Veil of Reality (Cadicle #2): An Epic Space Opera Series Read online

  Bomax, what did they do to the ship? “Get us out of here!”

  Alec immediately made the necessary adjustments, requiring instantaneous mental calculations that were well beyond the capabilities of most. Any error and they risked being torn apart in subspace.

  Cris gripped the armrest of his chair. Come on, Alec.

  The Vanquish jerked as the signal switch was made. Stars began to show through the ethereal blue-green. Another shudder wracked the Vanquish and the ship abruptly dropped into normal space. The subspace distortion dissipated like a lifting fog.

  Cris sighed with relief and looked around the viewscreen. Where are we? He glanced over at Scott, who looked perplexed.

  Alec brought the ship to a full stop. He breathed an unsteady sigh of relief.

  “Damage rep—” Cris was cut off by a buzz at the center console. He answered the call, “Command Center.”

  “Something strange happened,” Matt said over the comm.

  “Yes, we lost contact with a navigation beacon.”

  “No, I mean with the jump drive itself,” replied the engineer.

  Cris tensed. “What?”

  “One of the power conversion cells for the reactor blew,” Matt explained. “I don’t know how it happened—maybe something from the upgrades—but the cell is completely dead.”

  Fok. Cris wilted. “So the jump drive is inoperable.”

  “At least until a replacement cell has been installed and initialized.” Matt paused. “That also means we’re without subspace communications.”

  Cris looked to Scott, who just shook his head. “When can the repairs be finished?”

  “It would take about sixteen hours. That is, if there were a replacement cell onboard,” Matt said, his regret audible.

  Shite! “Why don’t we have any replacements?”

  “It’s not a part that generally goes bad—”

  That doesn’t change our present situation. Cris took a calming breath. “Never mind. Could you adapt a civilian cell to fit our drive?”

  “Maybe. It depends.”

  I can’t believe this is happening. “Okay.” Cris shifted his attention to his tactical officer. “Kari, are there any TSS supply outposts nearby?” We have to find a replacement cell. I have to find Wil.

  “There are no TSS facilities closer than five days’ travel without the use of the jump drive,” she responded.

  Stars! We can’t afford that long of a delay. “Find the closest planet with active trading.”

  “Aye,” Kari acknowledged.

  “Make any adaptations you can to the drive to prepare it for a foreign cell,” Cris told Matt over the comm.

  “I’ll do what I can.”

  “Command Center out,” Cris said, ending the communication.

  Scott was sitting quietly, somewhat uncharacteristic for him.

  “Does something feel wrong about all of this?” Cris asked him telepathically. “We’re on perhaps the most important mission of our lives, and we have a breakdown of a system with an otherwise flawless performance record—right after a bunch of strangers give it a complete maintenance overhaul.”

  “Sabotage?” Scott speculated.

  “I don’t know. It just doesn’t seem like coincidence.”

  “I agree.”

  Cris paused for a moment before continuing. “But… Something tells me we weren’t meant to maintain a beacon lock. Alec is one of the only pilots who could have recovered. I think someone wanted us lost in subspace.”

  “Sir,” interrupted Kari, “we’re in luck. We’re at the edge of an inhabited solar system, and it appears to have an active trade outpost. It’s called Arnca. The TSS is in contact with the government and is on good terms.”

  “How long will it take to reach orbit of the planet?”

  “I estimate two hours,” Kari replied.

  That will have to be fast enough. “Okay. Alec, set in a course.” Cris turned to Scott. “We can talk more later. I need to get a stim. It’s going to be a long day.” Then aloud, “Wincowski, the Command Center is yours until we reach Arnca. Contact me when we’re nearing the planet. I’ll be in my quarters.”

  “I’ve got it.” Scott nodded. “Go take care of yourself.”

  Cris walked out of the Command Center, taking the familiar path down the hallway and central lift. When he arrived at the infirmary door, it opened automatically, revealing one of the most technologically advanced medical centers on any contemporary interstellar ship. Nonetheless, Cris headed straight for the general medication cabinet. Before he had gone two steps, a familiar voice stopped him mid-stride.

  “May I help you?”

  Cris turned to see the TSS Head Medical Doctor come out from the small office tucked in the back corner of the room. Irina Saunatev, like Cris, was a native of the Third Region of Tararia. She was of medium height for a woman, with reddish-blond hair accented with pale skin. Her soft voice suited her features.

  Cris greeted her with something resembling a smile. “I was surprised to see your name on the crew manifest.”

  Irina smiled back, but it was one of sympathy. “When Banks sent out the request for volunteers, I had to come. I delivered Wil, so I feel responsible for his well-being.”

  They were family within the TSS. Wil was a part of all their lives. “Thank you. I’ll feel better knowing he’ll have the best possible care when we find him.”

  The doctor looked him over through her tinted glasses. “Are you doing okay?”

  Cris made a noncommittal gesture with his hand in response. I won’t be okay until Wil is back home.

  Irina flushed. “Of course, you’re in the infirmary. What do you need?”

  “I’m just tired. I wanted to get a stimulant to hold me through until I can get some real sleep.” I’ll rest when there’s time.

  “Of course. I’ll get it.”

  “I can—”

  “No, no,” Irina insisted. “Since I’m here, I have to make myself useful. It defeats the purpose of having a doctor around when the patients insist on doing everything themselves.” She left the room and returned with a nearly translucent strip. “Here you are.” She handed it to Cris with a pair of tweezers.

  “Thanks.” Cris placed the strip in his mouth and it instantly dissolved. “I’ll see you later.” Irina looked as if she meant to say something else but remained silent.

  No doubt more condolences. But this isn’t over yet.

  * * *

  Banks tried to suppress his concern over the Vanquish’s disappearance. Why did they drop off the communication grid? They should still be en route in subspace.

  Setting aside his worries, Banks turned his attention to Kate—the one person who must be even more distraught over the day’s events. He buzzed the door to the quarters Kate shared with Cris.

  After a moment, the door cracked open. Kate peered out, her eyes red and face pale. “Sir, what are you doing here?”

  It’s a good thing I came by. “Oh, come on, Kate. No need for formality.”

  “Right, I’m sorry. Please, come in.” She stood aside and gestured him through the door.

  As Banks entered, Kate made some gestures toward the viewscreen on the wall and the screen darkened.

  Banks closed the door behind himself and looked around. The personal touches throughout the room jumped out at him, knowing Cris and Wil were in danger—pictures of Wil as a small child, holopaintings of the gardens from the Sietinen estate, souvenirs from Cris and Kate’s travels together. Most Agents didn’t have such attachments. This was a real family, and they were split apart.

  He took a seat on the chocolate-colored couch in the center of the room facing the viewscreen on the wall.

  Kate sat down on the opposite end of the plush sofa. She folded herself inward, arms crossed and gaze distant. “Why are you here?”

  “In case you need to talk. Everything happened so fast earlier, and with Cris gone…” I have to remain objective and think of Wil as the purpose he serves, but he
’s still someone’s son. Still, despite his need to remain objective, being a part of Wil’s life had made Banks care more deeply than his colleagues condoned.

  Kate looked away. “Thank you, that’s very thoughtful.”

  “You’re not alone,” Banks told her. “It might not always show, but Wil and Cris are like family to me. I watched Wil grow up. And, in many ways, Cris is like a son to me, since I never had one of my own. Know that I’m here for you.”

  Kate stood suddenly and paced to the other side of the room. “You say you care, but you sent Cris on what may very well be a one-way mission.”

  “I didn’t want to send him, but there was no one else I could trust.” Banks got up and gently placed his hands on her slumped shoulders, tense with worry and fear. He wished there were more he could do to soothe her, but he couldn’t get too close. “Cris will find him.”

  “Meanwhile, there’s a traitor among us.”

  Made all the more apparent by the Vanquish’s disappearance. “Have you found anything?”

  Kate shook her head. “I just started my review of the files. It will take time.”

  Who knows what other damage could be done in the meantime. “I’m looking into it, too. We’ll figure it out.”

  Kate sniffed back the tears. “What does it matter? Cris and Wil are already out there. I’m afraid I’ll never see them again.”

  Banks turned her around and looked her in the eyes. “That won’t happen.”

  “I wish I could feel so sure.”

  “They’ll be fine, because they have to be.” They are too important. Their loss would mean the end for us all. It can’t come to that.

  * * *

  Kate closed the door behind the High Commander. He’d dropped by at an inopportune time, but it would have been rude to turn him away. It’s sweet of him to try to comfort me, but nothing he can say will make this better. I want my husband and son home safely.

  Her initial evaluation of the security logs had yielded some intriguing results—results she wasn’t yet ready to share. The breach had to be someone high up in the command ranks, and only a couple dozen people would have the clearance. She and Cris were the only individuals she could rule out with absolute certainty.

  No TSS ships aside from the Vanquish had left port since Wil’s capture and all personnel were accounted for. The traitor was either onboard her husband’s ship or still inside Headquarters.

  Kate restored her work on the viewscreen. There was still much to review.

  CHAPTER 3

  It was utter darkness. Only the incessant drip of water somewhere in the distance broke through the monotonous black. Wil lay on his back, feeling cold ground beneath him. It was damp and rough. Stone? He peered around, but could make out no landmarks. Where am I?

  His head throbbed.

  Wil strained to make sense of his surroundings. The air smelled of mildew and dirt. A cave? He ventured a telekinetic probe, but the meager insights were hardly worth the increased pressure in his head. He eased off. The sound of dripping water continued to rhythmically pierce the gloom, its source still a mystery.

  He sat up slowly, the force of his headache growing with the elevation of his head. Rubbing his temples, he attempted to ease the pounding. He raised himself into a kneeling position on the hard ground, waiting for his senses to settle. I’m alive. Who would capture me, and why?

  A crack of light pierced the darkness. The shock of illumination nearly blinded Wil. A rectangle opened up, as if a door were rising on a far wall. Three large figures stepped forward, silhouetted against the bright light.

  Wil stood up and eyed his opponents. If they wanted to kill me, they would have done it already. Right…?

  The middle silhouetted figure raised an arm parallel with the ground. The air rippled as the paralyzing beam shot toward Wil. Intense pain took his body once more as the world faded.

  * * *

  Cris stood in the center of his darkened room and gazed through the window at the stars. Despite his concern for Wil’s safety, he couldn’t help but fear his own fate. The delay caused by the jump drive malfunction had only given him more time to dwell on what he and his crew were up against. If anything he had been told about the Bakzen over the years was correct, they would soon face a seemingly impenetrable sensor grid known at the Defense Barrier at the border of Bakzeni Territory. We can only hope to see a way in once we get there. There’s so little I know about the Bakzen…

  Reminded once again of his request to Banks, Cris went to activate the viewscreen above the desk in the corner of his room. He has to give me something to work with.

  Cris sat down on the edge of his bed across from the screen. “CACI, bring up all files pertaining to the Bakzeni Empire.”

  In compliance, the viewscreen illuminated with the TSS insignia and the words “Top Secret” written below it. “Authorization is required to view these files,” CACI stated in the same female voice that was used for the interactive programs around Headquarters. Cris stated his identification number, hoping this time it would yield different results. “Authorization approved.” Cris let out a sigh of relief. The viewscreen changed from the TSS insignia to a still figure of a soldier.

  The scale next to the Bakzen soldier indicated that it would stand half a head taller than the average Tararian male, and it was more severe-looking than any Taran Cris had ever seen. The figure began rotating, showing off the substantial bone structure beneath rough skin. Completely hairless, and with a slightly orange tint to the skin, the Bakzen soldier looked well-equipped for living a combative life. The soldier’s cold red eyes stared out from the viewscreen. A sudden chill gripped Cris as he looked at the face of his enemy.

  Cris glanced over specifics of Bakzen physiology and was caught by one key detail: they were all clones. No wonder they can keep ramping up their forces.

  He had CACI move to the next section of the file, which dealt with weapons and defenses. There was a note that the information was mostly speculative. Clearly we don’t know everything, he thought, reflecting on the Headquarters break-in. Even if there had been help from the inside, it would still take considerable skill to bypass all of the necessary security checkpoints. The Bakzen file also mentioned spatial transportation, but Cris was disheartened to see old file dates on the information—some as great as twenty years old.

  He quickly flipped through several other sections before stopping at the description and image of the infamous Defense Barrier. The Barrier was rumored to be one of the most colossal and intricate structures ever created, and the schematic did its reputation justice. Reports indicated that nothing had ever made it through the sensor grid undetected, and nothing that passed through the Barrier into Bakzen territory came back in one piece—if at all. The file didn’t go into the details, but Cris examined the diagram and started thinking through potential weaknesses.

  After studying all of the available data, Cris started to move to the next section, but was stopped by a message stating that higher authorization was required to access the restricted files. Stars! What now? “CACI, what level clearance is needed to view the restricted files?”

  “Level 10 clearance required. High Commander only.”

  “What could possibly be in those files that they don’t want me to see?” CACI didn’t reply. “What percentage of files related to the Bakzen does my clearance include?”

  “28%” CACI replied.

  28%? That’s hardly anything! An initial wave of anger was replaced by a feeling of defeat. Why are they making me go into this blind?

  Cris deactivated the viewscreen and lay back on the bed. He felt completely drained. What the fok is going on?

  *

  Cris awoke to an unwelcome buzz at the door. He glanced at the clock and saw that an hour and a half had passed. Either I was more tired than I realized, or Irina tricked me.

  He reluctantly propped himself into a semi-sitting position and muttered, “Come in,” under his breath. Scott entered. “What is it?�
� Cris sat up the rest of the way.

  “We’re nearing Arnca.”

  Cris nodded absently.

  Scott pulled up a chair so he could sit facing Cris. “You look awful.”

  “I’m sure I do.” Cris ran a hand through his hair, mussing it further. “Fok, how did we get here?”

  Scott smiled. “On a starship. Shite, I thought I might have to hold your hand on this mission, but wipe your ass, too?”

  Cris sighed and gave his friend a sidelong glare. “Things were really good for a while there.”

  “Nothing has changed, Cris. We’ll find Wil.”

  Cris swallowed. Maybe nothing had changed, but he had started to see things for what they were. “I completely failed Wil.”

  “No one could have seen this coming.”

  “Banks did.” Even if he didn’t outright admit it.

  Scott raised an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”

  Cris leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. “He told me today that Wil is important to the TSS. But, I don’t think he meant it in the way a gifted trainee is important. He looked terrified—like a vital mission was unravelling before his eyes.” He hung his head. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it before.” Or maybe I just didn’t want to see it. I needed to believe I had escaped.

  “See what?”

  “I’m not sure, exactly. But, they always pushed Wil more than any other trainee. I think they’ve been covertly directing him this whole time.”

  Scott frowned. “Maybe you’re reading into it too much. We’re all on edge.”

  “No, I don’t think so.” The persistent knot in Cris’ stomach twisted. I’ve let my son be used, just like they’ve been using me. “Stars! It was right in front of me, and I did nothing to stop it.”

  “We don’t know anything for sure,” Scott soothed. “Let’s just get through this. One step at a time.”

  Cris took a slow breath and nodded. “It’s finally becoming clear now. There’s something going on with the Bakzen—something they don’t want us to know. I should’ve known… All these years, whenever I’ve mentioned the conflict in the outer territories, Banks has always hedged. But then today, he said that the Bakzen targeted Wil.”