said, “you came. Why?”

  “Because we are nothing if not practical. If so many indigenous races have sworn allegiance to Salvation, we would be fools to look the other way. Plus, you did us a favor by removing the base at Skarfigg. We owe you this audience.”

  “Thank you.” James bowed. Ulrich never saw that before. “I see you have done extensive research regarding our movement. You have undoubtedly seen vids of the wonders we have brought. For instance, the new fields that rose from poisoned soil on Brahma.”

  Jie laid a hand upon Zhang Yong, the old man in the medchair. His eyes, like slits, crept open and his head tilted up with new life.

  “We have,” she said. “According to our reports, those fields have continued to flourish. The people of Peshawan have begun marching on their regional Sanctums, demanding reforms. They carry the banner of Salvation. We are happy for them. But James, you are one man. You cannot be everywhere. The Chancellory and the Guard, on the other hand, are available when we beckon.”

  “Let me ask you this,” James said, massaging his beard. “What does the Chancellory provide that you could not yourselves if given absolute sovereignty?”

  “The list of material considerations is too long. Primarily, they provide security and economic stability. The Guard stands between us and war with the Mongols. Collectorate trade laws allow for fair, consistent pricing of our natural resources.”

  “And in return, the Chancellory steals twenty percent of all profits to distribute among people who never set foot on this planet. You make everyone aboard the Ark Carriers wealthy at your expense. As for the Guard: You and the Mongols like the idea of war because you’re tired of normalcy. You don’t actually want to kill each oth
er. Besides, war disrupts trade.”

  “So, James Bouchet, who thinks he knows the heart of the Chinese people,” Jie said, “what better life might you give us?”

  Ulrich held his breath. Please, James, you have to nail this.

  “Open trade,” James said, arms wide. “The ability to establish commerce with any colony on your terms. The guarantee that you keep all your profits. Those credits, in turn, go toward the construction of system ships with wormhole-capable navigation.”

  Jie’s smile disappeared, replaced by a disbelieving pall. The dozens crowded behind her gasped. Ulrich couldn’t believe James said it. Surely, this was a desperation move.

  Jie eyed him with suspicion. “You would give up the secret of your navigation technology? The very key to how you have eluded the Guard for so long?”

  “With conditions. We would provide our own navigators and eventually begin training yours on what we call the Slope.”

  “And it would be exclusive to us?”

  “You and the Mongol clans. I want a unified Tamarind ready to support my cause against all enemies. In exchange, I take no percentage of your profits, and you govern this world as you see fit. Shipping that normally requires five standard days can be carried out in a few hours. Your advantage will be so great, you’ll forget about Earth altogether.”

  Jie bent to her knees and whispered to the old man, who nodded as he labored to speak. Ulrich heard smatterings, but they were not talking in Engleshe. He never heard the Chinese tongue before. As they spoke, Ulrich’s ear communicator heated up, with concerns voiced from Scramjet Beta in orbit. The crew was privy to the entire, tense session and did not like silence.

  “We’re good here,” Ulrich said under his breath. “Just hang in.”

  “We hear you,” the immortal pilot said. “But I’ve plotted a jump to bring us in directly above you, in case this falls apart.”

  “Only at my command.”

  Jie rose to her feet and examined all parties present, including the snipers. She rubbed her hands together, as if pondering her words.

  “Zhang Yong has lived for one hundred and forty-two standard years. He always believed in the right of self-determination for his people but assumed he would never see the day. Your proposal intrigues him. He asks what assurances you can make. He asks how you plan to remove the Chancellory.”