Across the Galactic Pond - Box Set: The Complete FAR BEYOND Space Opera Series

by Kallias, Christian

  “I see.”

  And good he did, commented the AI, or you’d be dead.

  Stay the fuck out of my head! protested Kevin.

  Anatomically and technically impossible, I’m afraid.

  That’s where you’re wrong. You may not be able to be removed from my head, but you can shut the hell up.

  And what possibly would compel me to do that?

  Your existence. I’ve had it with you. You will stop talking, or I’ll have you killed.

  Are empty threats supposed to intimidate me?

  I’ve had it with you, metal fuck; I’ve had it up to here. You’ve been holding us hostage because you know I want to live, but the opposite is true as well. I’ll fucking space myself if you don’t shut the hell up.

  You’re bluffing!

  “Zee, help me get up.”

  What are you doing? asked 8-3-9-6.

  “What for, Kevin? You should rest a little longer.”

  Kevin’s sight was returning, though still blurry.

  “Just help me, Zee, please.”

  Ziron entered commands on his floating pillow holo-interface, and Kevin heard a metallic noise approaching him. The robot that greeted him the first time he beamed on board the Osiris helped Kevin get on his feet. Kevin stumbled and almost fell. His legs were very heavy and his strength diminished.

  Nonetheless, Kevin started walking and exited med-bay, while Ziron followed.

  “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see.”

  A minute later, Kevin stopped in front of the airlock.

  “What’s going on?” said a worried Ziron. “What are you doing, Kevin?”

  “I’m dealing with 8-3-9-6,” he said as he opened the airlock and stepped in. “Once and for all.”

  “What? No, don’t! You’ll be killed too.”

  Kevin turned around and smiled at his furry friend.

  “Look, Zee: I’m tired. I saved your people from certain destruction, I saved the princess, and we rescued her sister, and for my troubles, I’ve been abandoned to my own devices and implanted with this nightmare controlling me. So, you know what? Ever since the time my consciousness had been transferred to the dead crewman of the Thalamos, all I wanted to do was to return to Arcadia and have more adventures with you guys. But the fact of the matter is, I don’t think your kind deserves my help. On Earth, when one helps you, you return the favor. You don’t turn your back on them because it’s convenient to do so. And while I found amazing friends in both you and Lacuna, the rest of your world doesn’t deserve the pain, energy, and soul I’ve put into helping you. I wish I never took that damn pill in the first place; I’d be back home in my bed, playing a game, and watching shows. Sure, my life wouldn’t have been as exciting, but you know what, sometimes there’s such a thing as too much excitement.”

  Zee’s eyes grew wide. “You can’t give up. Not now.”

  “And why the hell not?!”

  Goodbye, motherfucking AI, said Kevin in his head as he closed the door of the airlock.

  You can’t do this! You will die too, protested 8-3-9-6.

  That’s the idea, yes. But at least I’ll die knowing I took you out with me. I can think of worse ways to die.

  Kevin’s finger hovered near the decompression holo-control.

  “No!” screamed Ziron. “Kevin, don’t do it, we’ll find another way.”

  And while he was bluffing, a small part of Kevin truly was tired. He had been through hell and back with nothing to show for it. His acts of kindness had only been repaid with more spite and put his life and the lives of Boomer and Lacuna in jeopardy for his deeds. With one press of the button, he could end it all: the pain, the suffering, and the ever-growing anxiety.

  Kevin took a deep breath.

  ALRIGHT! screamed 8-3-9-6. You’ve made your point. I’ll shut up now. Please get the hell out of this airlock. You won’t hear from me again.

  Not a peep from you? Is that understood?

  There was silence.

  Good.

  Kevin’s finger shifted from the decompression control to the door control. He pressed it and stepped out of the airlock.

  “You almost gave me a heart attack!” exclaimed Ziron.

  “Sorry, Zee. Now, let’s get going. We have work to do.”

  * * *

  “I can’t believe these assholes,” muttered Boomer.

  Lacuna sighed.

  “What?” he asked.

  “We’ve been in this prison for two days, and the worst thing about it isn’t the cold or the dampness, it’s not even the dog food, no offense.”

  “None taken, I actually enjoy the rations.”

  “My point exactly. But could you please stop complaining about how unfair it is that we ended up in jail?”

  Boomer barked. “What, you think it’s normal?”

  “No, it’s not. As a matter of fact, that was a dick move. But it’s all you’ve been saying since we landed in this cell. I—I’m just tired of hearing about it.”

  Boomer let out a rather tame growl. “I guess I’ve been rumbling a little…”

  “Yes,” said Lacuna, “that must be it, a little.”

  They both laughed.

  “Jokes aside,” Lacuna continued. “I may have had something to do with our current predicament.”

  Boomer’s eyes popped wide open. “What? What could you possibly have done?”

  “I kinda kissed Kevin…”

  Boomer’s expression froze as he processed the new information.

  “And Kalliopy saw us,” she continued.

  Boomer blinked three times before answering.

  “I always knew Kevin wanted to get to first base with Princess Stuck-up, but I didn’t know it was mutual. I would think she wouldn’t be into him, only grateful for his help. But even that was obviously a big stretch.”

  “Perhaps not.”

  “I don’t follow.”

  “Well, after we had to put Kevin in suspended animation, I checked the Osiris’ logs to see if I could find any clue on his state. I found a holo-vid from a few minutes before Kevin came to my quarters, the moment we kissed actually.”

  “And?”

  “Well, Kalliopy tried to kiss him in the mess hall, but Kevin sneezed, and well, it felt forced. Like he faked it.”

  Boomer chuckled. “That’s irony for you.”

  “Now I don’t follow.”

  “The first time Kalliopy tried to kiss him, a body he was controlling at the time sneezed from her strong perfume, which in turn made Kevin sneeze and broke the connection between his brain and the Arcadian body standing in front of the princess. Kevin’s been longing for that first kiss ever since, and it was hard on him. Then when it was about to happen, from what you’re telling me, he intentionally dodged it. Which can only mean one thing.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “He must really have the hots for you.”

  Lacuna failed to suppress a smile. Her cheeks took on a slight reddish glow.

  “He’s a sweet boy. I didn’t think I’d be interested in him. I—I usually go for big brutes with the IQ of oysters.”

  “You didn’t hook up with Darmak, did you?”

  “No, I do have some standards, thank you very much.”

  Boomer smiled. “Well, sorry, your highness, he does seem to fit that description rather well.”

  “I guess he does. And since he hasn’t barged in here to try to rescue me, he’s probably also been thrown to jail.”

  “We can’t give up,” said Boomer. “We gotta escape, Kevin might need us.”

  “Don’t think I haven’t been thinking about it this whole time. But, so far, they haven’t even opened the cell door once, which makes it complicated to escape.”

  “Yeah, if I had my smart suit I could bust us out in a second.”

  “All I would need is one shot at a guard, even with my bare hands. If only we could make them enter the room.”

  “You’re kidding, right? That’s the ea
sy part. But they’ll be armed.”

  “What do you mean the easy part?”

  “Do you trust me?”

  “Not particularly, no.”

  Boomer barked.

  “Okay, okay,” said Lacuna raising her arms. “I suppose I do.”

  Boomer smiled. “Then do as I say and be ready to do what you do best.”

  “And what would that be?”

  “What else? Kick some ass!”

  2

  Kevin entered the bridge of the Osiris.

  “Have we jumped out of hyperspace?” he asked.

  “Yeah, we’re in orbit. That being said, I—I’m not exactly ready.”

  “We can’t wait on your modification to the smart suit to be complete. I’ll have to fight whatever awaits me down there with my tech-sorcerer implants and spells.”

  “What if it’s not enough?”

  “Then you’d better find a way to break Lacuna and Boomer out of prison before 8-3-9-6 completely overrides me again. Which reminds me, where’s Leg’olas?”

  “I have no idea. As you know, I’m not a fan of that…thing. I haven’t seen it since you entered the pod.”

  “Don’t be a wuss, Zee, she’s just a cute little spider.”

  “And a deadly one at that.”

  “Still, she’s on our side, so let’s count our blessings. I hope nothing happened to her.”

  “It’s just a killer spider.”

  “She’s my friend, and she could have healed me if needed. Maybe she’s hiding on board?”

  “Let me check.”

  Ziron ran his paws on his holo-terminal. “Nope, sensors aren’t detecting her. Too bad. As you said, you could have used her to take care of Myrianna.”

  “We don’t know for sure if Myrianna is responsible. From what I gathered, she’s been possessed by an AI, just like me.”

  “So? If you must fight her…”

  “I know it’s a possibility, Zee. I’m saying I’d rather try to find a non-lethal way. She may be as innocent as I am in all of this.”

  “Fair enough. But if you want my advice, don’t risk your life for your misplaced sense of chivalry. We still have Earth to save.”

  “About that, we need a game plan.”

  “I know…I was hoping once we dealt with your AI problem, you’d come up with one.”

  “The plan is simple. I get rid of the digital hitchhiker inside my brain, we save our friends, steal a fleet, and destroy Xonax once and for all. No pity this time, no second thoughts. It was all well and good when only my life was on the line. But threatening my friend, my family, and my world? No! That’s a line I won’t let them cross.”

  “I applaud your enthusiasm, but we’re only four people, and I use the term loosely. Odds are not exactly on our side.”

  “Screw the odds and just watch me. I’m not letting Earth die because I wanted a kiss from a princess who has as much empathy as a prison gate. Hell no!”

  “Alright, when you put it that way.”

  “It won’t be easy, I know that. And we may not all survive. But we can’t possibly accept the death of billions of lives without at least trying to prevent it.”

  “I can’t believe the princess would act the way she did. Maybe she was brainwashed by Xonax, or they broke her spirit.”

  “Doesn’t matter what the reason is, we have to stop it. And if that means we need to deal with her, so be it.”

  Ziron shivered. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

  Kevin smiled. “Let’s beam me down.”

  “Should you not arm yourself to the teeth first?”

  “Conventional weapons won’t pass her shield spells. I’d also lose speed and agility if I have to carry more gear. I could use a boost in my battery pack though, so my implants don’t run out of juice too early.”

  “Then before you beam to the planet, let me take a look at it.”

  * * *

  Boomer gave Lacuna a stern look. “What’s the matter now?”

  “No need to stare at me that way. I feel silly lying on the ground like this,” Lacuna complained. “And it’s damn cold too!”

  “Stop complaining, that’s the plan we agreed on,” answered Boomer.

  “It’s a stupid plan,” she muttered. “No one in their right mind would fall for this.”

  “We shall see. I’d like to think I have a way with words.”

  “You have a way with licking your balls, I’ll grant you that, but words…meh, not so much.”

  “Will you keep quiet already!? This will only work if you play dead.”

  After a growl of discontent, Lacuna closed her eyes and kept silent. Boomer waited a moment then he did his thing.

  He was barking for minutes and howling like a wounded wolf when the guard arrived at the force field protecting the cell.

  “What’s all that ruckus? Will you shut the hell up!”

  But then his gaze shifted to Lacuna, and his expression changed.

  “What’s wrong with her?”

  Lacuna was lying on the ground motionless.

  “I think she’s dying,” said Boomer. “You gotta do something.”

  “I’m not that stupid, nice try, though.”

  Boomer growled.

  “Right, let the prisoner die, it’s your balls to the walls after all. When the princess learns you’ve let important prisoners die in their cell without lifting a finger, she’ll have your ass. And from my own experience with her temper tantrums, she’s not exactly generous these days when she’s disappointed or feels that her underlings failed her.”

  Doubt and confusion invaded the guard’s face as he mulled over the dog’s words.

  “Take your time, I think she stopped breathing over a minute ago. I would give her mouth-to-mouth, but mine isn’t designed that way, and I tried licking her out of unconsciousness until you arrived.”

  The guard’s expression conveyed doubts of inner conflict swirling inside his head. Eventually, he activated a communications device.

  “Cellblock 3 guard, going inside cell three-o-seven, medical emergency. Send backup.”

  I guess we’ll have to act fast, thought Boomer. We should be able to deal with one guard, but more, that’s gonna be tricky.

  “Don’t just stand there!” protested Boomer. “Quick, help her!”

  The guard looked at Boomer for a moment. “I’m not sure what to do, I’m not a medical expert.”

  “Just do mouth-to-mouth or something.”

  Boomer wondered if Lacuna would give him grief over the suggestion, but they didn’t have time to spare, and that guard was not exactly playing by Boomer’s plan.

  Eventually, the guard timidly approached Lacuna, who was still doing her best not to move or breathe, which by now, Boomer decided, must have been painful. The guard pointed his weapon at Boomer.

  “No funny business!”

  Boomer took several steps back. “I promise, but hurry though, she’s not breathing.

  The guard laid his weapon to the side, and his lips approached Lacuna’s when Boomer made a small yelp, signaling Lacuna.

  Before the guard’s lips had connected with the beautiful prisoner, Lacuna sprung to action, headbutted the guard and then grabbed his neck, and with a swift twist, she took him out. The expression on the guard’s face before dying was short, but his eyes screamed terror.

  “Ouch,” said Boomer. “I thought you’d just incapacitate him.”

  “And give him a chance to get the upper hand?”

  “Fair point.”

  Lacuna grabbed the guard’s weapon lying by her side, a nice blaster rifle. She observed the gun from all angles and quickly went through its features.

  “This will do, let’s get out of here before reinforcements arrive.”

  Heavy steps could be heard in the distance.

  “Looks like that may be hard to do,” barked Boomer as they darted out of their cell.

  * * *

  “There,” said Ziron. “That hack isn’t particularly pret
ty, and you must use the extra forty percent energy with which I infused your packs within the first fifteen minutes of the fight. There’s simply no way I can store that energy in your current battery pack for longer than that.”

  “Also, take this,” said Ziron, handing Kevin a small pill.

  “What is it?”

  “A nano-virus, it should slow down the AI from taking control of your body. We can’t have it interfere every step of the way. I predict it’s going to be a hard fight as it is. If 8-3-9-6 takes too much control over your body functions, swallow it, and it should distract it for a while.”

  “What’s a while?”

  “I wish I could say. The truth is, I did this so quickly I have no idea, but hopefully, long enough.”

  “I see,” said Kevin, almost absently.

  “Is that hesitation I hear in your voice?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe. I don’t like the idea of fighting Myrianna. She didn’t seem like a bad person, you know?”

  “Yet she let you become infected with the evil AI currently trying to kill you.”

  “I see your point.”

  “You can’t save everyone, Kevin. No matter how much you want to.”

  “What does that have to do with our current predicament?”

  “A lot, I think.”

  “You’re gonna have to be more forthcoming because I have no idea what you’re getting at.”

  “I know you, Kevin, you have a good heart and always want to do the right thing. You may want to save this Myrianna person, but that shouldn’t even be on your list of priorities.”

  Kevin wanted to argue, but Zee was right. Kevin didn’t hate Myrianna; she had been a mentor of sorts, even if for a short time. Before she sold Kevin out to the pirates.

  “She may not have had a choice in the matter.”

  Ziron sighed. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “I think it does.”

  “Look, Kevin, you’ll obviously do what you think is best. I’ve long realized there’s no way to argue with your logic, and you tend to do whatever the hell you want to do and with generally good success. But time is a factor we can’t ignore, not today. To use an Earth colloquialism: it’s do or die!”