Human, page 14
part #1 of Humanity Ascendant Series
“You’re not fooling me with that tone of outrage,” she mumbled sleepily. “I can feel your interest in the idea. You’re probably wondering what happens in the sleeping half of my brain.”
She rolled over. “Now go. Perhaps we’ll fornicate again later…”
Eth climbed carefully over her legs and pulled on his suit. “So what does happen to the sleeping side?”
“Mmmh… Dreams,” she mumbled. “The best dreams and, if I can fall fully asleep in time…”
She started making a low rumbling noise in her throat and Eth couldn’t tell if it was snoring or some kind of purr. He watched her for a moment, smiling, before reaching down to pull the covers over her. He stepped out, setting the auto-lock on her door and resumed his journey to the hangar bay.
E th stopped beneath the hull of Your Last Chance . Large sections were growing into place as he watched. He shrugged. Something was nagging at him and he figured a chat with Noa would shake it loose for him.
Noa was probably too busy with the scout-ship in the middle of a reconfiguration. There was little chance of distracting him right now.
Eth wandered over to the main hangar-bay door. Washed out whorls of color flew past the shielded opening. They were on their way to Ur – called in to consult with Mishak’s uncle. News of the fight with the raiders had made a definite impact on the old fellow.
Eth turned, frowning at what sounded like a gasp but there was nobody in sight. Not the only thing I’m failing to see, he thought.
His eyebrows shot up. Why did that force stop in Uktannu’s territory? There were two other minor lords along the path they’d taken after their raid. Did they want to pin this on Sandrak’s own brother – get them fighting each other?
Eth shook his head without even realizing it. The other two holdings were relatively compact. A force hiding there could expect to be discovered by the lords who ruled them. A force hiding in Uktannu’s space could also be found with relative ease.
Unless they had reason to believe they’d be unmolested.
Mishak had filed his patrol plan with the central authority on Ur before setting out but he’d never had any intention of actually following it. It was one of the many arcane practices that they still maintained in his uncle’s dominion but which hadn’t made sense in thousands of years. He’d simply made up a random route on the spot and filed it.
But a force with access to the local system’s military database would think they knew where Mishak’s forces would be at any given time. If they also knew where the rest of Uktannu’s ships would be…
He turned and ran for the hangar exit, letting out an explosive curse as he raced beneath the re-growing scout-ship. Considering what was going on inside the scout-ship, his choice of words was doubly appropriate.
He skidded to a halt on the bridge just as they dropped out of path. Fortunately, they’d done so in accordance with their earlier resolution, giving themselves more distance from the usual arrival zone and, sure enough, there was a large collection of warships flanking the arrival corridor.
Rimush looked as though he wanted to turf him out but, no doubt in deference to Mishak’s tolerance, allowed the unruly Human to remain on the bridge.
“Medium-sized Varangian force on our starboard flank,” the sensor officer announced. “Reading an energy spike in their flagship but it’s inconsistent with weapons usage. Multiple warships also present, transponders match the Lord Uktannu’s order of battle.”
“Computer,” Eth hissed, opening a screen, “compare battle-damage assessment of enemy forces from our recent engagement to any ship now within sensor range.”
His blood ran cold at the results. He turned as Mishak entered the bridge from his ready-room and his agitated mood easily caught the Quailu’s attention.
“What is it?” Mishak demanded.
Eth looked around. His fear had touched every Quailu on the bridge. “Your uncle,” he said, turning back to Mishak. “He was behind the attack. Two of the cruisers are sitting out there right now – the battle damage is a match for what we saw in that raiding force.”
“Fornication!” Mishak’s choice of words could have been a further tribute to the shenanigans in his hangar bay. “Whatever he’s planning, it must have been accelerated by our fight. He’s not even bothering to hide the evidence now!”
“And we’re standing in the way,” Eth added. “He’ll want us dead, or you at least.” He offered his lord an apologetic shrug. “Probably try to get you isolated from the rest of us. That way, he can cook up some kind of accusation, maybe even roll your ships into his own forces once you’re out of the way.”
“He’ll have it all gamed out,” Mishak realized, “and, here we are, stumbling right into his clutches like a pack of rump-sniffing cheal-hounds.”
“We need to get out of here,” Rimush said quietly, stepping over to join them, “but the instant we signal a path order to our ships, the situation will get… exciting…”
“We could pass the order on the sly,” Mishak said, “using the fleet positioning beacon but the bandwidth is almost nonexistent. It’s only meant to prevent collisions.”
“I already have a fallback position selected,” Rimush advised. He activated a link to the beacon, looking pointedly at Mishak in what passed for subtle Quailu body-language.
“Send it,” Mishak ordered, “but my uncle isn’t going to give us time to think our way out of this.” He looked up at a blinking icon as Rimush started sending the new orders over the beacon. “And it looks like our time is already up. We’ve got an incoming comms request.”
He sighed. “Any delay will simply convince my uncle that we’re on to him and that we’re cooking up mischief.” He reached out and touched the icon.
Mishak and Rimush each took a half-step back in surprise and Eth nearly followed suit.
“I greet you, Mishak, son of Sandrakwilu,” the Varangian in the holograph inclined his head politely. “I am Commodore Hrakkon of his Imperial Majesty’s forces. It is… fortunate… that we find ourselves in orbit around Ur at the same time.” He glanced toward Eth. “We have unfinished business between Hjalmar and one of your personnel. Might we have a moment to pursue it?”
“He means me,” Eth explained to the two bemused Quailu. He didn’t need empathic abilities to see that Mishak was now wondering what other secrets his pet Human might be keeping from him.
“This is a wrinkle in the proceedings,” Eth advised, “that your uncle is not a party to. He won’t be able to turn this to his advantage with any degree of ease.”
Mishak nodded and Eth turned back to the holographic Varangian. “My Lord has given his consent. We will come aboard immediately.” He waved away the projection and turned to an angry Rimush and curious Mishak.
“We?” Rimush demanded.
“Uktannu would never dare attack while our lord is conferring with the Emperor’s forces, even if they’re here to support his own plot. He can’t kill you, Sire, if you’re aboard a Varangian ship. He’ll have to wait till we return to the Dibbarra before he makes a move.”
“That buys us the time to coordinate our ships,” Mishak said, “but how do you and I get back aboard? The instant our shuttle launches from the Varangian’s flagship, my uncle will pounce.”
“Shuttles, you mean, Lord,” Eth corrected. “Surely you wouldn’t care to travel in the same shuttle with a former slave?”
Mishak chuckled. “You expect me to sacrifice my personal shuttle?”
Eth grinned. “Loan might be a better way to phrase it, Sire, but, yes. I’m sure the Varangians would be willing to give it back, eventually…”
“So,” Mishak began, “we take my easily identifiable shuttle and also the shittiest piece of flying junk we can find to the Varangian ship…”
“And return in the shit-mobile,” Eth confirmed. “Your uncle will have to assume you’re still with the Varangians and the moment we clear the landing bay shielding, Captain Rimush initiates the fleet-wide path.”
It wasn’t quite phrased as an order, so Rimush was able to overlook Eth’s presumption but just barely. “We’ll be ready,” he assured.
“And my uncle is clearly eager to get the proceedings underway,” Mishak added as he opened a new call icon.
Uktannu’s visage appeared before them. “Nephew!” he boomed. “Well done. Well done indeed! You showed those filthy cowards the cost of attacking our family, neh? Come to my ship and tell me all about it.”
“I will, Uncle,” Mishak replied cheerfully, glad that Quailu empathy didn’t reach through electronic communications. “But first, I’ve been called to the Varangian flagship, no doubt for the same purpose, though they’ve also requested a chance to meet with this creature.” He nodded toward Eth. “You can find your own way over there,” he told the Human, voice dripping with scorn.
He turned back to his uncle. “I’ll take my shuttle directly to your location as soon as I’m done with the Emperor’s busybodies.” He waved the image away.
“Nicely done, Sire!" Eth knew he didn’t need to voice his approval, but his brain was wired to recognize good performance. “You’ve made it clear we’re traveling in two shuttles and that only one of them will be expected to return directly here. It should create just enough confusion to get us away from here.”
“It’s a lucky break, alright,” Mishak conceded, “but what brought it about in the first place?” He looked keenly at Eth. “What’s their interest in you ?”
“Just that, Lord, an interest in a relatively unknown species.” Eth knew better than to hide anything from a Quailu. Even if he hadn’t been conditioned to see them as his natural superiors, he’d still have known better. “They suspect me of being luckier than the average citizen.”
“Lucky enough to have been a slave?” Rimush couldn’t resist the jab.
“I’d say have been makes my point for me, wouldn’t you?”
Rimush clearly didn’t care for that but he kept it to himself. “I’ll have your shuttles prepared,” he said crisply as Mishak led Eth off the bridge.
“How did you manage to attract Varangian attention?” Mishak asked as they began descending the port-side ramp to reach the hangar deck.
“Ran into one of them on the station at Kwharaz,” Eth replied. “He seemed to think I was good at getting away with risky behavior.”
Mishak grunted an inarticulate reply but remained silent for a few more paces. “What was it like, the station?”
Eth let his confusion reach out. He wasn’t quite sure what the question was driving at.
“The station,” Mishak reiterated. “It’s one thing to be a newly freed man around the same old people, but to walk through the midst of anonymous crowds who see you as just another mushkenu… To have that kind of implicit acceptance…”
Eth was surprised. He’d mostly attributed his enjoyment of the station to the temporary freedom it had afforded him from the responsibilities of his small command. No crewmen expecting him to provide victory.
Mishak had put his finger squarely on feelings that Eth had only barely acknowledged. He didn’t think it was his lord’s empathic abilities either, not if Eth didn’t even feel it openly.
“This insight surprises you?” Mishak chuckled – a deep gravelly rumble. “We’re not so different, you and I. My whole life has been spent in the shadow of my father’s crushing dominance.”
That actually explained a great deal for Eth. “Now that you’re out here,” he said, “away from Kish and commanding a fleet of your own…”
“My father suddenly seems much smaller,” Mishak said. “And my uncle, who was supposed to keep me under his own heel in my father’s absence, has graciously exposed himself as a traitor to the family. I’d love to deal with him right now but…”
“…but he has us at a disadvantage here,” Eth finished for him.
Mishak nodded. “First we run, then we find a way to deal with him.”
“Figuring out what his game is would go a long way toward that goal,” Eth asserted. “I just wish we had more time to sort out what he’s up to. If he’s not even bothering to hide his false-raid forces, then he must be planning to make a big move very soon.”
“Immediately, I’d say,” Mishak insisted as they rounded a corner and entered the hangar bay, nodding to a startled young Quailu who stood beneath Your Last Chance . She reached up to check the fastenings at the front of her crewsuit.
“Our fight with his false-flag team probably leaves him with no choice but to proceed now, whether he’s fully prepared or not.”
Noa dropped lightly out one of the belly hatches of the newly regrown scout-ship. He raised an eyebrow at the young female Quailu before following her gaze to see Eth following their lord and looking back at him. His eyes drifted out of focus, as they always did when he was processing new information, and then he shrugged and turned away.
They boarded their respective shuttles and took the short flight over to the deadly looking Varangian flagship. The hangar was far more utilitarian than its Quailu counterpart and it was empty, except for two officers.
“I’m Afvaldr,” the Varangian with the greatest number of red lines on his collar announced, “the executive officer. Welcome aboard, Lord Mishak, son of Sandrak.” He gestured to the forward exit hatch.
“If you’ll come with me, I will take you to the commodore.”
Eth turned an inquiring gaze on the Varangian lieutenant as the two more senior officials left.
“This way, Warrant Officer,” the junior officer indicated, waving to a large hatch at the aft end of the bay.
Eth followed him, not bothering with questions, as he assumed the lieutenant was simply there as his guide. The corridor outside the hatch led them aft until they reached a ladder set into the wall. The Varangian descended without a second glance at Eth.
He felt vindicated as he stepped onto the ladder and began following his guide down. The Varangians were the foremost military power in the HQE and they had ladders, just like the ones Noa had convinced Mishak to add to his own ships. He felt a fierce flush of pride at being an arboreal species.
They stepped off the ladder in an engineering space and he recalled the sensor officer’s remarks about a power surge in the area. Perhaps Eth would find out what it was all about.
They turned at an intersection and moved toward the centerline of the ship, coming at last to a door guarded by four armored Varangians.
The lieutenant stepped up to the door, leaning forward for the optical scanner in its center. The heavy armored door slid down into the deck and Eth followed his guide into the room beyond.
Roughly five meters square, it was unremarkable, possessing only one other door on the far wall.
“We would appreciate if you could step through the next door as rapidly as possible,” the lieutenant explained as the heavy door slid back up into place. “The less time you spend in actually passing through the door, the less energy we have to expend.”
“Well, I’m certainly glad that wasn’t at all cryptic,” Eth said dryly.
The other officer didn’t react in the slightest. He simply looked at Eth with continued, earnest expectation.
Not to worry, Eth thought sarcastically, nothing dangerous or mysterious – just a power draining portal of mystery, that’s all. He shook his head. Might as well expect poetry from a Zeartekka. The thought almost made him shudder.
He stepped up to the door and it snapped open with blinding speed. He looked through to the short hallway and, just as he lifted his right foot, the Varangian gave him a firm shove.
He stumbled through and the door snapped shut before he could turn to glare at the officer.
A sudden, formless dread began picking at the edges of his consciousness. His inability to identify the cause did nothing to ease it.
The short hallway was entirely unremarkable, so why was he suddenly so ill-at-ease? He considered the mysterious nature of the heavily guarded door and the shove that had propelled him through but discarded both as possible causes.
He turned back to the door but it refused to open when he approached. Having no other options available, he turned and moved toward the door at the other end, unexplainable fear growing with every step.
By the time he reached the door, he was almost jogging in his desire to leave the hallway and find answers.
This door opened and he stepped through, gazing ahead in awe, his fear momentarily pushed to the back of his thoughts.
The space ahead of him was large – impossibly large. It was also very different from the parts of the ship he’d seen so far. This area looked more like a cathedral, with a central nave, a hundred meters wide, running for at least three hundred meters away from him. Arched bays ran down both sides of the nave, adding at least another forty meters to the width and balancing the soaring, hundred-and-forty-meter-high arched ceiling.
It was far too big for the ship he’d landed in. There simply wasn’t room enough to accommodate it inside the hull.
So where was he?
The fear reasserted itself and he spotted a group of Varangians in one of the bays to his right. He moved their way, feeing a sudden, desperate need for their reassurance but still having no idea why.
He looked into the first bay on his right as he passed it, seeing that its outer wall was a shielded window.
And the view…
He could see a massive black orb in the distance, shrouded in streaks of light that coalesced into a wide glowing accretion disk.
It wasn’t, in itself, frightening but it seemed to confirm his fears somehow. It almost seemed to be taunting him, laughing at a false sense of security that he’d never be able to regain.
Fully terrified now, he broke into a run, aiming toward one of the Varangians who’d left his group to come toward him, a look of concern spreading on his angular features.
Five meters away from the approaching Varangian, Eth’s mind finally gave it all up for a bad job and decided that a nice shutdown would be just the thing.
He didn’t even feel it when his face slammed onto the floor.
