Eye of the Abyss Read online

  Nero turned to Ameluan, watching him crawl backwards on his hands and knees towards the wall, and dropped out of combat mode. Step by step, he advanced on the retreating VoQuana. The fire of his anger still burned in his veins. His chest was an inferno, and a green haze pulsed at the edge of his vision.

  “We’re here to save you, and you do this? I should kill you.”

  “By the ancestors, your eyes! You’re no Praetor! What are you? Ah—please,” Ameluan whimpered. “It was Meshara, she ordered me to do this. I had no choice.”

  “Didn’t you?” He growled.

  Ameluan’s back struck the wall. Nero advanced until he was in striking range and raised his fist. Only the thought of what Kae and the boy might think gave him pause.

  “You don’t know what it’s like. The voices are always in your head. The will must be obeyed…”

  He trembled. “Release Sorina.”

  He heard her gasp a moment later. “Nero? What?”

  “Check on Athame,” he half-growled, holding Ameluan with his eyes.

  “She is okay, there is some kind of device on her neck,” Sorina reported.

  “What is it?”

  “A device that cancels out electromagnetic waves,” Ameluan said. “We developed it with Login.”

  “Remove it,” he said.

  Hesitantly, the VoQuana crawled up to his feet. Shaking, he moved over to Athame and reached up behind her, to retrieve a small box-like device. Her flesh tightened around her body and she blinked.

  “Functioning restored.” She raised her gun to Ameluan’s face. “Nero, your command?”

  We should terminate him, Prospero said. He knows how to interfere with us. All VoQuana are dangerous, but more so now. We cannot afford the risk.

  “Does Kae know you were going to do this?” Nero asked.

  “No, I swear.” Ameluan’s voice trembled.

  He raised his gun. “Sorina, how are your viruses doing?”

  “I still have control of their system,” she said.

  He nodded and swept his eyes over the room. As he suspected would be the case, there was no sign of Kiertah. The mystery of her appearance would have to wait for later.

  “Signal Kae to come get us and shut it all down, including Login. We’re leaving.” He turned his gaze back to Ameluan.

  “Please,” the VoQuana whispered, trembling. “Let me live.”

  He licked his lips and holstered his weapon.

  “You’ve made the right choice,” Ameluan said.

  Nero curled his fingers into a fist and slammed it into Ameluan’s face, watching with satisfaction as the VoQuana’s skull exploded around his knuckles.

  OS.EXIT

  To be concluded in book four: Deep Hydra…

  Appendixes

  Cast of Characters

  The Great Houses of the Confederation

  House Altair

  Baroness Brudah Altair

  House Cronus

  Baroness Hephestia Cronus

  Heir-Representative Aurora Cronus

  Baroness Sophiathena Cronus

  House Keltan

  Baron Cylus Keltan

  Ben -Artificial Manservant to Baron Keltan

  House LeRoux

  Baron Hugon LeRoux

  Baroness Delphine LeRoux

  Heir Enéas LeRoux

  Heiress Europa LeRoux

  House Mitsugawa

  Heir Mitsugawa Ichiro “Sable”

  Heiress Mitsugawa Aki –Sister of Baron Mitsugawa Yoji

  Mamiya Ryouichi –House Mitsugawa’s top retainer

  Mizushima Kaito –Taisa (Colonel) & C/O TSS Musashi

  Hamasaki Akira –Chūsa (Lt. Col.) & X/O TSS Musashi

  Einaga Hiroaki –Supreme Commander of the Shiragawa Self Defense Forces

  Einaga Jiro –Shiragawa VP of Engineering, Research & Development

  Einaga Junichi –Shiragawa Vice President of Operations

  Tanaka Kenji - Chief of Special Projects, Commander of Seika Zōsensho

  Daldon-Fukui Reika- Captain of the Fukurō-maru

  House Olivaar

  Baroness Helena Olivaar (Revenant)

  Heiress Pasqualina Olivaar

  House Revenant

  Baron Zalor Revenant

  Qismat -His artificial bodyguard and assassin

  Doctor Suman Rega -Expert in the Cephalon civilization, xeno-archeologist & xeno-technologist working for Baron Revenant

  House Vargas

  Agent Thuban Vargas -Confederate Space Authority

  Heiress Anica Vargas

  House Xitar (Cleebian)

  Baron Shisharav Xitar

  Xarxshi Saeneiz –Baron Xitar’s personal bodyguard

  Non-House Affiliated Characters

  Investigators

  Praetor Nero Graves

  Agent Sorina Khepria -Confederate Space Authority

  Eckortaan Setha a.k.a. Kiertah Rega -Daughter of Suman Rega, adopted daughter of Chief Irin of the Savorchans

  The Nyangari Protectorate

  Ambassador Rugor Shef

  Guror Shkur Ithros

  Reporters for the Spur Herald News Feed

  Cygni Lau-Aragón

  Ax’xoa Iai –Chief Editor of the Spur Herald

  Star Corps

  Lieutenant Androdameia “Meia” Roshani Ironstar

  Sergeant Kaeden Faen

  Iapetus

  Abyssian Order

  Daedalus

  Praetor Prime Augusta

  Praetor Modulus

  Praetor Login

  Non-Affiliated Characters

  Commander Val Armstrong -Armstrong’s Reivers

  Rune Faen -11 year-old son of Kaeden Faen

  Takeshima Kame –Shiragawa Personal Assistant to Einaga Junichi

  Glossary of Terms in the 25th Century Orion Spur

  Term

  Definition

  Abyssian Praetor

  Member of the Abyssian Order, a cyborg servant of Daedalus.

  Aegis Field

  Term for a series of energy fields designed to serve as a barrier, either permeable, semi-permeable, or completely repulsive in nature. Most typically they are comprised of overlapping dark energy and electromagnetic fields.

  Anilon

  Home world of House Keltan

  Anti-matter

  Grenade

  A fist-sized sphere containing a tiny amount of anti-hydrogen gas in a magnetic field. When the fuse is triggered, the magnetic field collapses allowing the anti-hydrogen gas to contact the inside of the housing, resulting in a highly energetic matter-anti-matter interaction.

  Ākuha Blade

  These blades are extremely sharp, low friction, and DLC (diamond-like carbon) coated. They have a carbon-nanotube edge that continuously resharpens itself using arc-welding style technology, either built into the blade itself or built into the scabbard. They are in wide use in the Taiumikai colonies, and take their name from the Japanese for arc-welded blade.

  AlCas Drive

  System of Faster than Light travel involving the warping of space-time around a ship. It is much slower than neutronium powered FTL drive, but does not require a planetary mass to function. Has limited use in the Confederation, but is very popular in the Sagittarian Republics.

  Arcology

  A self-contained, self-sustainable, floating fortress and home environment favored by the barons of the Tri-Terra Republic. They are now considered status symbols, but largely archaic and out of production.

  Armacorium

  A form of cybernetic armor implanted in the skin with morphic and chameleon-like abilities.

  Artificial

  Short for “artificial person” or “artificial soldier” etc. -A synthetic being built from silicon-based cells to resemble a living being (e.g. an android). They typically have polymer skeletons beneath the silicon flesh, and a substance called “Silocar” flowing through their veins (see Silocar). They are ubiquitous in Confederate society.

  Athenaeum Crystalr />
  Form of solid state storage for data using the molecular structure of a specialized crystal.

  AU

  Astronomical Unit – the distance between the Earth and its star, Sol

  Automadoc

  Short for Automaton Doctor (artificially intelligent doctor robot)

  Autosub

  Short for Autonomous Subway – a popular form of mass-transit in the Confederation of Sovereign Systems

  Barons &

  Baronesses

  Title for the CEO of a major company or corporate entity. Barons also get automatic membership in the Barony (see Barony), and function as part of the government.

  The Barony

  1/3 of the Confederate legislature. It shares power (in theory) with the Sovereign Council and the Office of the Premier, but its total control of the Confederate Treasury makes it the primary government entity.

  Bani Tree

  Tree native to Isinar. Has a peppermint smell and emits pheromones many animal species find soothing.

  ‘Bot

  Slang for robot

  Breather

  Membrane

  Adhesive membrane that fits over the repertory organs of the host organism and either filters, or recycles the air in harsh environments.

  Broghite War

  War started in 36:7 CST with the deaths of the ambassadors to the Broghite Commonwealth from the Confederation- the Keltan family.

  C-37

  An aerospace light cargo vessel with memory-polymer wings. It is the most ubiquitous aerospace ship in the Confederation, with both civilian and military models.

  Cephalon Sphere

  Moon-sized neutronium spheres made by the ancient “Cephalon” species capable of transporting matter across large distances instantaneously

  Cerberai

  Genetically engineered canine organisms. They are about as intelligent as an average, unenhanced teenager. They come in many varieties.

  Cerebral

  Computer

  a.k.a. CC

  A silicon-cell, neural-fiber computer that sits between the meninges of the brain, or directly on the central-nervous system, with neural-fiber links into the central nervous system of the host organism. They provide cognitive enhancement and link the host to external systems able to receive its electromagnetic signal.

  Chonmage

  Traditional Samurai-style hair, including a topknot style queue

  Cleebians

  Dominant species of the Greater Cleebian Prosperity Sphere noted for their mathematical abilities and lack of empathy for other sentient life. They have a capitalist economy, like the Tri-Terra Republic. They are considered an elder space-faring species who has had an interstellar empire for a thousand years.

  Confederate Space

  Authority

  a.k.a. CSA

  The CSA is the federal law enforcement branch of the Confederate government. Answerable to the Office of the Premier, it monitors citizens, prosecutes crimes, and serves as an interstellar intelligence agency in both the Spur and in the Cyberweb. It has various divisions, like the Cybercrimes & Forensics division, that carry out specific functions.

  Confederate Time a.k.a. Space Years

  Confederate time is a timekeeping system developed to be the same regardless of local timekeeping customs. It was developed by the Solans and the Cleebians after the Quae-Sol War. It has standardized units and its own calendar. The year consists of 500 30-hour days (hours are the same as Earth hours) divided into 10 months of 5 weeks each. It is primarily used by Spacers and on official documents.

  Confederate

  Star Corps

  Name for the military machine of the Confederation. It is sub-divided into various branches, among them the Star Jumpers and the Confederate Star Force.

  Confederation

  of

  Sovereign

  Systems

  Conglomeration of five sovereign star-nations; The Tri-Terra Republic (Solan/human, VoQuana), The Cleebian Greater Prosperity Sphere (Cleebian, Achinoi), The Galaenean Unity (Galaenean), The Relaen League (Relaen), The Isinari Equalitarian Republic (Isinari) and unofficially The Savorchan Tribal Sovereignty which has no governing powers at this time (Savorchan).

  ConSov

  Short for Confederate Sovereign, the official unit of currency in the Confederation of Sovereign Systems.

  Cyber-Evolved Lifeform a.k.a. CEL

  A being that has been so altered by cybernetic technology that it can be considered a cybernetic sub-species of its parent species. They are illegal in the Confederation.

  Cyberweb

  A term for the Confederate digital environment network—the Internet of the 25th century. It can be linked with in a variety of ways, and supports virtual environments as well as very high speed communication. Due to the limits of interstellar communication, each system has its own Cyberweb, as does every planet, every ship, and certain pieces of technology. Confederate citizens rely on the Cyberweb for nearly every life activity they engage in.

  Cyberweb Protocol Address a.k.a. CPAd

  A way of identifying locations, individuals, and devices in the Cyberweb. A digital address.

  Delgrix

  Species of six-limb quadrupeds (4 legs, 2 arms) from the Sagittarian side of the Confederation.

  Democratic Labor

  Party (DLP)

  The DLP is the political party of the working people of the Confederation. It enjoys support from the majority of the populace living in big cities and settlements, and from a select group of barons. It is the chief rival of the Mercantile Party.

  Digital Incarnation

  One’s representation in cyberspace

  Dorgar

  Home world of House Olivaar

  DS-109 Combat Drone

  Humanoid robotic combat platform in widespread use by the Confederate Star Corps for ground operations. Considered a support unit for biological troops, it has a quadruped mode that can be used for transportation.

  Eagle

  Military slang for a member of the Confederate Star Corps’ space navy. So named for the symbol of said division: an eagle clutching a five-pointed star

  Environmental

  Suits a.k.a. E-Suits

  Typically skin-tight or nearly skin-tight suits made of insulated, shielded smart-fiber polymers to allow the wearer to survive in harsh conditions, including vacuum. They have a hood component with a built-in breather membrane and a 6 hour air supply in a low-profile air tank.

  Exit Zone

  Area around a star where it is considered minimally safe for a neutronium-antimatter powered FTL drive to exit an Einstein-Rosen Bridge

  Fastcrete

  A very quick-drying concrete-like substance used in modern Confederate architecture

  Farber Tree a.k.a. Anilonian Farber Tree

  Tree native to the planet Anilon. It has extremely dense wood and makes for an excellent construction material.

  Feast of

  Paraximos

  A celebratory holiday held on Anilon.

  Fleshrider

  One who uses the Cyberweb and cerebral computer technology to electronically inhabit the body of another sentient being. The practice is illegal in the Confederation.

  Gaianism

  Religious order broken into two main sects, the Naturalists and the Evolutionaries. They share a belief in the sacred nature of life and the spiritual nature of the universe around them. Naturalists believe in keeping the body and environments pure, Evolutionaries believe in controlling nature and their own evolution through technological manipulation.

  Gauss Weapons

  Projectile weapons, on a personal scale, that use magnetic fields to accelerate ammunition to super-sonic speeds.

  Guror

  Military rank in the Nyangari Protectorate

  HEL

  High Energy Laser (weapon), comes in various sizes

  Hizgrul Caldera

  Region of Savorcha where the seat of the Savorchan Tribal Sovereignty l
ies.

  Hoshinagi no Tachi

  Ancestral sword of House Mitsugawa, it was forged when Mitsugawa Hiroaki founded the Taiumikai settlement. It is an ultra-low friction, carbon-reinforced, Ākuha blade.