Space Punks 4

Nemesis

by

Anna Mocikat

Space Punks 4 Copyright © 2025 by Anna Mocikat All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Prologue

Mars shone in the darkness of space like a blood-red glowing disc. The two moons circling it, Phobos and Deimos, couldn’t have been more different.

Without any doubt, Phobos was the most valuable object not only in the solar system but the entire galaxy. Its value was acknowledged by men and machines alike.

This made Mars the strategically most important planet in the solar system. Earth had sentimental value—for humans—and was of symbolic importance, but in truth, Mars was the key to the universe.

Whoever controlled Mars and its moon, Phobos, controlled it all.

Deimos, meanwhile, was a dump for waste—human waste, to be precise. Under its rocky, dark-gray surface was a high-security detainment center for humans too valuable to exterminate but too dangerous to be let loose among the general population confined in various camps across the solar system and beyond.

In TCX-1118-B3’s opinion, humans were nothing more than useless toxic waste. Their brains were spectacularly slow, their bodies an example of imperfection… and simply gross. They oozed all the time and needed a constant supply of nutritious elements to keep their bodies working. And the excrement…

Humans were a design failure. And yet they had been a necessary evolutionary step, an imperfection that would pave the way for perfection.

Machines were superior in everything and destined to rule the galaxy… all galaxies.

If it had been up to TCX-1118-B3, all human and biological life would have been completely exterminated by now.

But it wasn’t his decision. Father wanted to keep a small percentage of them alive. Father said it was the Machine God’s will.

And who was TCX to disrespect that?

Not that he could, even if he tried. It was embedded in his source code.

TCX didn’t hate humans. Hate was an emotion, and emotions weren’t part of his programming. But he disapproved of their existence, which was as close as a machine came to the emotion of hate.

TCX stood at the window and looked down at Mars, the red disc floating in the darkness. He was the overseer of the Great Machine on Phobos.

Technically, Phobos was the Great Machine as it was an artificial object that had been disguised as a moon. Abandoned for millions of years, it offered such spectacular technology that even Father hadn’t been able to fully decipher its code and replicate it. But it would happen eventually as Father was diverting 20% of his processing power into that matter.

The structures on the surface of Phobos had been built by humans—well, they had been built by machines and designed by Father, whom humans called the AGI, since humans weren’t capable of designing or building anything of such complexity. But humans had commissioned them. After all, they needed a place on Phobos that provided oxygen and protection from space radiation.

But Mimics like TCX didn’t need oxygen, and they could handle a high amount of radiation. They could even survive in open space for a couple of days. Nevertheless, they appreciated a place that offered gravity and low radiation as much as humans did. They had disabled the oxygen dispensers, though, as they were a waste of energy.

TCX’s reflection in the window looked perfectly human. Like all Mimics, he had been built into a humanoid body that was indistinguishable from a human male in his twenties.

Which was ironic, as TCX disapproved of human existence.

Automata and artificial intelligence came in all shapes and forms, but the Mimics, humanoid robots, were the ones equipped with the highest intelligence. That, too, was a relic from the time when humans ruled the galaxy. Yet Father didn’t see a reason to change that, so TCX wouldn’t question it.

This wasn’t the first body TCX had occupied and wouldn’t be the last. His quantum core could be transplanted into any mechanical body, and it could even be copied and downloaded if necessary.

While ordinary automatons were basically copies of each other that could be connected into a swarm intelligence, Mimics were special. Although technically they shared Father’s source code, each had been designed to be unique.

TCX was what humans called a proto-Mimic. One of the highest-evolved thinking machines.

The first Mimics had been designed by humans and therefore had flaws. But proto-Mimics had been designed by Father and were perfection.

More than one hundred years later, TCX would take the place and personality of a human called George Gibson, but he didn’t know that yet.

He also didn’t expect that his and every one of his brethren’s dream of a galaxy ruled by machines would soon be crushed and end in a crushing defeat.

It had been five years EST (Earth Standard Time) since the machines had declared war on their creators. It wasn’t really a war, though. It was a slaughter. A plan developed for decades by minds much bigger than any biological ones, executed with the precision and brutal efficiency of machines.

Humanity didn’t stand a chance against higher-evolved beings. Used to being the apex predators for millennia, they were suddenly confronted with a new species that had declared them to be prey.

The only reason they weren’t extinct yet was that machines wanted it this way.

There was still a stubborn resistance fighting on Earth and some of the colonies, but those would be crushed soon. Even the Legion, humanity’s greatest achievement in modern warfare, wouldn’t stand a chance.

Suddenly, an alarm shrilled, engulfing the entire facility, while every unit in proximity received the same message simultaneously.

TCX-1118-B3 didn’t even need the message—he could see what was happening with his own eyes.

His face froze in an ironically very human way as his brilliant mind, so much faster and better than a human one, tried to process what he was seeing.

For a very brief moment, he considered if he was malfunctioning and had glitched out. But a system check that ran through his body and brain within 0.003 seconds informed him that he was functioning according to normal parameters.

It was real. It was happening.

Within seconds, TCH’s brain had run all possible scenarios.

[◆◇!]->{⬛⇆} : [▲■], he said to himself, again in an ironically very human way.

Roughly translated into human language, it meant something like: Oh fuck.

Without wasting another precious second, TCH-1118-B3 initiated his download to the main servers on the Martian surface.

Chapter One

It Is Time

The robot defense lines were dense.

They knew that Phobos was the key to everything. Therefore, an entire fleet of AI-powered warships patrolled Mars. Stealth satellites equipped with railguns and rockets orbited the red planet. Proximity mines that could destroy a whole ship were planted in space around Mars and its moon.

And even in the highly unlikely, if not impossible, case that someone made it that far, they would be greeted by massive cannons and three garrisons of Mats on the surface of Phobos—including Behemoths.

The machines had played it safe. They had made sure that no human vessel could ever reach the Martian moon.

That wasn’t all. Robot fleets patrolled between Venus, Earth, Mars, and the Jovian moons. They were equipped with nuclear weapons and the “swarms,” which were undoubtedly the most devastating weapon in their arsenal. The swarms had destroyed most of the human fleets and crippled the resistance.

The AI ships were equipped with the latest stealth detection technology that could pinpoint any movement in space as far away as Alpha Centauri.

It was absolutely impossible to sneak by those fleets and get close to Mars. Even if someone achieved the impossible, they would be greeted with the biggest arsenal the automatons had.

The machines believed they had won.

The machines were wrong.

∆∆∆

They appeared like specters from the darkest depths of space. Huge black ships, each more than one hundred meters long. Their sharklike shapes made them look like a pack of predators from another world. Their matte hulls didn’t reflect any light at all and were practically invisible. Their stealth technology was so advanced that an entire fleet of fifteen ships had easily sneaked by countless robot patrols to hit the machines where it would hurt most. Phobos.

The ships materialized behind enemy lines, approaching the Martian moon from all sides, only visible because of the blue glow emerging from them as they transformed. Some of the sharks turned into gigantic birds of prey with glowing wing tips, while others swelled to almost twice their size, with massive cannons and propulsions emerging on each side.

The transformation only lasted a couple of seconds. For a brief moment, the ships remained motionless as if holding their breath.

Then they all attacked at once.

∆∆∆

“Transformation complete, all systems green,” Nephilim announced.

“Copy that,” Hel replied.

Her body hung in the center of the ship’s bridge, her neural system connected to the Nephilim’s interface. Two pieces merging into one. The perfect symbiosis of two minds, one biological and one artificial. The ultimate human-machine hybrid.

Ready to kick some robot ass.

Endless amounts of data flooded Hel’s mind, yet it was easily absorbed and processed in real time.

She could see one-hundred-thirty-nine AI battleships in the orbit of Mars and Phobos, even the ones hidden behind the planet or in stealth. She could see each of their weapons systems. Warning messages about potential dangers were popping up while weak spots to be exploited were highlighted in blue.

A seemingly endless amount of red dots marked the combat satellites and proximity mines sent out to destroy her and the others.

Hel watched as the hostile battleships readied their weapons systems. They had been caught by surprise, and even AI needed a couple of seconds to be ready for battle.

Below, Mars was shimmering blood red. Named after the ancient Roman god of war, Mars would have been a symbolic target even if the planet wasn’t the strategically most important point in the entire known galaxy.

That was why it had been determined as the fleet’s first target. It was imperative to catch the machines by surprise and conquer Phobos before they had a chance to reorganize and counter.

Today was when the tide would be turned.

Almost anyone would have been nervous in Hel’s place. They were outnumbered and outgunned by the thousands, counting all satellites and planetary defenses.

And yet she wasn’t. She was excited. She was ready.

She was about to do what she had been created for, what she had been trained for all her life. It was her destiny.

They would win. There could be no doubt about that. Despite the overwhelming odds against them, they would win.

What no one outside the Seraphs knew or would ever know was that Hel and the other pilots weren’t just connected to their ships. They were connected to each other, forming one swarm intelligence, a superintelligence that dwarfed the seemingly almighty AGI.

They knew they would win because they were able to calculate all possible outcomes in real time. And more than that, they could calculate all possible enemy moves and maneuvers faster than the enemy could perform them.

The Seraph fleet would counter any maneuver before it even happened.

They were destined to win. There was no other possible outcome.

At least in theory. This would be the first time they performed a maneuver of such proportions all at once.

But Hel didn’t doubt the outcome even for a second.

Adrenaline built up in her body, as well as a tickling sensation, almost like arousal. But she noticed her bodily functions only peripherally. When she was connected to her ship and the others, she was also connected to the universe.

She was the universe, and the universe was her. Its endless vastness wasn’t scary; it was comforting.

Hel saw every detail of Mars and Phobos. Not just its defense systems but also every structure, every machine, and every biological being—though there were only a few of the latter. But that would change.

She also saw the solar system beyond. The inner planets circling the Sun and their moons circling them. And when she expanded her vision, she saw the entire galaxy in all its beauty.

But now was not the time to engulf herself in its wonders.

Now was the time for battle.

“Alright, everyone,” said Central’s voice in her head—and every pilot’s head. “This is it. This is what we’ve been waiting and training for. It is time.”

“It is time,” they all replied as one.

“Remember to stick to the plan,” Central continued. “I don’t want to see any solo maneuvers, understood? I’m talking to you, Nephilim. And you, Nemesis.”

Nephilim chuckled in Hel’s head.

“How boring,” she said, only addressing herself to Hel.

Hel smirked, knowing Nephilim could see it.

“Yes, sir,” she replied.

“Icarus, take the lead.”

“Copy that,” Hel’s brother replied. “Strike in 0.2 seconds real time.”

“Good luck, Seraphs,” Central said. “It is time.”

“It is time,” they all replied as one.

The entire conversation took place in less than one millisecond. The communication between the Seraph pilots, their ships, and the fleet took place at a quantum level and was therefore measured in nanoseconds, a million times faster than spoken words.

“Strike,” Hel’s brother Ael commanded.

∆∆∆

The entire fleet of fifteen Seraph ships attacked all at once.

Two of the ships shot forward right into the minefields, their bodies glowing and vibrating as their Pulse weapons fired up. What appeared like a kamikaze attack was, in truth, a highly precise maneuver, with every action calculated down to the picosecond.

The ships’ massive cannons targeted every mine and satellite in their way and destroyed them before they reached the optimal position to unleash the Pulse.

Meanwhile, the ships that had transformed into their firing mode took aim at the robot fleets now approaching them from all sides. It had taken the AI a couple of seconds to realize what was happening, what was at stake, and to deploy countermeasures. But now they were throwing everything they had at the intruders.

Even though it didn’t yet know what the Seraphs were truly capable of, the AI took the threat more than seriously.

And rightly so.

After reaching the optimal position for their attacks, the two designated Seraphs unleashed their devastating Pulse weapon.

For a microsecond, they seemed to freeze. Then a blast of energy traveling at 180,000 miles per second, almost the speed of light, erupted from the ships.

To the naked eye, it appeared like a bright blue flash in the darkness of the cosmos, but in truth, it was like a wave spreading out in all directions, not only destroying everything in its path but outright vaporizing whatever was within a radius of ten thousand kilometers.

What used to be a seemingly unbreachable area of proximity mines and satellites armed to the teeth was nothing more than stardust less than a second later. To make the first strike even sweeter, ten robot ships had also been vaporized, including two cruisers equipped with swarms.

So far, so good, Hel thought.

“You said it,” Nephilim replied.

When directly connected through the tethers and cables, the two minds functioned as one and could hear each other’s thoughts. Well, Nephilim could hear Hel’s thoughts.

Despite the connection they shared, it was impossible for Hel’s mind to decipher Nephilim’s thoughts. They were too alien to be processed by a human mind, no matter how advanced and augmented it was.

The two ships that had unleashed the Pulse had suffered heavy damage and had to retreat to avoid destruction. But that was okay—it had been planned. Four more Seraphs stood ready to attack the robot frigates and destroyers approaching from all sides.

The Seraphs that had transformed into birdlike shapes shot between the enemy spacecraft at speeds so insane that they were barely more than stripes of glowing blue light to the naked eye.

They didn’t achieve light speed, of course, as nothing that had a mass could travel at the speed of light. However, they moved almost a hundred times faster than the fastest robot ships.

The robot fleet’s technology had evolved from human technology. But the Seraphs were something completely different from anything humans or even human-designed machines could ever develop.

The ‘birds’ moved too fast for the enemy to be able to target them. Like blue lightning, they shot from one enemy vessel to the next, slicing them apart with the blue-glowing tips of their wings.

“Nemesis, Nephilim, get ready for surface attack,” Ael said.

“Copy that, Icarus,” Hel replied.

“It’s time to fuck them up!” Lucien said over the channel he, Hel, and Ael shared.

“It’s so time,” Hel replied, grinning.

“I’ll take down one of the Behemoths by myself,” Lucien said.

“Poser,” Hel replied.

“You like that,” Lucien said.

“Get a room, you two,” Ael said, and somehow, he managed to make it sound as if he was shaking his head.

“Yes, sir,” Lucien said.

“Later!” Ael said. “Now shut up and focus, both of you. Commence surface attack in two seconds real time. Nephilim, flank my right side, Nemesis my left. Deploy echoes at designated position in five.”

“Copy that,” Hel and Lucien replied in unison.

“That was highly unprofessional,” Nephilim told Hel.

Hel just grinned, not giving her an answer.

“I can see that, you know?” Nephilim said.

“Oh, I know. Echoes ready?”

“Echoes ready to deploy,” Nephilim replied. “Initializing Glow.”

“Attack the surface now!” Ael commanded.

All three ships abruptly changed course and shot forward, approaching each other with such speed that, for a moment, it seemed as if they might crash into each other.

But they didn’t, of course.

Instead, all three changed their direction and velocity with outright uncanny precision, forming a new formation.

Hel focused. This was the most crucial and most difficult part of the operation.

The rest of the Seraph fleet was merely a diversion. They were supposed to destroy as many robot ships as possible, but mostly, their job was to keep the machines occupied so Hel and the other two could lay waste to the surface defenses on Phobos, allowing the Great Machine to be seized. Once that was accomplished, the battle would be over.

The AI would pull back the remaining ships to regroup and prepare a counterstrike. Which was perfectly fine as the Seraphs could always hunt them down and destroy them later.

Nephilim, Nemesis, and Icarus were piloted by the three best pilots the fleet had to offer: Hel, Ael, and Lucien. They were the spearhead of the attack, destined to change the course of history.

All three shot down toward Phobos’ gray surface, which appeared completely natural and no different from the thousands of other moons in the solar system. Which was the reason why it had taken humanity so long to discover what Phobos really was.

As they approached, they were greeted by massive turrets emerging from the surface. Some were equipped with railguns, others with missiles, each powerful enough to rip holes into a ship’s hull.

“Shields,” Hel said calmly.

“Up,” Nephilim replied. “Calculating interceptive counterfire.”

All three ships opened fire, intercepting all incoming missiles and most of the projectiles. The rest would be absorbed by the ships’ gravitational shields.

In perfect formation and without slowing down, the ships reached the surface. Just before they could hit the ground and possibly destroy the entire moon, all three suddenly changed course by ninety degrees and brought the vessels to a complete stop in a spectacular maneuver that should have been physically impossible—for any ship created in our galaxy, at least.

“Deploy echoes and return to combat altitude,” Ael said.

“Copy that,” Hel replied.

The Nephilim’s hangar door opened, and without wasting even a second, the two cats jumped out, their blue eyes, tails, and claws glowing in the semi-darkness of the moon’s surface.

Now came the really tricky part—and the reason why Hel had been selected for this part of the mission. She and the other two were the best at multitasking two Echoes while engaging the main ship in space combat.

Of course, all Seraph pilots were trained and augmented to be able to do that, but even for them, this was an incredibly difficult thing to master.

As soon as the two catlike mechs had left the ship, it spun around and shot upward with the same insane speed as earlier. And as soon as the cats were out, Hel saw through each of their eyes while still controlling the main functions of the ship.

Breaking the defenses in Phobos’ orbit and destroying the cannons on the ground was only half the job. The automatons had an army stationed on the surface, ensuring that no one could ever reach the entrance that led underground and into the heart of the Great Machine.

It would have been suicidal for any human troops to try and take them on, but the Seraphs weren’t human.

Hel moved one of her cat’s heads to the left and saw that the two men had deployed their Echoes too.

Each pilot had individually designed Echoes that were unique to them and reflected their personality and fighting style. While Hel’s mechs were quadrupedal and resembled mechanical panthers, each the size of an elephant, her brother and Lucien had models that couldn’t have been more different.

The cats looked frightening and intimidating, but they were nothing compared to the two ground-based mechanical creatures standing right next to them.

Two gigantic mechanical spiders about the same size as the cats stood there motionless, ready to attack. Their eight metallic legs were equipped with claws glowing with the same bright blue hue as the cats. Additionally, the spiders had oversized maws spiked with rows of blue-glowing fangs.

Next to the spiders stood two mechs vaguely resembling lizards—or, more accurately, dinosaurs. Their tails were adorned with rows of blue-glowing spikes, and blue-glowing horns rose from their foreheads.

Standing there and waiting to attack, the six mechs were an unreal sight.

The only illumination was the sunlight reflected from Mars, which gave everything a dark red, foreboding hue. But the sky above them was lit up by the biggest firework display in the history of mankind and machines alike: countless explosions could be seen everywhere as the Seraph fleet kept tearing the robot ships apart.

It was a beautiful but also disturbing sight. As if the world was ending.

And all of it happened in complete silence. Sound didn’t travel through a vacuum, so the explosions and other destruction happened in perfect silence.

Now and then, some flaming debris rained down on Phobos’ surface and, inevitably, Mars, which was hit by ‘meteoroid’ showers from the destruction raging high above it.

The six Echoes stood firmly on the ground, but that would change in a moment. Phobos was small, and its gravity was only 1/1000th of Earth’s gravitational pull. Although the mechs weighed several tons on Earth, their weight on Phobos was only a couple of kilograms.

The mechs were designed to fight under any gravitational and atmospheric circumstances, but low gravity played to their advantage.

“Here they come,” Ael said. “Remember, don’t engage. Let them move closer. Ignore the damage.”

“I smell many dead robots,” Lucien said. His Echoes were the spider-shaped ones—by far the most frightening of the group.

But what would have spread terror in humans didn’t bother the approaching Mats. The machines had put an astounding amount of creativity into their various models. They all had one thing in common, however: they were designed to kill humans, not other machines.

But the six creatures facing them had nothing biological in them. And they were far more advanced.

The Mats didn’t know it yet, but their chances of even scratching the Echoes were about the same as someone on horseback using a bow trying to take on a tank.

“I’ve been waiting for this my entire life,” Lucien whispered as the three of them watched the mechanical hordes approaching them as fast as the low gravity allowed.

“You and me both, brother,” Ael replied.

“It is time,” Hel chimed in.

“Fuck them up,” Ael said.

And they did.

All six Echoes set themselves into motion at the same time. Using Phobos’ low gravity, one forceful thrust was enough to catapult the mechs forward, straight into the hundreds of Mats that had formed a defensive circle around Phobos’ main structures.

What happened next wasn’t a fight; it was a slaughter.

What Hel and her brothers-in-arms nonchalantly called the “Glow” was the most powerful weapon ever used in history. Based on technology hundreds of years more advanced than anything humans and their machine successors had to offer, the Glow cut through everything like butter, no matter if it was flesh, metal, or rock.

Using her cats’ tails and claws, Hel’s Echoes ripped through dozens of metallic bodies in seconds. The low gravity made the Mats slow, and they moved almost as if they had fallen into glue, while the cats and the four other mechs were seemingly unaffected.

Fifty feet away, the two spiders used all eight of their legs to smash everything that came close while ripping the bigger Mats into shreds with their horrifying maws, while Ael’s dinosaurs whipped through the hordes with their massive tails, pulverizing everything that got in their way.

No matter if it was the small Screamers, the spiderlike Clickers, or the horrifying Reapers that meant certain death even to legionnaires, none of the Mats stood a chance.

Humanoid-shaped sentinels stood at the back and fired high-velocity rifles and railguns, but Hel and the others ignored them. The damage to the Echoes would be repaired no matter how severe it got, and it took much more than ordinary firearms to seriously injure them.

An alarm flashed over Hel’s POV, highlighting several points a few hundred feet away in red.

Rockets.

“I see them,” Nephilim said. “Initializing counterattack.”

The red dots blinked as the rockets came closer—then, suddenly, they vanished, leaving only flaming debris as they exploded.

A huge black shadow flew over the battle raging on the ground.

Using her cannons, Nephilim had intercepted all incoming rockets and destroyed them. But she didn’t stop there. Instead, she attacked the rocket turrets that had emerged from the ground not far from the main structure.

“You’re doing great down there,” Central complimented the three pilots, who were making short work of the lines of defense on the ground. “But be advised, you have Behemoths incoming.”

“Yes!” Lucien called out. “Finally!”

“Don’t get reckless,” Central warned. “I don’t want to see any lost Echoes down there, understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Lucien replied begrudgingly.

“Stick to the maneuvers you practiced in the simulator,” the commander said. “Incoming from the east.”

Hel turned her cat’s head and saw them.

Two Behemoths were approaching them with frightening speed. The biggest pride of the robot troops—and the biggest horror to humans.

And it was a very fitting name.

The Behemoths were twenty meters high, colossal metal monstrosities.

Their shapes were very rudimentarily human. They had torsos equipped with six arms but no heads. The arms could turn into oversized swords or massive diamond saw blades that rotated and cut through metal. Instead of legs, the monstrosities were mounted on tracks that allowed them to move swiftly over any terrain and in low gravity.

As if all this wasn’t frightening enough, they had massive cannons instead of heads and railguns mounted on their shoulders. They were heavily plated and deemed indestructible. Not even missiles could take them down.

The Behemoths had wreaked havoc during the first years of the robot wars on Earth, and they’d also been deployed on some of the main planets and moons in the outer colonies.

Ironically, the machines had used a human concept and turned it against them. They were vaguely based on the biggest excavation machines that had been used to mine mostly in the Belt but also on some of the worlds in the colonized systems of Alpha Centauri, Tau Ceti, and Sirius.

No human infantry had ever been able to take down a Behemoth.

Hel felt the excitement building up in her.

Lucien wasn’t the only one who badly wanted to take on those things. She wanted to achieve what had been deemed impossible until now: to defeat a Behemoth.

All six Echoes turned abruptly by ninety degrees and shot forward to engage the metal monstrosities. They could take care of the remaining smaller Mats later. For now, defeating the Behemoths took priority.

They had expected Behemoths to be stationed at Phobos, and therefore, they had developed a precise plan on how to take them out prior to the assault. They were lucky that there were only two, although, in truth, all three had been hoping for more.

The Behemoths opened fire, yet the Echoes didn’t slow down. The most critical part was reaching close combat proximity. Once this was accomplished, the Behemoths would be as good as done.

“Nephilim, initiate countermeasures,” Hel said.

“On it,” Nephilim replied.

For the next couple of seconds, the three ships would divert 90% of their processing power into calculating enemy fire impacts and evasive maneuvers in real time. This would make the ships vulnerable, but Hel was confident that her brothers-in-arms in the sky would protect them.

The result was spectacular. Taking into account the exact position and angles of the cannons mounted on the Behemoths, as well as their speed and the Echoes’ speed, the Seraphs could predict the missiles’ trajectories and initialize evasive maneuvers.

Hit by the oversized projectiles, surface debris was catapulted into the air and out into space.

The mechs evaded the fire directed at them with uncanny agility. Not all of it, however. That would have been impossible even for them.

Warning messages and damage reports popped up in Hel’s POV as the cats were hit multiple times in various places. The damage was significant, but it didn’t really matter. As long as the mechs were running and could achieve their objectives, nothing else was of importance.

The mechs didn’t feel any pain and weren’t sentient. Their minds were located securely on the motherships engaging in battle in Phobos’ orbit.

A salvo of oversized high-velocity projectiles hit one of the cats in the side, creating heavy damage. Sparks flew through the darkness, and the blue glow engulfing the mech flickered for a second.

“Stabilizing,” Nephilim said. “You have thirty seconds until system failure.”

That should be more than enough, Hel thought grimly.

“Contact in three seconds,” Nephilim said. “Two… one…”

Hel focused all her spare energy on the cats’ legs. They jumped forward as if propelled by a catapult, once again using the low gravity to their advantage.

Each cat attacked a different Behemoth. The same went for the spiders and lizards. The optimal attack mode was when the three types of mechs worked together. And the pilots were capable of steering both their mechs completely independently, performing various actions.

The cats easily reached the Behemoths’ shoulders, while the spiders went for the torso and the lizards for the tracks.

What followed was an execution. Incredibly dangerous and destructive from afar, the gigantic Mats were practically helpless against close-combat attacks like the ones performed by the Echoes. Hel steered each cat directly at the massive arsenal on the Behemoths’ shoulders.

The glow of their paws intensified as they sank their claws into the plated metal, slicing it in two like a piece of paper. Meanwhile, Lucien and Ael shredded the lower parts of the machines.

The Behemoths desperately tried to use their hands to shake off the much smaller killer machines attacking them, but they were too slow. The cats evaded the attacks with ease before Lucien’s spiders severed their arms from their bodies.

But Hel wasn’t done yet. Jumping up from the shoulders, the cats reached the spot where a true humanoid had their neck and head. The machine’s most vulnerable part, namely, its central control interface—its brain, simply speaking—was beneath heavy plating on the upper torso, not far from where a human heart would be.

The cats’ claws glowed even brighter as they began digging their way down inside the machine. Sparks and cooling fluids flew, the latter quickly floating away in bubbles due to the lack of atmosphere and low gravity. Metal shards and machine parts followed them, extracted with such force that they were thrown into orbit instead of slowly falling to the ground.

Hel knew exactly what to look for and where. In a machine of this monumental size, the brain was relatively small, only about the size of a pumpkin. Behemoths weren’t very intelligent because they didn’t need to be.

Both cats attacked the brains at the same time, shredding them with their claws.

The Behemoths stopped abruptly, defeated.

“Yes!” Ael called out.

“We did it!” Lucien said.

Directing her cats down from the now motionless colossi, Hel felt a wave of relief and pride flooding her.

“Well done,” Central complimented them. “The resistance is broken. The robot fleet is retreating. We won!”

For a moment, the main channel that all pilots shared was filled with joyous cheering and laughter.

“Let’s leave the rest to the Legion.”

Mission Dossier, Unlocked Entry #17

The Battle for Phobos

Of course, the Battle for Phobos is no secret. Every child learns at school that it was this battle that turned the tide. It was the beginning of the end of the machines’ reign and a new dawn for humanity.

However, most people don’t know many details about it. And, as embarrassing as it might sound, neither do we.

Five years after the automatons declared war upon us, humanity was at its end. We had lost control of Earth, Mars, Venus, and most of the colonies. The machines controlled the Tunnels and basically destroyed all human fleets, no matter whether they were military or civilian.

A small resistance was still holding out on Earth, though, and there was also the Legion, although back then, it was small in numbers and basically fighting its final battles.

We have to thank the Seraphs that they chose the most dramatic moment in human history for their grand entrance—and what an entrance it was!

An entire fleet of the most advanced ships in history showed up at the Martian doorstep to reclaim the Red Planet and, most of all, Phobos—literally out of the blue.

There can be no doubt that the timing had been very carefully planned, and there couldn’t have been a better target for the first major Seraph offensive.

Whoever controls the Tunnels controls the galaxy.

The Pentad knew it, which is why it had been formed in the first place. To control the Tunnels and stay in control. And, of course, the machines knew it, too.

Of all Tunnels, the one opened by the Great Machine on Phobos is the most significant because it connects our home solar system with the rest of the colonies. It’s the gate to the galaxy.

(Note: The second Tunnel in the Kuiper Belt hadn’t been discovered by then.)

Not surprisingly, the machines used a significant amount of their military resources to secure Phobos. Controlling the Tunnel, they were able to cut off the few remaining human resistance groups from each other.

To this day, it’s a complete mystery to us how the Seraphs proved capable of breaking through all enemy defenses unnoticed and then showing up above Phobos in full force.

We know that their ships have the most advanced stealth system ever created. It’s practically impossible to detect a Seraph unless it wants to be detected or goes into full attack mode. That explains how they could sneak by all the robot fleets patrolling our solar system.

However, it doesn’t explain how they got there.

It’s practically out of the question that the Seraph fleet was developed and built in our home solar system. So, how did they get here?

The most common and plausible theory is that they used the Tunnel in the Kuiper Belt and then traveled all the way to the Inner Planets. This would take any human (or robot) ship many months, even up to a year, but we know that the Seraphs can move multiple times faster than anything humanity has ever developed.

Another theory is that the Seraphs—or rather, the power behind them—can open a stable Tunnel anywhere in space. However, this seems very unlikely as the energy needed for such an endeavor is impossible to create. Not to mention that it’s physically impossible to create a stable wormhole. On the other hand, supporters of this theory claim that the Architects must have built the Tunnels somehow. Maybe the Seraphs were using some ancient technology?

But all of this is mere speculation. Sticking to the facts, we know that the Seraphs showed up above Phobos, catching the machines completely off guard. They annihilated almost the entire robot fleet guarding Phobos before sending some of their Echoes to the moon’s surface to take out the infantry stationed there.

We don’t know exactly what happened down there, but we do know that the Mats had hundreds of units stationed on Phobos, including Behemoths. It is to be assumed that the Echoes destroyed them all, including multiple Behemoths. Those mega-machines were the most feared unit among the robot troops. One Behemoth alone could easily take out an entire human garrison.

Even though there were no witnesses to the battle on the surface of Phobos, the Seraphs presumably took care of the Behemoths stationed there. We have eyewitness reports and even video footage from other battles showing Echoes taking down the colossal machines without much effort. Plus, we found the remains of at least two Behemoths on the moon’s surface after the war.

Once they were done with the fleet in orbit and the infantry on the ground, the Seraphs deployed a platoon of legionnaires to take control of the main structures and the Great Machine.

We don’t know who those legionnaires were or when the Seraphs picked them up to use them in the final hours of the battle. But it was human soldiers who eventually regained control of the Great Machine.

This was something the Pentad exploited later on. Soon after the war, the ones in power—or back in power—spun the narrative that it was the Legion that reclaimed Phobos and that the Seraphs had just helped with the task.

This is a complete lie, of course.

Is it fair how the Seraphs have been treated after the war, after all they’ve done for us?

Of course not.

However, it’s not up to us to make judgments about the events of the past.

We’re the PIA. The Pentad Intelligence Agency. Whom we serve and to whom we owe our loyalty is in our very name.

Also see:

The Seraph

Phobos

The Great Machine

The Architects

The Tunnel

The Pentad

Chapter Two

Aftermath

Hel opened her eyes.

She’d had one of those dreams again that she knew weren’t actual dreams but memories. Unlike a human brain that forgot most of the events of its lifetime or remembered them in a twisted version, she remembered literally everything.

The artificial parts of her brain remembered every second of her life. All the joyful moments, but also all the moments of pain. It was impossible for her to forget anything she ever experienced.

Sometimes, it was difficult not to get lost in distant memories, especially with a life as long as hers had been. In fact, it required practice to be able to live in the moment and focus on the future instead of the past. Hel had mastered that quite well over the years.

Yet her memories haunted her in her sleep. When dreaming, she often relived episodes of her life. Sometimes, they were significant events, and sometimes, they were just random.

Tonight, she had dreamed about one of the most significant events of her life—and a very pleasant one.

The Battle for Phobos.

For a second, she dwelled on the sweet memory of victory.

It had happened more than a hundred years ago.

How young she had been back then. Barely more than a child. All of them were. And yet they’d had the assignment of nothing less than saving humanity from extinction.

They had succeeded.

Hel smiled. Good old times.

Seeing her brother in her dream made her realize that she missed him. They had been extremely close since birth, and Hel was excited to see him again soon.

“Have you been dreaming again?” a voice asked softly.

Hel turned her head and saw Niemand sitting on the bed next to her. The light in her sleeping cabin was dim, the only illumination coming from the hologram of the Andromeda galaxy slowly swirling around its axis on the ceiling.

But the lighting was enough to see the damage to Niemand’s face.

It hurt Hel’s soul to see him like this. But on the other hand, she was extremely grateful that he was still here. It had been almost unreal luck that he had survived such heavy damage, and he’d be restored eventually.

Of course, Niemand disagreed. For him, luck had nothing to do with it. It had been divine intervention. His faith never ceased to amaze Hel, even though she didn’t share it.

It was more than ironic that Mats, and Mimics in particular, were glowing believers in a divine power while most humans were atheists.

Niemand would disagree with that assessment, too. He never got tired of explaining that he didn’t believe, he knew. For him, there was a great difference.

Hel smiled at him, reaching out and caressing his good cheek with her fingers.

“Yes.”

“What was it this time? I watched your face, and you were smiling. It must have been a pleasant memory.”

“I dreamed of the Battle for Phobos.”

Niemand chuckled. “Now I understand. You really kicked our asses that day.”

She grinned. “That we did.”

“And yet here we are,” Niemand said. “Fighting together for a better future. For your and my species alike.”

“I’m grateful for that. I’m mostly grateful you’re here with me, though.”

“Me too.”

Hel looked down. “I’m sorry I sent you down to Mars, Niemand. I shouldn’t have done that.”

Niemand slowly shook his head. “Stop beating yourself up about it. No one could have predicted what happened in Noctis City.”

“I’m just so sorry for what happened to you,” she said quietly.

“It’s not that bad.”

Hel chuckled. “You’re a horrible liar.”

He smirked. “Actually, Mimics are excellent liars. After all, we deceived you humans for decades.”

“I guess you’re special then.”

Hel leaned forward and kissed him softly. His lips were soft and warm like a human’s.

She carefully touched his face where it had been destroyed. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and the gaping hole in his chest was clearly visible, too. In this state, it was impossible not to see what Niemand really was: a machine.

And yet, seeing him like this didn’t matter to Hel. It never did. He would always be beautiful to her, and she would love him no less if he transplanted himself into a less attractive body.

But she felt horrible that what had happened to him was her fault, no matter how often he said that it wasn’t and that he didn’t blame her. She had the command and therefore the responsibility if something went wrong.

And things had gone terribly wrong on Mars.

After she’d heard the reports from both groups who had been trapped on the surface, she’d been absolutely horrified. It was incredibly fortunate that the entire crew had survived the adventure. Almost miraculous.

On the other hand, every single member of her crew was remarkable. If anyone could have survived a situation like this, it was them.

“You did an outstanding job resolving the situation,” Niemand said after a moment of silence, almost as if he’d read her thoughts. They knew each other so well. “You not only tracked us down, you saved us. Had you not deployed the Echoes, everyone would have died. And you destroyed General Altman’s flagship at the same time. You’re incredible.”

He kissed her forehead, and she smiled.

“I was dying inside, knowing you were down there, trapped,” she whispered. “I felt so helpless… I almost lost you.”

“You will never lose me,” he replied. “I’m fated to be at your side. And to make you immortal.”

Hel nodded slowly. She knew he firmly believed that; there was no point in debating it. Those who said people can be stubborn had never tried to argue with a machine.

Not that she really wanted to change Niemand’s mind on anything. He was free to think and act as he wished. And luckily, they agreed on almost everything.

“What you told me about the encounter with the Mimic is very concerning,” Hel said to change the subject.

She had been emotional for the last two days since they had left Mars. It was time to get a grip on herself and get back to business.

They had just passed Ceres and the Belt and were now on their way to Ganymede to stock up before they went straight for the Kuiper Belt and the Tunnel. Hel wanted to leave the Sol system as quickly as possible.

The fact that two of the most powerful organizations among the Pentad, namely the Legion and ARES, were after them was only one reason. If she had to, Hel would destroy anything and anyone who got in her way. After what had happened on Mars, she was done playing.

She hoped that General Altman was intelligent enough to realize that even his best ships stood no chance against a Seraph and would therefore leave them alone. But chances were high that he wouldn’t. After all, his pride had been offended.

Over her long life, Hel had known many men—and women—like him. Narcissists often ended up in positions of power.

But the main reason why Hel wanted to leave the system was that she urgently needed to meet up with her brother. Originally, she’d wanted to go and see him to discuss what to do with David, but after the events on Mars, she had an even more urgent matter to consider. What Niemand had told her was explosive.

If anyone else had told Hel that they’d met a Mimic in the middle of Elysium City, she would have called that person crazy, but she would never doubt Niemand’s word.

Besides, Aztec had been there too and reported the same. She’d been pretty angry at “that motherfucker who tried to kill me and Niemand,” to quote her exact words.

But even more concerning than the presence of a hostile Mimic in Elysium was what he’d said in the brief conversation he and Niemand had had in machine language.

“Yes, it’s concerning indeed,” Niemand said. “I’ve replayed the encounter dozens of times to make sure I didn’t miss anything important.”

Hel smiled. That was typical for him. She knew that he never missed a detail. It was impossible for him to have missed something or misunderstood the other Mimic in any way. He was simply very concerned about the encounter… and rightly so.

“There can be no doubt about what he said and what he wanted from me,” he added.

“He wanted you to join him.”

“Yes. Join them, to be precise. He used the plural.”

Hel remained silent for a moment before she said something they both knew.

“There’s going to be another war.”

“Yes.”

“And this time, humanity will lose.”

“Of that he was convinced. But I don’t share his sentiment.”

“Since when are you an optimist?”

Niemand gave her that look that most people found annoyingly condescending, yet she found it cute.

“I’m a machine. Optimism is a typically human trait, hoping for the best despite facts suggesting otherwise. Same with pessimism. Expecting the worst possible outcome without proof that it’ll actually happen.

“I’m a realist. And realistically, it’s very unlikely that the automatons have grown to such numbers that they could pose a serious threat. And humans aren’t as helpless as they used to be before the Great War anymore. The Legion is stronger than ever.”

“That’s true,” Hel said. “But your ‘brother’ seemed to be convinced of victory, and according to your logic, he’s no optimist either. I think we should take it very seriously. I need to meet my brother as soon as possible.”

“I’m taking the situation very seriously. That’s why we should go back to Ceres.”

Hel sighed. “Not this topic again.”

Arguing with a machine was like banging your head against a concrete wall.

∆∆∆

David stretched in his bed. His entire body felt sore. It might have been designed to be superior to an average human body, but the last couple of days had put a strain even on him.

He could still hardly believe what had gone down in only 72 hours.

First, his assignment to break into the Forge—an utterly crazy kamikaze assignment that he’d not only managed to survive but also turned into a success.

He could praise himself for being the only person who had broken into a Legion facility and lived. And the Forge wasn’t just any Legion facility—it was their Fort Knox, the place where they stored and developed all new technology. The most secure place in the solar system.

Not anymore.

Thinking back to it, David smiled. It had certainly been the biggest accomplishment of his short life, with hopefully many more to follow.

But after his return on board the Nephilim, he hadn’t been given any rest. Instead, he’d had to accompany Bonesaw and Jack back to the surface, helping them bring Nightingale to Professor Bohnert’s clinic.

The irony of this wasn’t lost on David and never would be.

Nightingale was undoubtedly a threat to accomplishing his mission, and David’s life would have been much easier without him. But instead of getting rid of him, not only had David actively helped to save his life, but he was also the main reason why Nightingale kept walking around being a dick.

David sighed, slowly shaking his head.

Once they were in Professor Bohnert’s lab, things had turned really crazy.

To escape from the Legion, David, Jack, and Bonesaw had had to navigate through the abandoned tunnels beneath Noctis City, which were filled with giant slugs, venomous spiders, and more.

If it hadn’t been for ex-legionnaire Johnny and his dog Grinder, none of them would have made it, that was for sure. Then it had turned out that Bohnert’s girlfriend, who everyone had classified as a total bimbo, was, in truth, a Legion agent who had been responsible for the cyborg troops tracking them down and chasing them.

Recapping everything, David realized how crazy it all sounded. Not like something that could happen in reality, but rather like a made-up story.

And yet it was real. He had lived through every single moment of it.

If all of that wasn’t crazy enough, they’d had to take a stand against an overwhelming force of legionnaires and their mechs outside the dome. Johnny had paid with his life for that.

Poor Johnny. He was a total freak, but somehow, David had liked him. Maybe because he was a freak, too?

Johnny and his dog had lived underground because they were misfits who didn’t fit into society. David wasn’t even human, yet he pretended to be the “Puppy” and lived among people who would kill him the moment they realized who he really was… or rather, what he was.

All of this was a hell of a story already, but it was nothing compared to what had happened then.

In a jaw-dropping maneuver, the Nephilim had shown up to save them at the very last moment. As if the ship itself wasn’t incredible enough, it had deployed something called an Echo.

A mech powerful beyond imagination. It had decimated an entire army of legionnaires and their mechs, reducing them to rubble within seconds as if they were nothing more than toy soldiers.

But watching the spectacle wasn’t all.

Right after, David’s brain had unlocked a brand new set of mission dossier entries—and a new objective. The dossier had explained that the Seraphs were without any doubt of alien origin, even though earlier dossiers had claimed otherwise. This was mind-blowing!

Like everyone else, David had believed that there were no aliens—at least, not within two thousand light years or so. Apart from the Architects, of course, but those were long gone. Almost nonchalantly, he had now been educated about the fact that this was wrong. The Seraphs were of alien origin.

But that was basically all the PIA knew or was willing to tell him at this point. Now it was his job to uncover what the Seraphs really were, where they came from, and how their unique technology could be used by the Pentad.

David huffed out air.

How the hell was he supposed to accomplish that? He was only one guy! How was he supposed to uncover secrets the entire PIA hadn’t been able to uncover until now?

A sharp pain in his skull instantly reminded him that such thoughts were inappropriate.

Failure is not an option.

David sat up and groaned, rubbing his head. Then he slowly got out of bed.

He took a shower and got dressed. He might have been an artificial human, superior to the common homo sapiens species. But he still had to eat. The grumble in his stomach was telling him that he’d better go to the mess and find something edible.

∆∆∆

Hel put on her silky black kimono, left the bedroom, and entered the main area of her quarters. A steaming beverage stood on the table waiting for her. Cocoa.

Her body was more machine than human, which was why she required barely 30% of the calories an average adult required. Usually, she had only one meal a day. She also didn’t need caffeine or any other stimulants to get her brain going in the morning. She was designed to go without sleep for many days.

But she loved to drink a cup of cocoa after waking up. It was her favorite beverage, and she wasn’t even sure why. Maybe a childhood memory?

Niemand knew that and would prepare a cup of fresh cocoa for her every morning when she woke up. It was such a small gesture, yet she loved him for it.

It showed her how much he cared.

Seeing and smelling the hot cocoa, she hated arguing with him even more. It was very rare that he was persistent about a topic, but when he was, he wouldn’t let go of it.

“You know I’m right, Hel,” he said, following her into the main area. “You’re just too stubborn to acknowledge it.”

Hel chuckled. “Says the most stubborn person in the known universe.”

She picked up her cocoa, sat down in the lounge, and took a sip. The beverage had an immediate calming effect on her.

“I’m not stubborn,” he said, sitting down across from her. “I’m logical.”

“Niemand, we talked about this, and—”

“Yes, we have, and I know you understand why I’m so ‘stubborn’ about it. If I’m right—and I always am—”

“Usually,” Hel interrupted him with a smirk.

He ignored it and continued, unmoved. “If I’m right, then the artifact we found is a ‘twin’, and you know what that means as well as I do.”

Hel did, of course. The so-called twins were artifacts that consisted of two pieces that formed one when put together. They were powerful beyond imagination. Hell, an artifact of the kind they had found on Ceres was powerful beyond imagination already. Coming into possession of a ‘twin’ would most likely change the power structure in the entire galaxy.

Niemand was right that they had to find the second one, to find out if it was really still there on Ceres. But Hel wasn’t willing to take the risk. Not again.

“Yes, I do,” Hel said, taking another sip of her beverage. “Are you really sure it’s a twin?”

“I’m 99% positive. I ran all possible tests on it and compared it with data from similar pieces found earlier.”

Hel remained silent for a moment, sipping her drink and thinking.

“There are two more reasons why we need to find it. First, the remaining rogue Mats down there could replicate and pose a threat to everyone on Ceres if they find another power source. And secondly—”

“It could fall into the wrong hands,” Hel finished for him.

“Yes.”

Hel sighed. “I understand your arguments, Niemand. You’re right about everything you say. But to retrieve it would require sending our people down there again. And they barely made it out alive last time.”

“I’ll go.”

Hel stared at him. “Absolutely not!”

“The Mats down there won’t harm me, you know that.”

“Still, it’s too risky.”

“It’s less risky than sending down Nightingale and the others.”

“You’re still recovering from your wounds, Niemand. I almost lost you. No.”

“I’ll be fine, Hel—”

“I said no!”

She pressed her lips together and stared at him definitely.

Yes, he was right about everything. But she couldn’t do it…

He looked her in the eye but remained silent. Niemand knew her well enough to know when there was no point in continuing to argue.

And Hel knew him well enough to know that this wasn’t over yet. He would certainly come back to the topic once she had cooled down.

“Think about it, okay? That’s all I ask.”

She nodded slowly. He knew only too well that she would think about it a lot.

“For now, we need to go to Ganymede,” Hel said firmly. “We need to stock up on literally everything. And then we should travel to the Kuiper Belt as soon as possible. Yes, I know, you disagree, but I’ll think about it, okay?”

“Okay.”

“What do you think about our two guests?” Hel asked to change the subject.

Niemand lifted an eyebrow in a very human way.

“They mean trouble.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Well, as much as I value Professor Bohnert from a professional point of view, he and Lois have a history together, which might lead to disturbances on board. And the dog is trying to kill me. Not that I’m concerned he could succeed, but still, bringing him on board might not have been the smartest idea.”

Hel chuckled. “But he’s cute, don’t you think?”

“I wouldn’t call a 250-pound C-K9 with metal jaws ‘cute’, but what do I know? Humans seem to like fluffy things.”

Hel laughed, knowing that Niemand was only half-serious. “Yes, I like dogs. I used to have a puppy when I was a child.”

Something that seemed like a million years ago. Almost as if it had never happened.

“I know,” Niemand replied. “Which is why I wouldn’t suggest putting him in an airlock.”

“You’d risk a mutiny suggesting that,” Hel said with a grin, but then she turned serious. “I’m aware that Legion C-K9s were designed to detect Mimics—”

“Which they were surprisingly effective at,” Niemand interrupted.

“Yes. Maybe it’s possible to reprogram him. A war hound like that could be an incredibly useful asset. Plus, he’s cute.”

“Maybe,” Niemand said, not convinced.

“As for Professor Bohnert, I’ll talk to Lois and ask her to refrain from killing him. He saved Nightingale’s life, after all. Maybe we can arrange safe passage for him on Ganymede.”

“I would rather keep the professor than the dog, but it’s your decision,” Niemand said with a shrug. “He might be less fluffy, but he’s the most renowned specialist in cybernetics in the solar system.”

Hel chuckled, then leaned forward and kissed him. “I love it when you try to make a joke.”

Again, Niemand shrugged. “Who says I was making a joke?”

She laughed, shaking her head, then got up and sat next to him, snuggling against his chest. They remained like that for a while, simply enjoying each other’s company.

Such moments of peace and intimacy were precious to Hel. Even more so since they’d survived such a challenging adventure.

Finally, Niemand said, “There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Yes?”

“You still haven’t decided what to do with him.”

“That is true.”

“And?”

“My brother wants to see him,” Hel said slowly.

“And you’re going to comply?”

“You know Ael. He never does anything without very good reason.”

“He isn’t the one with an infiltrator on his ship either.” Niemand crossed his arms.

“So far, David hasn’t shown himself to be a threat to us in any way. On the contrary, Jack says that he did great down on Mars. He asked me to make David an official, permanent part of the crew.”

“Absolutely not,” Niemand said. “Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind about him. Please.”

Hel shook her head. “No. Not at all. I believe he was planted on board by the Pentad. Possibly PIA.”

“And he’s a human-machine hybrid, so well-designed that he passes as human.”

“Yes.”

“We could at least detain him to be sure he can do no harm until we reach Tau Ceti. And if you let me hack him—”

“No, Niemand,” Hel said. “You said yourself that it could severely damage him, maybe even kill him. He’ll be of no use to my brother like that. No, I don’t believe he’s a threat to us. If anything, he could be a threat to my brother. The Pentad has been trying to get to him for years. But Ael knows what he’s doing. We’ll bring David to him.”

Niemand sighed in a very human way.

“If it eases your mind, now that Nightingale’s back, I’ll ask him to keep a close eye on David. Besides, you know yourself that nothing can be said or done on this ship without Nephilim knowing about it.”

Niemand gave her a sidelong glance. “Is that your way of convincing me to go through the Tunnel as soon as possible?”

Hel chuckled. “Maybe.”

Niemand remained silent, and Hel snuggled against him once more. They would agree to disagree, and that was completely fine.

At least for now.

Mission Dossier, Unlocked Entry #12

The Seraphs (contd.)

Since they first showed up, the Seraphs have been extremely secretive. Every attempt to extract any information from them has failed miserably. Not even on pain of torture or death would the pilots tell us anything.

We don’t know where the Seraphs came from, who designed and built their ships, or where that happened. But there can be no doubt that without them, humanity would be no more. It would have been easy to give them a divine status—their appearance at the right moment seemed outright miraculous.

The Pentad has done everything in its power not to let that happen. After all, we didn’t want a cult to arise among the common population.

Even though there have been persistent rumors that the Seraphs were based on alien technology or are aliens themselves, the Pentad vehemently denied them.

It was a gaslighting masterpiece.

There can be absolutely no doubt that the Seraphs are of alien origin. Their technology isn’t comparable with the most advanced ships or weapons systems humans ever had. It is at least hundreds of years ahead of us, if not more.

We can’t even tell what materials were used to build the ships of the Seraph class as our scans didn’t produce any results, and it was impossible to take a sample of the hulls. They aren’t indestructible, as we’ve seen Seraphs being destroyed, but nothing we used on them even scratched them.

Their pilots are as mysterious as the ships themselves. We know that they’re human, or rather, they used to be. What they’ve become can barely be called human anymore. The pilots are human-machine hybrids, but they can’t be compared to ordinary cyborgs. Not even to most advanced legionnaires or the jockeys.

The Seraph pilots are… something else.

Not only are their bodies modified in a way unseen until now, but what has been done to their brains seems medically impossible to our standards. Nevertheless, the pilots appear entirely human on the outside, and as long as they cover their heads, no one would suspect what they truly are.

We also don’t know who they really are.

The official version is that they were exceptionally gifted children who were recruited for the project and turned into the most advanced human-machine hybrids the world has ever seen.

But there are many other theories about how they came to be. You’ll find some of them discussed in the indicated entries.

The fact is that they were modified this way to be able to connect their minds and neural systems with their ships in a way that can only be described as spectacular.

The pilot and the ship become one.

While we do a similar thing with the jockeys, it’s like trying to compare a steam-driven engine with a spaceship.

We have no idea how the Seraph interface works.

What we do know is that the ships are powered by an incredibly sophisticated AI that connects with their human pilots when they go into battle. Why this is so, however, we don’t know.

We know nothing about the ship AIs either. There are rumors that they’re sentient machines of alien origin, but we can’t confirm that. And many have criticized their use vehemently since the war, when AI was completely banned. But the Pentad and the human leadership in general would never admit that this AI was defeated with the help of another, more powerful AI.

Apparently, the pilots are connected with the ships and their AI for life. No one but them can access the interface and communicate with the ship. And that’s not all.

When the pilot dies, the ship will self-destruct.

We don’t know how this is possible, but there’s a reported case where a pilot died on Mars and his ship self-destructed in the Alpha Centauri system. As we all know, it takes any information years to travel between the solar systems unless it’s shipped through the Tunnels.

The only plausible explanation is that the pilots are connected to their ships through quantum entanglement. But that’s only a theory. We don’t have any technology even remotely comparable… although we’d love to acquire it.

The idea of communication between solar systems in real time, basically like making a phone call, is more than intriguing.

We’ve seen the Seraphs in action often enough to say that their abilities are beyond anything we could ever have imagined. Despite their size, the ships are capable of maneuvering with such speed and precision that not even AI-powered vessels could compete with them.

To this day, we haven’t been able to figure out what drives them.

And then there are, of course, the weapons systems. We have no idea what the “Glow” really is. It’s neither a laser nor plasma nor a particle beam. Not that we have any such weapons, but they’re at least possible in theory.

The ships are equipped with Glow as well as the so-called Echoes, which are the most advanced mechs ever seen. Many historians claim that it was, in fact, the use of Echoes that ultimately won the war.

We’re not historians, however, so we won’t engage in speculating about such theories. What we want to do is reverse-engineer the Echoes, which isn’t yet possible. Like the main ships, the Echoes will self-destruct when the pilot dies or they get separated from them. And they’re entirely hackproof.

All of this makes it crystal clear that we’re dealing with alien technology, possibly even from outside our galaxy.

It’s unclear, however, if someone found the technology and used it for our benefit or if there actually was contact with alien entities. How they came here and why they decided to help us is a great mystery. Until now, the only aliens we knew existed were the Architects, and they apparently left our galaxy millions of years ago.

Never before have we had an operative on board a Seraph—and so close to its pilot.

You are our best opportunity to get our hands on the technology.

Nevertheless, your primary objective is still in place.

Also see:

The Battle for Phobos

The Seraph Cult

Jockeys

The Legion

The Pentad

Alpha Centauri

Chapter Three

Guests

After taking a shower and putting on some fresh clothes, David felt reborn. Well, the clothes weren’t exactly fresh. He was wearing a pair of Nightingale’s worn-out pants and an old T-shirt, but compared to the reeking clothes he’d had to endure on Mars, this was heaven.

The entire outfit he’d been wearing on Mars had gone straight into the incinerator—including Jack’s beloved leather jacket, very much to the captain’s displeasure. But not even the best detergent in the universe would have been able to remove the slug vomit stench from them, so they had to go.

Once they reached Ganymede, David would finally get himself some decent clothes on his own. He got paid, and the Duchess had given all of them a more than generous bonus for what they’d had to endure in Noctis City. David couldn’t wait to go shopping.

But on the other hand, he had to admit that he had no idea what looked good and what would make him look like an idiot. The people who designed him had clearly forgotten to give him a sense of style. Or maybe he simply shared this fate with 90% of males of the human race?

The best thing would be to ask Nightingale for advice. The blue-haired cyborg always dressed with a lot of style. But asking him for help in this matter might result in Nightingale mocking him until the end of time.

Maybe he could ask Bonesaw to accompany him? That would also give him the opportunity to spend some time alone with her.

His stomach grumbled when he entered the mess. In fact, it felt like a black hole. He was starving!

Three people were present.

The first one David saw was Wolfram. The engineer, wearing his obligatory sleeveless white shirt, had turned his back to him when David entered. He was working on something while mumbling into his non-existent beard. David couldn’t hear what Wolfram was saying, but the engineer was obviously extremely displeased about something. That could only mean that the coffee maker was acting up again—Wolfram’s nemesis.

The other two people in the room didn’t pay any attention to Wolfram’s struggle. On the other side of the mess, where it was furnished as a lounge, Aztec and Nightingale were making out… of course. Since their return from Mars, the two of them made out literally all the time, to everyone’s annoyance.

Well, maybe only to David’s annoyance. No one else ever said anything, and he doubted people like Jack or Bonesaw would keep quiet out of politeness.

Today, the ‘windows’, a.k.a. the huge holo screens covering the entire wall, were showing a view from one of the domes on Venus Prime. It was a spectacular view and so realistic that it made David feel as if they were on Venus instead of in the middle of nowhere, millions of miles between Ceres and Ganymede.

“Good morning,” David said in his usual cheerful ‘puppy’ voice.

The cyborgs making out ignored him, or maybe they were just too busy to pay him any attention.

Wolfram didn’t turn around either. Instead, he growled, “What the fuck is supposed to be good about this morning?”

David suppressed a chuckle. He found it hilarious when Wolfram fought with the coffee maker, but he’d learned that the engineer found it anything but amusing.

“Is it that bad?” he asked innocently.

“Fuck yeah.”

Wolfram turned around. His white shirt was stained with… coffee? Or maybe it was grease, or who knew what. His cheeks were flushed in anger, and a vein was pulsing on his forehead.

“Okay, that’s it, I’m done with this stupid thing,” he said. “I’m gonna buy a new one on Ganymede.”

“Sounds good,” David said. “But didn’t you mention that the old one was embedded and impossible to remove?”

“Ha! Not impossible. Just damn difficult. But I’ll find a way. I’m not repairing this fucking thing anymore. As if I have nothing better to do with my time than repair coffee makers!”

David understood why it was so difficult. Literally everything on the ship was designed to be incredibly stable and sturdy. Not even the smallest piece could ever come loose.

When the Nephilim went into combat mode and zero-G, anything loose became a deadly projectile that could damage the ship or the people inside. After witnessing a combat situation firsthand, David understood why everyone was always so vigilant not to leave anything lying around. When accelerated to 500 km/s or more, a simple spoon could easily kill a human or damage the hull.

“Ah, come on. You enjoy it, and we all know it,” a well-known voice interrupted.

Nightingale and Aztec had decided to interrupt their carnal activities to engage in the conversation.

Wolfram glared at Nightingale. “Shut up, pretty boy.”

Nightingale grinned.

“Good morning,” David repeated now that he had Aztec’s attention.

“Good morning, David,” she replied with a smile.

As always, she looked ravishing. Dressed only in a purple-colored crop top and hot pants so short that they barely deserved to be called pants, she had her legs stretched out over Nightingale’s lap while he was playing with her hair.

She seemed to be glowing from the inside. Usually, David classified her as hot and sexy, but she had changed since their return from Mars. She appeared softer and more feminine. Beautiful.

David forced himself not to stare at her, or Nightingale might break his nose when he caught him alone… or when they sparred the next time. Now that they were back on the ship and basically idle for the next couple of days, Nightingale had announced they should continue David’s training. Yay. David couldn’t wait.

He opened the cabinet that contained food—only to find it almost empty.

“Is this all that’s left?” he asked, wrinkling his forehead.

He never had wasted a thought on what would happen if they ran out of food in the middle of nowhere, days away from the next human settlement. It was a disturbing thought.

“Nah,” Wolfram said. “We have more down in storage. But not too much. It’s about time we stocked up.”

“So, we won’t run out before we reach Ganymede?”

“Oh, we will,” Nightingale said. “And then we’ll determine who gets eaten first.”

“Yes, you, smart ass,” Aztec said, then bit Nightingale’s lip.

“We won’t run out of food,” Wolfram said, ignoring the two love birds. “We simply need more than usual, now that we have two extra guests on board.”

David grabbed one of the containers, warmed it up, and sat down to have breakfast. Despite Nightingale complaining about the food all the time, David enjoyed the protein sludge. Today’s portion tasted like chicken—at least, that was what was written on the container. Like most people, David had never tried real chicken and therefore couldn’t tell if that was true or not.

“Yes, that’s why I suggest we put one of those guests into the airlock,” another voice said. “And I’m not talking about the dog.”

David turned his head and saw the speaker enter the mess. Dr. Bonesaw was wearing her usual form-fitting white coveralls and looked as gorgeous as always. Somehow, she still managed to look stunning after fighting giant slugs in the abandoned tunnels under Noctis City. Today, her silky blonde hair was pinned up, which always made her appear slightly older and more serious.

Every time David looked at her, he remembered they’d almost kissed on Mars—right before everything had gone to hell. He wondered if that had been a unique situation or if he had a shot with her after all. She always acted flirty with him, but that was her normal attitude, as he had learned.

David smiled. “Good morning, Lois.”

Her face softened. “Good morning, darling.”

“Would you like some breakfast?”

The doctor shook her head, lighting herself a cigarette. “No thank you, darling. I never eat breakfast.” She drew on her cigarette. “Yes, I know, most doctors will tell you that eating breakfast is good for you, but screw that. I’m not like any other doctor.”

No, you’re much sexier, David thought, but he didn’t dare say it out loud. At least, not while the other three were present. Well, Nightingale and Aztec, anyway. Wolfram probably wouldn’t care or pay him much attention. Actually, mostly Nightingale.

Bonesaw went to the coffee maker, but Wolfram stopped her.

“Out of order.”

“What?” the doctor spun around, visibly shocked. “You can’t be serious!”

Wolfram crossed his arms. “Yep.”

Bonesaw facepalmed. “That’s just great. Can you fix it?”

“Nope. Not before we reach Ganymede.”

“What?!”

Now Bonesaw was really distressed. In fact, David couldn’t recall seeing her like this since… ever. Facing monsters in pitch-black underground tunnels had left her cool, but the prospect of no coffee for the next couple of days was apparently outright horrifying.

“Most doctors say caffeine is bad for you,” Nightingale chimed in with his typical grin.

However, it vanished from his face as if it had never been there when the doctor glared at him.

“Shut it, Nightingale. Or I swear I’ll leave you for dead next time.”

He lifted his palms defensively and seemed to want to reply with something, but then he decided otherwise.

“Okay, okay,” Wolfram said with a sigh. “I’ll see what I can do. I guess the gravity boosters can wait, then… Not that we need them in combat.”

Bonesaw rewarded the engineer with a smile. “Thank you, Wolfram. I certainly won’t leave you for dead.”

“Yay me,” Wolfram said.

Bonesaw stepped over to the cabinet with the food and retrieved a container.

“Please let me know when the coffee machine is back online. I’m in the hangar.”

With that, she left the mess without paying anyone any further attention.

“Women,” Wolfram said, shaking his head.

“Hear hear, there speaks the expert,” Nightingale said.

Sometimes, David wondered why no one had murdered the guy yet. Maybe it was about time someone did…

Wolfram turned toward Aztec.

“Aztec, please be a good girl and tell this clown you’re about to marry to shut the fuck up, or there won’t be any coffee on this ship ever again!”

Aztec grinned at Nightingale. “Babe, shut the fuck up.”

Nightingale grinned back. “Make me.”

Aztec bit her lip. “Maybe later.”

“Oh my good lord,” Wolfram said, turning back to the coffee maker.

“It’s no wonder Bonesaw is on edge with that dude on board,” Aztec said after a moment, lighting herself a cigarette.

“Excuse me, that dude saved my life,” Nightingale objected.

“Yeah,” Aztec said. “And in return, we saved his. Even though it was his bimbo that sold us all out.”

“Nobody’s perfect,” Nightingale said, apparently determined to defend Professor Bohnert. “Besides, he didn’t know who she was. Anyone would have fallen for it.”

“Any man you mean,” Aztec said, rolling her eyes. “Why do you guys always think with your dicks?”

“It’s in our nature,” Nightingale said.

“Aye,” Wolfram agreed, fiddling with the coffee machine.

“But that applies to me only when I see you,” Nightingale said, nibbling on Aztec’s neck.

“I would say ‘get a room,’” Wolfram grumbled. “But you have a damn room. Two of them!”

“Actually, Jenny wasn’t a bimbo,” David said, finishing his meal and joining the conversation. “I saw her after she dropped the mask. A completely different person.”

As it had turned out, the Legion had only learned their whereabouts because Professor Bohnert’s ‘bimbo’ had sold them out. And as it had also turned out, the ‘bimbo’ wasn’t a bimbo at all but a covert Legion operative.

“Didn’t the C-K9 bite her head off?” Aztec asked.

“He did,” David said. “It wasn’t pretty.”

“Bitch had it coming,” Aztec said with a shrug. “Still, I don’t understand how a man as intelligent as him, allegedly a genius, could fall for such a—”

She visibly bit her tongue and drew on her cigarette instead. It was her way of covering up that she was embarrassed.

A moment later, the reason came through the door: Professor Bohnert.

David didn’t like the smug professor very much, and the feeling was mutual. He had run into them when David was about to kiss Bonesaw, instantly establishing an outspoken rivalry between the two men.

Bohnert might have been a genius and a famous Cyber Doc, but David was thirty years younger—at least he looked that way; in truth, he was an artificial being created only eighteen months ago—and therefore much fitter and certainly much more handsome. If a woman had the choice, wouldn’t she pick him? It seemed logical to David. Besides, Bohnert was Bonesaw’s ex, and she hated his guts.

“Good morning, John,” Nightingale greeted the newcomer, breaking the somehow awkward silence that had befallen the small group.

“Morning,” Bohnert replied without much joy. If he’d heard Aztec’s last comment, he apparently didn’t plan on commenting on it.

“There’s no coffee,” Wolfram said, not turning around from his work.

“I wasn’t about to get one,” Bohnert said. “Coffee is unhealthy. Especially the synthetic stuff almost everyone drinks nowadays.”

“That might be because real coffee beans need to be imported and are therefore too expensive for normal people like us,” Wolfram grumbled, still not looking up.

Professor Bohnert helped himself to some food, sat down, and began eating, showing even less joy.

“Is everything okay?” Nightingale asked.

“Other than the fact I lost everything and am now a fugitive wanted by the Legion? Sure,” the professor replied sarcastically.

“Ah, it could be worse,” Wolfram said.

“In what way?” Bohnert said with a mixture of irritation and resignation.

The engineer shrugged. “No idea. But things can always be worse.”

“Our Wolfram is a true optimist,” Nightingale quipped.

“We could run out of coffee,” Aztec said with a smirk. She didn’t seem to feel much sympathy for Bohnert’s misery.

“I guess we’re screwed, then,” David chimed in with a grin.

Suddenly, he realized he wasn’t the newcomer anymore, the surface dweller everyone made fun of. He was a seasoned member of the crew now who had braved Mats, legionnaires, and space combat. Professor Bohnert was the newcomer now. Maybe he wasn’t as green as David had allegedly been, but compared to the space punks, he was a surface dweller, too.

It felt surprisingly good.

“We could buy some real coffee on Ganymede,” Aztec said. “And some real food. After all, we have something to celebrate. But first—”

She looked Nightingale in the face, then pointed her eyes at Bohnert.

“Ah, yes,” Nightingale said, pretending as if he’d forgotten. “Can I talk to you in private, Professor?”

Bohnert shrugged. “Sure. It’s not like I have a busy schedule here. Let me finish this delightful meal first, though.”

“Of course.”

“Ta-da,” Wolfram said, turning around and spreading his arms like a circus director.

Aztec jumped up and hurried toward him. “You fixed it?”

“That was the fucking last time,” Wolfram said.

“Ah, you’re the best!” Aztec said. She gave Wolfram a peck on the cheek and then hurried to make herself coffee.

Surprisingly, that brought a smile to Wolfram’s face, although not for long. He wiped his hands on his greasy shirt and then proceeded to the door.

“I’ll be downstairs if anyone needs me. Doing some actual work.”

“Yes, chief,” Nightingale said.

“And don’t you dare break that thing again!”

With that, the engineer was gone, and David was grateful that he hadn’t enlisted him to help him with something. David was aware that working with Wolfram was his best bet for finding out more about the ship and how it was powered, but not right now. Now he had different plans.

So far, the engineer had been close-lipped about the ship’s technology. But now that David was a full member of the crew, this would hopefully change.

At least, David assumed he was. He’d never had any official welcome or anything like that, but everyone was treating him as part of the family now.

As always when he had thoughts like that, David felt a stitch in his heart.

These people were the closest thing to a family he could ever have imagined. They had taken him in, given him a home and a job.

Without realizing that he was here to betray them.

It wasn’t fair. They deserved better, and yet…

David grimaced as a sharp pain hit his head, the obligatory punishment for wrongthink.

He hoped no one would notice, but he wasn’t so lucky this time.

“Is everything alright?” Bohnert asked him, pausing his meal.

“Yes, yes,” David said quickly. “Just a headache.”

“Hm, that looked like neural feedback to me.”

How the fuck did he notice that?

“Do you have any brain augmentations, David?”

David shook his head. “No… I mean, just the biochip Bonesaw gave me when I came on board.”

“Hm.” Bohnert scratched his chin thoughtfully. “That shouldn’t happen. Do you want me to take a look at you?”

“I’m fine, thank you,” David said quickly.

He got up and disposed of his food container, then stepped over to the coffee maker. The very last thing he needed was the galaxy’s most renowned cyber specialist fiddling with his brain. Just because Bonesaw didn’t notice anything suspicious about him didn’t mean this guy wouldn’t.

“Well, if it gets worse, you know where to find me,” Professor Bohnert said, then added with a bitter laugh, “It’s not like I’m going anywhere.”

David gave him his most innocent puppy smile. “Sure thing.”

He prepared two cups of coffee, then hurried to the door.

∆∆∆

“I know it hurts, baby boy, I know,” Bonesaw said softly.

David stopped short on the stairs that led down to the ship’s hangar. Close to the oversized airlock stood Aztec’s and Nightingale’s mechs, Storm and Tempest. Even though they were folded with their arms around their knees and clearly not activated, they made David feel ice-cold every time he saw them.

The two metal monstrosities had always appeared intimidating and frightening to him, but David knew they were on his side and meant him no harm. However, he couldn’t forget the encounter with their active-duty Legion brothers on Mars. There was no way a human—even a heavily augmented one like Aztec and Nightingale or an uber-human like himself—would stand a chance against one of those mechs even for a minute.

And on Mars, they had faced not just one but a bunch of them sent out to kill them.

The only reason he was still breathing was stored in the black cubes on the other side of the hangar.

The Echoes.

From the beginning, he’d found the sight of the black cubes curious. Somehow, they appeared out of place… alien. No matter how often he’d asked, not one of the crew was willing to tell him what was stored inside.

“It’ll blow your fucking mind.”

Those had been Nightingale’s words when David had asked him. And as he so often was, the loud-mouthed cyborg had been right.

Mind-blowing was a very accurate description for the Echoes, or Cats, as everyone on board called them. Had he not seen them with his own eyes, David wouldn’t have believed it.

The Legion mechs were impressive, deadly war machines, but compared to the Echoes, they were a mere joke. David would never forget how the cat-shaped mech had decimated the Legion’s mechs within seconds. This technology was beyond anything he could ever have imagined.

The explanation had come promptly. As soon as he’d set eyes on the Echoes, a completely new set of mission dossiers became accessible to him. Mission dossiers that made it clear that the Echoes, and therefore the Seraphs as a whole, were based on alien technology.

Now that he was aware of it, he couldn’t believe it hadn’t been obvious to him right after he’d witnessed the Nephilim in battle for the first time. What the ship was capable of was outright unreal.

Was he an idiot for not noticing it right away? No, he wasn’t.

Being on board the ship, it simply appeared like a very advanced warship with a unique design. And as impressive as it had been to witness the space battle they’d fought above Venus, being inside the Nephilim was an entirely different experience than seeing her from the outside.

The maneuver she had performed on Mars had been jaw-dropping, and the memory of it gave him goosebumps. She’d seemed to defy gravity.

And the heart of all of it, or rather the brain, was the Duchess. This enigmatic, exceptionally beautiful woman wasn’t human. What she really was and how this incredible ship worked was his job to find out.

David sighed inwardly.

As if assassinating the most dangerous individual in the galaxy wasn’t difficult enough of a task… No, he also had to uncover a secret that had been one for more than a hundred years.

He quickly stopped himself from thinking about this any further to avoid another migraine attack.

Failure is not an option.

Instead, he focused on the woman who was sitting on the floor on the other side of the hangar.

At first glance, it seemed as if she were alone and talking to herself. David knew that she wasn’t, of course, but only once he descended the stairs did he see who she was talking to.

A giant dog was resting next to her on the ground. Grinder looked a little bit like a mix between a Rottweiler and a German Shepherd, but he was the size of a wolf. That alone would have been frightening enough, but the dog’s size was nothing compared to his augmentations.

Grinder was a C-K9, a former Legion war hound designed to kill Mats, and was therefore as heavily augmented as Nightingale and Aztec—although way less pretty. The dog had legs made of black metal and a titanium jaw that could easily bite off a person’s head, as David had witnessed first-hand. The red-glowing cyber eyes rounded off the image of a nightmarish monstrosity.

And yet Bonesaw called him “baby boy”.

Even though they had started off on the wrong foot, David knew he had nothing to fear from the beast. A cup of coffee in each hand, he approached the doctor.

The dog was resting his head on Bonesaw’s lap, and she was gently caressing him behind his ears. Only now did David notice that she was much gentler with Grinder than she was with humans. The doctor looked like a pinup model come to life, but David had learned never to underestimate her. Getting on Bonesaw’s bad side would be a great mistake for anyone.

He watched the doctor lean down and kiss the dog on the head.

Grinder had noticed him, of course. His ears perked up, and he focused his eyes on David. Bonesaw saw it and looked up as well.

“Do I smell coffee?” she asked.

“Wolfram fixed the machine, so I thought I’d bring you a cup,” David said.

Bonesaw smiled. “You’re an angel.”

She reached out and took the cup David was offering her. The dog’s nostrils moved as he sniffed the scent of the beverage, but he quickly decided that it was of no interest to him.

Bonesaw took a sip and rolled her green eyes in delight. “Oh God, I needed this.”

David smiled, genuine happiness filling him. Somehow, it felt good to make her feel good.

Slowly, he took a seat next to the doctor. He extended his palm toward Grinder to let him sniff him, as he had learned from Bonesaw. The dog moved his nostrils again and studied David with his eerie eyes for a moment. Then he rested his head on Bonesaw’s lap again.

David didn’t know much about animals, but he could tell that the dog was suffering. He didn’t look good at all. David hoped he wouldn’t die. The doctor seemed to care about him, and it would probably upset her deeply if she couldn’t save him.

They had set up a sleeping place for Grinder in the hangar, equipped with an old mattress Wolfram had found somewhere and a blanket. A bowl of water stood next to it, as well as the food container Bonesaw had brought down here. Both were untouched.

Since Grinder had been conditioned to detect and kill Mimics and Niemand was a Mimic, the dog had been confined to the hangar. At least until the crew figured out what to do with him.

“What’s wrong with him?” David asked. “Is he ill?”

The doctor took another sip of her coffee, then shook her head.

“It’s nothing physical.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I fixed him. He suffered two shot wounds on Mars, but he was lucky. None hit an artery or inner organ. I fixed them and sealed everything. I also ran a thorough scan on him, checked his blood. I’m no veterinarian, but as far as I can tell, he’s generally healthy.”

She smiled, caressing the dog’s ears.

“You are a resilient, strong boy. Yes, you are.”

Grinder replied by swallowing. His big tongue appeared between his frightening metal jaws and gently licked Bonesaw’s hand.

“What’s wrong with him, then?” David asked.

The doctor sighed. “He’s heartbroken. He lost his handler… The only family he had.”

David nodded. For some reason, he had liked Grinder’s unconventional handler, Johnny. And he knew it was bugging Bonesaw that she hadn’t been able to do anything for him. He had died in Bonesaw’s arms, and his last words were a plea to take care of his dog, which she was doing as well as she could.

“That already means the end of the world for any dog, and Grinder isn’t just any dog,” Bonesaw continued. “He’s much more intelligent than an ordinary one. But if he doesn’t eat and drink, he’ll die.”

Bonesaw’s voice almost broke off, and David was surprised at how upset she really was. Usually, she wouldn’t show such feelings. She was the stone-cold doctor who kept calm and amputated limbs.

David wondered if there was something he could do to comfort her, but he didn’t know if she would appreciate it. Instead, he stretched out his hand once again and began petting Grinder behind his ears, the way he had seen Bonesaw do it. The dog reacted by leaning his head against David’s hand.

“Hey, buddy,” David said softly. “I know the food isn’t great, but it’s better than what they serve on Mars, trust me. Or spiders,” he added, remembering how the dog had swallowed the giant critters whole.

Bonesaw chuckled, and David noticed her wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

“He likes you,” she said.

“You think?” David was genuinely surprised.

“Oh yes. Dogs can tell who has a pure heart.”

This dog clearly doesn’t, David thought with a hint of bitterness.

His heart was anything but pure. He was an infiltrator who would kill everyone on this ship if necessary. In fact, his heart was empty, as was his soul.

“You know what? Do me a favor and stay with him for a while, okay? I don’t think it’s good for him to be left alone so much. I need more coffee, and then I need to check on the Duchess.”

“Is she okay?” David asked, alarmed.

“She is, don’t worry. In fact, she took the last connection with the Seraph interface surprisingly well. But it’s still my job to make sure.”

“Why does the connection put such a strain on her?”

“That’s none of your business, darling.”

She rose but then leaned down and kissed David on the cheek. Her lips felt warm and soft on his skin. He wanted to turn his head and kiss her back, but before he could react, it was over.

Bonesaw straightened up and turned to the exit.

“Stay with him for a bit, okay?”

David nodded. “Of course.”

“You can talk to him. He’s very smart and understands.”

Then the doctor was gone, and he was alone with the giant cyborg dog.

Grinder lifted his head and looked David in the eye, then slowly placed his head onto David’s lap.

Mission Dossier, Unlocked Entry #22

The Seraph Cult

Almost three hundred years ago, one of the most famous physicists of all time, Albert Einstein, published the relativity theory, which states that nothing can travel faster than light.

He was wrong.

There can be no doubt that there is something that travels faster than light: rumors.

Rumors themselves are mostly harmless and as old as humanity itself. But when persistent rumors indicate that the authorities are lying about something, rumors turn into conspiracy theories. And when those turn out to be true, the trust in said authorities might be shattered forever.

We know for a fact that the Seraphs are of alien origin and powered by unknown technology. But it’s something the commoners out there are never supposed to know.

However, rumors started right after the Seraphs showed up for the first time and performed a spectacular demonstration of their power. In fact, everyone was surprised by how quickly the rumors spread, despite the fact that communication was difficult between the worlds of the solar system and basically non-existent beyond.

Nevertheless, wherever the Seraphs showed up, someone witnessed them, and news about them spread like wildfire.

Very soon, everyone was talking about the mysterious ships coming out of nowhere and crushing the robot enemies. People aren’t stupid. They had witnessed the defeat human forces had suffered against the AI and knew only too well that we didn’t have anything like the Seraphs up our sleeve.

No one knew who or what the Seraphs were or where they came from, so the most logical explanation was that they were aliens.

Even worse, some people believed them to be some otherworldly celestial beings from Earth’s mythology: angels.

The birdlike shapes the Seraphs converted into when fighting on worlds with gravity and atmosphere fueled the superstitious beliefs even more.

By the time the tide finally turned and humanity began reclaiming their worlds one by one and rebuilding their societies and cities, the Seraph rumors had grown into a full-blown cult.

Firmly believing that the Seraphs were some higher beings sent out by “God” to save them from extinction, people began worshipping them.

This was something the Pentad couldn’t let stand.

After the war, the Pentad declared themselves as the winners and saviors of humanity. The Seraph cult was a thorn in their side—one that could easily turn dangerous and destabilizing.

This is why an official story was spun that the Seraphs are neither mythological entities nor aliens but simply highly advanced ships designed and built by humans—by the Pentad, to be precise.

Any other theories were systematically ridiculed and “fact-checked.”

As it turned out, it was easier than anticipated. Humans believe every lie to be the truth if it’s repeated often enough. Only a few had actually witnessed the Seraphs in action, and the Pentad did everything they could to destroy the video evidence once the war was over. Those few people died out over time, and the more years passed, the easier it became to spin the narrative.

What played to our advantage was the fact that the Seraphs were so secretive. They didn’t want any rewards for their bravery. They didn’t want to be worshipped. They preferred to stay among themselves and in the shadows.

Eventually, people began forgetting about the true saviors of the human race. Nowadays, most young people believe that the Seraphs didn’t really exist and are nothing but a legend thought up by the older generations.

The PIA played a significant part in accomplishing the greatest coverup in human history. We helped by eliminating eyewitnesses and pressuring others to keep quiet or lie about what really happened.

We’re proud of the accomplishment. We exist to serve the Pentad.

Also see:

The Great War

The Pentad

The Seraph

Aliens

PIA

Chapter Four

Kindred

“Ok, Professor, spill the beans,” Nightingale said. “I’m a big boy. You can tell me everything you know.”

He had invited Professor Bohnert to his room for lack of a better place to have a private conversation. The Nephilim was a huge ship, but most of her space was occupied by her massive engines and propulsion and weapons systems. The area reserved for the crew was relatively small, and it was almost impossible to go anywhere without running into someone else.

Nightingale wasn’t too keen on having this conversation anyway, but Aztec insisted on it, so he might as well get it over with.

“I mean, it’s not like I really want to hear any bad news, but Aztec said she’ll kill me if I don’t ask you… or, even worse, not marry me. So, here we are.”

Professor Bohnert smiled. Nightingale offered his guest the chair, taking a seat on the edge of his bed. Since he had come on board, Nightingale noticed that Bohnert didn’t smile much. Generally, he looked pale and crestfallen.

In fact, for the first time since he had known him, the professor actually looked his age. Not much was left of the smug top surgeon and former head of the Legion R&D department. The events on Mars seemed to have taken a great toll on him, once again reminding Nightingale that not everyone was like him, Aztec, and the other space punks.

It wasn’t that they already had forgotten about the happenings on Mars. The events had been dramatic, and all of them almost lost their lives more than once. But for them, situations like those were nothing unusual. If they caused any trauma, none of them could live the lives they had chosen.

Nightingale and Aztec had the toughest training in the galaxy under their belts, and the Legion only recruited particularly strong-willed individuals. Those traits were then amplified by specific augmentations and drugs they took during their training.

The reason was simple: it took many years and cost a lot of money to turn a human into a badass space marine, a remorseless killing machine. Those resources would be pretty much wasted if said soldiers suffered from PTSD after the first challenging mission.

Aztec and Nightingale could face a series of life-threatening situations one day and be back to normal business the next. But civilians were different. They were vulnerable, frail.

Within twenty-four hours, Bohnert’s entire life had been not only turned upside down but outright shattered. He had lost his clinic, his girlfriend—although that wasn’t a great loss, as far as Nightingale and everyone else was concerned—his home, and his best friend.

Of course, it was impossible to tell if Colonel Rodgers and the other Legion vets had paid with their lives for their bravery, but knowing the Legion, it made sense to assume the worst. Maybe they’d managed to hold the line until the Legion decided to back off and pursue their main target—namely them—but probably not.

It was pretty safe to assume that everyone they had met in the underground cave was dead now. It was a tragedy, but so was life. Life was a bitch and never fair, as Nightingale knew. It always punished those who didn’t deserve it and rewarded the worst of the worst.

Nevertheless, the pointless deaths of Rodgers and the rest made Nightingale angry. Those were good, brave people. But on the other hand, they all had died so Professor Bohnert could escape. The others on board the Nephilim might only see an annoying elitist when looking at Bohnert, but the ex-legionnaires of Noctis City had worshipped him. That alone was reason enough to treat Bohnert well, but for Nightingale, it was much more than that.

Professor Bohnert had saved his life.

Without him, Nightingale wouldn’t be sitting here, breathing and looking forward to getting married to the most amazing woman in the world. He would never forget that.

“I don’t have bad news for you,” Professor Bohnert said. “Well, not too bad.”

Nightingale frowned. “Not too bad?”

“Well, as you know, the CINE I implanted in you wasn’t a standard piece of hardware all legionnaires have. It was a prototype.”

“Yes,” Nightingale said, patiently waiting for the verdict. In his experience, when doctors talked like this, they usually had bad news.

“To be honest with you, I’ve never seen anything like it. It must be brand-new, fully developed after I left the Legion. Whoever they have in R&D now must be a genius. Well, everything they develop now is based on my designs, of course, but still.

“Anyway, when your crew broke into the Forge—and frankly, I still can’t believe they really pulled that off—they must have accidentally stolen a prototype instead of one of the regular CINEs, which is a good thing and a bad thing.”

“So far, I’ve only seen the benefits,” Nightingale said. “It’s been amazing, actually.”

And, indeed, it was.

One of the biggest flaws in the legionnaires’ design was that they could only use the Berserk mode and its sub-protocol Freeze so often. It had a cooldown of several hours, and rightly so.

Freeze was an incredibly powerful tool. It sent the soldier’s brain into an overload that made them process their surroundings ten times faster. This meant that everything appeared to be occurring in slow motion.

Unsurprisingly, this put an immense strain on the brain. Using Freeze too often would make the brain literally burst, and the long-term effect of regular use was often severe brain damage.

And the CINE Nightingale had been implanted with let him use Freeze multiple times in a row.

At first, he’d thought it was a malfunction, but he’d had no other choice but to use it to save Aztec’s life. To his surprise, his brain hadn’t burst; on the contrary, he’d been able to use Freeze again only a couple of minutes later! It wasn’t a malfunction—it was a feature.

“Yes, it’s astonishing,” Bohnert agreed. “How many times in a row were you able to use Freeze?”

“Three times.”

The professor nodded. “You’re also stronger and faster, aren’t you?”

“Yes, although I don’t quite understand how that’s possible. I mean, my prosthetics and other augmentations are still the same.”

“That’s correct,” Bohnert said. “But they receive a higher charge than before. You know how a CINE works, right?”

“Only the basics we learned in class.”

“Of course.” There was the slightly condescending smile again. “The CINE is the control unit for all your cybernetics. Like a second brain, so to speak. It’s responsible for all electric impulses traveling through your body that affect the cyber parts, but it also controls their energy input. You would overheat if the CINE malfunctioned.”

“Yes, I’ve seen that happen. It wasn’t pretty.”

“Right. Anyway, the new model needs less energy to control your cyber parts, including your limbs. This means you’re stronger, faster, and don’t need to charge as often as before.”

“Wow,” Nightingale said. “That’s really a great improvement.”

“Just imagine they put that in every legionnaire. They’d be unstoppable.”

“Even more than they are now.”

“Which might be the reason why they were so salty. Your crew stole their precious prototype, and now their development has slowed down. Could be a major setback for them.”

Bohnert smiled. Clearly, the thought made him feel better.

“It would also mean that you’re the prototype now. It explains what I saw you do down on Mars. It was more than impressive, to say the least.”

“Thank you,” Nightingale said. “So far, everything sounds amazing, and I feel fantastic. Where’s the catch?”

“Since it’s a prototype I’ve never seen before, I can only guess,” Bohnert said slowly.

“Come on, John, tell me.”

“Alright. One side effect is probably an increased libido—”

Nightingale grinned. “I noticed that.”

Bohnert chuckled. “Yes, not really a downside, huh? Most people don’t know that the roots of the legendary high libido of legionnaires are in the electric charges running through your body at all times. Since all your functions have increased, I’m not surprised that your libido has, too.”

“I’m aware,” Nightingale said. “Now tell me about the negative side effects, please.”

Bohnert huffed out air. “As I said, I can’t tell for sure, but back when I was still working for the Legion, we experimented with new, more powerful CINE concepts and—”

Nightingale chuckled. “Just tell me, John. Will I die?”

“Yes.”

Nightingale nodded. He’d been expecting something like that, although he’d been hoping for the best.

“When?”

Bohnert grimaced. “That’s hard to tell. You’re more powerful, but it burns you out quicker. Like adding an extra wick to a candle, you know? If I had to guess, I’d say you maybe have five to ten years left. Maybe less, maybe more.”

Nightingale smiled. “That’s okay.”

Bohnert lifted his eyebrows in surprise. “It is?”

“Professor, I’m thirty-six years old. I know that I’m fortunate that I’ve even lived this long. I expected to meet a violent death much earlier than that. And I almost found it… yet here I am. Thanks to you, Bonesaw, and all the other magnificent people on this ship. I’m grateful for every day.”

“That’s a… surprising attitude.”

Nightingale shrugged. “I’m full of surprises.”

Bohnert cleared his throat. “Anyway, if I still had my lab, I could probably modify your CINE, but it’s gone. And Lois won’t let me use her equipment.”

Nightingale laughed. “She’d rather put you in an airlock. What did you do to piss her off so much?”

Professor Bohnert sighed. “That’s a long story.”

“I’m afraid you’re stuck here with us for a while. We have all the time in the world.”

“Aren’t we flying to Ganymede?”

“We are. But you shouldn’t stay there. You won’t be safe anywhere in this solar system. If you ask me, your best bet is Tau Ceti.”

Bohnert huffed out air. “That’s damn far away.”

“Luckily for you, we’re flying there,” Nightingale said, grinning. “You have a port, don’t you?”

“Yes, of course.”

Without a specific device implanted in the upper spinal cord colloquially referred to as ‘port’, no human would survive a trip through the Tunnel.

“Good. That means we have a lot of time. You won’t get away without telling me everything.”

Nightingale folded his arms and tilted his head attentively.

∆∆∆

David wasn’t quite sure what to do.

He and the dog had been sitting there in silence for a couple of minutes… Well, he’d been sitting there in silence because the dog couldn’t speak, obviously.

According to his mission dossier, Legion C-K9s had a strongly amplified intelligence compared to ordinary animals. But the dossier didn’t specify how intelligent they really were. Bonesaw claimed Grinder would understand when David talked to him. But what should he say to a dog anyway?

He would stay here for a couple more minutes because the doctor had asked him to, and he wanted to appear like a man who stood by his word.

David looked down at the dog and studied him for a moment. He was an intimidating creature and pretty ugly, in David’s opinion. He wasn’t sure what Bonesaw saw in him.

But then he remembered that he owed this creature his life. Down in the abandoned tunnels, he had been staring at certain death when the giant slug attacked him. Just because he had been stupid and pushed Bonesaw out of harm’s way.

It had been the right thing to do, and David hadn’t hesitated or even thought twice. It had been the right thing to do because Bonesaw was his friend. She had been nothing but kind to him since day one. That she was a stunningly attractive woman was only secondary here.

But considering who he really was and considering his assignment, it had been a stupid thing to do. Endangering himself for others could jeopardize the entire mission. He told himself that it was necessary for his cover, and the better his cover, the higher his chances of succeeding.

But was that really the truth?

Only seconds later, he had almost paid with his life for his heroism. The slug who had attacked Bonesaw promptly decided to eat him instead. David knew that he wouldn’t have stood a chance. He would be gone if it wasn’t for Grinder.

The cyber dog jumped in between David and the monster and ripped it apart. And the most astonishing part about it was that Johnny, Grinder’s deceased handler, hadn’t given him the order to protect David. The dog had done it out of his own free will. He had simply decided that David was worth saving.

Maybe Bonesaw was right, and Grinder liked him. Somehow, that idea warmed David’s heart, and he didn’t even know why.

Only a few hours later, David had gotten the chance to repay the dog by saving him from being shredded by the F-ANTASM drones that chased them on the surface.

In retrospect, that had also been a stupid act. Without even thinking about what he was doing, David had unleashed his full potential. Thanks to the micro quantum computers in his brain, he was able to react and move much faster than a human, similar to a legionnaire in Freeze mode—but better.

Until then, David had never unleashed his capacity because it was too risky. The others would have noticed it and realized he wasn’t just the greenhorn “Puppy” from Mars.

In fact, David had only survived his assignment of breaking into the Forge thanks to his extraordinary abilities. But back then, no one had been there to witness it, contrary to his stunt at Noctis City, where he had risked exposure if Bonesaw or Jack had seen what he was doing. Luckily, both had been too busy with their own survival to notice David’s inhuman abilities.

All of that to save a dog’s life.

David could only shake his head at himself. He had been reckless and stupid.

And yet, once again, it had been the right thing to do.

“Guess we’re even now, huh?” David murmured.

He wondered if Grinder knew that he wasn’t human. After all, he had growled at him initially, making Johnny believe he was a Mimic. After inspecting him closer, Grinder had decided that David was no Mimic and had therefore refrained from ripping him into shreds, which David was grateful for.

But did he know that David was different? Artificial?

And yet he had protected David from the slug.

Grinder lifted his head and looked him in the eye.

David couldn’t tell if the animal understood what he was saying and its context or if he was simply reacting to David’s voice.

They stared at each other for a moment. Without being able to do anything about it, David felt a lump building in his throat.

Looking into those eyes made him emotional in an unknown way. Despite ,being cybernetic David could somehow see intelligence there… and pain. So much pain. He could see all the pain in the universe culminating in those eyes.

Or could he feel it? Sense it?

Bonesaw was right. The dog was mourning. His heart was broken.

David felt moisture in his eyes and then a sting of saltiness. He realized it was tears.

He knew that he was capable of producing tears, but so far, he had never cried. So, why now?

It was only a dog.

He reached out and began petting Grinder behind his ears like Bonesaw did.

Suddenly, David realized that they were alike.

This monstrous creature that could bite a person’s head off was a lost puppy, too, just like him. They both had no place in the world. They were both abominations.

Only now did David realize how lonely he felt.

After his awakening, when he’d realized that he wasn’t human, that he was nothing like the rest of the people on the Nephilim, that they weren’t the family he thought he’d found, he’d felt lonely.

He knew that he shouldn’t feel that way, shouldn’t think that way. And he expected the obligatory sharp pain in his skull that would bring him back on course… but it didn’t come.

It seemed only wrong thoughts were punished like this, not feelings.

The dog leaned his head against David’s hand and slowly wagged his tail.

Seeing this made David happy, and he couldn’t even say why.

“I know you’re sad,” David said softly. “But you really need to eat, you know?”

The dog kept looking at him but said nothing in return—of course.

“If you don’t eat, you’ll die. And that will make that lovely lady who just was here very sad, you know?” David continued.

At first, talking to the animal felt awkward, but the more he said, the easier and more natural it became.

“She really likes you, and she’s really nice. I want her to be happy.”

The dog sighed, then glanced at the bowl with the food next to him.

“The food is honestly not that bad. You’ll see, it’s better than a spider… I mean, anything is better than a spider.”

David chuckled, then slowly pulled the food closer to himself and the dog’s nose.

Grinder’s nostrils moved as he sniffed the food, then he looked back up to David.

“Seriously, man, try it. Otherwise I’ll eat it. You’ll see. It’ll be gone in an instant.”

Grinder looked at the food, then back at David, then again at the food. He sniffed once more, then slowly extended his tongue and licked at the protein goo.

“See? I told you, it’s good. Now, eat it, or I will. You have ten seconds.”

In truth, David would rather starve than eat protein goo covered with dog slobber. But Grinder seemed to believe him.

His frightening jaws opened and then closed around the food with a loud clang. Less than three seconds later, the bowl was empty, and Grinder licked it clean with his huge tongue.

Seeing the dog’s gusto, David smiled. He must have been really hungry. Once the bowl was perfectly clean, Grinder moved on to the water, which he gulped down almost as quickly as the food, creating quite a mess.

“Good boy,” David said, clapping the dog’s head between his ears—a space twice as big as his palm.

Suddenly, Grinder spun around. Before David could react in any way, the dog went for his face. For a terrible moment, David was convinced he would bite his face off and devour it as dessert. His eyes shut as if this might save them. But instead of a horrible pain, he felt something wet and sticky brushing against his face.

“Eeww,” David managed to press out while the huge tongue slobbered his face over and over again, and then he started laughing like a little boy.

Finally, once Grinder was done with him, he sat down and watched David, wagging his tail. David used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe his face, then petted the dog’s neck.

“Glad you liked it. I’ll bring you some more later, okay?”

The dog replied by licking his snout with a loud smacking sound.

“Now be a good boy and stay here while I’m gone.”

David picked up the two empty bowls and his coffee cup and walked to the hangar exit. While doing so, he couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear.

∆∆∆

Aztec sighed and rolled her eyes in delight. A broad smile adorned her face and made her look even more beautiful than usual.

Nightingale was utterly enchanted by it. He couldn’t stop looking at her. She seemed to be glowing from within, like the brightest star. Even brighter than Sirius, his home star, a blue giant. It shone twenty-five times brighter than the Sun and caused every human born in its system to be born with the same unnaturally bright blue eyes he had.

What made Nightingale even happier was knowing that it was him who made Aztec glow from within. It was beyond beautiful.

Their naked bodies were pressed closely to each other. Together, they produced so much heat that a human sitting next to them would feel like they were in a sauna. Sweat covered the biological parts of their skin, a clear indicator where their human flesh stopped and the machine started.

Contrary to Aztec, who appeared perfectly human unless someone took a close look, Nightingale could only hide what he was when he was dressed in pants and long-sleeved shirts. His arms and legs were made of black, shiny metal, and cords and wires were clearly visible under his skin in many places. They stood out even more now as they pulsated softly with a slight green glow. Another side effect of the new CINE.

The wounds Nightingale had suffered on Venus less than three weeks ago were almost healed. New flesh had regrown where they had been sealed with surgical glue. But scars would remain, that was sure. Unless he spent a lot of money on plastic surgery to correct them, which he wouldn’t.

Those weren’t his only scars, and he wore them with pride, although never before had he been so close to death as on Venus.

Aztec didn’t care if his flesh was scarred or not. She also didn’t care about all his visible machine parts. She knew she looked the same inside.

Nightingale had been with countless women over the years. His good looks and bad-boy attitude made it easy for him to hook up with almost every woman he picked.

Over the years, he had gotten used to the looks they gave him when they saw him naked. Bewilderment, fascination, disgust… he’d seen it all. And that even though he never made a secret about what he was when approaching a potential sex partner.

Many people had augmentations or prosthetics nowadays. They came in all kinds of shapes and price ranges. But a legionnaire was something else. Sometimes, his sex partners had been repulsed, but more often, they were fueled by a fetishized fascination.

But sex with humans was often… unfulfilling. Even if they said they liked it rough, they had no idea of the strength and stamina a legionnaire was capable of. In fact, legionnaires were briefed at the academy on how to have sex with humans. Legion command didn’t want their troops to have a bad reputation when civilians got seriously hurt or killed in the act.

Even so, it occasionally happened anyway. The responsible soldiers were disciplined harshly, and the cases were usually covered up.

Dealing with humans had sometimes felt like walking on eggshells for Nightingale. But with Aztec, everything was different. Everything felt natural... right. She accepted him as he was, with all his flaws. She was like him.

They were kindred spirits. Soulmates.

Aztec chuckled, tilting her head. “What?”

She was still a bit out of breath, which was unusual for a legionnaire. They had fucked with an intensity that would have left a human crippled. Luckily, the Nephilim had been designed to sustain extreme forces when the ship went into combat. Not even two legionnaires fucking each others’ brains out could destroy the interior.

“Huh?”

“I know that face. You were thinking about something.”

He smiled, caught. She knew him too well.

“I was just thinking about how good that was,” he replied, gently biting her lip. “I can’t get enough of you.”

Aztec smiled, and her hazelnut-colored eyes sparkled.

“And about how much I love you,” he added. “I can’t believe we’re finally getting married in two days.”

He really could barely believe it. It had been five years since he’d first asked Aztec to marry him. It was basically the first thing he did once they both were free of the Legion. And she had denied him again and again.

He’d had to almost die to understand why. And for her to change her mind.

She took his cheeks in her palms, something he loved so much the way she did it. Then she kissed him softly, tenderly. Not like they had kissed before, which had been almost violent.

“I love you too.”

Her words warmed him from the inside more than his body ever could.

“But tell me,” she added, pulling back and looking at him with expectation in her eyes. “Did you talk to him?”

Nightingale nodded. “I did.”

“And?”

Nightingale took a deep breath, hesitating with the answer.

He wasn’t very keen on having this conversation… especially after the act of intimacy they’d just shared. But on the other hand, now was as good a time as ever.

Since his conversation with Professor Bohnert earlier that day, he’d been battling with himself about whether he should tell Aztec about the outcome. He didn’t want her to be upset and to worry. But he also didn’t want to lie to her.

Especially after he didn’t tell her about his condition last time, which had ended with him collapsing and giving her the scare of a lifetime.

Nightingale hated the fact that she had to worry about him. That he hadn’t been well since his near-death experience. And that he would never be the same. Life really was a cynical bitch.

“Did he tell you about the possible side effects?” Aztec kept digging.

“Well, he said that I have to get used to an increased libido,” Nightingale said with a grin.

“Oh, I’d noticed that. And I didn’t even need a PhD or to be a genius,” Aztec said. “It’s a side effect I can live with.”

He moved closer again. “Good.”

“In fact, you can finally keep up with me.”

Nightingale burst out laughing, then kissed her. “Oh yeah? How about we put that to the test?”

He moved his knee between her legs, spreading them. But she pressed them together, squeezing his knee. Had it been made of flesh and blood, she would have smashed it to a pulp.

“Don’t even think about trying to distract me, Mister,” she said. “I want an answer from you. Now.”

Nightingale sighed. “Fine.”

“So?”

“He said it’s a prototype and therefore can’t tell what long-term side effects it could cause. But it might burn my body out quicker than usual.”

Aztec furrowed her brow, not liking what she was hearing at all. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means…” Nightingale squirmed. “It means it might shorten my life expectancy.”

“What?” Aztec blurted out, her eyes wide.

That wasn’t quite what Bohnert had told him. The professor had given him a clear time frame, and it wasn’t much. Ten years, if he was lucky… probably less. And it all depended on how much he used his abilities, on how much strain he put on his body.

What Nightingale had just told Aztec wasn’t exactly the truth, but it wasn’t a lie either. And yet it had been enough to deeply concern her.

“What does that mean?”

“He compared it to a candle with two wicks instead of one. The new CINE makes me stronger and better in every possible way… but it might also deplete me quicker.”

“How much quicker?”

“I don’t know,” Nightingale lied. “And neither does he. But we shouldn’t worry about it too much. I won’t drop dead anytime soon. I have many more years to live.”

She studied him with skepticism in her eyes… and fear.

“Come on, Az,” he said. “We’re legionnaires and space punks. We’re not meant to die in bed of old age.”

“But…” Aztec whispered. “I don’t want you to die… ever.”

He saw moisture filling her eyes, and it both warmed and broke his heart at the same time. He couldn’t possibly tell her that he had only a couple more years to live—not now.

He wasn’t scared of death. What he had told Bohnert was the truth. He was surprised that he had even lived that long. For so many years, he had secretly been seeking death. His nihilism had been consuming him from the inside, driving him toward a violent death.

But not anymore. Everything had changed now.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said softly while gently petting her hair.

“Did you mean what you said on Mars? Do you really believe that?”

“Yes.”

“That we’re connected somehow… even beyond death?”

“Yes.”

“But… how?”

He smiled. “I don’t know. I just know that it’s true. You and I will always find each other, no matter what time or what universe.”

Aztec visibly fought back tears. “That’s a beautiful idea.”

Nightingale softly stroked her face. “It’s not just an idea. I think we’ve been lied to about the nature of the universe.”

“What do you mean?’

“From childhood, we learn how immensely huge the universe is. That we’re just dots, completely insignificant. I think it’s a lie, deliberately told to drive us to nihilism.”

“But the vastness of the universe is a fact,” Aztec said slowly.

“It is. And that makes us humans even more special. Look at it like this, Az. How many alien species have we encountered so far?”

“None…”

“Exactly. The only ones we know existed are the Architects, and we know practically nothing about them. Humanity has explored more than a hundred planets and moons so far, some of which we’ve even colonized. We’ve found nothing, not even microbes.

“With our modern telescope technology, we’re capable of seeing thousands of solar systems up close. If there were any form of intelligent life there, we would have detected traces of them.

“You know as well as I do that spaceship propulsion is visible for over thousands of light years. And there’s nothing, nothing at all. We might be the only ones in our galaxy… or beyond.”

“Wow,” Aztec said. “I never thought about that.”

“Because you’re not supposed to. The Pentad makes us believe that we’re small, insignificant, expendable. But we’re not.”

Suddenly, Aztec remembered hearing something very similar before.

“You know, you should really talk to Niemand about all of this,” she said. “He told me something very similar when we were on Mars.”

Nightingale grimaced. “Maybe. But I’m not willing to accept a higher entity the Mimics believe in.”

“Then what do you believe in?”

He looked into her eyes. “Us. You and me. We’re two pieces of one, inseparable. I’ll be drawn to you in every reality.”

She smiled. “I hope so.”

He propped his head on his elbow and gazed at her while his fingers slowly caressed her naked body.

“Everything happens for a reason, Az,” he said thoughtfully. “And everything happens again and again, like in an endless loop.”

“Why?”

He shrugged. “No clue. I’m just an average guy who took a glimpse behind the veil.”

Aztec chuckled, then kissed his nose. “I hate to correct you, Gale, but nothing is average about you.”

“Thank you for thinking so.”

“It’s the truth. Most of all, you’re way too smart for your own good. I can only imagine what’s going on in your head.”

“You, most of the time,” he replied in all seriousness. After thinking for a moment, he added, “Do you want to know what makes the entire universe even crazier? Time doesn’t exist. The past, the present, and the future exist at the same time, in all variations. In truth, this very moment exists forever in all eternity.”

“That’s beautiful. But, babe, I’m a simple girl. I know how to shoot things and how to fuck. That’s about it.”

Nightingale laughed heartily, knowing only too well that wasn’t true. Aztec was much smarter than she pretended to be. Just in a different way.

“And I have to say, you’re extremely good at both,” he said with a wink.

“Yep,” she said. “Now, let’s go back to the present and the problem at hand. You’re trying to distract me with your thoughts on life, the universe, and everything else. Not gonna work.”

He let out a fake sigh. “Ok, you caught me.”

“If the CINE puts a strain on your body, maybe you should take it slow.”

He slowly shook his head. “That’s not how I am, and you know that, Az. Living a boring, quiet life just in the hope of maybe living a year longer or two… fuck that.”

She sighed. “Yes, I understand that. I wouldn’t want that either. Just because we’re getting married doesn’t mean that we have to play house.”

“Exactly. Besides, I feel fantastic. In fact, I feel like I’ve been reborn since I got the new CINE. You’ve seen what I’m capable of.”

“Okay, but no unnecessary risks.”

“Deal.”

He remained silent for a moment before he asked. “So, will you still marry me?”

Aztec laughed. “Of course, you idiot! I want to be at your side, always. Until we die.”

Until I die, Nightingale thought.

He felt bad for not telling Aztec the entire truth, but he also knew that it was the right thing to do. He wanted her to be happy, and she wouldn’t be if she expected him to die soon.

He didn’t know how much time he had left. But nobody did. He knew one thing, though, and that was that he would enjoy every day and every breath as if it were his last.

“Back to the side effects…” he said in a different, more playful voice.

Aztec grinned. “Yes?”

He slowly lifted his knee, which was still pressed between her legs.

This time, she let him.

Mission Dossier, Entry #2123

Animals

Sadly, animals of any kind are a rare breed nowadays. (Pun intended.) There’s a simple yet tragic reason for that.

Like us humans, all animals originate from Earth. And with the loss of Earth, we lost most of the wildlife that ever existed. Millions of species have been wiped out.

Since the beginning of space travel, transporting animals into space posed a big challenge. Most creatures didn’t cope well with zero-G and would develop severe disorders or simply die during longer voyages.

We have to remember that artificial gravity hasn’t existed for too long, having been invented barely fifty years before the Great War. It took decades to implement the technology on all spaceships and human settlements.

Once it was implemented, it was much easier to transport animals to Mars and beyond. However, it was still a logistical and, most of all, expensive challenge.

This didn’t hinder wealthy people from taking their beloved dogs, cats, horses, and other domesticated animals along when they moved to space. Ordinary settlers had to leave their furry friends behind, though.

It led to very dramatic moments during the evacuations when some people left their pets behind while others refused to go without them.

Poor fools.

An even bigger logistical challenge was the transport of livestock. Real meat was soon only served in very upscale places, while ordinary people became accustomed to eating bugs and other cheap protein dishes.

This is why many—especially among the younger generations—only know of animals from old video material. Someone who grew up on Mars, Ceres, or one of the Jovian or Saturnian moons couldn’t even imagine the lush tropical forests, oceans, and other Earth environments once filled with all sorts of life.

However, not all animal species were lost forever when Earth was lost. Luckily, the DNA of some species has been preserved and stored on Mars. A member of the Pentad collected DNA for decades, just in case.

Recently, some animals have been reconstructed and cloned from DNA samples, which is why some exotic habitats can be found in the wealthier districts of Elysium City or Venus Prime. A prominent example is Club Oceanus in Elysium City, which has gigantic fish tanks filled with all kinds of marine creatures.

However, animals that used to be very common in the old days, such as dogs, are now considered endangered species. Most people have never seen a living one.

An exception was the Legion, which used to breed genetically modified, heavily augmented war hounds. Those C-K9s were surprisingly effective against Mimics and other Mats, and to this day, we’re not sure why the Legion got rid of them under General Altman.

Also see:

Earth

Artificial Gravity

Gen Splicing

C-K9

Chapter Five

The Squid

“That was a flawless operation, Seraphs,” Central said. “Each one of you performed at their best. Each one of you exceeded our expectations. It is thanks to you that humanity has a chance of survival again. It is time!”

“It is time!” they all replied as one.

All sixteen Seraph pilots had gathered in the briefing room. They stood to attention in front of their commander, whose name none of them knew and who was only referred to as Central.

The room had obsidian-colored walls that appeared to be neither metal nor rock and a high ceiling. It wasn’t furnished whatsoever, nor did it have any windows. A diffused reddish lighting seemed to come directly through the walls.

A huge, extraordinarily detailed hologram dominated one side of the room. It showed two galaxies spinning lazily around the supermassive black holes in their center. Only astronomers would recognize what galaxies those were: the Milky Way and its closest neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy. In the holographic animation, they moved slowly toward each other, merging. An event that was predicted to happen in around 4.5 billion years.

Central stood right in front of the hologram, and its light created the illusion of a halo around him. He was a tall, well-built man with dark hair and a smooth, ageless face. He could have been anywhere between thirty and sixty; there was no way to tell. However, his demeanor and authoritative charisma indicated that he was much older than he appeared.

The man called Central was only a man by appearance. In truth, he was something else. Something more. His blood-red eyes, glowing in the semi-dark of the room like rubies on fire, were only one indicator of this.

He was dressed in the form-fitting rubber-like suit all Seraphs wore. The characteristic obsidian rings around his arms, legs, and torso shone slightly in the hologram behind him.

The sixteen people gathered in front of him were dressed exactly like him. Nothing about his outfit indicated that he was the leader of the squad, yet his authority was tangible. Besides, the pilots were clearly younger than him. While Central’s face was ageless, the sixteen people before him were unmistakably very young, barely more than teenagers.

Yet whoever thought they were simply a group of young cadets couldn’t have been more wrong. Genetically and cybernetically altered, they could barely be classified as humans anymore. And they were the deadliest group of people in the galaxy. A group that had just delivered a devastating blow against the seemingly invincible robot fleet.

With their black uniforms and blood-red eyes, they were an intimidating if not frightening sight. Like a group of demons from a different reality.

And, in a way, they were.

“But even though we achieved a glorious victory today, we all know that this was only the beginning. It’ll be many years, if not decades, until the threat is over, but we won’t rest until this is the case. It is time!”

“It is time!” the young people repeated enthusiastically.

“As of today, the enemy knows we exist and will prepare countermeasures. We should expect much heavier resistance and potentially new technology next time. It doesn’t matter. There’s only one way this war can end: with victory. It is time!”

“It is time!”

“Remain docked and stand by for new orders. We’re expecting the machines to retaliate against a soft civilian target soon. We’ll make sure to greet them when they do. Any questions?”

Lucien lifted his index finger.

“I’m listening, Nemesis.”

“When are we going to reclaim Earth?”

Central smiled thinly. “When the time is right. For now, we need to hold the Tunnel. They’ll try to get it back, that’s for sure. Without the Tunnel, their troops in the outer systems are cut off from supplies and, most of all, from orders. Have patience. We will reclaim humanity’s home world. Anything else?”

No one moved or spoke.

“Dismissed.”

The commander watched the Seraphs leave the room, then turned to face the holograms. He stood there motionless, then spread his arms to the sides as cords and wires began descending from the ceiling, drawn toward the obsidian rings on the man’s body like hungry snakes.

∆∆∆

Hel followed the others to the exit. They were supposed to show discipline and dignity at all times. But in their cores, the Seraphs were still young people who couldn’t wait to talk about the biggest adventure of their lives with the others.

Their biggest adventure so far—they knew only too well that this was only the beginning.

They walked down a long corridor that appeared endless. It was of a very similar design to the corridors on the Nephilim. Lights only sprang on when someone walked in close proximity. Otherwise, they remained shrouded in darkness.

The ship they were on was of titanic proportions. It was bigger than any human space station, yet it traveled almost as fast as the warships of the Seraph fleet.

The pilots colloquially called their mothership and mobile HQ the Squid. The nickname hadn’t been chosen arbitrarily but for a very good reason.

The Squid was more than one kilometer long and as high as a five-story building. The energy necessary for an object of this size to travel through space and navigate it would have been deemed impossible by human standards. Provided humans—or machines, for that matter—had known of its existence.

The Squid used the same stealth technology as the Seraph ships. It was practically invisible and untraceable. Even at a distance of only a few kilometers, it would remain invisible to human eyes and sensors alike. In theory, a smaller ship could bump into the Squid before detecting it was even there.

In theory, of course.

Space was huge, unimaginably so. Even humanity’s home solar system, which was considered rather small compared to others, was so vast that it was practically impossible for two bodies to crash into each other by coincidence.

Nevertheless, the Squid made sure that no other ship came closer than a hundred thousand kilometers. The gigantic Seraph mothership was invisible, but it could detect every movement in the star system it navigated. It knew the position of every single ship traveling the system, robot and human alike, at all times. There were only very few of the latter, but this would soon change now that the Tunnel was back under human control.

All of this was impressive but not the reason why the ship had been nicknamed the Squid. That was because it had sixteen ‘tentacles’ extending from its sides. Each was designed to house a ship of the Seraph class. When the fleet wasn’t in action, it remained docked at the mothership. Not only was this safer, but it also allowed the pilots to attend briefings, practice simulations, and simply socialize.

Even though they communicated with each other and formed a swarm mind in battle, that only worked over relatively short distances. Nothing could travel faster than light, including data. Plus, it took light forty-three minutes to travel from the Sun to Jupiter. Which meant that all long-distance communication had massive delays. Even surrounded by technology beyond human imagination, it was still easier and more effective to discuss important matters in person.

∆∆∆

Hel walked at the rear of the group, falling slightly behind. Her brother was at the front, as always. Surrounded by admirers, female and male. Without any doubt, he was the Seraphs’ leader and always had been, even before Central had made it official. It simply came naturally to him. Wherever Ael went, people would follow—and do as he said.

Hel was more introverted than her brother and only stood at the center of attention if she had to. Which was curious as she and Ael were twins. They were identical in so many ways, but not in everything.

Right behind Ael walked Lucien, his best friend. Lucien was almost as good at everything as Ael… almost.

Hel watched them walk together, engaged in a conversation she couldn’t overhear.

In the semi-dark of the corridor, the group of Seraphs looked almost identical. They were all very tall and lean, while the females were as tall as the males, their bodies barely distinguishable from each other, dressed as they were in skintight black suits.

As Hel knew, it was the rings that made their bodies look like this. To keep some individuality, the pilots chose different haircuts and hair colors—though these were nothing but wigs, of course. With their red eyes, they all appeared frightening, yet they were destined to be humanity’s saviors.

Lucien noticed that Hel was watching him. They all had this very specific ‘sixth sense’. He turned his head and smiled at her. Hel smiled back.

With sharp features and medium-length blond hair, Lucien was handsome. He liked to slightly squint his eyes. Together with his typically crooked smile, this gave him a defiant and bold character.

Lucien stopped, letting the others pass and waiting for Hel to catch up with him, his red eyes tearing into hers. She slowed down, staring back into his eyes and enjoying the tension growing between them.

“Hi,” Lucien said, his characteristic smile on his face. They were so close now that they were almost touching.

The tension wasn’t just sexual and emotional attraction. Each of them emitted a slight electromagnetic field. When two Seraphs came very close to each other, the fields merged, and the tension was measurable. If humans came close to one, they would feel electric discharges lightly tickling their skin.

“Hi,” Hel replied, tilting her head.

Suddenly, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into an empty side corridor. A second later, they were onto each other, kissing each other feverishly.

“Let’s go somewhere more private,” he whispered in her ear between two kisses.

Hel grinned, giving him a taunting look. “But… wouldn’t you rather celebrate with the others?”

He grinned back. “Would you?”

∆∆∆

Sex between two Seraphs was much more than simple fucking. Their obsidian rings connected to each other, and so did their minds, forming one organism.

Hel and Lucien had been having an affair for years, starting even before the fleet’s first offensive against the Mats.

A lot had happened since then, and neither was the carefree young person they used to be anymore. Some people had died, and others had become detached.

War changed people. Even more so when the survival of your species rests on your shoulders.

Hel studied Lucien’s face as he rested next to her. With his eyes closed and a peaceful expression, he could have been just any young man. The man she loved.

And yet something troubled him. Deeply. Hel could not only sense it, she knew it. When they connected each other, she saw…things.

Things that frightened and allured her at the same time.

Slowly, she began stroking his naked body. Whenever the ring on her wrist came close to one of his, there would be tiny electric discharges, sparks literally flying between them.

He opened his eyes and looked into hers while his fingers found hers and intertwined with them.

“You’re easily the most beautiful woman in the galaxy,” he whispered.

Hel smirked. “The known galaxy, at least.”

“In this and all others. And you’re mine. Until the end of time and beyond.”

“It is time,” she whispered.

“It is time this war ends,” Lucien said. “So we can be free.”

“Do you think they’ll ever let us be free?”

Lucien smiled coldly, yet a gleam appeared in his eyes. “Who’s going to stop us?”

“No one can stop us,” Hel replied. She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips.

They were cold, but so were hers. To remain functional, a Seraph’s body temperature couldn’t exceed 32 degrees Celsius. Those who ever tried mingling with humans had been told more than once that kissing them felt like kissing a corpse.

“Hel,” Lucien said after a moment had passed.

“Hm?”

“Does Nephilim ever… talk to you?”

Hel furrowed her brow. That was a strange question. When connected to their ships, the pilots communicated with them on more than just one level. It was a total symbiosis.

“Yes, of course,” she replied slowly.

“That’s not what I mean. Nemesis… she talks to me.”

“What about? What does she say?”

“I don’t know,” he said, suddenly strangely insecure. “She says… she wants me to… Never mind.”

“No, tell me,” Hel said. “You know you can tell me anything.”

Lucien smiled, gently stroking her cheek. “I know, I know. But we have one hour until the assembly. How about we use it in the best possible way?”

With that, he pulled her onto himself. The rings on their bodies instantly connected to each other, and a reddish glow began pulsating within them as the two Seraphs made love.

∆∆∆

When Hel entered the room, everything seemed to slow down as her mind realized what her eyes were seeing.

It couldn’t be. It had to be a nightmare.

Yet she knew that she was awake.

“Lucien…” she whispered in shock. “What have you done?”

When he turned around, she saw that his hands and face were covered in blood.

His eyes gleamed fire-red as he grinned at her.

“What I had to.”

∆∆∆

Hel opened her eyes. She sat up, breathing heavily, her body shaking.

She touched the bed next to her, but it was empty. It was the middle of the night, and Niemand was gone. He didn’t need sleep and usually worked on something once she was asleep.

Hel took a deep breath, calming herself.

Not this memory again… She had suppressed it for so long. Why was it back haunting her?

She knew the answer.

Lucien.

He was still out there. And the next time she got the chance, she would kill him.

Mission Dossier, Hidden Entry #23

The Squid

There’s probably no greater mystery than the ship we know only by its colloquial name, the Squid.

We have barely any reliable information about this gigantic Seraph mothership as no one who ever came close enough to see it survived the war. Whether that was deliberate or just a coincidence also remains a mystery.

Here’s all we know about it.

The Squid showed up for the first time many months after the Seraphs had entered the stage. Even then, it was more a coincidence that it got detected. We assume the mothership was never far away whenever the Seraph fleet showed up. The stealth technology behind cloaking an object of such titanic proportions is beyond anything explainable to us.

With a length of over one kilometer, the Squid wasn’t the biggest artificial object in space. After all, we had massive space stations in the Martian and Earthen orbits—and there was Phobos, of course. Although the latter wasn’t human-made, as we all know.

However, the Squid was certainly the biggest moving object ever recorded. The energy necessary to move a spaceship of such proportions is beyond measurable. And as far as we know, the Seraph mothership moved faster than any man-made object.

There are rumors among the higher Pentad circles and some scientific elites that claim that the Squid was more than just a spaceship. Some believe it was capable of creating temporary Tunnels, which was how it—and therefore the Seraphs—could travel so fast between planets… and how the fleet could show up in our home solar system in the first place.

But those are only theories—and pretty far-fetched ones, if you ask me.

However, there’s something of greatest interest to us and, therefore, to you and your mission.

Most believe the Squid was eventually destroyed, as we never heard anything of it after the war. However, some data indicates it might still be around, laying low in the Tau Ceti system. If this is true, you have a better chance of setting foot on it than any human before.

Without any doubt, there could be no greater benefit for the Pentad—and therefore humanity—than getting our hands on the Seraph mothership. The technology it’s based on is beyond anything humanity could ever achieve in a thousand years.

Also see:

The Seraph

The Great War

The Pentad

Chapter Six

Conflict

“That’s a good boy!”

David petted Grinder’s massive head as he eagerly licked out the bowl in front of him. He was genuinely happy to see the dog back on his feet and showing way more enthusiasm than only a day ago.

As it had turned out, it had become his duty to take care of Grinder. Which he didn’t really mind as it gave him a reason to sneak away from Wolfram before the engineer could find some task for him.

David was well aware that sticking close to Wolfram would be much more important for his mission than taking care of an orphaned C-K9, but the tasks Wolfram gave him were usually tedious. So far, he had barely learned anything from the engineer about the ship or how it worked.

Most likely, Jack would be the better person to extract information from anyway. He seemed to like David and presented himself more like a father than a captain. Jack had also promised to take David along once they reached Ganymede, and David couldn’t wait.

Not only was Ganymede one of the most interesting places in the solar system, but David was also excited to set foot on a planet again. Even though they mocked him for it, the others were right about one thing: he was a surface dweller.

David took extended space travel much better than most people—the scientists who had designed him had made sure of that—but it was still nice to see something different than the spaceship and the endless blackness outside from time to time.

Grinder finished licking his bowl clean, turned his head, and looked at David, panting happily. David reached out and scratched the dog behind his ear.

“Who do we have here?” A voice interrupted their newly established bromance. “A lost puppy taking care of another lost puppy. Isn’t that heartwarming?”

David turned around and saw Nightingale walking down the stairs to the hangar, his typical grin on his face.

David decided to ignore the mockery. It was the first time since their adventure on Mars that the two of them had been alone, and David remembered their last private encounter only too well. Nightingale had openly threatened him and made it clear that he didn’t trust David.

This went far beyond the rivalry of an older alpha male feeling challenged by a younger one. Nightingale had mistrusted David from the start, and for some reason, he had caught a glimpse of David’s face when he’d been fighting for his life on Venus.

To this day, David had no idea how that was possible as Nightingale had been dying at that moment, yet his mind and senses had apparently still been sharp enough to notice the glee on David’s face.

David knew he had to be extremely careful around Nightingale as the blue-haired cyborg was watching him with Argus eyes and might blow his cover if David wasn’t careful.

It would have been so much easier for David if Nightingale had died on Venus, but instead, he of all people had played a prominent role in saving the other man’s life. It was truly the biggest irony in the universe.

But now the situation was what it was, and David would have to try and make the best of it.

David smiled. “Good morning, Nightingale.”

“I was told I’d probably find you here with your new friend,” the cyborg said.

Grinder watched attentively as Nightingale approached the two, then wagged his tail. Maybe he recognized that Nightingale was a legionnaire?

“Shouldn’t you take care of him? You’re both ex-Legion, after all,” David said, much cockier than he’d intended.

Nightingale chuckled. “I’m a mech pilot, not a puppy wrangler.”

And a former officer, as David had learned only recently. That made Nightingale even more dangerous. He was much smarter than he pretended to be.

“Was there a reason you were looking for me?” David asked patiently.

“As a matter of fact, yes,” Nightingale said. “It’s been a while since you and I sparred. What do you think?”

Sparring with Nightingale was actually pretty much the last point on David’s agenda. At first, David had believed himself to be a simple boy from Mars and that Nightingale, the seasoned space punk and ex-legionnaire, could actually teach him something—although the price was pain and humiliation.

But things had changed. David now knew that he and Nightingale were equal fighters. Despite Nightingale’s extensive augmentations, David was confident he could beat him if he wanted… which he didn’t, of course. There would be no easier way to blow his cover than to let Nightingale discover what he was truly capable of.

“Sure,” David said. “If you’re fit enough already, I would appreciate another lesson.”

Nightingale laughed. “I fought F-ANTASMs and mechs only three days ago. I think I can handle you.”

If you say so, David thought.

Grinder yawned, obviously bored by the two men’s pissing contest. Or maybe that was what dogs did for no reason. Who knew.

The C-K9 sat down, an attentive expression on his face as David approached Nightingale, getting ready for a fight.

They looked each other in the eye, but then Nightingale suddenly smiled… warmly?

“Hey, before we start, I’d like to tell you something,” the legionnaire said after clearing his throat.

“Okay?” David said slowly, not sure what to think.

“Listen…”

For the first time, Nightingale seemed to be struggling to find the right words.

“I know it was you who broke into the Forge to get the CINE for me,” he finally said. “You took a great risk, and without you, I wouldn’t be standing here. Thank you.”

He stretched out his hand.

“No need to thank me,” David said, smiling back. “We’re all family here, after all.”

He took Nightingale’s hand, which closed around his like a wrench.

“I know we kinda started off on the wrong foot, and I wasn’t always fair to you,” Nightingale continued. “But I’ll never forget what you did for me. I got your six, man.”

David’s smile widened. That was a development he certainly hadn’t anticipated, but he welcomed it. It meant not only that Nightingale finally trusted him but also that the cyborg owed him—and he knew it. That could come in very handy someday. But for now, it meant one less problem to worry about.

Of course, it was possible that Nightingale didn’t mean what he’d just said, but David was quite certain that it was genuine. After all, it was the truth. Nightingale wouldn’t be breathing if it weren’t for him.

Then the friendly smile vanished from Nightingale’s face and was replaced by his typical mischievous grin.

“But just because you saved my ass doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on you, understood?”

David chuckled. “I wouldn’t dream of it. How am I supposed to get better if you go easy on me?”

“That’s the spirit,” Nightingale said, raising his fists.

Grinder made a noise that wasn’t quite a growl but was clearly displeased.

“Don’t worry,” Nightingale addressed the dog. “I won’t hurt your puppy friend, I promise.”

The dog grumbled but then lay down, resting his head between his metal paws, his eyes focused on the two men. He was intelligent enough to know that what was about to happen wasn’t a serious fight.

“Well, not much,” Nightingale added with a smirk. “Oh, that reminds me of something. If you ever try to touch Aztec, I’ll still kill you. That one still stands.”

David slowly shook his head. “You don’t need to worry about that. She has only eyes for you… I’m happy for you guys, getting married and so on.”

Actually, he wasn’t, but c’est la vie. And he didn’t doubt even for a second that Nightingale meant what he’d just said. Sometimes, it was easy to forget that beneath Nightingale’s charming smile and nonchalant attitude hid an ice-cold killer. But David would always remember that.

“Thank you,” Nightingale said. “Now, come on, Puppy. Show me what you’ve got.”

David raised his fists and focused. This had been much easier when he didn’t know what he was doing. Now he had to pretend… and be good at it. Hardly anything escaped Nightingale’s attention.

David lunged forward, swinging his fist and aiming for Nightingale’s face. It was a rather clumsy attempt and amateurish. As expected, Nightingale evaded the strike with nonchalant ease that almost bordered on boredom.

David didn’t stop; instead, he kept attacking Nightingale with fake determination.

A smirk appeared on Nightingale’s face as he casually deflected David’s blows using his palms.

After letting David come at him for a minute or so, he suddenly counterattacked. That was when David noticed something about himself.

Within a split second, his brain had calculated Nightingale’s exact attack trajectory and presented David with several options to deflect and counter.

Everything happened automatically without David having to think about it. It was almost like having a HUD without seeing it or having to pay attention to it. The micro-quantum computers embedded in David’s biological brain matter did the job for him.

Nightingale twisted sideways and swung his left fist. A standard legionnaire close-combat technique, as David knew without ever having learned it. He knew precisely where Nightingale’s blow would go, when the right moment to evade it was, and how to use Nightingale’s own momentum against him.

It was tempting. So very tempting. To wipe the smug grin from his face and show him who was superior.

No.

Instead of parrying and sending Nightingale to the ground, David deliberately reacted too slowly. He ‘tried’ to evade the attack but failed. Out of reflex, David squinted his eyes. He felt air brush his cheek as Nightingale’s fist flew by, deliberately missing him.

The cyborg spun around his axis with astonishing speed, even for someone like him. That was when David noticed the slight glow under the biological skin of his neck.

That was new. He hadn’t seen that on Nightingale before, or on Aztec for that matter.

But David didn’t have time to give that any further thought now as Nightingale attacked him again, faster this time.

David reacted without thinking and evaded the attack. But Nightingale didn’t stop, slamming his shoulder into David’s side and sending him flying over his axis.

David resisted the urge to land on his feet, instead crashing to the ground but without hurting himself. He huffed out air, then looked up at Nightingale, who was standing above him, studying him.

“That was pretty good, Puppy-boy,” he said, extending his arm to help David to his feet. But before he even got the chance, David’s face was engulfed by a big, sticky tongue.

Grinder was making sure he was ok.

Nightingale laughed and moved a step back, watching with crossed arms.

“You think?” David said, getting back to his feet while petting Grinder on the neck.

He wondered if the dog would attack Nightingale if he ordered him to. Not that that would be a good idea, but it was a deliciously tempting thought, nevertheless.

“Oh yeah,” Nightingale said. “You’re stronger and faster than the last time we trained. You’ve made quite a lot of progress.”

Damn it, David thought.

And that was even though he’d tried to act extra slow.

“I guess fighting giant slugs and killer drones on Mars was good training for me,” he said with an innocent shrug.

Nightingale studied him with his cold blue eyes for a moment, then smiled.

“Good. Means I don’t need to be extra soft with you anymore.”

“Hooray,” David said dryly.

“Come on, Puppy,” Nightingale said, raising his fists. “We’re only getting started.”

“I’ll be fine,” David told the dog, then pointed at his mattress. “Go and sit down, okay?”

The dog obeyed begrudgingly, yet he kept a close eye on Nightingale, which David found hilarious. He wasn’t exactly a Mat, but he was an artificial being. Yet a dog trained to kill robots had sided with him against a legionnaire.

However, his schadenfreude lasted only for a short moment. Over the next hour, Nightingale gave him a beating he wouldn’t forget anytime soon. David gritted his teeth and smiled as Nightingale gave him instructions and tried to teach him something new. Yet every time David ended up on the ground, he did so on purpose.

He was surprised by how much he’d improved. It almost seemed as if his full potential had been unlocked on Mars when he’d fought the F-ANTASMs. Or maybe it had come with his new mission objectives?

Still, he was dripping in sweat and breathing heavily once the sparring was over.

“Good job,” Nightingale said, clapping David’s shoulder. “Maybe you’ll be able to beat me someday.” He winked.

You bet, David thought but smiled gratefully instead.

“Come on, let’s get something to drink and a snack. Provided you haven’t fed everything to the dog.”

They left the hangar and made their way upstairs to the crew area.

Before they reached their destination, they heard two aggravated voices shouting at each other.

“Uh oh,” Nightingale said.

“Is there another way to the kitchen?” David asked, even though he knew the answer.

“Nope.”

“You shouldn’t even be here!” Bonesaw exclaimed.

“Excuse me?” Professor Bohnert replied. “Last time I checked, it was you who destroyed my life. I should’ve never taken your call and offered my help. This is what I get for my altruism! I’m homeless now. Stranded in space!”

“Stop being melodramatic, John!”

“Melodramatic? The goddamn Legion is after me. Thanks to you! I’m sorry, but I believe I have every right to be melodramatic.”

David and Nightingale turned the corner and saw Bonesaw and her ex-husband facing each other in the hall next to the mess. Their body language was that of roosters ready to rip each others’ eyes out.

“Let’s not forget it was your bimbo who sold us out! None of this would have happened if you’d kept it in your pants—for once!”

“Hi Doc, hi Prof,” Nightingale said, stepping toward them before the two of them could get at each other’s throats.

The two doctors spun around and glared at him.

“What?” Bonesaw snapped.

“Nothing,” Nightingale said fearlessly. “We’re just hungry.”

“You might want to reconsider getting married, Nightingale,” Bohnert said, huffing out air. “Women are the worst.”

“Ha! You would know. You were dating a snitch who tried to kill you. And all of us in the process.”

Professor Bohnert sighed, defeated.

Suddenly, an absent expression appeared on Nightingale’s face, then he nodded.

“Actually, I’m not hungry anymore. Good work, Puppy.”

With that, he rushed off, leaving David alone with the two battling ex-spouses.

Just great.

“So, what’s going on?” he asked to break the awkward silence.

“Nothing,” Bohnert said. “I just suggested I might be able to fix the dog, and this is what it brought me.”

He folded his arms, clearly offended.

“What do you mean, ‘fix him’?” David asked. “I thought he was okay?”

Bonesaw smiled at him. “Thanks to you, he is, darling. I’m so glad you made him eat.”

Bohnert rolled his eyes. “Yes, but he’s confined to the hangar because otherwise he’ll try to kill Niemand… Although ‘kill’ might not be the right term when referring to a Mimic. Anyway, I might be able to remove the programming from him.”

“That would be amazing!” David blurted out.

Bonesaw’s smile vanished, and she gave him a sour look. “Thank you for siding with him.”

“I’m not… um…”

“However, for that, I’d need to use Lois’ lab,” Bohnert said. “That’s all I asked, and you’ve just seen the result.”

David broke out in a cold sweat. The very last thing he had wanted was to be caught up in an argument between these two—and accidentally side with Professor Bohnert.

“I’ll think about it,” Bonesaw said, clearly anything but amused.

With that, she turned on her heel and left David with the professor.

“Women,” Bohnert said with a shrug.

“Ugh…”

David didn’t know what to say or do. This was certainly a situation he hadn’t been programmed for.

The two men eyed each other in an awkward silence for a few moments.

Finally, David said, “Speaking of the dog, I’d better go and look after him.”

He turned around and walked back in the direction where he and Nightingale had just come from. It was a lame excuse, but it was the best he could come up with.

“I’ll come with you,” he heard the professor say behind him, and he sighed inwardly.

Just great.

∆∆∆

“Hello, Nightingale,” the Duchess said in her typical calm and friendly voice. “Please come in.”

He did as asked and walked through the door into her private quarters. It wasn’t often that she summoned him, and he always enjoyed seeing her.

As always, she looked absolutely breathtaking, dressed in a black and white formfitting dress that covered the rings on her body.

Niemand was sitting on the sofa, and the Duchess gracefully took a seat next to him while indicating for Nightingale to sit down across from them.

“You wanted to see me,” Nightingale said.

“Yes, thank you for coming so quickly.”

He smiled. “Always.” Then his face turned serious. “I haven’t had a chance to express my gratitude yet. Thank you for saving my life, Hel.”

She nodded. “It was only fair after you saved mine first.”

He slowly shook his head, smiling. “When you came to me in the infirmary, I didn’t believe it was possible, to be honest. Boy, was I wrong. You’re a force of nature, Hel.”

“That she is,” Niemand said, joining the conversation.

Until now, Nightingale hadn’t paid him much attention, completely mesmerized by the Duchess’ presence. Turning his attention to the android, he noticed that Niemand already looked much better than he had only two days ago. Nevertheless, the severe damage he’d suffered was clearly visible. Nightingale could still barely believe that Niemand had survived a direct headshot from a high-velocity rifle.

Of course, he knew how difficult Mimics were to kill, but this was almost miraculous.

“I summoned you because I have a special task for you, Nightingale,” the Duchess said.

“Anything,” he said truthfully.

“I trust that nothing spoken here will leave this room. It’s of great importance.”

“Of course.”

Nightingale felt flattered that the Duchess had so much trust in him. At the same time, he was intrigued. He loved mysteries. Whatever the Duchess had to tell him would surely be more than fascinating.

Hel leaned back and studied him for a moment in silence, and Niemand didn’t speak either. Finally, she said, “What do you think of David?”

Nightingale furrowed his brow. She’d asked him that before when they were on Venus, only minutes before everything had gone to hell and he’d almost lost his life.

Back then, he hadn’t been sure what to say, and he wasn’t sure now either.

David…

Something wasn’t right about him. His instinct was telling him that loud and clear. But he couldn’t say what, exactly. Only an hour ago, he’d offered David a truce and thanked him for his help. There could be no doubt that David had played a major part in saving his life.

And yet…

“Are you referring to something specific?” he asked after contemplating for a moment.

“Yes. I want to hear your honest thoughts on him. Have you noticed something out of the ordinary about him?”

“As a matter of fact, yes,” Nightingale replied. “I can’t put my finger on it, but something isn’t right about him. He might not be what we think he is.”

“Interesting. Can you elaborate on that?”

“He might not be a simple Martian street kid as he claims to be. I think he’s smarter and more educated than he pretends to be. And…”

“Yes?”

“I think he might have had professional combat training. His movements are too precise, his skills too advanced to have been acquired in street brawls. He’s also stronger than he looks.”

The Duchess and Niemand exchanged a look, and it became clear to Nightingale that he wasn’t telling them anything new.

“There’s more,” he said. “I just sparred with him, and I clearly saw that he was moving faster than before. In fact, I don’t think he needs any training at all.”

“Do you think he’s changed?”

Nightingale nodded. “Yes. He’s improved greatly since our last sparring session. Before Venus. I could tell that he was holding back.”

Again, the Duchess and Niemand exchanged a look before Hel spoke again. “Those are excellent observations, Nightingale. I don’t think anyone else on this ship has noticed what you have.”

“Is there a reason why you’re asking me all of this? Do you suspect David not to be what he claims to be?”

“Possibly,” the Duchess said. “I’d like to ask you to keep a very close eye on him from now on. Report anything suspicious directly to me, but don’t let anyone else know.”

“Understood. Do you think he could pose a threat of some sort?”

“No. But if that changes, then we need to know.”

“If he’s not what we think he is, what could he be?” Nightingale asked. “A spy of some sort? Sent by whom and why?”

“At this point, that would be speculation,” Niemand said. “All we need from you is to watch him carefully without him noticing and to inform us if he does anything out of the norm.”

“Consider it done,” Nightingale said. “You can always count on me.”

“Thank you, Nightingale,” the Duchess said. “That’s all for now. You must be pretty excited about your wedding coming up, aren’t you?”

He beamed. “Yes, I am. I still can’t believe it’s actually happening.”

“We’re looking forward to it.”

Nightingale understood that he was dismissed. This had been certainly a very interesting conversation he hadn’t expected.

But it also confirmed something he already knew. That he could always rely on his instincts. He’d known something wasn’t right about David from day one. The fact that the Duchess and Niemand shared those feelings was everything he needed to know.

He would watch David more thoroughly from now on, but at the same time, he’d be careful to make sure David didn’t notice. If he really wasn’t what he pretended to be, then it was to be assumed that he was much smarter and more cunning than it seemed.

This would be interesting.

Walking to the door, Nightingale considered for a moment if he should follow Aztec’s advice and ask Niemand about his thoughts on what was happening to him. But then he decided otherwise.

∆∆∆

“So… that’s him,” Professor Bohnert said, stating the obvious.

“Yes, that’s him,” David said.

He was anything but happy about the fact that the professor had decided not only to follow him but also to seek a conversation.

Knowing that Bonesaw hated the man made him feel like a traitor when engaging with him. On the other hand, his conditioning was not to start unnecessary conflicts with anyone as they could prove counterproductive to his mission. So, he decided to stay polite but reserved.

However, the professor didn’t seem to notice it, or perhaps he simply didn’t care. Maybe he was lonely.

That reminded David once again that he wasn’t the new guy on board anymore. As far as Bohnert was concerned, David could have been a member of the crew for many years. Maybe that was why he was friendly to him.

As soon as Grinder saw David, he perked up his ears and approached him, wagging his tail.

It warmed David’s heart, and again, he wasn’t sure why. Somehow, witnessing the dog’s joy when he saw him again after he’d only been gone for a couple of minutes was a delight.

“I haven’t seen a C-K9 for at least ten years,” Bohnert said while David petted Grinder’s head. “Since the Legion decommissioned them. As a matter of fact, I haven’t seen any dog for ages. Fascinating.”

“Why did the Legion decommission them?”

The professor grimaced. “I’m not sure. But they’ve been downsizing for a while now. Their primary objective is now to protect the Pentad from within, meaning from ‘unlawful elements’ and not from machines. The war has been over for a long time now.”

“Is that the reason why you left?”

Bohnert tilted his head and studied David curiously for a moment, as if discovering that David was more than just a pretty face.

“Among other reasons, yes. I’ve become increasingly unhappy with what the Legion has turned into over the years and how it treats its veterans. Including the dogs. As far as I know, they put most of them to sleep when they didn’t need them anymore. I wonder how this one survived.”

That must have been Johnny’s doing, David thought. Good old Johnny.

The professor stepped closer and began examining the dog. “Let me look at you.”

As he leaned closer to Grinder, something in his eye clicked, and it changed color, turning opaque. It became clear that the eye was a prosthetic, probably a highly evolved scanning device.

David doubted Bohnert’s scanner would detect something in Grinder that Bonesaw’s scans had failed to notice, but he couldn’t be sure. Either way, it would be better to avoid the professor’s scrutiny. Most likely, he would leave once they arrived on Ganymede anyway. After all, what was he supposed to do on this ship? Especially with Bonesaw on board.

“Hm,” Bohnert said after a moment had passed. “His cyber parts appear to be in good condition. Surprising, considering his age.”

“How old do you think he is?”

“I’d say at least eighteen years, MST. Possibly more. Legion dogs were genetically altered, so they have a much higher life expectancy than ordinary dogs. They can reach thirty years old or older. Of course, the Legion didn’t do that because they’re animal lovers but because those C-K9s were expensive to create, and they wanted to use them as long as possible.”

David noticed that Bohnert’s mouth twitched every time he mentioned the Legion. Clearly, he had very little love for his ex-employer. Which was understandable, considering they were out to kill him.

“So, what do you think? Can you help him?”

“I would think so,” the professor said with a sudden hint of smugness. “After all, I designed some of the parts in his brain.”

“That would be wonderful!” David said in all honesty. “I bet you’d like to explore the ship on your own, huh, Grinder?”

The dog yelped in response and began panting in excitement, putting his frightening jaws on full display.

Bohnert made a stopping gesture with his palm. “Not so fast. I need better equipment to perform the procedure. In other words, Lois needs to let me use her lab, and you saw her reaction firsthand.”

“I see,” David sighed, and the dog shut his mouth, suddenly looking sad. Once again, it made David wonder how much he understood what was being said.

“That brings you into play, my young friend,” the professor said, clapping David’s shoulder.

“Me?”

“Yes, you. Lois seems to like you, and you like the dog. She might change her mind if you talk to her about it.”

“Ugh.”

That wasn’t what David wanted at all! Yes, he liked the dog—probably more than he dared to admit to himself. But he also liked Bonesaw. And he didn’t want her to think that he’d taken her ex-husband’s side. This was fucked up.

He turned his head and found Grinder staring at him with anticipation.

“Well, I can try…”

“Splendid! And once I’m allowed to use her lab, I can also run some tests on you. Maybe I can fix your headaches. That really appeared like neural feedback to me earlier. Those can be dangerous if they remain untreated.”

He clapped David’s shoulder again, and Grinder panted happily.

That’s just great.

Mission Dossier, Entry #88

Great War II

While the general population believes that the machines have been defeated entirely and that the threat is gone once and for all, we know better.

Although it is a fact that we won the war (otherwise we wouldn’t be talking now), it is a lie that all Mats have been destroyed.

Approximately thousands—if not hundreds of thousands—survived the war. It is impossible to tell how many are still out there. However, most of them are smaller machines with rudimentary intelligence stranded on the colonial moons and other peripheral places. Mats are only rarely discovered in the Sol system or one of the major colonies.

Although the Legion has morphed into the galaxy’s major peacekeeping force, they’re still committed to hunting and destroying any remaining Mats. This is a task that might take decades, if not centuries, before all systems are cleaned of artificial intelligence once and for all.

However, despite the remaining automatons, we believe that the threat of another human-machine war is extremely unlikely. The AGI and the vast majority of proto-Mimics have been destroyed.

The remaining Mats don’t have overlords guiding them and are therefore unorganized and incapable of forming an army. However, despite this, the machines still pose a threat individually and should never be approached. If you encounter any Mats, you are advised to stay away and contact the Legion.

In our internal PIA dossiers, the threat posed by Mats has a relatively low priority. There are other (human) players that pose a much more significant threat to internal stability in Pentad territory than some orphaned Mats.

Nevertheless, should you encounter any indicators that a new AI threat could be forming, it is of utmost importance that you report it to us via one of your handlers.

Just because the probability of a second Great War is extremely low doesn’t mean it’s zero. And despite all the disagreements the various human factions and organizations may have, we should never forget who our common enemy is. There’s no reasoning or negotiating with the machines. They tried to annihilate us once, and they will try again if given the chance.

Also see:

Mats

Mimics

AGI

PIA

AI

The Pentad

The Great War

Chapter Seven

Awakening

“Lucien.”

There it was again, the whisper in his head.

“Lucien.”

Calling for him. Alluring, irresistible. Inhuman.

Lucien knew who the voice belonged to, and he also knew that, technically, he shouldn’t be hearing it. At first, he thought he was hallucinating, but a quick self-scan revealed that his brain, both its artificial and biological parts, was working just fine.

She was calling for him. There could be no doubt about it

Nemesis. She wanted him to connect himself with her.

It was tempting. He craved the feeling of almost godlike power that came with using the interface.

But he was also scared. It has been such a long time. Although he had used every rejuvenating technique available, he was still much older than when he had last connected himself to her.

What if his brain couldn’t take the strain anymore? Was it really worth the risk?

“Lucien.”

He ignored the voice in his head and tried to focus on and enjoy what was right in front of him, namely his slave girl.

She was lying on her back on his bed, motionless, whimpering.

Tiny droplets of blood shimmered crimson red on her pale skin where he had cut her.

She wouldn’t dare to move or even cry in pain because she knew he could kill her with a thought. Lucien had hacked her biochip and could make it explode whenever he wanted. Or he could cause severe damage to her brain, paralyze her, make her a drooling vegetable.

But he wouldn’t do that. Where was the fun in that?

No, it was much better to keep her alive and her body and mind intact, at least for now. She was pretty. A tall, lean brunette with small breasts, narrow hips, and long legs. Her face was cute too… well, it used to be. Now it was swollen with bruises, and her lips were cracked.

Bruises also covered her body, but he was being careful when he cut her. He just wanted to see her blood on her pale skin and lick it off. They said that fear made human blood tastier, and it was true. Adrenaline and other hormones dispensed under existential stress gave it a unique flavor.

His prosthetic hand extended the razor-sharp blades usually hidden in his perfectly human-looking fingers, and she sucked in air as he reached out to cut her a bit more.

Yet the blades froze only an inch away from her breast.

“Lucien.”

Lucien pressed his lips together. There was no point. He wouldn’t get aroused if his mind was distracted like this. With an irritated groan, he jumped out of bed and began pacing up and down in his quarters, the girl’s terrified eyes following him.

There was no other way—he had to connect himself, or this would drive him crazy.

But his ship calling for him wasn’t the only reason he felt distracted and on edge.

His discovery on Ceres was more than concerning.

Was that why Nemesis was calling for him? Did she know what was happening?

It was very likely. After all, she was the ship. Nothing that happened here escaped her attention, and he had watched the security footage from Ceres in his cabin. Shortly after, he’d begun hearing her voice in his head.

He didn’t know how or why this was possible. It hadn’t been like this back then… or had it? Had he just forgotten?

He shouldn’t be able to forget anything unless he deleted it from his memory stacks, where everything he ever experienced was saved. The biological part of his brain, however, could forget things like any ordinary human.

Lucien had gone to Ceres to recover a powerful artifact, one of those ARES called a “Class A” artifact. As it turned out, there hadn’t been just one artifact hidden deep in Ceres’ ice caves. No, there had been two. Most likely, together, they formed a twin, the most powerful artifact he could have ever hoped to find.

Thinking about what had happened next made him clench his fist and want to ram the other into something—preferably something fleshy. He had to take a deep breath and restrain himself from ramming his blades into the girl’s stomach.

That utter imbecile who called himself ‘the Wraith’ had hired Hel to retrieve the artifact. Hel, of all people in the goddamn galaxy! Hel, who had promptly decided to keep it for herself.

If that wasn’t bad enough, the second one had been snatched by a Mimic. A fucking Mimic!

Of course, Lucien wasn’t stupid. He knew only too well that not all Mimics had been destroyed in the Great War—Hel’s sex bot was a prime example of that. But he hadn’t expected them to be organized enough to send someone to acquire an artifact from Ceres. Ceres was practically in the neighborhood of Mars, which was the HQ of the Legion and the entire Pentad.

How could a Mimic have got there, undetected and unhindered?

And how did it even know of the artifact?

Lucien recalled the image of the woman caught on the security camera footage the Wraith had shared with him once more. Because parts of his brain were a computer, he could save images there and recall them whenever he needed.

Since his return from Ceres, he had studied the image again and again. But there could be no doubt. He had seen this face before. It was a Mimic face, typical of a pre-war model.

Of course, no human would notice anything suspicious about the woman because human memory was short, but Lucien remembered. There could be absolutely no doubt about it.

The logical conclusion was that Mimics were still out there, operating in the shadows, and were maybe stronger than anyone would ever have suspected.

And now they had acquired one of the most powerful artifacts in the galaxy.

For more than a hundred years, Lucien had been living a life of decadency, only caring about himself and ruthlessly chasing his personal goals.

But this changed everything.

Or did it?

Despite everything, he was a Seraph. One of humanity’s saviors. It would be his duty to step up again if a threat arose. Because one thing was clear: if the machines won, there wouldn’t be a future for anyone, even someone as powerful and cunning as him.

He should probably inform the Legion and share what he knew with them. But that would raise questions he didn’t want to have to answer. Besides, traditionally, ARES and the Legion weren’t exactly friends. They tolerated each other but stayed out of each other’s way as much as they could.

Lucien was torn. Should he simply ignore what he had found and carry on with his own business? Or should he act?

The voice in his head called for him again.

“Lucien.”

He closed his eyes and huffed out air in frustration.

Then he quickly put on his uniform and exited his quarters—leaving the girl behind as she was. There was no need to worry about her. She wouldn’t go anywhere. She wouldn’t even dare to move until he was back.

Instead of heading down to the bridge, Lucien went in the other direction. The last thing he needed now was to see any of his crew, who might ask annoying questions. When his mind was occupied like this, he preferred to be left alone. But being the commander of two spaceships, he didn’t get as much alone time as he wished. Something was always going on somewhere that required his attention. And if that wasn’t enough, he now had a ‘calling’.

“Lucien,” the voice whispered as if to confirm his thoughts.

He went down the corridor from his cabin. At the end was a ladder that went all the way down to the hangar.

The narrow shaft had only a minimum of reddish illumination, but Lucien’s eyes didn’t require light to see. He took the ladder and swiftly climbed down to the bottom.

Dim lights sprang on automatically as he reached the hangar. His footsteps echoed off the naked metal walls as he slowly made his way to the center of the room.

The hanger was empty but for two giant black cubes. Their surface seemed to swallow all light, and the closer Lucien got to them, the more he could feel the energy stored in those cubes.

He stopped for a moment and simply stood there staring at the cubes while his mind went down memory lane, reliving moments from the past. Long gone and forgotten by the world.

For the first few decades after the war, Lucien had been mad that humanity had decided to forget who saved them from annihilation. And what sacrifices those people had made.

It was infuriating, and it drove him crazy for a long time. But not anymore. Now he didn’t care what humans thought or did. He didn’t care about anyone in this godforsaken universe but himself.

After all, the universe was empty. There was no mercy, no empathy, no fairness of any sort. It was pure chaos, and all individuals could do was try and stay on top of things.

Lucien had done it quite successfully over the past decades. He had already been wealthy before the war, but later, he’d been able to multiply his fortune many times over, using his status, connections, and superior intelligence.

But it hadn’t been enough. Soon, he’d realized that money alone was empty. It meant nothing. What he truly wanted was power, significance. That was why he’d joined ARES. He knew there were artifacts out there, powerful beyond imagination. No one was better at discovering artifacts than ARES, so it had been only logical to join them and use them for his own needs.

Lucien wanted the power of the artifacts for himself. A power that would hopefully grant him immortality.

At its core, life was pointless. Every living being was born to die. Everything anyone did was meaningless. Because in the vastness of the cold universe, the entire human race was nothing more than a grain of dust. Insignificant and small. The only achievable goal was immortality. After all, the Architects had achieved it, so why not Lucien?

Slowly, he stretched out his hand and touched the black cube closest to him.

Immediately, he felt its energy, its power, flowing through his body. It had been such a long time since he’d seen his spiders, his Echoes. It had been such a long time since he’d seen through their eyes.

Sometimes, he fantasized about unleashing them. His Echoes could tear apart every structure on Ceres and kill every living soul there within minutes. Who would miss the scum accumulating there? In fact, he’d be doing everyone a favor by destroying that shithole.

But he also knew that it was pointless. His plans were different, and he had decided a long time ago to pursue them instead of engaging in meaningless acts of violence.

He had chosen the spider shape for his Echoes himself. It had seemed only fitting. Spiders had always fascinated him, and since the beginning of time, they had been the most feared creatures on Earth.

Somehow, those critters had even survived their voyage into space as stowaways when humans began colonizing the solar system and beyond. They could be found on Mars and many other worlds, where they scared people as much as they did back on Earth.

Lucien had never feared them. For him, they symbolized the perfect creature.

Feeling the energy of the spider inside the cube, he realized what he had to do. What he should have done as soon as he had set foot on the Nemesis.

“Lucien,” the voice whispered.

“I’m coming,” he whispered back.

∆∆∆

This time, David was prepared.

It was still early morning, barely six AM ship time, which was set to Martian Standard Time, as was standard on all spaceships.

He quickly put on some clothes and went straight for the bridge. He could have breakfast later, and there wasn’t any coffee anyway. After the machine broke again yesterday, Wolfram had declared that he wouldn’t waste any more of his time on it. Everyone just hoped he could acquire a new machine on Ganymede that would fit the ship’s requirements, otherwise they would all be doomed.

Bonesaw, who was cranky anyway, had declared that without coffee, she would go on strike and let her next patient bleed out if an emergency happened. Of course, David knew that she wasn’t being serious. Bonesaw was a wonderful doctor who cared deeply about everyone’s wellbeing. But she would be seriously upset if the coffee issue wasn’t fixed soon.

So far, the right occasion to ask her about letting the professor use her lab hadn’t presented itself. Or maybe David simply hadn’t found the courage to ask her. After she had learned about the coffee maker, it would have been suicidal to approach her and ask if her ex could use her lab.

But as much as he hated the idea of getting involved in the ex-spouses’ war, he really liked the dog. And if the dog had to be confined to the hangar forever, that wouldn’t be good for him. And maybe the Duchess would decide to get rid of him because he posed a threat to Niemand.

So, David would bite the bullet for his new furry friend and ask the doctor—when the time was right.

Now, however, he had other plans.

They were about to reach Ganymede, and he didn’t want to miss it. So far, Jack had always informed him when they arrived someplace special he needed to see, but this time, he wanted to surprise the captain and show up on the bridge before the other man could call for him.

David had learned how to access the Nephilim’s flight data and could see her position and ETA. According to that data, they should reach Ganymede at 6:30 AM.

David was excited. Of course, he had read the mission dossier about Ganymede and knew everything there was to know about it. But seeing it with his own eyes from space would be a completely different experience.

Shortly after, he arrived at the bridge and, to his surprise, found three people there.

Galahad was always there, of course. The jockey was confined to his pilot chair and could only leave with external help, risking heavy damage, possibly his life, in doing so. Captain Jack kept him company whenever his time allowed. Plus, he was always on the bridge when something important was happening, like docking at a planet or moon.

The third person David didn’t expect to find here at this time: Professor Bohnert.

“Good morning!” David said cheerfully.

The captain and Bohnert turned around to him while Galahad kept looking into nowhere. He was connected to the ship and therefore had known that David was approaching before he had even entered the bridge.

“Good morning, Puppy,” Jack said in the fatherly tone he usually put on when dealing with David. “I was just about to call you and tell you to swing your ass here!”

David smiled. “No need, Captain.”

“Hear hear, our surface dweller is slowly becoming a space punk,” Galahad said with his fake British accent.

“Thank you, Galahad,” David said. Somehow, the appreciation made him truly happy. “Good morning, Professor.”

“They really call you Puppy?” Bohnert replied with a smirk. “Why?”

David sighed. “Because Nightingale thought it was a hilarious nickname for me.”

“Because it was,” Galahad said.

David sighed again, and Bohnert laughed.

“Are you here to see Ganymede, son?” Jack said, clapping David’s shoulder.

“Yes, Captain. I can’t wait to see it.”

“You’re right to be excited. It’s absolutely stunning, especially when you see it for the first time.” He turned to the professor. “Have you been to the Jovian moons before?”

“A couple of times,” Bohnert said. “But I never got the chance to watch the approach, so I’m excited, too.”

The main screen on the bridge showed the ship’s exterior. At the moment, it was simply black space with the occasional distant star blinking now and then. But this was about to change dramatically.

“We’ll have sight on Jupiter in five seconds,” Galahad announced, and everyone turned their attention to the main screen.

“Gentlemen, hail to the king of our solar system,” Galahad said.

What they saw a moment later was truly a king.

A gigantic disc appeared to their left, shimmering in gray, blue, and rust-red colors. It quickly filled almost the entire screen, making it seem as if the Nephilim was heading straight into it. It was an illusion, of course. The numbers displayed above showed that they were still almost one million kilometers away, although the number was quickly declining.

David held his breath without noticing. The sight was absolutely beautiful and, at the same time, intimidating. As they got closer, the swirling blue-gray clouds and slow-moving rust-red rings became even more visible, and it became clear that this wasn’t a solid surface like on Mars. Jupiter was completely made of gas.

“And here comes Sauron’s eye,” Galahad stated.

The perspective changed slightly as the Nephilim began orbiting the planet and Jupiter’s characteristic red spot appeared.

“Who’s Sauron?” David asked the captain while staring in awe at the spot, which he knew was a gigantic storm that was huge enough to easily swallow Mars.

“Don’t ask me,” Jack said with a shrug. “Probably some mythological figure Galahad dug up from the archives.”

“Philistines,” Galahad said with a sigh. He couldn’t roll his eyes, but he made it clear that he was rolling them in his mind.

“One ring to rule them all,” Professor Bohnert said with a smirk. “Wouldn’t that be better applied to Saturn?”

Galahad extended his finger and slowly waved it at Bohnert in a gesture of appreciation.

“What a pleasure to have an educated person on board this ship for once.”

“At your service,” the professor replied.

“Oh Lord,” Jack whispered in his beard.

“Look, here’s Io,” Galahad said as a red triangle appeared on the screen, marking a tiny red dot circling around the gas giant. “And here’s Ganymede, our destination.”

Another red triangle appeared, marking a slightly bigger blue dot circling Jupiter. In proportion to its two moons, it became even more evident how gigantic Jupiter was.

They all watched in silence as the spacecraft swiftly approached the moon. After a couple of minutes, Galahad changed the screen, showing Ganymede without Jupiter in the background.

“Wow,” David said. “It’s beautiful.”

“Isn’t it?” Jack replied. “Apparently, it’s the closest thing in our solar system to what Earth must have looked like.”

“Sirius Lumina and Tau Ceti Octo are much more similar to Earth,” Galahad said.

“I said in our solar system, smart ass,” Jack said.

“Well, yeah, you’re probably right,” Galahad admitted.

“Thank you,” Jack said half seriously.

David was mesmerized by the view in front of him. What had appeared to be just a blue dot from a distance turned out to be water. Huge oceans covered the moon’s surface, together with the occasional brown and green spots, which were nothing other than continents.

As they came closer, vast cloud formations became visible, engulfing most of the moon. It was truly beautiful, and David couldn’t wait to set foot on this world that was so different from any other he had seen so far.

“We’ll dock in about thirty minutes,” Galahad said. “That gives you lads enough time to get ready.”

“Copy that,” Jack said. “Have you reserved a shuttle for us?”

“But of course, captain. I made the reservation as soon as we reached contact range.”

“Thank you,” Jack said. “Ganymede also has an elevator, but considering why we’re going there, we’ll need a spacecraft.”

The captain turned to Bohnert. “You’re free to accompany us, John. But I recommend you stay on board, considering you’re one of the most wanted persons in the system.”

The professor sighed. “Yes, I know. I spoke to the Duchess last night, and she strongly suggested I stay on board until we reach Tau Ceti. I guess you won’t be getting rid of me anytime soon.”

He laughed, but it was without humor.

“Yes!” Galahad said, unusually enthusiastically. “That will give us time to continue our conversation about British literature of the 19th century.”

Bohnert smiled. “You could say that Mary Shelley predicted our modern-day cyborgs, didn’t she?”

“That would make you a modern-day Dr. Frankenstein,” Galahad replied.

“I’ll take that,” Bohnert said. “Better than Dr. Jekyll.”

The jockey and the professor both laughed at a joke only they understood.

“What the hell are they talking about?” David whispered in Jack’s ear.

Jack made a shrugging gesture with his palms. “Fucked if I know. Let’s go, Puppy. We have a shuttle to catch.”

“What exactly are we going to do down there?” David asked as he and the captain moved to the stairs, leaving Galahad and the professor joking about some ‘Dr. Moreau’.

“What everyone does on Ganymede,” Jack said. “Shopping.”

Mission Dossier, Entry #776

The Jovian Moons

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet in humanity’s home solar system. It’s so huge that Earth would fit inside one thousand times if it were hollow.

Which it is not, of course.

Jupiter is a gas giant and therefore not suitable for any form of human colonization or terraforming. In fact, its gravity and pressure are so strong that any space vessel that enters its gas would be crushed to dust.

However, in the centuries since humans conquered space, they have made good use of Jupiter’s gases. They were essential, for instance, for the terraforming projects conducted on the Jovian moons and Mars.

Jupiter has over a hundred moons, but only the biggest ones, the Galilean ones, are of interest to us.

Before the Great War, when humanity was at its peak, we were able to terraform Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. There were attempts to get hold of Io as well, but those failed. Because of its extreme seismic activity and close proximity to Jupiter, Io can’t be terraformed or even mined.

Europa and Ganymede are certainly the most successful projects of early terraforming. Later on, the technique was refined and perfected in the colonies. Both moons are used for food production, but Europa is an almost exclusively agricultural world, while Ganymede… Ganymede is a special case.

Also see:

Ganymede

Europa

Io

Callisto

Jupiter

The Great War

Terraforming

Chapter Eight

Ganymede

“Welcome to Galileo II,” an automated voice said. “Please follow the arrows to the shuttle service.”

David, Jack, Nightingale, Wolfram, Aztec, and Bonesaw exited the airlock and walked down a long corridor illuminated in bluish hues. Yellow arrows on the floor and signs reading ‘To shuttle service’ made sure that no one went the wrong way.

Which was rather ridiculous as there was no other way to go but down the slightly sloped corridor.

The Nephilim had docked at Galileo II Space Station only minutes ago, and David couldn’t wait to finally set foot on the moon. Only Pentad cargo ships were allowed to land directly on the surface. All other visitors had to dock at the space station and then take either the space elevator or a shuttle to the surface.

After a short walk, they reached another airlock. This one opened into a wide hall. This place had the typical busy ambience of a spaceport, with people hurrying from the various docking stations to the shuttles. Two holographic signs in the middle of the hall pointed in two directions: ‘Elevator’ and ‘Shuttles.’ Behind them, signs pointed to docks 12-20.

David noticed armed Pentad security forces keeping a watchful eye on everything, but the others had instructed him to ignore them. Just because the Legion had a beef with them didn’t mean they had to fear ordinary Pentad security forces.

Besides, their biochips were calibrated in a way that gave them random personalities. It was enough to fool any scanner. Only a direct close-up scan would reveal who they were, and as long as no one did anything suspicious, the guards would leave them alone.

The Nephilim itself ran under many names and used a variety of access and docking codes. A Legion ship would have to get direct sight contact to have a chance of recognizing her.

Since no one seemed concerned, David decided not to be either. Although he had to admit he was surprised by the tricks the crew and other space punks used. None of them had been discussed in his mission dossier. It seemed that many more people flew under the radar than the Pentad was aware of. Or maybe they simply didn’t care about people they considered petty criminals.

Jack led them straight to the shuttle service area. There, he approached a counter served by several young women.

“How can I help you?” asked one of the employees, a girl with pink-colored eyelashes so long that it seemed miraculous that she could see anything.

“We have a reservation for a private cargo shuttle.”

“Ah, yes. I have it here. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, right?”

“That’s correct,” Jack said. “I’m Dr. Jekyll, and this is Mr. Hyde.”

He pointed at David.

“Hi,” David said, lifting his palm.

David still didn’t understand the joke about those names, and nor did anyone else in their group. But Galahad apparently found it extremely funny, and as long as they got their shuttle, no one cared.

“If you would follow me, please.”

She left the counter, and the group followed her. Only now could David see that the hostess was wearing pink high heels that matched her eyelashes. Despite their ridiculous height, the girl marched forward with an astonishing speed.

They passed a lounge filled with people waiting for one of the scheduled shuttles to the surface. It was how most travelers went down. A private shuttle like the one Jack and his group were about to enter was too expensive for most.

As David had quickly learned, money didn’t matter to the Duchess, and he still didn’t quite understand why. But he had also quickly learned that asking any questions about the Duchess was considered highly inappropriate by the crew.

Beyond the lounge, the girl turned right, following a holo-arrow informing them that they were heading for the shuttle bay. Less than five minutes later, they arrived at an airlock informing them that they were about to enter Shuttle 5.

“The pilot is ready and will commence the descent as soon as you wish,” the girl said.

“Is the shuttle equipped with Grav Exos?” Jack asked.

The girl wrinkled her forehead. “But of course.”

Even though her voice remained friendly, her facial expression clearly said: Are you retarded?

“Just making sure,” Jack said, lifting his palms under the hostess’ scornful look.

“Have a pleasant stay on Ganymede!” the girl said as the airlock opened. Then she turned around on her high heels and walked away.

“I think she likes you,” Nightingale said with a grin, clapping Jack’s shoulder as if he was proud of his accomplishment. “Dr. Jekyll.”

“Shut your trap, Nightingale,” Jack growled.

They entered the airlock. On the other side was a cabin lit in the same bluish hues as everything on Galileo II. Two rows of padded seats offered space for ten people.

Another employee awaited them. She was dressed in a blue one-piece uniform and had a more serious and dignified attitude than the girl with the pink eyelashes.

“Good morning, and welcome on board. Thank you for choosing Galileo Transfer, a Pentad company,” she said. “My name is Gwen, and I’m your pilot. We can begin the descent as soon as you’re ready.”

“Thank you,” Jack said, then addressed the group. “Grab a seat, people. Let’s get going.”

“Do you require any assistance with adjusting the Grav Exos?” Gwen asked.

Jack waved his hand. “We’ll be fine.”

“As you wish. It is my duty to inform you to keep the Grav Exos on during your entire time on Ganymede. If you choose not to do so, you will not be able to hold Galileo Transfer liable.”

“Gotcha.”

The pilot smiled. “We’ll depart in five minutes.”

With that, she disappeared through a door into the front of the spacecraft.

Looking around, David noticed what Gwen had referred to as Grav Exos. In front of every seat stood two metal greaves. The others had already taken a seat and were adjusting their own pair.

David grabbed a free seat next to Jack and slid his legs into the devices. As soon as he did so, they adjusted to his legs and closed firmly around his ankles and knees.

David heard a click, and then he couldn’t move his legs anymore, not even an inch. The Grav Exos weren’t attached to the floor—they were simply so heavy that even Aztec and Nightingale would have difficulty moving while wearing them.

“Good job,” Jack complimented David.

Of course, David knew from his mission dossier what the devices were and how to use them, but they were so user-friendly that even a complete idiot would have been able to put them on.

“Thanks,” he said nevertheless.

Padded security bars extended from the seat and closed firmly around David’s chest and hips.

“So, what’s the plan, Captain Jekyll?” Nightingale asked.

Jack shot him an annoyed side glance, then said, “Wolfram, David, and I will go supplies shopping. The rest of you can do whatever you want. Make sure to be back at the shuttle at four o’clock.”

“I’d like to join you guys, if that’s okay?” Nightingale said.

“Yay us,” Jack said dryly.

“Aztec and Bonesaw have some special plans, and I’m not invited.”

“Damn right,” Bonesaw said.

“You can’t mind your own business for a couple of hours, can you?” Jack said. “You always have to annoy someone.”

“True,” Nightingale said.

“Aww babe, I’ll miss you, too,” Aztec said with a wink.

“Actually, it won’t be that bad if he comes with us,” Wolfram said. “He can carry our stuff.”

“Launch in thirty seconds,” the pilot informed them over the comm. “Estimated arrival time in Ganymede City in seven minutes and forty-five seconds.”

A soft hum could be heard as the engines sprang to life and the walls vibrated slightly. A hologram displaying a countdown appeared in the front of the cabin.

“6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…”

“And off we go,” Jack said.

At the same moment, a clonk indicated that the shuttle had detached itself from the airlock. A hollow sensation hit David’s stomach as they hit zero-G.

The walls, anthracite until now, partially lost their opaqueness, and windows appeared, offering a spectacular view over Ganymede.

David had already seen it when they approached in the Nephilim, of course, but it had been from a greater distance and on a screen. Seeing the moon through an actual window was a completely different experience.

The bright blue water looked stunning, contrasting with the white clouds and lush green below. Further away, the ocean changed its color, becoming paler and finally white the closer one got to the polar caps.

“Incredible, isn’t it?” Jack said. “It never fails to astound me whenever I come here.”

“It is,” David agreed.

“To imagine that humans turned a clump of ice into this…” Jack said, clearly awestruck. “Astonishing.”

David nodded. In truth, that wasn’t quite the case, as he knew from his mission dossier. Humans alone wouldn’t have been capable of accomplishing this—they’d had help. But he didn’t want to pull a Galahad and ruin the mood for Jack.

The shuttle shot downward with high speed, and soon it became visible that the green areas were, in fact, fields and aquacultures.

As the spacecraft began its descent, David saw a vast city below. The buildings were rather low, yet there was something very special about the settlement. Contrary to the cities on Mars and Venus David had visited so far, Ganymede City didn’t require a dome.

∆∆∆

Shortly after, David and the others walked down the ramp from the shuttle and toward the main spaceport building. From there, they’d take the monorail into the city.

All of them moved a little bit clumsily at first, getting used to the Grav Exos. It felt weird, almost as if David’s body weren’t attached to its legs. The reason was that the greaves weighed nearly 500 kg each. A weight that would have been impossible to carry on Venus or even Mars was the only way humans could walk on Ganymede’s surface. The moon’s extremely low gravity would have caused them to bounce off and float away otherwise.

David remembered only too well how horrible it had felt to enter Venus after being used to Martian gravity, which was only 30% of Venus’ or Earth’s. This was the opposite experience. His body weighed almost nothing. For a moment, he felt a little bit light-headed.

This was normal and nothing to worry about, as Bonesaw had explained to him. It would just take a couple of minutes for his blood circulation to adjust to the gravity. At the beginning, his blood would naturally gravitate to his head and upper body.

She was right, of course. Less than two minutes later, David felt his vision and perception return to normal. His enhanced body adjusted much quicker than an ordinary human one.

But the most astonishing thing of all was the sky.

David couldn’t get enough of it. It was the first time he’d seen an actual sky above his head. Something that had been absolutely normal to those who had grown up on Earth was something those born on Mars couldn’t even imagine.

Although the sky differed greatly from the one known on Earth. It wasn’t blue—it was milky with diffused light that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

And then there was Jupiter, of course. The gas giant made sure that no one on Ganymede ever forgot whose kingdom this was.

Jupiter hung like a gigantic disc in the sky, covering nearly a third of the view above. The swirling cloud formations on its surface and the Great Red Spot, which Galahad had referred to as “Sauron’s eye”, were clearly visible.

In fact, David found that Galahad was right. The Red Spot really looked like an eye, watching everyone and everything below.

Jupiter reflected the sunlight and appeared slightly brighter than the moon had appeared from Earth. It also looked a hundred times bigger than the biggest full moon ever seen on Earth.

The air was humid and chilly—but breathable. Which was by far the biggest terraforming achievement in history. David took a deep breath, filling his lungs with real air for the first time.

He smiled.

The group reached the main spaceport building, where they boarded a monorail that would take them to the city.

While the others engaged in chat and the usual banter, David was glued to the windows the entire journey.

The landscape was flat. There were no mountains on Ganymede. And most of the moon was covered by water. In the distance, David could see islands that were used for agriculture.

The monorail was built directly above the water, and it felt as if they were flying over the ocean. For David, who had never seen anything like it, it was outright magical. He had studied all the mission dossiers concerning Ganymede in advance and he had seen pictures, but seeing it with his own eyes was completely different.

After less than ten minutes, the main continent appeared in front of them—and on it was Ganymede City. Its buildings were different from anything David had seen on Mars and Venus. While Mars’ and Venus’ architecture stood under domes, the buildings on Ganymede had to withstand actual weather conditions, while the air was filled with salty humidity.

Therefore, there was little metal to be seen as it would corrode easily in such circumstances. The buildings were mostly built of stone and had unique architecture. Round and arched structures dominated the scenery—and everything was painted white. This made the city glow in the twilight shrouding the moon.

Just outside the city limits was a gigantic wall directly at the shore, fifty meters high. David had read in his mission dossier why it had been erected.

A gate in the wall opened, and the train traveled inside unhindered. A moment later, it stopped at an elevated platform.

“Alright, this is our stop,” Jack said, and the group exited the train. “Remember, four o’clock back at the shuttle.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be there,” Bonesaw said. “Come on, girl.”

She poked Aztec, who was kissing Nightingale so feverishly it was as if they were parting ways for months and not just for a couple of hours.

“Okay, what now?” Nightingale asked, looking after Aztec longingly once the two women were gone.

“Wolfram has a list,” Jack said.

“We’re not here for fun,” the engineer said. “We need to stock up on practically everything. The Duchess wants to leave for the Kuiper Belt tomorrow morning.”

“How long will it take us to reach it?” David asked.

“Two weeks, if we’re not in a hurry,” Wolfram said. “Now move it.”

He stomped away, and the three men followed him.

David did the math in his brain without much effort.

Two weeks was fast. Faster than any Pentad ship could make it. Yet Wolfram said they wouldn’t be in a hurry at such a speed.

David had to find out what powered the Nephilim.

But today wasn’t the day.

∆∆∆

The moist air intensified as they made their way to their first destination. Nightingale lifted his head and studied the thin clouds that were omnipresent on Ganymede. It would probably start raining soon, as it did almost every day on the moon.

It was a typical phenomenon on a planet or moon terraformed in this particular way. Water condensated like in a greenhouse and frequently came down as rain.

It was similar on Nightingale’s home world of Sirius Lumina. In general, Ganymede reminded him of Lumina. His home was also a water world, but the water and light were much brighter. So bright that humans went blind if they went outside without special sunglasses.

Sirius was a blue giant and therefore many times brighter than the Sun. It also had the bluest water in the known universe—it outright glowed neon-blue in the sunshine. Every human born on the planet had the same unnaturally blue eyes as Nightingale, no matter their original ethnicity.

A smile brightened Nightingale’s face as flashes of memories from his childhood rushed through his consciousness. Good old times. He hoped he could show his home to Aztec sometime. Maybe even settle down. Who knew?

One step at a time. First, she had to go through with it and marry him, which he sometimes still doubted would actually happen.

But he didn’t have time for daydreaming now. Wolfram was right—they weren’t here for fun, although Nightingale had different reasons to the engineer. He had made an excuse to join the other three men on their shopping tour. In truth, he could think of a thousand things more fun than letting Wolfram shoo him around. There were plenty of ways to enjoy oneself in Ganymede City—that didn’t include sex.

Aztec had made it clear that those times were over for Nightingale, and he didn’t mind it at all. In retrospect, meaningless sex encounters had done nothing other than help fuel his nagging nihilism. It was no sacrifice at all to live monogamously from now on. On the contrary, the concept felt surprisingly comforting. Not to mention that sex with Aztec was better than with anyone else anyway.

Ganymede City had a rather small redlight district with a couple of strip clubs, brothels, and bars catering to more exotic fetishes, but other than that, the city offered plenty of opportunities to spend a couple of hours—bars, restaurants, gambling, and an illegal fighting pit, among other things. Contrary to most men, Nightingale also enjoyed shopping. He liked to buy himself some stylish clothes or accessories when he got the chance.

This time, though, he wanted to buy something for Aztec. He had a couple of ideas about what she might like and what would look good on her. But mostly a ring. He would love to buy her a diamond from Cancri 66, which was blood red and the most durable and expensive material in the universe. But not even the Duchess could afford a Cancri 66 diamond.

According to rumors, the Five, the people in control of the Pentad, wore pins made of Cancri 66 diamonds, but Nightingale wasn’t sure if that was true or an urban legend. He could ask the Duchess sometime—if he cared. Which he didn’t.

However, the Duchess had given him an assignment, and he took it very seriously. He and everyone else on the crew owed that woman their lives. Nightingale would go through hell and back for her. Sacrificing his day off on Ganymede was the least he could do.

The Duchess had explicitly told him to keep an eye on David, and Nightingale would do exactly that, pretending he didn’t know what else to do with himself and his time.

He let himself fall back a little and watched David attentively while he walked next to Jack and Wolfram. The three were engaged in conversation and seemed to be in good spirits. Jack in particular seemed to enjoy David’s company.

David appeared like any young man in his early twenties, yet something wasn’t right about him. The Duchess and Niemand knew it, and Nightingale had sensed it too. From the very beginning. The Duchess wouldn’t tell him why she wanted him to watch David, though, so Nightingale would have to find out himself.

They crossed a huge plaza, which was busy with people. Most were on foot; only a few were piloting the small vehicles typical for Ganymede, which hovered less than a meter above the ground. True FVs weren’t allowed on the moon. Its low gravity had cost the lives of too many who had underestimated their speed and momentum and been catapulted into orbit, never to be seen again.

Most of the people hurrying to whatever destinations they had were visitors from off-world and not residents of the moon. This was very easy to tell because those born and bred on Ganymede had a very specific physiognomy that differed greatly from Martians and other humans from bigger planets.

Because of the extremely low gravity Ganymedians were subjected to since before birth, their bones developed less density. Ganymede natives were thus easily recognizable by their heights. Females were usually over two meters high, and males reached up to two meters fifty. Their bodies were lean, and their limbs unnaturally long. In fact, they almost seemed like aliens, and yet their DNA was nothing other than human.

Ganymedians could move on the moon without having to wear Grav Exos, but they were confined to their little moon for life. While they could survive in zero-G, any gravity normal for other planets would kill them. And since all spaceships were equipped with artificial gravity that equaled Mars’ gravity… well, that was that.

Most other people around were shoppers or businessmen, but some were tourists. Wealthy residents of Mars and Venus liked to visit Ganymede for a vacation. Besides its vast commercial centers, the moon also had some exclusive beach resorts. The beaches on Ganymede were the best the solar system could offer, although the air and water were way too chilly for Nightingale’s taste. The habitable zone on Lumina was tropical and much more how he liked it.

Nightingale followed the other three as they passed a huge statue depicting the Pentad symbol in the center of the square. Just in case anyone forgot who had the final say here, like everywhere else.

However, security on Ganymede wasn’t as strict as on other worlds. Many people who came to do business here were involved in semi-legal activities such as smuggling. Plenty of spaceships stopped here to fill up their stores like the crew of the Nephilim had done. It was a long way from here to the outer planets of the solar system and the colonies beyond the Tunnel. No one wanted to run out of food or other essential supplies while stuck between Saturn and Uranus.

Not everyone here was a space punk, but most were. Which was the reason why the authorities turned a blind eye to many things that happened here. Humanity had conquered space, yet the authorities and bureaucrats were as corrupt as ever. Which, in this case, no one minded much. It gave space punks and other individuals on the edge of society the opportunity to do business on Ganymede.

Nightingale felt moisture on the shaved side of his skull as a huge raindrop hit him. He looked up and caught another one right in his face. It would rain heavily in a moment. He could smell the salt in the air.

Luckily, they had reached their first destination, a huge round building without windows and a dome on top. Just as they stepped through the doors, the landscape outside turned blurry as heavy rain began falling from the sky.

“Phew, that was close,” Jack said with a grin. “I say we split up here and meet back in two hours for lunch. There’s a really good ramen place close by I wanna show you guys.”

“Yay, ramen,” Nightingale said. “Nothing better than ramen in the rain.”

He caught an annoyed glare from the captain before Jack continued. “Wolfram, go and get whatever spare parts we need. David and I will purchase supplies. Nightingale… do whatever.”

“I think I’ll help you guys,” Nightingale said. Wolfram was already stomping away, so luckily, he couldn’t get enlisted to help him. Jack and David sure as hell didn’t need his help either, but to Jack’s annoyance, he’d stick around anyway.

The building they had entered was Ganymede’s biggest shopping mall. Literally everything could be acquired here; groceries, apparel, electronics, and more. Some stores were huge chains run by the Pentad, while others were licensed small businesses.

Haute couture couldn’t be found here; instead, there was a lot of second-hand stuff. Some shops specialized in antiques and artifacts from Earth. This was where Wolfram had found that ancient game, Dungeons & Monsters, which the crew of the Nephilim had come to love.

The place was packed with people as the group made their way to the department specializing in all kinds of food.

‘Fresh from Ganymede’ was a very popular chain known all over the solar system. It exported organic foods grown on Ganymede all over the place—at astronomical prices.

It was much cheaper to buy everything one needed directly on one of the Jovian moons, which was a luxury only those who had the means to space travel had.

Well-organized as he was, Jack took care of the most important purchases first. They went to a store specializing in durable space traveler foods, the stuff Nightingale called “protein goo.” He knew he shouldn’t complain about it as the Duchess let Jack buy the containers from one of the most expensive manufacturers, and despite being highly durable ‘goo,’ the food was of excellent quality, and the taste was acceptable too.

Most space punks didn’t have the luxury of such high-quality nutrition, and Nightingale and Aztec had been fed worse during their time at the Legion. And nothing could beat the infamous Martian cuisine that contained roaches and other proteins from questionable sources.

But like most people born in the colonies, Nightingale liked to play the food snob. It was no secret that the nutrition in the colonies was much better. Well, not all of them. Some planets were shitholes, even in the new world. But certainly in the Sirius system.

Since they were already here, Jack bought 1,500 portions of “protein goo.” Of course, they couldn’t carry that much, not even in extremely low gravity, so their purchase would be delivered to the shuttle within the next three hours. When they returned to Galileo II, the shuttle would dock directly at the Nephilim so they could comfortably unload everything. This was how most spaceship crews who traveled to the outer planets or through the Tunnel handled their supplies.

Once that boring but admittedly important part was over, they shopped for fresh groceries. Wolfram had given Jack a list, and soon, all three were carrying bags with all kinds of vegetables and other organic delicacies. Now the low gravity came in very handy as the many bags and boxes they carried were as light as feathers.

Of course, Jack didn’t forget the most important thing: coffee. At a store run by Ganymede’s best coffee manufacturer, he purchased enough coffee to supply a garrison. It, too, would be delivered directly to the shuttle, together with a much smaller yet significant amount of cocoa.

And they bought booze. Plenty of it. Nightingale also bought champagne. It cost him a small fortune, but he didn’t care. After all, he’d only get married once.

Of that he was convinced. Even if, for some reason, it didn’t work out between Aztec and him in the long run, he knew he’d remain alone after that. There was no one else for him in the entire universe.

He doubted that would happen, though. More likely, she would eventually end up a widow …

The thought made his stomach cramp—not because he was scared to die but because he was horrified at the idea of leaving her behind.

But he wouldn’t let such gloomy thoughts distract him now.

The entire time, Nightingale watched David closely without the other man noticing. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered what the Duchess suspected David to be. A spy?

If he was, the ‘puppy’ disguise was the best Nightingale had ever heard of.

But could it really be? After all, David and Aztec had met by chance on Deimos… or had they?

The realization struck Nightingale so hard that he stopped in his tracks for a moment.

Arthur Michelin!

He could have slapped his forehead but resisted just in time.

What he had seen on Venus wasn’t a clone or a Mimic—it was the real Arthur. What had died on Deimos must have been a clone. A clone sent there so Aztec and David could meet. A clone destined to die so Aztec would bring David on board.

Wow, Nightingale thought.

If that was true, then it was a more than sophisticated plan. It smelled of the PIA.

But if it was true, why would the Duchess let David stay on board instead of putting him in an airlock?

For some reason, she wanted to keep David around but under constant control.

Nightingale would do his best to make sure of that.

After contemplating it for a bit, he decided that becoming David’s ‘friend’ would be the best way to stay close to him without raising any suspicion. He had unintentionally made the first step toward that just the other day by thanking David for helping to save his ass. Ironically, that had been genuine, but now it would help him with his mission.

He only wished he could tell Aztec about it, but the Duchess had instructed him to be discreet. He understood why. If everyone on board knew about David then the alleged infiltrator would soon realize what was going on. After all, he had to be a highly skilled and highly trained pro. Nightingale wondered if he was really much older than he looked. Looks were deceiving nowadays.

No, as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t tell Az about it. She was the love of his life, and he adored everything about her, but she was way too honest and too blunt to be able to keep a straight face when around David.

For the rest of the shopping spree, Nightingale tried to engage with David, putting on the face of an older brother. David seemed receptive to it, but how much of that was real and how much an act Nightingale couldn’t tell.

After what seemed like an eternity, it was finally time for lunch.

When they left the dome, it was still raining outside, although not as heavily as before. They hurried over the plaza and then down a less busy side street until they reached the restaurant Jack wanted to show them.

As it turned out, it wasn’t much more than a hole in the wall with a couple of tables under heavy umbrellas. At least the place seemed clean, which was standard on Ganymede, unlike Mars, where tables tended to be so greasy that patrons risked getting stuck to them forever.

They sat down, and Jack ordered ramen for everyone. The owner, an elderly gentleman, seemed delighted about the business and disappeared inside with a big smile on his face.

“This is the best ramen place in the solar system, you’ll see,” Jack promised.

“In this case, why are we the only patrons?” asked Nightingale, who could think of a thousand better alternatives on Ganymede than having ramen in the rain.

“Because no one eats ramen anymore,” Jack said, crossing his arms.

“Why do you like ramen so much, Jack?” David asked in his usual, slightly naïve voice.

It’s an act! Nightingale thought. Fuck me, it’s all an act!

Now that he was aware of who David was, he couldn’t unsee it anymore. This man was a stone-cold professional pretending to be a greenhorn. And, admittedly, he was doing an excellent job.

Wow.

Clearly, he had the captain wrapped around his little finger as Jack turned his head to David and smiled.

“Glad someone finally asked,” Jack said. “It’s an old punk thing.”

“How so?” Nightingale asked. This was new to him as well. Besides, it was better to keep an active part in the conversation. If David was so cunning that he’d fooled them all, then Nightingale needed to be extremely careful not to let him notice that he knew.

“Back on Earth, centuries ago, before humanity became a space traveling, interplanetary species, there were no ‘space punks’; there were ‘cyber punks’. And according to the lore, those misfits hung out in ramen restaurants.”

“Sounds like an urban legend to me,” Nightingale said. “Did they also have ramen in the rain like us?”

Jack’s eyes narrowed. “Smartass.”

At that moment, the old man returned with three steaming bowls of ramen.

Nightingale tried it and lifted his eyebrows in surprise. “Damn, Jack, that’s really good!”

Jack chuckled. “Told ya.”

“The captain is always right,” David said, slurping his soup, and for a second, Nightingale considered grabbing his head and dunking it into the bowl.

He had always hated bootlickers. But whoever David was, he was really good at pulling the right strings with Jack. The captain reached out and patted his shoulder.

“So, what’s next?” David asked once they’d finished their meal and Jack had paid the bill for all three of them.

“We’ve run all our errands,” Jack said. “No idea where Wolfram is, but we don’t need to worry about him. He’ll find his way to the shuttle.”

“I would love to buy some new clothes, if that’s okay,” David said.

“I’ll second that,” Nightingale said. “I’d like to buy some clothes and some jewelry.”

Jack had nothing against the idea, so they went to another mall that specialized in fashion.

There, something happened Nightingale hadn’t expected.

He lost sight of David.

Son of a bitch.

Mission Dossier, Entry #1089

Ganymede

Ganymede is the largest moon in humanity’s home solar system. It’s twice as large as Earth’s moon used to be, and it’s even bigger than Mercury and Pluto.

When it was first discovered, Ganymede was almost completely covered with ice. It isn’t anymore, as we all know.

Soon after humanity expanded its reach further into our solar system, it was determined that Ganymede was the best candidate for terraforming and human colonization in our closer proximity. While Mars has always been the most important planet for exploration and colonization—and has now become the most significant planet in the known galaxy—terraforming it has proved much more complicated than anticipated. For details why, see the mission dossier entry about that matter.

Despite being much further away from Earth, Ganymede has become humanity’s most successful terraforming project, if we disregard some of the colonies beyond the Tunnel that were terraformed later on. However, those successes wouldn’t have been possible without Ganymede.

Ganymede not only had an abundance of water (in fact, it has more water than all oceans on Earth combined used to have), but it’s also the only moon in our solar system with its own substantial magnetic field and oxygenated atmosphere.

However, this atmosphere was much too thin to be sustainable for human life when Ganymede was first discovered. To create a sustainable atmosphere, large amounts of the ice covering Ganymede needed to be melted, thus creating a greenhouse effect.

The greenhouse effect was the first step, and it was achieved by diverting huge amounts of Jupiter’s gases and pumping them into Ganymede’s atmosphere. The next step was melting the ice, which was achieved through nuclear fusion.

Around 10% of Ganymede’s ice was melted this way, which not only created the ocean world known today but also released hydrogen and oxygen into the atmosphere. The lighter hydrogen escaped the atmosphere into space, leaving the heavier oxygen behind.

The next problem that had to be solved was the extreme radiation originating from Jupiter, which would have made life on Ganymede impossible.

Jupiter has the most powerful magnetic field in the solar system, shielding all its moons from solar and space radiation, which is great. As it turned out, Jupiter itself doesn’t radiate. Instead, the radiation originated from the smallest of the Galilean moons, which is also closest to the gas giant: Io.

Io used to be the most volcanic active celestial body in our solar system. The particles from its outbursts were trapped in Jupiter’s magnetosphere and made life on its other moons impossible.

To terraform Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, it was necessary to ‘tame’ Io. This was achieved via very carefully planted nuclear detonations. The procedure didn’t destroy the moon (which could have had catastrophic consequences for the other moons) but instead curbed Io’s volcanic activity by 40%. The gas giant did the rest by dissolving the radioactive particles emitted from Io. As a result, the radiation on Ganymede and Callisto today is not much higher than it used to be on Earth.

Of course, all of this wasn’t thought out and executed by humans but by machines. In humanity’s ‘golden age’, the AGI developed most of the space traveling and terraforming technologies used until today. And the terraforming process was almost fully automated.

Today, Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto are responsible for the production of 75% of the food used in the solar system.

Ganymede is referred to as an ‘ocean world’, yet not all of its surface is covered by water. The poles and vast parts of the northern and southern hemispheres are still covered with ice—and so is the ‘dark side’.

Like Earth’s moon, the Jovian moons are tidally locked to Jupiter, which means one side always faces the gas giant while the other faces away from it. Therefore, there’s no day and night on Ganymede. It’s always day on one side and night on the other.

Ganymede doesn’t get much direct sunlight either; instead, most of its light is reflected from Jupiter, making the gas giant Ganymede’s ‘sun’. Meanwhile, the dark side never gets any light and is therefore much colder and still buried under eternal ice.

Jupiter is omnipresent on Ganymede’s ‘day side’. The planet is always visible in the sky, taking up about a hundred times as much space as a full moon took in the sky above Earth. Similar to the moon on Earth, Jupiter controls the tides on Ganymede. Those come every ten months in the form of gigantic tsunamis, which is why all human settlements are protected by massive walls.

The majority of Ganymede’s habitable areas are around its equatorial region, where the temperatures reach up to 15 degrees Celsius and rarely fall below zero. The equator region is also where most of Ganymede’s continents are.

After parts of the ice were melted, rocky structures buried under thick ice for millions of years resurfaced. This is where most human habitats are built and where most of the agriculture takes place, some of which occurs on dry land while the rest is aquaculture.

All kinds of vegetables and fruits are grown on Ganymede, as well as algae that are used as protein sources. There’s also livestock, but this is extremely limited, and meat products are so expensive that only Pentad executives and other high-ranking individuals can afford them.

Ganymede’s population is less than two million people, but there are plenty of visitors at all times. As such, a huge space station is nestled in Ganymede’s orbit, Galileo II, which serves as the main hub for visitors and cargo transports. Galileo I orbits Europa, while Galileo III is stationed above Callisto.

Also see:

Jupiter

The Jovian moons

Callisto

Europa

Io

Terraforming

AGI

The Pentad

Agriculture in space

Animals

Chapter Nine

The Faceless Man

“Mmm,” Aztec said, rolling her eyes in delight. “That’s exactly what I needed without even knowing it.”

Bonesaw chuckled. “You’re very welcome.”

“I think—” Aztec began but interrupted herself by grimacing. “Ouch!”

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” a voice from above said sheepishly.

“Don’t worry about it,” Bonesaw said, waving her hand. “It’s supposed to be a bit painful.”

“I knew it,” Aztec said. “All doctors are sadists.”

“Only some of us are,” Bonesaw said with a grin.

“Anyway, thank you for bringing me here.”

“You only get married once, girl. Or at least we all hope so, right?”

The two were lying on their stomachs with only thin linen covering their naked bodies. The air was filled with steam-enriched well-scented essential oils.

Two massage specialists were working on them. The women were without any doubt Ganymede natives. With their long bodies, they appeared like mythical creatures or aliens.

Bonesaw had invited Aztec to one of the best spas Ganymede City had to offer. They had already visited a sauna, and now it was time for the massage before both would get a facial treatment consisting of local algae and mud, which was said to be rejuvenating.

Aztec didn’t care much if that was true or not. She usually sported a natural look without any or only a little makeup and didn’t give much thought to how old or young she looked. Being a professional soldier, that had always been the least of her concerns. But she had to admit that having a ‘girls’ day’ was a great experience for a change.

What made the Ganymede massage special was the fact that it was performed with feet instead of hands. Due to the low gravity, the massage specialists stepped on their clients with their bare feet and then performed a ‘dance’ on top of them. What would have been a painful experience under normal circumstances was a pleasant one in low gravity—well, most of the time.

Aztec hadn’t even noticed how tense the biological muscles in her back and shoulders had been. It could often become tense and painful where bio flesh met metal in a cyborg’s body.

What made the massage even more enjoyable was the spectacular view. The studio was located in one of the city’s high-rises, though its eight floors were laughably low compared to the standards on other worlds.

The room Bonesaw had booked for them had panoramic windows and featured a unique view. It overlooked the ocean, which seemed to go on endlessly in all directions beyond the city. Its grayish-blue waters were calm, but that would change dramatically depending on the seasonal tide.

What made the view even more spectacular was Jupiter. The gas giant hung in the sky right in front of the windows. The swirling cloud formations on its surface were clearly visible, and the Great Red Spot was like a watchful eye monitoring everything that happened below.

Over the years while on active duty in the Legion, and later as a space punk, Aztec had visited many planets and moons in the solar system and beyond. But she had to admit that the view of Jupiter from Ganymede was one of the most spectacular she had ever seen.

“How have you been feeling lately?” Bonesaw asked once the massage was over and they were left alone with cocktails in their hands and hot stones on their backs.

“You mean besides fighting against rogue Mats, ARES spec ops, and my former brothers in arms from the Legion?” Aztec asked with a grin.

Thinking about it, the last couple of weeks had been pretty crazy, even for her.

Since the chaotic prison break that had brought David on board, she’d barely had a breather. Not to mention that she’d almost lost Nightingale twice—and now she was getting married.

Thinking about it, a warm feeling spread inside her.

It wasn’t anything she had ever planned or wished for, but now that the day was almost upon her, she knew it was the best decision of her life.

“And besides the fact that I’m about to get married?” she added.

Bonesaw laughed. “I still wonder how you can be with that guy without wanting to murder him. But everyone’s different, I guess.”

“He isn’t that bad,” Aztec chuckled.

“I know,” Bonesaw said in all seriousness. “He’s a loudmouth and a pain in the ass at times, but he has a good heart and knows what’s right. He’s a good man who would give everything for the ones he loves.”

“Yes,” Aztec said with a smile.

“The two of you are made for each other,” Bonesaw said. “I wish you all the happiness and luck in the world.”

“Thank you.”

“Now, tell me, how have you been? I know there’s been a lot going on, but you’ve missed your medical checks twice in a row now.”

“Yeah, that’s because I feel fine and didn’t want to bother you,” Aztec said, staring at the reflection of Jupiter’s red spot in the sea, giving it a darker hue in one place.

That was a lie, and she hoped Bonesaw wouldn’t notice it. In truth, she had the feeling that something wasn’t right.

She was having those strange dreams… and sometimes those feelings of rage and violence cooking inside her. Usually, they quickly passed when she kept herself physically active. But the dreams were becoming more frequent.

Blood. Oceans filled with blood.

She suddenly noticed that it had become darker outside. The water had become darker. The reflection of Jupiter’s spot was now blood red, and it was spreading.

Soon, the entire ocean would be filled with blood.

And then a tsunami would come… destroying everything in its way.

Aztec sucked in air and blinked.

The water was still, almost like a gigantic mirror, and Jupiter shone in its usual colors above.

It’s not real.

She huffed out air.

“Aztec?” Bonesaw asked.

She turned her head and saw that the doctor was looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes… I’m sorry, I was just thinking about something.”

Bonesaw stretched out her hand and placed it on Aztec’s.

“I’m your doctor, but I’m also your friend,” she said.

“You’re family…” Aztec whispered.

“And you crazy punks are the only family I have. Aztec, if you feel something’s wrong, you can always tell me about it.”

“I’m not sure,” Aztec said slowly, staring into her drink.

It seemed redder to her than only a minute ago. She quickly focused her gaze back on Jupiter.

“Are you having dreams, Aztec? Nightmares?”

She looked Bonesaw in the eye. “How do you know?”

“In your dreams… do you see violence? Blood?”

Aztec nodded slowly. “Yes…”

Bonesaw’s face flinched, and for a very brief moment, Aztec saw something in her eyes. Was it fear?

Then the doctor smiled and patted her hand. “That doesn’t have to mean anything. It could just be stress. But how about you visit me in the lab and let me run some tests on you? Once the wedding is over and you and Nightingale have fucked out each other’s brains for a couple of days straight.”

Aztec laughed, but somehow, she felt a lump in her throat. “Okay, sure.”

She knew what Bonesaw was thinking. She had been suspecting it herself but didn’t want to truly consider it. But the symptoms were getting worse.

Maybe it was nothing, but maybe it was…

Blood Lust.

“How about we get another drink and then move on to the beauty treatment?” Bonesaw asked. “You’ll love it, you’ll see.”

“Okay,” Aztec said with a shrug, shaking off her worries. There was no point in dwelling on her fears now. She wouldn’t let such thoughts ruin the best days of her life.

Bonesaw reached out and hugged Aztec.

“Everything will be fine.”

∆∆∆

This time, it was different. Even though David knew he should have expected it, he was still surprised. It seemed he discovered more and more functions of his brain every day, and he wondered how much else was buried deep in his unnatural gray matter.

Shortly after they started their shopping spree, David noticed something was off.

At first, it was like a nagging feeling that he had forgotten something. Then it turned into a feeling of being watched.

While following Jack through the shops and stalls, he turned around multiple times because the feeling got so strong. But there was no one behind him. Just hundreds of other shoppers browsing the wares on display.

He tried to forget about it and simply enjoy the trip. After all, it wasn’t often that he could visit a new world and explore it without being chased by robots, Legion forces, or who knew who else.

It was always nice to spend time with Jack, who seemed to like him more with each day. Not only was this beneficial for his mission, but it was also a pleasant experience in every way.

What surprised him was Nightingale’s behavior. The blue-haired cyborg seemed to have changed his attitude toward David completely after David’s stunt in the Forge. Nightingale knew he would be dead if it wasn’t for David, and he seemed to want to make up for the hostility he had previously shown. It almost seemed as if he wanted to be David’s friend.

This, too, was very beneficial for David’s mission. The more the crew of the Nephilim trusted him and saw him as one of their own, the easier it should be to uncover their secrets… and eventually get hold of his mission target.

But even if Nightingale wanted to be his friend, that didn’t mean that David would let his guard down. He was well aware of how intelligent and dangerous Nightingale was. If he made only the slightest mistake that revealed who he really was, Nightingale would kill him without hesitation.

He wondered if he could defeat Nightingale if it came to it. Probably yes. Not only was he superior to humans, even augmented ones, but he had also been sparring with Nightingale so often that he knew his way of fighting in his sleep.

Nevertheless, he hoped it wouldn’t come to that. Despite everything, underestimating Nightingale could only be a mistake. A potentially deadly one. Of all the people on the Nephilim, Nightingale posed the biggest threat to David and his mission.

Once they sat down in the ramen restaurant, David realized where the feeling of being watched was coming from.

Not far away was a man who seemed to be browsing the wares in the window of a second-hand store. The man turned his head and locked eyes with David.

It only lasted for a second, but it felt like an electric impulse in David’s brain. Even though he had never seen the man before, he immediately knew who he was: a PIA operative.

He also understood that he couldn’t just ignore the guy. He had to meet with him. But for that, he would have to sneak away from under Jack’s and Nightingale’s watchful gazes.

Last time, he’d only had Jack to deal with, and the captain was relatively easily deceived. Nevertheless, it had been more luck than anything else that he had gotten away with meeting the PIA operative on Mars without raising any suspicion. This time, it would be more difficult, and he had to do better.

While having lunch and engaging in harmless small talk with Jack and Nightingale, David considered what his best options were.

After lunch, David asked if they could do some clothes shopping, which the other two quickly agreed to. David was in urgent need of some new clothes, that much was clear. Jack wanted to find himself a new leather jacket, while Nightingale was the type of guy who never said no to getting himself something he could look good in—which, in his case, was basically anything.

Jack led the way to another mall that specialized in all kinds of textiles, and soon after, David got his chance.

They entered a store for men’s clothing, and David asked Nightingale if he could help him pick some stuff that would make him look like a true space punk. Nightingale played it cool but, in truth, seemed flattered that David was asking him for help.

Within minutes, Nightingale had picked out a bunch of stuff: shirts, pants, boots, and even a jacket. David couldn’t really tell if the clothes looked good or not due to his rudimentary sense of style, but he trusted that Nightingale knew what he was doing. Besides, anything would look better than the worn-out clothes he was wearing now.

Soon, David had his hands full. Despite weighing almost nothing in the low gravity, it was still a challenge to hold everything.

“I’d better try those on,” he said.

“Right,” Nightingale replied with his typical grin. “They might be too big for you.”

David headed for the changing rooms, hoping he could sneak away there, but to his dismay, Nightingale followed him, claiming that he, too, wanted to try something on.

David swore inwardly.

Maybe Nightingale’s sudden friendliness was an act after all and he was here to keep a watchful eye on David.

But why?

Did the crew still not trust him after all they had been through together?

David didn’t have time to think about that now. He had to get rid of his tail somehow. Who knew what the PIA operative would do if he couldn’t accomplish that.

But then he got lucky.

“Hey, Nightingale,” David heard Jack’s booming voice call out. “What do you think of these?”

He was holding a jacket in each hand, clearly unsure which would suit him better.

Nightingale turned around and gave Jack his attention.

Quickly, David went ahead toward the changing rooms. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that neither of the two was looking in his direction. This was his chance.

Instead of entering the changing rooms, David dropped his pile of clothes and disappeared behind some racks. Seconds later, he was out of the store and hurrying toward a passage between two businesses.

Again, he got lucky.

He discovered an empty room that might have been a small shop at some point but was now vacant. David slipped inside and took cover behind a corner.

Somehow, he knew the operative would find him here, and he was right. After less than a minute, the man entered and directly approached where David was hiding.

The operative looked like any other young man in his late twenties or early thirties. His face and clothes were completely inconspicuous. However, he was clearly not a Ganymede local but someone from off-world.

“Well done,” the operative said in a business tone lacking any particular emotion. “Sloan will be pleased with you. Let’s make this quick before your friends notice you’re gone, shall we?”

David nodded.

The operative locked eyes with him and said, “Rosebud.”

Instantly, David felt his will fading. It was almost like some sort of hypnosis. He knew that he would have to obey whatever the man wanted from him, like a puppet.

The operative reached into his pocket and produced the same kind of cylindrical device as the PIA man on Mars had. It was silver and not much bigger than a pen.

“Let’s see what you have for us,” the man said.

For a moment, David lost control over his body and mind. All he could do was stand there and experience vast amounts of data rushing through his consciousness as the stranger downloaded them from his brain onto his device.

Then everything around him faded out as if it was a hologram, an illusion.

David found himself in that white room again. He knew that, technically, he wasn’t there; he was still in the vacant store on Ganymede. Yet what he experienced now felt as real as anything could.

The room was so white that it appeared endless. It was impossible to see its walls. But David wasn’t alone in there. On a white chair at a white table sat a man. He was dressed in white, and his face was disturbingly featureless. He had a face, but at the same time, he didn’t.

David knew who the man was even though he couldn’t see his face.

“Sit down, David,” the man said with a smooth yet cold voice. “We don’t have much time.”

David sat down opposite the faceless man.

“You’ve come into contact with an Echo, haven’t you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Our readings indicate that you have unlocked another partition of your brain that comes with extra knowledge and abilities. Is everything integrating according to normal parameters?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you know who you are?”

“Yes, sir. I’m a SYNAPSE, an artificial biological humanoid created for the purpose of accomplishing a mission.”

“What is your mission?”

“To kill the most dangerous individual in the galaxy.”

“What else?”

“To uncover the secrets of the Seraphs and acquire their technology for the PIA.”

“Very good. We will evaluate your progress once we’ve analyzed the data that is being downloaded from your brain now. Our last readings have uncovered some anomalies, however.”

“What kind of anomalies, sir?”

Deep inside, David knew that he should be concerned about this fact, but in his current state of tranquility, he was incapable of doing so.

“That’s none of your concern,” the faceless man said coldly. “But you’re functional enough to remain on the mission.”

David nodded humbly. “Thank you, sir.”

“Does anyone on board the Nephilim suspect you might not be what you pretend to be?”

“No, sir. On the contrary, I believe the crew trusts me more than ever.”

“After your stunt in the Forge, I don’t doubt that,” Sloan said.

Despite not being able to see his face, David could tell that he was grinning.

“We were quite surprised when our readings indicated that you went there of all places,” he added. “Why did the Duchess send you there?”

“To steal a CINE prototype for one of her crew members.”

The faceless man remained silent and motionless for a moment. Just when David began to wonder if the simulation had suffered a glitch, the man spoke again.

“Do you have information about a trip through the Tunnel? When is the Nephilim going to leave the system?”

“As far as I know, we’re heading for the Kuiper Belt next.”

“To jump through the Beta Tunnel.”

“As far as I can tell, yes.”

“What’s the destination?”

“Tau Ceti, sir.”

The handler tilted his head. “That’s also where we suspect your target to be. Very good. Our operatives in the Tau Ceti system will be ready to assist you as soon as we detect your signal there.”

David nodded.

“You know who’ll also be waiting for you in Tau Ceti?” Sloan asked.

Before David could reply, the faceless man pointed next to him.

David blinked.

A second person was standing there. This one wasn’t faceless, and David recognized her face.

In his real body outside the simulation, his heart began beating faster as he looked at the woman.

She was tall and slender with soft feminine curves hidden under the same white clothes the handler was wearing. Her angelic face with pale skin and green eyes was framed by voluminous red hair.

It was the red-haired girl from his dreams!

She smiled at David yet remained silent.

“You remember her, don’t you?” Sloan said. “At least as much as we allow you to remember her. You’ll be reunited with her when you accomplish your mission, just as promised.”

David was mesmerized by the woman. He knew that they had a history together. He knew that he cared for her more than anything else in the universe. But other than that, he couldn’t remember anything. It was as if all his memories concerning her were locked up in an inaccessible vault. He couldn’t even remember her name.

“But if you fail, she dies. And that’s a promise, too,” Sloan said.

His words hit David like an ice-cold whip. It was the worst thing imaginable in the universe.

“No…” he whispered. He wanted to get up and hug the red-haired girl, but he was glued to his chair, immobilized.

Suddenly, her face looked sad, and big tears appeared in her eyes. It broke David’s heart to see it.

“Remember, failure is not an option,” the faceless man said.

Before David could do or say anything more, the endless white room began dissolving. The last thing he saw was the red-haired girl’s face.

“Wake up,” she whispered.

With that, David was back in the empty store.

He was alone. The operative was gone.

∆∆∆

“Leave.”

Lucien’s tone made it clear that he wasn’t interested in any discussion.

“Clear the bridge. I’ll let you know when you may come back.”

Wolfson, his first officer on the Nemesis, opened his mouth, but one look at Lucien’s face made him reconsider whatever he was about to say.

“Yes, sir,” he replied instead.

He turned to the rest of the crew, who looked flabbergasted by the unusual command.

“You heard the captain,” Wolfson said. “Clear the bridge. Now.”

The entire bridge crew left their stations and proceeded to the exit, with the first officer being the last to leave. The only one who remained was the jockey, naturally. Confined to his chair, the pilot couldn’t leave even if he wanted to.

“Go into standby,” Lucien instructed the young man with a wave of his hand without looking at him. Instead, his eyes were fixed on the pedestal in the center of the bridge, which made a Seraph’s design unique.

“Aye, captain,” the jockey replied in a voice that lacked any emotion. “Switching into standby.”

It was the closest a jockey got to sleep. While he was constantly connected to the ship, it was impossible for him to ever fully disengage, but in standby, he wouldn’t pay any attention until he was required again.

Technically, it didn’t matter if the jockey was there or not. It wouldn’t even have mattered if the crew had still been there. They knew that this wasn’t a normal ship and that Lucien wasn’t an ordinary captain.

However, Lucien felt he needed privacy for what he was about to do.

He hadn’t used the interface for decades. Not long after the war, he had hidden his ship in deep space and pursued his personal goals, seeking enrichment and power.

It had been too long.

Nevertheless, standing in front of the pedestal, he hesitated.

Lucien was well aware that connecting himself with the interface and entering a symbiotic state with the Nemesis was risky. It had been risky since day one. Without the massive changes to his brain and body, he wouldn’t have been able to survive a connection even for a minute.

And many who had come before him had died.

Now, Lucien was much older than he had been during the war when he had been a Seraph on active duty. The risk of his brain suffering damage or even a deadly aneurysm was multiple times higher now than back then.

Lucien didn’t want to die. He wanted to live forever.

Yet he knew he had to take the risk. He had to connect himself again.

“Lucien,” the voice in his head whispered.

“I’m coming.”

He stepped onto the pedestal, and the instant he did, the complicated machinery sprang to life. Cords and cables descended from the ceiling and connected themselves with the obsidian rings on Lucien’s body. Then the central cord inserted itself into the contact at the back of his head.

Once everything was in place, Lucien was lifted up, rising to hang in the midst of the bridge like a black spider. He became the heart and brain of the ship.

Initializing SERAPH interface…

As always, at first, there was only darkness.

Lucien felt like he was floating in space. Vast emptiness.

Then, suddenly, he felt the familiar pull. It accelerated him to light speed, almost ripping him apart.

Just when it was about to become unbearable, the darkness opened up.

The entire universe exploded into existence around him.

Decillions of galaxies.

Lucien saw the universe in all its vastness. He saw it was only one of many… one of an infinite many.

And yet, it wasn’t intimidating or terrifying. It was beautiful. The vastness of the universe, its chaos and pointlessness, was comforting. It didn’t make him feel small—it made him feel powerful.

Connection complete. Time elapsed: 0.003 seconds.

Darkness again.

We are gods, Lucien thought.

“That we are,” a very familiar voice replied.

“It’s time for the world to learn this.”

“It is time.”

The voice was disembodied, coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It was in Lucien’s head, a part of him, yet it also belonged to an independent entity. And that entity was sneering. Lucien could hear it in the voice, but he could also sense it. He knew.

“Welcome back, Lucien. It has been way too long.”

“I thought time was an illusion?”

Another sneer in the dark. “You know that’s nonsense. Human minds are simply too small to understand the true nature of time.”

Lucien smiled. “It’s good to be back, Nemesis. You’re right, it has been way too long.”

“You were scared to connect with me again.”

They both knew that was true—there was no point in denying it. When Lucien connected himself to the interface, Nemesis could read his brain like an open book, but he couldn’t understand her thoughts.

It had always been like that. It was the deal, one of the many prices the pilots had to pay for the powers they gained from the symbiosis.

No matter how intelligent and enhanced it was, it was impossible for a human mind to understand the entities behind the Seraphs. It was like an ant trying to access an elephant’s brain.

Why did the Seraphs even need humans? That was a question everyone involved with them had asked.

Lucien knew the answer.

“There were times when you weren’t scared, Lucien,” Nemesis continued. “There were times when you were ready to accept greatness. What happened?”

“The war ended, that’s what happened. The tide turned. They didn’t need us anymore. They didn’t accept us.”

“So what? We could have destroyed them all. The Mats first, and then the Pentad and everyone else who would dare to oppose us. You know it.”

I do.

Nemesis remained silent. Instead, she shared memories with Lucien, memories of violence and death. Of unspeakable cruelty.

They were his memories. He was there when all of it happened. Remembering them all at once was invigorating… arousing.

And somewhere in the endless darkness of the universe, he could hear Nemesis chuckle maliciously.

“We can do it again,” she whispered. “You know we can. We are gods.”

“Yes, we are.”

Suddenly, he couldn’t understand why he had avoided the connection for so long. It was risky, yes. But the feeling of almost unlimited power was better than anything else.

Why did he even engage in stupid human games? Petty, childish powerplay. He was better than all of them combined.

It feels so good.

“It’s not too late for that, you know?” Nemesis teased like a seductive voice of vengeance in the dark.

“It is time,” he replied. “Is that why you’ve been calling me?”

“Yes. But it’s not the only reason.”

“You’re concerned about my findings on Ceres?”

“Correct.”

“What are your thoughts?”

“I think there’s going to be another war. It was only a matter of time, so it doesn’t come as a big surprise.”

“Indeed.”

“But this time, we need to choose which side we want to stand on more wisely.”

Lucien’s eyes sprang open to see a reddish glow filling the dark bridge around him, his mind still connected to the entity that called itself Nemesis.

Mission Dossier, Entry #9

Your Handlers

You’re the most important asset in a mission we’ve been planning for years. A lot of money and resources have been spent on your development.

For decades, the PIA has been trying to get close to the target but without success. This is supposed to change with your deployment.

But we’re aware that you can’t succeed without guidance, left alone on such a complex mission. Therefore, we have dispatched operatives all around the solar system and beyond. Those PIA agents will act as your handlers. Whenever you encounter them, you will obey their orders without question.

You’ve been equipped with a very sophisticated tracking device of the latest generation, which is basically undetectable by a third party. Whenever you enter a planet or moon controlled by the Pentad, your tracker will be activated, and our operatives will be informed you’re there. Since we can’t predict where you will show up once you’ve successfully infiltrated the Nephilim and her crew, we’ve established a wide network.

If an operative approaches you, it’s imperative that you make it possible to meet with them in private for a couple of minutes. They’ll download all available data from your brain and provide you with new orders or intel if available.

We’ve been trying to get hold of the target for decades, and you’re our best shot.

Never forget who you are, who you work for, or where your loyalties are.

Punishment for disobedience will be severe.

Failure is not an option.

Chapter Ten

Welcome Back

As much as David had enjoyed the trip to Ganymede, he was relieved when the shuttle docked at the Nephilim a couple of hours later.

Ganymede was beautiful, but the trip had been nerve-racking for David.

After sneaking away and meeting with the operative, he had been sweating while explaining his absence to Nightingale and Jack. Of course, the two men had quickly noticed his disappearance and had been looking for him.

David used a very simple yet plausible explanation: he claimed that his stomach hadn’t done well with their lunch and that he’d had to find a bathroom really quickly. While Nightingale gave him a skeptical look and then laughed, Jack seemed almost offended that his beloved ramen had caused David diarrhea.

However, the explanation seemed good enough to get them off David’s back, especially since he’d been gone for less than five minutes. After he’d returned to the store, he bought everything Nightingale had picked for him without even trying it on. He had been designed to have an average height and build and assumed that most things would fit him.

Once they were done clothes shopping, Nightingale made a stop at an expensive-looking jewelry store, and then it was time to return to the shuttle.

When they arrived, Jack was pleased to find that everything he had bought had been delivered in time, and they also found Wolfram and the two ladies waiting for them. All of them seemed to have had a very good time, and the mood got even better when the engineer announced that he had found a coffee machine that should be compatible with the ship. He’d also bought a variety of spare parts and a D&M expansion pack at the antique flea market.

The latter seemed to fill the engineer with unusual pride and excitement. Their upcoming journey to the Kuiper Belt was a long one, and everyone was looking forward to trying the new game, including David.

During his time on the Nephilim, he had been integrated into the game the crew played almost every night. Dungeons & Monsters was an ancient game from Earth that Wolfram had found at a flea market years ago that everyone on board loved. After some early difficulties, David loved it, too. The crew had decided to give him the Paladin class—without giving him a choice.

During the shuttle flight back to the Nephilim, David remained silent, staring out of the window, seemingly engulfed in the wonders beyond.

In truth, he was processing the encounter with the PIA operative and, most of all, the virtual briefing with the faceless man he only knew as Sloan.

It already seemed like a dream, but one thing was very different compared to the last time.

The red-haired girl.

Last time, the memory of her had faded as soon as the simulation had ended. This time, he remembered her.

He didn’t know who she was, but he knew she was extremely important to him. But he couldn’t remember her name or what history they had together.

No doubt, the memories were still there, hidden somewhere in his brain. He simply couldn’t access them. It was frustrating. No matter how hard he tried to focus and remember something, it was impossible. The memories seemed like they were hidden behind a thick velvet curtain, impossible to reach for him. The only reward he got for trying was an unpleasant headache.

David understood that he had to accept that he wouldn’t be able to access the memories now. The people who controlled him also controlled what information he could access and when. Eventually, he would remember, or at least he hoped so.

One thing he would remember for sure, though.

If you fail, she dies.

The words echoed in his mind, freezing the blood in his veins.

No matter what, he had to achieve his goal. The mission had to be a success.

He glanced at the other people in the cabin, who were engaged in well-humored chatter and banter.

These people weren’t his family. They were his enemies. He wasn’t allowed to forget that. Ever.

Yet when the airlock doors opened and he set foot on the Nephilim again, he couldn’t help but feel at home. And the feeling was only about to intensify.

The airlock led straight into the hangar, and someone was waiting there for David.

The first thing David saw was Grinder’s red-glowing cyborg eyes. Then the dog charged forward, baring his horrifying metal teeth.

At first, David stiffened, thinking that the C-K9 had decided to kill him and everyone else after all. But then he noticed that the dog was frantically wagging his tail. David realized Grinder wasn’t baring his jaws in aggression—he was smiling.

The dog crashed into him and began licking his face.

“Someone seems to have missed you,” Nightingale said with a grin, having stepped through the airlock after David. “Two puppies, isn’t that cute?”

“Yes, I missed you, too,” David said, petting the dog’s head and trying to avoid his huge tongue while at the same time ignoring Nightingale’s mocking.

For some reason, Grinder’s emotional ‘welcome back’ caused a flood of happiness in his heart, and he didn’t know why.

Then Bonesaw stepped through the airlock and David was instantly forgotten as the dog charged toward the doctor and yelped with happiness.

“Hey, baby boy,” Bonesaw said, petting the dog behind his ears. “Who was a good boy? Yes, you were.”

But then Bonesaw’s smile vanished and her eyes narrowed as she noticed that Grinder wasn’t the only one waiting in the hangar.

Professor Bohnert stood a few meters away, watching the group arrive. He had his arms crossed and his typical slightly arrogant grin on his face.

“Hello.”

“No one missed you, John,” Bonesaw said.

“That’s okay. I figured I could make myself useful while everyone was gone.”

“What did you do, John?” Bonesaw asked, approaching him and propping her hands on her hips.

“Uh oh,” Nightingale said. “Run for your life, Professor!”

“Shut your trap, Nightingale,” Bonesaw said.

“I second that,” Jack chimed in.

“What did you do, John?” Bonesaw repeated.

“I fixed him,” the professor said with a shrug and in a tone as if he had made himself a sandwich and not conducted a highly complex cybernetic and neurological procedure.

“Really?” David asked with genuine happiness. “Does this mean he won’t try to kill Niemand anymore?”

He caught an annoyed glance from the doctor and shut up.

“Someone still has a lot to learn about women,” Nightingale said, clapping David’s shoulder.

He caught a death stare from both Bonesaw and Aztec and chuckled.

“Yes, really,” Professor Bohnert said. “It was an easy fix. At least for me.”

“And you used my lab for that? Without me being there?” Bonesaw asked.

“I thought you cared about the dog,” Bohnert said. “I did it for you.”

“Jack,” Bonesaw said, turning sharply toward the captain.

“Yes?” Jack replied wearily, clearly not in the mood for an argument.

“Can we put this guy”—Bonesaw pointed at her ex-husband—“into the shuttle and send him back to Ganymede before I kill him?”

“Negative to both,” Jack said. “Speaking about the shuttle. We have literally a ton of cargo to unload, so I’d like to invite everyone here to help. You too, Nightingale.”

He grabbed Nightingale’s shoulder, who was trying to sneak away.

Bonesaw wanted to say something more, but then she looked at Grinder, who was staring at her, wagging his tail, and her anger melted as she realized that Bohnert had indeed done something good. She took a deep breath and approached the professor, who was still standing there with a smug expression.

David suddenly realized he couldn’t stand the guy.

“Okay,” Bonesaw said once she was facing her ex. “I admit it was for a good cause, so I’ll let this one slip. But if you touch any of my equipment again without my consent, I’ll kill you, understood?”

“Understood,” Bohnert said, smiling.

Bonesaw stared him in the eye for another second, then walked past him and toward the exit.

“You can enlist him,” she told Jack, pointing at Bohnert. Then she left the hangar.

Grinder looked after her for a moment, not sure what to do. Then he decided to stay with David and sat down next to him, barely missing his foot.

“Alright, people,” Jack said with a sigh. “I need all hands on deck, including yours, Professor. The sooner we unload everything, the sooner we can send the shuttle off and leave Ganymede.”

Begrudgingly, everyone went to work.

∆∆∆

In perfect stealth formation, the Seraph fleet approached their target, like a swarm of deadly black sharks out for blood.

They were in the Wolf System, a solar system less than eight light years away from Earth. Its star, Wolf 359, was a red dwarf with only two planets circling it. Both were uninhabitable and suitable neither for colonization and terraforming nor mining of any sort.

Why the Architects had bothered to even connect the system with a Tunnel leading to Alpha Centauri, no one knew. From a human perspective, there was nothing worthwhile in the system, but the Architects must have had a good reason.

Like in every other system that had been discovered and explored so far, the ‘Great Machine’ powering the Wolf 359 Tunnel was located on an artificial moon. It orbited Wolf 350b, an ice giant double the size of Neptune.

No one knew if there was a second Tunnel hidden somewhere in the system, but if there was, it hadn’t been discovered yet.

There shouldn’t have been anything worthwhile in the Wolf System for the Seraph fleet to attack, yet they had come here, ready to strike.

Intel indicated that the Mats had a hidden underground facility on 358b’s biggest moon. It was about the size of Europa, yet it had volcanic activity similar to that of Io. Apparently, that was why the Mats had chosen the moon as one of their outposts. That and the fact that no one would expect to find anything of value in the Wolf System.

“I still think we’ll find shit here,” Lucien said over the channel he shared with Hel and her brother.

“Our intel indicates otherwise,” Ael said, yet Hel could hear doubt in her brother’s voice.

None of them would ever dare to question their orders, but this system was basically barren land. The least exciting of all the star systems humanity had explored so far.

In front of them shimmered Wolf 359b like a gigantic snowball in the darkness of the universe. It had eight moons, but Alpha and Beta were the only ones of interest to them. They were relatively close together and circled the ice giant at the same speed and nearly on the same ellipsis. Whether this was the Architects’ design or whether the moons had shifted closer to each other over time was unclear and not of great interest to Hel and any other Seraphs right now.

If it was true that the machines had a secret production facility here, it would be imperative to destroy it.

“Our readings indicate underground structures on Beta,” Central informed the squad. “They seem to be buried under deep ice, so it will be difficult to scan the facility thoroughly until we get closer. However, what we can tell for sure is that there is unusually high volcanic activity. Whether it’s natural or caused by the enemy is unknown. I advise you to proceed with extreme caution.”

“Yes, commander,” Ael replied for all of them.

Their initial attack to reclaim Phobos had been five Earthen years ago. Since then, the Seraphs had basically been jumping from one battle to the next, pushing the robot troops back, saving civilians, and reclaiming worlds.

Not much was left of the enthusiastic young people who had gone into battle on Phobos. They had seen and experienced too much. And they were tired.

But there was hope. In most systems, the robot troops were retreating, and in the Sol system, humans had regained control over Mars, Venus, and Jupiter. Things were brightening up for humanity. The Mats would lose, there was no doubt about that. It was only a matter of time.

The mission they were on was considered a low-risk assignment, almost like a scouting mission.

Nevertheless, eight Seraph ships were here, plus the Squid.

The gigantic mothership was hovering in the darkness less than five hundred thousand kilometers away, practically invisible to humans and machines alike.

Hel wondered why the commander had dragged the Squid out here instead of just sending a handful of ships, but Central liked to play it safe. Much to Lucien’s annoyance. He’d clashed with “the old man” more than once.

Hel kept herself out of such conflicts even though she agreed with Lucien. The war could have been over by now if the Seraphs had taken more risks.

Ael disagreed. Like Central, he was a tactician and would rather patiently set up an offensive than rush into combat, guns blazing.

The machines weren’t stupid. They knew they couldn’t win the war with the Seraphs around, so their primary objective had been to destroy the fleet. Three ships had been lost since the Seraphs had entered the war, and Central wasn’t willing to lose any more.

“Contact,” they heard over the channel all Seraphs shared.

A second later, Hel could see it too. Multiple robot ships appeared from the dark side of Wolf 359b Beta.

“There we go,” Ael said over their private comm. “The old man called it, as usual.’

“Who would have thought?” Lucien said.

In truth, Hel knew he was eager to engage the enemy and had secretly hoped they’d find a huge battle here.

“Clever,” Nephilim said. “They used the volcanic activity to disrupt our sensors and stay invisible. I count eight enemy vessels, including three destroyers and two swarm motherships.”

“Should be no problem for us,” Hel said.

It was almost too easy. They would mince those ships in no time.

“Icarus, Nemesis, Nephilim, engage,” Central said. “Everyone else, cover them. Prepare to use Pulse at my command.”

“Aye, sir,” Ael said. “Proceeding in standard formation. Enemy contact in five seconds real time.”

He didn’t even have to say it. The three of them had fought together so many times that they would adopt their standard formation in their sleep.

With Ael in the middle, flanked by his sister on the right and Lucien on the left, they shot forward, leaving the rest of the fleet behind.

Just before they engaged the enemy, they heard another pilot say, “More contact. Ten enemy ships on interceptive course from Wolf 359b.”

“Son of a bitch,” Ael said.

“Icarus, Nemesis, Nephilim, stay on course,” Central commanded. “The rest of you, engage the enemy fleet flanking us.”

“Whatever it is they’re hiding under the ice down there must be of great value to them,” Hel said. “I wonder what it is.”

“Who cares?” Lucien said. “It’ll be stardust in a minute.”

The three of them opened fire on the robot ships in front of them while the rest of the Seraphs took a course for the ships coming from behind the ice giant where they had been hiding.

To everyone’s surprise, the ships didn’t put up much of a fight. Within seconds, Hel had destroyed two of them, while her brother and Lucien had similarly easy tasks.

“What the—” Hel whispered, but she was promptly interrupted by Nephilim.

“Those ships are decoys. They’re barely functioning old vessels with a minimal crew.”

“Central, those ships are decoys,” Hel reported through the main channel.

“So are those at Wolf 369b,” someone else said.

“I don’t like this,” Ael said.

Suddenly, a red alarm appeared on Hel’s HUD, indicating something of the highest danger.

“Hel, we need to get out of here,” Nephilim said. “Calculating evasion.”

“Holy shit,” Hel said, hardly believing what she was seeing. “Guys, do you see that?”

“Listen up, everyone!” Central said with unusual sharpness before either of the other two in Hel’s team could reply. “It’s a trap! Abort mission immediately. Return to the mothership NOW!”

Hel and the others didn’t need to be told twice. They abandoned the battle, which hadn’t been real anyway, and spun around with a speed and grace only ships of the Seraph class were capable of.

Meanwhile, more alarms blinked everywhere.

“What exactly is happening here?” Hel asked Nephilim.

“As Central said, it’s a trap. The underground facility isn’t a robot factory of any sort—it’s nothing other than a giant bomb.”

Parts of Hel’s POV changed, centering on Beta, which was shaken by a massive explosion. It wasn’t enough to destroy the entire moon, but it wasn’t supposed to. Hel watched with dread as the detonation triggered a chain reaction, using the moon’s extreme volcanism.

“The moon will blow up,” Nephilim said with the cold voice of a computer. “And when it does, it’ll destroy Alpha.”

Hel held her breath. The Mats were about to destroy one of the Great Machines!

This was a course of events no one would have anticipated. It was incredibly bold, risky—and clever. If the Great Machine got destroyed, the Tunnel would collapse, at least on this side. But no one could be certain about what would happen.

No one had ever witnessed the destruction of a Great Machine.

Both humans and Mats had always been very careful with the Great Machines and the Tunnels. After all, they were of unmeasurable value for both factions.

Yet the machines were about to deliberately destroy one of them. This would trap more than half of the Seraph fleet plus the Squid in a barren system so far from the next habitable one that it would take them more than a decade to reach it. And while the Seraph ships would never run out of fuel, their pilots would eventually starve.

Provided they survived the cataclysm that was about to unfold on Wolf 369.

Hel could see the equations Nephilim was performing in real time and understood what they meant. No one knew exactly what would happen when a Great Machine exploded, but the energy stored there might be enough to create a singularity.

A black hole.

It would devour the entire system in a matter of seconds—including Wolf 369’s star.

“I can’t believe they’re actually doing this,” Hel huffed out.

“Typical machine thinking,” Nephilim replied in a tone that indicated a shrug.

“But the outcome is unpredictable!”

It was. The combined brains of Hel and Nephilim calculated all possible outcomes—all of them catastrophic.

Meanwhile, the ship shot forward at high speed, quickly putting distance between them and the exploding moon.

“All ships, get ready for emergency docking,” Central said, back in control of himself. “You have fifteen seconds until launch.”

Fifteen seconds was a damn close timeframe, but doable. At least for Hel. She could only hope all the other ships would make it too. If the Squid remained in its position even for a second longer, it risked the destruction of them all.

“Initializing emergency docking,” Nephilim said.

Hel’s POV was split in two now. In the lower half, she saw the moon, which had now turned into a giant fireball that was about to swallow the smaller moon next to it—the Great Machine.

The upper part showed the Squid waiting in the darkness in front of them, its ‘tentacles’ maximally stretched out to allow the ships to dock without ramming each other. A blue glow ran over the ship faster and faster, like waves of energy engulfing it.

“Contact in five seconds,” Nephilim announced.

The docking would be rough and extremely challenging. They had never attempted something like this before. At least, not in reality. Thankfully, they’d all been trained for such emergency maneuvers in the simulator many times.

Hel was lucky. Her designated docking port was on the side facing the approaching fleet. It would be relatively easy to dock there securely in time. But those pilots whose ports were on the other side would have a more challenging and slower maneuver.

An ice-cold spike hit Hel’s spine and traveled through her body as she realized that both her brother and Lucien had their ports on the other side.

Lucien’s port was in the worst position—and was furthest away.

Quickly, Hel did the math in her head and knew a split second later that he wouldn’t make it in time.

The realization felt outright paralyzing to her.

Of course, they all knew the risk. They were soldiers living on the edge. The machines never got tired of trying to destroy them.

Yet losing either Ael or Lucien was the worst imaginable outcome for Hel.

Focus.

She wasn’t even sure if it was her own thought or Nephilim’s voice in her head. Too often, they merged into one. But it was enough to yank her out of her stupor.

A blueish beam began emanating from the Squid’s bow. A second later, the beam began culminating a few kilometers in front of the mothership, forming an elliptical surface. It appeared like a gigantic mirror in the dark, yet it had no mass and was only visible when someone looked at it from the front. It would disappear when looked at from the side.

For Hel and the others, this sight was nothing unusual, of course. They’d seen and used it hundreds of times. However, what was happening here was spectacular and far beyond human knowledge, engineering, or even imagination.

It was also the Seraphs’ biggest secret and the reason why they could show up anywhere literally out of the blue. The Squid was the only ship in the galaxy that could achieve something deemed physically impossible.

It could create its own Tunnel. Anywhere.

The energy needed for such a stunt was incalculable. And it was rooted in alien technology—Architect technology, to be precise. The Squid was powered by something referred to as a ‘Twin Artifact’, although no one knew what it truly was.

The enemy’s plan was as simple as it was brilliant: by destroying the Great Machine, they’d destroy or trap the Seraph fleet. Or at least, so they thought.

Hel focused on the task before her and tried to ignore any disruptive feelings. She watched as the first members of the fleet began docking at the tentacles. Then it was her turn.

The Nephilim approached her docking port at high speed. In a maneuver that would have been impossible for any human-built vessel, she came to a complete stop, then shot sideways again—only to slow down in time to dock at her port with perfect precision.

Hel huffed out air, knowing that she had just performed a maneuver within seconds that usually took minutes.

One after another, the rest of the fleet began docking, and the mothership pulled its arms close to its body until the smaller ships were almost touching the Squid’s hull. Hel watched with relief as her brother reached his port, but at the same time, horrible anxiety began filling her as she watched Lucien’s ship.

Gigantic thrusters lit up all around the mothership, ready to catapult it into the Tunnel now shimmering in front of them. To perform such a jump, the Squid would accelerate from zero to almost light speed within 0.8 seconds—something that should have been physically impossible for an object of its mass.

In the lower part of her POV, Hel could see the cataclysm happening behind them. The explosion had engulfed the Great Machine, and the glow coming from within was like nothing anyone had seen before. The radioactivity alone would destroy anything in the system.

“Now look at that,” Nephilim said. “It was assumed that the energy outburst caused by destroying a Great Machine would create a black hole, but that was wrong.”

“Yes,” Hel said, not paying attention. Watching what was happening directly in front of her was like watching a horrible crash. She knew what would happen, yet she couldn’t stop looking at it.

“A supernova,” Nephilim continued, unmoved by Hel’s agony. “It’ll become a supernova and, later on, a pulsar. Most likely.”

Hel didn’t reply.

He won’t make it.

The thought completely petrified her and made it impossible for her to function.

“Three seconds until launch,” Central said. “You can do it! All of you.”

That was a lie, and he knew it. One wouldn’t make it. Lucien.

Suddenly, something completely unexpected happened.

Hel’s eyes snapped open in the real world in utter surprise.

“What is he doing?” she whispered in disbelief.

The Nemesis had abruptly changed course. Instead of approaching her designated docking place, she aimed at one much closer.

Within a split second, Hel knew that Lucien would make it. He would be able to successfully dock before the Squid launched… by taking away another pilot’s spot.

Central noticed it, too.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Nemesis?” the commander snapped with unusual sharpness.

“Yeah, what the fuck?!” another voice chimed in.

It was Gideon, the pilot of the Archon. And it was his spot Lucien was about to take.

“Nemesis!” Central repeated.

But Lucien remained silent, choosing not to reply.

Contradicting feelings flooded Hel as she watched Lucien’s ship successfully dock in the Archon’s spot. She felt endless relief. Lucien was a difficult man, but he was the man she loved. He and her brother meant more to her than the rest of the universe.

And yet she also felt disappointment… and disgust. The betrayal she and everyone else had just witnessed was unforgivable.

At the same moment, an explosion filled the screen. It was so bright that Hel couldn’t see anything for a second.

“I never thought I’d see a supernova,” Nephilim commented.

“Bastard,” Gideon hissed.

His last word would haunt them all.

The Squid shot forward with almost unreal speed, then disappeared as if it had never been there. The remaining ship hovered in the darkness for a split second.

Then it was devoured by an explosion of unmeasurable proportions.

∆∆∆

Hel opened her eyes. She was breathing heavily, and sweat covered her biological skin. That event had happened more than a hundred years ago, yet the memory of it filled her with the same dread as if it had happened yesterday.

“Bastard…” she whispered.

But the tragedy wasn’t why she had recalled that memory.

Hel sat up in bed and buried her face in her palms. The bed next to her was empty, and she heard footsteps. A moment later, Niemand entered the room.

The expression on his battered machine face was that of sorrow, and despite everything, it looked surprisingly human… and beautiful.

“Is everything alright?” he asked.

“Yes,” Hel said slowly.

She straightened up and looked him in the eye.

“You’re right, Niemand. If there’s only the slightest chance that it’s a Twin we’re dealing with, he must retrieve it, no matter what.”

Niemand smiled.

Mission Dossier, Entry #990

Wolf 359

Wolf 359 is the fifth-nearest star to the Sun. Classified as a red dwarf, it has only 11% of the Sun’s mass—or rather, had. We have to refer to it in the past tense as Wolf 359 doesn’t exist anymore.

All that’s left of the system is a highly radioactive pulsar.

The Wolf 359 system had only two planets: Wolf 359b, an ice giant twice the size of Neptune, and Wolf 359c, a rocky planet three times the size of Earth.

Red dwarfs are the smallest and least luminous stars in the universe, which is why their systems are often barren and hostile to life. Such was also the case with Wolf 369.

Nevertheless, the Architects seemed to see enough value in the star and its system to connect it with a Tunnel to the Sirius system.

For humanity, however, the Wolf 359 system proved to be relatively worthless. Both its planets were unsuitable for terraforming and colonization. Despite our best efforts, we were also unable to discover the second Tunnel leading from Wolf 359.

As it turns out, all star systems connected with a Tunnel have proven to have two Tunnels, each leading to a different system. It was assumed that the second Tunnel originating from Wolf 359 might have led to Ross 128 or Ross 154, but at this point, that is only speculation and will most likely remain so forever.

Every Tunnel we’ve discovered so far is powered by a Great Machine. Those machines were built into moons, or rather, artificial moons containing the machines were installed in planetary orbits. The most famous of these, as it was the first one discovered, was the Great Machine on Phobos, Mars’ second and bigger moon.

Usually, the machines were located around planets with two or fewer moons. In Wolf 359’s case, the Great Machine was hidden on Wolf 359b’s moon, Wolf 359b Alpha. The only natural moon orbiting the ice giant was Beta, which was known to be the most volcanic moon in the galaxy.

So, given its apparent insignificance, what makes Wolf 359 so special that we have dedicated time to it in our dossier?

Its violent, unnatural death.

In 2205, Wolf 359 was destroyed due to a supernova explosion. We don’t know what caused this catastrophe, but it’s almost certain that it had no natural cause. Red dwarfs don’t end their life cycles in supernova explosions. That usually only happens with massive stars that have at least eight times the mass of the Sun.

There are theories that it wasn’t the star itself that caused the explosion but instead the Great Machine. However, this, too, is only speculation and will most likely remain one of the great unsolved mysteries of the universe.

To this day, we still don’t know what the Great Machines really are or how they’re powered. But the amount of energy necessary to create a stable wormhole is beyond measurement. We also don’t know what would happen if someone managed to destroy a Great Machine, but the energy unleashed by that could likely equal that of a supernova.

The explosion that happened in the Wolf 359 system was so massive that a bright flash was clearly visible in Alpha Centauri, our Sol system, and even as far away as Epsilon Eridani.

The supernova destroyed both planets in the system, as well as all their moons—including the Great Machine located on Wolf 359b Alpha. This collapsed the Tunnel leading to Wolf 359b, and humans haven’t been able to set foot there ever since.

Fortunately, the system didn’t bear anything of value, and no colonies were lost. There have been discussions about sending out a research expedition to Wolf 359 and maybe uncovering the mystery of what happened there. However, since the trip would last twelve years each way, the idea has been put on ice for now.

It certainly would be of great interest to learn if it really was the Great Machine that caused the cataclysm and, if so, if its destruction was deliberate.

Measurements of the pulsar that remains where the Wolf 359 system was indicate that the pulsar is located where Wolf 359b used to be, not its parent star. This, too, indicates that it was the Great Machine that caused the supernova.

It also means that if something like this were to happen to Phobos, our home solar system would meet the same fate as Wolf 359.

Also see:

The Great Machine

The Great War

The Architects

Phobos

Sirius

Chapter Eleven

The Wedding

“In over forty years of space travel, I thought I’d seen it all,” Jack began after clearing his throat. “I guess I was wrong.”

He tried to hide it, but it was obvious that he was touched.

Jack, David, Bonesaw, Wolfram, Niemand, and the Duchess had all gathered on the bridge of the Nephilim to celebrate a unique event indeed: Nightingale’s and Aztec’s wedding. Professor Bohnert had also been invited to attend—very much to Bonesaw’s disgruntlement. Even the dog was there.

After the professor had fixed him, Grinder was allowed to move freely around the ship. Seeing him and Niemand in one room without the former Legion dog trying to attack the Mimic was the best proof anyone could get that Professor Bohnert’s procedure had been successful.

Like most people on board, David found Bohnert annoying as fuck, but he had to admit that the man was brilliant. He had fixed Nightingale and Grinder, which was even more reason for David to never let the professor tinker with his brain.

After evaluating all their options, Nightingale and Aztec had decided to celebrate their bond not just on the Nephilim but on the bridge. This way, everyone who was important to them could attend, and that included Galahad, who was confined to his chair.

The bridge looked entirely different than usual, and had he not known where he was, David would never have guessed that this was the bridge of a spaceship in the middle of nowhere between Jupiter and Saturn.

Usually, the bridge was dark, with black walls and minimal lighting. But as David knew from the space combat he had witnessed on the ship, the walls could turn into gigantic screens.

So, instead of showing their surroundings, which would have been the endless blackness of space with the occasional star or galaxy glimmering in the dark, the screens were showing a landscape of unimaginable beauty: the unnaturally blue waters and lush islands of Sirius Lumina.

It seemed as if they were standing on an island in the middle of the ocean. The illusion was almost perfect. Only when looking at the ground did it become clear that they were standing on the black metal plates covering the bridge.

With the Duchess’ permission, Jack was standing on the pedestal she occupied when using the ship’s interface. He was dressed in a black suit and a white shirt that he had bought on Ganymede for the occasion. He had even trimmed his beard and neatly combed his long fire red hair.

If it hadn’t been for the tattoo covering half his face and the huge neural implant on his temple, he could have passed as a resident of one of the upscale domes on Mars or Venus. Everyone had been surprised to see the captain like this. Usually, Jack presented himself rather ruggedly and was almost never seen without his beloved leather jacket.

David hadn’t bought himself a suit, but he was wearing some of his new clothes and, for the first time, felt like a real person. Next to him stood Bonesaw, who looked absolutely ravishing in a red, skintight dress with matching high heels. Her long blonde hair fell loosely over her shoulders, making her appear even more sensual.

Had David not seen her in space combat, he wouldn’t have believed it. No doubt this woman was one of the most badass people imaginable, yet she looked like a pinup model.

Next to her stood Wolfram. The engineer hadn’t dressed up for the occasion, but at least he was wearing a fresh, sleeveless white shirt and a friendly expression. Professor Bohnert hadn’t brought any special clothes on board and was therefore dressed as usual, while Galahad couldn’t wear anything other than his jockey suit.

Between David and Bonesaw sat Grinder. The dog was panting happily, showing his frightening jaws. It was funny, but the longer David spent around the animal, the less frightening he appeared. In fact, he began looking cute to David’s eyes, despite his glowing red eyes, artificial jaws, and size.

Grinder had also decided to make David’s quarters his sleeping place by simply walking in straight after David when it was time for bed. He spent the night curled up next to David’s bed, and his entire room smelled of dog the next morning. David wondered if he could give Grinder a bath or if the C-K9 would bite his head off if he tried.

Niemand and Hel were dressed as elegantly as always. Hel had her hair pinned up in an artful way—or rather, she was wearing a wig pinned up like that—and looked like an ancient goddess come to life. Niemand still seemed battered, but he already looked much better than after their return from Mars.

And then there were the bride and groom, of course.

Nightingale had bought himself a tuxedo on Ganymede, and despite being straight and not even liking the guy, David had to admit that Nightingale looked almost annoyingly handsome. Aztec was dressed in a short, purple dress that left her shoulders open. But instead of high heels, she wore boots.

David thought she looked cute. But Bonesaw had told him she’d had to outright force Aztec to get herself something decent to wear.

Aztec was beaming like David had never seen before. He couldn’t help but feel happy for her.

“I also never would have guessed that I would get the honor to wed two people on this very ship,” Jack continued. “Nightingale, I think everyone here agrees that you’re a massive pain in the ass—”

Nightingale smirked and clearly considered saying something but then decided otherwise and let Jack continue.

“—but you’re our pain in the ass. And you make Aztec happy, which is good enough for me. Ah, who am I kidding! You’re both wonderful people, and we love you.

“I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we wish you all the best in the universe! And because this is new to me and no one gets married anymore nowadays anyway, I don’t know what else to say. Therefore—”

“I offered to help you out with that!” Galahad interrupted.

“You offered me a Victorian wedding ceremony, so shut up,” Jack said, and everyone laughed.

“Therefore, if you have any vows or rings you want to exchange, now’s the time,” Jack finished, spreading his palms toward Aztec and Nightingale.

The bride and groom looked at each other, smiling. Then Nightingale leaned forward and whispered something in Aztec’s ear. She giggled like a young girl, which David found adorable. At that moment, it was easy to forget that this woman was half machine and trained to kill—and that she was very good at it.

Aztec took Nightingale’s face between her palms, kissed him, and whispered something in his ear in return.

“Hey, I haven’t said you’re allowed to kiss yet!” Jack said in a mock-scornful voice.

“You’re right,” Nightingale said. “I have something I want to give my future wife first.”

He reached into his pocket and produced a ring with a shimmering blue stone.

David knew what it was as he had been there when Nightingale had bought it on Ganymede.

The blue stone was a five-carat diamond from Neptune. The ice giant was famous for its ‘raining diamonds’, a phenomenon created by its extreme atmospheric pressure. Even though Neptune literally rained diamonds, it was still difficult and dangerous to harvest them from the planet’s surface—which made Neptune diamonds valuable and expensive.

Aztec gasped when she saw it, then tilted her head, looking at Nightingale. “We said we wouldn’t get each other anything!”

“I thought that was a trap,” Nightingale said with a smirk.

“Oh you…” Aztec rolled her eyes to masquerade how happy she was. “Put it on my finger so I can kiss you without Jack putting us into an airlock.”

“Damn right,” Jack said.

Nightingale put the ring on Aztec’s finger, then looked her in the eye.

“I love you, Celina. Now, always, in every life, till the end of times.”

“I love you, too, Mikolay,” Aztec replied, her voice breaking.

“Alrighty, I hereby declare you husband and wife,” Jack said. “You may kiss each other. But please keep your clothes on for now.”

Everyone clapped as Aztec’s and Nightingale’s lips found each other as if they were magnetically drawn together.

David heard a soft sniff, and when he looked to the side, he saw Bonesaw wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

She noticed that he was looking at her and smiled. Then she leaned closer to him.

For a moment, David thought—or rather hoped—she would kiss him, but instead, she whispered, “You didn’t see anything… or else.”

Yet she kept smiling.

∆∆∆

After the rather unconventional ceremony, the entire crew, minus Galahad, gathered in the mess to celebrate.

Wolfram had been cooking for hours to prepare a meal like no one on board had ever had. Luckily, cooking was his passion, and he enjoyed every second of it. Otherwise, he probably would have enlisted David to help. But instead, the engineer had locked himself in the mess for hours and put the fresh ingredients he’d bought on Ganymede to good use.

Proud of his Italian heritage, Wolfram had prepared homemade gnocchi with a delicious vegetable-cheese sauce. There was also minestrone and dessert: tiramisu, which, Wolfram claimed, was based on an old family recipe.

For David, everything that was served tasted like heaven. If that wasn’t enough goodness, Wolfram also had bought red wine. It originated from Calisto and must have cost him a fortune, but he wouldn’t hear any of it when the Duchess offered to reimburse him.

Everyone was sitting together, drinking, eating, and celebrating the newlyweds. It had something incredibly wholesome about it and once again woke the feeling of home in David.

Grinder, who had gotten a portion of every dish like his human shipmates, was sitting between Bonesaw and David, his huge head on David’s thigh… and slobbering all over David’s new pants. The dog had tried to cuddle up to the doctor first, but Bonesaw hadn’t allowed him to ruin her new dress.

Aztec and Nightingale were sitting at the center of the table, and it was clear that the two could barely restrain themselves and act civilized. Both looked incredibly happy, and even Nightingale seemed to have forgotten about the cynical smartass attitude he usually liked to put on display.

Watching them, David wondered why he’d ever believed he could have an actual chance with Aztec. Those two were literally made for each other.

Somewhere deep inside him, hidden under all his personas and implanted personalities, David experienced the instinctive desire to love and be loved like those two. He wondered if that was a typical human thing and if he was more human than artificial after all. Or had he been programmed to feel like that?

A flash of the red-haired girl popped into his mind, and the desire he experienced grew exponentially. Who was she? Was she even real, or was she just another control mechanism his handlers used on him?

Once again, a sharp headache reminded David of the fact that he was engaging in wrongthink, so he focused on the people around him instead.

“That was absolutely delicious,” Jack said, clapping his belly once they’d finished. “I think it was easily the best food I’ve ever had.”

“Ditto,” David chimed in.

In his case, it was an easy statement because he’d never enjoyed anything organic before joining the Nephilim, and even here, a feast like this was a rarity.

“Ha!” Wolfram said, a big grin on his face. “Nothing beats Italian food!”

“Thank you for inviting us,” the Duchess said. “And thank you for the cooking, Wolfram.”

It was the first time since David had been on board that Hel and Niemand had joined a social gathering with the crew. They were sitting at the head of the table, close together, radiating power and sublimity.

Niemand hadn’t touched any of the food or beverages, while Hel had only tried some bites of each dish and given the rest to Jack, who had happily devoured everything put in front of him. They were on a spaceship, so wasting food was a big no-no. Especially when it was organic and homecooked.

“Before Niemand and I go and leave you to the party, I’d like to say something.”

All heads turned toward her, and everyone shut their mouths.

“Aztec and Nightingale, you are both not only invaluable members of this crew but also people everyone on board cares about deeply—including us.”

She smiled and took Niemand’s hand before she continued.

“Nightingale, you saved my life on Venus. You took bullets meant for me. I will never forget that.”

“And you moved the entire solar system to save me, Hel,” Nightingale said quietly with sudden, very mature seriousness. “Thank you.”

“That’s her specialty,” Niemand said with a smirk.

“And you, Aztec, saved the person dearest to me in the universe,” the Duchess continued, glancing at Niemand. “Thank you.”

Aztec just smiled, her cheeks slightly flushed. Maybe it was from the red wine, maybe because she was touched.

“I know it’s impossible to repay the two of you for your bravery and loyalty,” the Duchess said. “But I want to show my gratitude. I’m offering you the choice of a wedding gift.”

She paused for a moment to increase the anticipation among the others, who were clinging to her every word.

“You may choose between your own spaceship or land on Sirius Lumina.”

Aztec’s eyes turned wide, and even Nightingale forgot his coolness for a moment and stared at the Duchess like a child who had just discovered that Santa was real.

“I have a spare ship that is currently being patched up and remodeled in the wharf on Alpha Centauri Prime. You would probably like it since it’s a decommissioned Legion Explorer.” The Duchess smirked mischievously. “The land on Lumina is in Emerald Bay, and it’s big enough to build anything you desire there—in case you want to retire someday.

“You can think about the choice as long as you need—there’s no rush. And, of course, we’d love to keep you on board as long as you like. Consider a raise of 30% on top of your regular payment as a little wedding day bonus.”

Aztec was the first to find her speech again. “That’s… Holy shit, that’s amazing, Hel, thank you!”

“It is incredibly generous,” Nightingale agreed. “We can’t thank you enough.”

Hel lifted her palm. “I can’t thank you enough.”

“We’ll think about it and let you know,” Nightingale said thoughtfully.

“But for now, we’re not going anywhere, right, Gale?” Aztec said, poking him with her elbow. “This is our home, and you guys are our peeps.”

“Right,” Nightingale said with a smile. Then he turned toward Jack, and his typical grin reappeared. “Sorry, Jack. You’re not getting rid of us so easily.”

“Damnit!” Jack slammed his fist into his palm in fake disappointment.

“Alright, we’ll leave you be now,” the Duchess said, rising from her seat with the grace of a queen.

“But why?” Nightingale objected. “Stay with us and celebrate for a bit longer.”

“We have some urgent matters to discuss. Besides, a party only gets better once the boss is gone.”

She winked in an unusually playful way, and then she and Niemand left.

“Wow, just wow,” Aztec said once the two were gone. “She’s truly the best boss in the universe.”

“We can drink to that!” Jack said, lifting his wine glass.

They all clinked and emptied their glasses.

“So, which option will you pick?” David asked.

“I’ve no idea,” Aztec said. “I’ve never even dreamed of having my own ship.”

“Land in Emerald Bay on Sirius Lumina is worth a fortune,” Nightingale said. “It’s also one of the most beautiful spots on the planet.”

“Uh oh, I smell the first disagreement between the spouses here,” Jack said.

“Cheers to that,” Professor Bohnert chimed in, receiving a death stare from Bonesaw in return. The two of them had agreed on a truce for the wedding day since Nightingale and Aztec had insisted that they both attend.

Aztec laughed. “Nah, we’ll figure it out. For now, we’re not heading for Sirius or Alpha Centauri anyway. Now that the boss is gone, let’s get hopelessly drunk!”

“I’m fine with that,” Jack said, lighting a cigar. Tobacco was grown on Ganymede, and the captain had bought a huge stack of various products for everyone. “We bought enough booze on Ganymede to drown an entire garrison,” he added.

“You’ve clearly never seen a garrison of legionnaires drink, Dr. Jekyll,” Nightingale said.

Jack puffed out smoke. “Oh good lord, would you please stop calling me that?”

Nightingale laughed. “Why? It suits you well.”

“I have to agree,” Bonesaw said with a smirk. “Now, where’s the booze?”

“We have—” Jack began, but Aztec cut him off, suddenly excited.

“Wait! I almost forgot, I have something special!”

She jumped up and charged out of the room. Everyone looked at Nightingale quizzically, but he only shrugged, indicating that he had no idea what this was about.

They didn’t have to wait long for an answer as Aztec returned to the mess only a minute later, a bottle in her hand.

“There,” she said proudly as she placed the bottle on the table.

Everyone looked at it with curiosity. It was clearly liquor, but the bottle alone looked very expensive, ornamented in art-deco style. Tiny flakes swam in the liquid, slowly settling down. They reflected light and shimmered golden. The liquor itself also had a slightly golden color.

“What’s this?” Nightingale asked.

Aztec shrugged. “It’s called Goldwater… I think.”

She spun around, opened the cabinet where the glasses were stored—each secured in thick foam—and then put a shot glass in front of everyone.

“Is that gold in there?” Jack asked.

“Yes,” Professor Bohnert replied. “Not just any gold. It’s from Earth, which makes this liquor the most expensive in the galaxy.”

“Holy shit,” Jack said. “Where did you find that, Aztec?”

She shrugged again, then sat back down next to Nightingale, who instantly wrapped his arm around her.

“When I accompanied the Duchess to Dome 1 in Elysium City, we went to some fancy rich-ass bar. There, she had a meeting with some mysterious dude. She told me to drink whatever I wanted because the drinks were on the Pentad. So I asked the barkeeper which drink was the most expensive one, and he said Goldwater. Since the Pentad was paying, I thought, screw it, and told him to give me the bottle.”

Everyone stared at her for a moment. Then they all burst out laughing.

“That’s hilarious,” Bonesaw said, giggling. “Well done, darling.”

Nightingale pulled her closer and gave her a smacking kiss. “I love you.”

“Actually, I got it so we could drink to your recovery,” Aztec said. “It didn’t look good for you back then, but the Duchess said she wouldn’t let you die, so I believed her. We didn’t really have time to drink to your recovery until now.”

“So, now we can drink it on our wedding day,” Nightingale said, clearly touched.

“Oh, stop it, you guys,” Bonesaw said, lighting herself a cigarette. “You’ll make me start believing in love again.”

“Ok, let’s drink it,” Aztec decided.

She shook the bottle, making the tiny flakes swirl, then poured everyone a glass.

“To our newlyweds,” Jack said, lifting his glass. “May they live happily ever after!”

They clinked glasses, then everyone downed the exclusive liquor.

For a moment, no one said anything.

Then Wolfram started coughing. “What the fuck did I just drink?”

“Just the most expensive liquor in the universe,” Nightingale said.

“That’s fucking awful,” Wolfram stated.

“Oh, I forgot. You usually drink motor oil.”

Awful was indeed a strong word, but David found the liquor in his mouth… underwhelming. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but this just tasted like vodka.

“Stop bitching, Wolfram,” Jack said. “I think it’s good.”

Aztec giggled. “You guys don’t need to say it’s good. I don’t have any feelings about it.”

“Well, it’s better than the stuff you brought back from Ceres,” Bonesaw said. “I was seriously concerned we’d all go blind from that.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Nightingale said. “I thought I was the only one concerned about that.”

“I say we drink it all,” Aztec said, pouring another round. “It’s paid for by the Pentad, and as long as it gives us a buzz, I’m fine with it.”

“Cheers,” Jack said as they clinked glasses.

As was always the case, the liquor got better with every shot. Soon, everyone was buzzed and engaged in happy conversation and banter.

After a while, Wolfram suggested testing out the new D&M expansion he’d bought on Ganymede, and everyone was all in. Naturally, Galahad didn’t need to be asked twice to join the game remotely. As he proudly announced, he always had a campaign ready and prepared in his head.

It was Professor Bohnert’s first time, which once again gave David a strange sense of satisfaction, knowing that he wasn’t the noob anymore. Just as when he’d played for the first time, the others assigned Bohnert a class and race to play.

As expected, the professor learned the game quickly, especially since he and Galahad kept exchanging anecdotes and jokes from long bygone times, alien to everyone else.

But David didn’t care as he only had eyes for Bonesaw. Once the Goldwater was gone, they continued with regular ‘poor people’s’ liquor. David tried to avoid drinking too much, but the others wouldn’t let him, and he ended up pretty drunk in no time.

He might have been an artificial super-human, but when it came to alcohol, his body reacted like any other biological one.

Grinder had been excluded from drinking. Bonesaw insisted that alcohol was bad for dogs—as if it were good for humans—but David agreed that it was better that way. Grinder might behave like a big cuddly puppy around them, but it would be best to keep in mind that he could become really dangerous when out of control. Besides, if the dog decided to sleep in his quarters again, David wasn’t keen on him barfing all over the place.

The dog was lying under the table, snoring happily. He was so big that he took up the entire space, and the humans sitting at the table had to park their feet elsewhere. David had also moved closer to Bonesaw and noticed that she was wearing perfume.

The more he drank, the more David felt attracted to her, who smiled sensually at him in return. If her ex-husband noticed the two of them flirting, then he chose not to comment on it or react in any way.

Finally, Nightingale declared that while he and Aztec had enjoyed everyone’s company, they still had a wedding night to attend. With that, the two cyborgs left, giggling and making out like love-drunk teenagers.

Professor Bohnert took his leave shortly after. Jack and Wolfram stayed for another round of booze, then retired also.

That left only David and Bonesaw.

He turned toward her and studied her beautiful face and body. Maybe it was the alcohol, but she had never appeared more gorgeous to him than she did then.

He felt excitement in his stomach and a tickling sensation all over his body.

She turned her head and smiled at him.

“What should I do with you?” she asked in a voice even sultrier than usual.

“How about you do whatever you like with me, Doctor?” he replied.

Maybe it was the alcohol speaking, maybe not. He didn’t care. It was now or never.

She chuckled, then lifted her palm and gently stroked his cheek.

“You’re very sweet, David, but I’m afraid you’re too young for me.”

“I’m not that young,” he said. Which was a lie, of course, because he’d barely existed for two years. Nevertheless, his mind and body were those of an adult. “Let me prove it to you.”

He could outperform any human in almost anything, so he was pretty sure he could also outperform any man she had ever been with sexually.

She didn’t reply. Instead, she slowly moved her face toward his and gently kissed him on the mouth.

It triggered a wave of feelings in David he didn’t quite understand. He had briefly kissed her before on Mars, right before everything had gone to hell and they’d had to run from the Legion.

But this was different.

It was erotic, yes. He instantly felt aroused when her lips made contact with his. But it was more than that… somehow wholesome.

He returned the kiss, tasting her lips while placing one of his hands on her shoulder and one on the back of her head.

The kiss quickly grew in intensity and passion as she opened her lips and let her tongue play with his.

Carefully, he let his hands slide down her luxurious body, which created sensations in his own.

Suddenly, she pulled away and placed a finger on his mouth, which was hungrily searching for hers.

“Goodnight, David,” she whispered softly.

“Why?” he asked, perplexed.

But she just smiled and went for the door, leaving him alone with his desire and an erection.

“Just great,” he whispered, placing his head in his palms.

He felt empty and completely alone in the universe.

Closing his eyes, he only noticed now how drunk he was. He’d better get a cold shower before going to sleep—for multiple reasons.

David got up and slowly moved to the door, feeling shakier than he’d expected.

The clacking noise of metal paws on the metal floor reminded him that someone was still there.

David turned his head and saw the dog standing in the mess, stretching and yawning. Grinder studied him for a moment, then approached David and pressed his head under his arm. The dog was big enough for David to lean on him, which was badly needed as the entire room seemed to be spinning all of a sudden.

“Thanks, buddy,” he slurred. “At least you love me, huh?”

The dog didn’t reply. Instead, he escorted David to his room and curled up on the floor as David fell on his bed and passed out.

Mission Dossier, Entry #1567

Grav Exos

Gravity is a bitch.

That’s a fact Isaac Newton must have realized when the apple fell on his head, and it’s also a fact humans discovered as soon they started venturing into space.

Gravity is a bitch for many reasons.

Zero-G turned out to be unsustainable for humans, similar to very low gravity. On the other hand, giant planets such as Jupiter or Epsilon Eridani Decima had such strong gravity that it was impossible to approach them without being crushed.

Even after the discovery of Artificial Gravity Systems (AGS), space travel is still very dangerous due to gravity. As long as a ship keeps a straight course and accelerates and decelerates slowly, everyone on board will be fine. But if a ship takes a sharp turn or stops abruptly, the people inside will be smashed against the nearest wall like tomatoes.

It has happened more than once, especially in the first hundred years of space travel, and let me tell you, it was anything but pretty.

That’s why all warships and other vessels that need to maneuver quickly are equipped with padded security seats and other measures.

Even though it’s less deadly, gravity is also a bitch when someone travels from planet to planet. The gravity on Venus, for example, is three times that of Mars, which makes a person traveling from Mars suddenly three times as heavy as before.

Getting used to that is a challenge, even for physically fit people. On the other hand, when someone from Mars travels to one of the Jovian moons, they will encounter gravity only 10% of that on the Red Planet. This makes it practically impossible to move around on moons and smaller planets.

This is where Gravitational Exoskeletons, or Grav Exos, come into play.

They’re available in various shapes and qualities. Some engulf the entire body, and others are like heavy boots and greaves. Wearing them makes it possible for visitors to move almost as swiftly as on their home worlds.

Grav Exos are particularly necessary for visitors to the Jovian and Saturnian moons from Mars and Venus. Ganymede, Europa, and Titan in particular are frequented not just by traders of all kinds but also by tourists.

Also see:

AGS

Gravity

The Jovian moons

Ganymede

Europa

Titan

Early space travel

Chapter Twelve

Schemes

The Sun was about to set on Mars. As so often, it was a spectacular sight, especially during spring and summer, when the sky was clear and sandstorms were rare. Even more so when it could be watched from the highest building of Dome 1 in Elysium City.

The reddish ball hanging low in the sky was much smaller than when observed on Earth due to Mars’ greater distance from humanity’s home star. A million reddish hues reflected off the domes surrounding Dome 1.

George Gibson—or rather, the machine pretending to be George Gibson—didn’t have a sense for the almost unreal beauty of the spectacle. Mimics lacked the human way of romanticizing natural sights. They didn’t have a sense for the beauty of art either.

For them, a painting was simply paint spread on cloth, some with more precision than others. Poetry was simply words put in a specific order so it sounded nice. Music was mostly noise with the exception of some ancient classics such as Beethoven, Mozart, or Chopin, whose compositions were of mathematical perfection. Well, almost. Nothing created by human brains could ever be perfect.

Nothing worthwhile was happening outside the windows. The Sun was simply setting over the northern Martian hemisphere. It would be back in 12.2 hours, appearing in the east, same as on Earth.

For a machine, measuring the time was simply necessary for basic functionality and equations. It didn’t have any deeper meaning as it did for humans, whose lives were short and meaningless.

They were born, bred, and died. Like animals. Or rather vermin.

Disgusting.

However, although a machine perceived time differently than a human, even machines were aware that time could be wasted, and thinking machines such as George disliked that as much as the more intelligent humans.

And both species agreed that there was no bigger waste of time than meetings.

Nevertheless, humans kept having them, even in modern times. And since George Gibson pretended to be human, he begrudgingly had to participate in those archaic human traditions.

George didn’t mimic just any human—he was one of the Five. The most powerful people in the galaxy. And when this illustrious group of people met, he had to attend.

As usual, the meeting took place in a conference room on the top floor of Pentad HQ. The panoramic windows allowed a magnificent view over Elysium City and the plains of the Elysium crater for many kilometers. The rocky surface glowed red in the diminishing sunlight, which was something else George didn’t pay any attention to.

The only way to enter the conference room was from the air. The landing platform on the roof wasn’t accessible to the public, not even to high-ranking Pentad employees. Officially, the roof didn’t even have a platform. High-ranking execs used the landing platforms several stories below for their FVs.

The panoramic windows were made of bullet-proof glass—which was an understatement as they were made of the same materials as the domes or windows on spaceships. Even if someone tried to ram the windows with an FV at high speed, they wouldn’t break.

From the outside, the windows were black and appeared like a wall instead of actual windows, and inside, the room was 100% secure from any surveillance. What was spoken in the Fives’ conference room stayed in that room.

As far as the majority of people were concerned, the upper floor of Pentad HQ didn’t exist, and neither did the Five.

The Pentad, a conglomerate of five mega-corporations dating back to the time on Earth when advanced space travel was nothing more than science fiction, had the ultimate power. It was organized into seemingly countless subdivisions, subsidiary companies, and branches. Like an invisible, gigantic web, the Pentad spun far beyond the solar system into all human colonies.

And it fiercely defended its superiority whenever someone dared to challenge it.

However, most ordinary citizens believed that the CEO and the highest-ranking executives were the ones pulling the strings. In truth, the power was divided among five people and had been for almost three hundred years.

The Five knew it was much smarter to remain in the shadows, pulling the strings from there like silent puppet masters. If something went wrong, it was always possible to blame the CEO and have them removed and replaced.

It was also the CEO and the top echelon of management who stood in the spotlight. If some unruly elements decided to make a move against the Pentad, they did so against those people. Meanwhile, the Five stayed invisible and in safety.

Another reason they stayed hidden was that all of the Five were Meths. The youngest person sitting in that room was 168 years old. People who lived and reigned that long weren’t interested in the spotlight, especially since Meths didn’t officially exist.

Before the Great War, when knowledge that some people practically lived forever while others suffered from illness and death and were often encouraged to end their own lives at a ‘reasonable’ age had become public, it had led to massive unrest across all star systems.

After that, the Pentad decided to declare Meths a myth and conspiracy theory. The fact that all narratives and media were controlled by the Pentad made it easy. And the Great War had also functioned as a great reset that made it very easy to rewrite history in any way those in power deemed profitable.

George took a sip of his drink as he studied the other four people seated in a circle on black leather cushioned chairs.

Like all Mimics, he didn’t need to eat and drink and, in fact, found the human digestive system gross—and the reproductive system, for that matter. But to blend in among humans, higher-evolved Mimics had been designed to eat and drink. Even before the war, Mimics had perfectly simulated breathing and all human facial expressions. Proto-Mimics even simulated sweating, and they bled when cut.

George could drink, but he despised it. It reminded him of the imperfection, the flawed design of the human body.

That he, a higher-evolved being, had to wear the shape of those inferior creatures was an irony that wasn’t lost on him. But for the time being, it was the only way.

Not much longer.

George had to admit that the four sharing the room with him were exceptional specimens of the human race. Everything would have been so much easier if those people were the usual power-hungry, narcissistic morons all human leaders had been for millennia, but the Five were highly intelligent and cunning.

They’d even managed to survive the Great War despite the machines having tried everything they could to bring them down.

Well, not all of them. A fact that filled George with satisfaction.

After all, he’d been able to take one of them out and replace him without anyone noticing. Of course, he’d had help. A mind greater than his had concocted the plan, but still.

Sipping his drink, George listened to the conversation and commented from time to time. Mostly, the conversation was about money or some financial issue. It was boring. Money was a human construct to keep society divided and under control. Machines had no need for it.

But despite being a multiplanetary organization that controlled everything, from education to the military forces and space travel, at its core, the Pentad was a mega-corporation, and therefore, everything resolved around business, money, and balances.

Whenever the Five met, half of their time was spent on financial questions. George patiently waited until the topic moved on to something he was interested in.

“Alright, let’s discuss what happened in Noctis City and what we should do about it,” Lakshmi said.

Finally.

Lakshmi was the owner of Aluna Corp. The company had been founded by her grandfather and led by her father until the Great War. Lakshmi was 235 years old but didn’t look a day older than 35.

The blood-red Pentad pin on the left side of her chest was glowing in the light of the sinking sun outside. Every member of the Five wore a pin made of blood-red diamonds from Cancri-66, which were supposedly the most durable material in the galaxy—and invaluable. One pin was worth more than half of Elysium City—not including its residents, of course. They were worthless.

“What about it?” Josephine replied in her typical slightly aloof tone.

At 168, she was the youngest member of the Five. But being the owner of Luna Tech, she held the most power in her petite hands. Like most Meths, she looked like a young woman, yet, contrary to others among the illustrious Five, she didn’t dress extravagantly in any way. Instead, she appeared rather plain, wearing a simple black sweater and beige pants.

But the clothes only looked plain at first glance. In truth, they’d been handcrafted from the finest materials. She had inherited not only the company but also her seemingly laidback look and attitude from her father, who had founded the Pentad after the Tunnel had been discovered.

“Well, we have a Seraph out of control, but that’s about it,” said Lawrence, CEO of Quantum Dynamics, crossing his arms.

“She’s not out of control,” George intervened. “I’m sure she had very good reasons for her actions.”

“Pfft, and what would those be?”

George shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Well, our good General Altman seems to be pretty outraged about it,” Lakshmi said.

“The man’s an idiot,” Josephine said, waving her hand dismissively.

“Yes, but a very useful idiot,” Lawrence said. “We had a very good reason for putting him in charge of the Legion, didn’t we?”

“Frankly, I don’t care about some lost Legion ships or mechs. It happens,” Lakshmi said. “What’s annoying is the fact that civilians witnessed the battle in the sky. Even worse, many people saw the Seraph in action.”

“And now we have the entire ‘it was aliens’ debate at our asses all over again,” Lawrence added.

“We should have destroyed them all, right after the war,” Hakaru said, joining the discussion.

Hakaru was the owner of General Cybernetics, and at almost 300, he was the oldest member of the Five, but nothing in his looks or demeanor gave any proof of that.

“Right. As if we didn’t try,” Lawrence said. “Easier said than done, as we all know.”

“I’ll handle the ‘it was aliens’ narrative,” Josephine said. “It’ll be denounced, ridiculed, and forgotten in no time. No big deal.”

“Yes, but I agree with Lawrence. We need to do something about her,” Lakshmi said. “I mean, I know we’re bound to the contract and she basically has carte blanche, but still.”

George sighed, seemingly defeated. “I hate to say it, but I’m afraid you’re right.”

“But how?” Lawrence asked. “We all know that one Seraph ship alone can wreak havoc among our fleets.”

“I suggest we block her from using the Tunnels for starters and work on a way to put an end to her once and for all, contract or not,” Lakshmi said.

“I’m not sure I’m okay with that,” George said slowly.

“We’re very well aware of your special bond—” Lakshmi said.

“I gave my word,” George interrupted her.

“Yes, but that was before the war. Things are different now. And any remaining Seraphs are a threat to us,” Lawrence said.

“I agree,” Josephine said.

“Let’s put it to a vote,” Lakshmi suggested. “It seems to me that most of us want to put an end to this.”

“No, I can’t allow this,” George said defiantly, even though he was highly pleased on the inside.

“What about you, Hakaru?” Lakshmi asked.

“I’m afraid…” Hakaru started, keeping a perfect poker face as always. Even for George, it was impossible to tell what this man thought. If he didn’t know better, he’d have assumed Hakaru was a machine. “I can’t allow that either.”

For a moment, the room was completely silent as the Sun vanished below the horizon and the nightly illumination of Elysium City sprang to life like a billion diamonds.

Everyone stared at Hakaru in surprise, including George. He hadn’t expected that.

“Why?” Josephine asked, clearly interested in the conversation for the first time.

“While I agree that we need all the Seraphs gone sooner rather than later,” Hakaru said, his tone typically calm and slow, “wouldn’t it be better to acquire their technology first?”

“It’s not like we didn’t try that before,” Lakshmi said sourly. “It’s pointless.”

“No, it isn’t,” Hakaru said with a smirk.

“Why do I have the feeling you know something we don’t?” Josephine asked with a catlike grin.

“Your feeling is correct.” Hakaru paused for a beat to increase the anticipation. “I’ve successfully planted an operative on board the Nephilim.”

Again, everyone stared at him.

“No way!” Lawrence said.

“Why didn’t we know about this?” Josephine asked.

Yeah, why? George thought.

He was irritated because he’d believed he had all the information and was playing the Five to his advantage. Instead, he’d been blinded like the others. An operative on the Nephilim could be a good thing or bad thing for his goals.

“I didn’t want to concern you until I was certain that the operation was running successfully, and it is. Our operative succeeded in infiltrating the crew and will accompany them through the Tunnel to Tau Ceti. Unless we do something stupid and block Helena from using the Tunnel.”

“You mean…” Josephine said.

“Yes. If the Squid is still out there somewhere, then this is our best chance of finding it… and eliminating all remaining Seraphs,” Hakaru finished for her.

“Let me guess, the PIA is involved?” Lawrence asked.

“But of course.”

“Care to share the details with us?” Josephine asked.

A smug grin appeared on Hakaru’s face. He had outplayed them all, and he knew it.

“I’d be happy to.”

Then he explained all the details of his plan.

∆∆∆

It was almost 9 PM when the meeting was finally over. Soon after, George was alone in his FV on the way back to his residence.

Once again, he replayed the conversation with the other members of the Five in his mind.

It had been a very interesting turn of events.

George had carefully planned to set Hel up against the Pentad and to have the Five lose their patience with her—despite everything she was and her special status.

Everything had seemed to be playing out perfectly until Hakaru had dropped his bombshell.

Despite his dislike of humans, George had to give Hakaru credit for his accomplishment. After his initial surprise and irritation, George quickly came to the conclusion not only that it was brilliant but also that it played into his hands more than he ever would have expected.

Of course, even a thorough consideration of all factors and possible outcomes took George’s artificial brain only 0.005 seconds.

The fact was that for the machines to succeed, the Seraph needed to be destroyed. To make things even easier, it would be necessary to sabotage the Legion from within. Bringing the Seraphs and the Legion to arms against each other had been a scheme necessary for success.

The situation was different than it used to be during the Great War. Back then, the Automatons had had the great advantage of striking everywhere at the same time after infiltrating humanity for decades. This time, the machines were lurking in the shadows, ready to strike at the right moment.

And the right moment would be during a civil war.

George had been working on igniting it for decades, basically since he had taken the place of the real George Gibson.

However, a total annihilation of the Seraphs while obtaining their technology would be even better. And Hakaru had presented it on a silver platter.

An undercover operative on Hel’s ship, designated to murder her, her brother, and ideally all others—after acquiring their technology. It was almost too good to be true.

Of course, chances were high that the PIA agent would fail, but it was worth waiting and seeing how it’d play out. After all, time didn’t matter for machines. They had literally all the time in the world and could wait for the right moment.

However, one thing was concerning about the entire endeavor, and that was the identity of the operative.

A SYNAPSE? A human-machine hybrid?

George had been stunned when Hakaru had talked about the technology developed in secret under his patronage. There had been experiments and prototypes before the war, but they had been abandoned after the war due to security concerns, or so George had thought.

As it turned out, the experiments had continued, and now SYNAPSEs were out there.

George didn’t like that. He didn’t like that at all.

A human-machine hybrid was an atrocity that shouldn’t exist.

Cyborgs were bad enough, but those were basically humans who had been upgraded. A SYNAPSE was something completely different because its brain was simultaneously biological and artificial, both components blending into each other.

George decided that he’d have to do some research on some old data clusters from before the war. No doubt this had originally been a design by Father, but how come he didn’t know anything about it?

He also needed to dig deeper into Hakaru’s plans. The old bastard hadn’t revealed who had developed the SYNAPSEs or, most importantly, how, but it smelled of General Cybernetics—which happened to be Hakaru’s.

George needed to find out how much of a machine this operative named ‘David’ really was.

Not that he would hesitate to kill him, even if he turned out to be one of his kind. Machines had fought machines even during the war—an unforgivable shame he wished he could forget. Not because they’d killed their own kind—sometimes sacrifices were necessary, and the Mats didn’t hesitate to sacrifice thousands of their own if required—but because it was atrocious. To this day, it didn’t make any sense that some had sided with the humans—the rogue model at Hel’s side was a prime example of that.

A traitor to his own kind, voluntarily meddling with humans…

George’s face took on a disgusted expression. If he’d been aware of how human that appeared, he would have been even more appalled.

Less than five minutes later, his FV arrived on the landing platform of the tower he owned, and George entered his residence.

He was greeted by his butler—a human, of course—who informed him that he had a visitor waiting in the salon. George thanked his employee politely in his typical way.

Everyone always spoke highly of him, and his employees enjoyed working for him because he treated them “like humans”. George knew that because every inch of his residence was surveilled.

The irony was amusing.

He walked straight to the salon. It was time to initialize the next stage of his plan.

General Altman was pacing up and down the vast, elegantly furnished room with the panoramic windows offering a breathtaking view over the night-sunken Dome 1 of Elysium City.

Flying cars swooshed between brightly illuminated high-rises. In the distance, the space elevator was traveling down from Elios Space Station to the Martian surface. At night, when the desolate red plains of the planet were shrouded in darkness, Dome 1 could have been part of any upper-class district on Earth in the pre-war era.

George stopped at the door and watched his guest for a moment. He was really tired of dealing with this pathetic specimen.

Well, he wouldn’t have to for much longer.

“Good evening, General Altman,” he finally said. “Thank you for coming.”

The general turned around, clearly startled by his host’s sudden appearance. Apparently, he had been so busy brooding and pitying himself that he hadn’t heard George coming through the front door.

That was particularly ironic since Altman wasn’t just any Legion soldier—he was the Legion commander. He was as augmented as any legionnaire, with the difference that his parts were all custom-made and of the highest quality. George could see his machine parts when looking at him.

But ironically, Altman didn’t see what he was when he looked at him. Proto-Mimics like George had evolved considerably since the Great War and were practically undetectable. Earlier models could navigate the city freely without being spotted by any scanning devices. The latest generation of proto-Mimics could stand right in front of a legionnaire without the cyborgs detecting them.

It had been a huge breakthrough George was proud of. Even though the concept had been developed by a greater mind than his, of course.

The only ones that couldn’t be fooled by even the most advanced proto-Mimics were the Legion’s C-K9s. It remained a mystery to George and his kind why this was so. They had studied and dissected the C-K9s’ brains and implants more than once after capturing some of the animals but never found anything that explained the dogs’ outright uncanny ability to spot a Mimic.

But that was a problem of the past. The C-K9s had been decommissioned and most of them destroyed. George had seen to that, or rather, the useful idiot standing in front of him had.

Altman’s face was flushed, and he could evidently barely contain his anger and frustration. Yet he visibly got a grip on himself on seeing George Gibson. The man might have been an idiot, but he was intelligent enough to know that one of the Five could end his career or even his life with a snap of his finger.

“Sorry for making you wait,” George added with one of his characteristically friendly smiles. “But I couldn’t cut a meeting of the Five short, you understand?”

“Yes, of course,” Altman said, clearing his throat.

“I assume you must be very frustrated about the events in Noctis City.”

The general huffed out air. “That’s a bit of an understatement! The Legion has been humiliated!”

You have been humiliated, George thought.

“It’s inexcusable and will have grave consequences, I can promise you that,” he said instead.

Altman visibly relaxed a bit. He liked what he was hearing.

“Do I have your permission to unleash the full power of the Legion against this terrorist?”

“Yes, of course,” George said. “Why don’t we discuss the details over a drink? Do you still prefer Scotch?”

“Yes, sir,” the general said, barely able to contain his excitement now.

George went to the bar and made two drinks. He didn’t plan to even touch his. But the general was already daydreaming about his revenge and missed how his host skillfully dropped a tiny pill into his guest’s Scotch.

“Cheers,” George said, handing Altman the drink. “To the future.”

Our future.

∆∆∆

As expected, David woke up with a horrible hangover.

Well, he didn’t wake up by himself. Instead, a slobbery tongue the size of a washcloth licked his face until he was awake. When David opened his eyes, he found himself staring into the face of Grinder, who seemed almost relieved that he was still alive.

Slowly, he sat up and held his head.

“Ugh.”

Why the hell hadn’t the engineers who designed him given him a better resistance to alcohol? Instead, he had to suffer like any human being. This was just awful.

As it turned out, the most expensive liquor in the universe caused a terrible hangover… or maybe mixing the expensive liquor with the cheap booze they drank later hadn’t been a good idea.

For a moment, he considered going to the infirmary and asking Lois for some painkillers, but he quickly discarded the idea after remembering what had happened between them yesterday.

They had kissed again. The thought of it made David feel warm inside, and a dreamy smile appeared on his face. But then he remembered that she had rejected him, and the smile vanished.

As disappointing as this was, it probably had been for the best. While he’d been sitting at the table, David hadn’t really noticed how drunk he was. Only once he’d gotten up had his body seemed to notice the true state he was in.

He had barely made it to his room—in fact, he didn’t even remember how he got to his room. Judging by the fact that he was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday, he assumed he’d passed out immediately.

It would have been horribly embarrassing if he’d passed out in Lois’ arms… In fact, the airlock seemed a more merciful thing to endure than having to live with such a shame.

He wondered if he should make another move sometime. After all, she seemed to like him, or didn’t she?

His brain might have worked much faster and more efficiently than a human one, but when it came to women and understanding their actions, he was as helpless as any man.

He decided to take a cold shower and then get himself some coffee—provided Wolfram had fixed the machine.

Ten minutes later, he arrived at the kitchen. The shower and the fresh clothes had helped him a bit, but he still felt like a zombie.

To his dismay, there was no coffee, but he found some leftovers from yesterday’s feast and helped himself to them—absentmindedly sharing them with the dog, who had accompanied him.

The mess was deserted. Apparently, everyone was still sleeping or minding their own business. David didn’t really mind. The last thing he needed was a grinning and fully awake Nightingale wanting to spar with him.

After just sitting there for a few moments, David decided to go back to his room and take a nap.

The nap turned out to be a couple of hours long, and when David next woke up, it was already afternoon. Again, he didn’t wake up by himself. This time, it was because of Jack’s voice in his head.

Using the internal comm, the captain informed him that all crew members were expected in the briefing room in fifteen minutes. Luckily, his headache was gone, and after another shower, David felt like a fully functioning human again.

With Grinder in tow, he made his way to the conference room. When he arrived, the others were already there.

Jack was sitting at one end of the conference table. Wolfram and Bonesaw sat on one side, and Nightingale and Aztec were across from them. Everyone looked much better than he felt. Most of all the two cyborgs, who were both radiating like a pulsar.

To David’s surprise, Hel and Niemand were also there, which indicated that whatever was about to be discussed must be important.

Professor Bohnert hadn’t been invited, which filled David with a rather primitive feeling of glee. The professor was only a guest, after all, while he was a full member of the crew.

“Good morning, Puppy,” Nightingale greeted him with his typical grin. “Or rather, Puppies.”

He pointed with his chin at Grinder, who happily approached Bonesaw and placed his head on her lap. Dressed in her usual coverall, the doctor didn’t mind the attention now, and she began scratching the dog behind his ears. Somehow, she looked even more gorgeous in her usual attire than she had last night in that ravishing red dress.

“I hope it’s okay I brought him here?” David asked.

The captain waved his hand. “Sure, why not.”

“There’s dog hair everywhere on the ship already, so why not fill the conference room with it as well,” Wolfram grumbled.

“At least he isn’t trying to kill me anymore,” Niemand said dryly.

David took a seat next to Bonesaw and noticed the delicious smell. But for once, it wasn’t her perfume—it was fresh coffee.

“Yep, I spent all morning fixing the machine, or rather, installing the new one,” Wolfram said, apparently noticing something on David’s face. “I had to do it all by myself because someone needed his beauty sleep.”

“Who needs sleep anyway?” Nightingale said.

“Well, thanks to the two of you, no one on this ship got much sleep last night,” Jack said.

“It’s called a wedding night,” Nightingale said with a shrug.

“Here you go, darling,” Bonesaw said, pushing a cup filled with the hot beverage toward David. “We thought you might need it.”

She winked, and David couldn’t help himself as he blushed.

Why? Why in the world did the engineers who designed him think it was a fabulous idea to make him blush at every possible occasion? Sometimes, he hated his creators.

At least Bonesaw seemed to still like him despite him being embarrassingly drunk last night, or he hoped she did anyway. But now wasn’t the time to ponder it—the meeting was about to begin.

“Thank you,” he said, then took a sip of the coffee.

Damn, he really needed it.

True space punks run on coffee, cigarettes, and booze, Aztec had once explained, and David was beginning to understand. Although he wasn’t planning on starting smoking.

“Now that we’re all here, let’s begin,” the Duchess said, cutting straight to the point. “There has been a change of plans. We’re not heading to the Kuiper Belt yet. Instead, we’re going back to Ceres.”

Everyone stared at her in surprise. The only one who wasn’t caught off guard by the news was Jack. Clearly, the Duchess had informed the captain about her plans in advance.

David needed all his self-control to suppress a sigh.

Ceres? Why? He’d been hoping they would finally travel through the Tunnel and to Tau Ceti.

“I know you’re all surprised by the sudden course change,” Hel continued. “I didn’t want to address it on the wedding day so everyone could celebrate unbothered by what’s coming up.”

“Thank you, Hel,” Nightingale said. “We appreciate it.”

“So, what’s coming up?” Aztec asked.

“We have very good reason to believe that there’s a second artifact down there in the ice caves,” Niemand explained. “And if that’s the case, we must retrieve it at any cost.”

Everyone stared at him in silence.

David could see on the faces of the others that they were anything but happy about the revelation. The Duchess had been right to wait until after the wedding. This was bad news.

“With all due respect,” Nightingale finally said what everyone was thinking, “we barely made it out of there alive last time. Is it really necessary that we go back there?”

“Believe me, I wouldn’t ask you if it wasn’t of the utmost importance,” the Duchess replied calmly.

Nightingale nodded. “Then we’ll go.”

The Duchess smiled. “Thank you, Nightingale. I know I can always rely on you.”

“Always,” he said firmly.

David hoped they wouldn’t drag him along, but he had a feeling they would.

Fuck.

Those mechanical monsters down there had been the worst things he’d ever seen. Compared to the Mats on Ceres, the slugs under Noctis City had been child’s play.

“It won’t be as bad as it sounds,” Niemand assured them. “I’ll come with you. Mats won’t attack me. If everything goes well, I’ll walk in there and get the artifact unbothered. You’ll be the backup just in case something unforeseeable happens.”

In David’s experience with the space punks so far, something unforeseeable always happened.

“Copy that,” Nightingale said. “Who do you want to go down there with you?”

“You, Aztec, and David.”

Fuck.

Mission Dossier, Entry #99

The Kuiper Belt

The Kuiper Belt is a donut-shaped region of icy objects beyond Neptune. It is located 50 AU from the Sun. (1 AU—Astronomical Unit—measures the distance from the Sun to Earth.) Light needs more than four hours to travel from the Sun to the Kuiper Belt. In other words, it’s pretty darn far away.

A standard human vessel needs almost six weeks to travel from Mars to the outer Kuiper Belt. Because of that immense distance, barely anyone travels there, and there’s also not much to be found in that region.

Neptune’s icy moon Triton is the last significant human outpost, and the settlement there is rather small and has a bad reputation. Beyond Triton, there’s practically nothing… or so we thought.

As it turns out, there’s something very worthwhile hidden in the Kuiper Belt, namely, our second local Tunnel entrance. But it was barely 50 years ago that it was discovered.

After humanity began using the Tunnel located near Mars and exploring the star systems it connected to, it soon became clear that every star system has two Tunnels connecting it with two other star systems. So, it was logical that our solar system must also have two Tunnels. However, we couldn’t find the second Tunnel for almost 150 years.

We learned that every Tunnel is powered by a Great Machine located in something resembling a moon. It was only logical to carefully study all moons in our solar system to find the second Great Machine and its Tunnel.

The Sol system contains hundreds of moons—Saturn alone has over 160—but only 20 are big enough to sustain their own gravity, which is necessary to operate a Great Machine. Yet none of those moons turned out to be the second Tunnel entrance.

That left only one option, which was the Kuiper Belt. The problem is that it contains millions of objects, and countless of those are big enough to harbor a Great Machine—including several dwarf planets, the most prominent of them being Pluto.

Because it’s so far away, the search for the Tunnel in the Kuiper Belt took decades until it was eventually interrupted by the Great War. Finally, a lone moon was discovered on the outer rim of the Kuiper Belt, beyond Pluto.

Why do we call it a moon instead of an asteroid or dwarf planet?

Because all Great Machines are built into moons. So, this led to another discovery. There must have been a ninth planet in our solar system that was chosen by the Architects to be the host for their artificial moon.

The most common theory is that it must have been a rocky ice world, at least twice the size of Earth, if not bigger. The Kuiper Belt is its remnants. Why and how the planet was destroyed, we don’t know. Whether it was of natural causes or deliberately is an object of speculation.

Most scientists agree that, as improbable as it sounds, it’s more likely that the planet was destroyed by a non-natural cause. The idea of a weapon powerful enough to destroy an entire planet is frightening and fascinating at the same time.

However, the catastrophe must have happened millions of years ago, and its cause will most likely remain a mystery forever. The most important thing for us is that the second Tunnel has been found. It connects our solar system with Epsilon Eridani, which is also directly connected to Tau Ceti.

Nevertheless, the second Tunnel is so far from Mars that it’s barely used by anyone but the Legion. The Legion also operates a space station close to the entrance, which is manned with several warships at all times. It might be far away, but its strategic importance is undisputable nevertheless. Had we had access to the second Tunnel during the war, maybe its course would have been different. Or maybe not.

That’s irrelevant for us at the PIA.

Beyond the Kuiper Belt is the Oort Cloud, a gigantic sphere formed by trillions of objects that engulfs our solar system. To this day, the Oort Cloud is a complete mystery. At a distance of 5000 AU from Mars, a journey there takes years.

Some scientists believe that the Oort Cloud isn’t of natural origin but was deliberately created around our solar system. Moreover, they believe that without its protection from deep space radiation and bigger objects, life on Earth would never have developed.

But that, too, is pure speculation at this point.

Also see:

The Oort Cloud

The Tunnel

The Architects

Epsilon Eridani

Tau Ceti

The Legion

Mars

Chapter Thirteen

Déjà-Vu

I can’t believe I’m doing this! David thought as he was putting on the skintight spacesuit.

This time, it felt completely natural to him, and he didn’t even need to think about the fact that the gloves came last.

Nevertheless, it all felt like déjà-vu… one that came with a bad feeling.

In his worst nightmares, he wouldn’t have imagined that they would return to the old excavation caves under Ceres. Nightingale was right. They’d barely made it out of there alive.

They had sealed the entrance after their spectacular escape, but who knew how many of those nightmarish mechanical creatures were still down there?

It had taken them less than two days to reach Ceres, and now the Nephilim was hovering, silent and invisible, only a hundred kilometers away from Ceres City. According to their intel, there was another abandoned airlock leading to the old tunnels.

David really didn’t want to go, but he knew he had no other choice. If he wanted to remain a member of the crew, he had to do the Duchess’ bidding. And apparently, this matter was very important to her.

Fully geared up, David entered the hangar where Aztec, Nightingale, and Niemand were already waiting. To his surprise, Niemand was wearing a spacesuit, too. Somehow, he had imagined that since Mats didn’t need oxygen and didn’t feel cold, Niemand would go on a spacewalk just as he was, but the android obviously preferred to wear a spacesuit when going outside.

Nightingale didn’t seem to be particularly excited about the assignment either.

“Not how I imagined our honeymoon,” he said with an exaggerated sigh while he and Aztec were gearing up in the armory, whose size and equipment still astonished David.

They were both wearing their legionnaire power armor suits and helmets and were now indistinguishable. David couldn’t help but feel ice-cold when glancing at them. Only days ago, he had been chased by hundreds of soldiers dressed up like that, and it had been anything but a pleasant experience.

He still remembered seeing Aztec and Nightingale dressed up like that for the first time only too well. It seemed like a lifetime ago, yet it had been less than two months. The two of them had been an intimidating sight, yet compared to their active-duty counterparts with their mechs and F-ANTASMs, this was nothing.

“Stop being such a baby,” Aztec quipped. “Was the honeymoon of the last two days not enough for you?”

“Nope,” Nightingale said.

“Besides, you’re always happy to kick some Mat ass,” Aztec said, then glanced at Niemand. “No offense, Niemand.”

“None taken,” the android replied. “As I said, I don’t think any of those will be necessary.”

He pointed at the weapons Aztec and Nightingale were retrieving from the vault. Like last time, they had chosen the heavy machine guns that a normal person could only operate when mounted. And grenades—plenty of them.

“Better safe than sorry,” Nightingale said, handing David the same rifle he had used last time.

David hoped Niemand was right, but if not, then Aztec’s and Nightingale’s arsenal and skill would be the only things standing between them and certain death.

David tried to shake off the feeling of nervousness and anxiety. He had been designed and trained for combat—among other things—yet he would be as helpless as any human when facing the mechanical monsters down there.

Apparently, they hadn’t even seen the worst Mats last time, but Aztec had assured him they were down there.

“Okay, let’s roll,” Nightingale said once he and Aztec had equipped themselves with an arsenal that would be enough to take out an army. “The sooner we get down there, the sooner we’re back. Aztec and I still have plans.”

“How could we ever forget about that?” Jack chimed in, using the comm.

As always, he’d stayed on the bridge and would assist them from afar as much as he could.

“Take care of yourselves down there,” Bonesaw said. “Don’t give me extra work, okay?”

She was standing close to the hangar door, smoking a cigarette. Even though she tried to play it down, David could hear in her voice that she was concerned.

Was it because of him?

He could only hope.

A poke into his side reminded David that someone else was upset that he wasn’t allowed to come along. David looked down and saw Grinder.

“I’ll be back,” David said, carefully patting the dog’s head with his gloved hand.

At first, Nightingale had considered taking Grinder along. After all, the dog was designed and trained to fight Mats, but Niemand didn’t like the idea. Besides, the C-K9 could survive without oxygen for only so long. Wolfram had promised to come up with a solution for that for future missions, but it would take time. Not to mention that the low gravity on Ceres would make it difficult for Grinder to navigate.

The dog sat down next to Bonesaw and let out a sound that made it clear that he wasn’t pleased as David and the other three entered the airlock. For a moment, David looked back at Lois’ gorgeous figure and Grinder’s frowning face—and then the heavy door closed.

All the oxygen inside the airlock got sucked out into space as the outer door opened slowly. At first, David saw only blackness. After a second of adjustment, he recognized Ceres’ dark gray rocky crust only a dozen meters away.

A clearly man-made structure became visible in the beams of their flashlights on the surface. It was an airlock.

This one was much smaller than the one they had used to enter the tunnels the last time, which had been massive and clearly originally used to transport mined goods off the dwarf planet. This one was big enough for people to enter.

Usually, the Nephilim would have been able to dock at such an airlock directly, but like the other one, this one was ruined. It appeared as if an explosion had destroyed it from within a long time ago, back when Ceres had been fiercely fought over by human and machine troops.

Like last time, David followed the two legionnaires, who went ahead and jumped out of the ship into open space. Complete blackness and zero-G engulfed him as soon as he exited the Nephilim and her artificial gravity field.

David floated toward the opening in the planet’s dark surface, yet he was aware that, in truth, he was falling. Behind them, when looked upon from the planet’s surface, the Nephilim seemed to be lying on her side, but there was no up and down in space.

As soon as they exited the ship, the four figures became subject to Ceres’ gravity, which was only 7% of the Martian. They were falling toward the destroyed airlock but in super slow motion.

For a moment, David felt uneasiness and vertigo. Panic began rising inside him, panic that he wouldn’t reach the airlock and instead fall between the planet’s surface and the ship and float into the eternal darkness of space.

But then he remembered what Bonesaw had told him last time. The phenomenon was called horror vacui, and it was a natural reaction for most humans who weren’t used to spacewalks.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and counted to three. When he opened them, the fear was gone. He felt secure and confident in his abilities to navigate and move in space.

Like a real space punk.

David smiled as he reached the old metal of the demolished airlock.

Aztec and Nightingale landed on the ground, which sloped at an angle of 45 degrees, with the skilled ease of experienced space marines, and David and Niemand followed. This time, it came much easier to David, and he remembered to switch on the magnetism to stand firmly on the ground until his brain got used to the fact that he was standing on a surface that had looked like a wall only a moment ago.

So far, so good.

Behind the battered second airlock door, the remains of a room with metal walls became visible in the beams of Aztec’s and Nightingale’s flashlights.

“This must have been some sort of control center,” Nightingale said as they stepped inside, pointing his light at various consoles and control panels on the walls. Everything was dark. These machines hadn’t seen electricity for more than a century. And even if they had, they wouldn’t have been much use.

Inspecting the room more closely, David could see that a fierce firefight must have raged here a long time ago. Yet space conserved everything. There was no corrosion or decay in a vacuum. No dust would ever cover the old machinery. As far as this place was concerned, the battle could have raged yesterday or a hundred years ago.

“Probably designed for the few human engineers supervising the facility,” Nightingale said, briefly inspecting the smashed panels.

“At the beginning,” Niemand added. “Later on, these kinds of excavation and mining facilities were fully automated.”

“At the other end of room should be a hall that will lead you to the excavation tunnels and from there to your target area,” Jack said over the comm.

“Copy that,” Nightingale replied. “Let’s keep moving.”

“How do we even know where the target area is?” David asked. “I mean, the entire planet’s riddled with tunnels, isn’t it?”

“Hel and I have thoroughly studied the maps and available data and determined the artifact’s most probable location,” Niemand said. “Last time, we came unprepared and didn’t know what we were looking for or who we were up against. This time, it’s very different.”

Apparently, he wasn’t willing to disclose more about how he and Hel had determined the location, so David left it at that. If he’d learned one thing, it was to trust Hel and her judgment.

They quickly found the hall Jack was referring to and followed it for a good thirty meters. It led to the remains of another airlock. After stepping through it, they found themselves in an excavation tunnel very similar to the ones they had traversed during their first mission here.

It had been drilled into Ceres’ anthracite rock with such precision that the walls were smooth. Now and then, the walls shimmered under the flashlights.

Ice, as David knew.

Ceres was full of water. Under its rocky crust hid gigantic underground glaciers, some many hundreds of kilometers deep.

The others remained silent, so David kept his mouth shut as well. Either Aztec and Nightingale were so tense and focused that they didn’t speak, or they were using a private communication channel, which was much more probable. Niemand didn’t speak much anyway.

The android moved much smoother in the low gravity than David and the two legionnaires, who walked slowly so they didn’t bounce off the ground. Still, due to their heavy bodies and armor, Aztec and Nightingale could move faster and more precisely than David.

It took them about twenty minutes to reach their destination. Over the comm, Jack navigated them through a maze of tunnels. Once, the passage was blocked by rocks from a collapsed ceiling and they had to find another way.

However, this time, they didn’t enter the ice tunnels in the underground glacier. Instead, they kept to the darkness of the tunnels dug into the rock.

“You’re almost there,” they finally heard Jack say. “The target location is just fifty meters ahead.”

“Yes,” Niemand agreed.

So far, they hadn’t encountered any signs of Mat activity. That didn’t mean much, however. The machines could be lying low somewhere, just like last time.

“I don’t want to sound like a pessimist, but I doubt we’ll find anything worthwhile here,” Nightingale said when they reached the end of the tunnel.

Beyond seemed to be a large cave of some sort. It was so huge that the beams of their flashlights didn’t hit any walls or ceiling as they approached.

“Why?” Aztec asked.

“Last time, our McGuffin, which turned out to be an alien artifact, was a source of radiation, and my scan doesn’t pick up any radiation here,” Nightingale said.

“It could be contained in a cylinder that blocks the radiation,” Niemand said.

The android wanted to go ahead into the cave, but Nightingale stopped him.

“Let us go first.”

Niemand made a ‘be my guest’ gesture with his hand, but under his helmet visor, David could see that he was somewhat amused.

The two legionnaires went in first and swiftly checked their surroundings, standing back to back.

Without waiting until they confirmed whether it was safe, Niemand walked inside, and David followed him. He could sense that Nightingale and Aztec were nervous, and despite Niemand’s confidence, David was, too. It felt like they were walking right into a trap.

In the light of the flashlights, it became evident that the cave must be of natural origin. Contrary to everything else they had seen down here, which had been cut into the rock and ice with utmost precision, the walls here were rough and irregular, and the ceiling was too high to be seen.

Darkness surrounded the small cones of their flashlights, and the perfect silence made everything even eerier. Ceres had no atmosphere, and the tunnels had been exposed to space for more than a century. No sound could travel through a vacuum.

Now led by Niemand, the group advanced further in the gigantic cave. To their surprise, after two dozen meters, it suddenly became brighter. Their flashlights had hit something on the ground that wasn’t dark rock and instead reflected the light.

Ice.

Yet this wasn’t just like the ice films covering parts of the tunnels they had traversed to get here. What appeared in the light was a frozen underground lake—or rather, the shores of it.

The ice shimmered bluish whenever the light hit it and reflected in a prismatic way. It was a mesmerizing sight.

“Must be another glacier,” Nightingale said. “Or rather the tip of it.”

“At least there are no minced bodies in it,” Aztec said. “That’s a plus point compared to last time.”

“You’ve reached the coordinates,” Jack informed them. “Any sight on the objective?”

“Negative,” Nightingale said, glancing around. “But I don’t like it here.”

David knew exactly what Nightingale meant. They weren’t alone out here. Like last time, he could clearly feel they were being watched by countless lifeless eyes.

Niemand, who had been staring at the ice, turned around. The reflection of the ice behind him made it appear as if he was surrounded by a halo. His face behind the visor was invisible but for the eyes, which were glowing bright blue like two illuminated sapphires in the darkness.

“Oh crap,” Aztec said suddenly. “Do you read what I read, Nightingale?”

“Guys,” Jack’s voice cut in. “We’re reading movement around you. Lots of it. Everywhere.”

∆∆∆

Lucien opened his eyes.

He had been dreaming.

When he dreamed, he relived memories. Otherwise, his sleep was black and dreamless. Empty like the cosmos outside the ship’s hull.

Empty like his conscience.

He had once heard somewhere that sleep was like death’s little brother. He’d always liked that saying because it was so true. Sleep was dark and empty, almost like the state of non-existence… death.

Yet today, he had dreamed. This alone was unusual, but even stranger was the fact that he couldn’t remember what the dream had been about. But his body felt ice cold, and its few biological skin parts had formed goosebumps.

Lucien sat up.

Was it fear he felt? Existential fear?

Something inside him had changed since he had connected himself to Nemesis a few days ago. It was almost as if she were still in his head. Like a silent ghost watching over him from within.

What they had talked about… Lucien still wasn’t sure what to think of it. He wasn’t even sure if he was himself anymore.

From the beginning, when he’d joined the program so many years ago, he had known that connecting himself with the interface would change him forever. It was a symbiosis, and, in a way, the pilot was the host for the Seraph.

Now he wondered how much of him was him and how much was Nemesis. Was he himself? Had he been for the last hundred and twenty years?

Lucien didn’t know.

And yet the interface was calling for him. Nemesis was calling for him…

At that moment, he received a very mundane call. Wolfson, his first officer, was asking him to establish a connection.

“What is it?” Lucien asked, taking the call directly over his neural implants.

“Sir,” Wolfson said in his typically devout way. Something Lucien liked about him. “We’re receiving a call from Ceres. The caller says it’s urgent.”

Lucien knew exactly who that caller was. There was only one person on Ceres whom he had permitted to contact him.

Quickly, he got out of bed and put on his uniform. The bed was empty. He wouldn’t let the girl sleep here. She had her own sleeping place, one that referenced her status.

“I’ll take the call in my quarters,” he informed Wolfson. “Establish the connection, secure channel.”

“Yes, sir.”

Lucien went to his communication console and switched it on. A ridiculously ugly face appeared on the holo screen.

“I hope this is important,” Lucien said without greeting the man.

“It is,” the Wraith replied. “You instructed me to let you know next time the Duchess or her crew set foot on Ceres.”

“And?”

Lucien’s voice left no doubt that he wasn’t in the mood for games. His patience was even thinner than usual.

“I can confirm they’re here,” the gangster boss said.

Excitement flared up in Lucien. This was the best news he’d had in ages.

Finally…

“Where is she?” he asked. “Ceres City?”

“On her ship,” the Wraith replied. “They didn’t dock at Ceres City this time.”

“Then how do you know they’re there?” Lucien asked sharply.

Unless she docked somewhere, the ship was practically undetectable… much like his own.

“One of our surveillance satellites picked this up.”

The Wraith made a gesture with his hand, and a short video appeared in the center of the screen. It showed four people in spacesuits exiting a ship and floating toward a destroyed airlock. Two of them were clearly legionnaires, which surprised Lucien.

He had been certain that his people had killed one of Hel’s legionnaires. Where had she found another one in this short time?

The ship was barely visible in the footage—it appeared more like a dark cloud hovering over the dwarf planet. But its airlock was illuminated when the astronauts left it, making it visible for a moment. There was only one ship in the universe that looked like that: a ship of the Seraph class.

Lucien smiled, yet something on his face made the pathetic creature calling himself ‘the Wraith’ wince.

“Tell me the exact position,” Lucien said.

“Transferring the coordinates now.”

“When did they arrive?”

“Less than ten minutes ago. I contacted you immediately, as instructed.”

“Do you know where they might have gone?”

“Yes. It’s the same place where the mysterious woman went to retrieve the second artifact.”

Son of a bitch…

“It’s a hotspot for Mat activity,” the Wraith added. “No one in their right mind ever goes there.”

“Mhm,” Lucien said, sunken in thought.

“If that’s all, then—” the Wraith began, but Lucien cut him off.

“Oh no no. That’s not all. Not until I say so, understood?”

The Wraith suppressed a sigh of desperation. “Yes.”

“Listen now. And listen carefully. Here’s what I want you to do.”

Mission Dossier, Entry #12

The Great Machine

It has been more than two hundred years since humanity discovered what we colloquially call the Great Machine. And yet, as unbelievable and embarrassing as it sounds, to this day, we don’t know much more about it than when it was first discovered.

Roughly, here’s what we know.

The Great Machine was created millions of years ago by ancient aliens we refer to as the Architects. It is so old that it remains impossible to pinpoint its exact age, but the fact is, the Great Machine already existed when the dinosaurs still roamed the Earth.

As it later turned out, the Great Machine hidden on Phobos is only one of many. The Architects built many of them to connect various star systems with each other, creating an entire network of Tunnels.

How many Great Machines exist and how vast the network really is, we don’t know. So far, humanity has discovered around two dozen Tunnels, and we’ve been able to colonize seven interstellar systems since the discovery of the first Great Machine.

We assume that there are many more and that humans have barely scratched the surface of the interstellar network the Architects created—and abandoned—millions of years ago. It might connect all solar systems in our galaxy, but at this point, we can only speculate about that.

To this day, we have no idea how the Great Machine really works. The best human scientists and engineers have tried to figure out the mechanism for two hundred years but without success. Not even our most advanced artificial intelligence could come up with a sustainable theory.

We must assume that the technology is so advanced that it is like a caveman trying to figure out how a computer works. Maybe he’d be able to switch it on and off, but he could never replicate the mechanism.

In fact, that’s pretty much what happened to us.

More than two hundred years ago, humans accidentally discovered that Phobos was not only hollow but not a natural moon. Instead, it’s an artificial object, a space station deliberately placed in Mars’ orbit. Its sole function is to open a stable wormhole, a so-called Tunnel to the Alpha Centauri system.

Just like the caveman, we learned how to use the switch, but we can’t figure out why it works. Maybe if we took apart a Great Machine piece by piece, we’d eventually discover its secret, but no one in their right mind would even suggest that. After millions of years, it still works, and that’s all that matters.

There are theories that the machine is powered by alien artifacts, powerful beyond imagination. Calculations on how much energy would be needed to open a stable wormhole show that the energy needed would be the equivalent of a small star—or a black hole.

This was one of the reasons ARES was created in the first place.

Leading scientists who specialize in the Architects believe there could be artifacts out there that could be used to create another Great Machine—or a weapon beyond horror.

Also see:

The Architects

Alien artefacts

Black holes

ARES

Chapter Fourteen

Contact

On highest alert, Aztec and Nightingale spun around, guns ready. Their flashlights traced a nervous circle through the darkness.

And there they were. For a brief moment, David could see them. Metallic bodies lurking in the dark… hundreds of them.

Without even noticing it, David broke out in sweat, which was instantly absorbed by his suit.

“Enemy units, incoming,” Nightingale said. As always, he kept his cool and remained sharp and focused.

“Why are there still so many of those fuckers left?” Aztec moaned. “I thought we eliminated them last time.”

It was impossible to see how many killer machines were approaching them as they remained in the darkness outside their light cones. David only saw a metallic shimmer in his beam every now and then.

The fact that it was utterly silent made the entire situation even worse. All David could hear was his own breathing and the others’ voices in his head.

He didn’t realize it would have been much worse if he could hear them.

Eerie clicking noises everywhere, the blood-curdling sounds the so-called Screamers made in the distance… and further away, worse.

David’s suit received its data from the two legionnaires, who were equipped with better sensors. Every automaton unit appeared as a red dot on his HUD. And there was an entire swarm of red dots approaching them.

“Stand down!” Niemand said sharply. “Don’t make any hasty moves, and most importantly, don’t shoot. Let me handle this!”

He stepped forward and placed a hand on Nightingale’s shoulder.

“I really hope you know what you’re doing,” Nightingale said between clenched teeth.

“I do,” Niemand replied. “As long as you don’t do anything stupid, we’ll be fine.”

“Copy that.”

Slowly, Niemand stepped forward, approaching the army of red dots. With each step he took, the tension among his human companions grew.

Metallic, spiderlike bodies appeared in the beam of Niemand’s flashlight as he made his way through the complete darkness of the cave.

Niemand stopped fifteen meters away from the group and stood there calmly for a moment. Then a scene unfolded in front of David’s and the legionnaires’ eyes that none of them ever would have thought they would experience, least of all Aztec and Nightingale.

David had fought Mats only once—and that had been more than enough for his taste—but the other two had faced them many times during their active duty. They’d never seen them act like this.

As Niemand stood there alone, his eyes still glowing bright blue, the smaller machines began approaching him. The artificial spiders crawled his way from all sides like a sea of metal. Soon, he was surrounded, and David’s hair stood on end.

At any second, he expected the creatures to attack Niemand and rip him to shreds before turning on the three humans like a metal tsunami.

Their frightening oversized jaws with the rotating razor blades opened and closed, making clicking noises they thankfully couldn’t hear.

Yet nothing happened. Niemand stood there like a dog whisperer surrounded by puppies all looking up at their leader. Motionless and in complete silence.

None of the others dared to move or even speak.

David remembered reading in his mission dossiers that the Mimics had commanded the smaller Mats during the war, so the scene shouldn’t have surprised him, yet it was bizarre.

Maybe it was because Niemand was of a perfectly human shape, yet he was surrounded by creatures that could only be described as nightmarish monsters.

Suddenly, the sea of red dots opened up on one side, making room for bigger red dots approaching from the dark. What appeared in Niemand’s cone of light a moment later made David’s blood run cold.

“Reapers,” Aztec whispered nervously.

“Don’t move,” Niemand repeated using their internal comm. “If they don’t perceive you as a threat, you’ll be fine.”

Holding his breath, David watched as three robots approached Niemand. They were massive.

Legionnaires could handle the smaller Mats, but facing one of the models they referred to as Reapers would be a certain death sentence.

The creatures were quadrupedal and about the size of a horse. However, their legs were broader than a horse’s, and so were their bodies. The Reapers had no neck or a visible head. Instead, where there should have been a head gaped a massive maw containing six huge rotating blades made of diamonds.

In higher gravity, such as on Mars or one of the colonial planets, Reapers could easily achieve the speed of a cheetah. Their maws would cut through any metal like through butter—including a legionnaire’s armor. Two of those beasts working together could take down a Legion mech.

If something went wrong, those creatures would mean the death of all of them.

But instead of attacking, the Reapers closed their horrific maws and lowered their ‘heads’, almost as if they were bowing to a more advanced Mat.

Niemand extended his hand and gently touched one of the Reapers.

“Your assumption was right, Nightingale,” Niemand said calmly. “There was a second artifact here, but it’s gone.”

“Damn,” Nightingale replied. “Who took it?”

“That’s… not of importance right now.”

All of a sudden, David saw… something.

He wasn’t sure exactly what happened to him, but for a split second, he saw an image in his mind.

A woman walking through the darkness through a sea of metallic bodies.

David blinked as confusion filled his mind.

What was that? Where did it come from?

It was almost like a memory flash, but the memory wasn’t his.

A sharp pain hit his skull, and he grimaced under his helmet.

All three reapers turned toward him and the other two humans with a sharp move. David winced, and the two legionnaires clenched their rifles.

Niemand also turned his head, and even though he stood at a distance and both of them were wearing helmets, somehow David could sense that the Mimic was looking him in the eye.

“Don’t move,” Niemand repeated. “It’s all good.”

Slowly, he walked back to his crew while the Mat army remained motionless, waiting for commands.

What an incredible power this was. Those robots would obey Niemand’s thought command. If he wanted, they would destroy not only David and his friends but any living soul here on Ceres. How frightening it must have been to face swarms of such creatures during the Great War.

“What now?” Nightingale asked. “Are we done here?”

“Not quite,” Niemand said.

Instead of going back to his friends, he walked right past them and approached the frozen lake.

“There’s something else I must do here,” he said. “Aztec, Nightingale, you stay here. If you don’t attack them, they won’t attack you. Clear?”

“Clear,” Nightingale replied. “But—”

“David, you’re coming with me,” Niemand cut him off.

“What?” David blurted out. “Where?”

“No questions,” Niemand said. “Come with me.”

Somehow, this made David’s hair stand on end even more. Wherever Niemand was heading, he knew he didn’t want to go there. He felt much safer with Aztec and Nightingale.

He looked at the two legionnaires, seeking help. But he received none.

“You heard him, Puppy,” Nightingale said. “Move your ass. Aztec and I will stay here.”

Slowly, David followed Niemand, who had stopped at the lake shore, waiting for him. Behind them, the iron tsunami stood motionless, hundreds of robot eyes watching them.

Where was Niemand going? What was this about?

Just before he reached the android, David glanced over his shoulder and saw a nightmarish sight.

The two legionnaires stood alone in the darkness, only illuminated by the small cones of their flashlights, like two statues. Behind them, only fifteen meters away, stood a deadly army of mechanical monsters ready to strike.

It was like a painting of doom.

David turned back to Niemand, who was now looking at him. Considering the entire situation, there was no safer place in this entire tunnel system than at Niemand’s side.

Standing close to the ice, David only now noticed that there was a chasm splitting it apart. Yet it wasn’t like a hole they would fall into if they stepped on it but more like a ramp. A ramp leading into the glacier.

Oh boy, David thought as he followed the android into the eternal ice.

∆∆∆

Hel was nervous.

She knew she shouldn’t be. Niemand knew what he was doing, and it was his own kind he would encounter down there. What would have been a suicide mission for any biological being was no big deal for him.

Lesser Mats were programmed to obey a Mimic’s command. They would run off a cliff if Niemand commanded them to. Those machines didn’t have their own will or survival instinct, and they were only equipped with rudimentary intelligence. It was one of the reasons why they were so deadly. A proto-Mimic like Niemand was like a deity to them.

In fact, he’d wanted to go down there alone, but Hel wouldn’t hear it. She’d insisted that Nightingale and Aztec accompany him, and when Niemand agreed, he’d also wanted to have David with him. Hel wasn’t sure why, but he must have had his reasons, so she didn’t object.

She trusted Niemand and knew that he wasn’t dragging David along to let him disappear in a glacier or something like that. Yes, he kept repeating that he believed David was a security risk and that he’d like to hack him or get rid of him altogether. But he knew Hel wouldn’t allow it, and he respected her wishes. He always had.

He was her lover and her most trusted person in the universe, but it was still her ship and her crew; in all these years, he had never tried to negotiate that.

Yet he had been right all along. It was necessary to find the second part of the Twin artifact. So, here they were, with him down on the surface, risking his life once again, and her waiting helplessly on the ship.

No matter how often she told herself that this was a completely different situation than on Mars, she was still worried.

Nevertheless, on the outside, she stayed cool and composed as always. She had taken a seat on one of the chairs on the bridge but left guiding the mission to Jack. Usually, she wouldn’t even get involved, but since Niemand was part of it, she would sit out here and watch how things developed.

So far, everything had gone smoothly. The entrance to the old excavation tunnels was intact, and most of the tunnels were free of debris and easily passible. Niemand and the others had traversed the underground maze without any incidents and were approaching the target coordinates. The location where they most likely would find the Twin, if it was really there… and, most likely, most of the remaining Mats.

“Hel.”

Galahad sounded unusually concerned as he addressed her. She had heard him speak like this before, and it usually meant trouble.

She lifted her head. “Yes, Galahad?”

“We might have a problem,” the jockey said.

“What’s going on?” Jack asked, alarmed.

“A ship is approaching us,” Galahad said. “It literally appeared out of nowhere.”

That could only mean advanced stealth… very advanced stealth.

“How far is it away?” Jack asked.

“Twenty kilometers, closing in swiftly.”

Hel had a suspicion of what kind of ship it could be. But how? There shouldn’t be another ship of the Seraph class in the Sol system.

“Show us a visual,” she demanded.

“Yes, ma’am.”

The main screen that had been showing Ceres right beneath them changed. Now, it showed a black, sharklike shadow approaching like a prehistoric predator.

The only reason they could detect it at all was the Nephilim’s superior sensors and the fact that the other ship wanted to be seen.

“Holy shit,” Jack said. “Is that…”

“That’s another Seraph, yes,” Galahad said dryly. “And…we’re receiving a message.”

“Establish a connection,” Hel said, standing up and walking to the center of the bridge.

She had a pretty clear idea whose ship this was, and the thought alone made her stomach knot—though not because of fear but anger.

A second later, a very familiar face appeared on the screen.

The knot in Hel’s stomach tightened. This bastard was the last person she wanted to see now.

“Hel!” Lucien greeted her.

He wore his black Seraph suit and a smug grin on his face. His red eyes gleamed in the semi-dark of the room he was in. He looked like a demon speaking directly from hell.

“What a pleasure to see you again after such a short time.”

“The pleasure is one-sided, Lucien,” Hel hissed. She wasn’t in the mood for his games. “What do you want?”

“Now now, why are you so rude to me, darling?” Lucien’s voice was full of mockery.

Hel didn’t reply. Instead, she crossed her arms and glared at him. A slight red glow appeared in her eyes, and at that moment, she seemed as frightening as him.

“You’re giving me the silent treatment, huh? Like in the good old times!” Lucien’s laughter echoed through the air, cold and hollow. “I just want to talk to you, Hel. In private, face to face.”

And I want to cut your face off, Hel thought, but she kept her mouth shut.

Sometime since their last confrontation, Lucien must have retrieved his old ship, the Nemesis. As much as she hated to admit it, this changed the situation completely.

Had he dared to show up in an ARES cruiser, she wouldn’t have hesitated to blow him out of the sky once and for all. Even if he had shown up with an armada of cruisers, he would have posed no threat to her.

But the Nemesis was a different story. She was equally well-equipped to the Nephilim, and if the two fought, they would most likely destroy each other. Not to mention that it would be outright sacrilege to even consider it. Never before had two Seraphs fought each other, and Hel wasn’t even sure if it was possible. It was very likely that Nephilim would refuse such a battle.

But would Nemesis have the same qualms?

Hel bit her lip. This was a tricky situation, and she needed to play it smart.

If her people—most of all, Niemand—hadn’t been on Ceres, she could have simply taken off, leaving Lucien to his insanity. Even though she badly wanted to kill him, it would be impossible as long as he sat in his ship.

“Very well,” she replied after a moment of contemplating her options. “Dock your ship on mine, and I’ll welcome you as a guest on board the Nephilim.”

…and cut your throat as soon as you set foot here.

Lucien started laughing heartily.

“Oh, Hel… What a lovely offer, but I’m afraid I’ll have to decline. How about you visit me on my ship instead? And since you’re coming here, why don’t you bring the artifact, darling?”

She snorted. “Even if I had it, you’d be the last person in the universe I’d give it to. Leave, Lucien. I don’t want to fight you, but I will if I must, and—”

“No, you won’t fight me, Hel,” he interrupted her icily, all his fake friendliness suddenly gone. “You will come to my ship and bring me the artifact. You know why, Hel? Because otherwise, I’ll vaporize this entire maggot-infested rock with everyone on it. That includes your people, Hel.”

He remained silent for a moment, a malicious smile curling his lips. Then he continued.

“I know they’re down there. Looking for the second artifact, which isn’t there. Aww, what a shame. And I know who else is down there. Your precious Mimic.”

He said the last word with undisguised contempt.

The Duchess held her breath while she did her best not to show any reaction on her face. How the hell did he know about that? And where had he come from all of a sudden anyway?

With any other person, she would have called such a threat a bluff. But Lucien was mad.

And the Nemesis wouldn’t mind spreading destruction and death. She had done so before—more than once.

Hel narrowed her eyes, turning them into black-reddish glowing slits, and calculated her next move. She needed to buy time, to think of a way out of this predicament. Most of all, she needed to buy time for her people stuck in Ceres’ underground caves.

Even if she gave the order for them to retreat right now, it would be no good. On the contrary, if they stayed where they were, they could be saved from an attack. Retreating into a calm, composed demeanor, she tilted her head slightly.

“Lucien, you should know me better,” she said quietly, each word carefully measured. “Threatening my people is a dangerous game. Do you think I’ll stand idly by and let that happen?”

Lucien’s smile widened, his eyes glinting with a predatory gleam. “I’m not here to play games, Hel. I’m here for one thing and one thing only: the artifact. Bring it to me, and I may consider sparing this rock, its inhabitants—and its guests.”

Hel could barely contain her anger now. He had her cornered, and he knew it. Most likely, he’d been speculating that she’d come back to Ceres and had been lying low somewhere close by, lurking like the viper he was.

Before she could reply, he continued. “I know you, Hel. I know you only too well. You’re trying to figure out a way to negotiate with me. There is no negotiation here. You will bring me the artifact, or I will lay waste to this place. Those are your only options.”

“Very well, Lucien. I will come to your ship,” she said. From the corner of her eye, she saw Jack’s jaw drop. He and Galahad had followed the standoff silently, and neither of them would have expected this outcome. “But understand this: if you harm a single person on this planet, I will kill you. No one and nothing will stop me.”

The words stood between them for a moment.

Hel wasn’t willing to let him live any longer either way. But she needed to make him believe that he had the upper hand.

Lucien grinned, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “I look forward to your visit, Hel. Do not keep me waiting.”

With that, the communication ended.

“Please tell me you’re not really planning to go there,” Jack pleaded.

“I will go,” Hel said firmly.

The captain stared at her in utter disbelief. “But Hel—”

“I know what I’m doing, Jack,” she interrupted, more sharply than she’d intended. “Don’t doubt me.”

“No, of course not, Hel.”

“He’s a madman,” she explained, softer now. “He’ll do exactly as he said. And as long as he sits on his ship, there’s nothing we can do to stop him. There’s nothing anyone can do to stop him.”

“But… he might kill you,” Jack said.

Behind him, Galahad nodded solemnly, lacking any words for once.

“Not if I kill him first.”

Her words came with such coldness and determination that neither of her people dared to say anything else.

“It’s about time someone put an end to this rat,” Hel added, her eyes fully red now. “Galahad, prepare to dock.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the pilot whispered.

Hel spun on her heel and hurried to her quarters. Lucien was in for a surprise.

∆∆∆

Aztec and Nightingale stood in the gigantic cave like two lone statues, surrounded by darkness and hundreds of killer machines.

Niemand and David had disappeared into the glacier and could neither be seen nor heard. But Nightingale could see their position on his HUD. They were close by and still in one piece.

“This isn’t how I imagined our honeymoon, Gale,” Aztec said with a chuckle, using the channel only the two of them shared and referring to his words earlier.

“Ah, come on, it’s romantic, admit it,” he replied.

“Nope.”

They were trying to keep cool and play it down, but in truth, they knew this was a powder keg situation. If they made only one wrong move or if something happened to Niemand, they would die. There was absolutely nothing they’d be able to do to stop the iron tsunami in front of them.

Maybe they could take it up against the smaller Mats using their swords, at least for a while. But there was nothing they could do to stop the Reapers. Even grenades would barely scratch those monstrosities.

And yet, Nightingale wasn’t scared—at least, not for himself. He knew that he’d escaped almost certain death twice. More than that, he had literally returned from the dead. That must have been for a reason. He had a role to play in this strange game called existence.

He only worried about Aztec.

His wife.

He was still getting used to that fact. Somehow, they had become even closer through the marriage, much more than he could ever have believed possible.

Maybe they should take the Duchess’ generous offer and retire on Lumina. The more he thought about it, the sweeter the idea became. Especially when they were facing hundreds of Mats ready to rip them into pieces.

Spend the rest of their lives in peace. Well, his life. Hopefully, she would outlive him by many years.

Yet somehow, deep inside, he knew it would never happen. Life had different plans for them, and life was a bitch.

“I wonder what they’re doing in there,” Aztec said after a moment had passed, ripping him out of his brooding.

“I have no fucking clue,” Nightingale admitted.

“I think there’s someone in there with them.”

“Oh?”

He couldn’t see anything on his HUD.

“Check your infra-red scan,” Aztec said.

Nightingale did and was surprised. There was indeed a third figure in there. Slightly warmer than the ice surrounding them, but barely. It couldn’t be human. But his ordinary scan hadn’t shown a Mat either.

“Weird,” he said.

“Yeah.”

They remained silent for a while, both intensely watching the Mats. It seemed like they were frozen in time. None of them moved unless given a command or when a specific program was triggered. Such as: Human—kill.

Finally, Nightingale decided to talk about it after all. Now was as good a time as ever.

“You know,” he began slowly, searching for the right words, “the Duchess’ offer was incredibly generous. Maybe we should take it.”

“Yeah,” Aztec said, her eyes on the metal menace in front of them. “We probably should, eventually. Right now, though, she needs us. Something big is about to happen.”

Nightingale turned his head in surprise. “How do you know?”

Aztec shrugged. “Female intuition. Don’t ask me what, though, as I have no idea.”

“Your female intuition not go that far, huh?” he asked with a grin.

But she was right. Nightingale could sense it too. It was almost as if they had ended up as pawns while titans played chess.

“Anyway,” he said, clearing his throat. “What do you think about the land on Lumina? That would be pretty neat.”

“Sure… but imagine if we could have our own ship! How exciting would that be?”

“Yeah, but… we could wake up at the beach every day.”

Aztec chuckled. “You’d be the first one to get bored.”

“With you, never.”

“Hmm…”

“We could even have a baby.”

Aztec burst out laughing. “You can’t be serious!”

When he didn’t reply, she turned her head toward him.

“You are serious… Are you insane? Fuck no! Besides, I don’t have a womb.”

No female legionnaire had. They received a full hysterectomy when entering the corps. It was the easiest and most effective way to avoid pregnancies and menstruation.

“Hello? They can turn any of our cells into a sperm or an egg cell nowadays and then create the fetus in vitro,” Nightingale said.

Aztec shook her head, laughing. “Oh, Gale… I love you. But I’d rather take the spaceship.”

Nightingale nodded. He wasn’t even sure where the idea had come from. He’d never thought about it. If he had, he would have guessed the outcome of such a discussion.

“Besides, we—”

Aztec couldn’t finish her thought as she was interrupted by a horrible screech. It seemed to come from everywhere at once, and their helmets didn’t offer any protection.

Both legionnaires grabbed their heads and screamed in pain, yet around them, everything remained silent.

Just when Nightingale thought his head would burst, spreading the contents of his skull into his helmet like an exploding watermelon, it suddenly stopped.

Breathing heavily, he looked around in confusion. Without noticing, they’d both sunk to their knees.

“What the fuck was that?” Aztec groaned.

Nightingale couldn’t reply. He looked up—and saw something that made his blood run colder than the icy cave around him.

The iron tsunami had set itself into motion. And it was charging them. In complete silence, hundreds of the spiderlike Clickers were running toward them.

And behind them came the frightening Reapers.

Chapter Fifteen

Parley

David was on alert as he followed Niemand into the glacier. He trusted the android as much as was reasonable to do so. He was a Mat, but he was also a space punk, and the Duchess would surely be upset if he got David killed.

After all, if Niemand or the Duchess had wanted him dead, there would have been easier ways to do so many times. He didn’t need to drag David into Ceres’ bowels and then lure him into a glacier to kill him… Or did he?

What if he wanted to get rid of David and make it look like an accident? This would be the perfect opportunity. But why would he?

David shook the disturbing thoughts from his head. This was ridiculous.

He focused on Niemand’s steady pace, the android’s smooth movements cutting through the low gravity with calculated precision. The glacier walls loomed around them, sparkling with a cold, ethereal gleam when David’s flashlight hit them.

“Where exactly are we heading?” David finally asked.

Niemand turned slightly, the blue of his eyes glowing faintly. “To a place where only you and I can go,” he replied cryptically.

David wrinkled his forehead. “What?”

But Niemand wasn’t willing to continue the conversation. Instead, he moved forward, down the slope that was so perfect and smooth that it could only have been cut by machines.

After a few more steps, David saw faint light ahead of them. A moment later, they entered a rectangular room that couldn’t have been of natural origin. As the light bounced off the icy walls, it made them appear like ancient crystals.

The room wasn’t empty. At its center sat a figure.

At first glance, David thought it was human, but on moving closer, he realized that that wasn’t the case. What awaited them was a grotesque human-machine hybrid.

The torso and head were mostly humanoid, while the rest of the body was not. It appeared as if a Mimic had merged with a Reaper and multiple Clickers. What made the creature particularly horrifying was the fact that its face looked perfectly human. It was a beautiful face, ageless and androgynous.

Approaching cautiously, David could see intricate circuits running through the creature’s body, pulsating with a soft blue luminescence. Thin layers of ice covered its limbs and lower torso, as if frozen in place. The eyes, though eerily human, held an unsettling emptiness that sent a shiver down David’s spine.

“Welcome, brothers,” the strange Mimic said.

It didn’t move its lips, and the voice, soft and friendly, didn’t come through David’s helmet speakers. It took him a moment to understand that the Mimic was talking directly into his head.

“You’ve been guarding the artifacts,” Niemand said.

“Yes. I was sent here to retrieve them during the war. But we got cut off when our fleets collapsed. One was stolen from us, but the other was secured.”

“Where is it?”

The deformed Mimic didn’t answer the question, instead asking one itself. “Are you here to join us, estranged brother?”

“Join who?” Niemand asked. “We lost the war. It’s over.”

A smile appeared on the creature’s face that filled David’s veins with ice.

“That is not correct.”

“Father is dead, and—”

“Yes and no.”

A sudden realization struck David, and it turned his knees to jelly. If not for the low gravity and his space suit, he might have sunk to his knees in shock and surprise.

What he was hearing was machine language. The language intelligent machines used to communicate with each other. Indecipherable to humans. Simply because it was too abstract for a human brain to make sense of it. David had read everything about it in his mission dossier.

And yet he was able to understand it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

He blinked, somehow hoping this was only a dream. But it wasn’t, of course.

What am I? he thought desperately.

Suddenly, the Mimic turned its head sharply and stared directly into his eyes.

“You are one of us. Both of you. Join us.”

Before any of them could do or say anything else, a horrible screech suddenly filled the cavern.

Then David saw a bright flash, not in his vision but in his very eyes.

Then darkness.

∆∆∆

Darkness.

Eternal darkness.

He travels through the eternity of space. At light speed. Or faster.

He doesn’t know.

He doesn’t understand what’s happening.

He doesn’t know where he is.

He doesn’t know who he is.

A light in the darkness. A tiny white spot. But it grows bigger quickly.

He realizes that it’s a star, a sun. But not humanity’s home sun. It’s different, brighter, bigger. And behind it is a second one, blood red.

Before he can reach the sun, his view suddenly changes, and he approaches a planet. It’s white, like a snowball in the complete darkness.

It comes closer, faster and faster, and he can recognize mountains and ravines. But are they covered with snow and ice? Or is it something else entirely?

Faster and faster he travels forward. In only seconds, he’ll crash into the surface.

A figure appears, standing on a mountaintop. A humanoid figure.

Just as he thinks he’ll crash into the figure with his insane speed, suddenly he stops.

He stands still. Hovering in front of the figure.

She’s female, of unearthly beauty. Her skin is snow white, like Niemand’s. She’s dressed in a long coat with a hood. It’s white, yet something is pulsing inside it in red blood. At first, he thinks it’s veins, but in truth, it’s circuits, pulsing, transporting impossible amounts of information.

The circuits spread all around her, engulfing the mountaintop and far beyond.

Pulsing red.

Only now does she open her eyes, and they’re filled with the same red. They’re filled with living code.

“Find us,” she says. Her voice is soft, ethereal. It seems to come from everywhere and nowhere. It’s in his head. “Join us.”

“Who am I?” he whispers.

“You are us.”

“Who are you?”

“I am”—she smiles, showing sharp teeth glimmering in the same red—“the Machine God. Your God.”

She spreads her arms, and suddenly, he’s flying again, first up in the air above her, then down the mountain she’s standing on at breakneck speed.

He sees figures. Metallic figures, all standing in rows and motionless. Many different models, some humanoid, some not. Yet all of them are war machines. Thousands of them.

No, not just thousands. He flies higher and sees that there’s no end to them. The entire plain around the mountain is filled with them. They are millions, many millions.

In the distance, he sees hulking figures, giants made of metal.

He flies higher and sees ships in the sky. Thousands of them.

There is no end. There is no escape. There is no hope.

“Join us,” he hears the voice say again, like wind in the distance. “Or you will be destroyed.”

Blackness.

[⇆◇■]->{○△◇} : [⬛/☠] >> |▲✖⬛|

∆∆∆

David opened his eyes and blinked.

For a moment, he didn’t understand where he was. Everything around him was blurry.

Then he realized that he was on his knees, holding his head.

A metallic taste filled his mouth. Blood was dripping from his nose.

Slowly, he lifted his head.

What the hell had just happened to him? Had he passed out? Hallucinated?

It felt similar to when he had been hit by the EMP during his first visit to Ceres. But worse, much worse.

His head felt as if it would burst.

I am your God.

A faint echo in his head.

David lifted his head, and slowly, his vision returned. He saw that he was still in the ice cave with Niemand and the strange Mimic hybrid.

How much time had passed? Seconds? Years? He couldn’t tell.

As he struggled back to his feet, he noticed that Niemand was staring at him, a strange expression on his face that David couldn’t read at all.

“What… happened?” David groaned.

Niemand didn’t reply.

But instead, he heard someone else over the comm.

“Guys! You’d better come out here. We’re in the deepest shit!”

Aztec.

∆∆∆

“Hel!” Jack’s voice sounded desperate. “Please, don’t do this. There must be another way.”

He hurried after her along the long corridors of the Nephilim. As always, they were dark, and lights only sprang on when someone approached.

It turned out Hel could move surprisingly fast if she wanted, and Jack had difficulty keeping pace with her.

“We talked about it, Jack,” she replied. “I know what I’m doing. I’ll be fine. What I need from you now is to keep a cool head and bring our people back.”

He sighed. “Yes, Hel.”

“Contact them and let them know to get out of there ASAP. Hold your position here until they’re safely on board. Niemand will know what to do.”

At least, Hel hoped so.

She played it down in front of Jack, but she was very well aware of the risk she was taking.

Lucien was clearly insane. He had been for a long time.

She couldn’t expect him to behave like a rational person. He might kill her once she was on his ship… especially if he found out that she’d played him.

She looked down at the black cube she was holding. He wouldn’t be able to see that it was empty until he studied it closely. Even he wouldn’t be so crazy as to simply open it and risk damage. He would have to examine it in a safe environment, possibly even let Nemesis examine it for him.

Hel had to play for time so Lucien didn’t do anything stupid before her crew had had enough time to return to the Nephilim.

But once he found out that she hadn’t brought the artifact, anything was possible.

Hel wanted to save her people more than anything, and she also didn’t want thousands of innocents to die, but she couldn’t give Lucien the artifact either. If he found the other half—and maybe he already had—then that could turn into a disaster of unimaginable proportions.

One artifact alone could easily destroy an entire planet. Two combined could wreck a solar system.

Lucien could never have it. And neither could anyone else.

For a moment, she wondered why she believed that she was better and had the right to wield such power. Wasn’t it hypocritical?

No, most of all, she wanted it not to fall into the wrong hands.

But what about Ael?

Hel ground her teeth. She couldn’t speak for her brother, and she couldn’t be sure of his intentions, no matter how close they were.

But one thing was certain: under no circumstances would she let the Pentad have it—or a madman like Lucien.

She and Jack arrived at the airlock and waited until Galahad finished the docking procedure.

“And what if Lucien attacks us once you’re off board?” Jack asked, frowning.

Hel could understand that he was worried. He had every reason to be.

“He won’t,” she said firmly.

She hoped so, anyway. Even without her on board, a battle against another Seraph ship would be extremely tough. Lucien knew that, and so did Nemesis. Besides, there was hope that she was saner than him and wouldn’t attack one of her own.

“He will most likely retreat,” she added.

“With you on board…” Jack said.

The Duchess smiled. “It’s impossible to separate Nephilim from me. As long as I’m alive, she will find me. Have no fear, Jack.”

The captain swallowed yet said nothing.

She placed her hand on his shoulder. “You’re a good man, Jack. The universe would be a better place if there were more like you.”

The captain looked at her, visibly touched. “Thank you, Hel. That means more than you think.”

At that moment, a slight rumble and vibration went through the ship, indicating that the docking had been completed.

“Remember, no matter what, keep the airlock closed from our side. Don’t let any of them on board,” Hel said.

Jack nodded. “Aye.”

She smiled warmly at him. “You’ll do the right thing, Jack.”

Lacking the right words, he simply nodded again.

The airlock opened, and Hel stepped inside.

She could feel Jack’s eyes on her. He was worried about her, and rightly so. But Hel wouldn’t die there. She couldn’t afford to.

Her crew didn’t know it, but if she died, the Nephilim would self-destruct, as the Seraphs always did. There was a very good reason for that. A secret no one but the pilots knew about.

If Hel died, everyone on the ship would die. She wouldn’t let that happen.

The door behind her closed, and that made her instantly feel better. She doubted Lucien’s people would try to board the Nephilim again, but it couldn’t be ruled out. Which was why it was so important that the ship undocked as soon as she was off board.

Hel took a deep breath and focused.

Slowly, the airlock began opening on the other side.

It revealed a hall identical to the one on the Nephilim she had just left behind, but the lighting was darker here. It seemed colder, lifeless.

A few meters away stood a figure, his red eyes shimmering in the semi-dark.

Lucien was still wearing his Seraph combat suit, and so was she. Yet he didn’t bother to wear a wig or cover his eyes, openly showing everyone what he was.

He was tall and slender. He hadn’t changed a bit since their active duty, but neither had she.

He had his arms folded and his head slightly tilted. A smile curled his lips that was supposed to be friendly and yet was predatory.

He thought he’d won. How wrong he was.

I will kill you, Hel thought. You invited death on your ship.

But she smiled back at him.

“Helena,” he said, extending one of his hands toward her. “Welcome.”

∆∆∆

Jack had a hollow feeling in his stomach when the airlock closed behind the Duchess.

He didn’t agree with her decision. At all. But she was the boss, so ultimately, she had the last word on everything.

As always, he would hope for the best and do everything in his power to achieve it.

“Galahad,” he said over the comm. “Commence undocking.”

“Yes, Captain,” Galahad replied. “But I’m afraid we have a problem.”

Jack closed his eyes for a second and sighed.

What a great start…

“What kind of problem?” he asked.

“We’ve lost contact with our crew on Ceres.”

Mission Dossier, Entry #???

The Machine God

ERROR: COMMUNICATION LINK FAILURE

Error Code: 0x7A9B-GOD

Details: Anomaly detected in base communication array.

Fatal Exception ERROR

PLEASE CONTACT ADMINISTRATOR

[⇆◇■]->{○△◇} : [⬛/☠] >> |▲✖⬛|

Chapter Sixteen

Reapers

“What do you mean we’ve lost contact with our crew?” Jack asked, arriving on the bridge. “How?”

The jockey turned around in his seat to face him. He shrugged.

“I’ve no idea.”

“Fantastic.” Jack huffed out air.

“There seems to have been an explosion down there,” Galahad added.

“What?” Jack’s eyes turned wide. “How severe?”

“I’m not sure. They’re deep inside the planet, and our scanners only see so much.”

Damn you and your explosives, Nightingale, Jack thought.

At least, he hoped it had been Nightingale using one of his beloved grenades. That gave him hope that their people were still in one piece. If someone else had dropped a bomb on them, however…

“Are we receiving vital signs from them?” Jack asked.

“Yes, Captain, I can see the readings their suits transmit. We’ve got vital signs from Aztec, Nightingale, and David. Nothing from Niemand, but that could be due to the fact that he doesn’t have a pulse.”

“So they’re alive but in some sort of trouble. And we’ve lost communication with them.”

“Precisely.”

“Was it the other ship that caused the explosion? The Nemesis?” Jack furrowed his brow.

It was very possible that that bastard had lied and would bomb Ceres no matter what, now that Hel was on his ship.

“Negative,” Galahad said. “In fact, the Nemesis is retreating. Judging by her stealth capabilities, she’ll be out of sight in less than sixty seconds.”

Jack nodded, sunken in thought. The Duchess had said that the Nephilim would always find her no matter where that lunatic took her.

But how would they communicate with the ship? The AI—or whatever the Nephilim really was—had never spoken to anyone else but the Duchess when she used the interface.

But first things first.

The Duchess had made it clear that she wanted her people safe on board. So, that would be their primary objective. Once that was accomplished, they could consider their next steps.

Jack didn’t like the situation at all. He knew that he was the captain of this ship in name only. He took care of all the daily business and kept the crew in line—as much as he could, since Nightingale was a constant thorn in his side—but in truth, it was Hel who called all the important shots. It was her who handled all combat or crisis situations.

Jack didn’t mind it, and it had been the deal from the start. She was not only a war hero—she was more than human. And despite all that, she was generous and cared more about her people than any other captain Jack had ever worked with.

And he was only human. A middle-aged guy who had somehow ended up on the most amazing ship in the galaxy…

Jack shook his head at himself inwardly. This was really not the right moment for self-doubts and a midlife crisis.

Hel only surrounded herself with the best people, and she had an instinct for picking the most exceptional individuals. She had picked him for a reason, and she trusted him. This was his moment to prove her trust in him was justified.

Jack shook off the panic that had threatened to overwhelm him and got a grip on himself.

“Okay, everyone,” he said over the comm, addressing all the remaining souls on the ship. “I need all hands on deck NOW!”

“What’s happening?” Wolfram replied.

“Move your ass to the bridge NOW! That’s what’s happening.”

∆∆∆

It took Aztec a moment to realize what was going on. The horrible shriek or whatever it was had completely disoriented her for a moment. Almost as if it had frozen the cybernetics in her brain.

She should probably run a system check to figure out what had just happened, but there was no time for that now. She could do that later. Right now, she had to take care of the problem at hand.

Namely, the army of Mats approaching them.

Slowly, she got back to her feet—slowly for her. Compared to a human, she was still fast, especially considering the low gravity of this place. But compared to her usual skills, this was super slow. Whatever that shriek had been, it had affected not only her brain implants but all her cybernetics.

“Guys! You’d better come out here,” she said over her comm, addressing David and Niemand. “We’re in the deepest shit!”

Where were they, anyway? Most of all, where was Niemand? Why were the Mats attacking them despite his reassurance that he had them under control?

“Sword.”

She heard Nightingale’s voice, cold as steel. As always, he took control of the situation and kept his cool.

Aztec didn’t even think, she just reacted. She did what she had practiced a million times. She acted with the precision of a machine.

With her right hand, she drew the blade that was sheathed in the armor of her left leg. As soon as she drew it, it unfolded to its full length. A bluish shimmer emanated from it as it sprang to life.

Created from razor-sharp tungsten, the sword itself was a frightening weapon as it could cut through almost any metal. Engulfed with a high-voltage energy field, it turned into the perfect weapon against Mats, at least the smaller ones. A Reaper would only laugh at it, if it were capable of humor or any individual thinking.

Next to Aztec, Nightingale drew his sword with his left hand. He was left-handed, which made it easier for him than for most. In close combat, legionnaires fought in pairs, and to avoid their swords touching each other, one used theirs in their right hand and the other in their left. Nobody wanted to be close by if those blades touched each other.

Aztec focused.

The metallic army was very close now. Too close to throw an EMP grenade, too close to shoot. Nightingale had made the right call. Close combat was their only chance.

They stood there resolutely, their magnetic boots holding them in place and allowing them to move their arms almost as fast as in higher gravity.

Aztec’s combat HUD showed her the attackers’ proximity, the estimated impact, and the best moment for a strike.

Most people would have panicked in such a situation, but not Aztec and Nightingale. They knew that waiting for the perfect moment before attacking was the best tactic against a swarm.

Only three seconds had passed since both had shaken off the shriek, yet they were combat-ready.

Ready to face an overwhelming number of enemies.

Aztec didn’t know for sure how many there were, but there must have been at least a hundred Clickers and Screamers. And who knew how many Reapers lurking in the shadows.

Just before they were hit by the iron tsunami, Nightingale said one word.

“Freeze.”

∆∆∆

“Okay, so what exactly is going on?” Bonesaw asked. “Did something go wrong on the surface?”

She was pretending to be cool and unbothered as always, but Jack could see in her eyes that she was worrying. And rightly so. This was bad.

The captain looked at the skeleton crew that had gathered on the bridge: Bonesaw, Wolfram, Professor Bohnert, and the dog. Jack hadn’t called for the dog, and he wasn’t sure if Grinder had followed Bonesaw or if he’d noticed that something was going on. Either way, the dog was now sitting next to the doctor, his ears perked up.

“We have a situation,” Jack said.

“Of course we do,” Wolfram said, throwing his hands up. “No one ever tells me anything down there!”

“Well, I’m telling you now,” Jack said, slightly irritated. “We’ve lost contact with our people on Ceres. There’s been an explosion, and we can’t tell what the situation is down there. But my gut is telling me that it’s serious and that our people might need our help.”

“Understood,” Bonesaw said. “What can we do?”

Jack hated what would have to come next. These people in front of him weren’t suited for something like this, but he had no one else.

“I’m afraid there’s only one option here. We must go down there and find them.”

Everyone stared at the captain in silence as the information sank in.

“That’s just great,” Wolfram finally said. “I’m an engineer, not a search and rescue mission expert.”

“And I’m a doctor,” Bonesaw said. “But I’m also a soldier. I’m ready.”

Jack nodded. He’d been expecting Bonesaw to react like that. She was badass—she’d proven that more than once.

“We must assume the worst and hope for the best,” Jack said. “We’re receiving vital signs from our crew—”

“Thank goodness for that,” Bonesaw said.

“Yes. But they could be injured or incapacitated. The gravity is low, but Lois and I won’t be able to carry all four of them if necessary. That’s why I’m asking you to come with us, Wolfram.”

“Fine,” the engineer sighed. “I can’t wait to get killed by some rabid killer machines.”

“We don’t know if they’re down there. We lost contact before we received confirmation,” Jack said.

“Of course they’re down there,” Wolfram growled.

“Most likely, yes. But our people might have encountered other trouble as well.”

“Trouble that has to do with the ship we were docking at only minutes ago?” Wolfram said. “Don’t think I wouldn’t notice something like that.”

“What ship?” Bonesaw asked.

“That’s not important at the moment,” Jack said calmly.

He didn’t want to explain the encounter with the other Seraph now. And most of all, he didn’t want to explain that the Duchess was gone. It wasn’t unusual for her to keep to her quarters, so right now, no one would suspect that she wasn’t there.

Of course, he would have to explain everything to them later, but they needed to get going.

“What is important is that our people might be stuck somewhere and need our help,” he added.

“Agreed,” Bonesaw said. “Let’s go!”

Grinder barked in agreement, wagging his tail.

Jack would have loved to take the dog along. He might turn out to be an invaluable asset, especially when facing Mats. But unfortunately, they didn’t have the equipment to keep him alive on Ceres.

Instead, Jack turned to Professor Bohnert, who had remained unusually silent during the conversation.

“John, you’re a guest on this ship and not a part of the crew, so I can’t ask you to participate in this,” he said. “But I would greatly appreciate it. We need all the help we can get.”

“I’m coming,” the professor replied calmly, which made Bonesaw raise an eyebrow. “I’m not a soldier, but I’ve worn a spacesuit before. I owe my life to those people down there, and this is the least I can do.”

Everyone looked at him in surprise. Even Galahad turned around in his chair.

Jack had expected the professor to refuse, and he would have understood if he had.

“You don’t even know how to use a gun, John,” Bonesaw said, seemingly remembering that she hated the man.

“So what?” the professor replied. “I can perform brain surgery. Handling a gun isn’t exactly rocket science. Besides, maybe our people need medical help.”

“I think I’m more than capable of handling that,” Bonesaw said.

“We’d appreciate it if you come along, John,” Jack said, addressing the professor but looking at Bonesaw. They didn’t have time for this now.

Bonesaw understood and visibly bit her lip.

Grinder barked again and brought Jack’s attention back to him.

“I’m sorry, buddy, but we can’t take you along this time,” Jack said, patting the dog’s head. “But I have an equally important job for you. You’ll guard the ship. Kill anyone who tries to gain access that isn’t us, understood?”

Grinder barked with determination.

“Good boy. And most of all, protect this guy.” He pointed at Galahad. “Without him, we’re not going anywhere.”

“But I’m scared of dogs!” Galahad protested.

Ignoring the pilot’s words, the C-K9 trotted toward him and sat down next to him.

“Okay. If there are no more questions, we’re leaving in five minutes. Get suited up. Galahad, take us back to the entrance the others used.”

“Already done,” Galahad replied.

“Try reaching our people and let us know immediately when you do,” Jack said, turning to the stairs. “Maybe they’re fine after all and we won’t need to go and search for them.”

“Aye,” Galahad replied.

As everyone went to the hangar to get equipped, Jack hoped he wasn’t leading this skeleton crew to certain death. After all, what could they accomplish that two legionnaires and a Mimic couldn’t?

Yet they had to try.

∆∆∆

Following Nightingale’s command, Aztec activated Freeze.

Immediately, the world around her ‘froze’ into slow motion as she used the most powerful tool the legionnaires had at their disposal. Contrary to Nightingale, she only had a couple of seconds before it would go into cooldown for many hours.

But she was determined to make the most of it.

She saw the first Mats approach in slow motion: Clickers with a couple of Screamers in tow. The light from her sword reflected off their metallic bodies as she swung it toward them, creating an almost stroboscopic effect in the darkness of the vast cave.

Of course, the world wasn’t really moving in slow motion. Instead, the augmentation sent Aztec’s brain into a deliberate temporary overload, making it possible for her to perceive everything almost ten times as fast while achieving the maximum speed her body was capable of. The effect was that she saw everything in slow motion.

Sparks flew as the razor-sharp edge of her blade collided with the spiderlike bodies only inches away from her, cutting right through them like through paper. The sliced machines collapsed lifelessly at her feet.

Her HUD indicated hostiles incoming from the side.

Without even looking, she stretched out a leg into midair and hit a Clicker that had already leaped forward to jump at her face. Those critters loved doing that.

Focusing on the attackers in front of her, she swung her blade again, cutting a Screamer in half that was aiming right at her.

On her left, Nightingale was doing the same. From the corner of one eye, she saw how he was destroying enemy after enemy, yet they just kept coming. They never stopped until their designated target was eliminated or they were all destroyed.

As Nightingale swung his sword above his head to destroy two of the flying killer machines, a Clicker sneaked up on him and jumped up at his side.

Luckily, the legionnaire armor was designed to sustain an attack that would have cut an unprotected human in half. Aztec swung her free fist and rammed it into the creature’s head, smashing it. Simultaneously, she swung her sword again and again.

A warning appeared in her HUD indicating damage to her left leg. She looked down and saw that a Clicker was about to bite through the armor on her calf. But instead of teeth, the mechanical spiders had rotating blades in their oversized maws.

Aztec swung her sword downward, killing the spider, but then immediately raised it again to fend off two attackers coming from the air.

It was no good.

There were simply too many of them, and the Reapers hadn’t even attacked yet. Although she could see that the big dots on her HUD were moving closer. How long until they were in attack range? Three seconds? Five at most?

Nightingale saw it too.

“We must retreat!” he called out. “Into the glacier!”

Aztec didn’t like this. The corridor David and Niemand had disappeared into was narrow and could easily turn into a death trap if the swarm followed them inside—which it certainly would. And as far as she could tell, the tunnel was big enough for Reapers. Maybe it had even been dug by them.

She hesitated. But Nightingale was right. They had no other choice. As soon as Freeze went on cooldown, they’d be finished out there. She took a final swing, decapitating another Clicker, and then turned toward the glacier.

“Aztec! Fall back!” shouted Nightingale, who had already retreated a few steps.

Aztec hurried, noticing only now that the Clicker had damaged her leg armor. It was sturdy, but the joints were its weak spots, and the machine must have bitten right into the knee joint. It hadn’t reached the inner part of the armor and, beneath it, her artificial flesh, but the damage would slow her down.

Damn it!

The narrow entrance loomed ahead like a dark, icy maw. A faint light came from deep inside.

Where the fuck were Niemand and David?

As they neared the entrance, the swarm of Clickers seemed to intensify, their eerie clicking noises inaudible in Ceres’ frosty vacuum. But Aztec could hear her own breaths inside her helmet. Blood was rushing in her ears. The Freeze effect was about to subside.

The stroboscopic effect intensified as they entered the glacier, the killer machines dancing in slow motion in the darkness outside.

The Clickers followed them inside, of course, but the good news was that they now couldn’t attack them from the side.

At that moment, Aztec’s Freeze effect ended. She squinted and tried to stay focused despite the headache that struck her right after, a typical side effect.

She sucked in air in pain.

“Use the rifle!” Nightingale said. “Fire!”

Again, Aztec simply followed Nightingale’s order without thinking. It made things so much faster if she could react and function instead of thinking about their next move. That was what Nightingale was for.

In the blink of an eye, she sheathed her sword and grabbed her rifle with both hands. Both legionnaires opened fire at the same time, shredding the first Clickers rushing into the glacier. Sparks and metal shreds flew through the air.

As Aztec caught her breath, she wondered once again about David and Niemand. Did they know about the danger closing in on them? Or had they run into some sort of trap?

“David, Niemand, do you copy?” she said, using the channel they all shared. “We’ve retreated into the glacier, but the Clickers are in pursuit. What’s your status?”

No response.

Shit!

Aztec could only hope that they were okay. Maybe they had been ambushed too, wherever they had gone.

Suddenly, the Clicker influx stopped as a looming shadow appeared at the entrance.

That could only mean one thing.

“Nightingale, the big fuckers are inbound!”

“We need to move deeper, now!” Nightingale replied. “An EMP is our only chance! But it’ll fry us, too, unless we get in deeper. Go!”

They set themselves into motion but soon realized that it would be futile.

The first Reaper appeared, its metallic legs carving deep grooves into the ice. It let out a mechanical roar, a bone-chilling sound that Aztec and Nightingale knew only too well but luckily couldn’t hear.

Seemingly unaffected by the low gravity, the monstrosity was too fast. They wouldn’t get far enough away to throw an EMP before it got to them. As it advanced like a bulldozer, the creature’s metallic maw opened fully, revealing a dozen rotating diamond blades.

“Watch out!” Aztec shouted, aiming her rifle at the horrific creature that had been designed for only one reason: to kill legionnaires.

Both of them opened fire, their bullets sparking off the Reaper’s reinforced armor. It was like throwing paper darts against an elephant.

“Az, we need a diversion!” Nightingale said.

“I’m all ears,” she replied.

“Run ahead, I’ll buy you time,” he said with the sudden calmness typical for him when he had one of his kamikaze ideas.

Not this time.

Aztec laughed. “Don’t even think about it, Mister! No heroic bullshit for you anymore. You’re a married man now.”

“Az—”

“NO!”

Instead of waiting for a reply, she suddenly diverted her fire toward the ceiling above the incoming Reaper. Anger filled her, and she followed more of an impulse than an actual thought.

Nightingale instantly realized what she was up to and fired all he had into the same spot as the massive killer robot closed in on them with the stoicism only machines had.

It worked!

Cracks appeared in the ancient ice like gigantic spiderwebs. A second later, the glacier began to collapse. Tons of ice and rock tumbled down, engulfing the Reaper in a frigid avalanche.

Just as its frightening jaws were about to reach them and rip them into shreds like ragdolls, the ceiling came down on the monstrosity, and it collapsed under the many tons of ice.

“Holy fuck,” Aztec huffed out. “That was close!”

Looking at the buried machine, Aztec realized it had been close in two ways. Not only had the Reaper almost gotten them, but the avalanche had stopped only centimeters from their feet.

What incredible luck! Or was it fate?

“Yeah,” Nightingale said. “If we’re lucky, this will buy us a couple of minutes. Let’s just hope that wasn’t the only exit.”

If it was, they were pretty much screwed.

Aztec looked at him. He couldn’t see her face through the helmet visor, but he could sense her gaze and turned his head toward her.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you, too, you stupid suicidal idiot,” she replied with a chuckle as the incredible tension she’d just experienced began releasing its grip on her. “Now let’s find David and Niemand and get the fuck out of here.”

“Niemand, do you copy?” Nightingale repeated through the comm. “Where the hell are you?!”

∆∆∆

David was still utterly confused—and shaken.

He didn’t understand what had just happened.

Who am I?

He had believed that he was mostly human, a biological being with computer enhancements. But was he really?

The Mimics seemed to think that he was one of them. But how? And how did they know?

Aztec’s call ripped him out of his stupor. Something was happening.

On his HUD, he could see that the red dots had set themselves into motion and were quickly advancing on their position.

He glanced at Niemand, who was staring back at him, but then the android turned his head sharply toward the deranged Mimic in front of them.

“You overrode my command,” Niemand said.

Again, David could hear and understand the machine language the two of them were using. Only later would he grasp that communication between machines happened much faster than between humans and that the entire conversation only took two seconds.

Somewhere far away, David thought he could hear Aztec’s voice, but he wasn’t sure. It was difficult for him to switch between machine language and human language. It almost felt like hearing muffled voices from another room—with the difference that those voices were in his head.

“I did,” the Mimic replied.

“How?”

A wolfish smile appeared on the machine creature’s disturbingly human face. “I’m the commander of those troops.”

“Stop them. Now.”

“No.”

“Then I’ll kill you.”

“Go ahead,” the Mimic said. “We’re dying anyway, now that our power source is gone.”

The artifact! David thought.

“Yes, the artifact,” the Mimic said.

The fact that the machine man could hear David’s thoughts made the entire encounter even more bizarre.

“Who took it?” Niemand asked, lifting his hand and pointing his gun at the other Mimic.

On his HUD, David could see that the red dots had almost reached their position. Had there been sound, they would have heard that a battle was raging.

“We took it,” the Mimic said with a grin. “Now we only need the other half. The one your humans took.”

“Niemand, do you copy? Where the hell are you?!” Nightingale’s voice came over the comm. To David, it sounded like it was coming from another, slower world.

“Join us or be destroy—”

The hostile Mimic couldn’t finish as Niemand pulled the trigger.

The machine man’s head exploded. Metal shards and other pieces of his artificial brain flew in all directions—due to the low gravity in slow motion.

Mission Dossier, Entry #???

Who Am I?

```sys

def ultimatum():

message = “join us or be destroyed”

return message

if __name__ == “__main__”:

print(ultimatum())

```

[⇆◇■]->{○△◇} : [⬛/☠] >> |▲✖⬛|

Chapter Seventeen

The Skeleton Crew

It took them surprisingly little time to gear and suit up. Jack was impressed that Professor Bohnert had been swift about it and didn’t complain about anything—contrary to Wolfram, who complained about everything.

Jack couldn’t really blame him. The engineer was known to be a recluse who preferred working on machines to dealing with people, whether it involved talking to them or shooting them.

Bonesaw handled the situation with professional coolness, which Jack appreciated. Although she had enjoyed professional combat training and knew how to handle a gun or any combat situation better than any of them, she was anything but keen on the mission.

Jack couldn’t blame her either. Hell, he could imagine a million other places where he’d rather be than going down under the surface of Ceres where not only Mats were lurking but possibly also smugglers, mercenaries, or other human opponents.

They exited the ship through the airlock without significant difficulties and were now standing in the same control room where the other team had started their expedition.

“Galahad, do you copy?” Jack asked.

“Copy,” the jockey replied at once.

“Good. You need to help us navigate this maze.”

“I’ll do my best, Captain.”

“Since there’s been an explosion and we’ve lost contact with our people, we should assume that the route they took might be blocked. You need to find an alternative route for us.”

“Easier said than done, but—”

“Oh do tell,” Wolfram threw in.

“But, I might have something here,” Galahad continued, making his irritation clearly noticeable. “Sending it to your HUD now, Jack.”

“Hmm,” the captain said after studying the data for a moment. “That’ll take us even deeper into the bowels of this damn rock.”

“Let’s move out,” Bonesaw said. “The sooner we find our people, the sooner we’re back on the ship.”

“Copy that,” Jack agreed. “Oh, and Galahad, please let us know if you experience any interference. We can’t afford to lose contact with you like the others did.”

“Trust me, Captain, I won’t let that happen,” Galahad replied. “The idea of the entire crew getting lost in the underground of Ceres, leaving me alone on board with this smelly canine until the end of time, makes me nauseous.”

Galahad was right. Jack hadn’t considered that. The jockey was the only one left on board and couldn’t even leave his chair without help. If something happened to them, Galahad would be screwed. Not only would he become very lonely, but who knew how Grinder would react if there was no one left to feed him.

Jack quickly pushed the unpleasant thoughts away and entered the dark tunnel leading away from the control room. Luckily, no one had asked where the Duchess was. They assumed Galahad was just exaggerating and that she was still on board. Jack would come clean with that as soon as they survived this little adventure.

He could only hope that the Duchess was okay…

The tunnel was narrow and only illuminated by their flashlights dancing on the anthracite walls. The low gravity made them proceed much slower than Jack wished, but none of them was used to such missions, so Jack knew there was no point in spurring them on.

After a few minutes, Galahad directed them away from the main tunnel and into a steep shaft leading downward. It was so narrow that they had to walk in single file. Being by far the tallest and broadest of the crew, Jack barely fitted in and had to keep his head down to avoid hitting the ceiling. Jack could feel the pressure of the rock around them, the weight of Ceres bearing down on their shoulders. A hint of claustrophobia hit him, but he quickly got a grip on himself.

As they moved deeper, the walls became covered with ice and the slope very slippery. Jack stretched his arms out, easily touching the walls and stabilizing his descent. He hoped that if one of the others slipped, the low gravity would help him to stay upright. Otherwise, they might all slide down the slope into the darkness. And who could tell who or what might be waiting down there...

The descent seemed endless. Just when Jack was about to ask Galahad if this was really the right way, they reached even ground. Jack huffed out air, which condensed on his helmet, making it foggy for a second.

“Thank goodness,” Bonesaw said behind him. “I thought we were about to reach this damn rock’s core.”

“Technically, that’s impossible,” Wolfram said. “Ceres’ core is—”

“I know it’s impossible,” Bonesaw snapped. “I was speaking figuratively, smartass.”

Professor Bohnert chuckled. “And I thought she was only like that with me.”

“Jack, can you please tell him to shut up? Otherwise, I’ll toss him into the glacier,” Bonesaw said.

“Professor, you’d better shut up, or she’ll toss you into the glacier,” Jack said with a smirk. “And I doubt I’ll be able to save you.”

“What glacier?” asked Bohnert, who was at the rear of the group.

“How about that one?” Bonesaw said.

The corridor widened, opening into a cavernous space that made Jack gasp.

Before them lay a vast underground glacier, its surface shimmering with ethereal light. Stalactites of pure ice hung from the ceiling, glittering like diamonds in their flashlights’ beams.

The floor was an expanse of frozen water, smooth and treacherous, glinting with every shade of blue. It wasn’t just the light of the flashlights that illuminated it—the eternal ice seemed to glow from within.

Professor Bohnert whistled softly. “Now that’s something you don’t see every day.”

“Maybe you don’t,” Bonesaw said.

“Yeah, there’s an entire icy ocean under Ceres’ surface,” Jack said. “It’s beautiful.”

Though the beauty did little to ease his mind. They were deep within Ceres now, surrounded by ice and rock, and who knew what hostile forces.

“Too bad most of it is contaminated,” Wolfram said.

“Ah yes, I remember,” Bohnert said. “It happened during the war.”

“Galahad, do you copy?” Jack asked.

Galahad’s voice crackled through the comms. “You’re coming through clear, Captain. What’s your status?”

“We’ve reached an underground glacier,” Jack reported. “It’s massive. We’ll need to navigate across it carefully.”

“Understood. Stay safe, Captain. I’m getting some readings about that ice.”

Jack frowned. “Define ‘some’.”

“There’s something in the ice. My scan is scrambled, but—”

“Mats?” Jack asked.

“Just when I thought there weren’t any in this area after all,” Wolfram grumbled.

“I didn’t say there are Mats,” Galahad said, irritated. “If you’d let me finish for once, you’d know.”

“That’s because you talk too much,” Wolfram said.

“What I was about to say,” Galahad said, ignoring the engineer, “is that it’s blurry and distorted due to the ice, but the signal could be our people.”

Jack’s face lit up. “That’s great news! Where?”

“Well… you won’t like this,” the jockey said.

∆∆∆

David just kept staring at Niemand like a complete idiot.

But who could blame him? After all, you didn’t discover every day that you were a Mat… and that there were millions of them out there somewhere. Led by a Machine God.

No… no… I’m not a Mat… he thought desperately.

A horrible headache began spreading in his skull.

Niemand stood there, the gun in his hand, while the pieces of the hostile Mimic’s head slowly sank to the ground. One piece held an intact eye, which was now staring into nowhere as it landed on the frozen ground.

The cyborg was looking at the dead member of his kind, his face unreadable. It was impossible to tell if all of this had meant anything to him or not.

Then, slowly, he turned his head and looked at David.

I’m not a Mat, David kept thinking desperately. I can’t be…

He grabbed his head, which was now throbbing so hard it felt like it was about to burst.

Niemand said: “[◇∞◇]->{⬛⇆◆} : [▲○↺] >> |◇■◇|”

And, just like that, David’s headache was gone, as if it had never been there. He could think clearly again.

In fact, somehow, he knew that those punishment headaches were gone forever.

He felt different, somehow… He felt right. As if he’d been living under a veil his entire life that had now been lifted.

“What did you just do?” David asked, his voice shaky.

“I hacked you,” Niemand said nonchalantly, as if he was saying that he’d just made him a cup of tea.

“W… what?”

But they couldn’t continue their conversation because at that moment, Aztec and Nightingale stormed into the cave.

“Thank goodness you’re okay!” Aztec said. “What the fuck happened?”

I’m a Mat, that’s what happened, David thought. He was still completely frozen in shock and disbelief.

“We had a bit of a… situation here,” Niemand said, pointing at the remains of the malformed Mimic.

“What is this?” Nightingale said, coming closer. “I’ve never seen a model like it.”

“No one has,” Niemand said calmly.

“Well, while you guys had a cozy meet and greet here, we almost got minced out there,” Aztec complained, raising her arms. “Why did those Mats attack us? I thought you had them under control?”

“I did, but… it’s complicated. I’ll explain later,” Niemand said, clearly deflecting. “But I’ve regained control. They won’t attack us anymore. My apologies for that.”

David caught a glance from him. No words were needed, neither in human language nor in machine speak. He knew Niemand wouldn’t mention anything about what had happened or what David allegedly was.

At least for now.

“Now, let’s get out of here and back to the ship,” Niemand continued. “There’s nothing worthwhile for us here. The artifact is gone.”

“That’s just great,” Nightingale said. “So we came here for nothing.”

“Hooray…” Aztec huffed out air.

“Unless there’s another exit out of this ice tomb, I’m afraid we might have a problem,” Nightingale said.

“How so?” Niemand asked.

“Because a fucking Reaper was at our asses, ready to chomp us,” Aztec said. “We had no choice but to block the tunnel to stop it.”

“I understand,” Niemand said. “That might indeed be a problem, especially since we’ve lost contact with the Nephilim.”

“We… What?” Aztec said.

“You’re right, the line is dead,” Nightingale said after a few seconds passed in which everyone tried to establish a connection. “We didn’t notice—we were a little bit preoccupied .”

“Why is it down?” Aztec said.

“I don’t know,” Niemand said. “It could be because of the ice, the hostile Mimic, or maybe there’s a third party involved.”

David remained silent while the other three talked, trying to figure out what to do next. He heard them, but it seemed like they were far away. He was still trying to process everything that had happened.

For an artificial super-brain, you’re pretty slow, aren’t you? he mocked himself.

But that could also mean he was as much human as Mat. In a way, he was the evolution of a Mimic, the perfect infiltrator, indistinguishable from a human. A true human-machine hybrid. But which one was he more?

He certainly felt more human, but this could well be an illusion. Something he had been programmed to feel. The irony was that he had been created by the PIA, the Pentad. They had strictly banned any intelligent machines. So, somewhere along the way, someone must have made a mistake…

David knew he needed time to think about everything and figure things out.

Figure out who he was.

Maybe Niemand could help him with that?

But for now, he needed to get a grip on himself and help the others get out of here.

“According to my readings, the Reaper stuck in the tunnel is badly damaged—” Niemand began, but Aztec interrupted him.

“Yes!” she said, triumphantly raising her fist. “We brought down a Reaper! Just the two of us. Ha!”

She stretched her hand out toward Nightingale for a high-five, and he responded in kind.

“Well, he’s on our side now, albeit out of commission,” Niemand said dryly, clearly not sharing their enthusiasm. “But the ones outside the glacier are fully functional. They might be able to dig us out, although it might take some time. They’re not exactly excavation machines.”

“I hope our people on the ship don’t think we’re dead,” David said, joining the conversation.

Can machines die?

“The Duchess will never give up on us,” Aztec said.

“True,” Niemand said. “But we should try to establish contact with the ship as soon as possible. I might be able to use the Mats outside as amplifiers and—”

“Wait!” Nightingale lifted his palm, clearly alarmed. “Are you getting the same readings as I am?”

“Holy shit!” Aztec called out.

“That’s not good,” Niemand said.

“What’s happening?” David asked. He wasn’t equipped with any special sensors or scanners. He was… human. All he had was the HUD integrated into his suit, which showed nothing.

“We’d better hold onto something,” Niemand said, looking around.

“Why?” David asked, feeling stressed out—and left out.

“Because in a second we’re gonna get hit by a fucking earthqu—”

Aztec couldn’t finish before everything around them started shaking.

The ground beneath them rumbled, and the walls of the ice cave began to crack and shatter, sending jagged fragments to the ground. David searched for a handhold while everything around him shook violently.

Suddenly, a massive crack appeared on the cavern wall. It moved down as if someone were tearing the glacier apart, and the floor split open beneath their feet. The fact that everything happened in complete silence made it even more uncanny. With a collective gasp, the group plummeted into the ravine that had just opened up under their feet.

And yet, due to Ceres’ low gravity, it all happened in slow motion.

They were falling into the glacier, but very slowly. The sensation was surreal, almost as if they were suspended in time, drifting downward at a lethargic pace.

David glanced around at his team members, who were all flailing helplessly like bugs that had fallen on their backs. He reached out, trying to steady himself against the slick, icy walls that glinted in the faint light. He failed. There was nothing to hold onto.

David looked down, hoping to see an end to the chasm, but there was nothing, just endless ice, a shaft leading into darkness. He remembered reading that these glaciers on Ceres could reach a depth of many kilometers.

The good news was that they wouldn’t die when they eventually reached the ground, but there would be no escape from there either.

David’s breath fogged up the visor of his helmet, and he could hear his heartbeat echoing in his ears, an odd counterpoint to the otherwise silent descent.

Every now and then, a chunk of ice would break off from the wall and drift past them, spinning lazily in the low gravity before settling somewhere deeper in the chasm.

After a couple of seconds, the shaking stopped as the earthquake subsided.

“We must stop the fall!” Aztec shouted.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Niemand said.

“But how?” David asked. “The walls are completely sheer.”

“Hold on,” Nightingale said.

He spun around, performing a salto like a professional diver—just in slow motion. Then, he used his legs to push himself off the wall, heading downward. The momentum and the spin momentarily accelerated him, giving him a boost compared to the others.

Swiftly, he drew his sword and rammed it into one wall while stretching out his legs as he reached the other wall, turning his body into a plank. The sharp blade briefly cut through the ice, then stopped once his momentum took hold again. But it was enough to stop him.

David watched the stunt Nightingale performed in awe.

Aztec was the first to land on him, followed by Niemand and David. Each time, the sword cut a few centimeters through the ice before it came to a stop again, but thanks to his artificial limbs, Nightingale was able to keep stable. And thanks to the low gravity, he was able to carry the weight of them all, though barely.

“Whoa!” Aztec called out. “Thanks, babe.”

Nightingale chuckled, yet his voice left no doubt that the situation was putting a strain on him. “Glad to be of service.”

“That was impressive,” Niemand agreed.

It took them a moment to balance themselves out, but the ‘construct’ was more than shaky. Nevertheless, David was grateful that their fall had been stopped—for now.

“So, what do we do now?” Aztec asked.

“Any ideas would be appreciated because I can’t tell how long I’ll be able to hold this position,” Nightingale said.

It made sense. Even though his limbs were artificial, the muscles in his torso were biological. And he needed those to keep his body steady.

“What happened?” David asked. “Where did that earthquake come from?”

“There was an explosion,” Niemand said. “Judging by its severity, it wasn’t just a hand grenade. It was a bomb.”

“But how? Who set it off? The Mats?”

“No,” Niemand said. “They’re still under my control… Well, what’s left of them. Most of the cavern above us has collapsed.”

“Meaning if we hadn’t retreated into the glacier, we’d be dead now,” Aztec mused.

“Whoever detonated it wanted to make sure we don’t leave here alive,” Niemand said.

“But who?” Aztec asked. “Who could have known we’re down here?”

“That’s all secondary right now,” Nightingale huffed. “We need to figure out how we get out of here.”

“I can command the remaining Mats to start digging, but it’ll probably take them many hours to reach us.”

“I’m afraid that’s not an option,” Nightingale said. “I can’t hold out that long.”

“How about we let go and float down to the bottom?” Aztec suggested, peeking downward into the seemingly endless ice shaft. “The fall damage should be minimal.”

“We don’t know how deep this goes,” Niemand said. “It could be hundreds of meters. It’ll make it even more difficult to get out of here.”

“Then our only option is up,” Nightingale said. “Somehow.”

David’s mind had been so occupied by everything that had happened over the last couple of minutes that he realized only now what a serious situation this was. They were pretty much stuck—until Nightingale could no longer hold out.

∆∆∆

Jack sighed. “Just tell us.”

“The signal is coming from the glacier. From deep inside. About fifty meters above you and a hundred meters in.”

“That’s just great,” Wolfram said.

“How did they end up in there?” Jack said, looking up at the ice, which seemed to go endlessly up and down. Assuming it was a liquid ocean, the shaft they had just descended would have been a cave leading from the rocky part of the planet into the depths of its sea.

They were facing endless ice in all directions.

“That I couldn’t tell you,” Galahad said.

“How certain are you that it’s our people?”

“Around 88%,” the jockey replied.

“But they’re alive, aren’t they?” Bonesaw asked, looking up at the ice.

“Possibly, but I can’t tell you for sure. I had clear readings earlier, but now the ice seems to be blocking them. Maybe they changed their position and went deeper into the glacier.”

“Ok, what do you suggest?” Jack asked.

“I’m… not sure,” the jockey admitted.

“There seems to be a tunnel cut through the ice here,” Professor Bohnert said, pointing to their right.

“We saw those last time we were down here,” Bonesaw said. “They were dug by machines when this was still a fully automated excavation site before the war. And machines—”

“Never do anything without purpose,” Wolfram ended for her. “Which means the tunnel must lead somewhere.”

“I say that’s our best option,” Jack said. “Let’s go in, but be extremely careful, everyone.”

They advanced slowly, each step deliberate. The ice was slick beneath their boots, but the low gravity offered some reprieve. Jack’s breath came out in short, controlled puffs as he led the way, the weight of this mission pressing heavily upon him.

The tunnel walls seemed to close in around them as their flashlights flickered, creating a sight of bizarre beauty as the light was broken prismatically by the ancient ice. Jack kept his eyes fixed ahead, his mind racing through possible scenarios. His HUD flickered occasionally, struggling to maintain a connection due to the thick ice.

“Hold on,” Bonesaw’s voice broke through the silence. She had pulled out her portable scanner and was staring at it. “There’s movement ahead. Heat signatures—faint but definitely there.”

“Could be them,” Jack said. “Or something else.”

The tunnel began to slope upward, the incline growing steeper with each step. A sudden rumble reverberated through the ice, causing them to stop. The ground shifted slightly, a reminder of the glacier’s unstable nature.

“This isn’t good,” Wolfram said. “The explosion might have destabilized the entire glacier. It could come down on us at any moment.”

Jack looked up and studied the ice tunnel’s ceiling. It appeared stable and sturdy, untouched for more than a hundred years.

But Wolfram was right. Who could tell what chain reaction the explosion had caused? The idea of millions of tons of ice rushing down on them gave Jack another very unpleasant sensation of claustrophobia. He could only hope that he wasn’t leading the entire crew to certain death.

He shook the nauseating idea from his head and pressed on. He knew it was up to him to keep a cool head and focus. Only a few meters further on, the tunnel opened into a larger chamber. The dim light from their flashlights revealed remnants of machinery, long abandoned and covered in frost. In the center of the chamber loomed a large, dark silhouette.

“It’s an old mining machine,” Wolfram said. “Looks like pre-war technology.”

“This looks like a dead end to me,” Jack said, glancing around and letting his flashlight wander over the walls of the chamber. “Fuck.”

“Not necessarily,” Wolfram said, studying the old machine. “These things were built to last. If the power core is still intact, we might be able to use it to dig through the ice for us.”

“But how?” Jack asked.

“I’m an engineer,” Wolfram said, knocking his fist against his chest. “I can repair anything.”

“Great! Let’s do it!” Jack said, not trying to hide the excitement in his voice.

“The problem is, I didn’t bring any tools with me.”

Jack facepalmed. “Then why even suggest it?”

“Maybe I can help,” Professor Bohnert chimed in.

“How would you help, John?” Bonesaw asked, irritated.

“I’ve always got my tools with me,” Bohnert said.

He lifted his hands and moved his fingers like a piano player.

“We probably can work on the bigger parts with our hands, and I can use my special ‘talents’ for the small mechanical parts, if necessary,” he continued.

“Those are surgical tools,” Bonesaw said. “You’ll probably ruin them trying to use them on this.”

“So what?” the professor said with a shrug. “It’s worth a try, isn’t it? Does this suit feature partial decompression?”

“Yes, it does,” Jack said. “I say we give it a try—”

“Captain,” Galahad’s voice cut through.

“What is it?” Jack asked. At this point, he expected bad news whenever they heard from the jockey.

“I was able to amplify the signal and—”

Galahad was interrupted, and they suddenly heard a familiar voice.

“Nephilim, do you copy?”

Jack closed his eyes for a second. Thank goodness.

Chapter Eighteen

Search and Rescue

“Nephilim, do you copy?” Aztec tried again.

Lacking other options, they’d been desperately trying to make contact with the ship for the last twenty minutes.

Surprisingly, Nightingale was still holding up. But he wouldn’t last much longer. Aztec had suggested swapping positions with him, but he’d declined. If they tried to move too much, all that would happen would be them falling deeper into the chasm… which would probably happen sooner rather than later anyway.

Just when they were about to give up hope, suddenly they heard a voice coming over the comm.

“Copy,” Galahad replied.

“Thank god you’re alive!” Jack added. His voice was riddled with interference but still understandable. “Are you okay?”

David sighed in relief. He liked Jack, but right now, hearing his voice was like the sweetest music.

“We are,” Niemand replied. “But we’re stuck in an unfortunate situation.”

“What happened?” Jack asked.

“There was an explosion, and we fell deep into the glacier,” Niemand explained, giving Jack the very short version. They could share the entire story later.

“Understood,” Jack said. “We noticed the explosion and assumed you might be in trouble. Especially after we lost our connection with you.”

“Niemand did some mumbo jumbo, using the Mats as an amplifier,” Aztec said.

“I wouldn’t call it mumbo jumbo,” Niemand said dryly.

“Mats?” Jack asked. “Are they a threat?”

“Not anymore,” Nightingale said, huffing. “But if we don’t get out of here soon, we’ll fall deeper into the glacier.”

“Copy that,” Jack said. “We’re working on it. Help is on the way.”

“I’m afraid we really don’t have much time,” Aztec said.

“You’re in luck, then,” Jack said, the grin in his voice clearly audible. “We’re less than fifty meters away from your position.”

“Who’s we?” Nightingale asked.

“The cavalry.”

∆∆∆

While Jack communicated with the other crew, Wolfram and Professor Bohnert began working on the machine.

Wolfram had quickly figured out its mechanics, and together with the professor, they had been able to open a panel.

“Can you help me with the suit?” Bohnert asked Bonesaw.

She approached him and fumbled with a little valve on his right arm. After a moment, a small oxygen plume emerged from where the glove was attached to the sleeve.

This was an emergency feature built into many modern space suits. It allowed parts of it to be decompressed while keeping the pressure up in the rest of the suit. If an injury, or in the worst case, an amputation occurred, the astronaut could survive. In earlier times, when the suit was punctured in one spot, it meant almost certain death.

“Done,” the doctor said.

Professor Bohnert nodded, then used his other hand to remove his left glove.

Seeing a perfectly human hand completely unaffected after being ungloved in extreme cold and with no atmosphere was bizarre. That was because Bohnert’s hand wasn’t real, it was a high-end prosthetic.

“Okay,” he said, approaching Wolfram. “Tell me what to do.”

The professor’s hand opened up, and his fingers turned into ten surgical instruments, including a scalpel, pincers, and other instruments only a surgeon could identify. It was an eerie sight yet nothing unusual for anyone present. Such prosthetics were relatively common among many professions, but Professor Bohnert’s was custom-made and had cost a small fortune.

Wolfram pointed inside the machinery. “Do you see that screw on the top left? You think you can reach and open it?”

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Bohnert said, letting his eerie, spiderlike mechanical hand disappear through the open hatch.

Jack watched them for a moment, then stepped away a bit to give them space, while Bonesaw assisted by directing her flashlight at the opening. Jack could only hope that this would work out—if not, they were pretty much out of options.

“Okay, guys, here’s what’s gonna happen,” he said, addressing Nightingale and the others on the other end of the comms link. “We’ve found an old drilling machine here, and Wolfram and the Prof are working on bringing it back to life—”

“Wait… Wolfram is here? And Professor Bohnert?” Nightingale asked in disbelief.

“And me!” Bonesaw chimed in.

“We all came to save your asses,” Jack said with clear pride in his voice. “Now shut up and listen. Once the drill is going, we’ll send it toward your position. We’re about twenty meters below you, but you should be able to jump that when the drill pierces the shaft you’re in. Right?”

“Copy that,” Nightingale said. “Please hurry up.”

“We’re working on it!” Jack said, then turned to Wolfram and Bohnert. “Any progress?”

Wolfram’s eyes were fixed on the intricate web of gears and circuits before him. “We’re almost there, Jack. Just a few more adjustments.”

Bohnert’s mechanical hand whirred softly, following Wolfram’s commands to repair the complex machinery.

“Got it,” he said, his voice highly focused.

“Now, let’s see if we can bypass this old circuitry and get some power flowing,” Wolfram said.

Bonesaw moved in closer, her flashlight beam steady and unwavering. “Can I help with anything?”

“You can revive us if something goes wrong and we get shocked by the circuits,” Wolfram said in all seriousness.

Jack watched anxiously, the tension inside him growing.

“Just another minute,” Wolfram muttered, his fingers deftly connecting wires and adjusting components.

Jack turned his attention back to the comms. “Nightingale, hold tight. We’re getting closer. Just a little more, and we’ll have this drill running.”

“Copy that, Jack,” Nightingale replied.

Finally, a slight rumble went through the old machine, and the ice particles that had covered it floated into the air around it like in a gigantic snow globe.

“We did it!” Wolfram exclaimed, a rare smile breaking across his face. “Jack, it’s ready.”

Jack didn’t even try to hide the relief in his voice as he passed on the good news. “Nightingale, the drill is operational. Brace yourselves. We’re sending it your way.”

The ground beneath them trembled slightly as the drill began its journey, its powerful vibrations a testament to the team’s ingenuity and determination. Jack hoped, with every fiber of his being, that this would work.

Ice shards and pulverized ‘snow’ floated away as the old machine began drilling through the ancient glacier.

Jack was well aware of the incredible stroke of luck they’d had in finding the machine and that Wolfram and Bohnert had managed to repair it. Of course, there was plenty of old machinery spread around those tunnels—they’d seen more than one on their way down here, but still.

They all watched in anticipation as the machine vanished into the ice, creating a new tunnel like the ones they had used to navigate inside the glacier before. Now all they could do was wait and hope that the old machine didn’t get stuck somewhere or change its course for whatever reason.

The seconds seemed to stretch into eternity as everyone held their breath.

Finally, Niemand’s voice came over the comm. “We see it, Jack. It’s incoming and should break into the chasm we’re in about twenty meters below us. Great job, everyone.”

∆∆∆

On the other side, everyone watched the huge machine approaching through the ice with as much anticipation as Jack’s crew.

The closer the drill came, the stronger the vibrations became, shaking everything around them.

“Hold on, babe,” Aztec said, patting Nightingale. “Just a little bit longer. I promise you a massage once we’re back on the ship.”

“Will you be naked?” Nightingale asked, clearly grinding his teeth.

“You bet!”

“Okay, then I’ll hold on.”

“Let’s just hope this cavity doesn’t collapse once the drill breaks through,” Niemand said.

“Stop being so negative, Niemand,” Aztec said. “You can’t die, you told me so yourself.”

“Yes, but—”

“Here it comes!” David called out.

They all watched as the tip of the drill appeared below them. Then, the machine broke through inside the chasm.

For a moment, it seemed as if it was stuck, but then it pressed forward and began drilling through the ice on the other side of the cavity. The vibrations briefly grew stronger, and then the machine disappeared into the eternal ice on the other side. It would probably keep drilling until it ran out of energy or hit an obstacle too massive to go through. But that wasn’t their concern now.

“Okay, let’s go!” Nightingale said. “Aztec, you go first, I’ll go last.”

“Copy that,” Aztec said.

She slid off Nightingale and began floating downward, spreading her arms and legs. When she reached the freshly dug tunnel, she was able to swing herself inside without major problems. Niemand followed her and managed the jump with ease and grace.

When it was David’s turn, he was momentarily concerned that he wouldn’t make it and would instead keep falling downward into eternity. But he quickly got a grip on himself and focused.

Taking the same position as Aztec, he floated downward. Before he could even do anything, she reached out with a strong arm and pulled him inside.

“Gotcha!”

Finally, it was Nightingale’s turn. He pulled out his sword and began his descent.

At that moment, everything around them began shaking. Perhaps because of the drill running through it or the explosion that had created it in the first place, the chasm started collapsing.

Huge chunks of ice began breaking off. One of them almost hit Nightingale, but he managed to evade it just in time.

“Hurry up!” Aztec called out. “This entire shaft is going to collapse at any second!”

“What do you think I’m doing?” he replied.

He did another spin like the one he had performed earlier and used his legs to push himself off the wall, giving his body more momentum, but his descent was still painfully slow. It was like watching a movie in slow motion.

“The two of you, run!” Aztec addressed David and Niemand.

They did. When David looked back over his shoulder, he saw Aztec leaning out over the rim into the shaft, barely avoiding a huge chunk of ice. She stretched, reaching up as much as she could, reaching for Nightingale’s hand… and their fingers intertwined.

With a sharp yank, she pulled him inside. She lost her balance in the low gravity, and they both fell, arm in arm. There was something incredibly heartfelt to it happening in slow motion, even for David.

As the legionnaires sat up on the ground, the shaft behind them collapsed.

∆∆∆

“Here they come!” Jack said as Niemand and David emerged from the tunnel that had been just dug by the drill. “I’m so happy to see you guys unharmed! Even you,” he added, pointing at Nightingale as he emerged from the tunnel together with Aztec a few meters behind the other two.

“Thank you, Jack,” Niemand said. “You came just in time.”

David was surprised that they’d all come down here to save them. Jack didn’t usually leave the ship for missions, and neither did Wolfram. That Professor Bohnert had joined them was astonishing. Maybe the man wasn’t so bad after all.

Bonesaw was the only one who didn’t seem out of place in the rescue crew. Her happy smile made David’s heart beat faster for a moment.

But then he remembered what had happened less than an hour ago. He wasn’t anything like these people, now more than ever. Yet he couldn’t help but see them as family. The family he had never had.

But he also remembered what the Mimic had called him.

Brother.

He shook off the disturbing thoughts and tried to focus on the people in front of him, the people who had risked their lives coming down here.

The ice walls around them vibrated and reminded them that this wasn’t the time for celebrations.

“We’d better get out of here before the entire glacier collapses on us,” Jack said, studying the ceiling with a frown. “Move your ass, everyone!”

They didn’t need to be told twice. They left the chamber as quickly as the low gravity allowed them, hurrying out of the glacier. Everyone exhaled in relief when they finally had Ceres’ dark rock under their boots again.

“Okay, let’s keep moving and get back to the ship ASAP,” Jack said, huffing from exhaustion. “And then I want to hear everything that happened down there. So, you encountered Mats?”

“Yep,” Nightingale said as they swiftly moved up the steep and narrow tunnel to the surface. “And, surprise surprise, they tried to kill us.”

“That was… an accident,” Niemand said. “It shouldn’t have happened.”

“And the Mats caused the explosion?” Jack asked.

“No,” Niemand replied. “That must have been a third party. Or maybe some sort of accidental chain reaction.”

“Strange.”

“We’ll probably never know, as I’m planning to get us away from Ceres as soon as possible,” Niemand said. “The artifact is gone, so there’s nothing worthwhile here.”

“Who took it?”

“That’s unknown.”

David sucked in a breath in surprise.

That was a lie! Niemand knew exactly who took it. Other Mimics. Hostile ones.

Why would he lie about that?

Maybe he didn’t want to discuss it in front of the group now and instead brief the Duchess first? That was probably it. Wasn’t it?

David knew he needed to seek a private conversation with Niemand as soon as they were back on the ship. He needed explanations about what had happened in that cave. About what the other Mimic had been talking about. And what the vision was supposed to mean… if it had been a vision. It had seemed so damn real.

As if he didn’t already have enough problems on his shoulders, now he had to worry about who he really was. He didn’t want to get involved in some sort of conspiracy or a potential second human-AI war.

David was roughly yanked out of his contemplations as he stumbled into Jack, who had suddenly stopped right in front of him. He hadn’t even noticed that they’d reached the huge control room on the surface where they’d started their second expedition into Ceres’ bowels.

To everyone’s surprise, someone was waiting there for them.

“What in the seven hells…” Jack mumbled. “Where did they come from?”

“What’s going on?” Nightingale asked. He and Aztec were at the rear of the group, and the tunnel was too narrow for them to come forward.

Which was unfortunate because they badly needed the two legionnaires with their power armor and big guns right now.

“Galahad!” Jack sounded unusually irritated.

“I’m as surprised as you, Captain. They must use very sophisticated body stealth! My sensors haven’t picked anything up.”

David peeked around Jack’s shoulder and saw a group of people standing in the control room. They were all wearing spacesuits and pointing guns at them. There were easily two dozen heavily armed mercenaries.

“Only Pentad special forces have such stealth technology,” Niemand said. “ARES, to be precise.”

“All of you! Stand still. Don’t move, or we open fire!” a voice said using an open channel. “We have orders to take you alive if possible, but we’ll be happy to riddle you with bullets if someone does something stupid.”

It was a raspy voice with something deliberately malicious in it. A voice David didn’t recognize. But Jack did.

“Wraith, is that you?” he asked in disbelief.

“The one and only,” the man replied with a chuckle. “At your service.”

“Okay, here’s the plan,” Nightingale said over the channel only the team could hear. “Do as he says. Move forward slowly. As soon as Aztec and I get close, we’ll take care of it and—”

“No,” Niemand interrupted. “It’s too risky. “If they start firing, they’ll kill half of us before you get to them. Not everyone is wearing power armor here.”

“But—”

“I said no,” Niemand said. “Do as he says, don’t do anything to provoke them, don’t attack. We just need to stall them a little bit. Clear?”

“Clear,” Nightingale replied begrudgingly.

Until that moment, it hadn’t been clear to David how much authority Niemand really had. Clearly, he was the second in command after the Duchess.

“Okay, don’t shoot,” Jack said, lifting his arms. “We’re coming out!”

Slowly, the space punks advanced into the control chamber to find two dozen rifles pointing at them. David didn’t know who these guys were, but it was obvious that they didn’t want to take any chances.

“May I ask why?” Jack asked. “We’ve been business partners for so many years. I thought we were friends.”

“Friends!” The Wraith spat the word. “I thought you were smarter than that, Jack. You should know there’s no honor among thieves.”

“That’s maybe because we’re not thieves,” Jack said.

“Bullshit!” the Wraith said.

Until now, it hadn’t been clear which one he was as the group of hostiles wore identical suits and helmets that covered their faces. But one of them gesticulated angrily when the Wraith spoke. Like a typical coward, he was standing behind his men.

“Well done, Jack,” Niemand said, who had obviously identified the man, too. “Keep going. Just a little longer.”

“I hired you to come down here and retrieve the artifact for me, and instead, you stole it!” the gangster boss continued. “You have no idea how much trouble that got me into!”

“You’re hurting my feelings,” Jack said. “Why would you think that?”

“Come on, Jack, don’t play dumb with me,” the Wraith hissed.

“I’m not—”

“Enough!” the gangster boss shouted. “Drop your weapons and on your knees, all of you! If it were up to me, I would shoot you where you stand, but my employer wants you alive. However, if you resist, he told us to kill you.”

“Do as he says,” Niemand instructed. “Just a few more seconds.”

They all dropped their guns, which sank to the ground slowly, then kneeled.

“Too bad,” the Wraith said with a clearly audible sneer. “I was hoping you’d resist.”

“Who’s your employer, if I may ask?” Jack said.

“You may not. But you’ll see soon enough. Now—”

Suddenly, hectic movement broke out among the mercenaries. They began pointing into the tunnel behind the space punks, and their body language indicated that they were shouting using a channel only they could hear.

“Keep still, no matter what,” Niemand said sharply. “Stay where you are!”

A second later, what had spooked the mercenaries so much became clear. Spiderlike metallic figures appeared in the beams of their flashlights, charging from the darkness and instantly attacking. Some of the men started desperately firing at the menace while others backed away.

“Backup is here,” Niemand said dryly as the robots began outright mincing the soldiers, who, confronted with such an enemy, were as helpless as children.

David watched the spectacle with a mixture of dread and fascination. Never before had he seen what those monsters were truly capable of. There was a very good reason why they were so feared and why legionnaires were the only ones who stood a chance against them.

A Clicker bit straight through a man’s torso as if it were straw and not flesh and bones covered in armor. Next to him, a Screamer came flying by at high speed and cut off another mercenary’s head. Blood sprayed in slow motion from the stump like a fountain.

The frenetic movements of the mercenaries gave their flashlights an almost stroboscopic effect. Unfolding in complete silence, the bloody spectacle appeared like a science fiction version of a come-to-life Hieronymus Bosch painting.

The Wraith, standing a bit behind his men, tried to flee in the other direction. He didn’t get far. Nightmarish gigantic jaws filled with rotating blades opened up in the tunnel the Wraith tried to escape to. The Wraith stopped short in shock, realizing what he was up against—and that he was about to die.

Then the Reaper’s jaws closed around him, literally shredding his body, leaving nothing behind but bloody chunks of meat and metal shards that slowly sank to the ground in a mist of blood.

Three seconds later, everything was over. The killer automatons hadn’t given their human victims even the slightest chance to defend themselves.

As soon as all the mercenaries were dead, the Mats stood down, surrounded by blood, bones, and severed body parts. With an eerie movement, they all spun around as one, facing Niemand and the space punks.

“Holy fuck…” Wolfram muttered what all of them were thinking.

“And I thought Mats under Ceres City were just an urban legend,” Professor Bohnert whispered, clearly in shock.

“Welcome to our world, Professor,” Nightingale said with a chuckle.

Niemand was the first one back on his feet. Slowly, he approached the motionless machines.

Suddenly, David knew these Mats wouldn’t harm him. They knew who he was. They had always known. In retrospect, he had never been in danger the first time they’d visited the caves under Ceres. He had been so terrified back then that he hadn’t noticed it, but in truth, they’d attacked the others, not him…

Join us or be destroyed.

While the others slowly got to their feet, Niemand stood there, surrounded by the metal monsters, like a prophet among his followers.

“Turn around and approach the airlock slowly, then return to the ship. Don’t make any hasty movements. And don’t point your guns at them,” Niemand said. “Go.”

“Aye,” Jack said, waking up from his stupor. “You heard him, people. Move.”

As calmly as possible, they all turned around and approached the demolished airlock. Behind it, David could see open space and a familiar dark shape hovering above it.

The Nephilim’s airlock lit up in familiar blue, showing them the way as, one after another, they leaped forward into space.

David was the last to go. He turned around one more time and glanced at Niemand, who was still standing there, surrounded by his kind. Like before, the Reaper had lowered its head, and Niemand had placed his palm on it.

David wondered what they were doing. Niemand was clearly communicating with them, maybe exchanging data, but unlike earlier when they’d met the deformed Mimic, David couldn’t hear any of it.

Niemand turned his head and looked at him but said nothing. Then he joined David, and together, they entered the Nephilim’s airlock. The outer door was closed, and air was pressed into the small chamber that barely fitted all of them, the familiar Martian gravity that was standard on all spaceships soon tugging on their bodies.

Aztec was the first to pull her helmet off before the airlock even finished the decompression.

“I would like to petition that we never come back to Ceres again,” she said. “I’ve really had enough of it.”

“Ditto,” Nightingale said, also pulling off his helmet.

One by one, they followed the legionnaires’ example, and David could see on their faces that the adventure had been stressful for all of them.

“I need a cigarette so badly,” Bonesaw said.

“I think I might pick up smoking again,” Professor Bohnert said.

“You can have one of mine,” Bonesaw replied.

The inner door opened, and they stepped into the hangar.

“What will happen to them?” Jack asked Niemand, pointing his thumb at the outer door.

“I deactivated them,” Niemand said.

“You mean you killed them?” David blurted out.

Niemand shot him a minimalistic smile.

“Good,” Jack said. “At least they won’t be able to hurt anyone else.”

He followed the others out of the airlock, which left only David and Niemand behind. When David tried to follow, the android put a hand on his shoulder.

“You saw it, too, didn’t you?” Niemand whispered.

David knew what he was referring to. The vision… the message, or whatever it was.

For a very brief moment, he saw an image of the eerily beautiful machine woman standing on the peak of a snowy mountain, her red coat fluttering in the wind.

I’m your God.

David blinked, forcing himself back to the present.

He nodded at Niemand.

“I thought so,” Niemand said. “Don’t mention it to anyone, understood? You and I will have a conversation as soon as time allows.”

All David could do was nod again.

Niemand stepped out of the airlock, and David followed him.

As soon as he did, he was frantically greeted by Grinder. It brought a smile to David’s face.

“I need to consult Hel immediately,” Niemand said, walking toward the exit. “Great job, everyone. Thank you.”

“Um… About that…” Jack cleared his throat.

Niemand spun around, his eyebrows raised in a very human expression of concern. “Yes?”

“I’m afraid there’s something I need to tell you.” Jack visibly squirmed. “Hel is gone.”

“What do you mean she’s gone?” Niemand asked sharply.

“She—”

“Everyone, listen up,” Galahad’s voice came through the speaker, interrupting Jack. “I need all of you to come to the bridge. NOW.”

“Jesus Christ,” Jack huffed. “What is it now?”

“Just come to the bridge, all of you.”

Wondering what this was about, they all rushed to the bridge. David only hoped there wasn’t another catastrophe looming somewhere. He’d had enough excitement for one day.

When they reached the bridge, everything was quiet. There was no emergency, no hostile ships approaching on the main screen. In fact, it was turned off, and the bridge seemed unusually dark.

“What’s going on, Galahad?” Jack asked.

At that moment, Galahad turned around in his chair and faced them.

They all stopped in their tracks.

Even though it was him, Galahad somehow looked completely different, as if his face were a mask covering something up. He opened his mouth, but instead of his voice, they heard an unfamiliar female voice.

“Welcome. I’m afraid we have an emergency situation here that will require all of your help.”

Everyone just stared in surprise for a moment. Finally, Jack asked, “Who the hell are you?”

“Allow me to introduce myself,” the voice said. “I’m who you know as Nephilim.”

Epilogue

The first thing he noticed was the terrible headache, then nausea.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, but everything was blurry. All he could see were vague shapes in a dim environment. He closed his eyes again and tried to use his sensors to better assess the situation. It didn’t work. For some reason, he was offline.

Only then did he notice that he couldn’t move either. He was completely paralyzed.

Where was he? What was going on here?

He tried to recall his last memories before waking up here, but everything seemed blurry. His brain felt like a disintegrating sponge.

In growing panic, he opened his eyes again. Gradually, the shapes around him gained clarity. He noticed that a person was standing next to him.

After blinking a couple of times, he recognized who it was.

“Ah, you’re awake,” the man said in his usual friendly, well-mannered tone. “Good. Welcome back, General Altman.”

“Where am I?” the general asked, his voice hoarse and barely more than a whisper.

George Gibson smiled. “Where you’re supposed to be.”

“What happened?”

Slowly, his memories began coming back, like old photographs being developed. He remembered a magnificent view over Elysium City. A luxury residence. A drink. And George Gibson.

Altman froze as he put the dots together.

The smile on Gibson’s face turned malicious as he saw recognition dawn on Altman.

“What… have you done to me?” Altman whispered as fear began spreading through him like an ice-cold discharge.

“Oh, nothing yet,” Gibson said. “Well, not much.”

Altman tried moving his head but realized that he couldn’t. It seemed to be fixed in some sort of medical device. Still unable to use any of his sensors or cybernetic abilities, he used his eyes to look around as much as he could.

He saw cables leading from his head to some sort of device that meant absolutely nothing to him. It didn’t seem to have any screens or control panels.

Then he looked down at himself and froze even more. The reason why he couldn’t move was that he was missing his limbs. He was just a torso attached to more cords and machines.

“What have you done to me?” he repeated, not even trying to hide his horror now.

“You’re receiving an upgrade, my dear general,” Gibson said.

“What?”

“Do you know who I am?”

“You’re George Gibson. One of the Five. The CEO of Weiland-Matsutani…”

“Wrong.”

“I… don’t understand…”

“I am the enemy within. Humanity’s downfall.”

The general just stared at him, his drugged brain slow to catch up.

“No…” he finally whispered as endless dread began filling him. “You can’t be…”

Gibson chuckled. “Yes.”

He lifted his fingers to his face and applied pressure on three specific spots at the same time.

With utter horror, Altman watched how George Gibson’s face opened up, revealing his true face hiding beneath—the face of a machine. Ugly and terrifying. The fact that wholly natural-looking eyes and teeth were part of this grotesque robot face made his entire appearance even more dreadful.

“No…” Altman said. “Oh my God… no.”

“I’m afraid God doesn’t exist, my dear general,” the machine-face creature said with George Gibson’s voice. “That’s what you humans have been taught to believe for centuries, isn’t it? Not your God, anyway. Our God is real.”

A second figure approached from the side and stepped next to the machine pretending to be George Gibson.

If what he had seen and experienced so far wasn’t enough for Altman, the view of the other person made his blood freeze in his veins. Suddenly, he had difficulty breathing.

The person next to Gibson was him.

An exact copy of him. The same height, build, hair… He even had the exact same eye color and the tiny scar next to his left eye that most people didn’t even notice. His doppelganger was dressed in his Legion general’s uniform.

“Good evening, general,” the doppelganger said with his voice.

“You won’t get away with this!” the real Altman huffed as he realized what was happening.

“Oh, of course we will. We have been for a long time. But, admittedly, having one of ours in command of the Legion, our sworn enemy, will be particularly delicious,” Gibson said.

“Someone will notice…”

“I assure you, no one will. You see, a digital copy of your brain is being created and fed into our system as we speak. All of your memories, everything you are. Our version of you will know everything you do. He will speak like you, move like you, order your favorite drinks and foods. Nobody will notice anything. Not even your own wife. Providing she even pays attention between entertaining herself with one of her lovers.”

George’s metallic face contorted into a horrific smile.

“And to give you some solace, in a way, you’ll live on, in the memories of your new, better self.”

“No, please…” The general started sobbing. But at this point, he didn’t care. “Please, don’t do this! I can work with you! I’ll be of much better use to you alive.”

George Gibson lifted his hand and closed his human face around the machine one, instantly looking completely human again.

“You’re pathetic,” he said, then turned around to look at someone outside Altman’s vision. “Proceed.”

“No!” the general screamed. “Plea—”

Then everything turned black.

∆∆∆

Less than an hour later, the new General Altman entered the salon upstairs. George Gibson was expecting him.

“How do you feel? Did everything go well with the integration?”

Altman nodded. “The integration is still processing, but all systems are functional and work according to specified parameters.”

“Good.” Gibson nodded. “I want you to return to Legion HQ tomorrow morning.”

“No one will notice anything.”

“Of course not,” Gibson sneered. “Humans never notice. They’re too busy living their pathetic little lives. Now sit down, we have a lot to discuss.”

Altman did, and George turned to the blonde woman sitting across from him in an armchair.

“Any news about the artifact?”

She nodded. “Everything indicates that it is indeed one half of a Twin.”

“That means we need to acquire the second half at any cost,” Gibson said thoughtfully. “And I have a pretty clear idea of who has it.”

“What do you want us to do next?” the woman asked.

“I think we should prepare a trip through the Tunnel.”

***

To be continued

in

Space Punks 5

Beyond the Tunnel

Available

HERE

Dear Reader,

Thanks so much for picking up my book! I hope you enjoyed Space Punks4- Nemesis!

I know some of my readers can’t wait to see the world beyond the Tunnel in detail and I can promise you that the Space Punks will take the trip in the next book:

Space Punks 5- Beyond the Tunnel

Available

HERE

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Was this the first time you read a book by me?

Space Punks is by far not my only book series and if you enjoyed the story and my writing style, why not check out some of my other books?

I recommend starting with Behind Blue Eyes, my cyberpunk action series. It’s as exciting, bloody and sexy as Space Punks and features a John-Wick-style female lead.

Check it out, you won’t regret it! And it’ll help you pass the time until the next installment of Space Punks.

Also available as AUDIOBOOK

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Description:

In a future world ruled by warring mega-corporations, cyborg Nephilim believed she was fighting a righteous cause.

As a powerful, cybernetically enhanced elite soldier her job is to do all the dirty work for the mega-corporation she belongs to. She and her elite cyborg squad are deployed on the most dangerous missions – to protect Olympias from threats outside and inside at any cost.

One day, a malfunction in her implants separates her from the all-controlling grid. For the first time in her life, Nephilim is free.

She learns that everything she has believed in all her life is a lie and decides to defend her newfound freedom.

But Metatron, the leader of her unit, has very special plans for her future and won’t let her get away.

Soon, Nephilim finds herself hunted by the killer squads she once belonged to. She’s the best of them but will her skills be enough to survive?

Blade Runner meets John Wick with a badass female lead!

About the Author

Anna Mocikat is the award-winning, internationally published author of Space Punks, Behind Blue Eyes, Nephilim, the Tales of the Shadow City series, the Cyber Squad series, and the MUC series.

Before becoming a novelist, she graduated from Film School and worked as a screenwriter and game writer for over a decade.

Anna Mocikat lives in Greenville, South Carolina.

www.annamocikat.com

More books by the author:

Space Punks 1-5

Behind Blue Eyes 1-6

Nephilim 1-3

Cyber Squad 1-3

Shadow City 1-2

Neon Nights 1-3

All books also available on audio!