Crossroads of Fate (Cadicle #5): An Epic Space Opera Series (5 page)

Taelis nodded. “Well, we don’t have a lot of time. Let’s get you up to speed.” He gathered himself. “We have a lot to go over, but I’d like to start out with a bit of good news. We have a flagship for you.”

“Oh?”
I would have liked to be involved in the design.

Taelis’ lips parted in a slight smile. “It’s easier if I just show you. The engineering team is very excited.”

“All right, let’s see it.”

“We’ll meet you in the War Room,” Taelis told his officers. “This way,” he said to Wil and Saera, leading them down the hall toward one of the elevators.

They took the elevator up several levels and then followed the corridor around to another section of the spacedock. As they came around a bend in the hallway, a ship came into view. Wil immediately recognized the distinctive telekinetic relay band around the perimeter of the ship—a design he had toyed with and then dismissed due to concerns over its potential destructive power. “You built it?”

Taelis nodded. “I recognize that you had passed over the design, but I knew you would need something beyond our current fleet. I put Laecy to work. It took a lot of trial and error, but the engineering team eventually figured out how to make it come together.”

Saera initially lit up in response to the High Commander’s excitement, but she looked to Wil for an explanation when he didn’t share their enthusiasm.

They went behind my back. Don’t they know what this ship can do?
“I had no idea you continued to work on it. You should have told me.”

Taelis swallowed. “I didn’t want to press the issue and distract you from training your officers. We realized that it could be a game-changer if we could make it work. The engineering team picked away at it until they finally had a breakthrough about a year ago. We only finished preliminary testing last week.”

It’s done now. I guess it’s up to me how it gets used.
“All right. Let’s see the inside.”

“Of course.” Taelis held out his arm to let Wil be the first up the gangway.

Wil felt an immediate resonance with the ship when he passed through the entry port. The soothing energy washed over him, setting him at ease.
It’s like the Aesir ship—it must have a similar biofeedback system
.

Saera’s tense expression faded as soon as she stepped off the gangway next to Wil. “It feels different here.”

“Amazing, isn’t it?” Wil closed his eyes and released himself to the vessel, feeling it pulse in response to him. When he opened his eyes, he noticed the TSS emblem opposite the entry portal.
The TSS Conquest
. “A fitting name as any.”

Saera nodded. “It is.”

“Come on, let’s go to the Command Center.” Wil walked with Saera down the corridor.

The hallway was more utilitarian than most of the TSS ships Wil was used to, but the design was still inviting enough to make the vessel comfortable for an extended voyage. Warm hued lights inset in the ceiling and side panels cast a pleasant glow across the viewscreens mounted at logical intervals along the length of the corridor. The screens currently displayed neutral images of starscapes, but Wil touched one of the panels as he passed by and it brought up a menu for the Mainframe.

The Command Center was precisely where Wil hoped it would be. His breath caught as he glimpsed the design through the open doorway. He flashed an excited grin to Saera behind him, his initial reservations about the ship fading.

A transparent platform extended from the entry door into the center of the spherical room. Five standing-height, minimalist black chairs were arranged in the middle of the room on the main platform, with four around the perimeter and one at the center. Each one was mounted on a swivel base, with an adjustable handhold in front mounted to the same rotating platform. Based on seams and some mechanics in the transparent floor panel, it appeared that the chairs could fold down into the floor for the operators to stand at the handholds as a podium. A step down from the main platform, two consoles faced outward toward the front. Likely, the consoles controlled navigation, weapons, and communications like standard TSS ships.

As Wil entered the Command Center, the dimmed lights rose to full brightness. He looked around in wonder. “This is just like I imagined.”

He strolled to the center chair and ran his hand along the top arch of the back, then brushed his fingertips on the podium in front of the chair. The telescoping base was bent slightly toward the chair for easier access, with a cylindrical grip to either side at the top of the arm. When Wil’s fingers touched the handhold grip, the viewscreen wrapping the walls and ceiling illuminated in vivid color, displaying the surroundings of the Conquest with holographic depth unlike anything Wil had seen in a Command Center before.

“It’s amazing,” Saera breathed as she came to stand beside Wil.

“It really is.” He gripped one side of the handhold, feeling the ship respond to his presence. “Take one of the other stations.”

Saera tentatively grasped one side of the handhold to Wil’s left. “Whoa.”

A tingle ran through Wil’s arm as he sensed Saera’s presence through the ship. He telekinetically reached out to her, and the ship automatically entwined their energies.
It’s effortless.

“Do you approve?” Taelis said from behind.

Startled, Wil and Saera let go of their respective handholds. “Yes, very much so,” Wil replied.

“I see you’ve discovered the telekinetic link in the central podiums,” Taelis continued. “The consoles up front have it, as well.”

“Yes. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
What will I be able to do with such a link?

Taelis nodded. “That’s what took the engineering team so long to work out. We knew that you would need an anchor during simultaneous observation. It will need to be calibrated to you and your Seconds, but our hope is that you will be able to project your vision of the activities in both dimensional planes on the viewscreen.”

The Bakzen’s movements in real-time for everyone to see.
“I had never thought about serving as a visual conduit. I suppose it could work. I’d need to play around with it.”

“We’ve never been able to properly test it, of course, since you’re the only one with the ability. The biofeedback systems for mental visualization have passed all field tests, though, so it’s just a matter of the spatial translation between the rift and normal space. None of our computers have been able to reconcile those inputs.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”
It very well may be possible. And more.
“Is there an assigned crew yet?”

“No,” Taelis replied. “I can provide recommendations for some engineers and tactical officers, but the crew is fully at your discretion.”

“Excellent. I’ll review your nominations.” Wil felt the pull of the ship. “Unless you have other quarters in mind, I’ll stay here with my men.”

“That was our intent.”

Now, we have more pressing matters to discuss.
“Saera, will you get the Primus Elites oriented here while the High Commander briefs me on the latest developments with the Bakzen?”

She nodded, a bit reluctantly. “Will do.”

Wil turned to Taelis. “I’m at your disposal. Let’s get started.”

Saera watched Wil depart with the weathered High Commander. It was unnerving to see the leader of H2 so drained and disheartened.
I can only imagine what he’s been through over the years. Anyone would get worn down eventually
.
I hope I can keep Wil from feeling that way.

Though she wouldn’t admit it aloud, Saera wished she were attending the briefing with Wil. She knew the lack of invitation wasn’t meant personally, or as a means to sideline her, but it was uncomfortable to be left out of the action. Even harder to admit, part of her felt like if she were away from Wil, he would somehow be lost to her. His words from early in their relationship had always gnawed at the back of her mind over the years—that winning the war might take everything he had to give, and he might not make it through alive. She wasn’t sure Wil remembered that admission, but she had taken it upon herself to make sure it didn’t come to that. While she felt always being by his side was the best way to fulfill her silent promise, she would be there for her partner in any way he needed.
Right now, that means taking care of his closest friends.

Saera wandered over to the consoles at the front of the Command Center. She was well versed in TSS crafts after so much time helping Wil with spec reviews, and the Conquest appeared to follow conventional design principles, despite the flashier finishes. It only took her a few moments to locate the communications system. She was just about to activate a comm channel to the Vanquish when she sensed a presence behind her.

“Be careful with that,” a male voice warned.

Saera spun around to see a man dressed in a gray work jumpsuit, perhaps in his late-thirties. She didn’t detect strong telekinetic ability from him, so he was likely Militia division. No rank was visible on his outfit. “I know my way around ships.”

“This one happens to be very sensitive,” the man countered.

Rather brazen, talking to an Agent that way.
“I’ll be spending a lot of time here, I imagine. I need to become acquainted.”

The man frowned. “A crew hasn’t been decided.”

“Well, it has a captain. Given that he’s my husband, I’m pretty sure I’ll be assigned.”

The man was silent for a moment, connecting the dots. He looked Saera over. Then, there was a spark of recognition. “Are you Agent Alexander?”

“Yes.”

“Where is Agent Sietinen?”

“He went for a briefing with the High Commander. You just missed him.”

His eyes narrowed. “Why are you still here?”

I could ask you the same thing.
“I have been tasked with getting the Primus Elites settled on the ship. It seems you’re a little short on quarters, so we’ll be staying here.”

“All the quarters are on the lower levels.”

“I figured as much.” It was becoming difficult for Saera to hide her irritation. She took a slow breath. “I was about to send a message to the Vanquish so they could begin shuttling the Primus Elites over here.”

“Why were you using the ship’s communications?”

That’s enough.
Saera crossed her arms. “Why the barrage of questions? Who are you?”

“My name is Aram Laensir. I helped design the Conquest.”

“Well, Aram, it’s a very nice ship. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some logistics to manage.” She turned back to the front console with the communications controls.

“Wait.”

Saera looked back at him expectantly.

“I was supposed to give Agent Sietinen and his team an orientation. I guess I should just start with you,” Aram said, looking a little apologetic for his initial behavior.

“All right, go ahead.”

Aram nodded. “Okay. The Conquest follows the basic prototype for the cruiser-class TSS ships, as you probably noticed.”

“Yes.”

“The interior layout and overall structure are the same, with some cosmetic modifications. The internal systems, however, are quite unique. The main feature is the telekinetic interface.”

“These podiums in the middle.” Saera stepped up onto the center platform.

“That is the primary interface, yes, along with the front consoles. From here, an Agent can connect to any system in the ship.”

Any system?
“Even navigation? Weapons?”

“Based on the early sketches we were working from, that was the whole point.”

So, Wil designed a giant amplifier for his abilities. This isn’t just for simultaneous observation—it’s weaponized telekinesis.
Saera felt a sudden pang in her chest.
All this time I’ve been thinking of Wil as a leader and strategist, but if he designed something like this ship… he sees himself as a living weapon. Is this what has always weighed so heavily on him? Why wouldn’t he talk to me about it?

Aram cocked his head. “Did you want me to continue?”

Saera returned from her thoughts. “Yes, please.”

“You may have noticed the band around the exterior perimeter of the ship. That’s the relay for the telekinetic input. It focuses the telekinetic energy from any of the access points throughout the ship. It can support the shield generator, or even the jump drive.”

“Spatial dislocation?”

“In theory. We haven’t been able to test it—none of the Agents working on the project were a high enough CR to even make an attempt.”

Only Wil is powerful enough to dislocate a vessel this size. Maybe some of the Primus Elites could dislocate a jet, but nothing like this.
“I guess we’ll have to test it out, then.”

“I’d love to have the chance to observe, when you do,” Aram said. There was a hunger in his gaze.

Saera examined him. “I find it interesting that you were working on a project with such focus on telekinetic interface, given that you aren’t an Agent.”

Aram’s face darkened. “I can’t help that I was born without such abilities.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend.”

Aram walked over to the console at the front left of the Control Center. “You were about to send a communication, right?”

“Yes. Was there anything else you’d like to tell me about the ship?”

“It can wait. I’ll just have to go over it with Agent Sietinen again.” Aram accessed the communications menu on the console and made some inputs. “Which ship was it you wanted to contact?”

“The Vanquish.”

Aram made some additional inputs. “The comm channel is ready for you to initiate.”

“Thank you.”

Aram headed for the door.

I don’t think this guy likes me…
“Thank you for the overview. Knowing about those features is helpful.”

“Sure.” Aram left without so much as a glance.

Saera shrugged off the strange meeting.
Can’t please everyone.
She initiated the communication to the Vanquish.

After a moment, a rectangular video feed appeared on the front of the room’s domed ceiling, displaying the Vanquish’s Command Center. Cris and Kate were in the center chairs. They seemed surprised to see Saera.

“Hi,” Cris said. “Where are you? CACI couldn’t identify the source of the call, only that it was TSS.”

Saera held out her arms to either side. “This is the Conquest. It’s brand new and very fancy.”

Cris smiled back. “Clearly. That’s an interesting setup for the Command Center.”

“Wait until you see what it can do.”
It’s impressive, even if it is terrifying.

“I bet. So, what can we do for you?” Cris asked.

“Wil requested that I get the Primus Elites settled in on the Conquest. Can you send them over on some shuttles?”

“Of course. Anything else?”

“Not at the moment. Wil is getting briefed by Taelis right now.”

Cris’ expression turned serious. “Okay. I’ll tell the Primus Elites.”

“Thanks. See you soon, I’m sure.”

Cris nodded. “Talk soon.”

Saera ended the transmission.
Now to find the hangar
.

True to Aram’s word, the interior layout of the Conquest was identical to other TSS cruisers Saera had toured. She made her way slowly, taking in the design details of the ship. It lacked some of the finer finishes found on the Vanquish and other vessels intended for longer-duration missions, but it was aesthetically pleasing and had just enough artwork and padded seating to echo the comforts of home.

As Saera passed by the corridor leading to Engineering, she noticed a slim woman with a light brown braid studying a control panel down the hall. If she wasn’t mistaken, it was H2’s Lead Engineer, Deena Laecy. “Deena, right?” Saera called out with a wave of her hand.

The engineer was caught by surprise. “Everyone calls me by my last name, Laecy. Have we met?”

“No, I recognized you from your personnel file. I’m Wil’s wife, Saera.”

Laecy’s brown eyes sparked with recognition. “Of course! Sorry, I’m bad with faces. Is Wil here?”

“He’s meeting with Taelis now. I’m on my way to meet the Primus Elites and get them settled in.”

“I guess that shouldn’t be a problem…” Laecy murmured.

“What do you mean?” Saera asked.

“Well, I have system reports for the Conquest routed to my handheld, since we’re still in testing,” Laecy replied. “I’m checking out some strange heat readings in some of the wiring conduits.”

“Did you find the cause?”

The engineer frowned. “No. The temperatures have returned to normal operating parameters, and there’s no record of overheating in the ship’s logs.”

Tampering?
Saera came to full attention. “Who has access to the Conquest now?”

“A couple of my engineers are down in Engineering so the ship isn’t completely unattended, but otherwise it’s just us.”

“What are those engineers’ names?” Saera asked.

“Nolan and Becca. Why?”

Saera’s stomach knotted. “What about Aram Laensir?”

“Aram? No, he’s working back in the lab.”

“Well, he stopped by when I was in the Command Center a few minutes ago.”

Laecy crossed her arms. “He shouldn’t have been up there without a senior engineer. He’s apprenticing in bioelectric engineering, working on the telekinetic interface with the ship.”

Trespassing and mysterious performance readings was a concerning combination. “How long have you known him?”

“He’s bounced around to a few different positions over the past three years or so. He used to be a pilot.”

Saera tilted her head. “He’s not an Agent.”

“Many of our pilots here aren’t.”

“Why the career change?”

The engineer slumped. “There was an accident. His squad landed in the H2 hanger and there was an explosion. Killed one of my best friends. A few of the pilots were never the same afterward, him included.”

Saera took a step toward the nearest access terminal on the wall. “What was the cause of the explosion?”

“A Bakzen weapon. Silver goop stuff—we call it Detno. We’ve only ever seen it out on the battlefield before and since then. Normally it detonates on impact, but this one didn’t go off until the jet was back at H2. Never did identify what triggered it.” Laecy’s brow knit. “Why?”

“Time to reopen the investigation.” Saera activated the terminal and navigated toward the internship communication system.

Laecy’s eyes widened with shock. “You don’t think Aram…?”

“Two strange circumstances and one person present for both. I’m not taking any chances around Wil.”

“Becca and Nolan were present for both, for that matter,” Laecy countered.

Saera brought up the Vanquish on the comm menu. “Then we’ll question all of you.” The call connected after a moment. “Cris, hold off on sending the Primus Elites over. We have a situation.”

*       *       *

Wil surveyed the War Room. It was completely interior to the Headquarters structure, with no windows. An oblong touch-surface table with polished metal legs was in the middle of the room, equipped with a holographic projector and surrounded by a dozen chairs upholstered in dark blue fabric with a slightly iridescent sheen.

Five officers sat around the table. All of them had been at Wil’s hasty welcome from the transport shuttle.

Taelis took a seat near the middle of the table and gestured for Wil to sit at the head by the door.

“What did you think of the Conquest?” Ramsen, the Lead Agent, asked.

“It’s perfect,” Wil replied. “I can’t wait to perform a detailed inspection.”

The officers nodded with satisfaction. They then looked between Taelis and Wil, not sure who was going to take the lead.

Wil broke the uncomfortable silence. “I know it’s strange, finally having me here.” No one said anything, but a couple people looked down at the smooth tabletop. “The last time you saw me, I was still more or less a kid. I hope I made a decent impression on you, but I was totally out of my depth. I’ve learned a lot since then. I know what you need from me, and I’m here to lead.”