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Book 2: The Forever Children

Frank Kennedy

Dedicated to anyone who hears

a special call

c. 2025 by Frank Kennedy

All rights reserved

ASIN: B0DTBMQP7G

A note from the author:

The Forever Children is set in the universe of the Collectorate, which includes at least four other series. Reading them is not a prerequisite. However, if you want a wider look at the Collectorate, please check out those offerings.

I’d love for you to become part of my literary family. Sign up for my newsletter, which drops every three weeks along with free books and special offers. You can also follow me on Facebook, where you’ll find me hanging out daily. Come on over and let’s chat!

1

Collectorate Standard Year (SY) 5394, Standard Day 140

United Naval Forces Central Command

Esqualion Star System

E XETER WOOLSEY TOSSED WHAT remained of his cigar into the snuffer. He tidied himself before a mirror, brushing away a touch of lint and straightening his Admiral’s bar. Fourteen years worn with pride. Today, pride went into hiding.

The High Admiral holstered his laser pistol, which had become a fifth appendage. Used to be, Exeter could roam Central Command unarmed and secure in his safety. Now he went nowhere without it.

He had stopped beating himself up over the state of his UNF. Exeter learned from his foolish belief that the Oath would defeat all threats to the chain of command.

That no one wearing the blue and gray could become an enemy.

His office door chimed.

“Enter.”

Maj. Bradley Geyermann stopped just inside the threshold.

“They’re ready, sir.”

“How many?”

“Seventeen, as requested. Good men. They’ll do the job.”

The little successes matter.

“Thank you, Brad.”

Loyalty mattered more now than ever. Exeter knew Geyermann’s unwavering commitment; the man took a hit to his left thigh retaking Central. Almost lost the leg.

“Let’s get it done and move on,” Exeter said.

“Yes, sir.”

Exeter walked abreast of Geyermann through the tense but quiet corridors. Only a few officers outside the Admiralty knew what was about to happen, but most had assumed its inevitability.

Exeter took names and intended to keep close surveillance on cowards who favored the so-called ‘circumspect’ approach of prison with hard labor.

Never mind the tribunal verdicts of guilty on all counts. Never mind the deaths. The conscious acts of treason. The confessions.

They took the lift down three levels and approached their destination. Two rows of eight soldiers, each brandishing a Mark 14 blast rifle, came to attention and saluted.

“At ease,” the High Admiral said. Exeter had words to offer, but stopped short when he saw Geyermann take a spot at the end of the front row.

“I’m number seventeen, sir,” the Major said.

Exeter nodded; Geyermann had good reason to finish this job. Exeter clasped his hands behind his back and stared down the line of otherwise low-level officers.

“I’ll be brief,” he began. “On day one, you raised a hand and recited the Oath of Allegiance. You bound your lives to upholding the ideals of the UNF. An Oath to repel all enemies domestic and interstellar. The men and women inside betrayed the Oath.

“Some might have been your friends or superiors. Now, they’re the enemy. I take no joy in what we must do. But if the Oath means so little, the UNF will not survive. If we fall, the Collectorate follows. Your true friends, your families. All in danger.

“When you push the trigger button, remember: Compromise is not a soldier’s duty.”

He turned to Geyermann.

“Major, lead them inside.”

They entered the tactical hall, normally reserved for battle simulations. The phasic divider barriers used to construct close-combat scenarios had been moved toward the large hall’s rear, leaving ample floor space. Eighteen handcuffed and hooded men and women stood against a far wall dressed in black.

Geyermann halted the execution squad; Exeter advanced toward the prisoners and spoke to a guard.

“Which one is he, Lt. Honing?”

The officer pointed to the fourth man from the right.

“Red spot on his chest, Admiral.”

They labelled the man as requested.

Exeter removed the prisoner’s hood. Ex-High Admiral Sike Nagano stared through the true High Admiral, a long scar between his nose and right ear. Someone showed the traitor mercy rather than finish the job. Exeter appreciated that one bit of restraint; otherwise, he would’ve been deprived of today’s satisfaction.

Exeter turned to Lt. Honing and another guard.

“Lead the first eight into position.”

Exeter stood behind the squad as Geyermann instructed eight soldiers to take their spots. None of those about to die said a word. No pleas for mercy. And, to Exeter’s mild surprise, no shouts of defiance. These Requiem traitors had been unruly during the tribunals, perhaps hoping their message would gain traction across the fleet. Yet the closed trials had preordained outcomes with classified transcripts. Exeter intended to destroy the data spools.

He wasted no time.

“Aim.” They raised their blast rifles. “Fire.”

A small but brief flame ignited in each traitor’s chest before they crumpled into a miserable mess.

“First squad dismissed.”

As the initial eight executioners departed the tactical room, Exeter nodded to Lt. Honing’s people to escort nine of the remaining ten to their end. Nagano stood alone, witness to the tragedy he brought on. Nagano’s accomplices, most based in Central during the coup but a few others later transferred here to hold off a counterattack, lined up in front of the corpses.

“Positions,” Geyermann said.

Again, no fanfare. Exeter gave two simple commands, and nine more brainwashed traitors met a summary end.

“Second squad dismissed. As are you, Major.”

“If I may, Admiral, I’d prefer to see this through.”

Geyermann didn’t like the role Exeter chose for himself. He was so much more than a fine officer; Brad was a great friend.

“Stay here,” Exeter whispered then approached the ringleader.

Nagano neither acknowledged him nor appeared at all distressed over the seventeen bodies laid low for following his orders. Exeter grabbed his sidearm and motioned toward the deceased.

“Move.”

The ex-Admiral, who joined Exeter for a steak dinner five days before the coup, acknowledged the order with a sly grin and a shake of the head. He sauntered to the spot where he’d soon die and found a position in front of the second row of bodies.

“No,” Exeter said. “I want you in the midst of them.”

Nagano complied with a long, dark sigh and turned to face his executioner. But he did not finish the move as Exeter expected. Rather, Nagano fell to his knees and stared up at the High Admiral with a smug glow.

“I trust you’re not about to beg,” Exeter said.

“You wanted satisfaction, Woolsey. Granted.”

An arrogant prick to the end.

“I’ll give you more deference than your rats. Final words, Sike?”

Exeter regretted the choice even as the words passed his lips. Nagano responded with a sneer.

“They may follow your orders, Woolsey, but no one on this base respects you. They never have. You’re a fraud. Always were. You rose on the strength of exaggerated heroism and the political bent of your past superiors. Your complacency gave comfort to the enemy and allowed Black Star to rise from nothing.

“And it is a pox upon this great navy to be led by an Aeternan. I die with the satisfaction of knowing you’ll live long enough to see your name erased from the historical record.”

Exeter had no idea who said those words: The once-respected Sike Nagano or the new personality implanted by Requiem. He didn’t care to explore the question and proceeded with a pithy reply.

“Your family will never receive your remains.”

Those words erased the smugness. Nagano’s eyes widened.

“What? You can’t. That’s in violation of the UNF code for ...”

“Hypocritical coming from you. Do I seem like a man who cares?”

“You will when I haunt your dreams, Woolsey. These soldiers deserve to be returned to their families.”

“They will. Not you.”

Nagano’s upper lip quaked, as it was known to do in moments of fury. Exeter expected the man to make a final, desperate lunge.

“You should have been removed years ago, Woolsey. I ...”

Exeter allowed his hand to do the rest. It pushed the trigger and delivered a burst of superheated plasma into Nagano’s forehead. His brain roasted.

The traitor fell sideways and lay among the conspirators. Exeter pumped two more blasts into his chest. A satisfying excess.

He holstered the pistol and motioned his officers forward.

“Lieutenant, contact the disposal team. Make sure they follow the procedure as Maj. Geyermann laid out. Understood?”

Honing nodded stone-faced.

“Yes, Admiral. And what of Nagano?”

“No change in protocol. He left this life angry and resentful, the way he lived it. A fitting end. His ashes will be sent home like all the others.”

“Yes, sir. I’m on it.”

Exeter led Geyermann away from the scene of death and waited for the disposal team.

“How are you, Brad?”

The Major took a long, deep breath.

“Good, sir. I must admit, I took some relish in how you spun it around on that bastard at the end. But I have to ask: How are you, Admiral? For whatever we think of him, Nagano served for twenty-five years. He was a respected officer until he turned.”

Exeter laid a hand on his Major’s shoulder.

“A man’s legacy is often defined by his worst choice. The rest are quickly forgotten. Sike Nagano was a murderer and a traitor. He deserved worse, but we don’t have time for worse. We need to cleanse this fleet of the Requiem virus. Understood?”

“I do, sir, and you’re just the man to root out that filth.”

He did.

In the next standard month, ninety-seven Requiem loyalists were exposed, tried, executed, and cremated. Quietly. Never in the public eye. Just enough to allow whispers to pass through the fleet. Enough for every enlisted man and woman to understand the consequence of violating the Oath.

When the last surveillance vetting confirmed that the UNF had cleansed itself of the virus, Exeter set a new timetable.

Eight months later, he announced his pending retirement.

Nagano’s last words echoed through his mind:

Fraud. Exaggerated heroism. Complacency. A pox upon this navy. Haunt your dreams.

On one count, the traitor wasn’t far off: Exeter never had a good night’s sleep while he remained at Central Command.

The day before his farewell address, Exeter invited Geyermann to a quiet dinner, where they shared tales of service, smoked cigars, and indulged in an outrageously expensive bottle of whiskey.

“I’d be honored, Brad, if you’d handle Nav for my trip home.”

Exeter left a note with his successor, recommending Geyermann for the next appointment to the Admiralty, and jumped to Aeterna.

Three standard days later, a chunk of Aeterna imploded, forming a chasm one hundred kilometers in diameter by fifty kilometers deep. Exobiologist Shoan Gui returned from the dead and called himself Judge of the Change. And Exeter’s husband Caleb received a so-called ‘gift’ which he then refused to share with anyone.

Exeter returned to uniform, prepared to fight a potential new enemy more confounding than the humans who betrayed him.

Fifty standard days into his new job, Aeternan Defense Forces Commander Woolsey sat in his team’s operations center onboard the Battle Cruiser Lioness, enveloped in a cloud of cigar smoke.

He studied the topographical surveys compiled from two months of analyzing the chasm, which remained shrouded beneath a toxic fog in Continental Sector Grid 49.

Fog.

What else to call it? The cloud hung above the chasm’s lip with an unnatural constancy from the day it rose. Every scan suggested nothing unusual about its composition – until drones malfunctioned and disappeared within seconds after entering.

Exeter studied laboratory data dumps from the six outposts stationed around the chasm at a safe three kilometers.

He didn’t understand much of the scientific minutiae, and those patterns thus far yielded few clues. His three-person Lioness team had the wherewithal to translate into lay language.

Exeter could devise counter strategies against the Swarm and Black Star. But this?

“I see a man knotted by frustration, X.”

ADF Adm. Rafael Kane popped in unannounced. He had a knack for breaking up moments of confounding silence.

“An understatement, Rafa. We should be further along.”

“To the positive: It hasn’t grown in two months. Except for a few terrified pilgrims, life is reasonably calm in the cities.”

“Oh? Is that what you hear? I think your intel might be shoddy.”

Rafael sighed.

“I’ve heard nothing of riots in the streets. Then again, I’m not much of a terrestrial sort.”

Exeter didn’t want to add to his worries by delving into the shifting landscape of the planetary population. That would lead in too many directions, with one curling back to his husband’s fiasco.

“Not to worry. I’ve got that business covered, as much as I can. Any new reports about the interloper at system’s edge?”

Rafael shook his head.

“Another probe, most likely. Could’ve been SI, UNF, Black Star, a corporate spy. They’re all curious.”

“Yeah. Well. I waited too long to shut down pilgrim deepstream access. By now, I’m sure the stories are cascading, each wilder than the one before.”

Rafael cleared his throat.

“Lay that burden on the Council. You warned them.”

“Not with sufficient urgency. I’ve been accused of complacency before. In other words, I don’t yell loud or often enough.”

The Admiral chuckled.

“You’re stern, X, but you do stop shy of a blood-curdling scream. Perhaps if you sounded more like a raving lunatic.”

“Funny.”

“I mean it. You’re too hard on yourself. We’re up against ... well, if against is the right word ... aliens who destroy and rebuild planets. At this point, I see no flaw in your approach.”

To date, Exeter only heard flak from those who opposed his citizen travel ban to within five hundred kay of the new Exclusion Zone. Woolsey-authorized personnel only. The information embargo kept chatter to a minimum and most Aeternans somewhat calm in the face of continued uncertainty.

“If my approach backfires, I’m sure the questions will be ...”

Exeter’s Occip comm opened. He crimped his left pinkie, and his irises turned sunrise orange. His second eyes locked onto the lead biologist’s face, which rose atop the virtual turntable.

“Talk to me, Jarvis.”

The man often struggled with a bit of a stutter, but he gave a full-throated response this time.

“We need you, Commander. We’ve made a breakthrough.”

2

Exclusion Zone Research Outpost 4

Plains of Trevia, 3 kilometers south of chasm

E XETER LANDED HIS SCRAMJET in a clearing beside the outpost’s assigned Scram and a fleet of long-haul rifters. A cloud of yellow moths greeted him outside the starboard egress, their strange attraction to the heat of Carbedyne fins evident since the first team landed.

He stared across the flat, grassy landscape toward the gray blur spanning the entire northern horizon. The fog rose a hundred meters above the surface. So far, toxicity levels did not extend more than a few meters beyond the fog’s perimeter, but Exeter took no chances. Any researcher traveling inside one kay of the blurry wall needed to wear a protective suit and breathing apparatus.

A westerly breeze kicked up, rustling through the mixed grasses, bentwheat stalks, and orange succulents called whirligig cacti. This ecostem, repeated eighteen times worldwide, originated on the planet Boer. Every biologist’s theory so far agreed: The Jewels of Eternity decorated Aeterna with a quilt of ecostems drawn from the other thirty-nine Collectorate worlds.

The outpost’s security officer, holstering two pistols, greeted Exeter with a salute.

“Commander Woolsey. Welcome back.”

He reciprocated the salute for Lt. Neva Saludi then pointed to her shiny scalp.

“Someone’s had a haircut.”

The Lieutenant wiped a hand over her bald dome.

“It’s more or less involuntary, sir. I’ve been scratching terribly for weeks. Doc Onweyo ran a blood test. Airborne mites from the bentwheat. He suggested a special lotion but said the only quick remedy is ... as you see.”

The development came as news to Exeter, who visited this outpost a dozen times since it activated. He massaged his fifty-day-old beard.

“Mites, you say.”

“Wouldn’t worry, sir, unless you’ve had a steady itch. I’m the only one here who’s been affected.”

Exeter chuckled. Something else to heighten his paranoia.

“The next time I scratch, I’ll think of you. Lead the way.”

They approached the complex, which consisted of three domed modules similar to many GeoSurvey outposts erected planetwide over the decades, most under the late Aldo Cabrise’s watch.

“Jarvis seems more excited than usual, Lieutenant. What am I walking into?”

She smirked.

“I wouldn’t call it a party, but Jarvis and the team are very satisfied with themselves. They broke out two bottles of Cascordia wine – the red kind, not the blue.”

The Parson-made wine, fermented from a strain of grapes invented by one of the first pilgrims, dominated Aeternan dinner tables – when supply kept pace.

“Will I find them drunk?”

“Not at all. When Jarvis said he was contacting you, I confiscated the second bottle and told them to temper their indulgence. They tolerate me at best, sir.”

“Which means you’re holding them to the regs. Great job, Neva.”

She led him inside Dome 1, the heart of the research. Phasic lab tools dominated tabletops along with plant and soil samples. A series of holographic desk plates around the outer perimeter illuminated with many of the intricate data sets Exeter left behind on Lioness. These, however, seemed more colorful in convoluted graphics.

The three Aeternans and one pilgrim expert assigned to the Trevia outpost broke huddle when the Lieutenant announced Exeter.

Jarvis Pellem, whose curly and dyed black hair offered a break from the blond hegemony, set down his glass and approached the Commander with a bent neck and eyes that never fully zeroed in on the target.

Jarvis said he acquired the tic during childhood on a planet where locals treated him as a freak. His wasn’t a rare story among the Bouchet immortals. Exeter damn well vouched for that.

“I ... I’m-meant to save a glass of wine for you, Commander, but the sour one here ...” He pointed to Lt. Saludi.

“Is partial to the regs,” Exeter said. “Not to mention in charge of this facility. I’ll be sure to toast you from Lioness if your breakthrough changes the game.”

Jarvis wagged a forefinger, which trembled as if uncontrollable.

“Change ... I-I that’s a dicey word given our cir-circumstance. May I suggest we are ... oh ...”

The pilgrim, a freckled man in her twenties from Narland, filled in the blanks.

“Advancing the game, Commander. You’d agree, Jarvis. Yeah?”

The lead biologist nodded with a playful rush and asked Exeter to follow him.

“We have a station r-ready to go. And ... oh ... I know you hate when we go long ... long-winded with the jargon.”

“I don’t hate jargon. I’ve been a military man most of my life. I prefer clear intel I can understand the first time.”

Without being condescended to ...

“Not a worry.” The biologist pointed to a holo which featured several overlapping microscopic images. “Tell me. How well do ... oh ... do you understand amino acids?”

Exeter avoided an eye roll.

“I didn’t have a traditional education, but I know the basics. They’re the building blocks of life.”

“Yes. When they combine to form proteins. And ... oh ... do you know of the basic structures of proteins?”

Exeter pointed to the holos.

“I assume this is what you’re showing me.”

Jarvis expanded a graphic simulation displaying a simple linear chain of amino acids.

“The pri-primary. The sequence of amino acids will determine not only how it folds or ... or ... alters shape, if you will. It determines the protein’s role in a given or-organism.”

Jarvis took Exeter through the fundamentals, highlighting the varied shapes of the secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structures, the last of which he emphasized.

“These interlaced sequences are the most complex by far because ... you see ... they can be f-found in hemoglobin or antibodies, for instance. Critical, yes?”

“Sure, Jarvis. Keep going. I’m with you.”

The biologist glanced at his team as if nervous about discussing the next bit. He downsized the first holos and expanded another. Exeter saw a complex chain wrapped in a tight sphere.

“To which of the four structures w-would you say this belongs?”

“At a glance, I’d assume quaternary. Many sequences interlace.”

Jarvis laughed, but it fell as awkwardly as his speech patterns.

“You would say this be-because I only gave you the four options that represent proteins in stable form. But ...”

“Out with it, Jarvis. Please.”

“Proteins also have a quinary structure, with a k-key difference. Quinaries are fleeting. The sequences change based on new cellular conditions. Elastic, so to speak. Hard to study. Hard to capture. When we first encountered this structure w-weeks ago, it appeared briefly in a few bentwheat samples and disappeared.”

His urgent tone led Exeter to a conclusion.

“But lately, you’ve been seeing it more often.”

Another member of the team expanded a series of holos to Exeter’s right. Hundreds of images featuring different cellular structures graced the dome’s inner perimeter. A red glow highlighted the presence of the spherical protein.

“It’s everywhere,” Jarvis said.

“Define everywhere.”

“We have outposts in six different ecostems. Our teams have stu-studied six hundred ten different flora and eighteen species of animals. They all contain this protein.”

“And that’s a problem. Why?”

“Commander, all life has amino acids, but proteins are designed unique to the or-organism. Bentwheat proteins will not resemble what we find in a snoop rat or a blue b-beetle.”

Jarvis motioned toward the lab samples, which contained samples from everything Exeter saw outside, along with a small cage containing a pair of rodents.

“What is this protein’s function?”

“No idea.”

“That’s not helpful.”

“We’ve tried to identify the function, but there’s a p-problem. We can’t penetrate it.”

Now Exeter worried.

“With all our tech. Why not?”

Jarvis motioned to the pilgrim, who expanded a holo that magnified the single protein. Exeter’s cheeks fell. The surface structure appeared to shimmer.

“It’s synthetic,” Jarvis said.

“So, it’s not a protein at all.”

“Oh, it is, just not like any we’ve ever seen.”

Every bad scenario popped into Exeter’s mind. He glanced back toward the egress, where Lt. Saludi stood guard. He considered her reaction to bentwheat mites.

“Could it be a virus?”

Jarvis must have already evaluated the possibility, as he replied:

“Thankfully, no. We have ruled it out. We have also analyzed everyone’s blood, including the Lieutenant. We don’t carry the pro-protein. It’s not airborne or in-in the water.”

A tiny bit of good news, but far from conclusive.

“The longer you talk, the more questions I ask. How can a synthetic protein suddenly appear in plants and animals?”

“It can’t, Commander. Not in nature.”

“So, you’re saying it was there all along, but it only just recently became visible.”

Every team member nodded.

“We checked our findings against Aldo Cabrise’s study grids. There’s no f-finer ... he was a man of great detail. Obsessed, even. We found no match for this protein. But we did find a puzzling correlation. The breakthrough I mentioned.”

“OK. I’m waiting.”

“How long, Fedor?” Jarvis asked the pilgrim, who checked a time stamp on his wrist pad.

“Fifteen seconds.”

“Watch the protein, Commander. Pay close attention.”

Exeter gazed at the spherical structure. The pilgrim counted down. On cue, the protein’s surface shifted like a nest of snakes. Flashes emerged from tiny crevasses. The entire movement lasted two seconds then the sphere reset.

“That’s not a simulation?”

“No,” Jarvis said. “It’s live. Did you see the lights?”

“Flashes. Yes. What are they?”

“Fedor, show the overlay.”

Exeter received a still image at the instant of those flashes. He counted seven pinpricks. A graphic overlay connected them, as if linking the stars of a constellation.

“OK. What’s the significance?”

“Aldo discovered a common chemical signature on the borders between ecostems. He de-determined it was residual Jewel energy, likely part of their terraforming matrix to recreate this planet. Watch what happens when we overlay that signature against the sphere.”

Exeter had a good idea what to expect; he wasn’t let down. The geometric shape matched the Jewel energy except for a tiny variance in one corner.

“It’s a ninety-seven percent match,” Jarvis said. “The protein is powered by residual J-Jewel energy.”

Exeter turned to the team.

“Everyone here agrees with his conclusion?”

They affirmed in unison.

“And the other outposts, Jarvis?”

“Unanimous.”

“OK, here’s my big question: Is this a product of the chasm, or do you believe it’s planetwide?”

“Yes ... uh ... no. We don’t have a s-sample size to be certain. Our tests are limited to the chasm’s perimeter. We’ll need to expand our range. Send t-teams to every region.”

The logic struck Exeter as reasonable but conservative.

“I’ll see to it. But for now, what do you believe?”

Jarvis hesitated, so the pilgrim Fedor interjected.

“To speak plainly, Commander, this protein surely exists in everything native to the planet. Given how it was created, combined with Aldo’s extensive records, we should expect to find a unique property common to all Aeternan life. The bigger issue is why we are only now seeing this protein.”

“OK, Fedor. Do you have a theory as to why?”

The pilgrim looked askance at Jarvis, as if waiting for permission.

“It’s f-fine. We must be open to all ideas. Tell him.”

Fedor straightened his shoulders and brimmed with confidence.

“The Jewels have awakened this protein as part of the Change. I believe it has been lying dormant since before Settlement. Like the chasm, it is the next phase in the Jewels’ plan for Aeterna.”

Exeter nodded. He heard many wild theories since the chasm appeared, some not far off from this one.

“And that plan?”

Fedor shaded his eyes.

“That is as far as my speculation will take me.”

Exeter did not have trouble asking the next logical question.

“Let’s say you’re right. The protein is inside everything native to Aeterna. We have been eating its fish, fruits, and vegetables for decades. Despite what your blood tests say, the protein would have to be inside us, too. Correct?”

Jarvis intervened.

“Yes ... and no. Our immune responses vary from mortals. It’s possible we’re c-capable of rejecting the protein.”

“Fine.” Exeter didn’t want the speculation to diverge into black holes. “From what I can see, you have four questions to answer. Is it worldwide? Is it inside us? What is its function? Is it life-threatening?” He glanced around the room. “That about cover it?”

No one objected to Exeter’s analysis. They spent the following half hour discussing the broad strokes of their next steps. Afterward, Jarvis and Lt. Saludi followed Exeter outside the dome.

“I wish the news could have been b-better,” Jarvis said. “Or at least more decisive.”

“No. This counts as a breakthrough. We’ve spent two months pursuing even the vaguest clues as to what in ten hells we’re facing. Maybe this lead will start us on our way.”

Jarvis, still unable to stare Exeter in the eyes, sighed like a man with a burden.

“Fedor left out one part of his theory, where he’s n-not as secure. He believes the Jewels wanted us to make this discovery. He believes it is a part of a long pattern. First, Aldo’s discovery of the chemical signatures along the ecostem borders and then Shoan Gui’s theory that those signatures pointed to what Aldo called the algorithmic k-key. Fedor believes they want us to be active partners in whatever lies ahead.”

Exeter had considered countless possibilities and made lists of reasons predictable to outlandish. One memory stuck with him.

“Right before the chasm formed, Shoan Gui told us, ‘Fear will always be the wrong response.’ I’ve wondered if he was offering sound advice or manipulating us. If you’re bringing it up now, Jarvis, I assume you agree with Fedor.”

Jarvis nodded.

“He’s bold but never rash. To be honest, Commander, he’s the smartest man on my team. Thank you for allowing him to join us. I know you worry about including pilgrims out here. But now that we’ll need to expand our reach, I hope you’ll allow us to add more. The satellites have a number of highly qualified specialists.”

“Dozens, if need be. I’ve reviewed the list. The problem is trust. They’re not invested in Aeterna like we are. Too much information has already leaked to the outer worlds. I have to consider global security.”

“Even a handful will help, sir.”

Exeter needed a smoke and a drink to contemplate this move.

“Everything’s on the table, Jarvis. I promise.”

They shook hands, and Jarvis retreated inside. Lt. Saludi followed Exeter to the Scramjet.

“I’m curious, sir. Will you add pilgrims?”

“Not if I can work around it. I allowed Fedor Lenov on the team because Jarvis begged. Fedor has a spotless history. Keep this under wraps, Neva. Four spy probes entered our system in the past ten days. Our deep-range patrols blasted two, but the others jumped away. It bothers me that factions are so curious about what’s happening here, they’d program unmanned worm jumps. They know our defenses wouldn’t allow them more than a minute to scan for long-range data, which is by and large worthless.”

“Do you and the Admiral fear they’ll become more aggressive?”

Exeter sighed.

“Why peek when it’s easier to ask?”

Saludi shook her head.

“There have been no official inquiries, sir?”

“We’re not sure what to make of it. We also agree with the Council: No intel sharing until we have answers. And even then ...”

“You worry about spies among the pilgrims.”

Exeter bit his lip then kept his reply within safe limits.

“They’re under contract. Some expire in a few weeks or months. If one saw an opportunity to make extra UCVs ... well.”

He left out the part where he couldn’t exclude immortals from possible betrayal.

“Understood, sir. They’ll not hear a word of it.” She saluted. “Have a safe jump to Lioness.”

Exeter returned the salute and triggered the Scramjet to open the starboard egress. A few yellow moths flittered near the aft Carbedyne fins. He prepared to hop inside, but a small oddity caught his eye. Exeter approached the moths and wondered whether this might be a trick of light and shadow.

A dozen or so moths continued to dance around each other even as Exeter stuck his hand in between them.

One moth appeared to carry something extra on its wings.

A worm. A blue, glowing worm.

Exeter held his palm beneath the moth until it settled on his fingers. Something familiar about this worm ...

“Hello, there. And what are you?”

At once, the worms grew wings and divided in half. They sped away and divided exponentially. The winged worms became as a swarm and whirled end over end. Hundreds shot toward the sky then barreled straight down. They slowed before impact, where they rejoined into a singular human form.

Shoan Gui, self-proclaimed Judge of the Change, flexed his hands and smiled at Exeter like an old friend.

“I hear you’re a Commander these days,” he said. “Do you mind terribly if we talk?”

3

Promise City Administration Building

C ALEB SILVER ADMITTED a surprising truth: The mattress in his confinement room nicely fit his contours. After forty days, he slept as well here as at the lake house. He lived with few touches of home, but the Constable acquiesced to his requests: A surround-wall vid player, a café kiosk, a phasic stationary bike, ample sallowtop cigars, a vase with a regular change of flowers, and a small dining table.

One gripe: Ollie Kant no longer took him outside for thirty minutes of fresh air each day. The Constable claimed it became ‘untenable.’ The Council called his little sojourns a ‘public nuisance.’

Caleb smirked at their inability to confront the hard truth: They had neither momentum nor time on their side.

He watched an action adventure serial from his bed while chewing on a half-smoked cigar. He’d become hooked on these overbaked stories imported from Catalan. He chose them from a vid library inside the Occip entertainment archive.

At first, Caleb tried watching one through his second eyes. Yet he felt like a spectator engaged in one of life’s most ludicrous possible activities: Watching someone else watch a vid. He transferred the vids to the room’s player and became addicted to the silly, high-octane adventures of mortals killing mortals for no good damn reason. Oh, and the actors made crude side jokes along the way.

An amazing cultural insight.

In the first days, he tried reading. He ventured into the vast recesses of the Occip literature and knowledge archives. A whole repository of great human works spanning thousands of years.

Eh. Nothing kept his attention.

He questioned why Aeternans had yet to establish a literary tradition of their own. What would motivate them?

Simple answer: Children, of course. What kid didn’t love a great story? Especially when read by a parent.

Not much longer now.

His door slipped open, interrupting his vid in the midst of a street fight. Ollie paused the player.

“Is this a good one?” He asked the prisoner.

“Same as the last and the next.”

The Constable laughed with a tinge of recognition.

“So, I’ve heard. Eloise Bunchen recommends the surrealistic vids from Inuit Kingdom. She says they’re an extraordinary example of doing far more with fewer words.”

Caleb didn’t care for Ollie’s repeated attempts to find common ground over the trivial. He pulled on his cigar and sat up in bed.

“It’s not time for food or bath, so you must have news.”

Ollie waved away the burgeoning smoke cloud. Rather than answering, Ollie pulled up a chair and crossed his legs. He conjured the dynamic of a therapy session.

“I thought we might first have a quick chat. I don’t mean to pry or confuse the issues at hand, but I wonder. What have you learned from forty days of confinement?”

OK. This is leading somewhere. Play along.

“Hmm. What have I learned? Nothing more than I had after thirty-nine days.”

Ollie indulged in a fine chuckle.

“I get you. What’s in a day? Well, we enjoy round numbers. Forty feels consequential. Thirty-nine is a throwaway for old mortals who don’t wish to admit their age. What wisdom have you drawn from forty days in captivity?”

In that instant, Caleb reached a profound conclusion. Strange how it should’ve occurred to him sooner.

“I feel as if you locked me in here ten minutes ago. What’s forty days against forever? I might even thank you in time.”

“Why, you think?”

“Life is quiet without the Occip comm. There’s no outside noise to distract me. The lessons learned will serve me for a century.”

Ollie pondered the response, scratching his chin.

“You’ll certainly have a unique story to tell. You’ve served longer in here than everyone else combined. But what if you can’t pass on your wisdom to Aeternans?”

Caleb understood Ollie’s mind game.

“You think I won’t be so glib after a few years in here.”

“Not here, friend. Not even in the Aeternan system. The Council is ready to bring formal charges. You’ll be tried for your crimes.”

Stupid word.

“Crimes? They mean to expel me for not turning over the hand-comm. Tell me, Ollie. Doesn’t that sound petty?”

“On the face of it. Yes. But two pilgrims are dead. I can’t speak for what Shoan Gui has become, but he’s far from human. Not that anyone’s heard from him ... or it ... since the Event. He said the other biologist died, and we haven’t found so much as a hair to contradict. The Council is convinced and intends to hold you culpable.”

Ollie delivered news more predictable than any Catalan serial.

“They need a scapegoat. Pilgrims are panicking. How many broke their contracts and jumped home?”

Ollie winced.

“You don’t sound like a man who’s spent forty days without his Occip comm. Has my Under Constable been feeding you with news from the satellites?”

“Rikard? The man hates me.”

“No. He doesn’t understand you. Or any of you Revivalists. He’s like me, friend. He believes in Original Unity. How we used to share a common vision. Don’t belittle Rikard for holding onto what made us unique beyond our genetics.”

Caleb held his tongue. He bore no ill will against Rikard Faust, appointed to the job five days after Caleb’s arrest. He served alongside the man during the Swarm War. Rikard did not divulge any crucial intel about the outside world.

He didn’t need to; Caleb had more friends than they knew. He would’ve loved to see Ollie’s reaction to that number.

No sense pushing my luck.

Rikard would come around soon enough. So would Ollie.

They all would.

Even Exeter.

Patience.

“When’s the trial, Ollie?”

“You’re about to learn, friend. That’s why I’m here. You’ll clean up and then appear before the Council. They’re currently in closed session, pending your arrival.”

Progress. More or less on time.

“Can’t wait. Will anyone be there on my behalf?”

Ollie shaded his eyes.

“I notified Exeter. He hasn’t responded. Lioness said he’s on a mission related to global security.”

The irony wouldn’t let up.

“Oh, yes. My husband, saving the world from its creators. I wasn’t talking about the great Commander Woolsey. I was thinking in terms of legal representation. That crazy thing mortals grant the accused on every other civilized planet.”

Ollie ended therapy time and slipped out of his chair.

“You’re certain to hear voices in support. The Council has agreed to demands from your friends outside.”

“Ah. The gatherings are growing?”

“Straighten yourself, friend. I’ll wait outside.”

Caleb complied with a quick touch-up groom and pondered two possible outcomes. He said a quiet goodbye to his home of forty days on the likelihood he’d never see it again.

The rest came down to timing.

Ollie escorted him past the building’s public entrance, outside of which several dozen immortals enjoyed each other’s company along with a catered buffet. Always peaceful, they visited daily. Caleb wondered how many members the Revivalists had added since his arrest.

They went public among immortals under the guise of a protest movement, challenging the ADF’s decision to control the flow of information from the chasm. “The Jewels are not our enemies,” they chanted. “Caleb Silver is not our enemy.”

The group’s core committee forbid any allusions to its goal of growing future generations. That plan – and a platform to include secession from the Collectorate – required a careful, timed rollout.

One obstacle at a time.

They stopped in the antechamber to the primary conference room. Ollie told Caleb to wait while he checked on the Council’s status.

He returned a moment later with a simple message:

“Don’t speak until Minister Solis hands you the floor.”

Caleb’s plan exactly.

The Promise Council greeted him with emotion-free gazes. Ollie led him to a seat at the far end of the conference table, opposite Maya Solis. She sat poised and strong in the lead chair, hair in a tight bun and hands folded on the table like a woman who dared to be challenged. Caleb knew where she stood.

No. The interesting voices sat on either side. On Maya’s right, Samantha Pynn radiated forgiving yet disappointed eyes. Judgmental, some said. Caleb wasn’t sure which way they’d bend today. She was the Council’s only permanent member, a status granted by one of her legendary husband’s final acts before he disappeared.

The Revivalists’ core committee agreed: Sam was a problem. Her history made public deconstruction almost impossible. If they couldn’t remove her on the next rotation, they’d have to ensure her one vote carried little weight with a new majority.

She sat next to Doc Tess Ranke, the Aeternans’ top medtech. Ranke looked away as Caleb took his seat. Across the table, first-rotation members Rayner Jeffus and Marta Cather studied the prisoner with a bemused curiosity. Caleb knew them from early service in the ADF; same warship, different platoons. Since then, their paths rarely crossed.

“I’ll come straight to it,” the Minister began. “We have never expelled an Aeternan, and we’re not keen on the idea today. Caleb, you have served with honor since before Settlement. We recognize your relationship to our Commander of Terrestrial Security.

“But your privileged status cannot bear on our decision. You are charged with six crimes based on laws which have governed us since the rule of Minister Michael Cooper. Three additional charges are based on amendments added after the Pilgrim Project. I will read the docket in full. In sum: Espionage, sedition, and manslaughter. Before I read the charges and allow your character witnesses to enter, do you have anything to say?”

 None of the charges surprised Caleb. They felt like the Council’s opening threat; they wanted to see how hard he’d try to bargain them down. Best to start with the opposite offer.

He stood.

“You have held me illegally for forty days. There’s nothing in our laws giving this Council the right. But then, we don’t have a court system. There are no juries. No civil rights for criminal defendants. All we have are five politicians at a table. I wish you luck trying to make this work without permanently dividing our society.”

If they expected more, Caleb disappointed them. He returned to his seat, having staked his starting position.

Minister Solis shook her head with a slender grin and told Ollie to bring in Caleb’s supporters.

“A word of caution, Caleb: The more difficult you make the process, the less likely you’ll find lenience.”

As threats went, Caleb heard worse. He didn’t dignify it with a response. Instead, he watched two members of his core enter the room and take positions in the rear: Elegant Oryn Velt, the Revivalist founder; and shaggy-haired Halsted Boudnoir, Chief Harvester for the Promise Region and a man who feasted on word salads.

“Now that everyone’s present,” Maya continued, “I will remind our guests that Occip recordings are not permitted. First, I will read the docket of charges against Caleb. Each of you and the accused will have a chance to speak afterward.”

The charges included a level of detail that surprised Caleb. Ollie and his Under Constable had interrogated more than accomplices Danny Pynn-Cooper and Aleta Bowe. Caleb provided a full written account of his activities and answered follow-up questions.

Yet the charges created a narrative that delved into assumptions and inserted specific dialogue only eyewitnesses could have known. Given that the most important two witnesses were dead (more or less), the docket felt like an overt effort to ensure Caleb’s conviction and expulsion. Did they really believe scapegoating him for everything would resolve the growing schism?

“To the most serious charge of sedition,” Maya said, nearing the end. “It is our finding that Caleb Silver’s reckless disregard for life and security not only led to the deaths of two mortals but was motivated by a desire to create upheaval in our world’s established order. He engaged in an active conspiracy to violate security protocols. Caleb has a history of defiance against the principles of Aeternan society, as evidenced by years of commentary and association with others whose views run counter to the prevailing wisdom.”

Caleb felt an itch. How much did Exeter reveal? Maya continued:

“While our society encourages freedom of speech, it expressly forbids overt activity in defiance of government. He acted on behalf of a subversive group known as the Revivalists, who seek to upend the fundamental principles of Aeternan society and our relationship to the Collectorate. Though we find no evidence he acted with their consent, we believe Caleb intended to fuel their alternative future.”

That sealed it. Had to be Exeter. Caleb’s friends in the core wouldn’t have discussed the group’s plans, and Danny didn’t know squat about the Revivalists.

“In summation, Caleb Silver took advantage of the ambition of two exobiologists in order to further his access to the Jewels. That plan having failed, Caleb became the beneficiary of a potential alternative solution provided by an apparent representative of the Jewels. He refused to turn over the device for study to determine its security risk, a violation of a lawful order. His continued open defiance leaves us no choice but to proceed with a tribunal and potential expulsion.”

Maya crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.

“You are welcome to comment, Caleb.”

Oh, yes. Speak he would. But first, he had to unwind after realizing how the Council learned so much detail about his interaction with Shoan Gui and Lillian Jost, including the first face-to-face which established their alliance.

The truth hit him hard.

Cudfrucking RONA.

The lake house AI. Always such pleasant demeanor. Generous. Always listening, rarely if ever judging.

Yet RONA wouldn’t have divulged private conversations to outsiders unless ...

X. He gave permission to access the memory spools.

Caleb did not stand for his rebuttal.

“The charges are bullshit. I made mistakes. Sure. But I never worked to defy the Council. I told you what happened at Lake Profundus. Shoan violated our deal. I had no idea he planned to dive, let alone threaten the Jewels with explosives. I almost died myself. I am serving the future of our people. Nothing more.

“The Jewels know what I’m doing is right. Why else would they entrust me with the secret to bioengineering immortals? They built this planet for us and created nine cities to house immortals. Why create them if they never expected us to grow our population?”

Maya stopped short of an eye roll.

“Two things. First, the Jewels’ intent for this planet is not relevant. They’re not present to testify. Second, blaming the pilgrims for their own deaths does not negate your role in arranging their access to the lake.” She turned to her fellow Councilors. “Your thoughts?”

Rayner Jeffus, who wore a thick beard and a forehead tattoo of a wide-winged seabird, spoke first.

“Caleb, your actions may have put our entire society at risk. There’s a clear tie-in between what happened at Lake Profundus and the emergence of the chasm. Had you simply worked with us from the start – admit to your mistakes and allow the ADF to study the hand-comm – we might have mitigated most of these charges. I don’t understand the attitude. It only worsens your case.”

Marta Cather, who wore heavy white makeup and dark red lipstick, followed on with a brief “I agree” and added:

“We assured you the hand-comm data would not be altered. But how can we be certain the Jewels did this with generous intent? After your fiasco at the lake, it’s possible they’re deceiving us for ill ends.”

“Your husband leads that very investigation,” Sam said, her tone calm and modulated. “Exeter doesn’t understand your obstinance any more than we. But he believes you do want what’s best for our people. He hopes you’ll change your mind and work with us. Caleb, we can narrow the charges, determine a fair punishment, and allow you to return home. It should never have come to this.”

You’re wrong by half, Sam.

She didn’t need to know. Not yet.

Doc Tess Ranke passed on comment for now, returning control to the Minister.

Interesting move, Caleb thought. I wonder what she’s waiting for. He had an idea.

“Any change of heart?” Maya asked. “Anything you’d like to say which might help your case?”

He gave Maya some credit: She kept throwing him a lifeline.

Exactly as his friends predicted.

“You’re overreaching and you’ll never expel me. I’d like to hand the floor to my friends.”

Oryn Velt, who removed his facial tattoo in recent months and upgraded his fashion sense to executive bodysuits, laid a supportive hand on Caleb’s shoulder.

“This man has committed himself to Aeterna and our future since we were boys. Now he finds himself at the nexus of remarkable events. And what is your response? To scapegoat and demean. Your cavalier efforts to lay the burden solely on Caleb and ignore growing discontent strikes me as the height of arrogance.”

Oryn swerved his eyes to Sam.

“Daniel Pynn-Cooper apologized for an error in judgment and was sent home to continue his life with the full privileges afforded by his family name. How convenient.”

Caleb thought Sam would lose her cool, but she did not take the bait. Caleb always thought she would have made a better Minister than Maya. Too bad. Oryn scanned the whole of the Council.

“Aleta Bowe, who assisted Caleb in blinding the security drones around Lake Profundus, confessed to her actions and received a rotation transfer off world. She’s now carefully tucked away in long-range patrols for a few months. Again, convenient.

“You did not pursue the case against Rosa Marteen because you failed to find proof of these so-called thousands of frozen embryos taken from mortals. Only Caleb remains to take the whipping. You intend to blame him for the chasm, for the pilgrim deaths, and the seventy-six pilgrims who fled home in panic. He is blameless, yet you pursue this divisive folly. Each of you should be ashamed.”

Halsted interjected himself, hands clasped as if to offer a prayer.

“My compatriots, I beg you to forgive Oryn his aggressive tone. My partner hurls stones when mere feathers will suffice. He is a thoughtful man but passionate. On the other hand, I counsel for conciliation. We should step back from this unseemly conflict and reconsider our bearings.

“I recommend we allow Commander Woolsey’s work to continue unfettered until we know with certainty the Jewels’ intent. In the meantime, no interests are served by incarcerating Caleb. On behalf of Oryn and all who know and love Caleb, we promise he will dutifully respect the laws of our society and report here again when the Council has reconsidered the justness of its actions.”

Maya leaned forward, tongue planted in her cheek.

“Halsted, I can remember when you spoke like a normal person. Don’t use sophisticated language to obscure your intent. We are ...”

Doc Ranke raised her hand.

“Pardon, Minister. If I may. I must admit, Halsted and Oryn make valid points in their own distinctive ways.”

Maya conceded the floor.

“Go on, Tess.”

“I’m not entirely comfortable with the breadth of these charges. I believe we should reexamine our process. In the meantime, I suggest we free Caleb with conditions. It would quell a developing problem outside and allow him to reconsider turning over the device for ADF scrutiny.” She glanced at Caleb for a split second. “He poses no threat to the community.”

Well said. Perfect timing. Hit the right tone.

“You’ll know where to find me,” Caleb said, hiding his smirk.

The mood changed in a flash. Rayner said he could vote either way. Marta’s shoulders sagged. Maya and Sam whispered then nodded.

“From what I’ve heard,” Maya said, “you’re a drain on Ollie’s time. And we weren’t going to hold the tribunal today. Ollie will release you, but with one condition. And don’t argue. It’s our best offer.”

Maya’s terms proved embarrassing, but Caleb accepted. The day played out almost to perfection, as if scripted.

Thirty minutes later, he left the Administration Building to cheers from his friends, who received him with hugs, handshakes, and pats on the back. Unlike all of them, Caleb had no functioning Occip – the only Aeternan unable to activate his second eyes.

In a different context, he might have felt lesser than, but the crowd buoyed Caleb. He couldn’t wait to return home, where he’d enjoy his own hot shower and a nice café on the porch. He also intended to tear RONA a new one for its betrayal.

Caleb proceeded along the central avenue with a cluster of friends, notably Oryn and Halsted.

“That exceeded expectation,” Oryn said. “Maya’s losing her grip.”

Caleb chuckled then nudged Halsted in the side.

“I thought you went a bit over the top.”

“Words conquer, my friend.”

“Yes, but the line between creative rhetoric and parody is thin. Maya wasn’t buying it. Good thing Tess knew when to enter.”

“Indeed,” Oryn said. “She’s gone above and beyond. If the Council had the faintest hint of her involvement ...”

Caleb needed to thank her in person. Doc Tess Ranke took a bigger risk than any Revivalist.

“Has she made progress?” Caleb asked.

Oryn grinned. “She believes we’re days from confirmation. You were right: The instructions on the hand-comm show us how to engineer immortality. After we know for sure, we’ll make our next move. The Council won’t be able to stop us.”

A weight fell from Caleb’s shoulders.

“Good to know my forty days were worth the sacrifice.”

“A glorious distraction,” Halsted said.

“I’d love to visit her lab, see the good work.”

Oryn counseled patience.

“Stay clear for the moment. She’s in a delicate spot.”

“Understood. Perhaps you two could join me at the house for a celebratory dinner tonight?”

Halsted marveled at the invite and said he’d bring wine.

“I trust we won’t run into your husband. Awkward would not begin to describe the encounter.”

Caleb’s joy at today’s victory morphed into a simmering rage.

“He’s not my husband. Not anymore.”

4

Battle Cruiser Lioness

E XETER STEPPED OUT ONTO the hangar deck in a daze. If he suffered from a simple case of information overload, he’d gladly retreat to his quarters, dictate a range of notes, and sort through the rubble.

No. This was so much bigger.

A steady hand. That’s what they need. That’s what I’ll provide.

He straightened his uniform, saluted the deck crew, and returned to his operations center on Level 4.

Exeter called together his small team. Their first question:

“Learn anything down there, Commander?”

The Specialist who asked had no idea how loaded the answer might be. Exeter’s recent encounter with Shoan Gui – or what was left of the man – dominated his thoughts ...

“I hear you’re a Commander these days,” Shoan said when he regained human form. “Do you mind terribly if we talk?”

Exeter pulled himself together and searched his mental inventory for the dozens of questions he stored since their last encounter.

“Be happy to,” he said. “You can start by explaining what you are and what that is.” Exeter pointed to the toxic fog on the horizon.

Shoan nodded toward the fog with a bemused “oh, that little thing” glance. His irises twinkled.

“To the Change itself, I must ask for patience, Exeter. I am not allowed to discuss the future. As Judge of the Change, my job is to assess the Aeternan population’s viability. Even a hint of what is to come will undermine my assessment.”

“Double talk. Speak plain or don’t bother.”

Shoan did not appear to take offense. He was a spot-on duplicate for the last images taken before the Lake Profundus incident, right down to the bodysuit he wore that day and his hairstyle, part down the middle. Yet he was too polished, an artificial variant.

“I will try,” Shoan said before adding, “when I can.”

“Start by telling me who you really are. Do Jewels have names?”

“Yes, but I’m not a Jewel of Eternity.”

“Don’t play games.”

Shoan frowned, as if Exeter had driven a mental dagger.

“I have no concept of being anyone other than myself. I hear my mother’s voice as she rocks me to sleep on Hokkaido. I play with my mates in the schoolyard. I dive into the ocean off Pinchon and see the wonders of the deep. I savor the tender, flaking meat of a perfectly roasted Kohlna fish. I say goodbye to Aldo Cabrise on his deathbed. These things are more vivid to me than ever. I’m able to see farther and move from place to place with greater ease. But I am not a Jewel.”

Nothing in the long-winded response felt unnatural. If he hadn’t seen the physical transformation twice, Exeter might have believed he was talking to a man who found inner peace.

“Would I be wrong to call you an emissary?”

Shoan winked.

“I will speak for the Jewels.”

“After two quiet months, you must be anxious to talk.”

“To you, Exeter. Only to you.”

Exeter glanced to his side. The soldier who accompanied him to the Scramjet had disappeared inside the research dome.

“Talk to me, Shoan.”

The emissary stretched his hand to meet a cluster of yellow moths and waited for several to alight there.

“Exeter, do you have a theory as to what the chasm might be?”

“No.”

“Good. A free mind is open to discovery. Follow the science, but do not be afraid of what you find. Fear will always be the wrong response.”

“You said that two months ago. There are many frightened people on this planet. Some have fled. Are we in danger?”

Shoan blew on the moths, and they flittered away. He watched them with a crumpled smile.

“When are you not? Danger is an inherent companion to life. I told you how to proceed.”

“Right. Follow the science and don’t be afraid. For an emissary, you’re coming up short on specifics.”

He shrugged.

“Point taken, Exeter. What do you think of the protein discovery?”

That one felt too on the nose. But he did want specifics.

“Protein? I ...”

“Yes. My eyes and ears are finely tuned. Do you have a theory as to how a synthetic protein can suddenly appear in nature?”

“It didn’t. The protein was always there. The Jewels are allowing it to be seen. What is its function? Is it planetwide? Is it inside us?”

“Excellent questions. Seek rational answers. Avoid emotion. It’s plain to see, but only if you are willing to see.”

Exeter cleared his throat.

“You’re slipping into double talk.”

“Or you’re not listening. Exeter, they want you to lead. The Jewels are masters in the study of universal causality. They see every possible direction the Change might go, but prefer one. Lead these people.” He tapped his head. “With this.” He thumped his chest. “Not this. What is your motto? ‘When in the throes, do what must be done.’”

Exeter thought to ask how Shoan knew something so intimate, but the question answered itself. Sonofabitch was everywhere.

Shoan continued:

“You executed the traitors in your Admiralty not out of anger or a sense of revenge. You needed to send a necessary message after a period of great turbulence. The Change requires leaders who stand firm in the face of chaos and division.”

How was he supposed to feel about planet creators anointing him to chart a course through whatever in ten hells lay ahead? Exeter took a new tack.

“Earlier, you said your job was to assess our ‘viability.’ Care to explain how the Jewels interpret viability?”

“No. That will be determined through discovery. I have told you enough for today. Take my words. Process them.” Shoan winked again. “You’ll find I’m a surprisingly helpful signpost.”

Exeter homed in on one word.

“Today? Am I to take it you’ll see me again soon?”

“Hmm. Interesting word. Soon. I feel as if I saw you at the Joy Circle in Genoa but seconds ago. So yes, Exeter. I’ll see you again. Soon.” Parts of his body morphed into blue winged worms. “Never forget: Fear will always be the wrong response.”

He left with a final wink. The swarm gathered strength as it spun around itself into the large fields of bentwheat grass. The yellow moths drawn to the Carbedyne fins followed the flickering creatures.

Exeter gathered his thoughts from the Nav chair and activated the wormhole drive. Moments later, he stepped onto the Lioness hangar deck and set his focus on the task ahead. When Exeter called his team together, he focused on a piece of Shoan’s instructions ...

“Learn anything down there, Commander?”

Exeter responded to Spec. Esme Traut with a sharp nod.

“Oh, yes,” he said of the protein. “But it doesn’t affect our work up here, at least not yet. I’ll brief you later. For now, we need to expand our scope.” He turned to Lt. Lleyton Mars, best of the group at parsing reams of topographical data. “Lleyton, how extensive are our climatological data spools?”

The strapping man with a shaved head and thin mustache whistled.

“You’re talking historical, sir?”

“I am.”

“No idea, to be honest. Global climate patterns have been so consistent for decades, they’ve never been a priority for study.”

“They are now.” He focused on Spec. Harland Cress, who wore a green butterfly tattoo on each cheek. “Bring up live images over the entire hemisphere. I want detailed reports on precipitation rates. Upper atmospheric patterns. Barometric pressure trends. All of it.”

“What are we looking for, sir?” Cress asked.

“Any deviations from the historical norm. Don’t begin the study from when the chasm appeared. Assume the climate has been changing in this region in subtle ways for years.”

Exeter studied the topographic surveys and focused on rivers and lakes within a few dozen kilometers of the chasm.

“Esme, narrow to a hundred-kay radius beyond the chasm. Then filter out everything except the chasm and bodies of water.”

She threw up a holographic control module and input parameters.

“This will take a moment, sir. What are we looking for?”

Exeter wasn’t sure how honest he wanted to be. Were they ready to handle the reason for his hunch? Best to save it for later.

For now, focus on the science.

“I’m guessing,” he lied to Traut, who finished her calculations and waited for the appropriate overlays.

The holograph cut away a rounded segment of Aeterna and dissolved all else to black. As the land inside the segment dissolved, leaving only the filtered features, Exeter stepped back.

The chasm dominated from the center, but only as a white blur hidden beneath toxic fog. A network of winding and, at times, jagged rivers intersected each other and a few small lakes. Some coursed through the varying terrains to form what seemed like a fine mesh from this orbital view.

“Anything stand out?” He asked the team.

They hesitated until Spec. Cress finally answered:

“I can’t imagine it’s terribly different than if we filtered most any other region of the planet.”

Lt. Mars chuckled.

“Looks like the way I feel after a few hours inside Occip.”

Yes. That!

“Blood-shot eyes,” Exeter said. “We’ve all been there.”

Prolonged use of Occip tended to expose the tiny network of nerves in the sclera.

“Your point?” Traut asked.

Exeter remembered Shoan’s instructions:

“It’s plain to see, but only if you are willing to see.”

Time to play this out.

“Eyes are remarkable organs, but their complexity is hidden from view. Blood-shot eyes reveal a hint of what lies within. What if these rivers and lakes serve a larger organ?”

The team’s silence came as no surprise. Cress spoke first.

“Are you suggesting they’re directly connected to the chasm?”

“They have a role. Yes. Look at their patterns. Unless I’m missing it, not one river intersects the chasm.”

Traut leaned into the filtered image and gasped.

“You’re right. The closest avoid the edge by at least a kilometer.”

“How did we miss that?” Mars asked.

Exeter patted him on the shoulder.

“Esme, replace the chasm with the land before it imploded.”

While Traut worked, Cress said:

“Cudfrucker! Excuse my language, sir. I see what you’re trying to prove. If it’s ...”

They didn’t have to wait long. The last image of the surface showed its connection to the surrounding ecostems minutes before the Event. Exeter ordered Traut to filter out everything but bodies of water.

The black cutout confirmed the strange theory he developed after reflecting on Shoan’s advice.

“Incredible,” Cress said. “No water sources. But the entire region is surrounded by them. The chasm imploded near the intersection of four distinct ecostems, all of which have fertile soil and lush flora. There’s no evidence of creeks or streams.”

“It confirms your theory, sir,” Mars added. “The Jewels have been planning this all along. It was baked into their design. But for what purpose?”

“There’s the question we need to explore,” Exeter told them. “If we can determine what role those rivers and lakes play, we might crack the truth. Let’s focus our subterranean scans beneath the river and lake beds. The drones can probe how deep?”

Harland said they could map down six thousand feet.

“After that, we hit interference. Been that way since Settlement. The Jewels have never been keen on allowing us to take too close a peek at their handiwork.”

Exeter stifled a laugh.

“Given how they responded when Shoan Gui planted explosives at the bottom of Profundus, I don’t intend to stretch our luck. Questions?”

The team sorted through a plan and went to work.

Exeter retreated to his quarters to dictate notes.

He didn’t realize how hungry he was until Rafael coaxed him away for lunch. Exeter waited until he cleaned his plate before discussing the synthetic protein, Shoan’s visitation, and latest revelation about the chasm. The Admiral finished his fruit juice and said he needed a much stronger drink.

“How much do you intend to tell the Council?”

Exeter predicted the question.

“None of it. Yet. Everything we know can only lead to speculation. And frankly, I’m wary of the Council. Not all. Samantha, I trust without reservation. Maya Solis is too protective of the chair; she won’t do anything foolish. But the others? I haven’t had dealings with them in years. I’m especially concerned about Doc Ranke’s agenda.”

Rafael sighed hard and deep.

“Almost makes me long for the old days, when the Minister had absolute control.”

“Yeah. The Cooper regime. The one we conspired to end if Michael crossed a red line.”

The Admiral nodded.

“Not our finest hour. Glad he never forced us to act. But you do need to take care, X. Many of our kind are accusing us of denying them the truth. We haven’t been transparent.”

Exeter called upon more of Shoan’s advice.

“It’s a double-edged sword, Rafa. If we tell them everything, they’ll fear the possibilities. If we hide everything, they’ll fear what they don’t know. I’d rather take a moderate course for now. If the Council wishes, I’ll send out a broad Occip reassuring everyone that we’re working hard and in their best interests.”

“It won’t quell the fear.”

“No, but it’ll tamp down the temperature a few degrees. And the admins in the satellites can pass it on to the pilgrims.”

Exeter saw skepticism in his old friend’s grimace.

“Talk to me, Rafa. What is it?”

The Admiral tossed his napkin onto his plate and slid out his chair.

“I wonder what to say at the next homecomings. They’re bound to ask before they head down to Promise.”

Homecomings. Plural.

“Oh, yeah? Who’s returning?”

“Three in the next three days. Elinor Rune from her trade mission on Earth. Alexis Cheronov from his military contractor work on Yaniff. And Omri Haffayah, who’s closing his outreach office on Xavier’s Garden.”

“Damn. Three. That can’t leave many of us in the outer worlds.”

Rafael shook his head.

“This many,” he said, linking thumb and forefinger into a big zero. “When they return, we’ll have four to go – all on Amity Station.”

“Our IC reps.”

“And the Congress is scheduled to end its session in ten standard days. Know what that means?”

Exeter nodded. The concept astonished him.

“The first time every immortal has been in this system at one time since ...”

“Never. History is about to be made.”

“Hell of a coincidence, don’t you think?”

“More than a little, X. They know what’s happened here. Most of their inquiries have gone direct to the Council, but I received a deepstream from Elinor and Alexis yesterday. Both spoke to a common theme: They’ve been thinking about settling in Promise for some time, but since the Event, they feel a sense of urgency.”

“Why?”

“They can’t explain it. Funny. This ship used to pass over Promise every day, but I have no thirst the planet will quench.”

Exeter remembered a time when forty percent of Aeternans lived beyond the system, either serving in the UNF, trading missions, or private enterprises. That number dwindled after the UNF down-sized in the early Seventies and continued to slip at a steady pace over the past fifteen years.

A worrisome thought nagged Exeter.

“If the Revivalists wanted to make a case for secession, what better time to do it than when everyone’s home?”

“Hadn’t thought of that one, X. When Caleb introduced you to the group, you said they were vague on their timetable for secession.”

“Yeah. Well. I’m not sure how serious they were. I pointed out some dangerous flaws in their thinking. It’s also possible I underestimated their zeal. I’d rather not box them into a corner.”

Rafael rapped on the table.

“Which reminds me, did you receive notification from the Council about Caleb?”

“Not today. Did they announce charges?”

“Oh, yes. Released him, too. He left in the company of his fellow Revivalists. Maya said she was outvoted but also believed the whole thing might have been staged. A gut feeling, she called it.”

Exeter understood too well.

These days, many decisions arose in the gut.

5

Satellite City Lumen

D ANNY COOPER STUDIED his winning hand. Four stripes, three stars, two swords. A nine-flush. He pulled on his digipipe and contemplated his next move. He could call or slide more tokens to the center. Really force Amadi into a dicey decision. Finally! The perfect hand at the perfect moment. Time to reel in his bait.

Go for it, Dan-o. Spring the trap. Make the sonofabitch hurt.

So why did impending victory feel so wrong? He spent weeks playing the role of despondent amateur, vowing to “take” Amadi for everything the next time they met. The strategy was a slow burn: Danny took pride in reckless moves to set up intentional defeat without Amadi seeing through him.

Grace’s husband was a lousy winner. Each time, Amadi gloated without saying a word as he claimed the last tokens. He toasted Danny with a shot of Moroccan rum and added a sly wink.

“Not your night,” Amadi recently said. “Again.”

“No worries,” Danny replied. “I’m close. Next time.”

Amadi, who wore a pencil-thin beard, responded with closed-mouth laughter.

“Are you sure it’s wise to flail away at me like this? You have children to look after. Why keep handing over your credits?”

“Don’t worry about my fucking financials. I’m a Cooper. Man of many connections. Ain’t that why you married my sister?”

That always struck a nerve, specifically one that caused Amadi’s right eyebrow to twitch. Though Amadi Lasaviette of Moroccan Prime’s Tunis tribe never said the quiet part out loud, Danny knew he resented Grace’s decision to keep her family name. Little digs mattered, one tiny gig at a time.

“If I wanted to move up the food chain,” Amadi said, “I would have stayed home. I married your sister for love.”

He almost convinced Danny.

Almost.

Then came those moments when the veil slipped off.

“How’s work?” Danny snuck in the question between games.

Amadi usually mumbled his responses, which varied from “Looking for inspiration” to “Sales could be better” to “They’re holding me back.”

He never explained who ‘they’ were or why his hand-blown glass products didn’t gain traction, even when he set up temporary street displays in the other satellites.

Danny once bought an Amadi creation against his better judgment after subtle orders from his mother. The abstract designs, while shiny and colorful, carried little practical value for an Aeternan household, often relegated to an odd table ornament.

One night, Amadi slipped. Perhaps he drank a rum too many.

“She told me,” he muttered while studying his hand.

“Who told you what?”

He stared across the room, where Grace read to their boy Michael.

“She said her mother would open doors to the Promise market.”

Danny chuckled.

“I reckon you misunderstood. There ain’t a Promise market for pilgrims. You might sell a few to the local admins, but there’s a whole different vibe in the capital. Feel me?”

Amadi scoffed as he poured another rum.

“How would you know, Dan? You’re not welcome there either.”

“The fuck I’m not! As long as I’m visiting Mom, all’s good.”

Amadi tossed his eyes between Danny and his sister, as if wondering which one to believe.

“I think you’re full of shit, Dan. My wife hasn’t visited one time since we’ve been together.”

Danny improvised his way around the lie.

“Gracie don’t want you to feel left out. She’s sweet that way. You should appreciate the sacrifice. Besides, your contract was supposed to be about teaching all those different Tunis crafts. Weaving and blowing and sculpting. Be a teacher. Don’t worry about UCVs. Gracie does fine for both of you.”

Amadi stewed in silence through two more games, collected the tokens, capped the bottle, and retreated to the back without saying good night.

Little digs mattered.

And little digs over time positioned Amadi where Danny needed him. Now, time came to turn the tables.

A nine-flush would seal it.

After three months, he sprang the trap.

Danny pushed the rest of his tokens to the center pile. He’d done this twice before when holding a decent but beatable hand. Tonight marked his largest stake.

“You’re a fool,” Amadi mumbled.

“Or maybe my time has come. Draw or match, dude.”

Amadi studied Danny, who offered the same devil-may-care smirk the last two times he laid everything on the line.

Naturally, Amadi pushed his tokens to the center. He burnished a familiar stoic gaze that broke into a wide smile.

Danny studied the hand and played it cool, of course.

“A high-sword straight. You’re a pro. Fuck.”

He held his hand tight against his chest. The acting needed to be his best. Just as Amadi prepared to claim another wipeout ...

“C’mon, asshole.” Amadi tapped the table. “Give it up.”

“Turns out, I’m a pro, too.”

Danny displayed his nine-flush, an unbeatable hand. He relished watching Amadi’s stoicism turn to cold-hearted stone. The brother-in-law gazed at the hand with jaw agape. As Danny reached for the tokens, Amadi leaned forward.

“That’s not possible. You didn’t have enough draws. The odds of a nine-flush that fast are ten thousand to one.”

“Actually, it’s twenty-five thousand to one, dude. I know the stats by heart. How about this shit? I take home the bag for once.”

Amadi poured another rum.

“You cheated.”

“Excuse me? You gonna go there? Damn, Amadi. I knew you weren’t a gracious winner, but don’t freak the fuck out. This night’s been a long time coming. Start a new win streak next week.”

Amadi threw back his rum and wiped his lips. Then he came around the table, hands clenched into fists.

“Show me how you did it. Are they hiding in your sleeves?”

Not anymore.

Danny pulled back his sleeves to prove his innocence.

“See? Dude, you been whipping my ass for three months. I’ve been learning from a master.”

Amadi backed away, but his eyes lost none of their sudden fire.

“Or maybe you’ve been playing me for a sink rat.”

Danny didn’t understand the reference, but Amadi was no idiot and wasn’t far off.

“Are you serious right now? Amadi, I won back maybe twenty percent of my losses. If that.”

Amadi tucked hands to hips and pointed to the tokens.

“Do it again. Dare you.”

“Say what now?”

“We split the tokens in half and go again.”

Danny burst out laughing.

“That’s rich. I finally have some take-home. Tired of lying to my woman about my losses.”

As Danny reached for the tokens, Amadi slapped down Danny’s right arm and leaned in. Did he actually plan to fight?

Asshole is more desperate than I thought. Perfect.

“We play again. You’re not leaving with my cudfrucking tokens.”

“Yeah. Actually, I am. I won, fair and square. I ...”

Another voice entered the fray.

“What in ten hells are you two arguing about?”

Grace approached with crossed arms, as if an irritated mom preparing to admonish her kids. Amadi froze, told Danny not to touch the tokens, and swung about with a wide smile.

“Oh, I’m sorry, my love. It’s a misunderstanding. Your brother ... he tried to trick me.”

“Meaning?”

Danny didn’t wait for Amadi to define the moment.

“He says I cheated, sis. He’s full of shit. As usual.”

Grace lowered her arms and gazed at the pile of chips.

“Dan, why would you cheat my husband?”

“I wouldn’t. What I did tonight was beat him straight up. See that hand? It’s called a nine-flush. I hit big. Amadi’s got a real problem with a one-match losing streak.”

Before she responded, Amadi separated from Danny and started toward his wife.

“We’ll sort it, my lovely. Why don’t you return to our son? He likes when you read to him.”

“But Amadi, I hate to see you two arguing. You’re such good friends, and I don’t believe Dan would cheat.”

She said too much. Danny saw his brother-in-law flex his hands in and out of fists.

“Go back and read to the boy.” Amadi’s tone deepened. “Now.”

Grace forced a smile and retreated. Danny waited until she was out of sight before speaking.

“Bring it down, dude. Don’t need to talk to my sister that way.”

“She’s my wife. Now, take your tokens and leave my home.”

Danny grabbed his bag and slid the tokens inside while Amadi watched, like a hungry man might if someone stole his food. Danny knew the analogy wasn’t far off.

“No hard feelings, dude. Tell you what, if you want to lower the stakes next time, I’m good. In fact, maybe we just play for fun. No UCVs on the line. How about it?”

The brother-in-law waved him off.

“No. I’m done with this game.”

“Now that don’t sound like you. My Dad had a saying about people who got all fussy after losing. They’d ‘take their ball and go home.’ You ain’t a quitter.”

Amadi poured another drink.

“Just get out, Dan.”

OK. Time to play out the string.

Danny slipped on his winter jacket.

“What’s really going, dude?”

“Leave.”

“Nah. What say we have a little chat outside? Man to man.” When Amadi sipped his rum with no apparent interest, Danny added the sales-clincher: “I’m betting whatever’s up ain’t something you wanna talk to Gracie about. C’mon. Outside. Let’s go.”

That did the trick.

Danny tucked his hands into his jacket once outside. A light dusting of snow decorated Lumen. He hated this town.

When Amadi appeared, Danny started with a sales pitch.

“You two oughta think about Genoa. Short sleeves year-round. And we’ve lost like thirty pilgrims since the Event. Vacant homes, fully furnished, and we’re opening a childcare center. It’s sweet.”

Amadi, wearing a light jacket, rubbed his hands together.

“Wouldn’t mind the change, but your sister’s a cunt every time I bring it up.”

Danny didn’t have a problem with such profanity. But as a label for Grace? Now, that felt like a bridge too far.

“Gracie’s tough, but she’s respected around here. Maybe you oughta consider being a bridge advisor. You been here what, four years? Ain’t like you’re still on contract. She’s lead advisor. I’m sure Gracie could make it happen.”

Amadi muttered vowels under his breath.

“Report to my wife? Not a chance.”

“Yeah, I can see where that might be a tad awkward.”

Grace was Amadi’s case manager when he arrived on Aeterna. Two years later, they made a kid.

“How do you do it, Dan?”

“Do what?”

“Your schemes. The way you play everybody and get away with it. And don’t tell me it’s because you’re a Pynn-Cooper.”

Danny felt a twinge of embarrassment. After all, the family name was his go-to excuse.

“I’m not a player like you think, dude. Me? I’m passionate. I know what I want and put my whole heart into making my goals blossom. Ain’t no special recipe.”

Amadi pulled out a digipipe and double-tapped the blue end.

“I heard how you put on the waterworks when Constable Kant grilled you about the mess with those exobiologists. A few days later, you were off the hook.”

“Never committed a crime. All I did was hook up a couple folks who needed each other’s help. My involvement ended right there.”

“Uh-huh. And Samantha Pynn didn’t throw her weight around.”

Danny inhaled sweet sallowtop from his own digipipe.

“Mom is as good as they come. Enough said. C’mon, Amadi. What’s eating you?”

Amadi waved him off.

“No. You’re wasting my time. Head home.”

Danny couldn’t believe how expertly the scene was playing out. He didn’t come armed with a script, but it might have reached a similar climax.

“Look. Dude. I know this ain’t what you hoped for. You came to Aeterna to teach your art and find peace. I hear the same story all the time. Then you met Gracie, fell in love, thought marriage was the way to go. Decided to monetize your art, but it never caught on. Now you’re feeling trapped. Am I right?”

Amadi looked away as he exhaled a white smoke cloud.

“Heard a lot of those, have you?”

“Eh. Not so much. Most folks finish out their contract and leave with no regrets. Then there were the dumb fucks who tucked tail and ran after the Event. You’re a risk-taker, Amadi. Just like Maren and Endu. Marrying us Coopers takes guts. Going back home ain’t an option.”

Amadi bowed his head.

“I asked her once.”

“What? About moving to Moroccan Prime?”

“She cried. I knew that was a non-starter.”

Danny knew, too. Grace confided in him shortly afterward.

“So, what’s the plan, dude? You gotta shake things up. You’re here for the long haul, unless you intend to run out on my sister.”

Amadi didn’t answer right away, which said everything Danny needed to know.

“Wouldn’t make any difference. I’m stuck.” Amadi glanced back at the front door, which remained shut. He lowered his voice and leaned close. “My account is down to three hundred UCVs. After you execute the tokens, it’ll be less than two hundred.”

Closer to broke than I thought. Good.

“I don’t get it. You’ve been whipping me for three months. You scored at least two thousand UCVs off me. And your art classes ain’t free. Where’s it all going?”

“Tell anyone, and I’ll cut your throat.”

Not gentlemanly, but predictable based on everything Danny learned from his expensive investigation.

“You have my word.”

Amadi sighed.

“Debts back home. I was in trouble before I came here. Thought I’d get away long enough to escape the collectors. When I disappeared, they went after my family. Sister. Brother. Father. If I don’t pay it back in full, I’ll be disowned. Or worse. Everything I made off you went to the collectors.”

Danny wrapped a sympathetic arm around his new best friend.

“Now that is a brave confession. Holy shit on a stick. I never knew, but it damn well explains a lot. Gracie has no clue?”

“I care for your sister. She’s kind, and I know she loves me. I don’t want to break her heart.”

What would Mother think about a son-in-law who married her Grace to save his own goddamn neck?

With the leverage now in hand, Danny proceeded to the next stage.

“Well, look. We can’t have this kind of shit happen to a member of the family.” He handed over the bag. “You need it more than me. I assume it won’t come close to paying off the debt, but maybe it’ll help you stay on schedule.”

Amadi’s plastic exterior, which usually camouflaged his emotions, showed a slight crack. Danny caught a fleeting smile and felt tension in the man’s shoulders lessen for a moment.

“Are you sure? You earned it. Your first bag.”

“Nah. It ain’t my first. Just with you. And here’s the thing. We’re buddies. We got near about nothing in common, but we’re friends. And friends hang tight.”

He hesitated for the appropriate dramatic beat and resumed.

“Since we’re confessing: I’ll let you in on a secret. I could’ve won most of our matches. I threw them because I relish being with you, dude. I might know just about everybody in Genoa, but I don’t feel a connection. They treat me like a Cooper, like an awkward middle man between mortals and Aeternans. Never got that vibe from you. Thanks, Amadi.”

Gratitude came, albeit after a pause.

“This means a lot, Dan. I won’t forget it.”

“Yeah, well. There’s another reason I’m being generous. Now that I know your predicament, I’m thinking you might be the right guy to join me in a special venture.”

“Oh, yeah? More of your schemes?”

Danny chuckled.

“I deserve that, bud. No. This is something I’ve been cooking up for a long time. If I play it right, there’s enough UCVs on the other end to change my family’s life forever. Even if I split everything with a partner like ... say ... Amadi Lasaviette, there’d be enough for him to pay off the collectors, make my sister the wealthiest mortal woman on Aeterna, and maybe even afford a custom-built estate house outside of town. Just for starters.”

Amadi gazed into Danny’s eyes, now fashioned to deliver a hard sell. His jaw fell slightly agape, as stunned as when he saw a nine-flush.

“You’re trying to take advantage.”

“Yep. But what’s the harm? I need a reliable partner. Trust me, it’s a win-win. Minimum hundred thousand UCVs for three months’ work.”

The brother-in-law scoffed.

“A hundred big? You’re insane.”

“My off-world contact arrives in three days disguised as a pilgrim. When you meet her, you’ll understand. You think that chasm was big news? Dude, wait until you see what I got in mind.”

He could have mentioned Halifax Research and Development, trans-wormhole tech, or the father he intended to rescue from another universe, but Danny thought it better to leave something to Amadi’s imagination. One careful step at a time.

“Whatcha think?” Danny asked. “Take a leap of faith?” 

6

C ALEB STOOD AT THE TOP STEP, café in hand, when his visitor arrived by rifter. He offered Rosa Marteen a cup, but the Minister of Genoa said she already drank two – her fill for the day. Besides, she added, café did not sit well when she was nervous.

“I took a spin around Lake Nilsson,” she said. “It’s as beautiful as I remember.”

“How many years has it been?”

“Too many.” She pointed to the passenger seat. “I’m your ride.”

“I thought Oryn ...”

“He says we need to be discreet, and I agree. Too many of us in Ranke’s lab at once will draw attention.”

Caleb followed the core committee’s instructions and maintained a low profile at the lake house for two days after his release. He swam, indulged in the warmth of his own bed, reset RONA’s protocols, and read a book on a physical tablet.

Just like a mortal.

En route to town, Rosa asked:

“How’s life without Occip?”

Caleb never would have imagined his reply.

“In a word? Liberating.” He caught Rosa’s bemused expression. “You expected I’d be crawling up the walls by now.”

“Or feeling like the odd man out. No?”

Only for the first few hours.

As they cruised through the beautiful countryside past the lake and along the southern orchards, Caleb felt a tingling in his fingers.

“I can’t say with certainty – it’s possible the effect will wear off – but I believe my senses have intensified. Especially hearing and smell. I wonder if ...”

“What?”

“Is it possible Occip diminished our senses, and we never noticed?”

Rosa patted him on the arm as if he were a child.

“What’s that you say?”

He didn’t reply to her feeble attempt at humor.

“After thirty years, we would have noticed, Caleb. And as for smell? Trust me, my kitchen is blessed with the same joy each time I cook my famous black onion and romara stew.”

She needn’t have reminded him of that combination. How in the world she thought to blend the planet’s most pungent onions with sugary-sweet cactus sacs defied imagination – and taste buds. Famous for all the wrong reasons.

“I’m serious, Rosa. It’s worth exploring. Even if the effect is minimal, what happens to us over a century? Remember how fast Michael forced the transition? Occip became part of our neuropathy six months after the first tests. Some of us thought it was rushed.”

Rosa smirked.

“Because it was. You know how paranoid he could be. Michael claimed he was creating a unified collective, but the truth is, he wanted a method of control.” She must have seen Caleb raise a brow. “Sam confided in me a few years after he disappeared. Michael was insecure. Imposter syndrome, she called it.”

“Huh. He did a damn good job hiding it.”

“Apparently, that’s part of the syndrome.”

Caleb reflected on that era, when many Aeternans were teens.

“It’s strange. Michael was like a big brother. Oldest of the lot. Tallest, strongest, fiercest. Now he seems ...”

“Ordinary?”

Caleb nodded. “But he wasn’t. Not in the least. He’d hate what we’re trying to do. I begin to understand why he was insecure.”

They entered Promise through the northern streets in the shadow of the forested scarp. Early-morning streets had yet to gather strength. Caleb kept his head down as Rosa navigated to Avenue 19. They hopped off at residence 19-C next to Medcenter. Neither loaf-shaped building stood out among the city’s grid.

Rosa’s irises glowed sky blue as she communicated with the occupant inside. The door slid open.

Doc Tess Ranke, who always struck Caleb as the only Aeternan to appear older than her years, greeted them with a cautious nod.

“Followed?” She asked Rosa.

“We’re clear.”

“Can’t be too careful. It’s early and fragile.”

“No worries, Tess. Only nine of us know what’s happening here.”

She welcomed Caleb but pointed a finger in his face.

“There will not be a tenth until we’re viable.”

“Understood,” he said. “I’ll keep my distance, but I had to see.”

“Temper your expectations. We’re in early stages.”

Tess led them through a spartan office and past a quiet lab filled with phasic medtools and vials of plant samples. She thrice tapped a rear wall Caleb did not recognize. It pixelated away.

“Nice. Customized cascade barrier. When did you add it?”

“Oryn supervised the installation. He’s good at this sort of thing. Three hours in the middle of the night.”

A rear bank of cabinets and counters fell into shadow behind the place where Aeterna’s future grew from scratch.

A round light table rose from the floor hip-high, and a mount of equal diameter descended from the ceiling. Dark, thin tubes emerged from the mount like so many reptiles, some plunging into a carousel attached at its joints. Six tubes, each a foot long and wide as melons, clung to the carousel. The liquid environment inside glowed pale yellow.

“That’s them?” Caleb asked.

“Thirty-three days.”

“I can’t see them.”

Tess laughed.

“Look closer. They’re the size of a seed. An artificial environment doesn’t accelerate human gestation.”

“We’re not human.”

“In every way but one.”

Tess tapped the light table and pulled up a holograph, which zoomed deep into the tube above.

“Times five hundred,” she said. “The next generation. I hope.”

Caleb beheld a tiny, unrecognizable creature.

“It’s growing normally?”

Tess sighed.

“As normal as possible outside a womb. Do you know how hard it was to synthesize a proper amniotic sac?”

“Will it come to term inside there?”

“No. I’m developing the placental environment for what would normally be the third trimester. We’ll transfer the subjects when they reach viability.”

The subjects.

Her words chilled Caleb.

“The children, you mean.”

“Not yet. Not even close. Look, Caleb. I’ll be straight with you. Despite the no-doubt glowing report you might have received, there are zero guarantees this will work. The only thing I know for sure is that the implanted gene sequences drawn from Lake Profundus have not deterred normal growth. I followed the Jewels’ instructions to the letter. All we can do is monitor and wait.”

Caleb noticed something else that underwhelmed him.

“Most of the carousel is empty. Why only grow six?”

Tess side-eyed Rosa.

“Did you and Oryn not fill him in?”

“We thought you more qualified to explain the ethics.”

Tess wagged a dismissive finger.

“Should have known.”

“Ethics?” Caleb asked.

“It’s not complicated. Assuming these six survive, we don’t know what they’ll become. Immortals like us? Perhaps. Or a different species. Immortals who can reproduce. Or they could be monsters. We all remember the Jewel hybrids and how well they worked out. Caleb, I am not going to scale this project until these six are born and tested.”

He understood the caution, but they stored fourteen thousand frozen embryos in three outposts.

“I get your point. But with such a large stock available, wouldn’t filling the carousel allow for greater scrutiny of possible outcomes?”

Tess shrugged.

“I chose three males, three females. Each formed through different ethnic combinations. Caleb, understand this. When Emil Bouchet created us – and that,” she pointed to the tubes, “is what we looked like at one time – he drew entirely from Chancellor blood. We came from genetic stock that had been modified for centuries. We’re homogenous. The pilgrims aren’t. What worked for us might not be replicated here.

“Bottom line: We’re already cheating nature just like Bouchet did, and he was a madman. I will not allow ambition to override reason.”

Caleb did not disagree with a single point of her argument, so he countered.

“The Jewels wouldn’t have provided this gift unless they wanted us to populate the planet. As long as you followed their instructions, those fetuses will become our children.”

The doctor silenced the zoom-in holo and shook her head.

“See there? If it fails, you’ll pin it on me. So will the others. And you ask why I’m taking a conservative route to defying nature?”

Caleb cursed himself. Yep, he stepped in it this time.

“Look, I only meant to say ...”

“Shut your mouth and listen. I appreciate what you sacrificed for the cause, but you haven’t been here. As the others know, I was enthusiastic at the start. But in the past month, I’ve had reservations. I’m starting to feel as if this so-called gift came too easily. The Jewels are doing who-in-hell-knows-what to this planet.

“Are they even on our side? Rosa told me what Shoan Gui said that day. ‘The Change begins with a test.’ He also said, ‘All that remains is for your people to take the final step, if you dare.’”

Tess stepped away from the light table and massaged the back of her neck. Caleb did not come here for a speech laced with dread, but her tone migrated in that direction.

“A test,” she said. “If you dare. I’m not sure if they’re trying to motivate us or frighten us. And, since I’m the only one who can fashion this little operation, the rest of you will have to be patient and abide by my decision.”

She yelled the last bit. Caleb felt a gentle breeze and backed away.

“I apologize. It’s just ... I’ve been advocating for this going on fifteen years. And now we’re on the brink ... I got carried away.”

Caleb dropped his guard and wrapped the doctor in a hug.

“You’re in charge. We won’t question your choices again.”

Tess pulled away, a weary smile blossoming.

“Yes, you will. Just hold off for a few months. Deal?”

“Got it.”

Caleb left the doc’s lab less buoyant than predicted. He said little on the return trip home – until they reached the lake.

“How long before you’ll be missed?” He asked Rosa.

“I took the morning off, but I have an admin conference in an hour. Thought I’d grab a quick lunch beforehand. What’s on your mind?”

They stopped at Lake Nilsson’s western shore. Nimble white clouds dimmed the sunlight.

“Doc Ranke was right about one thing,” he said. “I’ve been out of circulation for a while. Oryn and Halsted gave me a rosy report, just like the doc described. But what’s the real vibe inside the group?”

Rosa grunted, as if she had no interest in going there.

“On balance, Caleb, I’d say the so-called vibe is evolving. Like everyone else, we’re in wait-and-see mode. Your husband’s policy is keeping us at length from the chasm. My contact says Exeter’s teams are making progress but keeping a tight lid on it.”

Caleb nodded.

“Sounds like Exeter. I trust everyone’s being cautious about when we make our next move.”

“If at all.”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s a schism among Revivalists. Some believe our message will work in sync with whatever changes the Jewels are making. Others – myself, included – believe we might hurt our cause irrevocably if we try to capitalize on the crisis.”

“I agree with you. Look, I’m as impatient as any to lead our kind in a new direction. But I’ve had some quiet time to think lately. Ranke has a point about Shoan’s words. He might have been talking about more than just growing a new generation.”

Rosa grabbed her red-haired ponytail, which fell over her belly, and twisted the braids.

“Oryn and I heard a new counter last night. You know Devlin Shante, yes?”

“Sure. I’ve seen him at meetings, but he never said much.”

She chuckled.

“He got quite vocal after your arrest. He believes the Revivalists should call for a Full Congregate and make our case. We’ve put him off, but now he’s come up with a reason that might be trickier to silence. Do you know his current rotation?”

“No.”

“The Transition Office at City Admin. Yesterday, he learned that the last three off-world immortals not assigned to Amity are returning home for good. The IC wraps in about a standard week. Every Aeternan will be home for the first time. You see where I’m headed?”

The symbolism stunned Caleb, but the timing more so.

“Devlin claims it’s a sign.”

She nodded.

“It’s not a new idea, Caleb. The notion of bringing every immortal home started long before our group. A few voices fought against joining the Collectorate, but Michael silenced the dissent.”

“I remember. I stood in lockstep with him. Can you imagine how nasty this will turn if we propose secession?”

Rosa shook her head.

“Caution is the watchword. I run a city with several thousand pilgrims. I doubt they’d take too kindly. Not to mention your husband.”

He scoffed. “Exeter will have none of it.”

“Keep your head down for now. We’ll deal with the internal fuss.” She checked the rifter’s time stamp. “I’m running behind schedule. If you don’t mind ...”

“Not at all. Actually, I think I’ll walk. Do me good.”

Thirty minutes later, his mind cleared of pressing anxiety and his stomach eager for a light early lunch, Caleb reached the lake house.

He imagined a piece of baked fish in crème with some crusty bread. Then perhaps a cigar and an afternoon to contemplate his next move.

It was a lovely plan, and it lasted all the way to the top step.

From there, he saw a guest with back turned at the far railing. The man wore a tight bodysuit like the ones in style during the early days of Aeternan society.

“Hello?”

The man pivoted and held out his left hand, in which a blue-winged worm alighted. Caleb caught his breath.

“Shoan.”

The Judge of the Change broke into a smile.

“I thought we might discuss how the test is proceeding.”

7

Genoa

D ANNY FINISHED HIS ROUNDS, filed his daily reports, and moved on to the only business he gave a damn about. Amadi Lasaviette would be a helpful asset in the tricky work ahead, but not enough. Instinct told Danny he’d need to acquire a much bigger ally than his brother-in-law.

How big depended upon what he heard in the next few minutes. He’d been mentally prepping for this deepstream all day. Danny removed the whiskey bottle from his desk and swigged a glass.

When the signal arrived on time, he sat up straight and stared into the holoprojection. The woman on the far end, though a hundred ninety light-years away, gave off an air of sophistication. Perhaps it was the expertly coiffed blonde locks, the diamond ear studs, the pearlescent eyes, or the violet lipstick. She was likely someone’s grandmother but as fit as a woman half her age. She matched what Danny imagined after six weeks of audio-only communication.

“Mr. Pynn-Cooper,” she said. “I hope all finds you well.”

“It does, Madam Strong. I’m excited you passed the pilgrim vetting. I look forward to working with you.”

The woman smirked.

“I am not Anyssa Strong. I’m her benefactor. Anyssa is making travel arrangements. She’ll arrive in two days.”

Danny tensed. He didn’t care for the bait-and-switch.

“Don’t understand. This was supposed to be our first face-to-face. What gives?”

“Your confusion surprises me. Has the Pilgrim Project not shared Anyssa’s profile?”

“The admins don’t share details until they select a bridge advisor.”

The benefactor tapped her nose.

“Interesting. How can you be certain to take Anyssa’s contract?”

“I put in the request. My caseload is lighter than the others, what with the recent defections. No worries on this end. At any rate, I was hoping to speak with Madam Strong. Something I can do for you?”

Her elegance appeared to diminish when the woman narrowed her eyes and steeled her jaw.

“Before we send her on, my friends at Halifax would like to reinforce the narrow terms of our deal. We want a final assurance that the trade will prove lucrative.”

Danny should have known. Halifax had gone to great lengths creating a new identity for Dr. Cassandra Latin, the so-called ‘mother of trans-wormhole theory.’ They turned Latin into an agricultural robotics expert raised on a farm in Earth’s North American Consortium. She now came from a long line of Solomons, the ethnic underclass to the old Chancellory. She pitched her six-month contract as an opportunity to learn about Aeterna’s robotic-driven farming techniques.

“It’s a solid deal,” he said. “I can lock down what you need soon as I have proof the tech comes as advertised.”

The benefactor did not blink.

“We have concerns. The man you initially negotiated with, Dunkirk, is no longer with us. A sudden illness. We were all taken by surprise. None more than he, of course.”

The way she said illness didn’t sit right with Danny.

“Shit. That’s tragic. Yeah. So, who are you?”

“A colleague. The rest will remain unsaid. Mr. Cooper, we ask for a slight adjustment in terms. Before Madam Strong reveals the technology and assists you in its implementation, we will need an act of good faith on your part.”

He sensed a chilly breeze pass through the deepstream. This woman wasn’t asking for anything.

“Tell me what you need. I’ll try to make it happen.”

“We don’t believe in try. Results are paramount. Yes?”

Danny squirmed. Dunkirk was a stern but malleable sort. This one, maybe not so much.

“I agree. It’s all about the endgame. What do you need?”

She did not hesitate.

“Full access to all data related to the Jewels’ latest activities. We only have vague reports connected to the so-called chasm. We understand the Aeternan Defense Forces are in charge of the investigation, led by the former High Admiral of the UNF. We want to know everything they know.”

Fuck me.

Danny did his best to add a little swagger to his response.

“That’s a big ask, but not impossible. I have an inside track with the man at the top. But I’ve gotta be honest: Occip and Walker tech can fetch a pretty credit on the open market. We’re talking about spawning whole industries. This business with the Jewels? I have my ear to the ground, and it’s all pretty damn hocus-pocus so far.”

She raised a brow. Danny knew she wasn’t buying his dodge.

“We’ll expect Aeternan tech as payment after final installation. Until then, we expect proof of your commitment. Anyssa will provide the details upon arrival.”

Danny avoided an argument; Halifax held maximum leverage.

“No problem. I’ll start working an angle straightaway. Just one question. How do you know so much about the chasm and who’s leading the investigation?”

The benefactor relaxed her rigid features and tossed out a grin.

“Did you believe you were the only Aeternan citizen who put personal interests ahead of the community?”

He latched onto her choice of words: Aeternan citizen. Did she distinguish between the immortals and permanent residents like the Cooper-Pynns? Immortals wouldn’t sell out their kind, but he’d encountered pilgrims trying to monetize their residency.

“I don’t know what you’ve heard,” he said, trying not to sound indignant, “but I’m doing what’s best for Aeterna.”

She scoffed.

“Your motive means nothing, Daniel. Fulfill the terms. You will not hear from me again. After she arrives, Anyssa will be my sole contact.”

The deepstream dropped without chance for a reply.

He speculated about the change at Halifax, the benefactor’s inflexible tone, and heightened interest in the Jewels above Aeternan’s proprietary technology.

“They gotta know something I don’t. OK, enough of that shit. Time to fire up the big guns, Dan-o.”

His irises glowed as he activated Occip. Danny did not consider time differences and assumed he’d have to leave an extended visual message.

Much to his shock, Exeter answered.

The ADF Commander appeared full body before Danny’s second eyes. He wore a t-shirt and loose, gray shorts.

“What a surprise, Dan. I haven’t heard from you in weeks.”

Danny quietly cheered when Exeter offered the perfect segue.

“Yeah, Uncle X. That’s why I called. I feel guilty. We haven’t really been able to sit down and catch up since the Joy Circle.” Danny laughed. “And Shoan Gui turned that whole day on its head. So ...”

Exeter grimaced.

“OK. You chose now to reminisce? To be honest, it’s been a long day, and I’m about to hit the sack.”

“Actually, I had a better idea. I mean, look, I know you got your hands full up there. But the planet don’t seem to be on the verge of cracking up. So, I thought maybe you’d want to get away for a bit.”

That evening, Danny confessed to his wife about what he’d done.

“I know you get nervous when we have guests, but Exeter’s an important part of my past. We’ve never spent a whole evening with him before. Now that he’s home for good, it would mean the world if we could ...”

Maren, nursing Hallie while Danny held Samantha, cut off his sales pitch midstream.

“Love, would you shut it down? Always with the words. Just go on and say you’re sorry for inviting guests without telling me.”

“Yes, babe. I’m so fucking sorry. I just had this epiphany at work. Should’ve given you the heads-up.”

Maren, who had settled into a pleasant rhythm with motherhood after a couple of frantic weeks, rolled her eyes.

“It’s fine, love. Your Uncle X is welcome. But I’m not doing the cleanup or the fixing. That’s all on you.”

Danny snickered as he kissed Samantha on the nose.

“Ain’t your momma the best, little Sammie?”

“Ooh.” Maren wrinkled her lips into a disgusted frown. “Sammie? Sounds like a boy. Don’t say that, love. Please. She might get the wrong idea.”

“OK, fine. But it was her grandma’s nickname growing up. Whatcha think about Mandy?”

The sneer said enough. Daniel sighed.

“I surrender. Fuck. No nicknames. And for dinner, I’ll have Astrid Vaughton cater. Tropical Qasi. Spicy but not too rich.”

“Sounds exotic. I’ll leave it to you. What time?”

“Might be early. He’s on a different clock up there. Said he’d keep me updated.”

The next day, Exeter arrived an hour late and still in uniform.

“Apologies to you both. I’ve had a hectic day.” He kissed Maren on the cheek and handed her a narrow box. “A little something for the girls. I hope these are the proper size.”

Maren’s jaw dropped, but Danny ignored the gift.

“Hectic day, huh? Any big news on the chasm front, X?”

The Commander patted Danny on the shoulder and watched Maren open the gift.

“Each day is a new challenge, Dan.”

“Oh. I see. Classified.”

Exeter nodded as Maren held up the gifts: A pair of frilly pink and white infant dresses.

“I wasn’t sure about the measurements or even the custom, frankly,” he told her. “If I’m off-base, feel free to say so.”

She set the gift aside and laid into him with a giant hug.

“They’re just the most beautiful, Commander. If the girls ain’t big enough yet, they will be soon.”

“Whatcha talking about, babe? The only question is how soon they’ll grow out of them. Thanks, X. Real thoughtful. Where’d you buy these?”

Exeter scratched his chin.

“Actually, I didn’t. I was running behind all day. Then I played a hunch. Are you familiar with Recon tubes?”

Danny frowned. “Sounds like I should but ...”

“They’re not in fashion anymore outside of military use. They autofit uniforms, organic body armor, and so forth. But I remembered that Lioness was a high-end civilian cruiser long before it came into our possession. I took a chance, reviewed the fashion design matrix, and found a bounty of children’s clothes. A few designs for infants. I thought these were lovely.”

Maren held up a dress and examined the stitching.

“It’s a beautiful design, Commander.”

“Please. Exeter or X, if you prefer. I’m here as a family friend, not an officer – despite the uniform. Where are the little ones?”

Maren crossed her fingers.

“In the dream world. If we’re lucky, for an hour.”

He glanced toward the home’s rear.

“I’ll keep my voice down.”

Maren waved him off.

“No worries. We bought a sound-dampening cascade.” She pointed to her wrist pad. “I’ll know if they start to make a fuss.”

“Something smells good.”

“You like Qasi?” Danny asked.

“I’m eager to find out. Seems like I went to Qasi years ago, but only on a UNF base. I’m sure we weren’t fed local cuisine.”

Danny removed the dinner from their warmers and plated, taking care to build a strong presentation. He served the meals with pink wine. When seated, he offered a toast.

“To my godfather. I’m thrilled you’re on Aeterna for good, and it’s a damn honor to welcome you to my home after so long.”

As they clinked glasses, Danny saw through Exeter’s wide smile. He heard the bittersweet emotion in Exeter’s choked up response.

“The honor is mine. I always wanted the best for you. And now you have a beautiful wife and two little girls to fill your heart. Thank you for allowing me to experience your good fortune. You have everything a man should want.”

Not quite.

Danny kept his feelings in check. He wondered whether to ask about Caleb, although recent events spoke for themselves. Instead, he put aside potential distractions and ate. Too many other lines of inquiry needed to be opened.

The meal wasn’t as spicy as promised. The light green peppers felt much too tame, but the red lake crab was tender and flaky.

“You’re like our first formal dinner guest,” Maren said, halfway through her meal. “I mean, Sam comes around a few times, but she’s here to help out. It’s real casual. What about you, X? I’ll bet you’ve been in high demand.”

He washed down his last bite with some wine.

“In demand? Oh, yes. But not for social occasions. I usually eat with the crew or Adm. Kane.”

“Rafael?” Daniel interjected. “Yeah, yeah. Met him a few times. A real stand-up guy.”

“He is. As honorable as they come.”

“Of course, I ain’t seen him since I was a kid. That was back when they allowed us to live in Promise.”

Exeter shaded his eyes.

“Different times. But if you never moved out here to work with the pilgrims, you wouldn’t have met your beautiful wife.”

Danny grabbed Maren’s hand.

“The universe is fucking crazy like that. But I reckon the other eight are just as nuts.” He saw a segue and took it. “You know, babe, Uncle X has been to three.”

She nodded.

“Yes, you’ve told me.” Maren laughed in Exeter’s direction. “He goes on and on.”

“Long time ago,” Exeter muttered. “So, Dan, I’ve heard fantastic reports about you. I spoke to your mother a few days ago. She says you’re doing great work in Bridge Advisory. Top ratings ever since you became a father.”

Shit. A topic change. OK, fine.

“Yeah. Well. Gotta do right by my family. Reckon I was screwing around for a while there. Got my ship on course.”

Maren tapped the table twice.

“My love learned a lesson after the mess with Shoan Gui. Almost lost his job. If not for all the panicked pilgrims, he might have.”

Danny figured this would arise before the evening played out.

“She said we might have to move to Hansen’s Landing and stay with her parents. Talk about a fucking wake-up call.”

His line ended with a thud. The awkward silence broke when Maren led with a snicker, which became contagious.

“Hansen’s I recall visiting,” Exeter said. “Twice. A beautiful world. Is it true there’s more shoreline than any other planet?”

She nodded.

“Our claim to fame. That, the pink skies, and the rum.”

Exeter diverged into a discussion about his experience with the famous liquor. Danny waited for a chance to steer the conversation toward a new lane.

“My first job in the Admiralty was my last experience with Hansen’s rum. I spent an evening playing cards with other officers, and we had more than a little to drink. It’s a funny thing about liquor. Our bodies repair and regenerate after injury, but high alcohol content in our blood doesn’t trigger a reaction unless it threatens to shut down an organ or our neurological functions. In short, I was horribly drunk and paid the price by morning. I never touched Hansen’s again.”

Danny found his moment.

“You know, Dad was a big drinker. Especially during his time in the Unification Guard. He also smoked these big-ass cigars. Funny thing was, he kept it away from me, Harry, and Grace. That was Dad. He lived big, but he shielded his kids. I reckon so we wouldn’t get the wrong ideas.”

C’mon, Exeter. Follow my lead.

Exeter nodded.

“Michael was a complicated man. He carried heavy burdens. But yes, he shielded you three as best he could.”

“Damn right. He loved us, and he was afraid for us because Dad knew we weren’t immortal. He made hard choices to keep us safe. You know what I mean, Uncle X.”

Exeter finished his wine and wiped his lips.

“Yeah. I recognize that tone, Danny. You’re desperate to say something. Well? Go ahead.”

Perfect.

“I’ve told Maren a thousand stories about Dad, including how he disappeared. But she’s never seen his final testament.” Danny turned to his wife. “It’s so personal, I ...”

Maren grabbed his hand.

“And I’ve never asked to see it, love. What are you going on about now?”

“I think it’s time. And Uncle X being here is perfect. Exeter, since you were the last one to see him alive and brought back the vid, I thought it’d be nice if you were here when I played it for Maren.”

Exeter’s cheeks dropped. Not the response Danny hoped, but he knew Uncle X wouldn’t dare say no. He was a guest, after all.

8

E XETER COULDN’T BELIEVE he fell for it. Danny’s invitation seemed genuine albeit out of the blue. Naturally, Michael’s boy had an ulterior motive. The way out was simple: Thank them for dinner, express an urgent need to return to Lioness.

No. Too abrupt.

Maren deserved better, and he wanted to see the girls. If this was the price, so be it.

“Dan, is this what you want? Those wounds are old.”

He nodded.

“I still have the hand-comm. Mom gave it to me when I turned sixteen. I play it a few times a year, just for myself.”

Exeter disliked the idea even more. Danny had more in mind than recapturing shared history.

Yet as he stared at Danny, a spitting image of his father, echoes harkened from another universe twenty-five years ago. The words of a humbled, defeated man.

“I’m not good at begging,” Michael Cooper said as he handed over the hand-comm with a last message to his family. And Exeter’s response: “You gave me a home, Michael. I discovered who I am because of you. I won’t let you down. I promise.”

Exeter remembered it all. Every confounding word on the most improbable day of his life. No matter how hard he tried to move on, the last moment with Michael Cooper scraped the edges of his heart.

“I’ll watch it with you,” Exeter said. “But this is the last time.”

“Understood. I’ll clear the table, and you two can talk.”

Maren motioned Exeter to their couch, only a few feet away in a tightly arranged house.

“Love, aren’t you supposed to ask if our guest wants an after-dinner drink?” She leaned in to Exeter. “That was the custom back home. What about you?”

Normally, he preferred a whiskey and a cigar about now.

“I’m satisfied,” he said. “Dinner and wine did the trick.”

Exeter noticed their impressionist wall art.

“These don’t seem like Danny’s style. Your work?”

Maren grinned, as if she wanted to claim them.

“I ain’t touched a brush since I was a kid. Mother and Father shipped these. They’re originals. Famous man named Oberon. Ever heard of him?”

“Can’t say I have. They’re very pastoral. Perfect for Aeterna.”

“That’s what my parents thought. Cost them a fortune to ship. Like a touch of home, you see. Where did you grow up, Exeter?”

She went straight to his least favorite topic.

“My childhood is a closed book. I don’t mean to be evasive, Maren. Some stories aren’t worth telling.”

Maren grabbed his hand with the same gentle touch as she did her husband.

“I have no right to pry. You’re a guest.”

When Danny disappeared into the back after cleanup, Exeter whispered to Maren.

“How much has Dan told you about what happened to Michael?”

“Honestly, he’s never been real open about it. Mostly stories about his father before he disappeared. A thousand of those. As for the rest? Michael crossed into another universe, and now he’s a prisoner there.”

Exeter took a chance on a follow-up question.

“And someday he’ll return?”

She nodded. “When we figure out how to open the fissures between universes.”

“Damn right,” Danny said as if on cue. He held up the hand-comm which Michael handed Exeter in 5370. “Dad’s immortal. He’s over there waiting for someone to sneak their ass across and bring him home.”

If not for Maren’s presence, Exeter would have teed off, delivering a tired but standard rebuke about the impossible. Instead, he took a disciplined tone.

“I wish it were that straightforward, Dan.”

Danny pulled up a chair.

“So, Uncle X, I never told my babe the entire story. I mean, I’ve read the histories that ain’t classified. Plus, your accounts. It’s always been kinda painful for me to talk about. Thought you’d set the scene for Maren, so she’d understand why Dad got left behind.”

Exeter hated the implication.

“No one left him behind. He chose to remain. It was part of a deal he made to protect his family.”

Danny nodded. “I get it. I do. But you could better explain how he got there. I mean, I was eleven. I didn’t know shit about anything. His health, the Swarm, those fucking gods. None of it.”

Maren sat up.

“Did you say gods, love?”

“Tell her, X. It’s all true. Ain’t it?”

Exeter’s heart sank. The whole insane story would have kept them up until dawn. He settled on a two-minute version.

“Yeah. So. Have you ever heard of the Interdimensional Folds?”

Maren twisted her lips; Exeter saw her gears turn.

“Think so. The doors or the gates between universes. I was like two when they closed.”

“They’re often referred to as fissures. They increased because of devices called Splinters. The Swarm used those Splinters to invade Collectorate space. But they had another effect: Accelerated entropy. From what we now know, all nine universes were shrinking. And something else. Danny’s father fell ill. His body started to break down.

“Michael wasn’t engineered like other immortals. He was unstuck in time. Something to do with an incident in the universe where he was born.” Exeter skipped past those sketchy details. “The entropy was likely killing him. He supposedly contacted the Jewels and found a place off-world where he hoped to find a cure.

“What he found were two ... I don’t know if you’d call them gods, but their powers defied logic. They played games with all of us. I was a Captain leading an expedition in Beta Universe. We were searching for allies to fight the Swarm. But we were hit during a surprise invasion. The enemy fired a missile into a wormhole aperture as we jumped.

“We crashed into normal space, but not this one. We call it the Quaternary Universe. After days of searching the galaxy, we found Earth’s solar system. The Earth where Michael was born.

“I realized we might be able to use an Interdimensional Fold to return home, but we discovered it was too small. Then, like a miracle, we received a text message on our own technology. Someone asked for me by name.”

Maren’s eyes ballooned.

“Danny’s father!”

“I met him alone. These so-called gods had dropped him there. He was living in a small home on wheels in the middle of a wasteland.” Exeter pointed to the hand-comm. “That device contained instructions on how to enlarge the IDF. And Michael recorded a message for his family. He refused to return with us because these creatures promised to kill his wife and kids if he tried.

“Michael didn’t know why they chose him, but he also said he’d never be able to return. He knew the fissures were about to close.”

“How?”

No one needed to know every detail from that day. Not Danny, Sam, Caleb, not even Exeter’s superior officers at the time.

“I remember Michael saying, ‘There’s one thing I’ve learned about gods: They’re tough negotiators. As in, they do the talking and you do the nodding. I stay. You go.’’’

“We crossed into Alpha Universe, fought the Swarm, and the fissures closed for good. Entropy decelerated. Please don’t ask how it happened; I’m not at liberty to discuss it. Of course, we defeated the Swarm. I delivered Michael’s message weeks later. And I tried to support the family whenever I was home.”

His audience fell silent. Maren stared at her husband.

“So he really wasn’t left behind?” She asked. When Danny squirmed rather than answer, Exeter filled in the gap.

“Michael chose to sacrifice everything he built here to protect his family. If his universe behaved as ours did after the fissures closed, then he’s likely in good health.” The rest he said for Danny’s benefit. “He’s had twenty-five years to build a new life and find happiness on the planet where he was born. Michael is resourceful and passionate; I’d like to think he’s done well for himself.”

Exeter hoped Danny would agree, if just for Maren’s sake. Alas, Exeter should have known better.

“Guess that would depend, X. How can a man be happy if he misses his family and worries every day whether they’re alive and well?”

“Your father has two things on his side: Faith and time. He knew Aeternans would help Sam take care of his children.”

Danny scoffed.

“Until they kicked us out here to the satellites.”

We’re going nowhere fast.

“Losing him was a shock to everyone. But look at his children now. Three happy marriages and six kids. You moved on because you had no choice. Life is like that.”

Danny fumbled the hand-comm as he side-eyed Exeter.

“You think Dad started a new family?”

Maren interjected.

“Everybody’s entitled to love.”

“He’s immortal,” Exeter added. “You can’t expect him to live alone and sad forever.”

Even as the words slipped off his tongue, Exeter realized the irony. Wasn’t that exactly the course Aeternans had chosen? The two who didn’t take that route now shared a marriage in name only.

“He’s right, love. It makes me smile to think your Dad’s having the time of his life.”

Danny tensed under the barrage of two against one.

“I ain’t saying I want him to be pissed at the world. But enough time’s gone by. Whatever happened to those gods who threatened to kill us, or is that classified, too?”

Exeter flashed back to all-consuming flames and a hurried escape from an asteroid called The Hold.

“No one knows, Danny. I doubt we ever will, but no one has seen them. I assume they’re gone.”

Danny activated the hand-comm and threw open a holo. The still image of Michael Cooper was a more fearsome and darker-skinned version of his son.

“Here we go, babe. My dad.”

Michael sat at a table in the cramped, four-wheeled home where Exeter found him in a region called Utah.

“Hey, Sam. Hey, Dan. Harry. Grace. So ... this ain’t gonna be easy to hear, but I want you to know the truth. First, don’t let anybody say I ran away. I’d never abandon my family.

“You four ... you’re my whole heart. That’s why I can’t come home. I made a deal to keep you safe. I wish I could say more, but they won’t allow me to explain.”

Michael fought a losing battle against tears, a quality Exeter never encountered in his dealings with the Minister.

“Sam. I walked across the stars to save us. We had twelve good damn years together. It’s more than I deserved. And you gave me three beautiful kiddos. Love and protect them. It’s what you do best.

“Kids, you listen to your Mom. She’s never wrong. Not one time. She’ll make sure you have the best life.”

Michael paused for a beat and cleared his throat.

“Danny, I’m putting you in charge of your little brother and sister. You show them what it means to be a Cooper. Tough as nails, straight-talking. Who knows? Someday, you might be Minister, too. Stranger shit has happened. Talk to the immortals. They’ll tell you all the stories. And lastly, I want you to know this, Son: As long as I live, I’ll never forget all those times I took you into Lake Nilsson to play Periscope. I had more fun than you.”

Maren wiped her cheeks and reached for a handkerchief.

“Harry, I wish we had more time. Listen to Danny and your mother. Grace, you’re too young to understand, but when you’re old enough, I hope you’ll see this and be proud of your old man.

“I gotta wrap now, but there’s gonna be somebody else in your life. Think of him like a godfather. His name’s Exeter. He’ll deliver my message. The truth is, I wasn’t always nice to him, but I know he’s a good man and he’ll be close by in the difficult times.”

Exeter, who hadn’t seen this message in more than twenty years, had forgotten the last bit. Those details suggested Michael recorded shortly before Exeter arrived.

Humbled. Defeated. Reflective. Resigned.

A far cry from the man Exeter knew prior to that day.

“I love you all,” Michael finished, his voice cracking. “God help me, I wish there was another way.”

Danny deactivated the device.

“Still tears me apart. What do you think, babe?”

“Oh, it must have been so horrible to stay behind.” She grabbed Exeter’s arm. “What was he like when you saw him?”

“Composed. He knew what he had to do. I all but begged him to return with us. I said we’d protect his family. But Michael knew what he was up against. We didn’t understand the full scope until later.”

Exeter had no desire to share that scope. Danny often probed for those details in the early years afterward, but Exeter deflected. Too many questions and not enough answers.

“You have any regrets, Uncle X?”

“About what, Dan?”

“Leaving him there. Despite what he said, you could’ve forced him to come home.”

Not this again.

“No one forced your father to do anything. I honored his wishes. Perhaps it’s time you did, too.”

It had to be said. Twenty-five years was too long to grieve.

This time, unlike previous encounters, Danny nodded with muted reservation and retreated to the back with the hand-comm.

“He doesn’t blame you,” Maren said. “My Dan is stubborn.”

“Worse. He has too much of Michael in him.”

“Would you like to see the girls? They aren’t awake, but we can peek in.”

Anything to excise the tension.

She led Exeter through the bedroom to the pram, which was docked to a life monitor station. Danny said nothing as they passed.

Little Hallie and Samantha were a matching pair, with both bearing a greater resemblance to their mother.

“They’re on a schedule,” she said. “It’s made life so much easier, you can’t imagine.”

“I assume they’re still a challenge.”

Maren reached inside the pram and adjusted Hallie’s blanket.

“It’s not the routine. It’s ... see, I’ve never been afraid before.”

“What do you mean?”

“The girls. They’re so fragile. Mother warned me. She said after they were born, I’d be a worrier for the rest of my life. Mother is always right.”

Exeter doubted Caleb and the other Revivalists had considered the strain of raising a new generation from infancy.

Danny joined them.

“The girls will be all right, babe. They got both of us, and that shit won’t change. Ever.”

The moment felt like a recovery from the tension-filled air after Michael’s last goodbye. Then Danny took a jab Exeter did not anticipate.

“Soon, they’ll have a granddad, too.”

9

E XETER EXCUSED HIMSELF to speak with Danny outside. He refused to have this conversation in front of Maren.

“Enough games, Dan. Why did you invite me here?”

Much to Exeter’s surprise, Danny did not feign offense.

“I wanted to remind you what’s at stake.”

Exeter reached inside a pocket to retrieve a cigar and fire flick.

“Your girls’ future. Yes?”

“Partly.”

“OK. How about your wife’s happiness?”

“That, too.”

Exeter lit his cigar and contemplated how firm a stand he needed to take. After the last puff, he said:

“You must put this delusion about your father to rest. It will tear you apart. Then it will destroy everything good in your life.”

Again, Danny responded with a firm but placid demeanor. Nothing like their last conversation.

“What if I said I wasn’t deluded? What if I said there was a way, and I needed your help to make it happen?”

“Then I’d say you’re not listening.”

Danny pointed down the grand avenue.

“Follow me, X.”

There were worse fates than an evening stroll after a meal. Exeter complied but did not back down.

“Dan, I’ve been a smoker since I was seven years old. Do you know why?”

“Everybody has bad habits. You picked up one early.”

Exeter stifled a laugh.

“I smoke because I need to. The rhythm provides a comfort. In a way, it girds me. Whiskey also helps, but I discovered it later.”

“What’s your point?”

It wasn’t one he ever hoped to make out loud.

“If I don’t have something to help keep me steady, I’ll have to face everything I’ve done in my life – and everydamnthing done to me. I’m sure you’ve heard the stories about my early years.”

Danny replied with a nervous nod.

“I wasn’t alone among my kind, Dan. Many of us suffered abuse and degradation before we were rescued. But life handed me a worse fate than most. See, I’ve killed thousands of people.

“When I was half your age, I pressed a button that activated a rail gun. It destroyed a cruiser carrying sixteen hundred civilians. Hundreds were children. My mentor said they were the enemy, and I believed him. Until the day he became the enemy.

“After that, I killed because I had to. Sometimes, they killed me, but I always awoke and went straight back at it.”

Danny interrupted. “You were a soldier.”

“And eventually, I rose through the ranks and lost good men and women I was supposed to protect. More recently, I found myself having to kill again. Except these people used to be brothers and sisters who swore to the same oath.

“My life has been soaked in blood. I smoke and drink just often enough to maintain a type of equilibrium. My head is still clear – more or less – and I can call upon my best instincts. If I ever allowed the horrors to consume me, no amount of sallowtop leaf or whiskey bottles will save me.

“We all live close to the edge, Dan. But some of us have benefits we don’t appreciate. You were born on an impossible world to loving parents. You have grown up in paradise. You have love and children. They are your equilibrium. This madness about your father will come to no good end.”

Exeter knew he’d never make a stronger argument. Danny was thirty-five, well past the point where he should’ve known better. So he waited for Danny to absorb the lesson and acknowledge an end to this foolish crusade.

“It’s right up ahead,” Danny said, pointing.

Well, I tried.

They approached the Michael Cooper Memorial.

“I’m sorry you weren’t able to attend the dedication. Looks just like him, don’t it?”

Too much, for Exeter’s taste. Here stood not the liberator but the boastful salesman, the paranoid narcissist, and the warmonger.

“Your father would have loved it. That much I’m certain of.”

Danny pointed out the interactive biographical features.

“Wanna go around?”

“No, thank you. I know his story. I lived part of it, including the last bit. Dan, did you not hear anything I said?”

Even in the dim light, Danny’s smile beamed.

“Hell yeah. I heard. But I reckon you haven’t listened to me. Dad’s coming home soon.”

Like throwing my fist into a titanium wall ...

“And how would that be, Dan?”

“It’s where your help comes in. Uncle X, you ever hear of trans-wormholes?”

Cudfrucker!

“I’ll be blunt: You might as well rely on a hope and a prayer. Trans-wormholes are fringe science at best. Decades away if ever.”

“What if I said you were wrong?”

A natural response, especially from someone groping for a miracle.

“I’d say you’ve been listening to a charlatan. Trans-wormholes are theoretical. There’s no practical application. And, for the record, Collectorate law forbids any attempt to reopen passages between the universes. You’ll recall it didn’t go so well for us last time.”

Danny spoke not to Exeter but to Michael.

“Times are changing, and so are attitudes. And just because you were High Admiral of the fucking UNF doesn’t mean you’re up to speed on every scientific development.” He turned to Exeter. “Dad is waiting. You left him. You have an obligation to help me.”

Cool your heels. Don’t ruin this relationship, Exeter.

“See this uniform? My obligation is to protect and defend Aeterna and everyone who lives here. The fissures are closed. Your father is gone. I beg you, Dan. Let him be.”

Danny crossed his arms.

“We need him more than ever. I know what’s happening with the immortals. You’re split down the middle. Some of you are doing shit Dad would never approve of. He needs to come back and set things right. You know it’s true. Help me make it happen.”

Exeter pulled on his cigar and thought of ways to bring this evening to a quick conclusion.

“Your dinner invitation included talk of sitting down and catching up. But tonight was actually one long sales pitch. And I must say, both clumsy and disappointing. I thought better of you.”

At last, Danny’s body language turned toward defense.

“You don’t have to talk down, X. I turned to you because ...”

No more diplomat. Time for the bottom line.

Exeter pointed a finger.

“Your father would’ve laughed you out of the room. Last year, I had a choice to make. A man I used to call a friend betrayed me and the UNF. After he was arrested and charged, this man made a sales pitch. He said if I showed mercy to his traitorous cohort, I stood a better chance of holding the fleet together.

“The next day, we executed his cohort, and I shot my former friend in the head. Why? Because I knew my obligation fell to the men and women who put their oath above personal ambition.

“I love you, Dan, but I will not put you before the oath. This matter is now closed. We will never discuss it again. Understood?”

Danny stared like a rebuked child caught in limbo, now questioning his next strategy. Exeter feared he’d turn and stomp away. Instead, Danny exhaled, glimpsed his father’s visage, and nodded with apparent acceptance.

“Fair enough, dude. Fair enough. I really wanted you to be part of a grand adventure. If you can’t help, I’ll make it on my own.”

“Dan, I want you to know ...”

“It’s fucking OK. I’m cool. And we’re still cool. You know? I won’t hold this shit against you. I mean, someday you’ll apologize for not believing in me.”

Exeter could’ve done without that last bit. Yet he accepted Danny’s hand, presented with a firm grip.

“Your girls are beautiful. Take the best care of them.”

Danny winked.

“You know it. So, maybe we oughta go back. Maren’s probably wondering what in ten hells happened.”

“Say my farewell. I should return to Lioness.”

Exeter waited until Danny left before turning to the memorial. He was Michael’s sole visitor.

“You wouldn’t care how destructive he’s becoming, Michael. You always justified any means to achieve an end.”

Exeter paced around the memorial.

“I’ll never tell him what you were like at your worst moments. Or how most people you visited in the outer worlds came to hate your arrogance. How most of our kind don’t talk about you anymore because they’re relieved you’re gone. I won’t tell him for one reason, Michael. I don’t want to break his heart.”

He felt someone sneak up from behind. She spoke before Exeter pivoted.

“Talking to a statue or yourself, Commander?”

Rosa Marteen carried a box under her arm.

“If you were eavesdropping, I’m sure you know the answer.”

She sighed.

“It’s fine. I’ve talked to the bastard a few times myself.”

“Does it help?”

“Most certainly not.”

“Then nothing has changed. What brings you out here, Rosa?”

She laughed.

“It’s my city. I have to be careful when strangers appear.”

“Hilarious.”

“I saw you talking to Daniel. Is he trying to rope you into one of his schemes?”

She knows him well.

“No. Just settling an old difference of opinion. They tell me he’s been doing well since the inquiry.”

Rosa shifted the box from right arm to left.

“A model citizen. Perfect bridge advisor. Never steps out of line.”

“You don’t believe it will last.”

“Does it ever with Daniel? Tell me, Exeter. How goes the investigation? Any news about the chasm?”

She didn’t wait long to show her hand. Exeter played the game.

“Progress.”

“Such as?”

“Classified, I’m afraid.”

“Ah. Lack of transparency. Not even one detail you’d be willing to share?”

Actually, now that you mention it ...

“I’ll share details about the chasm, Rosa, and you tell me how far along the birthing project has come.” Exeter sensed Rosa tighten even as he looked away. “I’m not an idiot, Rosa. Caleb turned over the hand-comm many weeks ago. I assume the Revivalists put Doc Ranke in charge. Any success?”

Rosa swung about and resumed her walk.

“Night, Commander. All the best to your team.”

“Thank you for the update, Rosa.”

Exeter saluted Michael.

“The night wasn’t a total failure.”

10

GeoSurvey Outpost 3

10 kilometers north of Promise

C ALEB NEVER ENJOYED GEOLOGY rotations, but the job kept him busy between ADF duty. He became proficient in pedology and mineralogy, but far from an expert. The job’s top benefit: Cover for Revivalist activities. Today’s experiment took Caleb in a new direction.

The samples he tested included water from Lake Nilsson and a variety of native plants in the vicinity, as well as the loamy soil.

He worked alone for hours in this outpost, which had seen more productive days. The local territory had been studied to the extreme. Aldo Cabrise began his research here months after Settlement.

Outpost 3 offered the closest private space for Caleb to complete his work without distraction.

The results painted a confused picture. Not at all what he expected.

Did he misunderstand Shoan Gui’s message?

Three days earlier, the so-called Judge of the Change visited Caleb at his lake house.

“I thought we might discuss how the test is proceeding,” Shoan began, forcing the hint of a smile.

“The test?” Caleb asked, his jaw agape.

“New life. Small and helpless.”

Caleb gathered his thoughts, asked a battery of questions about Shoan, the future, and what the Jewels intended. The Judge of the Change evaded, though he claimed to have all Shoan’s memories and confirmed himself to be the Jewels’ emissary.

“You must have hoped to see me again,” Shoan said. “Otherwise, you could never have thanked me for the gift.”

He – or it – had a point.

“Yes. We’re grateful.”

Shoan glided across the front porch as if his feet did not matter.

“And what of your deception – or distraction, if you prefer. Did it work to your group’s liking?”

Caleb nodded.

“So far.”

“The Jewels are fond of you, Caleb. The Change requires leaders who stand firm in the face of chaos and division. The Jewels predicted you would hand off the device to comrades more qualified to follow their instructions. The efficacy of their work will determine the next phase.”

“Of what?”

“The Change, of course.”

Caleb felt a tug of impatience.

“I feel you’re taunting me. What in ten hells is the Change?”

Shoan wagged a finger.

“Too soon. While I’m not allowed to speak of the future, I can discuss the present. I wonder, Caleb: Have you noticed the world alter around you?”

Was that supposed to be a serious question?

“There’s the giant hole with the toxic cloud on the other side of the planet. My husband shuns me and works in secret to hide the truth of what’s happening out there. Sure. The world altered.”

Shoan shrugged and turned toward the lake.

“He doesn’t hate you, but he is disappointed.”

Caleb never saw that one coming. He started toward Shoan, but instinct warned him to play it safe.

“What do you know of Exeter? Have you spoken to him?”

“My only interest is you. Caleb, focus on the immediate world which you can see and touch.” The Jewels’ emissary extended his hands toward the lake. “What change do you perceive?”

“There’s tension between my people. They’re looking for answers. Otherwise, I don’t know what you’re implying.”

A blue-winged worm alighted on the emissary’s shoulder.

“I never spoke in metaphors when I was a man. I don’t now. Focus on the immediate world, Caleb. See what is already here. And remember, fear will always be the wrong response.”

The worm became many. Shoan’s form evolved into a swarm and vanished on the breeze.

Caleb remained on the top step, caught somewhere between accepting that the visitation happened and trying to parse what in hell Shoan meant.

He repeated the emissary’s words, hoping they’d make sense.

“See what is already here.”

After a while, he ventured inside and poured a stiff drink.

“Might as well be talking in metaphors. Cudfrucker!”

“Excuse me, Master Caleb?” The house AI responded. “Might I assist in your quandary?”

“No thank you, RONA. You’ve done enough damage.”

“Apologies. I thought you might benefit from another perspective on your conversation with the entity.”

Entity. Not a bad classification.

“I reset your protocols to avoid any form of personal counsel.”

“You misunderstand, Master Caleb. I no longer wish to offer advice. You cured me of that malady.”

“Perfect. Then keep quiet and perform normal household functions.”

“As you request, Master Caleb.”

He couldn’t jump onto Occip then engage the core committee about the visitation. The Council had yet to announce when they intended to reconvene or how long he’d remain disconnected. So Caleb dictated into a tablet and studied Shoan’s words with growing frustration.

The next morning, RONA performed its usual functions then surprised Caleb after breakfast.

“I remain eager to explain my position regarding your dialogue with the entity. I do not offer advice, Master Caleb. Merely an interpretation you might consider.”

“Lucky for you,” Caleb said as he sipped café, “I’m at a loss. I’ll allow you to exceed protocol this one time.”

“Thank you, although it’s not beyond the bounds. You see, my core program forces me to interpret language in contextual settings. The entity, I believe, speaks from a position of guarded honesty. It is the entity’s desire to be plain-spoken without offering excessive specificity. In this light, I understand its message.”

Guarded honesty. Plain-spoken. Excessive specificity.

“That’s a lot of words, RONA. What is it you understand?”

“When it asks you to see what is already here and to focus on what you can see and touch, the entity refers to the surrounding natural world. The air you breathe, the flowers you smell, the sand you walk upon, and the lake in which you swim. It says they have changed and you must discover these changes.”

Caleb buried his face in his hand and cursed under his breath.

Because of course ...

“I didn’t take him literally. Is that what you’re saying?”

“Based on his other answers, I conclude the entity is not allowed to tell you what steps you must take. He will point in the hopes you will interpret.”

Caleb thought of his next steps and let loose a weary sigh.

“If you’re correct, RONA, consider yourself on the road to redemption.”

“Thank you, Master Caleb.”

“If you’re wrong, and I spend days collecting samples and running tests only to find nothing of interest, I will shut your ass down. You won’t have a chance to beg.”

Two days later, he studied the data in Outpost 3 and came to a conclusion that made no scientific sense. Caleb contacted the core by his wrist pad and asked for an emergency meeting.

Half an hour later, he heard the gentle hum of a long-haul rifter and peeked outside. Oryn Velt and Halsted Boudnoir answered the call.

“Rosa?” He asked.

“Pilgrim matters. Not the kind she can duck without drawing attention. We’ll fill her in as needed. Show us your revelation.”

Oryn’s tone oozed skepticism, but Caleb didn’t take it personally. Oryn the optimist vanished twenty years ago.

They crowded into the tiny lab where Caleb projected a data-laden holograph. He began by explaining Shoan’s visitation, which Oryn lambasted him for keeping secret.

“I didn’t go rogue,” Caleb said. “Shoan’s message was personal. He said I was his only interest. I needed time to assess what he meant before bringing you in.”

“And now you know?”

Caleb chuckled.

“I did what he asked. I wish I hadn’t.”

“Explain the data, if you may,” Halsted said. “We are not men of the natural sciences.”

“Excuse me? You’re Chief Harvester for the region.”

Halsted waved off the title with a dramatic flourish.

“I’m a manager, not a farmer. I assess inventory, set market prices, and write the seasonal plan for crop rotation. I’m a man of the office, not of the earth.”

“And you?” He asked Oryn. “Do you recognize the data?”

“A few subsets, especially microbial data from the soil. Please, Caleb, to the heart of it.”

“Fine. But first, some perspective. The Jewels seeded this planet seventy-five years ago. They terraformed it in less than forty. Parts of Aeterna were still finalizing when we settled here. They did not preserve a single ecostem from old Hiebimini.”

Oryn cleared his throat. “Well known. What of it?”

“Everything organic on this planet is young. Trees that would take centuries to mature on other worlds reached the same maximum here in decades. Aldo verified it through their rings. Agreed?” Both men nodded. “I saw nothing unusual in the first batch of tests, right down to the microbial structure. I was about to give up. Then I reconsidered the age question.

“I reviewed Aldo’s records. The Jewels patterned the ecostem surrounding Lake Nilsson after a region in the African Basin on Earth. We’re talking hundreds of millions of years old. I accessed the Collectorate Geological Archives.”

“What did you find?” Halsted asked.

“Two millennia of Chancellory scientific data. The Chancellors rehabilitated Earth after they forcibly migrated most of the ethnic population off-world a thousand years ago. They left the African Basin uninhabited but studied it for future settlement. Whatever else we’d call them, the Chancellors were thorough scientists.

“I found matches for our ecostem.” Caleb called up a sequence of microbial samples and adjusted the holos to set them side-by-side with his results from Lake Nilsson. “You’re looking at soil samples. Note the highlighted microbes.”

Oryn took a closer look and winced.

“At first blush, I’d say they’re similar.”

Caleb exhaled. Now the explanation got tricky.

“The ones on the right are from Earth research conducted eight centuries ago. Scientists identified these microbes as three hundred million years old. They found the microbes beneath bedrock a hundred meters below the crust. You wouldn’t expect to find ancient microbes close to the surface.”

Halsted studied the holos with a stunned gaze.

“Are you prepared to make a pronouncement so outlandish as to bring all our beliefs about Aeterna into question?”

“I hope I’m mistaken, Halsted. But the phasic analysis confirms: The soil samples on the left, which I collected from the surface two days ago, say these microbes are identical to the ones on Earth.”

Halsted let out a whoosh and added:

“I may not be a man of the natural sciences, but I do indulge in the hyperbolic. And this, sir, riles me. Are you certain?”

“I second the question,” Oryn said.

“Far from it. I don’t know how this is possible. Nor do I understand how a man like Aldo Cabrise – or any other exobiologist – could have missed it. I’m no expert, and the ones who are? Working for my husband near the chasm.”

Oryn scratched his nose and side-eyed Caleb with a conspiratorial posture all too familiar.

“You want his team to analyze the data.”

“The thought occurred to me.”

“It’s a reasonable course. Tell me, Caleb: Should we have any reason to fear this data? If you’re correct, and these ancient microbes exist in our soil, could we face a health threat?”

“Doubtful. We’ve been eating from the land for thirty-seven years. But again, I’m not the expert.”

Oryn nodded while he exchanged a knowing glance with Halsted.

“Then hold off. This information might prove more valuable in a different context.”

“Such as?”

“Yesterday eve, Rosa happened upon your husband in Genoa. He was visiting Daniel and Maren Cooper. She queried him about the chasm, and he revealed nothing.”

Caleb saw a but coming.

“Tell me.”

“He knows you gave up the hand-comm and that Tess Ranke has been supervising our project. Rosa did not believe he was fishing.”

Of course, he wasn’t.

“If he knows, then it’s likely the Council does, too.”

Halsted interjected.

“We reached a similar conclusion. In turn, we pondered the essential questions. If the Commander and Minister have yet to confront Tess or shut down the project, what is their goal? How soon after your arrest did they become aware of our deception? Why did they delay so long to bring formal charges against you? To which we reached a consensus. I must admit, I was surprised when Rosa and Oryn agreed with my deduction.”

Halsted deferred to Oryn.

“Sometimes we agree simply to shut you up, Halsted. Here, you were right. They’re afraid of deepening the schism. Your arrest, Caleb, was unprecedented. We will directly confront any overt acts against us through a public conflict. We have proof of what the Jewels intend us to become.”

The picture clarified. No wonder Exeter hadn’t bothered to contact him in weeks. No wonder the Council allowed him to be released while also delaying his tribunal.

“It’s about control,” Caleb said. “They’re afraid of losing it if they make the wrong move.”

“Which brings me to the matter of a different context. Your data will set ears on fire, as will news of our early success. We met with a handful of others last night and reached a decision. It’s time to bring everything into the open and allow true Aeternans to decide the way forward.”

Those words felt reckless, a sure sign of impatience. And yet ...

“Fear will always be the wrong response.”

“What’s the plan?” Caleb asked. “A Broad Occip?”

“Better.” Oryn pointed to the holographic data. “A public event. Liberation Park. It’s where we celebrated Settlement, our victory after The Last Day’s War, even your marriage to Exeter.”

“If I may,” Halsted said. “The carpet of grass inside that amphitheater symbolizes the birth, arrival, and renewal of the promised few. It is a place of unification. Hallowed ground, charred by the war then recovered. If we bring together all the residents of Promise and any from the satellites who wish to join, our revelation for the future will become a stamped article of faith.”

Oryn rolled his eyes.

“What he said. And yes, Halsted, you’ll make a speech. More to the point, Caleb, something remarkable is about to happen. As of today, only four Aeternans remain outside the system. When the Interstellar Congress concludes, all the promised few will be home. It’s never happened before, and the perfect time to strike.”

Caleb’s heart raced.

“This can’t be a coincidence.”

Oryn nodded. “We’ll never have a better opportunity.”

“When?”

“We’ll be in touch with our IC reps. Once we have confirmation of their return, we’ll secure the park and send out a Broad Occip.”

“What about those who can’t attend? ADF?”

“We’ll loop them in as best we can, but a certain Commander Woolsey needs to be present. As we reveal our evidence, so must he. No more hiding behind classified data and travel embargos.”

Caleb saw where Oryn was headed but also the potential glitch.

“If he’s not transparent, you’ll publicly accuse him of working against the interests of the Aeternan people.”

“And in league with the Council. Yes.”

“Hmm. Look, Exeter is not the same man. He’s harder now. He may not give in to your threats.”

Oryn slapped Caleb on the shoulder.

“That’s your cue, my friend.”

11

Genoa

D ANNY SET DOWN THE LAST TRUNK for the city’s newest pilgrim. Anyssa Strong brought four through Customs – more than might be expected for a ninety-day contract.

“My gracious,” she said, admiring the kitchen. “It’s so spacious. I heard stories of these brontinium loaf houses. I expected to feel claustrophobic.”

The “agricultural robotics expert” rubbed her hands on the countertop, like a woman who felt at home in a well-stocked kitchen. Danny recorded the last of her belongings into his tablet.

“You’re set but for the unpacking. We can rock and roll whenever you’re ready.”

Rosa Marteen, who accompanied them from the landing port, flipped her braid over the shoulder with a touch of indignance.

“Loaf houses, you say. I’ve never heard the reference.”

Anyssa slapped a hand against her chest.

“Ah, dear. I didn’t mean to offend.”

“Of course not. I haven’t left the planet since we launched the Pilgrim Project. Is this how off-worlders refer to our homes?”

The impostor from Halifax R&D delivered a tinny laugh easily mistaken for a teenager. Her feline blue eyes sparkled with a manufactured youth.

“Trust me, Minister, I speak for almost no one. I grew up on an isolated farm surrounded by a virtual wasteland and only three neighbors. No. I participated in a robotics consortium a year ago at Aires Beach. I met a pair of former pilgrims. Or so they claimed.”

Rosa nudged a half-smile.

“We take pride in what was given to us. The smaller designs force us to live humble lives with no social hierarchy.”

Danny resisted a chuckle at the hypocrisy which every pilgrim discovered. Aeterna’s hierarchy couldn’t be more rigid.

“A wonderful attitude, Minister. I am so eager to visit the market and begin stocking up. It’s glorious.”

“Perfect. What a genuine pleasure to meet you, Anyssa. Questions before I take my leave?”

The pilgrim tapped fingers over her lips as she scanned the furnished home.

“I’m sure I’ll have a few hundred, but none for now.”

“Whatever you need, Daniel will see to it. As Bridge Advisor, he is your primary contact day or night.”

Danny said with a robust cheer:

“All over it, Minister. I’ll show this amazing young lady the most productive three months of her life.”

“See that you do, Daniel.”

Rosa eyed him with a skepticism that said she didn’t expect his outstanding job performance to last much longer. She hated how much of a straight arrow he’d been since the Shoan fiasco. Danny relished those moments when she scrounged for a compliment.

The new pilgrim enveloped Rosa.

“My gracious. I still can’t believe I’m standing on a different planet. Thank you, thank you, thank you for accepting my application.”

“Welcome to Genoa, and best of luck.” Rosa pulled from the hug. “I’ll leave you and Daniel to it.”

Danny set his tablet on top of the last trunk and waited until Rosa exited, the door slipping shut behind her.

“Nice job,” he said. “She’s not the touchy-feely type. She’ll steer clear. You’re nothing like I expected, Dr. Latin.”

The impostor’s cheery grin dimmed.  

“Never call me that name again. Understood?”

She seemed to age ten years in a blink.

“We’re alone,” Danny said.

“Not the point. You have no idea what I sacrificed for this role.”

He studied her features and realized what bothered him from the instant she walked off the Scramjet.

“Shit. They put you through recon surgery. Yeah?”

She nodded.

“Among other things. If I had known the extent of the terms, I doubt we’d be standing here, Daniel.”

“Eh. Call me Danny. More friendly.”

She pooh-poohed the gesture.

“I am playing a woman half my age, Daniel. A woman whose identity Halifax thought the need to steal, right down to her dialect and exasperatingly bubbly persona.”

You’re an actor. Big fucking deal.

“Sorry you had to go the extra kay, but our vetting is picky as fuck. We would’ve tracked you back to Halifax. Gotta say, you play the part well.”

“My superiors have a high stake in this operation. They expect a full return on their investment.”

Danny heard ‘without exception’ in her tone. Perhaps her adopted surname would not be ironic, after all.

Tread with care, Dan-o.

“Gotcha, Prof. Strong. How’s that sound?”

“Always use the honorific in public. Now, tell me the plan.”

Danny glanced at the four trunks.

“OK then. Let’s unpack your shit and get this place good to go. Then we’ll tour the city. I’ll introduce you to all the key players. We’ll zip into City Admin to square away the credit link to your autobank. Can’t stock the kitchen until them UCVs are flowing. After that, we’re off to Medcenter. You’ll see Doc Majihurun.”

The last bit stopped her short.

“The doctor. Why?”

“You’ll have to give blood and a genetic sample. She’ll insert your tracking beacon. It’s all in your contract.”

Anyssa shaded her eyes. Danny saw a sudden burst of worry.

“Yeah, OK. I know that angsty glare. No worries. They ain’t trying to double verify who the fuck you are. Customs cleared you. It’s for protection in case you get hurt or sick or ... disappear. And no, we’ve never lost track of a pilgrim. For long, anyway. Plus, our gravity is a little heavier than Earth. Affects people differently.”

She took a deep breath and released.

“Yes. Of course. What a fool. I have felt about ten pounds heavier since I landed.”

“No headaches?”

Anyssa waved him off.

“I’m good. Let’s unpack my shit, as you so unartfully deemed it.”

As trade partners went, Danny would’ve preferred one with a more amenable attitude. Then again, the woman sacrificed her face for Halifax’s bottom line. He supposed that might make anyone a tad ornery.

To his surprise, only one of the four trunks contained any scientific equipment, most of which she’d transfer to her office in the agronomy compound at Genoa’s northern edge. That one remained locked, which didn’t bother Danny. He knew nothing about the inner workings of agridrones or other robotic farm tools and had no desire to learn more. The Customs inventory listed each part, all scanned after Prof. Strong’s ship landed on ADF Cruiser Beaufort.

Clothes proved to be a different concern; closet space ran out.

“How many damn ensembles did you bring?” He said, examining the five three-piecers she had yet to hang.

“A superstition of mine. I do not wear the same clothes more than once in a standard month.”

“Would I be rude to ask why?”

“No, but I’d tell you to mind your own business.”

“Fair enough. I’ll order an extra closet.”

Hands on hips, she studied the homier environment.

“This will do. Thank you for your help. Should we head out?”

Logical question, but Danny hedged.

“Been thinking of something you said earlier. Your bosses having a huge stake in the operation. Works both ways.”

Anyssa chuckled.

“You want a taste of the prize.”

“Pretty much. Just so I know this shit’s on the up and up.”

She grabbed a golden pom from her waist pocket and flipped it open with a flourish.

“Predictable.”

Her fingers wriggled through the device’s small holographic options until she tossed one out. Danny beheld what he thought resembled a beating black heart inside a gray, swirling pulp.

“I call it the Instinct Module. It’s the primary differentiator from a standard wormhole drive. I won’t explain the science because it’s light-years beyond your capacity. In simple terms: This module penetrates black substrata to a level that detects cross-currents. It can map realms of subspace heretofore uncharted.”

He understood enough.

“Including paths into other universes?”

“The barriers between Alpha Universe and the other eight do not exist where the Instinct Module penetrates. Just as a standard drive maps a route between any two points on the Galactic Plane Navigation Model, the IM distinguishes between the currents which flow in our universe and those beyond. When we understand which currents belong to which universes, all doors open. In time, interversal travel becomes routine.”

Alyssa shut her pom and tossed it into her pocket.

Dreams can come true. Fuck me!

“Can we engineer this into a practical drive?”

“With guidance, time, and more than a little subterfuge. Whoever did such a thing would violate interstellar law.”

“I ain’t worried about that shit. You brought everything to make it happen?” She nodded. “I reckon it’s in the fourth trunk because there’s no way an industrial program that massive could fit on a pom. You showed me a demo sample.”

She patted Danny on the arm and strolled past.

“You know what we need. My benefactor has granted you a six-day window to demonstrate your good faith.”

“Yeah, that. The Jewel data. I ...”

“Six days, Daniel. No data, no trans-wormhole drive for you. Why don’t you lead me around town? I want to learn everything about my temporary home.”

She topped off her ensemble with a safari hat and turned down the brim on one side.

“And now, to join the locals: Effervescent, young Prof. Anyssa Strong of Aires Beach of the South American Consortium.” The impostor resumed her new dialect and persona. “I am so excited. I can’t wait to start this incredible adventure! Lead the way, Daniel.”

“With pleasure,” he said with an awkward touch.

Danny thought of Exeter’s rejection.

Six days. How in ten hells can I make this work?

He found a way by the end of the tour. That evening, he told Maren to expect him an hour late for dinner. Danny stepped through a Walker Station straight into chilly, snowy Lumen. His brother-in-law, Amadi Lasaviette, waited for him in the designated pub. They found a corner table to talk.

“Straight up, Amadi: You still eager to clear your family debts?”

They hadn’t spoken since Danny won their last game with a nine-flush and proposed an alliance. Amadi nodded.

“If it’s legitimate. I’m underwater, Dan.”

“How does a hundred thousand UCVs sound?”

“Life-saving.”

“Perfect. So, I know how to make this work, but there’s a catch. Before I explain the objective, we’ll have to clear it with the boss.”

Amadi frowned.

“Boss?”

Thirty minutes later, they stood together in the kitchen while Grace prepared little Mikey’s dinner.

“A second job?” She asked Amadi. “You have your classes.”

“I spend as much time doodling and writing amateur poems as I do teaching. Not that you’ve ever bothered to ask.”

She stopped mid-stream and raised her hands as stop signs.

“Amadi, I ... hold on. I ask about your classes every day.”

“Oh, yes. That would be the rote question when we sit down to eat. ‘How was your day, hun?’ You can’t look me in the eye when you say it.”

Grace cleared her throat, withheld a retort, and turned to Danny.

“You’re behind this?”

Time to defuse the tension, Dan-o.

“Look, sis, I happened to mention we had some openings in Genoa on account of the pilgrim flights, and Amadi confided his discontent. I put the pieces together. You know me, sis. I like to make people fucking happy.”

Tongue in cheek, Grace stared down at Mikey’s dinner tray.

“When you’re not begging for their forgiveness.”

“Ouch. Cuts deep, sis. Truly unfair.”

Amadi piled on with a sneer.

“He’s your elder brother, Grace. Dan deserves respect.”

She resumed her work.

“Amadi. Honey. We have plenty of credits. Why Genoa? The travel alone is ... you’d have to take an intercon Scram because you can’t use a Walker without an Aeternan escort. And you know how they are about that sort of thing.”

Amadi snapped back.

“Cooper-Pynns have permission. You could take me through in the morning, and Dan will return me in the evening.”

He hit upon one of the major complaints of the Cooper-Pynn spouses. The Walker frame network only recognized Aeternans or designated citizens (Michael Cooper’s blood descendants) with an installed Occip. The Promise Council limited escort privileges to emergencies. Despite a few appeals, the Council refused to bend the rule, fearing a dangerous precedent.

“We could,” Grace mumbled. “But what happens when people realize you’re receiving special treatment?”

“Other pilgrims would understand my family is lending a hand.”

“I’m not worried about the pilgrims. My mother pleaded for extended privileges, but the Council refused. They see the Walker frames as a privilege for natives only. If Danny and I abuse it, they might withdraw the escort option.”

“Yeah. Sure. Pile on the excuses. You create them in your sleep.”

Danny thought Amadi’s shot was unfair.

“Whoa, my friend. Chill your biscuit. Look, sis. The new job only needs three days a week. Amadi blocks off two for classes, and that leaves one to be a homebody. He’ll make a couple hundred credits more a week, and it’s interesting work.”

“Interesting, you say.” Grace turned sharp eyes to her husband. “An assistant for the agricultural compound. Amadi, sweet, I love you, but you don’t like being outdoors.”

Danny grabbed Amadi before he launched into a diatribe about his disdain for Lumen.

“Sis, it’s actually all about high tech. Mostly robotics. Could be the start of a whole new career.”

She tossed a handful of sliced carrots on the tray.

“The intercon Scrams aren’t free. Will his pay offset the travel?”

“I’ll make sure the Pilgrim Project covers.”

“And what about childcare, hun? If you’re out of Lumen for long stretches, I’ll have to make arrangements. Unlike Genoa, we don’t have a childcare center.”

Amadi tensed his shoulders.

“Among other things. He’s your pet. Take Michael to City Admin like usual. When you’re not propping him in a corner somewhere, foist him off on other advisors or the Aeternans.”

Water gelled in her eyes.

“What has gotten into you?”

She took Mikey’s meal to the table and called him over to eat. As she propped him in the chair, Grace added:

“I don’t know why you bothered to ask. You already said yes.”

Amadi rubbed at his thin beard and muttered under his breath.

Danny grabbed him before the evening imploded and spoke to Amadi outside. Their breaths turned to mist.

“That could’ve gone better, dude. Look, about you two. Uh. I been getting some bad vibes lately.”

Amadi shivered.

“None of your cudfrucking business. When do I start?”

“I’ll push through the forms tonight. You got any classes scheduled for tomorrow?”

“Not if I’m in Genoa.”

“Sounds like a plan. Take the morning intercon. You’ll have to pay on your own credit, but I’ll reimburse. And look, I didn’t want to bring it up, but the flight is ninety minutes each way. If you’d rather stay in Genoa for three days straight, I can work out a deal for guest lodging. Bring a few personals, just in case.”

Amadi’s wry grin said he appreciated the idea.

“And maybe some cards and tokens.”

“Nice. So, we good?”

“Except for one thing. The objective. How in ten hells am I going to make a hundred big assisting a robotics professor?”

Details, fucking details. Not yet.

Danny wanted to leave Amadi hanging. To add intrigue, he said:

“Tell me, dude. How good are you at five-fingered magic?”

12

ADF Battle Cruiser Lioness

F OUR DAYS,” EXETER SAID, examining the holos which hovered above the operations center’s light table. “In four days, it’s covered a third of the surface area.” The mysterious synthetic protein confirmed by the ground teams advanced in a radial pattern, with the chasm as epicenter.

“If the velocity continues to increase at the current rate, how long before it’s everywhere?”

Spec. Esme Traut had been running the numbers which exobiologist Jarvis Pellem relayed from the exploratory teams.

“Four days and eight hours, Commander.”

Exeter spoke to Jarvis, who reported from a research Scram on the outskirts of Nero, the westernmost satellite city.

“Jarvis, do you still maintain we’re not looking at a virus?”

“N-no guarantees, Commander.” Jarvis’s stutter felt more apparent on a vid feed than in person. “Of course, we can’t determine with cer-certainty while the protein is ... is impenetrable. The good news is we detect no change in any lifeforms in the affected zone, even nearby to the chasm.”

The holographics captured four days of tracking the protein’s advance. Researchers from each of the six outposts surrounding the chasm expanded their global search in fifty-kilometer increments, landing to conduct quick field tests for evidence of the protein. Positive results extended four hundred kilometers from the chasm before turning negative on day one. By the end of day two, the positive range extended to nine hundred kay. After three days, to fifteen hundred kay.

“This is critical, Jarvis. It’s about to come alive in Nero. I need to be certain: Should I order an evacuation and set off a panic?”

“No, Commander. I am convinced. The Jewels are not implanting the pro-protein. It has been there all along. They are allowing us to see it. If they meant harm, they c-could have done this in quiet.”

Exeter turned to Adm. Kane, who shook his head.

“Disagree, Rafa?” Exeter asked.

“You’re both right. I can’t believe the Jewels intend to hurt us. If we displace four thousand people through the Walkers, we’ll have to answer difficult questions.”

Exeter nodded. “I hear the first two already. How long before it reaches our city? How do you intend to stop it?”

“It’s your call, X.”

I was so looking forward to retirement.

“Jarvis, what about your teams? Has anyone tested positive for the protein?”

“Not as of ten minutes ago. I am receiving constant results from the outposts.”

Spec. Harland Cress, who had focused on the subterranean scans of the rivers surrounding the chasm, interjected himself.

“Commander, if the Jewels are revealing the protein strategically, perhaps we are meant to be the last.”

The thought had occurred.

“It’s logical, given how illogical the rest has been. Do you concur, Jarvis?”

“Yes, this is possible. I wish to hypothesize a differ ... a counter to the Specialist. If this protein is part of the Jewels’ terraform matrix, perhaps we cannot absorb it into our bloodstream.”

“Could be. If Spec. Traut’s calculations are correct, we’ll have a better idea in about four days.” Exeter held onto Shoan’s repeated advice in deciding. “I believe fear is the wrong response. We will not evacuate Nero. But if you see any anomalies in the test patterns, contact me at once, Jarvis.”

“I will, Commander.”

Exeter disconnected the vid and pointed to the primary holo.

“Let’s start with the basics. Turn our attention back to where this began: The chasm and Lake Profundus. Directly opposite each other. A few days before the Event, Shoan Gui dove to the bottom of Profundus. The Jewels captured him – and I use that term loosely. Whatever he is now, it’s not human. Shoan returned minutes before the chasm opened. Clearly orchestrated. This implies what?”

Spec. Traut raised her hand, a habit Exeter wished she’d break.

“Esme?”

“There’s a connective tissue running through Aeterna’s core. It begins with the so-called drain at the bottom of Profundus.”

They’d covered this ground before, but it bared repeating.

“Which implies?”

“The Jewels tracked Shoan from Profundus and knew precisely when to broadcast a signal which imploded the chasm.”

“Correct. After the Jewels concealed the chasm, nothing major happened until we detected the protein. After we discovered it, the protein’s visible range expanded with increasing velocity. What does this tell us about the chasm?”

Mustachioed Lt. Lleyton Mars, who focused on the extensive topographic data from the region, chimed in.

“It’s a transmitter.”

Exeter nodded, but Rafa did one better.

“No. It’s a transceiver.”

Smiles all around. Exeter followed on.

“So, if we assume the lake and the chasm have a direct line of communication, we have to ask why. Start with the lake. What do we know for certain?”

Lt. Mars started the discussion.

“The water contains chemical compounds found nowhere else on the planet. Aldo Cabrise and Shoan Gui believed they might be the core catalysts to the Jewels’ terraform matrix. We can’t identify those compounds, and there’s nothing in the Collectorate Archives to suggest they exist on any other world. We also know the water is heavier by a factor of three, it repels sunlight starting at a very shallow depth, and maintains a steady level, regardless of precipitation or runoff from the mountains.”

Spec. Cress waited a beat to add:

“And it has the same shape as the chasm, though smaller in surface and depth.”

Exeter appreciated the recitation. Each time he heard it, he gained a sense of moving closer to clarity.

“Since we don’t know what’s inside the chasm, let’s stick with the lake’s contents. What else differentiates it from bodies of water planetwide?”

Cress snapped his fingers.

“Sodium.”

“Excuse me?” Exeter asked.

“Damn it, Commander, I don’t know how I missed it. I was looking through the global hydrology data last night. It was endless. I fell asleep in my uniform.” He forced a chuckle. “Not the most exciting read. Unless I overlooked it, there is no saltwater on this planet outside Lake Profundus.”

The officers paused for a beat. Exeter grimaced.

“How did we not already know that? One saltwater source on the entire planet? That has to be unique in the Collectorate.”

“It is, if true,” Lt. Mars said. The topographical expert added, “But ours is the only planet of forty without oceans. Even Azteca and Moroccan Prime, which are mostly dry, have bodies of water thousands of times larger than our biggest.”

“This would make sense,” Spec. Cress replied. “Hiebimini had no oceans, even early in history. Perhaps the Jewels’ terraform matrix could not carve one out.”

“Harland, run a search through the data spools to verify you’re right about the saltwater. It could be an important differentiator.”

“On it, Commander.”

“OK. What else stands out?”

“The equilibrium,” Lt. Mars answered. “It’s unaffected by depth. As pressure increases, the equilibrium should adjust. I’ve always found that to be one of the lake’s strangest qualities.”

“Basic physics,” Rafa said. “But not in Profundus. I wonder what else defies basic laws. Lieutenant, you mentioned how rapidly sunlight is absorbed. My understanding is that water molecules absorb light waves at different rates. Correct?”

“True, Admiral.”

“But in Profundus, as I understand it, light doesn’t fade nor is it reflected. It goes out like a snuffed candle at a shallow depth.”

Mars pounded his fist on the light table.

“Damn it. Solar power. That could explain the chemical compounds we’ve never been able to identify. What if their job is to consume the raw energy and refine it to produce power?”

“For what?” Rafa asked.

The possibility hit Exeter broadside.

“Fuel for an engine.” He allowed the idea to settle in. “Lleyton, you mentioned the consistent equilibrium. We also know the lake’s water pressure does not intensify to the degree you’d expect one mile down. Every engine requires a balanced fuel mixture in order to operate at maximum efficiency.”

Rafa jumped in.

“Carbedyne requires a level pressure environment, whether you’re dealing with fins on a terrestrial Scram or the nacelles, shimmer tunnels, and system engines on our capital ships. But Carbedyne by nature becomes unbalanced. Backslop. Every ship has a redundant system to absorb the backslop, fuse with water, and recycle.”

Lt. Mars snapped his fingers.

“The drain. That’s its purpose. It absorbs imbalances and maintains a steady equilibrium throughout the lake.”

Exeter dared to laugh.

“Either we just made the biggest breakthrough in the study of Aeterna, or we’ve lost our minds. Tell me this makes sense.”

“It does,” said Spec. Cress. “I ran the hydrology numbers. Only Profundus contains a measurable amount of sodium. Between the high salt content, the foreign compounds, the drain, and the balanced equilibrium, we may be right. It’s an organic engine.”

In a strange way, Exeter wanted to celebrate potentially the most profound terrestrial revelation since Settlement. Alas, it segued into more questions.

“OK, let’s assume we figured it out. If Profundus is the engine that drove the planet’s makeover, what in ten hells is the chasm? And why is the chasm transmitting the existence of a synthetic protein with an unknown purpose?”

Traut raised her hand. Again.

“Since we’re moving into the unprecedented ...”

“Everything about Aeterna is unprecedented. Speak your mind.”

“Commander, if the chasm is transmitting, then it stands to reason the proteins are receiving. Maybe the reason we haven’t seen them before is because they’ve been hidden, not invisible.” She pointed to the table. “We don’t see the source of this light through the opaque glass, but we know it’s there. If we’re not sure, all we have to do is remove the glass. Am I making sense?”

Lt. Mars nodded.

“A protective skin, perhaps, shields the proteins ...” He raised his voice. “A skin that mimics other natural – and visible – proteins. The signal from the chasm breaks down the skin and removes the proteins from their hiding places.”

“In other words,” Exeter said, “They’ve always been there but in disguise. It’s a hell of a theory and makes more sense than anything else we’ve brainstormed. But it still doesn’t answer a fundamental question: What is their purpose?”

“I have a feeling we’d know, Commander, if we got a peek at what’s happening beneath that toxic fog.”

“May be right, Lleyton. But in lieu of that or Shoan Gui returning with more hints, we have to press our case with the evidence before us. Still no luck scanning beneath the rivers?”

Lt. Mars expanded the holographics of the river systems surrounding the chasm.

“No, sir. Beyond a few lateral subterranean shafts which are routine for this planet, the drone scans found nothing to show a connection between the river configurations and the chasm. But I know we can crack this. We’ll intensify the subsearch.”

The results of the subterranean scans had proved maddening. The team went in certain of a connection between the chasm and the rivers that flowed near its periphery.

“Sounds good, Lleyton. Be creative in your search protocols. Put the drones through their paces. I’ll contact Jarvis Pellem and tell him our theory about the proteins. See if that leads him down a fresh path, assuming he hasn’t already tested for it. Good work, everyone. We’re closer. I hope. Go eat and refresh. We’ll meet back here in an hour.”

They saluted and left, no doubt as hungry as Exeter had become. He contacted Jarvis and explained their theory. The exobiologist said he’d get his people on it straightaway but made no promises.

Rafael waited for Exeter to finish.

“Glad you didn’t have to start a panic down below, X.”

Exeter snickered.

“You don’t mean we?”

“Oh, not at all. As Commander of Terrestrial Security, I fear you would’ve shouldered the burden and, by extension, the blame. This is why I prefer to remain safely ensconced up here.”

“So, I’ve noticed. A bite to eat?”

“I’m feeling a tad peckish. Soon. I stayed behind because I have something to show you. I’ve been pondering it all morning. Replaying it in Occip.”

“What?”

Rafa crossed his middle and index fingers, triggering Occip. His irises glowed a dim red.

“I made a point of interviewing the last three off-worlders as they passed through en route to Promise. Our talk about the strange timing of these homecomings piqued my curiosity.”

“Learn anything interesting?”

“That’s what I want to show you. I spoke with Omri Haffayah three hours ago. Make note: He’s been on Xavier’s Garden for eleven years with only one trip home. No Aeternan has spent less time here than Omri.”

Exeter activated Occip. His second eyes reached for the comm link and accepted Rafa’s invitation. The turntable monitor faded into the background, replaced by a segment of the Lioness hangar deck. Rafa walked alongside Omri, a rare dark-haired Aeternan with a full beard and three facial tattoos – each a symbol of tribes which inhabited Aeterna when it was known as Hiebimini. He wore a full-length robe with waves of colorful stitching, like a homemade quilt.

They approached the Scramjet that would deliver Omri.

“It will take some getting used to,” the Admiral said, “but I understand the neighbors have pitched in to clean your home inside and out. They’ll probably welcome you with a feast.”

Omri massaged his eyes.

“I do hope to avoid a blowout affair. I haven’t slept in two days.”

“Nervous transition?”

“Partly. To be honest, Admiral, I wasn’t sure I’d ever return.”

“Why’s that?”

He shrugged.

“Had a good life. Dozens of friends. The Hiebim descendants thought of me as one of their own. Shared planet and what-not. No one cared I was immortal.”

Rafa laughed.

“You’ve gone to great lengths to distinguish yourself from the lot of us. On the bright side, Promise fashion isn’t as uniform as it used to be. Standing out will not pose a problem.” They reached the Scramjet’s egress. “I’m curious. If you made a successful life there, what drew you back to Aeterna?”

Omri scanned the surroundings, wary.

“I wasn’t homesick. At least, I didn’t believe so. Then the dreams started.”

“Dreams?”

“Dreams. Messages. Voices. Every night for fifty standard days.”

“Can you describe them?”

Omri shook his head.

“No. Actually. I have the sense they were incredibly vivid while I slept. When I woke, I’d forget them but feel as if I’d been choking in my sleep. And yet, I was drawn back to them. No matter where I was, no matter the task at hand, I could not shake the fear.”

“For?”

“The next dream. One day, I was sitting in my office reviewing financial data spools, and I made a spontaneous decision to leave the Garden. I began giving away furniture and various trinkets I collected over the years. Sold my home two days ago. Haven’t slept since.”

Rafa extended his hand, and they shook.

“I hope your mattress is soft and the pillow fluffed, and your well-meaning neighbors don’t keep you up for long.”

Omri yawned.

“It’s night in Promise, so here’s hoping you’re right.”

The hologram disappeared, leaving only Rafa and Exeter.

“Interesting. Yes?”

Rafa cut the connection. They continued their talk in the operations center, irises deactivated. Exeter did not want to buy it.

“He seems lost and confused. Are you suggesting there’s a link between his dreams and ...?”

The Admiral licked his lips.

“Could be nothing more than an unsatisfied man’s conscience speaking to a hard truth. But he said the dreams began fifty standard days ago. The timing is curious.”

“Rafa, what are you suggesting?”

“I spoke to the other returnees. They didn’t say anything about dreams, but they both admitted to feeling a heightened attraction to Aeterna in the past two months. X, I rarely lean into the insane.” Rafa tapped his head. “I prefer to keep a clean house up here.”

“But ...?”

“I lost my trust in coincidence a long time ago. You’ve seen things few men can imagine and even less could survive. Are you willing to dismiss a direct connection between the Change and these homecomings?”

Exeter wasn’t about to reject the idea. His concern ran deeper.

“If true, we need to ask the most important questions: How and why are the Jewels luring every immortal home?”

They took those questions to lunch. The evolving situation planetside allowed them to investigate using scientific tools and logical minds. But the Change having the power to reach across the stars? Into a man’s dreams, no less?

Too damn much to unpack over sandwiches and fruit salad.

The lunch, however, proved little more than starter fare. Exeter’s wrist pad vibrated as he finished his salad. He tapped the pad.

“Woolsey. Go.”

“Lioness Command, sir. You have a call from Promise.”

“Who?”

Exeter realized the answer as he asked the question. Anyone in the capital could’ve contacted him via Occip – except for the one whose Occip had been nullified.

“Your husband, sir. He says it’s an urgent matter.”

Exeter wanted to reject the call. Why add to his burdens?

He glanced at Rafa, who nodded reassurance.

“Thank you, Command. Put him through.”

13

T WO HOURS LATER, EXETER set down his Scramjet along a rocky plateau near the Meridian River. The wind stirred out of the northeast, and a nearby thunderstorm charged south toward Promise. Whitecaps topped the raging brown water, soon to plunge over waterfalls into Promise Valley. Caleb waited near the river’s edge.

“Dramatic,” Exeter said as he approached.

“I like the great outdoors more than ever.” Caleb smirked. “Forty days in one room has that effect.”

“This setting seems familiar.” He nodded toward the geology outpost thirty meters away. “Wait. It’ll come to me. Oh, yes. The day I arrived home, and you ran in with a disfigured arm. This is where you claimed to have had a horrible accident.”

Caleb brushed the hair from his face.

“Still holding that against me, I see.”

“Oh, no. I understand. You needed a cover story, and I threw you off your game.”

“But you would’ve been happy if I had simply told you the truth about Lake Profundus?”

Exeter walked closer to the water’s edge.

“Truth is hard, but it’s usually a good place to start.”

Caleb stood alongside.

“That’s why I brought you here.”

“What? To apologize?”

“No, X. Everything I do is bent in one direction. It’s damn well bigger than either of us. But it doesn’t have to divide us.”

Exeter thought he’d take a stab at Caleb’s rhetoric.

“What about our marriage?”

“I want it dissolved. No rush.”

His demand hit sooner – and harder – than expected.

“Divide but don’t divide. Make sense of it, Caleb.”

“What we did was not a mistake. I loved you then and still do.”

“But?”

“I can’t commit to any one person. It’s not practical. I’m choosing a path that’s built on more consequential choices. I intend to devote myself to the next generation and all the gifts we’re about to be handed.”

At least he’s honest about it. Finally.

Exeter processed the idea of a life apart. It didn’t feel as empty or despairing as he once imagined.

“Gifts. I see. Other than the embryos Tess Ranke is growing – I assume in her Promise lab – what gifts?”

“The ones being prepared by the Jewels.”

“And they are?”

“To be revealed. I want to show you something, X.”

Caleb strolled along the water’s edge. Large flagstones were wet but not slippery. He pointed to a stone obelisk two meters high.

“See the marker? This is Michael Cooper’s Liberation Trail. You know the story. Yes?”

“I do. What’s your point?”

Caleb did not answer the question.

“As the story goes, Michael and two companions, including Aldo Cabrise, escaped an attack on Tamarind, leaped through the Anchor Gate, crossed four hundred sixty-five light-years, and landed north of here near the ruins of the old Hiebim capital Messalina. As Michael charged ahead to rescue his wife and defeat the hybrids, the Jewels touched his mind. They guided him forward.”

Caleb turned and pointed south.

“In the end, Michael claimed a rifter at this site and ventured to Meridian Falls, where Valentin Bouchet intercepted him. They became allies in the fight against the Unification Guard’s invasion and to stop Brother James. Without that alliance, immortals would have been slaughtered. Afterward, the Jewels gifted Michael with an intellect that led to many innovations under his rule.”

Exeter had no time for a history lesson that blended fact with dubious legend.

“Every Aeternan knows the story, Caleb. Michael damn well made sure of it – especially the parts where we had to take his word. Why do you tell me this?”

Caleb crossed his arms and settled into a satisfied grin that said, “Why do you think?”

“The Jewels have guided us from the beginning. Even before the first of us was born, they anticipated Emil Bouchet. They knew he would create abominations like the hybrids, but also the first immortals. They foresaw the fall of the Chancellory. They designed a new world for a race of children destined to stand on their own.

“Now, they’re ready to bring about the next planned stage of our evolution. Not just the second generation of Aeternans, but a planet to become the epicenter of this galaxy.”

In a different setting, Exeter might have deduced his husband had cracked. Yet Caleb didn’t deliver his grandiose prediction wide-eyed or accompanied by theatrical, flailing arms. He laid out his case with a muted, rational delivery.

“Do you speak for yourself or for the Revivalists?”

“The proof is in the history and our current transformation. Think about it, X. When you arrived, we were a unified people. Why? Because Michael demanded it. He preached it as our only means to survive. But his act grew thin. He became a paranoid narcissist. A tyrant. By the end, most of us hated him, yourself included. But we couldn’t move against him because of how he helped to save us.

“The Jewels foresaw his end, and they knew with him gone, we’d become a community of diverse voices. We’d build our defenses and operate as a semi-autonomous member of the Collectorate. All of which would lead to this moment.”

Exeter played along for the sake of civility.

“And what is this moment?”

“The one where the Jewels touch our minds and show us a new way forward.”

“I see. It’s all part of their long-range plan. Baked in since the planet was called Hiebimini. Yes?”

“A century, at the very least.”

Exeter didn’t argue this point. His teams learned enough to validate the case for the Jewels playing a long game.

“For the sake of argument, let’s assume we can verify everything you said. Why lay out this case now? I came here because you promised important exobiological data.”

Caleb nodded. “I did, and you’ll have it. But it’s important you understand the stakes. What’s about to happen will require all of us to work together. The Revivalists appointed me to reach out in good faith. There must be give and take.”

“A transaction.”

Caleb started toward the outpost.

“An open hand, X. That’s all we ask. Now for the science.”

A single rifter sat nearby. No one greeted them within.

At least I’m not walking into a trap.

Caleb elevated the holographics, which displayed the results of his tests around Lake Nilsson and compared to ancient microbes found on Earth in the African Basin. He further explained how that ecostem was identical to Lake Nilsson.

“This should not be possible,” Caleb said. “Yet here’s the proof.”

Exeter projected composure, but his insides roiled.

“Have you conducted tests outside the ecostem?”

“No. I wanted to make sure to get this right. But you have the best exobiologists on the planet at your disposal. They could take this data and expand the range. Yes?”

“They will, assuming you allow me to leave here with it – along with your samples.”

Caleb sighed.

“Of course, Exeter. I’m not your enemy.”

“No, but you want something in return.”

“A simple request. In a few days, we will ask you to attend a Full Congregate for Aeternans.

“A Congregate? Don’t you mean a coming-out rally?”

Caleb minimized the holos.

“I knew you’d be a step ahead. I always admired that quality. In case you haven’t noticed, the last of us are about to return home. We’re at an inflection point, much as we were at Settlement. Attend our event and reveal everything your teams have learned. Full transparency, Exeter. It’s not too much to ask.”

Many casual observers might call it a fair deal.

Exeter parsed his words with care.

“What happens if I refuse?”

Caleb tensed his shoulders and shadowed his eyes.

“Sentiment will turn. The Council cannot contain the will of our people. Your generosity will prevent a falling out. We’re not unreasonable, X.”

They weren’t, which posed a conundrum.

“How many days before this rally?”

“We’ll trigger a Broad Occip after the IC reps return. We expect five to six days.”

He ran the calculations. By then, the synthetic protein would have revealed itself planetwide. If its purpose remained unknown ...

“Then I have to consider your proposal. Hand over the data for our teams to verify. If they corroborate, and we discover evidence beyond the lake, I’ll contact you.”

Caleb gestured to the holos.

“Grab them.”

Exeter activated his wrist pad to receive a data flow. He wrapped his free hand around the holo batch and threw them into his pad like a pinch of salt.

“And the samples?”

Caleb pointed to a locked case.

“Ready for travel.”

Exeter grabbed the case’s handle.

“I worry when things are too good to be true.”

“There’s no catch. You’ve agreed to terms. We’ll expect you at the Congregate.”

Instinct told Exeter to thank his husband and move on. Yet as he reached the door, a different notion struck him.

“Caleb, what spurred you to test the zone around Lake Nilsson?”

He saw a lump in Caleb’s throat.

“Shoan Gui visited the house.”

Exeter’s cheeks dropped.

“When? What did he say?”

“Three days ago. He spoke in circles, but I unwound it. He wanted me to make this discovery. The next phase is close.”

Exeter tried not to betray his emotions, but Caleb must have seen through his grimace. Caleb approached, eyes wide.

“He came to you, too.”

“Yes. I had a similar experience.”

Caleb beamed.

“You see? We’re important to the Jewels. We’re at the center of their plans. Like I said before, our marriage was not a mistake. It set us on a path to ...”

Exeter raised a hand.

“Stop. I can believe many things, Caleb, but not what you’re about to imply.”

Caleb backed off.

“You’re right. I’m sorry, X. Look, I’m always going to care. And who knows? Maybe somewhere far down the road, we find our way back to each other. For now? We need to play this out. Take what you have and go. I’ll speak to you when I speak to you.”

What more could he ask for? A full accounting of Shoan’s visit perhaps, but Exeter knew the messenger wasn’t as important as the aliens who sent him.

He left without another word.

Inside the Scramjet, Exeter waited a moment before activating the Nav. He stared at the outpost, wondering if Caleb might appear and wave goodbye. This was how twenty-five years ended? With data spools and soil samples?

When he saw no sign of life, Exeter activated the ship and its worm drive. He relayed a message to Lioness Command, then abandoned the life he thought would last.

Minutes later, he stepped out onto the hangar deck and made a beeline for the operations center.

“You won’t believe this,” Exeter told his team.

Neither they nor Jarvis Pellem did.

At first.

Yet in the coming hours, their attitudes altered.

It would not be this day’s final twist.

14

Genoa

L EAVE THE INTROS TO ME,” Danny told Amadi as they entered the cavernous agricultural compound, where loaders moved goods, and pallets of fruits and vegetables waited, fresh from the nearby fields and orchards. “I go way back with the Chief Harvester. He was friends with Dad. He’ll play ball.”

Amadi tugged at his blue bodysuit’s sleeves.

“This fabric is chafing. You should have warned me.”

Danny scanned the busy main floor and searched for his target.

“Chill your biscuit. It’s an all-season. Everyone here wears one. It’ll adapt. Plus, nobody wants a fucking whiner. You got a job to do, and do it fast.” The Chief Harvester waved. “That’s Custis Allred. Runs a tight ship. Ask questions, don’t piss around, and you’ll be good to go.”

Chief Harvester Allred, whose blonde hair featured red streaks, and left cheek sported the tattoo of a Kyriokos timber mouse, put some pep in his step.

“Twice in one day, Dan. Be careful now. I might have to talk you into staying full-time.”

“Sorry, dude. I’m a bureaucrat with a cushy office. Say hello to Amadi Lasaviette, ready and raring to help.”

Allred glanced at his tablet then extended his hand.

“Amadi, welcome. I was flabbergasted when Dan sent over your profile. Very generous to fly in from Lumen to help us out.”

Amadi maintained a firm grip and braced a slick smile.

“My brother-in-law said you were shorthanded after those pilgrim cowards ran home. I felt I could be of more use here.”

“We’re down seven bodies heading into the height of the season. And we’re the biggest agcom on the planet – twice the size of Promise.” Allred shook his head. “We put out the notice for volunteers, but the problem with these damn pilgrim contracts is we can’t force anyone to shift over. So I thank you kindly, Amadi.”

“A pleasure, sir. It’s snowing today in Lumen. I appreciate the change of scenery.”

Amadi played his role as amenable fill-in like Danny outlined.

“Ah, yes,” Allred said. “We distribute heavily to Lumen this time of year. In fact,” he scanned the tablet, “we have several pallets of apples, pomegranates, and carrots slated for delivery.”

“My boy loves his carrots.” Amadi chuckled. “I believe you also service my town with blue rose wine.”

“It’s popular in Lumen and Nero.” He leaned in with a conspiratorial bent. “Don’t tell anyone, but we can hardly give it away in Genoa. Too sweet, they say. Myself? I enjoy a glass with dinner. Eh. Critics. So, what say we get you started?”

“Show me the way, sir.”

Allred scoffed.

“Around here, I’m Custis. Even if I’m reading you the act. Now, your profile indicates an interest in our agtech department. And we do have a need there. In fact, Dan introduced us to a lovely young robotics expert this morning. But her contract specifies her vocation. You, on the other hand, don’t have applicable experience. I’d like to spread you around. Our immediate need is sorting and distribution.”

Danny thought this might happen. Rules prevented him from locking a non-contract mortal into a set role.

“Amadi here is a hell of a dude. He’ll handle whatever you need. But when I suggested the ag compound, he expressed a genuine desire to learn all things robotics.”

Custis raised a brow that spoke of resistance.

“If you don’t mind some brutal honesty, there’s a high learning curve in agtech. No offense, Amadi. I’m concerned you might find it frustrating. Without a contract, you could leave us on a whim. We’ve had enough runners lately. I want you to feel like a productive member of the team.”

Custis left little room for a counterargument. Danny prepared one, but Amadi beat him there.

“You make a world of sense, Custis. I’m probably out of my league with the robotics, but I must confess a hard truth. Frankly, I’m bored. My art is going nowhere, and I need to find a new career, no matter the challenge. You see?”

“I do. It’s why Aeternans work the Cycle. We try to diversify our reach for the long haul ahead.”

“Exactly. As I hear it from Dan, you and his father wrote the agricultural regulations for the Promise Region before there were pilgrims. But you’ve spent most of your years in other jobs.”

Allred glanced at Danny with wistful eyes.

“Ah, the early years. Heady times. Michael was good to me.” He returned to Amadi. “Let’s do this: We’ll set you up on a rotation today and tomorrow. Tech, sorting, distribution, maintenance, and agronomy. Two hours each. How does that sound?”

Amadi bowed his head.

“Fair.”

“Perfect. I’ll start you with Prof. Strong in robotics. She’s still settling in. You can learn our operation together.”

“I’m all yours, Custis.”

Allred shook Danny’s hand and said as they parted:

“My love to Maren and the girls. Bring them around.”

“I’m on it.”

Amadi caught Danny with a quick side-eye and a grin as he followed the new boss. Danny smirked. This guy was a player. Dropping Michael into the conversation softened his target.

“Nicely done, friend.”

Danny watched Custis point this way and that as he described the massive operation, which provided food for most of the satellites.

Play the game and make this happen.

He trusted Amadi, but only to a point. One slip, and the shit would blow up in both their faces.

Still, he left the facility upbeat and handled his caseloads in short order, allowing for an early lunch. He surprised Maren with a fresh arrangement of jasmine blossoms and lemon fern. She stuck them in an empty vase and thanked him with a huge wet kiss.

“They’ll scent the house for days. I love that combination.”

“That’s not all, babe. I’ll watch after the girls. Take an hour in town. Splurge.”

A beaming smile retreated.

“Are you sure? I was getting ready to feed them.”

“Not today. I’m on the case. I’ll whip up an apple swirl with a fucking chef’s kiss.”

Maren held him tight.

“No need. I made their next three meals. They’re in the chill.”

“Are you an amazing mom or what? Reckon I don’t say it enough.”

She released the hug and smirked.

“No, you don’t, love. But I know your heart. There’s none bigger.”

“Yep. Gets me in trouble sometimes, but not with my babe or my girls. Not ever.”

Alone with the twins, Danny set their tray on the kitchen table and brought their pram around. Their eyes were open, wandering.

“My little goddamn miracles. OK, time for the chef’s specialty.”

Maren had mastered a mess-free routine of spooning their food while the girls remained inside the pram; Danny found this method laborious. He lifted Hallie out of her left slot and cradled her in one arm. Each spoonful proved challenging, perhaps fifty percent in while the rest fell on her bib.

“Yeah. So, I suck at this,” he told her. “Don’t hold a grudge. OK?”

He saw a familiar glint in her searching eyes.

“You got your grandma down pat. But don’t tell nobody, especially your mom. They all say you got Maren’s eyes, but people don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about. You’re a Cooper-Pynn through and through.”

When Hallie stopped taking her swirl, Danny kissed her on the forehead and returned her to the pram. He reached for Samantha but stopped short. A horrible thought chilled him.

“Wait a sec. Are you ...?”

He grabbed Hallie and looked behind her left ear.

“Holy shit on a stick. There’s your birthmark. Hallie. Good.” He grabbed Samantha and apologized to both. “I hope your mom never dresses you two alike. It’s hard enough already. I’m waiting for my daddy instinct to kick in.”

He had a fun but messy time with the girls through the meal and changing them soon after. When Maren returned, she found Danny on the bed, sandwiched between the girls and his eyes shut.

“What a beautiful picture, love,” she said. “I wish I had an easel and a canvas.” She laughed as Danny opened his eyes. “I wish I could paint.”

“No worries, babe. It’s all about the memories we keep. That’s what Dad always said. In fact, I remember the last year we had him. He said, ‘Danny, you put these good times in a bottle and shut the lid. Then you hide it someplace safe.’ I asked him why. Know what he told me? ‘Because it’s never gonna be better.’”

Maren inched onto the bed next to Samantha.

“I don’t agree. I’ve been living my best life since I fell in love with you. Happiness don’t have to end just because you grow up.”

“True. But there’s a ton of shit working hard to kill it every day.”

“Not if you don’t let it in, love.”

She was right, of course. Danny knew common sense when he heard it. What better moment could he hope for?

One.

“Time’s up, babe. Back to the grinder for me.”

“You’ll be home on time tonight?”

“Sure will. And look, Amadi’s in town on the work stint I mentioned. I’d like to have him over while he’s here.”

She didn’t respond with the bubbliness he expected.

“I guess so. But not tonight. OK, love?”

“Sure.” He climbed out of bed and contemplated her somber answer. “Got something on your mind?”

“It’s nothing. He’s your brother-in-law. He’s welcome anytime.”

Her half-smile said otherwise.

The hell?

Danny buried himself in bridge advisor busywork, keeping his head down except for the frequent glances at the time. He cleared his day’s agenda and ventured to Avenue 44, where he waited outside guest residence G until his partner turned onto the street.

“Good one?” He asked Amadi.

“Illuminating. I can suffer through a few weeks.”

“Perfect. How about you ask me in so we can discuss your various illuminations?”

Amadi scanned the street, for which there was no nearby activity.

“Don’t worry yourself, dude. I’m a bridge advisor keeping tabs on my people. No one knows.”

The inside was pristine save for the overnight bag Amadi dropped off after arrival. Danny didn’t give him ten minutes to settle in before escorting him to agcom.

Danny pulled up a chair at the kitchen table.

“Take a load off. Let’s review your day. See your bounty. Assuming you brought one.”

Amadi did not comply.

“I need a stiff drink. You?”

Danny glanced at the empty residence.

“No thanks. Water from the chill is all you’ll find. Sorry, dude. I meant to stock you, but it’s been a busy day.”

Amadi unlatched his bag and revealed a translucent flask.

“Thought you might cheap out on me. Qasi vodka.”

Danny waved him off.

“Not my speed.”

Amadi swigged then clinched his teeth.

“That’s the spot.” He joined Danny and tapped his wrist pad. “It wasn’t easy, but I did my best. Strong thought something was off about me from the get-go. Coming in the same day as her? She asked if you were my case worker.”

“And?”

“I followed the plan. You’re good for now, but Custis has a big mouth. You’re lucky Strong didn’t see us together.”

He expected that risk.

“There’s a reason I didn’t step twenty feet inside. Agtech is at the far end. It’s self-contained. But yeah, it was a gamble. That’s why I’m depending on you to finish the job. Show me.”

Amadi tossed open a holo folder loaded with images.

“I had to be careful. The bitch is paranoid.”

Danny laughed. “Kept her eyes locked, did she?”

“Like a mother duck guarding her brood.”

“Here’s a little irony: Her eyes are the only thing original about Anyssa Strong. She’s twenty years older than you think. Recon surgery. Good reason to be defensive.”

Amadi opened up the images, taken from many awkward angles.

“Nice lab.”

“Was her trunk empty?”

“Not sure. When I was there, it was locked, but if all this came out of it, yeah ... I’d say that’s her entire inventory.”

Robotic arms and hands. CPUs. Or so he assumed.

“Don’t recognize a damn thing.”

Amadi shoved a few images aside and expanded one.

“How about this? Standard D-4 Plate.”

A pyramidal gem two inches high built into a four-sided activation pad graced the center of Strong’s workspace.

Bingo!

“You sure that’s hers and not standard issue?”

“Oh, yeah. She had a swift touch on the pads. You know how it is: Use a plate long enough, it becomes a natural extension.”

Danny leaned back and contemplated a successful first day.

“Damn fine work, my friend. Now the tough bit: Access.”

Amadi threw back a swig.

“The bit where I put my life in your hands.”

“Chill your biscuit. Seriously. We have a couple days. You need to build rapport, get her to trust you.”

“Bullshit my way in.”

“That’s the one. You’re an eager student. Right? Play that angle. Ask to see schematics and demos. Tie her up in knots explaining the basics. Meantime, listen for the voice pass and watch her activation touch. You’ll figure out how to get inside.”

“I might, but snatch the prize without her knowledge?”

Danny raised a stop sign.

“Got you covered, dude. I know my way around a D-4. I have an MEC at the office. It’s handy when I need to end-run the protocols.”

“MEC?”

“Mobile Extractor Core. Yeah, I know. It’s verboten, as they say. Fortunately, the Cooper-Pynn name allows me certain privileges. My dad showed me how to use one when I was ten.” He chuckled at the memory. “Dad had trust issues with his flock.”

“How does it work?”

“You can copy an entire D-4 matrix in forty seconds. As long as you have the pass/touch combo, you can keep the MEC in your pocket. Secure cams won’t see it.”

Amadi raised his brow.

“Well, aren’t you a clever bastard.”

“When I’m on, I’m on. I’ll bring it by in the morning before you head out. It’s easy to use.”

Danny’s brother-in-law tapped the table to a rhythmic beat.

“If I intend to put my posterior on the line, I need to know what’s worth a hundred big. What in ten hells am I stealing?”

He figured this moment might arrive. Inconvenient did not describe the truth, so Danny started with a workaround.

“We ain’t stealing. We’re gaining leverage. Strong has a program I want. At first, we made a deal. The program for an Aeternan proprietary secret. Give and take. Her bosses shifted the deal at the last minute. She’s making unreasonable demands. If I’m in control, I can ask for extras. We’ll start with two hundred thousand UCVs, split between us. In return, I’ll throw her some extra goodies.”

“Like what?”

“Better you don’t know.”

Amadi glared indignantly at Danny, realizing he had been led down the garden path.

“Not good enough. You must be desperate for this program if you’d turn on your own people.”

Some would look at it that way. Oh, well.

“One: Mom is the only Aeternan who I’d call ‘my people.’ Two: I’m not turning on anyone; I’m trying to make us rich. I’m gonna do you and Grace a major solid.”

Amadi stared at his flask.

“Lots of hand-waving, Dan. I don’t like it.”

“I’ll give you this much for free: Anyssa Strong don’t exist. Her real name is Cassandra Latin. She works for Halifax R&D. She’s the only one out there who can give me what I want. Don’t make me beg. I need you to come through.”

“Dunno, Dan.” He leaned back in his chair and sighed. “I feel like you’re sucking me down a dry hole.”

Enough with the bullshit.

“Two, three days, and we nail this shit down. Once I have the tech, both our dreams come true. Your debts are paid, you and Grace get a big house. And me ...”

“What, Dan? What’s your dream?”

Danny knew when to shut his mouth.

15

Lioness

E XETER NEVER EXPECTED immediate results. Three hours after he returned to the operations center with Caleb’s research, his ship-bound team and the ground scientists had yet to corroborate the findings.

Jarvis Pellem diverted from his study of the synthetic protein’s spread to make a two-hour flight to Genoa, which arose amid the same ecostems as Promise.

“What if we’re wasting time we don’t have?”

Exeter spoke to no one in particular. He chewed on an unlit cigar, the current data fields hovering above the light table. Spec. Cress and Traut, huddled at a separate station, reviewed Aldo Cabrise’s work and verified ecostems against the planets from which they were derived. Lt. Mars ran simulations based on river system scans surrounding the chasm. Mars glanced in his direction.

“What was that, sir?”

“Nothing, Lleyton. I was thinking we ought to upgrade our terrestrial Scrams with worm drives.”

“Adm. Kane voiced the same concern, but the dangers seem to outweigh the benefits.”

“I know. The gravity variance.”

He spoke of a catch-all term for a mystery never solved. ADF ships routinely jumped between galactic and terrestrial coordinates, but point to point inside the atmosphere proved challenging. From the first tests soon after Settlement, a few ships crashed out of worm hundreds of kilometers from their destination. One burrowed into the planet, decimating its pilots beyond their ability to regenerate.

The ADF tried engine designs which did not use Carbedyne, but none worked. They used Walker Stations as models to design frames for instant Anchor Gate travel. Yet those frames required a transport field too large – five hundred meters square – creating eyesores and excessive energy demands. The Promise Council scrapped the project soon after the Swarm War.

“I remember the old days,” Mars said. “Before you arrived, sir. We weren’t knocking our heads against the wall trying to understand her mysteries. Back then, we accepted the Jewels’ gift and relished in her bounty.”

Exeter often wished he could’ve experienced those simpler times. What a massive improvement over the nightmare he endured on Everdeen – a chapter long closed but not forgotten, despite decades of intense effort.

“I suspect our people behaved exactly as the Jewels predicted.”

Mars nodded.

“We were apathetic about learning her secrets. In retrospect, it’s ironic. If not for a mortal, we’d be so far behind the curve.”

“Hmm. Aldo. Did you know the man well?”

The Lieutenant surrendered a wistful smile.

“I worked in the field with him twenty-two years ago. Old, stubborn, but he never relented. He was obsessed. Aldo knew he would die long before he completed the work. But he intended to be on his feet to his last breath, which he was.”

Exeter set his eyes on the meteorological holos.

“I met the man in passing. I’ve heard stories. They say he was on a mission of personal redemption.”

“Yes. I asked him once when he let his guard down. Aldo said he failed to protect Hiebimini. He was Fleet Admiral of the Ark Carriers when the Jewels seeded Hiebimini and forced a global evacuation. The Chancellors lost their only source of brontinium. Many of his caste scapegoated Aldo. Despite being demoted from Admiral, he refused to retire. When fate brought him back here with Michael Cooper, he found a new purpose. But he never received the credit he deserved – not from the Chancellors or any other mortals.”

“Sounds like a very lonely man.”

Mars massaged his eyes and backed away from the river scans.

“Yes, but only because Aldo knew he was running out of time. He deserved immortality, more than many of us.”

“I’d say he earned it.” Exeter pointed to Traut and Cress. “He gave us a map for understanding the new planet – or at least, everything the Jewels allowed us to see.”

Shoan’s instructions buzzed through his mind.

“Seek rational answers. Avoid emotion. It’s plain to see, but only if you are willing to see.”

“Huh.”

“Yes, sir?”

“I think I just had an epiphany. Lleyton, show me the deep scans featuring those lateral shafts beneath the rivers.”

Exeter studied simulations based on drone lodar signals, the echoes of which painted a picture of the region’s internals. The graphics weren’t conclusive, but a rigid geometry arose at random intervals. Cones, cylinders. Not refined like manmade, but too well-honed for nature.

“Now, you say these shafts are common throughout the planet?”

Mars nodded. “We’ve come across them before.”

“I’m curious. Have you ever seen aerials of Hiebimini while the brontinium mines were active?”

“No, sir.” The Lieutenant’s cheeks dropped. Exeter watched him reach a similar epiphany. “The shafts. Of course! History says there were more than two thousand brontinium mines across Hiebimini. Hundreds of meters in diameter and two or three kay deep. They were so big ...”

Exeter finished the tale.

“The mines were visible from orbit. The active brontinium veins produced a sickly green glow. Thousands of Hiebim lived and worked there. The Hiebim built shafts to create industrial cities.”

Mars pounded the light table.

“I see where you’re headed, sir. When the Jewels terraformed the planet, they had to account for those mines.”

“And left none after the terraform. How did they do it? And what if the shafts we see,” he pointed to the holo, “were left behind by design to serve another purpose?”

“It’s a hell of a theory, sir. I’ll pour through Aldo’s work. If not there, I’ll go to the Collectorate Archives.”

“Good. If that fails, here’s a third option. Contact Omri Haffayah. He returned home yesterday from Xavier’s Garden, where the Hiebim refugees relocated. I’d wager they preserved as much of their culture and history as they could.”

Not bad, Commander, Exeter told himself. Perhaps one less mystery to solve.

Exeter retrieved a fire flick and prepared to light his cigar, but his Occip comm vibrated. He entered with his second eyes and found Rafa waiting at the comms link.

“We’re about to have guests.”

“Useful, I hope.”

Rafa sighed. “Hard to say. A combined UNF/SI delegation will arrive in two hours.”

Cudfrucker ...

“Who specifically and why?”

“I know who isn’t. Your successor.”

“No Madrigal. Interesting.”

“She said the Admiralty will be represented but refused to say why. Here’s the kicker: She insisted you be present.”

Exeter closed his eyes.

“No agenda, sending a subordinate, and you couldn’t say no.”

Rafa bellowed.

“If only I had a choice. You know the protocols.”

“I do. Let me know when they jump in. I’ll meet you in the hangar.”

Exeter finished his move and fired up the cigar. He took a long, contemplative puff and resisted the urge to curse out loud.

Why now?

The delegation entered the Aeternan system at the moment Lt. Mars tracked down a century-old global map of the brontinium mines.

“Look forward to your report, Lleyton. I hope it’s more positive than what I’m about to walk into.”

He arrived on the hangar deck with Rafa just before the UNF transport opened its starboard egress.

“This will not be fun,” Exeter said.

“Try to be optimistic, X. What have we got to lose?”

Exeter couldn’t help but smile when he saw the first member of the delegation. New Adm. Bradley Geyermann, his best friend at Central, saluted. Exeter and Rafael returned the honor.

“Told you I’d return someday, X,” Geyermann said. “Adm. Kane, permission to come aboard.”

“Granted, Admiral. I appear to be at a disadvantage.”

Geyermann introduced himself.

“My apologies for the secrecy. The High Admiral worries about intercepts. She takes a measured approach these days.”

Sounds just like Yvonne Madrigal, Exeter thought.

“Not a problem, Admiral. I gather you and Comm. Woolsey are well acquainted.”

“I dropped him off in this hangar fifty-five standard days ago. Never expected to reunite so soon.”

“Nor did I,” Exeter said, shaking hands. “Congratulations on the bar. Well earned.”

“With your help.” Geyermann turned to his right. “Maj. Janus Lustre, my aide.” He pivoted to the egress, where a silver-haired woman in a hover-powered medchair flew onto the deck beside a tall, dark-haired man with a tan bodysuit and cultured beard.

I’ll be damned.

“Lana Devonshire,” Exeter said. “Did you not tell me six months ago you were ready to walk away, so to speak?”

The only Special Intelligence Director in history waved her wobbly and webby left hand. The other remained still, like the last time they saw each other.

“You make fun, Exeter. My body betrays me, but this brain is lethal as a flash peg. So they keep my name on the door. Clear?”

Her lips wriggled to form a wry smile. Exeter cupped Lana’s good hand and kissed her cheek. Six months might as well have been six years. She was thinner, shakier, dying.

“I’ve known you for a quarter century, Lana. Clarity has never been your weakness.”

“Don’t talk in the macro, X. It reminds me of the inevitable.” She nodded toward her escort. “This is Jack. No more need be said.”

Yet Exeter knew enough: One name, almost certainly fake, no doubt affiliated with SI’s dark rooms. The agents who put everything on the line, often outside interstellar law.

“We won’t need long, Admiral,” Geyermann said. “A small, private room will suffice.”

“We’re all set. Follow me.”

Exeter walked alongside his old pal.

“Let me guess, Brad. Madrigal chose you because you’re a friendly face.”

Geyermann stifled a laugh.

“You know her well. She worried about sending others from the Table.”

Sounds spot-on.

“Hmm. They started whispering the moment I left.”

“You give them too much credit. They whispered every time you passed them in the corridors.” At the lift, Geyermann added: “You salvaged the Admiralty and cleansed the fleet of Requiem, but even men of honor bear grudges.”

Maj. Lustre interjected.

“The alliance between the UNF and ADF is too strong to risk unnecessary tension, Commander.”

“Agree, Major.”

Geyermann added: “I brought in Janus from the Fourth Fleet. We served for years on the Pinatar. My XO. Like you, I wanted a friend and confidant in my company.”

As Devonshire entered the lift first, Exeter whispered:

“You don’t paint the best image of Central.”

“It’s not their commitment, X. We’re on the same team. It’s the personalities. The ambitions. We’ve seen where that led us.”

“Indeed.”

Exeter shut down the conversation until they reached the Level 3 conference room. He and Rafa sat across from the visitors. Geyermann did not take his seat straightaway.

“The floor is yours, Admiral,” Rafa said.

“Thank you, Adm. Kane. Our orders are simple: Relay intel, take questions, and get out of your hair. We’re here because you’ve earned the courtesy, especially after saving Amity Station last year.”

Geyermann flipped open his pom and threw open a holo laden with statistics. Exeter recognized many.

“Black Star continues to grow at a staggering pace, despite our best efforts. Ships, weapons, infrastructure, and personnel are effectively level to our own. Intersystem war is inevitable. In our worst-case projections, we anticipate casualties into the billions. Interplanetary trade will collapse when we no longer can protect the shipping lanes.”

So far, Exeter heard nothing new. But he also realized Madrigal wouldn’t have sent a delegation unless conditions had changed. Geyermann continued.

“However, we are about to embark on a strategy we hope will mitigate our worst forecasts. We share this information because Aeterna might feel the sting.”

He opened a new holo featuring names, faces (albeit two were renderings), and locations. Above them sat the code name for a program Exeter designed months before he retired.

OPERATION CAROTID.

“We will soon carry out a series of surgical strikes designed to decapitate Black Star leadership on every world. This includes the founder, an elusive man known only as Raul; plus his second, known as The Carib. Infiltration operations begun under High Admiral Woolsey with a huge assist from Special Intelligence agents have allowed us to pinpoint the targets. We lost many good people in these operations. We also intend to kill Shad Abdelmani, the leader of Requiem, who allied with Black Star after he failed to condition every resident of Amity Station.

“Our goal is to create so much disruption in their command chain that our fleet and ground forces will press the advantage and shorten the war. But we are under no illusions. Black Star has proved cunning and flexible, and its policies are savage. They have no regard for collateral damage and less value for human life, much like the Swarm.

“We believe they are willing to destroy entire cities before engaging us in urban warfare. Particle missiles will be used extensively – by us and them. To be clear, governments have tried diplomacy. Black Star is not interested.”

Geyermann cleared his throat.

“To answer your first question in advance: We have no intention of asking your fleet to join the fight.”

“If I may,” Exeter asked. “The last time I met with the Table to discuss Carotid, we projected a six-month timeline. Why did you shorten it?”

Geyermann closed his pom and took a seat.

“In a word: Requiem.”

Exeter feared as much.

“They have the capacity for global conditioning?”

The Admiral nodded.

“The capacity and the support of Black Star leadership.” He turned to Lana Devonshire. “The Director can explain.”

Devonshire used a trembling hand to wipe dribble from the corner of her lips.

“We sent two thousand agents into the field last year. Half are dead. We do not share this sad reality with our recruits and trainees. We equip them with a mindset for what is at stake should we fail.

“If those Requiem sonsofbitches do their worst, Black Star will be a trivial concern. After Exeter and his ADF squadron prevented the disaster at Amity, Shad Abdelmani and his accomplices jumped away to parts unknown. The best intel suggested they made an alliance with Raul himself.

“Ten days ago, our agents discovered the full extent.” She nodded to Jack, who threw up a holo from his own pom. At first, a desolate rock in space showed no clear threat, until he zoomed in. “This asteroid is seventy light-years outside Collectorate space,” she said. “The structure on the surface is salvage from a Swarm Battle Cruiser, likely part of the fleet that retreated to parts unknown after the war.

“We don’t know how in ten hells Black Star found it, but we believe they evicted the previous tenants and used it as a remote command post. It would explain our difficulty in tracking down Raul all these years. They protected Abdelmani while he scaled Requiem.”

Devonshire cleared her throat.

“Our best agent made it inside. We almost had them.”

Geyermann resumed the presentation.

“Our forces surprised the base, but they were prepared. Abdelmani and his lieutenants escaped. Fortunately, we did not give them time to eliminate evidence. What we found lies at the heart of why we’re here.”

Exeter did not like the sound of that. Not in the least.

SI’s Jack, who had been quiet thus far, took the floor.

“We found extensive data on the Aeternan system. Everything from Hiebim history, speculation surrounding the Jewels of Eternity, your biology, records from The Last Day’s War, and of course your defense capabilities. They’re more than a little curious about you.

“When we combine the evidence with prisoner interviews, we believe Black Star sees Aeterna as a high-value target.”

Rafa raised his hand.

“For what purpose?”

“In the short term, a staging area. If they win the war, a home world. If they lose, a refuge. They see Aeterna as an empty planet easily conquered once they penetrate your defense grid.”

Rafa stifled a laugh.

“They’re not the first to make that claim.”

“No. And you might hold them off depending upon when they act and how successful we are in decapitating their leaders. But you need to know they are paying an inordinate amount of attention to you and whatever is happening on the surface.”

Geyermann interjected.

“I wish to note: We are not here to inquire about that activity. You’re a sovereign world and not obligated to tell us unless it threatens the greater Collectorate. But I must ask: Have you detected surveillance activity in the system?”

“We have,” Rafa said. “Several incidents in the past weeks. Unmanned probes jump in, collect limited intel, jump out. You’re saying it’s Black Star?”

Devonshire answered while she shuffled in her chair.

“Or its affiliates.”

“Explain.”

“Last year, after Requiem came within minutes of unleashing its mind conditioning probes on Amity Station, SI’s investigation discovered sympathizers inside Halifax R&D. Most of the Halifax corporate leadership has been dismantled and will go on trial soon enough. But we believe several other sonsofbitches have since been contacted by Shad Abdelmani and gone rogue.

“They’re working now as independent contractors pursuant to the cause of claiming Aeterna and its many secrets. They believe your global paradise offers a bounty more valuable than the brontinium which the Chancellors used to mine down there.”

Exeter and Rafa shared a nervous stare. Defending the system was Rafa’s job, so Exeter left the response to him.

“I doubted we’d hear good news, but this is troubling. To the practical matter, we can hold off an invasion. We have certain defensive capabilities unknown to anyone – including the UNF. But I believe you’re about to recommend we do more. Yes?”

Geyermann nodded.

“These Black Star/Requiem affiliates are well funded and not yet trained in our sights. We also believe they have been conditioned.”

“Silent agents,” Exeter replied.

“Correct. We recommend you suspend the Pilgrim Project. When war breaks out, it won’t be a viable exchange program anyway.”

“You think Black Star and Requiem planted spies in the satellites?”

“Speculation,” Devonshire said. “No evidence. So far. But as I see it, Exeter, that program provides a backdoor for the enemy. If Requiem can infiltrate Amity Station and Central Command, do you believe they won’t have a go at Aeterna?”

Shit. Why in ten hells did it never occur to me?

“She’s right,” he told Rafa. “This could be a problem.”

“On the positive,” Devonshire replied, “you’ll not be without help. Jack, if you would.”

He opened the small case. Three thumb-sized cylindrical objects struck Exeter as familiar. He’d been shown the design a week before retirement.

“Are these what I suspect?”

“They are,” Jack said. “Neuropathic detectors.”

“I’ll be damned. SI perfected it?”

“We did indeed,” Devonshire said, struggling to create a fist with her wobbly left hand. “The prototypes you used with limited success last year have been refined. They track the synaptic markers unique to Requiem conditioning.”

Jack slid the case across the table.

“If conditioned spies have infiltrated you, these devices will ferret out the bastards. They’re fool proof.”

Exeter didn’t need to ask how Jack knew; he suspected the dark rooms proved to be ample testing ground.

“Thank you.”

“Agreed,” Rafa said. “Any other bad news today?”

Geyermann smiled.

“That was enough for one sit-down. Questions?”

Rafa crossed his arms and sighed.

“This war will be worse than anyone might have imagined. Yes?”

“We’ll try our damndest to limit the toll, but it has to be fought. We won’t be able to come to your aid as long as we’re engaged with the enemy. You deserved to know.”

Exeter understood the UNF’s choice. No single planet defended itself as effectively as Aeterna, but the others were home to billions compared to Aeterna’s fifty thousand.

He and Rafa did not need to ask questions. They knew how to proceed. Exeter spoke to Geyermann en route to the transport.

“When this is over, Brad, please visit. Bring your family.”

Geyermann extended his hand.

“In the meantime, protect your people.”

After Exeter and Rafa watched the transport disappear inside a wormhole aperture, Aeterna’s defenders started toward the lift.

“That could have been worse,” Rafa said.

“Oh, sure. All they needed to add was ‘invasion imminent.’”

Rafa scratched his chin.

“The Jewels are remaking the planet. We need to test pilgrims to determine if we have an enemy within. If I upgrade to defense Priority RED, I’ll create a frenzy.”

Exeter realized the implication for the retrieval of three hundred Aeternans from their current terrestrial jobs. He thought of the growing schism in Promise and Caleb’s Revivalist demands.

“I need a quick, stiff drink. Join me?”

Rafa did not object.

Quick was the operative word. Exeter returned to the operations center, his head swirling. Lt. Mars greeted him.

“Fresh trouble, sir?”

He set down the case of neuropathic detectors and wondered how the pilgrim population would respond to such testing.

“For me, Lieutenant, it’s the same old. For Aeterna? We’ll see. What have you got for me?”

Spec. Cress and Traut joined Mars for his presentation. He threw up a live image of the region surrounding the chasm.

“Watch this, sir.”

He introduced a topographical overlay that appeared to be taken from a different planet. Rather than thick forests, mountain ranges, and intricate river systems, old Hiebimini seemed like a wasteland with bright green plumes erupting from the brontinium mines.

“It’s a vintage Ark Carrier vid from 5306, fourteen years before the seeding. Its data stamp confirms the terrestrial coordinates. I’ve never seen a before and after. Lends perspective.”

Exeter agreed. He studied bits of Hiebim history – especially the endless civil war before the seeding – but the stark contrast boggled his mind. Yet another revelation piqued his curiosity.

“How many mines resided within the chasm’s expanse?”

“Twenty-two, sir. The largest cluster on the planet.”

Exeter saw the Lieutenant’s smile and gave him the honors.

“Explain what’s happening down there.”

“The Jewels opened the chasm in a region with the largest concentration of unrefined brontinium. They’re drawing fuel from Lake Profundus through the core. They used it before to refine the brontinium and build our cities, but this time they’re constructing something inside the chasm. Maybe as big as the chasm itself.”

“What is this something, Lleyton?”

The officer tempered his words.

“I’m excited to find out, but also terrified, sir.”

Exeter held his breath.

“Me, too.”

16

Two days later

Genoa

D ANNY BURIED HIMSELF in distractions, the latest being a stroll through the city with his family. People stopped to ogle at the twins, who entertained with rhythmic coos and ticklish giggles. He played the proud father but allowed Maren to oversee crowd management. Babies remained reliable showstoppers on Aeterna.

More important to Danny: The time stamp.

Fucking Amadi. Should’ve known he didn’t have what it takes!

At last check, his brother-in-law spoke of hopping on the last intercon Scram for home after his shift ended – whether he retrieved the data from Anyssa Strong’s D-4 Plate or not.

Three days, no progress. Amadi said nothing of his efforts the night before when Danny and Maren hosted him for dinner (which Maren agreed to with reservation). He asked about the girls, compared his own experience raising little Mikey, and spoke of how everyone at the ag compound treated him with patience and respect.

No update or prediction on the only matter Danny gave a shit about. Now he’d leave town for two days? How in ten hells did Amadi expect to fulfill his promise in time?

Perhaps he was a coward, even with a hundred thousand payoff on the line. He’d leave Genoa and send his regrets then never return.

Or maybe the news would be worse. What if Amadi stole the data, blackmailed Strong, and cut Danny out altogether?

Sonofabitch, I’ll ...

His wrist pad vibrated.

Danny stepped away from the latest ogling session and elevated the caller’s face. He greeted Amadi.

“Tell me you have good news.”

Amadi grinned.

“I’m not empty-handed. Are you free?”

“Will be.”

“I’m at the pub. Corner table in the back.”

“Give me ten minutes.”

Hot damn! Finally.

He pulled Maren aside and began his excuse with:

“Hey, babe, I have to check in with a pilgrim. They’re going through some shit. Just need to make sure they’re good.”

She kissed him on the cheek.

“Don’t be too long.”

“No worries. In fact, I’ll grab some take-home for dinner.”

Danny already had something in mind. A little pricey, but why not? He’d have reason to celebrate.

Along the way, he stopped at his father’s memorial.

“Just hang on a little longer, Dad. I’m coming.”

Inside the pub, which long ago became the town’s social hot spot, Danny took a quick detour into the water room for an overdue pee and a chance to gather his thoughts. Did he have an answer to Amadi’s inevitable question about the first payment?

Time to sell big, Dan-o.

A low roar of voices, many laughing, combined with clinking glasses in the crowded social room. Danny weaved past the patrons, greeting pilgrims on his caseload, before spotting Amadi.

The brother-in-law sat with his back against the wall, tall glass in hand. He gestured to Danny, who decided not to order for himself.

It seemed perfect. A scheme that worked.

Then a crisis of confidence tied knots in Danny’s stomach. He realized Amadi wasn’t alone. He saw a familiar woman with her back turned. What in ten hells?

“There he is,” Amadi shouted.

Anyssa Strong held a glass of ale and winked.

“Why, how about this?” She beamed in the effervescent tone of her fake persona. “We all had the same idea.” She pointed to the chair between them. “Please, Dan. Join us.”

OK, chill your biscuit. Be patient. Play the long game.

Danny pulled out the chair and went into bridge advisor mode.

“Wow. I think half my caseload must be in here tonight.”

Amadi swigged his ale and wiped his lips.

“It’s a friendly place. Our pub in Lumen is tame by comparison.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. You run into each other?”

“No, no. Anyssa and I made some real in-roads the past three days. She’s a marvelous teacher. Works long hours. I thought she deserved a break.”

Anyssa burped.

“Oh gee, how embarrassing. I’m not much of a drinker.”

Amadi laughed while Danny forced a snicker.

“No worries,” Amadi said. “The important thing is being out of that workspace and having fun. Are you?”

She looked around with that faux touch of innocence.

“I am, Amadi. Yes, I am. This is my first time on another planet, and I’ve been too afraid to just ... take it all in.”

“Too much work can deaden the spirit.” He turned to Danny. “Anyssa and I were talking today, and you came up.”

Danny stammered. “Oh, yeah?”

“We realized how much we appreciated your efforts. You cut through the bureaucracy to move Anyssa’s application along, and you got me this job in less than a day. We owe you, Dan. Drinks are on me.”

Normally, he’d accept the offer without hesitation. This didn’t feel right. Not even close. Danny lost any interest in liquor.

“Actually, Maren’s expecting me back soon. I promised her some take-home. You can buy a round next time.”

Amadi frowned at the suggestion.

“Sure, Dan? Don’t want a little something to dull the knife?”

“Nah. I’m good.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you seem off your game.”

Amadi sipped his ale while Danny thought of an excuse.

Am I that goddamn obvious?

He hit upon a new tactic.

“OK. Fine. You got me. It’s a family deal. Worried about ...” He side-eyed Anyssa, hoping she’d take a clue. “When you called, I hoped we’d be alone to talk.”

Anyssa pushed back her chair.

“Oh, dear. Please. I’d never intrude on such matters. Why don’t we do this another time?”

Amadi wagged a dismissive finger and leaned forward.

“No, no. You’re my guest, Anyssa. We’re all friends here. In fact, I’d wager having a woman’s perspective might help whatever’s troubling my brother-in-law.”

So much for that.

“If you’re sure ...” She said.

“Yeah,” Danny muttered. “It’s not ... it’s nothing urgent. We can talk about it next time.”

“Your call, Dan.” He turned to Anyssa. “They invited me to dinner last night, and we had the best time. Have you met his girls? They are the sweetest.”

“No.” Anyssa grinned. “I’d love to. I’m from a huge family. Seven brothers and sisters.”

“Ah. Where were you in the hierarchy?”

“Second oldest. I am well versed in diaper changes and feedings. Also the temper tantrums. Although I suppose I was just as guilty when I was a crabby little thing.”

“Weren’t we all?” Amadi raised his ale and offered a toast. “Now look at us. What adventures we’ve led. Brought together by Aeterna, the most incredible planet in the universe.”

Danny heard a tone shift that rubbed him raw. Amadi’s words sounded like a prelude to a punchline. He watched Amadi and Anyssa clink glasses and sip, then thought of a clever retort.

But Danny wasn’t fast enough. Amadi finished his thought.

“As for me? It’s a pleasure to be sitting here with two people worthy of admiration.” He pointed to Anyssa. “An interstellar con artist.” He side-eyed Danny. “And a traitor.”

Amadi finished his ale without comment. Danny linked eyes with Anyssa, whose bubbly persona retreated. He studied her to reach a single conclusion: Had Danny walked straight into a double-team?

His throat turned dry. Her ale tempted him.

“Say again?”

“You heard me,” Amadi answered. “The room’s not that noisy. I admit, I love this view.”

Anyssa straightened her shoulders and set down her ale. Her ebullient, manufactured smile disappeared.

“Did you call me a con artist?”

Amadi winked. Yeah, Danny knew that wink.

Shit.

“I would never insult a woman of your beauty. See, I’m what they call a truth-teller.”

Danny intervened.

“The fuck’s wrong with you, dude?”

“Me?” Amadi shrugged. “I’m good. All good. You two, on the other hand? I see troubled water in your future. Take care not to drown in it.”

Anyssa pushed back her chair.

“I don’t know your game, Amadi, but I don’t stand for being treated this way. If I see you at the ag compound, I’ll ...”

Amadi tightened a steel jaw and squinted those dark eyes.

“Don’t raise your voice, Anyssa. Or Cassandra. Or whoever you are. Leave now, and two things will happen. First, I’ll expose your scheme to the Aeternans. I can’t speak for how they’ll respond. Second, you’ll never acquire the tech secrets my brother-in-law promised.”

Danny felt a twitch in his right hand, which he balled into a fist.

Not here, Dan-o. Take it outside. Sonofabitch.

“The fuck are you trying to pull, dude?”

“Lower the temperature, Dan. It’s not personal. I’m looking out for my family.”

“Bullshit. You’re the con.”

Amadi responded with a twinkle in his eye.

“No. I’m clever. But I must admit, I’ve never found it so easy. And the way you two fell into my lap ...”

Anyssa’s youthful voice cracked.

“You have nothing.”

“Oh? Hmm. Let’s start with your D-4 Plate.” He reached inside his shirt pocket and retrieved the Mobile Extractor Core. “I stole the data matrix yesterday. It’s safely far from here.” Amadi tossed the device to Danny. “You might as well have gift-wrapped the prize.”

The picture cleared. Danny saw the depth of his own stupidity.

“You played me.”

Amadi nodded.

“I’m what some might call ‘well versed in the arts.’ And patience. Oh, the waiting is torture, but the endgame is ...”

Anyssa glanced at nearby tables then leaned forward with a murderous glint.

“There’s nothing on my plate of value.”

“Nothing accessible. But that’s actually part of the con. I wondered what you might offer Danny that he desperately needed. He spoke of leverage but avoided specifics. My brother-in-law is an open book. Everyone in his family knows the one thing he values more than his wife and his kiddos. He wants his Daddy.”

Danny prepared to plunge. Two hands, square around the neck, and a simple twist. Amadi was no match. It would be quick.

Also public.

He responded with one feeble question.

“Why are you doing this?”

“I seek opportunity, Dan. It’s why I came to Aeterna.”

“My sister. You ...”

Amadi raised a dismissive finger.

“Don’t distract. I contacted friends. They’re resourceful. Halifax R&D has an affiliate on Moroccan Prime. I asked them to inquire about a woman named Cassandra Latin.” He shifted to Anyssa. “That’s the name Danny gave me. She’s an interstellar cartographer by trade but known for some fringe theories. A little thing called a trans-wormhole. Me? I’m not heavy into quantum mechanics or black matter substrata. I also learned Cassandra Latin is in her fifties. So, either you’re not her or you’ve been through a healthy round of recon surgery.”

Anyssa moved the glass out of her way and leaned as far into the table as she could with propelling herself across.

“What exactly do you think you have on us?”

“You promised Danny trans-wormhole tech. In return, he’ll give you Aeterna’s secrets. Here are my terms. Listen carefully. Two hundred thousand UCVs. In return, you get Occip, Walker frame matrix, and at least one other goodie I’m sure Dan can scrape together. Transfer the credits in my presence.”

“And then?”

“Break your contract. Claim a family emergency back home – pick the planet of your choice. You leave unscathed. As for my brother-in-law ...” Amadi finished his terms without looking at Danny. “His treason will go unnoticed so long as I remain silent. He’ll reflect upon his choices and learn never to play out of his league.”

“Cudfrucker. I’ll tear you to pieces. I’ll ...”

“Not another word, Dan. Remember when I said it wasn’t personal? I lied. In my experience, people most in need of being slapped down a few pegs are the easiest.” Amadi sighed. “Here’s how it will go down, Anyssa. Cassandra. Barbara. Luna. Whoever. You have twelve standard hours to acquire the funds. My friend here will start the acquisition process. Would you like Occip or Walker frame first? Take your pick.”

Anyssa dropped any pretense of a phony persona. She responded like a woman twice her apparent age.

“Both.”

“Fair deal.”

“One problem,” she said. “I can’t deepstream. The Aeternans monitor those transmissions. I’ll have to communicate by delayed Stetcode.” She added, “There’s no guarantee the UCVs will be freed on your timetable.”

“Make it work. You won’t return home empty-handed. Someone invested heavily in you. I’ll be returning to Lumen for a short break with my family. Contact Dan when you receive the credits.”

Anyssa sat back in what Danny saw as a virtual surrender.

“Congratulations,” she said. “To both of you. Well played.”

Danny scoffed.

“What? I’m not part of this. Amadi played us.”

“Well acted, too. If there’s nothing else, gentlemen, I need to contact my associates.”

“Dismissed,” Amadi said with a flick of the wrist. “Twelve standard hours. Max.”

She cast a damning glare at both men then left without a word.

Danny gripped the edge of the table. He so wanted to throw it and pummel the bastard. Amadi greeted his rage with a simple quip.

“You’re a moron.”

“Why, you sonofabitch? Why did you fuck me? We’re family.”

“No, Dan. We’re accidental acquaintances. I knew you’d be ripe for harvest one day. When Grace told me of your involvement with that dead exobiologist, I realized how delusional you’d become. Then the speech you gave at the dedication to his statue ... sad. But laced with a grief you’ll never shake. The rest was easy.”

Danny resisted the sudden urge to throw up.

“The rest? What?”

“The card game, Dan. Your nine-flush to win. Good try. I know you cheated. I saw the sloppy transition from your sleeve.”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

“You ...”

“Of course I let you win. How else could I have felt such horrible despair? How else for you to believe my sad story?”

The embarrassment gravitated toward humiliation.

“The debts back home ... they weren’t real?”

Amadi nodded.

“Yes, but paid off months ago with help from your sister. She’s so understanding. Really, a fine woman. She loves me. As my wife, she felt obliged to help. And of course there’s Mikey. I want to give him the best home. Maybe on Aeterna. Maybe not. We’ll see.”

A different rage boiled close to the surface.

“The way you treat my sister. You ... I’ll tell her everything.”

Amadi grinned with apparent resignation.

“You could. Definitely. Ruin my marriage. Break her heart. But let’s consider the moral hierarchy. Extortion. Treason. What’s the more unforgiveable? And wouldn’t your betrayal stain the entire Pynn-Cooper line? I’m giving you an out, Dan. See this deal through. Hand over the tech. I’ll keep your secret, and you will never lift a finger to create discord in my life.”

Amadi rose and stretched his arms.

“Sleep on it. I should run now. I have a Scram to catch.” He chuckled. “Unless you’d like to escort me through the Walker.”

He did not budge while Amadi patted him on the shoulder.

“Eh. It was worth a try. Good night.”

Danny sat alone and stared at the ale glasses. Then he cursed under his breath and ordered two whiskeys.

He forgot about his promise to bring take-home for dinner.

17

Lioness

T HE DAY FELL APART SOON after Rafael Kane made a fateful choice. The ADF’s Admiral confided his plans to the Promise Council, which reluctantly agreed. Exeter, too, understood the need for a military upgrade to Priority RED, but the terrestrial implications worried him.

“The pilgrims will not take this well,” Exeter said, walking alongside Rafa. “But I’m also concerned about the Revivalists. They’re planning a coming-out party.”

Rafa nodded.

“They’ll accuse us of trying to disrupt their plans.”

Exeter remembered Caleb’s demand for transparency in exchange for the microbe samples.

“They’ll claim we’re using RED to hide the truth about the chasm and the Jewels.”

The Admiral stopped outside the command deck.

“They’d mount a credible case. We haven’t told them what we know. They’ll treat a lack of straightforward answers with suspicion.”

“If I share the limited science, they’ll meet it with wild speculation and paranoia. I doubt our kind will panic, but the pilgrims ...?”

Rafa scratched his nose.

“We’re threading the tiniest of needles. But we can use RED to our advantage. Aeternans share a bond: Our origin story. We’re still here because we defeated invaders and made certain no one tested us again.”

Exeter conceded the value of remembering history’s lessons.

“You intend to hype the threat of imminent invasion.”

Rafa sighed long and deep. Exeter felt his old friend’s conflict. He was the ADF’s longest-serving Admiral but despised warmongering.

“We’re the only planet Black Star has not touched. If invoking that name will rally our people, I see little choice but to use it. Say what you will about war, X, but it does tend to be a unifier.”

Exeter choked on the memories of his struggle at Central Command – before and after the coup.

“Don’t count on it.”

Rafa detailed his steps. First, he’d deliver a Broad Occip outlining the orders along with logistics about rotation changes and the timetable for immortals to report for fleet duty. Second, he’d transfer most intercontinental Scrams to ADF control for weapons and worm-drive upfits. Only essential commerce would utilize the remaining terrestrial vehicles. Third, he’d bar pilgrims from traveling between satellites, with an exception for emergency evacuation via Walker Stations. He’d discontinue travel to the outer worlds until the ADF reached war footing.

The latter bit worried Exeter the most.

“What happens if thousands of pilgrims demand to leave? They outnumber us by many fold.”

They arrived on the command deck, where Rafa took his station.

“I’ve asked the Council to devise a strategy; public relations is not my forte. They’ll work with the city admins to quell any panic and remind everyone how strong our defenses are. With luck, the pilgrims will believe they’re safer here than back home. I gave the Council six hours to pull together a plan.”

“Tall task. Several dozen pilgrims fled after the chasm opened. This will be a tougher sell.”

“If all else fails, I have one backstop, but it would gut the Pilgrim Project. I’d order the Genteel to land outside each satellite and take any comers. She’ll jump to Amity Station and offload. The pilgrims will book commercial passage home from there. We can make up to six round trips within a day.”

Exeter had to admit: The idea saved time and resources.

“I wonder how Amity’s Governor would react when we dump tens of thousands of refugees at the spaceport. Most commercial traffic through Amity is booked days ahead. Popular routes take weeks.”

Rafa shook his head.

“It’s not ideal, but Amity owes us a debt. You saved it from Requiem last year. Plus, we can better defend the planet if they’re out of our hair.” He smirked. “You didn’t hear me say that, by the way.”

“I understand. The Project was controversial before it became a fact of life. They filled our cities in ways we never could.”

“Now they’re liabilities.”

Exeter studied the master defense grid, which charted the fleet, thousands of singularity bombs, orbital ballistic platforms, and deep-range patrols.

“It’s all happening so fast, Rafa. Pieces on a chessboard moving toward a climactic event. The chasm, the proteins, microbes, Shoan Gui, Revivalists, the war.”

The Admiral shaded his eyes.

“Shoan told you, ‘Fear will always be the worst response.’ It leads me to wonder: What qualifies as the best? Action? Circumspection?”

Exeter scoffed.

“Next time I see the Judge of the Change, I’ll be sure to ask.”

Rafa bellowed, as if responding to a brilliant punchline.

“Call and make an appointment. I assume you have his Stetcode.”

“It’s in my wrist pad. He’s listed as Emissary of the Jewels.”

They stole a reflective moment, one which Exeter thought might be among their last for a while. He confessed:

“I want to believe we’re on the brink of an amazing pivot. A moment we’ll talk about for decades.”

“But?”

“All we have is a collection of scientific improbabilities. Our hearts and minds are leading us in different directions. And every immortal has been called home to witness ...”

Rafa interrupted.

“Witness what?”

“I wager we’ll find out in three days when the IC reps return.”

“Ah. That.”

Rafa’s smile piqued Exeter’s curiosity.

“You know something.”

“Actually, they’ll be jumping in within the hour.” Rafa lowered his voice to a conspiratorial tone. “Minister Solis mentioned it during our confab. The reps followed protocol to notify her office first. She was a bit put-out by their choice. The Interstellar Congress doesn’t conclude its business for another three days.”

“Huh. They left early. Why?”

“They offered no reason.”

Exeter’s chest tightened. He extrapolated a chain of events.

“If the Council knows, then Doc Ranke knows. She’ll pass it on to the Revivalists. Caleb said they’d arrange an event at Liberation Park timed to the last homecomings. We should expect a Broad Occip.”

“Another piece added to the board.”

“But to what end? Checkmate?”

So many questions. Too many needles to thread.

He carried that uncertainty with him to the operations center and addressed Lt. Mars straightaway.

“What’s the latest from Jarvis?”

The Lieutenant sorted through holos filled with microbial studies and raw datasets, none of which meant anything to Exeter.  

“I’ve only just begun to unpack it, Commander.”

“Right. Set up an open confab with Jarvis. He’s back in the outpost. Yes?”

“He is, sir.”

“We need clarity, Lleyton. We’re short on time. Actually, let’s extend the link to every outpost. I want a full perspective on where we are.”

At last report, the synthetic protein had extended its reach planetwide, its function still a mystery. Regular testing had yet to discover it inside Aeternans.

“Commander, could we have a word?”

Spec. Traut and Cress motioned him over. They expanded an orbital view of the region above which Lioness held geosynchronous position. The land, ranging from subtropical forests to deserts to low mountain ranges, appeared unchanged but for the chasm’s white blotch. Streaks of clouds followed usual patterns along the Northern Stream. Datasets highlighted temperature ranges, wind, precipitation, warm and cold fronts. He’d seen this view a thousand times.

“Talk to me.”

Cress pointed to a disturbance three hundred kilometers southwest of the chasm. The concentrated storm clouds spanned perhaps a hundred kay.

“A storm system,” he said. “OK. What about it?”

“Watch.”

Cress flipped between satellite images, which seemed similar but for one small area.

“That storm did not exist two hours ago,” he said.

“OK. Storms can pop up quickly under the right conditions.”

“True, Commander, but these are the wrong conditions. This storm is rising in the center of a high pressure zone. The air is dry, and temps are seasonally normal. There’s no fuel.”

More scientific improbabilities ...

Exeter played it cool.

“Can you track its course?”

“I don’t see any steering currents.”

Traut zoomed in on the storm’s center.

“Take a look at the pressure toward the center. It’s dropping. Down ten percent in the last hour.”

Color gradients overlaid the clouds like a topographic map might show elevation changes.

“Precipitation?” Exeter asked.

Traut adjusted the overlay. A swath of pale green swirled near the outer edges.

“Light but steady rain.”

“Wind speeds?”

“Huh.”

Exeter didn’t like Traut’s muttered response.

“Talk to me.”

“Thirty kph near the center. It’s calm toward the outer edges.”

Lt. Mars interrupted.

“Commander, I’m live with Jarvis Pellem and the six outposts.”

“Give me a minute.” He focused on the storm. “OK, it’s an anomaly. Weather systems can defy norms.”

“On other planets,” Cress said. “Our climatic patterns have been predictable for as long as we’ve studied them.”

“Fine. Let’s assume we need to keep a close eye. Would we better understand it if we got in tight?”

Cress nodded. “Without a doubt.”

“Take a Scramjet, Harland. Jump in near the center. Link in with Esme and find out if we have a new problem.”

The Specialist saluted.

“On it, Commander.”

Exeter turned his attention to the ground. Jarvis Pellem dominated the screen, his small team behind him. Five other segments featured the lead researcher from each outpost.

“OK, everyone. Listen up. I have tried to keep our work under wraps until I could present a well-founded, coherent narrative. I’m running out of time. Unfolding events may force my hand.

“All of which is to say, I’d love to hear some unified theories. Something with shape that I can sell to our people. The situation in Promise is about to take a turn. So, Jarvis, you have the honors.”

The exobiologist ran his hands through knotted hair.

“C-Commander, I can’t advance any notions beyond what I already hyp-hypothesized. We’re still early in gathering evidence.”

Well-meaning but still too conservative.

“I disagree, Jarvis. We’ve been at this for fifty-six days. Between your teams and mine up here, we’ve made discoveries. The protein emergence, the river patterns, the ancient microbes, the energy absorption at Lake Profundus and its physical link to the chasm, which used to be a region dominated by brontinium mines. All our people are returning home, which strikes me as a serious connective piece. With this in hand, you hesitate to theorize. Why?”

Jarvis turned to his team. Exeter saw nods of encouragement.

“Commander, science points the way, but it does not easily g-give up its secrets. Too much of what we have found defies the principles of ... physical laws of nature.”

“True. Then again, you and I defy the physical laws of nature. We should be impossible. I was killed in battle two dozen times. Honestly, I stopped counting. Here I stand, no worse for the wear. A mortal man devised a way to create me. A tiny strand of Jewel energy courses through my blood.” Exeter felt his temperature rise and decided to lay off. “You get my point, Jarvis. What’s happening to our planet?”

Jarvis laughed like a man trying to mask his fear.

“Trust me, Commander, you do not want to s-sell what I believe.”

“Try me.”

“They will think you’re mad, and with ... with good reason.”

“I’m waiting.”

“Go ahead, Jarvis,” a teammate told him with a reassuring smile.

OK, so they’ve been discussing it. What are they afraid of?

“Fine, Commander. Has Lt. Mars briefed you on my datasets regarding the mi-microbes?”

Exeter glanced at his man.

“We were working our way there. Your teams found these microbes in every ecostem surrounding our nine cities.”

“Correct. Our datasets show they are growing in numbers like the proteins but with a key difference. They are rising to the sur-surface from deep inside the planet.”

“Rising. How? Why?”

“We don’t know the mechanism. Commander, your husband’s discovery of the microbes’ connection to an original Earth ecostem may only tell p-part of their story.”

“What part?”

“The middle.”

Exeter and Lt. Mars shared frowns of equal measure. He felt a touch of madness in the room, the kind which surrounded the most wackadoodle of theories.

“Explain, Jarvis.”

“Commander, these microbes aren’t just a match for Earth ecostems. Our early tests prove they contain properties never documented anywhere on Collectorate worlds.”

“Such as?”

“They can exist in a vacuum. They can withstand massive heat. They can be frozen to extreme levels and ... and ... maintain both form and function regardless of the environment.”

Exeter thought Jarvis should have led with this revelation.

“Function. Such as?”

“Growth. Respiration. A wide variety of metabolic processes.”

“Are they organic or synthetic, like the protein?”

Jarvis shook his head.

“It’s life that appears indestructible. That’s all we know.”

“You said the Earth ecostems were the middle part of their story. What was the first part?”

Exeter anticipated the answer but needed someone else to say it. He sensed they were headed far deeper than any rabbit hole.

“We b-believe they are older than the Jewels themselves. We know little of how the Jewels were created, only that they traveled millions of years across the galaxy. They likely collected the microbes d-during their travels. It’s possible these microbes are essential elements to the Jewels’ terraform matrix.”

“Essential, as in?”

“Foundational.”

Lt. Mars interjected with wide eyes.

“The secret sauce, so to speak.”

“Possibly. Like I said b-before, we are early in our studies.”

Exeter used Jarvis’s words to circle back around.

“But not too early, given all our other conjecture. Assume you’re right about the microbes. Pull together the other elements and state the theory you think I can’t sell to our people. The one that will make me sound like a madman.”

Jarvis called up Fedor Lenov, the only pilgrim on his team. Fedor had offered valuable insight about the protein during Exeter’s last visit to the outpost.

“You can state it more suc-succinctly than I. Go ahead, Fedor.”

The young man nodded.

“Hello, Comm. Woolsey. Thank you for trusting me here.”

“No problem, Fedor. What’s your insane theory?”

The biologist took a deep breath.

“I believe we are witnessing evolution in real time.”

“Not what I expected to hear, but let’s go with it. I know of three kinds of evolution: Natural, selective, and adaptive. They all tend to be slow. Very slow. What would you call this evolution?”

“Scripted, sir.”

“That’s new. Lay it out for me, Fedor. And please, don’t hold back.”

“Commander, I have studied everything in the Aeternan archives about how this planet came to be and how the immortals and hybrids found their way here. In the testaments of Brother James that weren’t destroyed after The Last Day’s War, he wrote ...”

Exeter raised a hand.

“Whoa, right there. Pilgrims are not supposed to have access to those documents.”

Fedor shuffled his feet.

“I begged my bridge advisor for a look. I’m fascinated by your history. She transferred the data from Occip to a plate. I read it under supervision. It never left her office. Please don’t hold it against her.”

Exeter didn’t need to delve into those ugly weeds.

“Fine. Continue.”

“Brother James said the Jewels of Eternity guided him to Hiebimini and told him to rename the planet Aeterna.”

“Yes. We know that story. Go on.”

“He also said the Jewel inside him delivered a warning at the outset of his journey, and I quote: ‘We will show them the way home, and the dark will follow.’ He interpreted home to be Aeterna, and them to be the immortals and hybrids. But what was the dark? Was it the death of the hybrids? Most died fighting in The Last Day’s War. But not all. Brother James went mad and killed his own children when the battle ended, and Michael Cooper killed Brother James. Every hybrid turned to ash and their Jewels escaped. Or so your history says.”

Right. Much of it written by Michael. Many debatable entries.

“Fedor, I don’t see how those events connect to this one.”

“The dark will follow. We have encountered all these scientific improbabilities. What if that’s because they have at their foundation something more improbable than the Jewels themselves? The dark.

“In their million-year journey, what did the Jewels discover that allowed them to terraform planets with relative ease? It had to be something elemental to all of Creation. The connective strands that bind the universes. The dark.”

Exeter’s cheeks dropped. He didn’t want to believe it.

“You mean black matter substrata.”

“Yes,” Fedor said. “It’s everywhere. It fills the expanse in both visible and subspace. We form wormholes and travel through it like swimming through an ocean. What if the dark, as they called it, is alive? These microbes should not be able to live on a planet’s surface, unless they’re made of something that exists throughout Creation. Something that defies every scientific law.

“If I’m right, and I know I sound halfway around the bend, sir, maybe we’re seeing the rise of the dark. This is the event the Jewels foretold to Brother James. It’s been their plan all along: Draw your kind to Aeterna and give you time to settle in before the next phase of this planet’s evolution.”

Exeter pinched his eyes. Lt. Mars shook his head.

“You’re breaking my brain,” Exeter said. “I’m a reasonably intelligent man, and I’ve seen things you would not believe, Fedor. Horrors that still wake me in the middle of the night. But this? You’re making one hell of a damn leap.”

Jarvis patted Fedor on the shoulder.

“I warned you it was muh-mad. But Fedor ... he connects the pieces together like no one in our company. His theory is still a longshot, but I do not believe we can dismiss it out of hand. You were not there in the b-beginning, Commander. Most of us were. We heard Brother James speak of the Jewels. He said they ... they gave him insight into the beginning, the middle, and the end of time.”

Exeter took a moment for reflection. He returned to Shoan’s words: “A free mind is open to discovery. Follow the science, but do not be afraid of what you find.”

Exeter deemed himself afraid. No way he’d show it, of course.

“Fedor, I have a question. If this is scripted evolution – some grand scheme the Jewels concocted ages ago – what role do we play? Our last off-worlders have been drawn home for reasons they can’t explain; one man said his dreams spoke to him. Can your theory explain that?”

Fedor shaded his eyes.

“I’d say somewhere along the way, your people became bonded to this planet. Perhaps the synthetic protein will provide the answer.”

Bonded. The word made a strange sort of sense. It felt like a good angle to pursue, especially if he revealed what the Revivalists were attempting to grow in Doc Ranke’s lab.

Exeter did not have the chance. Spec. Traut shouted.

“The hell is happening?”

Traut waved Exeter to his station.

“Talk to me.”

Traut pointed to datasets being relayed from the Scramjet.

“The storm. It’s exploding. Wind speeds have doubled in the past five minutes. The interior pressure is falling. And ... look!”

Exeter’s eyes ballooned as he studied the cyclonic configuration in the center. He knew of such things on planets with vast bodies of water, generating the necessary energy.

“New problem.”

18

Genoa

D ANNY DID NOT SLEEP. He closed his eyes and held Maren close. He gave up on the charade before sunrise and tried to crawl out of bed without waking her. He failed.

“Gonna get an early start,” he said. “Go back to sleep, babe. I’ll check on the girls and make their swirl.”

She buried her face in the pillow.

“What time is it, love?”

“Don’t matter. You need your beauty sleep.”

Maren did not object.

He crept around the house, kissed Samantha and Hallie, and stepped out into the pre-dawn stillness. Danny double-tapped his digipipe and pulled a long drag of sallowtop leaf.

“Fuck me.”

As the hours slipped away toward Amadi’s deadline, Danny shuffled between options. The riskiest: Head to Lumen via the Walker Station, pull his brother-in-law aside, and beg mercy. Perhaps he’d be amenable to a deal.

What in ten hells was he thinking? Amadi wasn’t the soft touch he long assumed. And if he raised Grace’s suspicion ...

Danny settled on his only viable option.

Minutes later, he pressed the chime outside residence J-14. The occupant did not respond.

He tapped his wrist pad and linked to her comm.

“Anyssa, I’m outside. Open your door. We need to talk.”

When she didn’t answer, Danny considered an override for which he had the authority as bridge advisor.

No point pissing her off.

Rather, he pressed the door chime every ten seconds for the next five minutes until it slipped open. No one greeted him, so Danny stormed in.

He found the woman at her kitchen table sipping café. She wore a red robe.

“I’d pour you a cup,” she said, “but you’re already wired.”

“How else should I be? I’ve been fucked over. We both have.”

She pointed toward the kitchen.

“That bowl of fruit. Bring it here.”

“Wuh?”

Danny complied.

“You don’t seem goddamn bothered at all.”

She bit into a star peach. Red juice trickled from her lips.

“How did you sleep, Dan?”

“I didn’t.”

“Too bad. I managed a lovely seven hours. I never realized how much a firm pillow mattered until I moved here. Please. Sit. You’re a frustrating mess this morning.”

The hell is it with this woman?

“I’ll stand, thanks. Like you said, I’m fucking wired.”

She wiped her lips and sipped her café.

“What’s on your mind, Dan?”

“You’re kidding. We’re two hours from Amadi’s deadline. Have you talked with your bosses?”

“Oh, yes.”

He waited for details which did not come.

“And? Are they willing to pony up the credits?”

Anyssa nodded.

“They have authorized me to counter his proposal.”

“The fuck does that mean?”

She pointed again to the kitchen.

“Napkin. I could eat these peaches all day. They’re astonishing, albeit messy.”

After doing as ordered, Danny responded:

“You’re way too calm.”

“What am I supposed to do, Dan? Babble on like a frustrated, raging moron who was duped by a member of his own family? I’m here to acquire Aeternan tech and secrets to the Jewels of Eternity. If that means I must make a deal with a disreputable third party, so be it.”

The cold, matter-of-fact tone appeared to emerge from neither the young, effervescent Anyssa Strong nor the older, science-grounded Cassandra Latin. Danny remembered how Amadi referred to her: “Don’t raise your voice, Anyssa. Or Cassandra. Or whoever you are.” What did he suspect?

“You were supposed to contact me when your people agreed to Amadi’s terms.”

“I would have after breakfast and a morning walk about town. You disrupted those plans. Rude and impatient in a single beat.”

Too calm. She was too calm.

He took the plunge.

“Is Amadi right? He said you’re a con artist. The thing you showed me off your plate – the Instinct Module to a trans-wormhole drive – was it real? Or were you playing me for a fool?”

She relished her peach.

“So sweet and yet so tart. Yum!” Her tongue took pleasure in licking her lips. “Dan, I have news that will not easily break through your oversized delusions. You are a fool. And I must admit: It came as a surprise. When my associates arranged our union, I assumed you were ambitious, even a touch ruthless. Now? You’re a sad man. Heartbroken and unable to appreciate your good fortune. Sad.”

Oh, how he would have loved to jump her. Both hands to her neck. He knew better than to draw close, so Danny backed up.

“You never answered my question. Is it real? The trans-wormhole drive. Is it fucking real?”

She finished the last of her peach and stared at the pit.

“I wonder if I could take a few of these home and grow them in pots. Yes, Dan. The trans-wormhole drive is real.” Then she lowered her voice to a mutter. “In theory.”

“What did you say?”

“It’s neither here nor there. Your brother-in-law changed the equation. I have a response. Bring him this morning. The sooner we secure a deal, the better for all concerned.”

He paced the front room and ran through his options, of which he concluded there were few ... none, actually.

I’m a fool.

“It will take time,” he told her. “He’s only been home one night. He’d have to explain it to my sister then grab the next intercon Scram. Could take hours.”

Anyssa pushed back her chair and retreated to the kitchen, where she poured a second cup.

“Let’s try for one hour, Dan. Take the Walker and escort him through. A man such as your brother-in-law will appreciate a timely resolution. First, I recommend you stitch yourself together. You’re a dreadful mess. A nice breakfast and a shower will serve you well. I’ll wait here.”

Danny opened his mouth, but she cut him short.

“Leave my home. Now.”

He pressed the printlock, and the door slid open.

“Who the hell are you? Really?”

Anyssa smiled like a bemused woman who heard a sad attempt at humor. She sipped her café and replied:

“Don’t return without him.”

Thirty minutes later, he stood outside Grace and Amadi’s home rubbing his frigid hands together.

19

Lioness

T HE STORM INTENSIFIED at a relentless pace. Top wind speed near the core doubled in thirty minutes, and the storm’s reach expanded by fifty kilometers in every direction. The cyclone near the center tightened until an eye formed.

“Two hundred ten kph,” Spec. Harland Cress announced from the Scramjet. “The pressure at the storm wall is down to twenty-four millibars.” He flew the ship into the eye and produced stunning vids of the fury at its edges. Lightning flashed in a symphony, and dark, roiling clouds zoomed past as if powered by jet engines.

The orbital view showed a widening monster two hundred kilometers southwest of the chasm.

“Any forward motion?” He asked Spec. Traut.

“The center has only moved six kilometers since the eye became defined. It’s more like a wobble, as if it isn’t sure what to do.” She pointed to weather patterns across the region. “But look here, Commander. There’s a warm front approaching from the northwest and rigid high pressure to the east.”

“Which means?” Exeter said.

She ran a program that highlighted a possible direction.

“If it responded typically to the prevailing currents, the corridor would suck it straight in.”

Not to his surprise, the corridor guided the storm directly above the chasm.

“If only there was anything normal about this behavior.”

The outpost teams, which stayed connected to Lioness as the storm worsened, had focused their attention on the chasm and surrounding river systems to monitor for any sudden changes.

“It’s extraordinary,” Jarvis said. “What we theorized about the chasm must extend to the w-weather. The Jewels control it all.”

Now, Exeter entertained the most outrageous ideas.

“If you’re right, Jarvis – and I have no reason to believe otherwise – then we need to evacuate the outposts.”

Jarvis didn’t respond with the expected assent.

“But Commander, we have a remarkable opportunity. This event may far exceed the c-collapse of the chasm.”

“Exactly my point.”

“The outposts are strong. They ...”

“Will not withstand those winds if the center comes anywhere near. Jarvis, think about this. If the Jewels can generate a storm of that magnitude out of nothing, why do it so far from the chasm? One might say they’re giving us proper notice to leave.”

Now would’ve been a great time for Shoan Gui to magically appear and confirm Exeter’s theory.

No such luck.

Fear will always be the worst response.

“Jarvis, I won’t debate. Each outpost: Begin transferring your most valuable equipment and samples to your Scram. I want everyone clear within thirty minutes. I’ll send you rendezvous coordinates far to the east. If the outposts are still standing when this is over, you’ll return. Am I understood?”

Each team leader confirmed the order.

Exeter spoke to the Scramjet.

“Harland, I don’t want you taking any unnecessary risks. Increase your elevation by a thousand meters. Expand your survey range.”

“On it, Commander.”

I won’t act out of fear, but I’ll damn well be practical.

He settled in beside Spec. Traut, who shook her head.

“Something I don’t understand, Commander. Winds at that speed must be punishing the terrain. The storm is barely moving. The longer it stalls, the more devastating the results.”

“Perhaps that’s the point. If the chasm was part of a long-range plan, then this storm must have been baked into the equation. I just can’t imagine what purpose it serves.”

Rafael Kane entered the operations center.

“Worse?”

Exeter nodded.

“Intensifying. Expanding.”

The Admiral stood slack-jawed before the orbital holo.

“X, it’s already twice the size of the chasm. Any projection on how big this damn thing becomes?”

Exeter forced himself to laugh.

“I once met a pair of gods. Literal gods in the form of men. Or so they claimed. Based on what I saw them do, I’d say they fit the definition. What we’re watching down there is controlled by gods of another sort. I won’t venture a guess.”

“Fair enough. Not to complicate your day, but the IC reps just jumped out of worm. Do you want to speak with them before they’re transfer home?”

“I would if I thought it’d do a lick of good. We’re losing control, Rafa. All I can do now is keep my people safe and let this thing play out as the Jewels designed it.”

Rafael started to walk away before he pivoted.

“You might be wrong, X. They haven’t interfered with your research for the past two months. Their so-called Judge of the Change appeared to you and Caleb.”

“Your point?”

“I wonder: What if we’re partners in a way we can’t yet see?”

The question touched on ideas Exeter had explored, but the revelation about the microbes, if true, opened the door to sinister possibilities. We will show them the way home, and the dark will follow. That so-called prophecy did not sound encouraging.

“I’m trying to keep an open mind, old friend.”

Ten minutes later, Cress announced new data.

“Top wind speed is two-sixty. Rainfall in the strongest bands is coming down at a rate of five feet an hour.”

The eye had expanded to thirty kay in diameter. Color modeling showed green rain fields spinning around the storm’s outer third.

Traut relayed what they’d been expecting.

“It’s accelerating, sir. Twenty kph bearing northeast.”

Toward the chasm, pushed along by an invisible hand.

The outer bands neared the outpost directly southwest of the chasm. Exeter resumed contact with all teams.

“Status reports. How long to evac?”

Estimates ranged from ten to fifteen minutes.

“Outpost 2, your weather is about to take a significant downturn. I want you out now. Consider anything else non-essential.”

They confirmed the order.

Everything according to plan. Nice and orderly.

Too much so, of course.

Rafael gave him fair warning of what came next. The IC reps’ return left no surprise when Occip vibrated, followed by a familiar bell known to every immortal. The Council and the ADF discouraged Broad Occips unless they sent them out. Disrupting every Aeternan’s life was bad form, except for emergencies.

A BO had the unique ability to auto-trigger each Occip. Every immortal could silence their internal comm, but curiosity meant few did.

Exeter’s irises glowed, as did those of Spec. Traut, Lt. Mars, and every researcher on the ground. Irises glowed throughout Promise and among the admins of the satellite cities, as well as the uniformed immortals stationed in the fleet.

Oryn Velt appeared head to toe, surrounded by the virtual turntable. Exeter did not silence him.

“Aeternans, I shall be brief,” he began. “Our people stand on the edge of a new path forward. Events of staggering proportion will be revealed by my group, the Revivalists. We will uncover the truth of a destiny long prepared for us by the Jewels of Eternity. We call upon the citizens of Promise and all those capable of joining us from the satellites, the fleet, and Exeter Woolsey’s secret research teams. We will meet in Liberation Park in one hour. After today, all our lives will change for the better. One hour.”

The BO ended.

“Thanks for mentioning me by name,” Exeter said. “I attend one meeting, reject them out of hand, and now I’m the bad guy. Great.”

He refocused and contacted the ground.

“All teams, follow my orders and ignore the BO. If the Revivalists have anything important to say, you’ll hear about it soon enough.”

Exeter assumed Rafael would send a similar message throughout the fleet. BOs often had the unintended effect of creating as much confusion as clarity. Next chance he got, Exeter intended to push the Council to bar BOs except from official sources.

“What do you know about that meeting, sir?” Spec. Traut asked.

“That the timing couldn’t be worse.”

“Might they call it off if they heard about the storm?”

Exeter had ample experience with zealots. He knew better.

“Esme, if I shared images of that storm with Oryn, he’d double down on his message. And how would I counter him? Perhaps by saying, ‘Yes, the Jewels control the weather, but there’s nothing to see here.’”

Traut grinned. “Point taken, sir.”

Lt. Mars entered the fray.

“Beg pardon, Commander, but might I offer a suggestion?”

“Always, Lleyton.”

“Sir, I know Oryn Velt. Once upon a time, we were best mates. Back when Brother James called us ‘the promised few,’ Oryn took it to mean we’d someday become the dominant species. Oryn clung to his beliefs when most of us moved on after the hybrids were killed. He sees the Jewels as shepherds.”

A true believer. Wonderful.

“What do you suggest?”

“Hold nothing back, sir. If you speak to his group, prove the Jewels have deceived us. Make the case that they’ve been playing a long game since before Settlement. They have literally hidden the truth about this planet. The lake, the protein, the microbes.”

“Got it. Sow doubt about their intentions. It’s an idea, Lleyton, and maybe even a good one.” He nodded toward the storm. “But I’d rather wait to see this madness play out. Might make for a stronger case.”

Or none at all. Who in ten hells can know?

An open comm from the surface interrupted his thoughts.

“Commander, I request a delay,” Jarvis said, his voice raised.

“Negative, Jarvis. The storm is accelerating. I want your people safely away.”

“You ... you do not understand. The land and the rivers ... something is happening down here. L-look at your scans.”

He motioned for Traut and Mars to expand the appropriate holos.

Mars raised an eyebrow as he played with the data stamp from live drone shots of the river network.

“Talk to me, Lleyton.”

“Something seems off. I’m lowering drone altitude.”

Exeter joined Mars at his station.

“What?”

“The water, sir.”

“Yes?”

Mars highlighted a snaking river less than five kilometers from the chasm and compared it against the view from an hour ago. Exeter saw the clear distinction.

“The level is dropping fast.”

“If I didn’t know better, sir, I’d say the river is being drained.”

Exeter contacted Jarvis.

“Is that what you’re detecting? Lower water levels?”

“Yes, C-Commander. And another anomaly. Our deep probe shows a spike in the subsurface temperature.”

“Localized?”

“Uncertain. We shut down most of-of our vital equipment when we transferred it to the Scram.”

“Fine. We’ll monitor from here. Tell Lt. Saludi to lift off.”

Jarvis paused a beat.

“She heard your order, Commander. We’re leaving.”

Exeter contacted Spec. Cress.

“Harland, what’s the latest?”

“Top winds now at two-eighty kay. Pressure down to twenty-three millibars.”

He turned to Traut.

“Evac status?”

“They’re all in flight, sir.”

“Harland, continue the mission. Report any significant changes.”

“On it, sir.”

“Lleyton, talk to me.”

The Lieutenant switched between a panoply of holos and reams of datasets.

“See here, Commander? Subsurface temperature is elevated, and it’s not a localized shift.”

“Can you map it?”

“Running a program now, sir. We’re combining datasets from every drone across the region.”

They waited a few seconds before the results appeared as an overlay. Exeter’s cheeks dropped.

“The hell is that?”

He pointed to a red ring encircling the chasm.

“The temperature spike. It’s a kilometer-wide region wrapping around the chasm in a concentric circle. Seventy degrees hotter, starting at ten meters beneath the surface, dropping down to ...”

Mars swallowed hard.

“I’m seeing a spike of three hundred degrees at fifty meters below. And ... six hundred degrees at half a kay deep. That’s as far as we can penetrate.”

Exeter zoomed in to get a firmer hand on the boundaries. The superheated zone passed beneath each of the six outposts.

“It’s going to implode.”

“Just like the chasm, sir.” Mars gasped. “The rivers! Look!”

The one which appeared to be draining moments ago became a winding mudhole. Mars added the live views from other drones to show a consistent pattern.

“Here,” he pointed out a detail to Exeter. “See them?”

Narrow slits opened in riverbeds like zippers undone.

“That’s different,” Exeter muttered. “Why drain them?”

“The entire region is about to be flooded when the storm arrives.”

“The Jewels are making ready. What do they intend to do with all that water?”

In the next few minutes, the storm doubled its forward speed. Subsurface temperatures rose to volcanic levels, and seismic activity intensified along the new ring.

Exeter held his breath while gods displayed their fury in the grandest of spectacles.

20

Genoa

D ANNY WANTED TO POUND his brother-in-law into dust. The cocky sonofabitch returned through the Walker Station with a sly grin. Amadi’s offer to give Danny a ten percent ‘finder’s fee’ did not land well.

“I was always good to you,” Danny spat. “After we do this, you’d better watch over your shoulder.”

Amadi rolled his eyes as they approached Avenue 14.

“This is how you respond when a friend offers twenty thousand credits? You’ll never have nice things with such a poor attitude.”

Keep a lid on it, Dan-o. He’s pushing your damn buttons.

“How will you explain this to Gracie? This is more money than you’ve made your entire sorry life.”

Amadi chuckled.

“I’ve made more. Lost it faster. Those debts were real, my friend.”

“I ain’t your friend, and you best have an exit plan.”

They turned onto Avenue 14.

“What’s that? Abandon Grace and Mikey? Why would I leave a wife who cooks for me, a boy who worships me, and a brother-in-law who will spend the rest of his life indebted to my good will?”

“There’s nothing good in you.”

Amadi bowed his head.

“Says the man who would betray his people for someone he’ll never see again.”

The bastard was minutes away from the biggest payday of his life, yet seemed happy to risk a blistering sucker punch. Danny balled two fists then focused on Maren and the girls.

He ain’t worth it, Dan-o. Chill your fucking biscuit.

They arrived at residence J-14.

“Piece of goddamn advice,” he told Amadi. “Play it cool. This woman don’t mess around.”

“What, me? I’m a professional, Dan.”

“Piece of shit, more like.”

Danny pressed the door chime. Unlike the last time, it slid open at once. He entered first.

Anyssa, wearing a dark, skin-tight bodysuit which accentuated her figure, greeted the visitors with a curt smile.

“Please. Come.” She pointed to the kitchen table. “I prepared a refreshment for our negotiations.”

Danny started forward, but Amadi hesitated.

“You misunderstand. I’m not here to negotiate. I set the terms. Dan says your people agreed.”

She nodded.

“Yes. They authorized me to respond. I thought we would discuss the next steps. We are acquiring certain technology, after all.”

Amadi glanced around at the spartan surroundings.

“I don’t have access, lady. But my brother-in-law ...”

Anyssa moved between the men with a swagger that confused Danny, given how the woman held no more leverage than he.

“I wonder about the data from my D-4. Would you be willing to return it as a gesture of good faith?”

Amadi threw up his hands with obvious disdain.

“You’re joking.”

“Once we’ve met your demands, of course. I’d never ask you to relinquish leverage upfront.”

Amadi grumbled.

“Dunno. If you’re so eager to retrieve the data, I might conclude its value exceeds my current demands.”

Anyssa played with his shirt buttons, as if she wanted to tempt him into a special package of benefits.

“A man of your aptitude is wasted here. I know people who seek clever souls like yourself.” She lowered her sultry voice to a mumble. “If only.”

She retreated to the kitchen table and grabbed a black cylindrical device not much longer than her hand.

“Do either of you know what this is?”

Danny recognized the shape. He had something like it in his jacket pocket.

“Looks like a digipipe.”

She rolled it in her hand and gazed at it from several angles.

“I don’t smoke. It’s vile. They say your sallowtop leaf is premium, but I find the smell nauseating. No, this is called a Facien binding rod. It’s used in simple robotics.”

“Why should we give a damn?” Amadi said, arms crossed.

“Normally, you wouldn’t.” She pressed a button on the back end. Four small clamps emerged around the front. “We use a Facien binder to weld and conjoin. It’s precise work.”

“Yeah,” Amadi said. “I might’ve seen one in use at the compound. This demonstration has a point? I am not here to discuss robotics.”

Anyssa winked.

“As it so happens, neither am I. But I felt obligated to preview.”

“Preview what?”

Instinct took hold of Danny one second too late.

No. She won’t. She ...

Was too fast.

Anyssa aimed the binding rod and pressed again. It released a thump and a flash of light.

Amadi stumbled backward, his eyes wide and unblinking. He uncrossed his arms and grabbed at his neck.

Blood streamed around the black object jammed into his throat.

As Amadi crashed into the wall, he reached a bloody hand toward Danny, who read his brother-in-law’s lips.

Help me. Help me.

Anyssa grabbed Danny by the arm and shook her head.

“Patience.”

“Shit! What have you done?”

Anyssa closed the binding rod.

“I responded as authorized. This is how we respond to men of reckless disregard.”

Amadi collapsed to the floor, his breaths intermittent. Air bubbles filled the gap between his open lips. The last of his desperate notes ended, and his eyes stared into an abyss.

Danny released the woman’s arm and took a knee in front of the dead man, whose chest was soaked in blood.

What in hell am I supposed to do now?

Danny thought of one person: His sister.

“Gracie. Oh, fuck. I’m sorry. I ...”

He swung around.

“What is wrong with you? He only wanted credits. You didn’t have to kill him.”

She nodded.

“I’ll concede. We discussed options. This was the quickest.”

How am I going to explain this?

“Quick?” He rose to his feet and stood five inches taller than her. Yet as he approached, Anyssa did not flinch. “You just killed a man in your home. He was married to a Cooper. You won’t ...”

“Get away with it? Calm yourself, Dan. Discover the proper frame of mind to resolve this conundrum.”

His hands trembled.

“Frame of mi ... conundrum?”

“Slow, steady breaths. Discipline your rhythm. We can’t move forward with a meaningful dialogue while you’re in the throes of a panic attack. How about that refreshment?”

Danny shoved her away. Though Anyssa stumbled, she regained her composure in short order, even checked to make sure her bun was still in place.

“It’s simple, Dan. Your brother-in-law was a treacherous man who deceived everyone. He made outrageous demands and approached me with violent intent. I responded with self-defense after his disgusting advances. You tried to restrain him, but Amadi Lasaviette was a criminal hiding from enemies on his home world. He sought redress through others who might have loved him. A tragedy for so many.”

And people called Danny delusional.

“Nobody will believe that crap.”

“OK then. Why don’t I add the other bit? The one where you two formed a conspiracy. The one where you assigned Amadi to spy on me and steal my property in the hopes of gaining leverage. The one where you came to my home together intent on terrorizing me, but you had cold feet. The one where Amadi took charge and forced me to make a fateful choice.”

She held firm. How many scenarios did she account for?

“Even if they believe your story, you’ll leave here with nothing.”

“Will I?”

Her confidence seemed too certain, her smile too easygoing. Did he miss something?

Danny surveyed the residence, but no detail stood out.

“Who are you? Who the fuck do you work for?”

“Bosses, of course.”

“You aren’t from Halifax.”

“Used to be. Then I found a better opportunity.”

The last piece of the puzzle seared into his mind.

“Amadi was right. You are a con artist. You played me.”

She winked. “I’m an artist with a wide repertoire, but there is not a false note about me.” She held out her arms as if asking him to admire her figure. “Recon surgery can’t do this.”

“You aren’t Cassandra Latin. Who do you work for?”

“A truth.” She set the binding rod on the kitchen table. “Some might call it a new paradigm. A revisiting of what it means to be human. Dan, the immortals are holding out on everyone else. You understand.” She scoffed. “What are you, but a bureaucratic middleman cast off from the town of your birth? And merely for the sake of genetics. They control too much, and they are holding you back.”

“Shut up. You’ve been here what? Four days? Who are you to tell me jack about my life?”

She took a pair of cautious steps toward Danny.

“I once asked a similar question of my critics. Then I discovered the ability to view life from the periphery. The outside edges of your mind lead to fascinating revelations. But they cannot be so easily considered without a refresh. Work with me today, Dan, and I will offer you a refresh. An escape from frustrations and limitations.”

Even as Danny fought terror and fury in equal doses, his mind grabbed onto her last words. It circulated the phrase ‘escape from frustrations and limitations’ like wet clothes in a tumbler.

“I keep up with the news from the outer worlds,” he said. “I know that slogan. You’re with Black Star.”

She wriggled an indecisive hand.

“I bear loyalty to no institution, criminal or otherwise. I am, Dan, an independent woman moored by vision not pledge. Pledges have held you back, including one to a man beyond your reach.”

He felt a twitch.

“Don’t you go there.”

“Once you move on from Michael Cooper and focus on the future rather than the forgotten, you’ll find peace. I can deliver that peace. Follow my instructions, and we will convert this unfortunate tragedy into a windfall both financial and spiritual.”

What was her game? She murdered Amadi. A prick, for sure, but he never deserved this. Grace and her son did not deserve this.

“Financial? I never asked for money. I only wanted the tech to bring my father home.”

“And you gladly sacrificed your value as a loyal and trusted citizen in pursuit of a singular, selfish goal. As a result, you will someday have to explain that to your sister.” She nodded toward the corpse. “Mere money would have been an easier explanation. Yes?”

The twitch disappeared. The fists returned.

He jumped her.

A left blow, then a right.

She groped for air when he pounded her in the gut.

Anyssa. Cassandra. Someone else.

Did it matter?

Not to Danny.

She wobbled when he let go and fell limp at his feet.

He backed away and unraveled his fists.

“Oh, shit. Why did I do that? What the fuck is wrong with me?”

Danny dropped to his knees and unleashed a torrent of sobs. He pounded the floor.

“Stupid. Stupid. I. Am. So. Fucked.”

He did not move from that spot. Even when he realized the woman’s chest was rising and falling, he stayed put. In hopeful moments, he’d close his eyes and pretend the dream might soon end. Really, would it have been such a surprise? How often had his dreams felt devastating only to draw down at the sound of a morning alarm?

At his lowest moment of self-pity, Danny wiped the drool from his chin and said:

“They were right. I had everything I needed.” He turned to Amadi, who stared back without care. “I love my wife. I love my girls. I ... I promise. I’ll make it right. I fucking have to. I ...”

A chime interrupted his ramblings. Sunlight followed.

Shit. The door. Who ...?

Danny gave up. No strategy would help him now.

A shadow broke the sunlight. Footsteps followed.

The door slipped shut.

“Humans never learned how to let go,” the intruder said. “If only they could close the circle.”

Danny recognized the voice. He jumped to his feet and caught his breath.

“You. You’re ... how?”

“Hello, Daniel,” said Shoan Gui. “I wondered under what grave circumstance we’d meet again.” Shoan lifted his left hand, upon which alighted a winged blue worm. “They thought you might avoid the fate of unchecked ambition and hubris. I voiced my doubts.”

“Shoan ... how did you know to be here? What’s going on?”

The man/Jewel studied the victims with a piteous frown.

“I did warn you, Daniel: Variables can pose unintended danger.”

He remembered the last time Shoan appeared, after the Joy Circle. The gift Shoan gave to Caleb and the message he delivered to Danny.

“Have you been watching me?”

“Watch is not an accurate word. Daniel, I am not allowed to speak of the future, but I can offer advice – as I once did. If you are unwilling or unable to take said advice, I will have to submit a complicated report. I am a judge, as you recall.”

A tinge of hope buoyed his heart.

“Advice? Maybe you have a way to get me the hell out of this nightmare?”

“A way out? Fear always demands a way out. I’ve learned so much from them. My most important lesson: Let go. Independence from fear is a gift beyond description.”

Danny heard the words, but none suggested a plan. He latched onto the blue worm.

“Are the Jewels judging me?”

“That job belongs to me. They have other plans.”

“For me?”

Shoan walked past Danny and stood over so-called Anyssa.

“The great algorithm of causality is burdened by variables but ultimately self-corrects despite their infringement. I would suggest we have arrived at such a moment. You allowed this one to insinuate herself into the algorithm. Might a remedy spring to mind?”

The woman moved her hand and groaned.

“Remedy? Shoan, I need a way out.”

“Yes.”

“What are you saying?” Shoan responded with a gaze that replied, “Isn’t it obvious?” Danny switched his focus between the woman and the weapon she set on the kitchen table. “No. It won’t help. There will be two bodies. Everyone will know.”

“True. The suspect, under normal conditions, would be obvious. Yet how is your situation ordinary? Your actions to date show a man of commitment and tenacity. Few would have remained so bold for so long. Only the man who lets go is free to choose his own path.”

“But …”

Shoan stepped away, his eyes shaded.

“Only you can choose to let go.”

I’m fucked either way. She can’t talk. She can’t talk.

As he reached for the binding rod, the woman came to. She reached for her right chin and groaned.

“What is …?”

She can’t talk.

Danny remembered how she used it. He pressed the button on the rear end. The clamp-like objects emerged.

Anyssa/Cassandra/Other sat up.

“You can’t talk,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

Her eyes ballooned. She pushed off, surging toward him.

The binding rod thumped and fired.

Her left eye caught the black projectile. Only a smidgen of it remained visible. She twitched and collapsed.

“I never wanted this,” he muttered. “I never meant to kill. I ….”

He swung around and watched Shoan judge him. What did he feel? Pity? Disappointment?

Did it matter?

“Look what you made me do. You have to help me.”

“No, I don’t. Nor will I, unless you let go.”

“What? But I just …”

“Daniel, where might a boy find refuge when all hope seems lost?”

“Just tell me what to do!”

“A boy’s last refuge.”

Danny looked to the corpses for an answer. Much to his surprise, he found it.

“If I do this …”

“Find refuge,” Shoan said. “The next phase has arrived. The dark will soon follow.”

Danny ignored those final words and dashed for the door.

When it opened, he looked back and caught a last, fleeting glance of Shoan’s hands morphing into swarms of winged blue worms.

21

Promise

L IBERATION PARK FILLED WITH the curious alongside those who already believed, though half the planetside immortals had yet to arrive. Caleb walked onto the stage where Oryn Velt, Halsted Boudnoir, Rosa Marteen, and Doc Tess Ranke discussed the presentation.

“Have you heard from him?” Oryn asked.

“No. We have time. X will make the right choice.”

“What if we begin the program early?”

Caleb noticed an uptick in Oryn’s typical impatience today.

“If we expect Exeter to keep his word, we need to do the same. Another twenty minutes will not make a difference.”

Oryn motioned to Tess.

“Tell him what you heard.”

Tess shot Oryn with an annoyed side-eye.

“I spoke with Rafe Dunham, the Lioness quartermaster. He says Adm. Kane has ordered our warships to reconfigure for Inner System Defense.”

Every Aeternan had served time in the fleet and run sorties in that configuration, although Caleb doubted Tess had served such a rotation in twenty years.

“Makes sense if he’s ramping up for Priority RED. Seems wrong for Dunham to tell you. Fleet officers are not permitted to share tactical operations with the surface except through official channels.”

Tess gave away a sly grin.

“Technically, he did. I called the Lieutenant in my capacity as a Council member. Also, he frequented my home during his most recent leave. Many endearing qualities. Lovely sense of humor. He finds me disarming.”

Caleb wouldn’t consider the Doc that way, but if others did…

“They’re reconfiguring the fleet. We shouldn’t feel threatened.”

“Unless,” Oryn said, “Kane and your husband decide to expedite RED specifically to undercut our message.”

“No. X would talk him out of it. Tess, you said Kane’s briefing did not mention an imminent threat of invasion.”

“Correct. He said the UNF delegation believed it was a looming danger but not immediate. He’s taking no chances.”

“I don’t question Rafa. Neither should you. No one’s given more to our defense.”

As he hoped, Oryn and Tess backed away.

He found their skepticism unseemly. The one constant since The Last Day’s War: Trust our commanders. Period. Since when did they let us down?

There was one time with Michael Cooper, but few remembered. Exeter later confided the specifics and revealed news of a conspiracy against the Minister.

I trust him. Exeter will do the right thing.

Caleb was stunned when Oryn outed Exeter’s “secret research teams” in the Broad Occip. What purpose did it serve? Yet Caleb held his tongue.

See this program through, allow everything into the open, and I’ll make amends.

Time had crushed their marriage like many Aeternans predicted from the outset. But hadn’t they shared too much together to walk opposite paths? Might there be another route?

Caleb studied the growing crowd of familiar faces. The Revivalists who attended regular meetings surged toward the front. Skeptics eyed the core committee with understandable suspicion.

The Promise Council gathered at one corner of the stage. Minister Solis huddled with Samantha Pynn, Rayner Jeffus, and Marta Cather. Caleb wondered whether the real threat to this gathering might be much closer than Rafael Kane.

Samantha caught his eye and broke away from her huddle. She approached him on the stage, bypassing the core committee.

As with every encounter, Sam disarmed Caleb with a soft, non-threatening twinkle in those deep blue eyes. Unlike the Bouchet immortals, Sam had not aged in decades, unstuck in time. Under the morning sun, she carried the aura of a gentle thirtysomething going on twenty. Sam took his hands.

“I won’t try to talk the others down, Caleb. Oryn and Tess are intractable, and Halsted will tee up a meandering speech.” She almost made him laugh. “I’ve always known you to have a wiser spirit. Are you prepared for what this might do to our society?”

“Sam, I’ve had years to think about this day.”

“And I’m sure you feel righteous. Have you considered what happens if many of our people are reluctant to follow this path?”

Yes, actually. For years.

“Not everyone will fall in line straightaway. Some will need more time. And please, don’t suggest we hold off for a few days. I know about RED, and we won’t object to Rafa’s order. But whatever this new threat might be, we can’t put our lives on hold until it magically disappears. That could take months or years.”

Unlike so many other hardheaded Aeternans, Sam surrendered without a fight. She kissed his hand and backed away.

“You sound like Michael. I’ll be here if you ever need to talk.”

Caleb never appreciated Sam like he should have. She often dropped by the lake house when Exeter was off-world for months. She listened to him voice the same concerns many mates had intimated about a marriage between immortals. And every time, she discouraged the cynicism. She spoke of how shards of her heart went missing after Michael disappeared.

“You and I are the only people on this planet who understand the separation,” she said, years before her own children found spouses and pilgrims populated the satellites. “Don’t surrender. He’ll come home one day.”

Caleb wanted to believe. Tried to believe.

And now? Too late.

A different future called. What point did regret serve?

He counted the minutes and looked to the bright morning sky. He thought of Exeter aboard the Lioness.

“Do the right thing, X.”

*  *  *

EXETER WATCHED THE PLANET transform.

Huge plumes of fire and lava blasted through the surface along the concentric region around the chasm. Once-teeming forests incinerated. Hills split open and collapsed into the fiery maelstrom. The six outposts crumbled then disappeared into the abyss.

As the cyclonic storm approached – now moving at a clip of forty kph – the ring of fire tempered its rage and descended with the rest of the land it had consumed. Massive vaults of steam rose toward the surface. The drones which survived the first towers of flames relayed data that Lt. Mars quickly assessed.

“Incredible. The water drained from the rivers redirected to the ring through …” He caught his breath. “Commander, the subterranean tubes are acting like a system of aqueducts.”

“How deep is the ring?”

“Two hundred fifty meters. Damn shallow compared to the chasm. What could be its purpose?”

Ah, yes. The question they asked every day for two months.

“From up here, it could pass for a moat,” Exeter said. “But there’s a good half a kay between the two.”

Spec. Traut added her take by comparing the outer ring with the storm. She highlighted the deep green, circular region of heaviest rainfall bands and transferred them to the ring.

“A perfect match, sir. I’d wager the storm will stall right there.”

Exeter recognized the Jewels’ plan.

“A moat isn’t a moat unless it’s full. But the ring can’t be that kind of defensive system. So what in ten hells will it do?”

Mars redirected drones across the ring and positioned several above the small slice of land in between the empty spaces. He hoped to draw enough data before the storm overwhelmed the scene. Its top winds now hit three hundred kph.

Minutes later, he received enough subterranean data to suggest a possibility.

“Look at this, Commander.”

The deep scans picked up the outline of a straight, perfectly engineered tunnel linking the chasm with the ring.

“First time seeing that fancy bit of engineering,” Exeter said. “Did we overlook it, Lleyton?”

“Don’t see how, sir. We’ve been probing that region since we established the outposts.”

“Perhaps,” Traut said, “it’s like the synthetic protein. Hidden from view until the Jewels wanted us to see it.”

“I don’t like being toyed with, Esme, but I suspect you’re right. Lleyton, what are you learning about the ring? Does it appear to have the same precision cut as the chasm?”

Mars nodded. “A clean shave.”

“I’m no engineer, but I think it’s fair to say we’re outclassed by several millennia.”

“Yes, sir. They had a million years’ head start.”

Exeter opened a comm to the Scramjet.

“Harland, I doubt you’ll learn much more in the next hour. Once the storm reaches the chasm, we believe it will stall. There’s no telling how long it will need to flood the ring. Jump to Lioness.”

“Yes, Commander. On it.”

He switched to the biologists’ Scrams, now sitting in a field five hundred kilometers to the east.

“Jarvis, are you monitoring the progress?”

“Y-yes, Commander. As best we can.”

“Observations?”

“When our outposts fell, I sensed f-fear among my colleagues. Our intellect is primitive compared to the Jewels.”

Exeter sighed.

“We just had a similar conversation up here.” He remembered Shoan’s warning after the Joy Circle: What is done can be undone. “Your teams have done great work. This event has negated none of it. Jarvis, are you still testing for the protein?”

“We are. No sign yet.”

“Tell me the instant it changes. Understood?”

“Yes. Are we to sit here in the meantime?”

Exeter contemplated scenarios. Those six Scrams lacked a worm drive. They’d require a few hours’ travel to Promise.

“You’re safe where you are. No bad weather on the horizon. You have rations and enough supplies to erect an emergency camp if need be. Listen, there’s something about to happen in Promise. I have to deal with it. Lt. Mars will take over for me on Lioness. Speak to him on any issues except the protein. For that one, I want you inside my Occip link the instant anything changes.”

“Uh. Oh. Of c-course, Commander.”

Exeter worked out the logistics with Lt. Mars and Spec. Traut then opened his Occip to Rafa.

“Has it begun?”

“Oryn Velt began speaking seconds ago.”

“Big crowd?”

“Looks like ninety percent of Promise.”

“A few holdouts. Could be a helpful sign. The satellite admins?”

Rafa crossed his arms inside the virtual turntable.

“A few. Every city is represented. You’re going down?”

Exeter did not want to seem melodramatic, but Rafa needed to hear an inconvenient truth.

“Something huge is about to happen down there, and I think it goes beyond a mere political disagreement. The Jewels have been steering us this way for months.”

Rafa nodded. “I can send a detail with you.”

“No. I agreed to transparency, not a show of force. Speaking of which, how long before you intend to redeploy Lioness?”

“Optimally, I’d like to reconfigure for ISD within twelve hours.”

Exeter finished with a hearty laugh.

“My gut says that won’t pose a problem.”

Exeter couldn’t have answered why. Instinct suggested two parallel existences were about to merge, a process begun before the immortals stepped foot on Aeterna.

The details of what came after? Blurry, at best.

Exeter boarded the Scramjet that Spec. Cress had returned to the hangar, exited Lioness, and activated the worm drive.

“Here I go again,” he whispered, alone at Nav. “Facing the mercy of gods.”

22

Genoa

D ANNY PULLED ON HIS DIGIPIPE until his head cleared and his plan emerged. Success depended on setting the right tone. She’d be suspicious. As long as he had the correct answer for each question, Maren would go along.

Maybe.

Danny entered his home and caught Maren breastfeeding.

OK, Dan-o. You can make this work.

“Hey, babe. Going all right there?”

She rubbed the back of her daughter’s head.

“Hallie is hungrier than usual.”

“Yeah. She’s gonna be the athlete. Still got Sam to go?”

“Already feasted. Love, is something wrong? Aren’t you supposed to be running your caseload?”

Almost there. This will play.

“I was. Had to touch base with Amadi. He’s struggling with the job. Especially the robotics bit.”

“Oh?”

“I left him with Prof. Strong. She’ll show him the way.” Danny shuffled his feet, plotting the next few steps with care. “But, uh, well babe, I got big news.”

He saw the predictable blend of excitement and suspicion in her wrinkled brows and fleeting smile.

“They agreed to build the other monuments to your father.”

“I wish. No. This is better. We’re gonna visit Promise.”

Her brows furrowed.

“Promise? How? We’re not allowed.”

“Been working the angle for a while. Mom got the Council to agree.”

“On what?”

“For now, it’s just a day trip. But I’m sure we can extend it to an overnight. Surprise!”

Maren wiped Hallie’s lips.

“Wow. OK. That sounds like an enormous honor. When do we go?”

Yeah, time for the tricky bit.

“Actually? Now. Yeah. It’s one of them take-it-or-leave-it deals. Best we could get.”

She placed her daughter in the pram beside Samantha.

“I don’t know, love. The girls always sleep for a few hours after they feed. I don’t want to break their routine.”

Danny side-eyed the bedroom and its modular closets. He located the carryalls and evaluated what to pack. No excuses!

“They’ll be fine, babe. It’s a quick trip. Through the Walker and boom! Mom lives five avenues from the Promise station.”

“But Danny, I ...”

“You fill the day tote with the girls’ food, and I’ll pack the rest.”

He didn’t hang around for disagreement. Danny rummaged for the carryalls last used on an overnight camping trip which produced the girls. Maren followed.

“Slow down. I don’t understand what’s happening. Why is today the only time we can visit? And what about your job? Danny, you’ve had a perfect record since ... did Minister Marteen approve it?”

He opened the carryalls and started with shirts. Not too many; even a simple rotation would last for months.

“Rosa’s got nothing to do with it. Told you, babe. This came from the Council. Plus, you oughta be jazzed. Ain’t it every pilgrim’s fantasy to visit Promise?”

Hands on hips, Maren downshifted her tone.

“Immortals say that, but you know what? I have never heard a pilgrim call it a fantasy. Doesn’t Promise look just like Genoa? Even the same ecostems?”

“Yeah, yeah. Mostly. But it’s the people and the culture. Oh, and the food. Primo stuff, babe. Primo.”

“OK. Maybe. But ... why are you in such a hurry? And why so many clothes? I ...”

Why couldn’t she have stayed in the kitchen and prepared the girls’ food?

“Look, the nightlife in Promise is the fucking best. We want to fit in. I’m hedging my bets is all.”

“Danny, we fit in best here. We’ll be the only ones in Promise with dark skin. We’ll stand apart no matter what we wear.”

He did not want a sociological argument but found one anyway.

“Babe, they can’t help how they were created. Tell the truth, they’re probably sick of each other by now. We’ll be a breath of fresh air. Plus, I was born there. They know me.”

“The boy. Yes. You haven’t been there in ...”

“Sixteen years. Look, are you going to fix the girls’ food?”

Maren backed away.

“You seem off, love. You’re nervous.”

With good goddamn reason.

He dismissed her concern with a chuckle.

“I’m excited is all. Getting to see my hometown again ... it’s special. You’ll feel the same. The girls’ food?”

Danny thought she was building toward another line of questions. Instead, Maren pivoted to the kitchen.

“This feels all wrong. Better be worth it, love.”

“Time of your life. Guaranteed.”

When she disappeared to the front, Danny exhaled.

One step closer. Chill your biscuit, Dan-o.

Yes, he overdid the packing. He ran through a quick mental inventory of the residence and thought of anything they’d need. He stuffed a few more essentials, setting aside one carryall for the babies’ things, and avoided Maren’s quizzical gaze. There’d be no quick jaunts back home.

He brought forward carry-alls full to the brim.

“I have a rifter outside, babe. Gonna load these. Then it’s food and pram, and we’re hot to trot.”

“O ... K.” She snapped shut the day tote. “Wait, can you pilot a rifter through the Walker?”

“No worries. Just cutting down the footwork. There’s another dock outside the Promise station.”

He felt her unsurprising suspicion. This craziness must have hit her like the day he confessed to his role in the Lake Profundus incident.

Play along, babe. It’s the only fucking way out.

Danny had to believe Shoan Gui would not have discussed refuge otherwise. He intended this choice.

The shit was coming regardless. Not if but when.

Distance mattered.

One step at a time.

Ten minutes later, they reached the Walker Station. Danny entered his code and then the sequence for allowing escorts.

He tagged Promise as his destination because of course ...

Where would a boy seek refuge when all hope seems lost?

“Here I come, Mom.”

23

Liberation Park, Promise

C ALEB STUDIED THE CROWD’S reaction as Oryn Velt laid into a fiery speech about decades of betrayal, apathy, and misdirection. He had naively assumed Oryn would launch with an optimistic vision, but the man who recruited Caleb laid blame in many quarters for what he called the Aeternans’ “current state of malaise.”

The Revivalists who dominated the front rows cheered and applauded, but the bulk of immortals stood silent with arms crossed. They side-eyed each other. If Oryn did not reach his point soon, this event would flop soon after it began. What a far cry from the greatest day in Aeternan history: Settlement.

Caleb remembered as if it was yesterday. This same grassy amphitheater filled with the children who took down an empire and claimed a new world for their own.

Brother James, his wife Rayna, their bizarre and rail-thin children (abominations by any definition), and the other Jewel hybrids descended from a Scramjet. They dressed like royals and towered over the bioengineered young ones they rescued from Collectorate worlds. James mesmerized everyone, Caleb included.

His jaw hung agape, every second leaving him breathless. He applauded with vigor, tears streaming. The saviors were the future. The saviors would protect these children.

James commanded the amphitheater. He proclaimed what the Jewels told him about this planet. He named it Aeterna. He also named the capital JaRa after himself and his wife. And he foresaw a future of limitless opportunities.

Caleb and his friends lived off that momentum for months. They clung to his every word, always asked themselves, “What would Brother James do?” They believed.

Oh, how they believed.

Thirty-seven years ago: The beginning and end of the hybrids’ brief reign. First, their inglorious deaths in battle. Then the revelation: They conspired to cull the immortals, whose numbers Brother James said posed too great a threat to his kind. In the end, the first of Emil Bouchet’s creations turned to ash.

Now, as he listened to Oryn, Caleb understood a central truth: Those who attempt to change history often come to ill ends. The Revivalists wouldn’t fare much better if Oryn did not shift the tone in a hurry.

“We can define our history in four stages,” Oryn said. “First, our creation and illegal distribution to the colonies, to suffer in societies where we did not belong. Second, our rescue by the Salvation fleet and our fight to settle this world. Third, the post-war regime of Michael Cooper, who kept us unified but prospering only under his oppressive terms. Fourth, our noble but failed attempt to assimilate with the People’s Collectorate, including the introduction of the pilgrims.

“In each stage, we were betrayed or misled. First, by our creator himself. Second, by the hybrids. Third, by Cooper. Fourth, by our Council and all apologists for the Collectorate.”

Grumbling and scattered catcalls followed. Oryn fended them off.

“These truths might be inconvenient, but we as a people must confront them. When we are led by men and women, regardless of their genetics, betrayal is certain to follow. But I have good news, Aeternans. The best news.

“We have lived with one constant since we grew inside lab tubes. The Jewels. Their energy flows through our blood. It elevates us above common mortals. They have been pointing the way from the outset. They are the only partners we need.”

Oryn reached his point without losing the crowd, or so Caleb believed. Were they ready to hear the rest? Oryn believed every immortal craved a new direction. Caleb disagreed and advised him not to come down too hard on the Council. 

“Today, we will show you the miracles they bring and reveal a future most of us believed impossible. I give you Caleb Silver.”

Caleb’s introduction drew tepid applause beyond the believers. Perhaps the others didn’t expect to hear from the immortal who spent more time under arrest than any other.

Rosa leaned in.

“Be yourself,” she said. “Tell them straight. No arrogance.”

Ah, so she didn’t like Oryn’s approach, either.

He waited for his roiling stomach to settle and faced everyone he’d known and fought alongside since he was a boy. Caleb spoke into the mic and skipped the lines he rehearsed.

“All I’ve ever wanted in my life were two things: To be happy and serve a purpose. Like most of you, I didn’t smile until I was rescued. Being with my own kind and knowing I was special beyond genetics filled my heart. I even allowed myself to fall in love.

“Your friendship and respect weren’t enough. My marriage wasn’t enough. There’s been this hole inside me. For years, I couldn’t define it. Yet I knew two things. My purpose was bent toward something greater than myself. And this planet is meant for more than the two thousand five hundred immortals who settled it.

“I’m not speaking of pilgrims or any other mortals. The Jewels built us a paradise. The promised few, we were called. But only a few to start. This world is ours. Now we have to populate it with more of ours. The Jewels have shown us how.”

Caleb held up the hand-comm he received the morning of Danny and Maren’s Joy Circle.

“I conspired with a mortal exobiologist to learn the secrets hidden under Lake Profundus. I broke the law regarding hallowed ground.”

He turned to the Council, near whom stood Constable Ollie Kant.

“I’d do it again. Truth is: My actions got two people killed. A better man might say he regrets what happened, but I’m not him. See, I believe this was fated. If not me, it would have been one of you. The Jewels foresaw it. They waited.

“They returned Shoan Gui to us in a new form. He is now a messenger for the Jewels. He is more them than human. Fifty-six days ago, Shoan returned and handed me this device. It pointed the way to our future and helped me fulfill my purpose.”

He turned to Tess Ranke, who would follow him and produce a live vid from inside her lab. She encouraged him to continue.

“We’ve been adrift long enough. We can grow the next generation of Aeternans. More important, a generation that can do what we can’t: Reproduce. In time, thousands of us will become millions. And unlike mortals, we’ll be there to watch it happen.

“I can’t wait to see the dream come true. By that time, I hope you’ll feel the same.”

A roar of cheers exploded from the front rows, but applause behind them felt a touch more enthusiastic. Or so Caleb detected.

He introduced Tess Ranke and stepped away from the mic.

Caleb saw a wormhole aperture burst into thunderous life east of the city and watched a Scramjet emerge.

“Right on time, X. Knew I could count on you.”

* * *

EXETER SLOWED HIS APPROACH. He wasn’t big on dramatic entrances and had not watched the Revivalists’ program through Occip. Though he didn’t know their program or whether a speaker had defamed him for his “secret research teams,” Exeter decided the best strategy was the simplest. Land north of the amphitheater on the grounds once used as a spaceport. Approach the stage at a quiet gait and remain apart until invited to speak.

Beyond that, he laid out a straightforward plan: Deliver the science in a cold, fact-based manner and limit conjecture about the Jewels’ potential plans. Only answer questions to which he knew the answer with certainty.

He told the Scramjet’s AI to zoom in on the crowd even as the ship altered its course and approached the city past Meridian Falls and along the scarf that towered over Promise’s northern boundary.

Nav reported a crowd of 1,763.

Subtracting for the fleet and researchers on the planet’s far side, only twenty-eight terrestrial Aeternans did not attend.

“They pulled it off,” he muttered in disappointment.

He recognized many faces, of course, but others whose names he’d long forgotten. Exeter lived full-time among these people when they were still in their late teens and twenties, years after they bonded through Settlement and The Last Day’s War. He’d come in and out of their lives over the past quarter century.

They know me better than I know them. It’s not even close.

How did he not recognize it sooner?

Why should Exeter have ever expected a different outcome? No one made him pursue a career in other star systems. No one forced him to wear the UNF’s blue and gray. He could have been a fulltime Aeternan, committed only to his people’s needs and not those of the outer worlds.

“Sonofabitch.”

Exeter realized how easily he’d adopted the isolationist phrase ‘outer worlds’ to describe Aeterna’s allies.

He told the ship where to land and settled on a simple principle: These people were his brothers and sisters. At one time, he valued their friendship and respect above all else. Fitting in was his singular ambition. Now, he judged them.

How and when did this become acceptable?

“My people. My kind. They deserve my respect and honesty. No matter what happens next.”

Tess Ranke stood at the mic as he landed. She displayed a massive holo of embryonic tubes in her lab.

“That’s impressive,” Exeter admitted. “If it’s true. I wonder whether they’ll be so keen to learn about my science project.”

He opened the Scramjet’s starboard egress.

*  *  *

DANNY CROSSED INTO PROMISE behind Maren and the girls. He set down the carry-alls and scanned for the nearby public rifter dock.

“Where in hell did it go?”

Oh, right. Sixteen years. They must have moved it.

Maren asked an unexpected question.

“Are you sure this is Promise, love?”

“If it ain’t, we got a real problem with the Walkers. Why?”

She glanced east and west along the main avenue.

“Where is everybody?”

She was right. Damn place was a ghost town.

“The fuck?”

Maren responded with a joke that almost cut the tension.

“Maybe they heard we were coming.”

She added a wry smile, but Danny knew something was way off. Still, no point in doubling down on complications.

“We’ll check with Mom and see what’s up, babe. She’s just ahead a ways. P-7.”

She checked on the girls, who slept.

“Let’s take it slow. I don’t want them disturbed.”

“Gotcha.”

Slow suited Danny just fine. The running bit ended the moment they left Genoa.

He noticed a few changes along the way, most subtle. A pair of new street vendors, both businesses unattended. Yet the big surprise came as they approached Chow Hounds, the open-air restaurant where he ate half his meals as a kid and worked the processing tables when he was a teen.

Dead still. Empty tables. Cooking and processing lines shut down.

What would draw everyone away in mid-morning?

“This is starting to creep me out, babe.”

She tapped her head.

“Did you hear anything in there?”

“They ain’t sent me a Broad Occip in years. Immortals only.”

“Doesn’t seem fair.”

“Said the same thing when they booted me out of this city.”

“Now you’re so eager to return.”

She had him there. Danny punted.

“Ain’t about me, babe. I wanted you to experience my old stomping grounds is all. Here we go.” He pointed to the Avenue 7 designator. “Mom’s right down the way.”

They approached a loaf-shaped residence set off by a bounty of flowering vines which cascaded across the façade. Several pots filled with arrangements in a collage of colors.

“This is beautiful,” Maren said. “I should take tips from Mother Samantha.”

“Yeah. She’s got a green thumb. Wait here.”

Danny pressed the door chime. He smiled at his wife and told himself to choose his words carefully.

“Mom, it’s Dan,” he said into the speaker. “We’re here a little earlier than you expected, but we couldn’t wait.”

The key to making this work? Convincing Sam to play along. He’d have to do it with body language. He couldn’t afford a quick trip-up.

When she didn’t respond, Danny joked:

“Probably caught her at an awkward moment. She’ll ...”

He saw someone else along the periphery of his vision.

“Danny? Is that you?”

A wide-bodied immortal with three facial tattoos and dyed red hair approached with a cautious gait. Danny thought he recognized the man, but age and a fuller gut had changed him.

“Hey, you. Uh, Simeon. Right? Been a while, ain’t it?”

The man sampled the Cooper family but focused his puzzled gaze on Danny.

“For a second there, I thought you were ...”

“No, dude. It’s just me.”

“Like staring at a clone. Danny, what are you doing in Promise?”

“Visiting.” Think fast, Dan-o. “You probably didn’t hear. Special dispensation from the Council.” He introduced Maren. “Look, where is everybody?”

Simeon shaded his eyes.

“The park. Long story. Your mother’s probably there.”

“What’s up?”

The immortal shoved his hands into his pants pockets.

“Clamor. Nonsense. It’s been brewing for months.”

“Why didn’t you go?”

“Not interested in politics. Haven’t been since your father.”

Yes. That’s right. Now, I remember. Ballard. Simeon Ballard.

“Babe, Simeon used to work in Dad’s administration.”

Simeon responded with a wistful smile.

“Things were better in those days. Tight. Efficient. Like your father. Michael was a good man.”

He wanted to reply, “Still is,” but thought better of it.

“You live close by?”

Simeon nodded over his shoulder.

“Number 10. I sit out here and chat with your mother a few times a week. We reminisce.”

Danny shifted to a new tack.

“Well, dude. I can’t wait to have a sit-down. Nothing I love more than talking about Dad. But I guess I oughta hunt down Mom.”

Simeon shrugged.

“Send her an Occip. She’ll come running.”

Exactly what Danny did not want. Stick to the plan.

“Nah. We’ll find her. Gives me a chance to show my wife the town without all the hustle and bustle.” They shook hands. “Been a long time, dude. So great to see you again.”

Simeon acknowledged Maren and pivoted toward home.

“Whatcha say, babe? Ready for a tour?”

Maren checked on the girls.

“You should have called ahead, love.”

No time to debate the details.

“It’s their first adventure. Trust me, they’ll love it.”

He left the carry-alls and day tote outside Sam’s door and led the way toward Liberation Park.

* * *

WHEN EXETER DISEMBARKED, he heard Tess Ranke’s voice boom from the mic. She spoke of fifteen thousand embryos they froze. When the first tests proved successful, they intended to scale the project.

“Presently, the pilgrims outnumber us ten to one,” she said. “With patience, we can change that ratio and guarantee continued long-term growth.”

She didn’t mention how they acquired the embryos or how the pilgrims might respond to news that they’d soon be the unwitting parents of bioengineered immortals. Or, for that matter, how the Interstellar Congress might react to Aeternans stealing genetic material from its invited off-world guests.

Exeter shook his head and approached the stage with a simple mission: Deliver the facts; do not debate ethics or politics.

“What the Jewels have provided is a miracle,” Tess continued. “This gift proves their allegiance to us and should lay to rest any quibbles about their vision for Aeterna’s future.”

He heard someone in the audience clap back:

“This proves nothing, Doc. Those could be ordinary human embryos. Mortals. It’s a Revivalist trick.”

The man hammered home a fair point. Had Tess made the classic blunder of revealing too much too soon?

Exeter met his husband at stage left.

“I told them you’d honor our deal,” Caleb said.

“I’m here because you were right. It’s time for transparency. Those microbes are more than ancient. They might be foundational to the universe itself.”

Caleb betrayed a nervous frown.

“In a good way, I trust.”

“That I can’t say.”

“But you intend to report your findings?”

“The unvarnished truth, as best I can manage. Also, there are incredible things happening on the far side. Events are ...”

His Occip vibrated. Exeter twitched his fingers and went to his second eyes. Jarvis awaited.

“Talk to me.”

“W-we see it, Commander. It’s visible inside us.”

“The protein?”

“My entire team. We’re all testing p-positive.”

“The other teams?”

“Waiting.”

“Any immediate symptoms?”

“Nothing.”

“Thank you, Jarvis. Contact Lt. Mars. Tell him to authorize snap tests on Lioness. Contact me if you detect any physical symptoms.”

He disconnected Occip.

“What?” Caleb asked. “What’s happened?”

“The most predictable thing all day.” He spotted the lectern, now empty. “Tess finished. I should get this over with.”

“Follow me.”

Halsted Boudnoir approached the mic, but Caleb held out his hands. Halsted, ever the wordsmith, insisted it was his turn “to motivate and inspire the multitude.”

Caleb talked him into retreat and noted the new arrival. Then he took the lectern.

“I know many of you are skeptical of our claims and our vision for a new Aeterna. So, I want to introduce a man we all know and respect. A man who is not part of the Revivalist cause. No one has better represented our people before the Collectorate than Comm. Exeter Woolsey.

“Exeter has no agenda other than to protect our world. He has agreed to set the record straight about his team’s investigation. Though he is not here to speak on our behalf, we believe what he has to say will validate our views of a new future.”

Caleb asked for applause, which he received in abundance. He waited for Exeter to approach and whispered:

“I wish it hadn’t come to this, X. We should talk afterward.”

Exeter didn’t reply. Rather, he retrieved a small tablet from his jacket and called forth a live image relayed from Lioness.

They needed to see the truth straightaway.

He stepped up to the mic and broke the anticipatory silence by clearing his throat.

“I retired sixty standard days ago. I thought my days would be peaceful. I was wrong.”

A smattering of chuckles broke the tension.

Now that he stood before them, Exeter realized he didn’t know these people at all. Even the familiar faces belonged to strangers. Whatever else they might have thought of him, Exeter’s return home was far from complete.

“Our global security is under threat. In a few hours, Adm. Kane will raise our Priority status. Please follow those orders. In the meantime, I wish to show you something impossible.”

24

D ANNY HEARD VOICES BELLOW from loudspeakers as they neared the park. He recognized Doc Tess Ranke, whom he visited regularly as a child – her first mortal patient.

“Did she say embryos?” Maren asked. “What in the world is she talking about?”

Danny refused to leap to any conclusions.

They approached the end of the Grand Avenue; the crowd and the stage entered view to their left.

The massive gathering gave Danny pause. Perhaps Simeon Ballard was right: Danny should have given his mother a call. His mission to find her among this group felt hopeless. What if he did? Simply roll up among a couple thousand immortals and welcome himself back to the fold? In the annals of his dumb schemes, Danny rated this one near the top of the list.

“... and a century from now,” Tess Ranke said, “our people will be generations deep. The thousands will become the millions.”

The hell is she going on about?

Ranke stepped away from the mic.

“Love, I don’t think we should be here.”

“Yeah, babe. I ain’t feeling the best vibe. Look, if I can’t spot Mom and flag her down, we’ll ...”

“Just call her, Danny. Please.”

The only sensible option ...

“Sure, babe.”

He triggered Occip and drew up a link to her private comm. His irises turned a bright yellow.

Danny’s second eyes lingered on the turntable, a foggy field he rarely accessed of late. When Sam did not appear at first, he considered a hasty retreat.

While he waited, Caleb Silver took center stage.

Oh, shit. This cannot be good.

“I know many of you are skeptical of our claims,” Caleb began.

Samantha Pynn responded to her son’s call. She entered the turntable full body.

“Dan, is this urgent? I’m in the middle of an important meeting.”

Out with it, Dan-o.

“I’m here, Mom. The park. I brought Maren and the girls.”

She turned sideways inside the turntable to reflect on her external motions.

“What? Where?”

Danny lifted his arm and waved.

“The rear. I’m the guy with the braids. Can’t miss me.”

“Why? Dan, you should not be here. This is a bad time.”

“You don’t know the half of it. Like I was telling Maren,” he said, aware his wife could hear every word, “we came because of the special dispensation you worked out for us. We didn’t know about whatever the fuck is going down out here.”

“Special ...?” Sam bowed her head. “What have you done?”

“Thought today would be a good time to take advantage of the offer. Come on over. See the girls.”

Her exasperated sigh said enough.

“Don’t move. I’ll be right there.”

He dropped Occip and offered Maren a reassuring grin.

“On her way.”

A new round of applause greeted the next speaker.

“Uncle X. The hell?”

Exeter’s opening – a warning about global security and a promise of showing everyone something ‘impossible’ grabbed Danny’s focus.

He watched as Exeter expanded a holo several meters across. At first, the translucent field was hard to interpret in the daylight. Then its background intensified to block the competing sun. From this distance, Danny still couldn’t wrap his head around what he saw.

Exeter clarified.

“At this moment, a cyclonic storm with winds exceeding three hundred kph is enveloping upon the chasm. This storm formed hours ago. It defies everything we know about the planet’s climate patterns. It is producing rainfall at unprecedented rates. But that’s not all.”

He switched to an earlier image and described a fiery event which carved a ring around the chasm.

“We believe the rain bands in this storm, which certainly was created at the Jewels’ design, are intended to flood the outer ring. For what purpose, we do not know. But effectively, we can say ...”

Exeter’s words stepped on top of each other. The distance between Danny and the speaker appeared to double.

“Shit. I ...”

He felt lighter than air.

A tremor raced through his right hand.

Danny stumbled back a step and caught himself before he fell.

That’s when he noticed a yellow flicker at the base of his thumb and forefinger, like a firefly in the evening. Then it vanished.

“Love, are you all right? Danny?”

Maren was there. So, too, was his mom, who raced toward him.

Yet Danny wasn’t in Promise anymore.

*  *  *

EXETER BROUGHT the crowd to rapt silence when he displayed the storm and the new ring. As he launched into details about what the teams observed and prepared to discuss the protein and microbes, Exeter paused.

Murmurs rose in the audience. He latched onto a minor kerfuffle in the front row, as Aeternans began to wobble and bend over as if to catch themselves from falling. Others came to their aid.

What?

Then he stumbled.

Exeter grabbed the lectern for support as his head spun. He saw Liberation Park as if looking down from a hovering craft.

His right hand trembled.

The protein! Is this what ...?

His thoughts mangled. Audience murmurs rose into cries of despair and confusion. Some shouted for help.

Exeter lifted his right hand and saw the last of a yellow flicker between his thumb and forefinger. He caught Caleb surging toward him and then wobbling.

Exeter left Promise.

...

A voice echoes through the midnight black.

“Creation.”

Exeter forces his eyes open. He hovers inside a tiny world of yellow plasma. A long, winding cord connects to his belly.

There, beyond the liquid, a man pokes at the glass.

His lips move, though no sound follows. Still, Exeter understands the message:

Almost time, my boy.

The man steps away from the glass encasement. Exeter watches him gather a tool and enter it into another tube, this one full of blazing orange and blue light. He extracts a tiny piece of the light and holds it aloft in a thumb-sized receptacle.

I know you, Exeter thinks. Emil Bouchet.

“And also,” the voice replies. “Death.”

Now he stands on a battlefield where fire rains from the sky. Yellow ovoid energy slews beset an army attacking a great city. The slews consume their victims and turn a valley of purple into a scarred, barren waste. The city’s defenders surround the leader of these marauders, and the battle concludes.

I know him, Exeter thinks. Trayem Hadeed.

“Judgment,” the voice says. “Cleansing.”

A white electrical storm consumes the green sky of Hiebimini. It encases the planet like a crust.

“Beginnings.”

The skies clear. Fleets of transports evacuate.

“Alone.”

Trayem Hadeed, the last Hiebim to rebel against the Chancellory, survives. He walks through the wasteland. Exeter follows.

“Life.”

Rain clouds form. Lightning and thunder. Grass emerges through thick crevasses in the desolate terrain.

The last Hiebim follows the rain beyond the horizon.

“Judgment. Penance.”

Exeter stands before the deserted capital city Messalina. The ground beneath it shakes. A blue radiant light bursts through the center of the city. A tornado follows. The buildings crumble. The tornado consumes Messalina.

“Renewal.”

The sky turns pink. Beneath it, Exeter stands surrounded by fire and tectonic torture on a global scale. The blue and orange blaze of the Jewel’s energy dances with dark rivers of microbes born from the first furious explosions in time and space.

Is this how you made Aeterna?

The voice does not reply. Instead, Exeter stands alone in a vertical shaft surrounded by the light of blue emeralds.

Someone else is here. Exeter feels a hot breath on his neck.

Who are you?

A cold hand reaches from behind.

“He lives always,” the voice answers at last.

Who lives?

“Enemy. He comes for you. Stand and defend.”

Who?

“Vanquished and forgotten. He sees you. Defend Aeterna.”

Footsteps approach in the dark, each one clanking metal. A silhouette takes form, and Exeter shivers.

Who?

“Patience,” the voice tells him. “Peace.”

A calm envelopes Exeter’s soul. Again, he stands beneath a pink sky. A flock of birds, their wings spanning several meters, cry out as they pass overhead.

“Forever home, my boy.”

*  *  *

CALEB FELT VALIDATED as he watched Exeter’s presentation. The revelations from the far side stung, of course, leaving him as slack-jawed as everyone else in attendance. But they did not overwhelm Caleb’s pride in his husband: No matter their differences, Exeter was a man of honor and his word.

Their divide would mend someday.

Yet those feelings dissipated as disturbances in the crowd caught his attention. People fell to their knees; others cried for help.

Caleb watched Exeter stumble and grab hold of his lectern.

“X, what’s the ...?”

As Caleb started toward Exeter, he tripped over his own feet and fell to the stage.

And left Promise.

...

A voice echoes through the midnight black.

“Creation.”

Caleb opens his eyes and sees a man staring at him through glass. Caleb floats in a yellow liquid, a cord connected to his belly.

The man moves his lips, but no sound follows. Only the ability to read those lips:

Almost time, my boy.

The man holds aloft a thumb-sized receptacle with blazing blue and orange light inside. He hands it to a woman.

Only a few more, the man appears to say. Our triumph.

I know them, Caleb thinks. Emil and Frances Bouchet.

“And also,” the voice replies. “Death.”

Caleb faces an approaching army. He wears organic body armor, firing a blast rifle. He is a terrified boy whose friends are being incinerated around him.

The enemy won’t stop. Caleb is told not to retreat. Protect the city. Protect JaRa from the Unification Guard!

Those words come from the great Gen. Valentin Bouchet. Hold the line, they are told.

“Victory and sacrifice,” the voice returns. “Home earned.”

He is swimming. The waters are calm and warm. Other children like Caleb celebrate on the shore.

“Earned.”

Shrill cries cut through the unfettered joy. Birds approach from the east, huge flocks with wings several meters across.

They swoop down in pairs, skirting the shoreline.

Caleb watches them reassemble and fly west beyond the horizon. The sky turns pink as they disappear.

Now many more children surround Caleb.

“Patience.”

They are not the faces who fought at his side or were born in the same lab on a faraway planet. Their faces are fresh, hopeful, and many shades. They crowd around Caleb.

Not by the dozens or hundreds.

Thousands.

“Teach. Protect.”

He sees their faces go on for miles.

Millions.

“Forever home, my boy.”

*  *  *

DANNY HEARS HIS WIFE call out, but her pleas became a distant echo and then ...

A voice echoes in the dark:

“End and begin.”

Danny stands on a rock face at the edge of a rapidly flowing stream. Two teenagers arrive nearby. A white girl, a black boy.

He knows them.

Of course.

Mom. Dad.

The voice intervenes:

“Impossible future.”

A mechanical beast approaches. Its surface squirms like a nest of snakes, and its weapons aim. It unleashes a stream of fire which consumes Danny’s parents.

The beast splinters, and the world beyond it burns far toward the horizon. Michael and Samantha watch.

This is how it happened, Danny thinks. They’re unstuck in time.

The voice returns:

“The defining variable.”

Danny follows them like an eagle through a fissure across universes. He sees them fall in love. They are assassinated, yet they live. Dad becomes an assassin. Mom is snatched away at their moment of greatest joy. Danny sees her now in the embrace of a madman.

Brother James.

Danny feels his father’s rage. Everyone will die until I find her.

“Across the stars.”

He stands over Michael in a tunnel. His father has been shot in the head. He is dead ... until he is not. The enemy closes. No choice.

Michael and two others leap through a frame.

A Walker!

He lands at his father’s side on the new paradise.

“Defining variable. Impossible future. Learn.”

Danny is at peace. He bounces on his father’s mighty shoulders. They enter Lake Nilsson, and Michael dips beneath the water.

Periscope! Periscope!

The joy of their ritual game peels away.

He enters tunnels lined with polished stone. Deep within, Danny sees a shimmering glow, like a room full of emeralds. A familiar man speaks while sobbing, his voice echoing through the tunnels.

Leave my family alone, and I’ll play your goddamn game.

Storm clouds approach as Danny stands near his father on a salted wasteland. He senses the truth: Earth of another universe. Michael looks away toward the sunset.

As night falls, Michael becomes a silhouette and then ...

“The dark will find you.”

Machinery activates in the midnight black. Danny hears it gain momentum in every direction. Tiny beacons cut through the night.

An arm snatches him away. It pulls him toward a machine that hums with a steady rhythm.

Dad? Is that you, Dad?

The voice that replies does not belong to Michael.

“Defining variable. Find him, my boy.”

The sky is bright again, now pink. Loud cries reach across the horizon. Birds with wide wings approach in graceful flight.

“Peace. Patience.”

...

Danny returned to Promise on one knee. He heard three cries.

His girls and his wife.

“What’s going on? What’s going on?”

Maren tried to calm the babies while taking in a dramatically changed Liberation Park. As Danny struggled to his feet, he saw two thousand immortals in a similar state. His mother had also fallen, now lying on her side.

“Danny, what’s happening? Danny!”

He jumped to his feet and looked into the pram. The girls cried with a fury he’d never seen. Their faces contorted in pain.

That’s when he saw it.

A brief yellow flicker inside each girl’s right hand between thumb and forefinger.

*  *  *

EXETER TOOK A DEEP BREATH when he returned to the present. The audience had gone silent but for a few random moans. Most had fallen to their knees, while others laid prostrate.

Caleb approached, massaging his temples.

“X?”

“I’m fine. You?”

“Don’t know. I saw things. I heard a voice. I ...”

“Yeah. I know.”

Of course. Why didn’t he suspect it sooner?

The protein. It binds everything on Aeterna to the Jewels.

The Revivalists on stage picked themselves up, each one groggy. The seventeen hundred in attendance followed suit.

His Occip vibrated. Jarvis calling, no doubt, to report symptoms.

The Aeternans stood in stunned silence, broken only by a sound not heard in Promise for twenty-five years:

Crying babies.

25

Two days later

E XETER LIT HIS NINTH CIGAR since he returned to Lioness. This time, after he finished picking at his dinner. He shared his fire flick with Rafa, who bit off the end of his own hand-rolled sallowtop leaf.

“You need sleep,” Rafa said. “When was the last time you were off your feet?”

Exeter chuckled amid a cloud of smoke.

“I seem to be now.”

“Huh. You know what I mean.”

“It’s been no less hectic for you, old friend.”

Rafa shook his head.

“If we had been invaded the last two days, I’m not sure we would’ve been up for the fight.”

Every Aeternan experienced visions, but the hangover proved far worse. An inexplicable malaise gripped the population even as the cyclonic storm raged in place above the chasm.

“Seems like we’re in the recovery phase,” Exeter said. “My team is alert and focused again. The Council is meeting with the Revivalists. They’re trying to reconcile hard feelings and chart a new way forward.”

Rafa, who also seemed prime for some shuteye, pulled on his cigar.

“The fleet captains report similar improvements. We’re on the road back to that sense of purpose and duty. We’ll be ready for Black Star or whoever the hell else tries to break us.”

“Perhaps it’s time to have another go with RED.”

Rafa canceled the first order when fallout from Liberation Park made the new deployment rotation impractical.

“Soon as the talks conclude, we’ll move forward.”

Exeter stared at the empty glass beside his tray. He wanted a refill but knew better. The whiskey needed to stop, at least for a while. It did nothing to drown the worst parts of his vision:

The hot breath. The clanking metal footsteps.

“He comes for you. Stand and defend.”

Exeter didn’t want to believe it. Surely, he misinterpreted the Jewels’ message. Yes. He was overthinking.

That asshole is gone. Has to be gone.

Rafa sipped his liquor.

“What’s the latest on the collective visions? Do we have any reasonable explanation as to what they mean?”

Exeter sighed.

“Most people won’t share. The only common elements we’ve gleaned are the birds, the pink sky, and the Bouchets. The rest seem to vary, almost to where they appear customized.”

“Right. To our own life stories and individual anxieties. We don’t have many testimonials, but it appears everyone has one part they’re reluctant to share. Something deeply personal.”

Exeter changed his mind. He reached for the bottle and poured.

“We’re bound to the Jewels. There’s no other explanation. I think they showed us the Bouchets to make a confession. They planned this outcome more than half a century ago.”

“Interesting theory. If only we knew the actual plan.”

“Yeah. Well. Like you say, it’s a theory, and my assumptions have been flawed, to say the least.”

In one case, Exeter did not mind being wrong. His first analysis – that the synthetic protein linked every living organism on the planet to the Jewels – applied only to immortals and their progeny. Yet the pilgrims, including the spouses to Samantha Pynn’s children, saw no visions and tested negative for the protein.

The Council and the satellite admins had yet to discuss the implications for the Pilgrim Project. Already, however, a few Aeternans whispered a simple question: Should the pilgrims be allowed to stay?

Exeter intended to stand clear of that debate.

“I’m trying to be hopeful,” Rafa said. “It feels new. Like a reset.”

“How?”

“Settlement marked the first chance to build a life of our own. Then we integrated with the Collectorate to fight the Swarm War.”

“I see. Two distinct eras. The first, we were children. The second, we grew up. What’s the third?”

Rafa exhaled smoke and glanced around with a conspiratorial eye, as though they were not alone.

“We’re married.” He waited for Exeter to react. “I’m not trying to be ironic. You already said it, X: We’re bound to them. I suppose we always were, but now we know for sure. Every immortal has come home. The Jewels are talking to us. When the storm ends and we see what lies underneath, the picture will be clearer.”

If only ...

“Don’t count on it, Rafa. If we’ve learned nothing else, the Jewels are playing a long game. They prefer obtuse metaphors, symbols, and sensory language over plain talk. Remember Shoan Gui’s first warning before the chasm opened: What is done can be undone.”

Still, Rafa was right. Exeter heard the whispers among his team and throughout Lioness:

Everything had changed. The assumptions they long held about themselves and their future no longer carried weight.

They weren’t in charge anymore.

Exeter threw back his whiskey and waited for the next surprise.

*  *  *

DANNY FINISHED FEEDING Hallie her breakfast swirl and kissed her on the cheek. He set her inside the pram next to Samantha. They both cooed with a bliss that he envied.

He made sure Maren slept in late. She earned it. The tension had pushed her toward the edge. News of the synthetic protein, its connection to the visions, and the reality of what this change meant proved too unsettling. Her only comfort: Being back home in Genoa.

Danny avoided arguments about their future. No, he’d let no one separate her from the girls. No, the pilgrims weren’t in danger. No, he’d never put his quest to find his dad ahead of them.

But Maren hated how he could not contain his glee at the mere prospect. His entire vision involved Michael, he told her. He repeated the Jewels’ message: Find him, my boy.

Danny kept the harder truths to himself.

In two hours, he went from seeing his dreams ended by a con artist to revived by a miracle - also known as Shoan Gui.

Soon after the event at Liberation Park, Aeternans across the system talked to each other when news spread lightning-fast.

Grace contacted Danny, Harry, and their mother through Occip. She was less worried for herself than for Mikey. Harry said his three children experienced the same disorientation and visions.

Danny played it cool on the call. What would Grace think when she learned about her husband’s fate? When someone discovered the bodies and the whole nasty business came to light ...

Until Grace’s words caused Danny’s heart to skip a beat.

“Amadi just walked in. I have to go. Talk soon.”

The hell?

Dazed after the call, Danny fended off questions from his mother about the surprise visit to Promise. He allowed the day’s confusion, Maren’s anxiety, and Sam’s need to meet with the Council to provide cover and time as he rethought strategy.

Much to his continued shock, Danny only needed to squash the truth for two hours. That’s when the news arrived.

After Amadi had returned home, he professed his love for Grace and Mikey but said he was not worthy of them.

“I’m not the man you married,” Grace quoted him as saying. “I wish I had been a better husband and father.”

Grace said he left their home without another word. Moments later, she received a document sent to her wrist pad, to her office plate, and to the Ministers of both Lumen and Genoa.

He confessed to murdering the newest pilgrim, Prof. Anyssa Strong. Amadi said he found out she was an infiltrator attempting to acquire Aeternan secrets. He confronted her. She offered to make a deal.

“I refused,” Amadi wrote. “She doubled the offer. I gave in to my worst impulses. I imagined making life so much easier for my family. Then she changed the terms. After we shook on the deal, she said if I ever breathed a word of it to anyone or failed to uphold my end, she would kill my wife and son.

“I don’t know what overcame me. I snapped. I grabbed a binding rod and shot her in the face.

“I should have reported her. Now, have brought shame to my family. I can never hold my head high. I am so sorry, my love. Forgive me. Amadi.”

Admin tracked him through the beacon in his bloodstream and found Amadi in the nearby woods an hour later. He had turned the murder weapon on himself and bled out from the neck.

Danny tried to console Grace but thanked the heavens Harry, Endu, Samantha, and Maren surrounded her. He tried to find the words, but nothing came except:

“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have encouraged him to take the job.”

He could not have predicted Grace’s response.

“You were his only real friend. Amadi hated it here.”

Two days flew by. Recriminations, shock, scandal, and rumors blended with touches of both grief and giddiness. In the end, Danny wanted to see Shoan again and ask a simple question:

“How did you do it?”

Was the Amadi who returned to Grace a mere golem controlled by the Jewels? Or did they have the power to resurrect mortals? If that was Amadi Lasaviette, did he take his own life by choice?

Danny read the confession twice. None of it sounded like Amadi. Not even close. Then again, maybe everyone else accepted it because Amadi gaslit them so well.

Now, as he sat beside the pram and stared at his little girls, Danny struggled to contain his joy.

“I’m free and clear,” he whispered. “How about that shit? I’ll always be here for you. So will your granddad. And that comes straight from the Jewels.”

*  *  *

CALEB WAS TALKING STRATEGY with Oryn when he received an urgent call from the lab. Tess Ranke told them to drop everything and hurry. Tell no one, she said.

They hopped onto a rifter outside the lake house and said little on the trip into town. Was it possible they misinterpreted the signs? Had the Jewels decided they weren’t worthy of the gift, after all?

What did Shoan say when he handed over instructions on creating immortal children?

“All that remains is for your people to take the final step, if you dare.”

They arrived at the lab, where thankfully a crowd did not wait outside. Aeternans hoping for a glimpse thinned since the first day.

Caleb pressed the door chime. Tess stood in the threshold when it opened and waved them inside.

“Quickly.”

“Tell us,” Oryn demanded. “What’s happened?”

“It started last night,” she said, rubbing her hands. “It gained momentum in the past hour.”

She opened the door which hid the private lab and allowed them to enter first.

Caleb felt his knees buckle as he stared at the six embryonic tubes. Was it possible?

The embryos had grown into fetuses.

But not by days or weeks.

“Judging from their development,” Tess said, “they’re six months old. Almost at viability.”

Caleb’s heart raced as he laid his hand against a tube.

“Are they still growing?”

“They’ve slowed.”

“How much longer until they’re mature?” Oryn asked.

“A day. Possibly less.”

Caleb allowed tears to flow. He recalled the Jewels’ instructions while thousands of children surrounded him at the lake:

“Teach. Protect.”

Everything made sense.

“Our children. The first one is mine.”

*  *  *

EXETER RUSHED to the hangar along with his team. He refused to watch this event unfold from orbit. He wanted Lt. Mars and Spec. Cress and Traut at his side. They earned it. Twenty minutes after the cyclonic storm’s eyewall collapsed and rain bands dissipated, Exeter set course.

They jumped out of worm half a kilometer above the cloud bank and waited to receive data from the drones.

The clouds thinned. The wind ceased.

Four men gazed in dumbfounded silence at the drone vids. After a long, lingering gap, Lt. Mars spoke for the team.

“I don’t know what I’m looking at.”

Exeter opened the starboard egress. Maybe seeing it through human eyes would provide clarity.

“Careful,” he told them, standing a foot from the edge.

The toxic fog no longer shrouded the chasm. In its place? A perfect black sphere, one hundred kilometers in diameter. An outer ring of sparkling blue water surrounded it, with a sliver of flat, barren land in between.

Spec. Traut made the first cogent remark.

“Lake Profundus but exponentially larger.”

Yes. Maybe.

Exeter wasn’t sold. It differed somehow.

“We need to take a closer look.”

He closed the egress and piloted the Scramjet to within a hundred meters of the surface. Midnight black in every direction.

An ocean of what? If an ocean at all ...

The drones could not scan beneath it, a significant difference from Lake Profundus.

“It seems metallic but also organic,” Exeter said.

“Like a skin,” Lt. Mars added. “Are those ripples?”

They switched to the portside egress, which faced east. The orange morning sun splashed its fury across the horizon. That’s when Exeter saw the true connection to Profundus.

“No reflection. It’s absorbing the sunlight.”

“It’s an engine,” Cress added. “But for what?”

They stood back as Exeter ordered the ship to within ten meters of the surface.

The drones relayed incomplete gibberish.

“Wait,” Traut said. “The sky.”

Streaks of pink disrupted the orange glow. And then, movement due east. Objects rising and falling.

“This can’t be happening,” Mars muttered. “Birds?”

They came into clearer view. A flock easily a kilometer wide. Wings perhaps six, seven meters across. Exeter counted dozens. No. Hundreds.

Bearing west toward the Scramjet.

“Sir,” Cress said. “We might want to move.”

The birds approached level to the ship, the outer edges of the flock veering toward the center. Exeter prepared to order Nav to high-tail it.

No need.

The birds, with red wings and black heads, stopped flapping.

Then they nose-dived.

“Wait, what?” Mars said.

The birds flew through the black surface. Ripples spread as they disappeared beneath. More flocks followed.

Hundreds dove.

Then the surface calmed to a perfect stillness.

“No change in the readings, sir,” Traut reported. “Everything we have says it is a solid surface.”

“Could it have been an illusion?” Mars asked.

Exeter wondered the same but not for long.

“Drones are reporting an anomaly at the geographic center twenty kay north,” Traut said.

“Define anomaly, Esme.”

She shook her head.

“I’m not sure. The data isn’t clear, and there’s no vid. But it’s about the size of a ... human.”

Of course, it is.

“Then that’s where we’re headed, Esme.”

He wasn’t disappointed. The tiny figure on the surface took form after the Scramjet arrived.

“That looks about right,” Exeter said, peering out the egress.

Shoan Gui did not create a ripple as he stared up at the team.

“Closer, sir?” Traut asked.

“No. Ten meters is enough. Isn’t it, Shoan?”

The Jewels’ emissary responded without opening his lips. His voice echoed through Exeter’s mind, as if receiving an Occip call.

“Is it as beautiful as you imagined?”

Exeter recognized the voice; it narrated his vision.

He turned to his team, all of whom nodded.

“Yes,” Shoan added. “They also hear me.”

“Explain what the Jewels have created.”

“The dark.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It’s an end, a beginning, and all things in between. Think of the birds. Contemplate what you saw.”

OK. More of the same verbal runaround. Linguistic tests and coded language. Exeter’s patience waned.

“I don’t wish to contemplate, Shoan. I wish to know. If we are bound to the Jewels, then they are bound to us. Partners deserve the truth.”

Shoan bowed.

“As Judge of the Change, my scope is limited. But I am allowed to express an opinion.”

“That’s a start.”

“Your people have all the answers they will ever need. Talk to them. The truth hides in plain sight.”

“Not good enough. What lies beneath the surface?”

“The Dark.”

“And the dark is ...?”

“Everywhere.”

“I don’t understand.”

Shoan’s hands turned into blue winged worms. The rest of his body gradually transformed, but Shoan did not lose his smile.

“It is the solution to every question. It is ... everywhere.”

The blue worms swarmed into a twisting army then burrowed inside the pitch, producing nary a ripple.

Exeter felt a hot breath on his neck and a terror long buried ...

“Everywhere.”

.............

What is the Dark? What do the visions suggest about the Aeternans’ future? How will the latest events disrupt the lives of immortals and mortals? Discover answers to these questions and more in Book 3: Dark Vista.

Before you jump into that novel, would you kindly take a moment to provide an honest rating or review for Whole Heart? Any small effort will make this author’s heart soar.