Dark Space- The Complete Series

by Jasper T. Scott

  "There's nothing you can do that I couldn't forgive, Ethan," she said, smiling. Valari turned and stood up from the couch. She waved on the holoscreen in front of him, and a buzz of noise from a Null news channel filled the air.

  "Try to distract yourself."

  "Where are you going?" he asked, suddenly suspicious but unsure why.

  She sent him a coy look. "Miss me already?"

  He gritted his teeth. "No—"

  "I'm leaving you alone, like you asked me to." Valari left, and the news droned on—something about the war in the Getties. Nanites. Omnius had finished spreading them. Trillions of Sythians, their cities and their fleets, were being disassembled atom by atom, and soon there would be no sign that they'd even existed.

  An ex-strategian of the Peacekeepers, now a Null enforcer, appeared. He speculated that the Sythians might try fleeing their galaxy when they realized that there was no way to fight the plague. The former Peacekeeper went on to suggest that the Sythians might try to attack Avilon, but they didn't have the quantum jump drives they'd need to get there, so Avilon was safe. Instead they would probably hide somewhere in the Adventa Galaxy and Omnius would have to track them down there, too.

  The newscaster seemed relieved that the big eye in the sky was taking care of things, even though he was a Null and innately suspicious of Omnius.

  Ethan wondered absently about that. Omnius was taking care of the Sythians, but who was going to take care of Omnius?

  Part Three: Armageddon

  "And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them."

  —The Etherian Codices

  Chapter 27

  Ethan woke up. He opened his eyes and winced against the glare of sunlight streaming in through a nearby window.

  "You're awake," an unfamiliar voice said.

  Ethan's vision cleared, and he noticed the startling view from the window. Far below, a vast green field led out to a sparkling, lavender-colored lake. To one side lay a towering range of mountains blanketed with green trees and capped with white glaciers; to the other side the sun lay close on the horizon, cresting over a boundless jungle and dappling everything in a rich golden hue. Déjà vu tickled through Ethan's brain.

  "Recognize it?" the voice from before asked.

  Ethan sat up and looked around. He found that he was inside some type of recovery room. What was he doing in hospital? The man standing in the room with him had pale blue eyes and wore a pristine white uniform that contrasted sharply with his dark brown skin. His small, wiry frame made him look somehow insignificant.

  "Who are you?" Ethan asked.

  "My name is Therius."

  "Therius..." Ethan repeated the name slowly. "I don't know you."

  "Then perhaps it's time you did. I am the leader of the Union."

  Ethan's head felt hazy—like it was stuffed full of cotton. He frowned. "The Union... what is that, some kind of doctors' association?" He looked the man up and down, and this time he noted the old ISSF admiral's insignia over the left breast of the man's uniform. He also noted the silver six-sided star glinting above that insignia. The symbol looked familiar, but Ethan couldn't remember where he'd seen it last. He frowned and shook his head, dismissing the man as a psychiatric patient who'd escaped his nurse. Why else would he be wearing an old ISSF admiral's insignia?

  Ethan turned to the view again. It had to be simulated. There were no jungles in the Null Zone. Ethan turned back to the admiral with a patient smile. "Who's in charge around here?"

  "I am."

  Ethan's eyebrows floated up. "Really?" Doubtful, but I'll play along. "Well, then maybe you can tell me how long I was unconscious?"

  "You died, Ethan. Don't you remember?"

  "I what?" It all came rushing back. He remembered the accident, losing Alara... getting drunk and taking a taxi home only to find Alara there... then waking up to find that he was actually in Admiral Vee's bed and he'd cheated on his wife with her. Following that realization he'd plunged one of Valari's courier cars into the surface of Avilon. Ethan's breath seized in his lungs, and time seemed to slow to a crawl. His body went cold all over and he shivered.

  "Frek..." he whispered. "Then this must be Etheria. Why did Omnius bring me back? I was a Null."

  "He didn't," Therius replied. "I did, and this isn't Etheria." Confusion swirled once more, and Ethan's brow furrowed. "You are on another planet entirely, Ethan. This is Origin, the birthplace of humanity."

  Ethan blinked. Shock coursed through him like lightning; then a smile crept onto his face. "Nice try."

  "I'm not joking."

  Ethan's smile vanished. "That's impossible."

  "You died. We intercepted your Lifelink transfer and used the data to clone you here on Origin."

  "What?"

  "You've been recruited to fight Omnius. The Union is an alliance of Humans, Gors, and Sythians."

  "Sythians?" Ethan's heart pounded. "There are Sythians on this planet?"

  "Yes," Therius replied. "Mostly in orbit, however."

  Ethan refused to believe any of it.

  "You think I'm lying. Come," Therius turned to an empty bed beside him and picked up a white robe. He tossed it over and Ethan caught it before it slapped him in the face. "Get dressed and follow me."

  Ethan did as he was told and followed Therius out into a broad, busy hallway. A wall of windows ran along one side, giving a view to the green field he'd seen before. Directly below their vantage point, Ethan saw the green had been trampled to a muddy red, and there were thousands of tiny black dots milling around there like ants. He stopped to watch them, trying to get a sense of scale. How high up were they? Seeing the size of the trees, he decided they had to be at least fifty stories up, and that meant those black dots were a lot bigger than they appeared.

  "Our Gor army," Therius explained. "They're busy practicing maneuvers."

  Ethan looked up, speechless. He noticed the people walking by. They all wore bright white uniforms with glowing rank insignia and glittering six-sided stars over their left breasts. A few of the passersby wore doctor's tunics, also white. It reminded him of Celesta.

  They continued on until they rounded the corner and came to a waiting room.

  "He's awake," Therius announced.

  A pair of women rose from their seats. They were both equally young, but vaguely familiar—one of them in particular.

  Ethan's breath caught in his chest when he saw her—long dark hair, blue eyes, and smooth, flawless skin where he knew she should have had wrinkles.

  "Hello, Ethan," she said, smiling.

  "Destra? You look..."

  "Younger? You don't look half bad yourself."

  Ethan frowned and reached up to feel his face. Beneath the stubble he found the face of a much younger man.

  That was when it really hit him. He was a clone. He had actually died, and he wasn't on Avilon anymore. "Where are we?" he asked, wanting to hear it from Destra.

  "Therius didn't tell you?"

  Ethan frowned. "Origin? Is that true?"

  The other woman stepped forward. She wore a white jumpsuit, and she was only vaguely recognizable. Ethan couldn't decide where he might have seen her before.

  She regarded him with a frown of her own, and then turned to address Therius. "We have less than a week before we jump to Avilon. We should be training, not wasting time with a walk down memory lane."

  "Atta?" Ethan said, suddenly recognizing her.

  "Good guess," she replied.

  "Patience," Therius said. "We can use all the help we can get. Ethan is an excellent pilot, and we can't afford to lose him."

  Ethan's head spun. "I must have missed the part where I volunteered for a suicide mission. You're going to attack Avilon? Are you skriffy? Do you know how many ships you'd need to take that planet?"

  Therius regarded him with a faint smile. "You wanted to fight Omnius—here's your chance."

  "What am I supposed to be flying?
"

  "A Nova, of course."

  "You actually found working Novas?"

  "Only a few dozen squadrons, but yes."

  "It's going to take more than a few dozen Nova squadrons to take Avilon," Ethan said.

  "We also have the Sythian fleet, and the Gor fleet. Over fifteen thousand capital ships with a full complement of Shell fighters."

  Ethan took a deep breath and let it out again. None of this made any sense, but there was another possibility. "All right, that's enough." He nodded to Therius. "You're a Peacekeeper, and this is Omnius testing me to see if I'm a rebel. Nice try, but I'm not falling for it. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to go see my wife and daughter."

  Atta rolled her eyes and threw up her hands. "I'm out of here. I have a battalion to train. See you later, Ethan."

  He watched her leave, wondering just how far this ruse would go.

  "Your family is on Avilon in the Adventa Galaxy. You are on Origin in the Getties," Therius reminded him.

  Ethan scowled. "This act is wearing thin. Just take me to see them, okay?"

  Therius turned and called out to a man standing guard at the doors on the far end of the waiting room. "Tell Shallah he can come in now."

  "Yes, sir," the man replied.

  Shallah? Ethan wondered. He watched curiously as the doors swished open and in walked...

  A Sythian.

  "What the frek is this?" Ethan backpedaled quickly, his eyes darting, searching for the nearest exit.

  "I tried to tell you," Therius said.

  * * *

  Atton met Valari in the bar on level 25 of Thardris Tower. He'd called her earlier saying he wanted to talk to her about something important. He hadn't said more than that, but by now no doubt Omnius had already told her everything.

  "Hello, Darin," Valari said.

  "Let's go sit over there," Atton said, pointing to a quiet-looking corner booth.

  Valari led the way past green plants and rocky indoor fountains. The ceiling shone bright with a thousand stars. Nulls were obsessed with crafting their ceilings into artificial skies, compensation for the fact that they never got to see the real one.

  Once they were both seated in the booth, Valari sat back and regarded him with a smug smile. "I'm not going to tell him," she said, before Atton could even speak.

  Atton nodded. "Good, because I'd prefer to be the one who tells Ethan what you did, and what my part in all of this was. He needs to know the truth, Valari."

  "Why?"

  "Let's assume your plot works. Ethan decides to stay with you because his wife won't take him back, and because you've been oh-so-supportive in trying to help him through this difficult time. Even if it works, you'll be living a lie. You'll always have in the back of your mind that you lied to get him and you lied to keep him, and that will taint your relationship forever."

  "Look who's talking, Atton—I mean, Darin."

  "Exactly! I know what I'm talking about." Atton caught a rustle of movement out of the corner of his eyes. A waiter.

  "Good evening. What would you like to drink?"

  "I'll have a blue sky cocktail," Valari said.

  "And you, sir?"

  "A pint, something cheap and strong."

  "We have Brown Durby, Goldstone, Cavern Ale—"

  "Cavern."

  "Coming right up. Anything else?"

  Atton shot the man an impatient look. "No."

  "I'll be right back with your drinks, then."

  Once the waiter was gone, Valari said, "That wasn't very nice. He's just doing his job."

  Atton snorted. "Well, you're the expert in what isn't nice. I wasn't really expecting you to give up your game, so I'm here to tell you that I quit."

  "You can't quit."

  "Yes, I can. I've already discussed it with Omnius. He said there will be consequences, but I don't care. I'm done, Valari. You went too far getting me to betray my own father."

  Valari laughed. "You are a piece of work, Atton! You're perfectly all right with lying in order to keep the one you love, but when someone else does it, suddenly you're the penitent sinner, advising people not to make the same mistakes as you. Are you serious? I suggest you go home and let's pretend that you didn't bring me here tonight to waste my time with your hypocrisy."

  "All right," Atton said, already rising from the table. "I'll go home, but you won't see me again. I was serious about quitting."

  "We'll see about that," Valari said, looking smug again.

  Atton shot her a dark look and stalked away. He passed the waiter on the way back to their table. "She's got the bill," he said, jerking his chin back the way he'd come.

  The waiter nodded hesitantly and continued on. Atton returned to the parking garage on level 15 and flew out in his own car. He'd already returned Valari's courier. He'd predicted this would happen. Consequences or not, he was done. No more lies, no more drug-running, and no more Valari Thardris.

  Atton flew home in a daze. Now he sat parked inside his garage with his hands folded in his lap, his heart pounding in his chest, and his brain buzzing with adrenaline. He had to tell his wife the truth, but how, after all these years, could he possibly tell her that he was a clone?

  The door at the far end of the garage slid open and Ceyla walked out. Atton pasted a smile on his face and opened the car door. "Hello, darling," he said.

  Ceyla smiled, too, but as soon as she saw him, her jaw dropped and her face paled. She slowed to a stop and stood there staring at him as if she were looking at a ghost.

  "What's wrong?" Even as he said it, he knew. The truth hit him like an ice pick to his chest. He glanced in his car's side mirror to be sure, and there he caught a glimpse of a familiar face, but it wasn't the face he woke up to each morning. This was the one he'd been born with, the one he'd had before striking his deal with Omnius to become Darin Thardris.

  "Atton? How... ?" Ceyla's look of confusion vanished and her cheeks flushed with an angry red heat. "It was you all along, wasn't it? That's why you haven't aged!"

  Atton took a quick step forward, one hand raised toward her. "Ceyla, wait, I can explain." She shook her head, and began backing away from him, stumbling back up the stairs. He kept advancing. "I did it for you! I had to show you that I was still me, that we could still be together!"

  "Stay away from me!"

  The fear and loathing in her eyes was breaking him in two. "Ceyla!"

  She turned and ran back inside their apartment. He ran after her, but she'd already shut the door and locked it. He tried the intercom and the doorbell before he remembered that he knew the key code. Typing it in, he breezed inside and strode hurriedly through their small apartment. "Ceyla?"

  He reached the kitchen and stopped short when he saw that the front door was open. Atton ran out and down the hallway, taking a guess at which way she'd gone. He tried using his comm band to call her, but there was no answer, it just rang and rang...

  "Frek," he muttered under his breath. He reached the lift tubes just a few seconds too late. The nearest one was already on its way down and two floors below him.

  Atton pounded the call button impatiently and eyed the display, trying to estimate how long it would take for the next lift to arrive. It was five floors above him and going up, not down.

  Too slow.

  He made a run for the stairs, taking them three at a time and jumping to reach each landing. In no time his knees and ankles ached from all the impacts and his chest was burning for air. He left the stairwell on level ten, the nearest street level, and checked the lifts, but Ceyla had anticipated him. She hadn't selected level ten. The lift was already down to level two.

  She was headed for the surface.

  "Damn you, Ceyla!" he roared, pounding the call button with his fist. She wouldn't last long down there on her own.

  This time he waited. It would take too long to run down another ten flights of stairs. An eternity passed before the next lift tube arrived. The doors parted and he rushed inside. He wasn't alone, but t
he other passengers were on their way out. Atton stabbed the button marked G and waited impatiently for the other passengers to exit. He wanted to scream at them. GET. OUT!

  Finally the lift was empty and the doors slid shut. The ride down was just a few seconds, but they felt like minutes to him. The doors slid open, and Atton ran down a dark hallway to the ground-level entrance of the apartment building. No sign of Ceyla, but she couldn't be more than a minute or two ahead of him.

  Atton burst out onto the street and looked both ways twice, searching the murky gloom for his wife. Street lights bloomed in the dark. Hazy clouds of moisture formed glowing golden halos around the light. Further down the street one of those lights flickered and died. The polluted mist and lack of adequate street lighting made it impossible to see anyone at all, let alone his wife. Suddenly he wondered if he'd followed the wrong lift. What if she'd been in the one going up, not down?

  "Ceyla!" he roared. "Where are you?"

  Silence.

  "I just want to talk to you!"

  His own echo was the only answer.

  Somewhere down the street he heard a crunch of gravel, and he ran toward the sound. "Ceyla?" by now he had his hand on his sidearm. Anything could happen on the surface, and being an Enforcer was no help at all—his uniform would only make him a target.

  "Ceyla!"

  Atton stopped running and willed his frantic heart to be still so that he could hear. Silence hummed; water dripped from a broken pipe; steam hissed out of a thermal vent in the side of an old factory, but not a peep from his wife.

  "Cey—"

  A woman screamed. It was a terrible, familiar scream.

  Atton burst into motion, running like his legs were on fire. He drew his weapon and clicked off the safety. "Where are you?" he roared.

  Another scream sounded, this time farther away. The mist parted just long enough for Atton to catch a glimpse of a raggedy mob running down the street up ahead. He counted at least a dozen of them. Sub-human scum. Psychos.

  Atton fired over their heads, hoping to scare them. A bolt of red fire leapt out of his gun, parting the swirling mist with a bloody flash of light. The mob turned to him, a thousand eyes gleaming in the dark. He was shocked to see how many of them there were. Definitely more than a dozen. They moaned and snarled, spreading out. Atton saw a dark shadow lying at their feet, and from the splay of long blond hair, he knew who it had to be.