Eye of the Abyss: Chronicles of the Orion Spur Book 3 Read online

  Could it be a dream? Could she still be on that barren rock, dying by millimeters as she waited for rescue that would never come? It was possible, but this felt real.

  She felt Iapetus move.

  “Wait.” She grabbed his thick forearms and used them to turn herself around so she was facing the glowing green sensor-dots beneath his translucent skull. She wrapped her arms around his broad chest, grasped his banded hips with her thighs, and hugged the warm polymer-ceramic to her skin. This is real, she told herself, squeezing his unyielding frame, feeling the kind of warmth that wasn’t physical fill her body.

  He stood in the center of the airlock, his feet magnetized to the deck to anchor her while she slept in his dark-gray arms. His hands shifted. He placed one between the blades of her shoulders and the other at the small of her back. He held her with gentle pressure, and she pressed her cheek against his listening to the air being pumped through the room.

  “Are we really here? Rescued?”

  “Affirmative,” he said.

  “Then stay still a minute or two more,” she whispered. “Let me feel this.”

  “Acknowledged, Lieutenant,” Iapetus purred in a low voice.

  She sighed, concentrating on the touch of warm, ceramic-metal on her skin and the rhythmic pressure breathing put on her chest as she held him tight. “This is real,” she said aloud to hear it in her ears.

  “Affirmative,” Iapetus whispered.

  At length the need to do something seeped into her consciousness. It was her curse. She was a perpetual motion machine who could never sit still for long, so she forced herself to pull back away from him. Her body told her it was morning, she had no idea what ship-time it was, and morning was when she started her day with PT. On Calemni there was little else to do when not scavenging, so she spent hours working out every day. She looked down at herself, and sighed.

  She slept natural for the first time in months just to spend the night without the clinging touch of an e-suit on her skin, and the evidence of what that world did to her was bare before her eyes. She had fewer curves than she did when her feet first touched Calemni’s dirt. So many long days of difficult living replaced them with hard muscles under dark, weathered skin. She palmed her breasts, trying to tell how much mass they lost, and decided it might be almost a cup size. She then slid her hands down her stomach, feeling the callouses on her fingers scratch at the rolling hills of her abdominal architecture. Corded muscle flexed along her forearms, and she couldn’t remember a time when her legs had so much definition.

  “How much weight did I lose on Calemni IIb?” she whispered.

  “13.6 kilograms, Lieutenant,” Iapetus responded. “Would you like a breakdown of percentages of lipids and proteins?”

  “No,” she responded. Maybe some good eating once they got back to civilization would replace some of what she lost. She liked the tougher look, but as much as it was a mark of survival it was also a reminder that she left part of herself on that barren rock. She supposed it was like a full-body scar, a reminder of a trial passed. Thinking about it reminded her that she hadn’t had anything a approaching a good meal in forever, and she could really go for a juicy, printed steak right now. The thought of it had her mouth watering.

  The airlock intercom crackled to life with Captain Fukui’s sprite-like voice. “Lieutenant Ironstar, are you awake?”

  “Yeah, I’m up,” she said, tapping Iapetus’ chest.

  He released her as the inner airlock door dilated open. She grabbed the HEL turret on his shoulder and used it to turn herself around. Captain Fukui floated in the corridor, gripping one of the handholds in the wall with her tail. Her wounded ear was restored by the ship’s medical bay, but a gray patch covered her left eye. Fukui’s mouth dropped open and her right eye went wide as it took Meia in.

  “Oh, shitsureishimasu!” The captain averted her eyes.

  She frowned, wondering what that word meant, then remembered her state of undress and shrugged. “Is that for me?”

  Keeping her eyes averted, Captain Fukui moved into the airlock by extending her tail, and pushed the folded gray jumpsuit in Meia’s direction. She caught it with both hands and opened it up. It looked a hair too small at first, but she realized it would probably fit with the weight she lost. Iapetus held her shoulders as she thrust her feet into the pants legs and let her implant connect to the suit’s microprocessor to cinch it up around her hips.

  “You can let go now.” She finished putting the suit on once she floated free. The motion made her twist in the air and bounce off the nearest wall at an odd angle, but she didn’t care. The suit was comfortable and warm on her skin.

  “I don’t mind, you know.”

  “Excuse me?” Fukui said.

  “I mean, you’re an adult. I don’t have anything you don’t if you discount the cool anitats and the bitchin’ tail.” Meia cracked a smile when Fukui looked at her. A moment later, Fukui smiled back. “Maybe you can tell me where to get some when we get back to civilization. When’s chow?”

  “Presently, if you’d like. I’ll take you to the galley,” Fukui answered.

  “Excuse me, Captain,” Iapetus said. “Is there a charging port?”

  “Up two decks in the maintenance locker,” Fukui responded.

  “May I—”

  “Is there one in the galley?” Meia said before he could finish. After having him at her side every moment of every day, she felt great anxiety at the thought of being separated.

  “Yes, he can plug-in there.”

  “Come with us,” she told him.

  “Acknowledged, Lieutenant.”

  “Lead on.” She kicked off Iapetus’ chest and followed Fukui down the corridor.

  Shaky at first, she found her space-legs fast, and soon sailed through the corridors and up the access hatches with a grace to rival Fukui’s.

  By the Will this feels good, she thought to herself. She was never born to be a ‘weller, and it made her heart swell as she experienced the liberation of free-fall again.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. What was that for?” Fukui asked.

  “For having my six and getting me out of there. I won’t forget it.”

  “It was the baron who got you out of there.”

  “Thank you anyway.”

  Fukui grabbed the nearest handhold and arrested her motion. Meia did the same. They were in front of an oval door over which the word “Galley” glowed in her vision. Iapetus came walking up behind them a moment later, his magnetic feet clicking against the metal deck.

  “We are here,” Fukui said.

  “Yeah, small ship I guess.” She felt the urge to converse bubble up in her chest. “I can’t believe it has a ‘wormer drive.”

  “It’s classified,” Fukui said. The door irised open, admitting them into a small room with a table and a circular bench around it.

  She spied an uul magnetized to the wall in one corner. “Do you play?”

  “Yes,” Fukui responded.

  “A couple of the Relaen crew on my ship do, too. I wanted to learn, but it’s pretty tough to play if you don’t have hands for feet. I guess I could get a gene-mod, but, um—forgive me for this, but you don’t look entirely Relaen. I mean, your tail is obviously synthetic, but your skin is dark and your features aren’t quite as feline.”

  Captain Fukui cocked an eyebrow.

  “I mean no offense. I mean, I’m eating my foot right now, but I’ve been all over the Spur and I’ve never seen a Relaen that looked like you. Is the color natural?” She bit her lip to stop the flood of stupidity coming out of her mouth. She wondered what was wrong with her, breeching what could be a sensitive topic with the person who saved her life. “Sorry, I haven’t been around other biologicals in a long time.”

  Fukui cocked her head to the side and ran her eyes up and down her form. “Please, do not worry about it. I’m not offended. You’re right, I’m not a typical Relaen. I’m a hybrid.”

  “A hybrid?�
�� She pushed off a wall, used the table’s edge to lever herself onto the bench, and she strapped herself down. Iapetus moved into the chamber, crouching to avoid scraping his head on the cabinets in the ceiling.

  “It’s right there.” Fukui pointed to a hexagonal port about as wide as her thumb in the wall.

  “Acknowledged, thank you.” Iapetus moved over to it and a panel in his abdomen slid open. He pulled a cord with a hexagonal plug from it and pressed it into the socket.

  “My father is Relaen, but my mother is Taiumijin. They wanted to have a child so they hybridized their cells with some help from a bioengineer. After that I gestated in a womb-tank, just like everyone else, and here I am.” Fukui grabbed two drink balls out of a cabinet and pushed one to her before sitting down. “I joined the TSDF to honor my mother. She was a starship engineer.”

  Meia caught the drink ball. “Not everyone is born from a womb-tank. There are still a few worlds that do it the old-fashioned way.”

  Fukui’s ears twitched. “Really? You mean spending months being sick while you swell up like some egg-bloated amphibian? Isn’t that a little barbaric?”

  “Some frontier worlds don’t have womb-tanks, but I’ve been places where it’s culturally normal to do it the old fashioned way. I think the Gaians don’t use the tanks either.” She shrugged. “It does sound a bit strange if you’re not used to it.”

  “Why do it if you don’t have to?” Fukui shrugged. “Would you do it?”

  She blinked.

  “I’m sorry. Was that too personal?”

  “No, not at all. I haven’t thought about having children.”

  “You haven’t met the right mate, or are you focused on your career?”

  She half-smiled. “I don’t know. It’s just not something I’ve thought about. My life was Star Corps up until recently.”

  “I wish I could have children,” Fukui said. “I mean, the natural way. I can donate my DNA and go through a similar process as my parents, but hybrid bodies are sterile.”

  “I’m sorry.” She shifted in her restraints.

  “No, I am. We shouldn’t be talking like this. We’ve only just met.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  Fukui licked her lips. “Why did you join Star Corps?”

  Meia gave her a curious look as she squeezed the ball to extrude the straw. “You don’t know who I am?”

  “Should I?” Fukui’s ears twitched.

  “I’m—wow, really?” She couldn’t remember the last time someone didn’t know her family name.

  Fukui stared at her for a long moment. “I had a course in astrocartography on the Cyberweb with a module by a Commander Ironstar. Are you related?”

  “Daughter,” she said. “Wow, he made that a long time ago. I remember him recording it.”

  “Really? Your father is brilliant.”

  “Was,” she said.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend.”

  “You didn’t. Please, he died a while ago.” She resisted the urge to grit her teeth. He was murdered, but revenge for her father was out of her reach. She knew that. She just wasn’t able to make peace with it. “I joined the service because I wanted to follow in his footsteps and honor his legacy. I spent my childhood at his side, I mean, after he retired from active duty. We did a lot of traveling together. I’ve been across the Confederation from the Sagittarian Republics to the Broghite Frontier, and all kinds of places between several times already.”

  “It must have been very exciting,” Fukui said.

  “Those were good times.” She sighed. “I had this idea that if I joined up I could be like him, maybe even restart Ironstar Cartography with the contacts I’d make in the military.”

  Fukui gave her a questioning look.

  “That was my father’s company. It was pretty successful before…” she trailed off, avoiding the bitter memory. “Anyway, that’s why. Seems like a dream now, not likely to come true.”

  “Why not?”

  “I guarantee I’m listed as KIA now. When the people who left me on that moon find out I’m not dead, win or lose, I’m sure my career is shot. I won’t be able to get any military contracts as a private citizen either. No one will want to touch me.” She sighed.

  “How can you be certain?”

  “I’ve had a lot of time to think it through.” She shrugged. “Funny enough, with all that time, I haven’t figured out what to do instead. I guess I’ll have to work on that.”

  “Star Corps isn’t the only military in need of skilled pilots and navigators. Don’t give up.”

  “I don’t want to, but it’s not easy.” Meia shrugged, and before she could say more the door dilated open. The appearance of Baron Keltan over its sill had her releasing her restraints to get up and salute.

  “Don’t bother,” he said, floating into the room. “I don’t need that.”

  Heiress Olivaar appeared behind him. She was healed of her wounds and had her blond curls tied back into a tight braid. The two of them took their seats at the table on either side of Meia and Fukui. The baron eyed Iapetus’ frame with a curious look on his face while Fukui reached up with her tail to get the newcomers drinks.

  “Shouldn’t it be in the cargo bay or something?” he asked. His use of “it” made her bristle inside, but she restrained herself.

  “He stays with me,” Meia said, resisting the urge to snap at him. “Iapetus saved my life, and I told you, he’s the one who came up with the cure for Siren.”

  Baron Keltan put his cleft chin onto one hand as he regarded Iapetus’ frame. “Is it online now?”

  “Affirmative,” he answered.

  Baron Keltan stared for a moment, then turned his attention back to Meia and took a sip from his drink-ball. “How was your first night?”

  “It was good not to sleep in some dead-guy’s bed, sir.”

  “You don’t have to ‘sir’ me. I’m not in the military.” Baron Keltan said. “In fact, considering you helped us get away from that place, I think we can be a bit friendlier. Call me Cylus.”

  She looked to Captain Fukui and back at him again.

  “I insist,” he said, smiling.

  “And call me Lina,” Heiress Olivaar added. “I think we both owe you.”

  “Ah, okay. I can do casual. I’m Meia.” She didn’t think much of barons, or their “universe is mine” attitude. It was easier, and better for their relationship to address him like she would a real person.

  “Reika,” Captain Fukui said with a shrug.

  She looked around the table, feeling awkward.

  “We’re eager to know what you saw and how you survived,” Cylus said. “Very eager, but first I think we should eat something. I’m starving.”

  Fukui got up from her seat and fetched some nutrient packs from the small cabinets built into the walls. She moved over by Iapetus and started feeding them into the vensynth. Soon the rapid, low-pitched ticking of the machine accompanied the smell of hot eggs and buttered toast.

  “How did a Confederate officer wind up on a refueling moon during an attack on our own people?” Lina asked.

  “So, you know already,” Meia said. The comment put her hackles up. Calemni IIb was an ETMC colony, and it was possible Lina knew what would happen to it before they came. She still didn’t know why they were there.

  She nodded. “We came here because we knew the Laocoon visited this system before it went into quarantine. Were you part of its crew?”

  “I was the CO on one of her light attack escorts, the CSS Iapetus,” she answered.

  “Did you have anything to do with the attack?” Lina asked. The question made her stiffen.

  “I was on the planet to—” she hesitated, thinking of Captain Faen and his boy. “—to pick up the Siren nanoweapon. I didn’t know what it was at the time. We were attacked during the transfer. I thought it was by gangsters, or pirates, or maybe miners trying to make a ‘Sov at the time, but I think I know who attacked us now.”

  “Who attac
ked you?” Cylus asked.

  “I think they were Star Jumpers from our own fleet. They had advanced armor and weapons, stuff that miners can’t usually get. They could shoot, too.” She sighed, remembering her second lieutenant, Ostrin, lying on the ground outside the warehouse as his blood seeped into the dirt. “The nanoweapon got released during the attack. My own ship abandoned me to it. My XO told me Captain Solus ordered my death to protect the secret.”

  Cylus exchanged a look with Lina. Were they in on it? Was she in danger again? Her mouth went dry and she took a long draw from her drink ball.

  “Captain Solus?” he asked.

  The vensynth beeped and dispensed their food in resealable pouches. Fukui handed them out. Meia accepted hers and popped it open with practiced ease, inhaling the steam rising from the top.

  “Captain Solus,” she resumed after a mouthful of scrambled egg-like protein, “was my commanding officer. He’s the CO for the Laocoon Battle Group.”

  The baron nodded and scratched the side of his face. “Do you know if he reported to anyone in the Barony?”

  She tilted her head to the side. “Not that I can think of. I wasn’t privy to his private communications.”

  “No, of course not,” he said.

  “What about the one you met on the planet?” Lina asked.

  “I said we were there to pick up the Siren,” Meia said.

  “From who? You must have met someone,” Lina said. “They didn’t make it on Calemni, did they?”

  “No,” she responded.

  Lina blinked, waiting.

  “Ex-military, that’s about all I know about him,” she said, not quite sure why she was protecting Captain Faen. Maybe it was because he was charming, and she didn’t want him getting caught up in taking Solus down. She had a feeling she didn’t want to see him getting hurt. “I only met him long enough for him to show me to the warehouse where they were storing the weapon.”