The Phoenix Rising (25 page)

“
It’s probably too early to
know for sure how effective the treatment is,” she said. “So if you
have any severe side-effects, or experience more withdrawal
symptoms, make sure to let me know right away.”

Calvin felt embarrassed. He didn’t like
having this conversation, the two of them candidly discussing his
vulnerability, it made him extremely uncomfortable. Something Rain
seemed to have no trouble picking up on.

“
You have nothing to be
ashamed of.”

“
So
anyway,
” said Calvin. “How are things
in the infirmary? Have you begun inoculating the
Polarians?”

“
Yes, I have,” she said.
“And they’ve been surprisingly cooperative.” She stirred her mush
with her spoon. By this point it was mostly gone and Calvin
suspected Rain had no more appetite. But that didn’t stop him from
wolfing down his food in front of her.

“
That’s nice,” he said in
between bites.

“
It’s really fascinating,
isn’t it?” she asked.

“
What is?”

“
When we went into the
stars,
humanity
I
mean, religion and spiritualism seemed to fade away into the
background.”

“
It makes sense,” said
Calvin. “Mythologies based on superstition were replaced by
scientific explanations and empirical observation.”

“
Is it really as simple as
that?” asked Rain. “The Polarians became increasingly devout in
their faith as they reached for the stars and developed
scientifically. In space they found degrees of spirituality that
they didn’t have before. Why would space exploration and scientific
progress have the opposite effect on them?” she seemed genuinely
curious. Calvin, however, didn’t care that much.

“
I guess it’s a mystery,” he
said.

She chuckled softly. “Not one that keeps you
up at night, I can tell.”

“
Not usually, no.” By this
point, he was finished with his bowl of cereal and wanted some
more, so he stood up and walked over to get a refill.

“
Calvin, I’d like to hear
more about you,” said Rain.

“
Making some kind of medical
profile?” he asked idly, now slicing up another banana.

“
No, nothing like that,”
said Rain. “I just feel like... well… I’d like to get to know you
better.”

Only then did it occur to him what was
happening. She was attracted to him. This caught him by
surprise.

“
Would you like to have a
drink sometime?” she asked.

“
I don’t drink,” he said
automatically.

“
Doesn’t have to be
alcohol...”

He looked at her and met her startlingly
sincere eyes. “Sure...” he said. Not really sure if he had any
interest in her or not. After his most recent experience with
Summers, he really hoped not to let his guard down again
romantically. But a drink wouldn’t hurt...

“
Great.” Rain
smiled.

“
But it may have to wait,”
said Calvin, returning to his seat. “Now’s not the best time. There
is a lot going on.”

“
I understand. Just let me
know.”

At that moment Summers entered the mess
hall. She moved to the food containers, picked up a
meal-ready-to-eat and a water, and took a seat alone at a vacant
table. Not giving Calvin or Rain so much as a glance.

Calvin watched her with
scrutiny. He’d become increasingly worried by her self-imposed
isolation. It troubled him that she had chosen to become so
reserved.
Perhaps this is an ideal
opportunity to talk with her and get her to open up a
little.

Calvin looked back at Rain, excused himself,
and then took the seat across from Summers. Her golden hair, sharp
green eyes, and perfect skin were so beautiful, even in the poorly
lit mess hall. Calvin couldn’t help but trace the flawless contours
of her face with his eyes, and feel some of the same stirring
emotions he’d felt that night on the observation deck. Though the
attraction was tainted by bitterness. She’d deceived and betrayed
him, and manipulated him so easily, it was shameful. Even after her
apology, he still couldn’t find it in himself to forgive her
completely. But that didn’t remove the attraction he felt toward
her. And he couldn’t help but wonder how much of the real Summers
Presley she’d revealed to him that night—the flawed, emotional,
human side of her. The person that was usually kept deeply hidden
under many thousands of layers of duty and determination.

“
Yes?” asked Summers
impatiently. Her eyes met his. “May I help you?”

Calvin heard the whoosh of the door sliding
open. He looked up to see Rain leaving, looking a little unhappy.
He wondered if he’d offended her somehow.

“
I’m waiting,” said
Summers.

Calvin looked back at her. “I’m just
wondering how you’re doing,” he said.

“
I’m doing fine.”

He nodded, again scrutinizing her. Wondering
if, behind all her siren beauty, she could possibly be the mole
that had warned Intel Wing about their plan to go to Echo Three.
The one who’d nearly cost them everything...

“
Is there something else on
your mind?” she asked.

She’d worked against him before. All the way
to Abia she’d fought him tooth and nail for control of the
Nighthawk, nearly prevailing. She’d exposed his darkest secret to
the public and had his command stripped away by the Fleet. She
hated Raidan with a fiery passion. Could Calvin really trust her
now? Was she the same person?

“
Yes,” said Calvin. “Tell
me... are you happy with the decision to go to Tybur?”

“
Happy? Interesting choice
of word,” her lips tightened. “Not happy, but satisfied. The
isotome weapons—if they’re real—are the most serious threat the
Empire has ever seen. If going to Tybur leads us to the Arcane
Storm, and the Arcane Storm leads us to those weapons, and we
destroy them, then yes, I believe that is the right thing to do.”
Even though she spoke the words with a coldness that seemed
entirely genuine, he couldn’t help getting the feeling that
Summers’ thoughts were more complex than that. And that she was
deeply conflicted about something.

“
I appreciate your support,”
said Calvin. Deciding once again that Summers was not the mole.
Even though she’d proven willing to antagonize him in the past, he
would never forget the crushed look on her face when she’d seen the
Fifth Fleet destroy itself at Abia. Her perfectly ordered universe
had been thrown upside down and now Summers was forced to cope with
it. It was all she could do. Additionally, Summers couldn’t know
the Intel Wing channels which the mole had used. And Summers would
have reached out to the Fleet, not Intel Wing. Therefore she wasn’t
the mole. Calvin could trust her.

“
Anything else?” asked
Summers.

“
Did you tell anyone that we
were going to the QH-212 star system?”

She looked at him incredulously, perhaps
even annoyed by the question. “No.”

He nodded. “Do you have any suspicions about
who might have warned Intel Wing that we were going there?”

“
Tristan. Pellew. The
Rotham. Could have been any of them. I have no reason to suspect
one over any of the others. Perhaps they’re all involved
together.”

Her heart was not in this discussion, Calvin
could tell. And he wished he knew the right thing to say to poke
through her armor and connect with her. Make her trust him. She
clearly trusted him more than she trusted just about anyone else,
that’s why she’d chosen to stick around, but that still didn’t
amount to much. Between her experience with Raidan, and what had
happened to the Fifth Fleet, she seemed to believe the entire
universe was corrupt and deceitful. And almost nothing could be
trusted. Perhaps she was right…

“
It might be best,” said
Summers, now looking him in the eyes earnestly, “if you transferred
me to the Red Shift.”

Calvin’s gut reaction was to deny the
request immediately, but he wasn’t sure why. Was it a trust issue?
Did he have residual suspicions of Summers? Did he need to keep her
where he could always have an eye on her? Or was it something else?
Perhaps he feared letting her have the transfer was an admission
that he could never work things out with her.

“
No, I don’t think that’s a
good idea,” said Calvin after giving the issue some thought. He
wasn’t sure what had motivated her to ask for the transfer, perhaps
she wanted to get away from him, but he still believed he could
reach her. Get her to trust him completely.

Summers looked annoyed.

“
I need you,” he said,
looking almost pleadingly into her eyes. Hoping his body language
would convince her to trust him since he couldn’t find the words.
“We’re in this together now. We have to see it through. Side by
side.”

She masked her reaction, seeming neither
pleased nor displeased by his words. After a moment, she spoke.
“Very well. But promise me you will not lose sight of our goal.
Purging the Empire of the toxic element that has corrupted it and
restoring order.”

“
I promise.”

Chapter 16

After a lot of work, and more time than
Nimoux would’ve liked, the Nighthawk’s jump destination had been
narrowed down to three likely candidates: Io Major, Tybur, and TR
307.

All three destinations were less than two
clicks apart and belonged to the same political faction. A group of
disenfranchised humans known as “The Allied Colonies of
Tyburium”—but more commonly as “The Alliance.” They were humans
who’d split from the original human colonies back before the
creation of the Empire, and had refused to join it ever since. The
only human colonies that had managed to survive without joining the
Empire. Io Major was the older and larger colony, Tybur was the
smaller but more relevant colony that acted as the capital, and TR
307 was a star system in between them whose uninhabited planets and
moons were some of the most mineral-rich in the entire known
galaxy.

Nimoux couldn’t fathom why Calvin was
heading there, into that lion’s den, but that was a question he
could ask Calvin in person once he captured the renegade.

“
Set course for Alliance
space. Eighty-five percent potential and engage the stealth
system,” he gave the order. “And send word to the Rhea to do the
same. The Stormfront is to proceed to the secondary rendezvous and
remain out of sight.” The latter wasn’t a stealth ship and its
sighting inside the DMZ risked war with both the Alliance and the
Rotham Republic, and neither conflict was in the Empire’s best
interest.

“
Aye, sir.”

Nimoux proceeded to relay his latest orders
to Director Edwards, who forwarded his requests personally to the
relevant starship commanders. His taskforce had been formed. The
net of warships was converging on Calvin. And Intel Wing spies on
the Alliance colonies had been alerted.

Calvin’s time was running out.

***

It had been just over twenty hours since
they’d jumped from the Vulture Nebula, and Calvin was again in his
office with the door locked. He waited. Passing the time by
reviewing some of the files they had on Tybur and the Alliance. In
addition to combing over some of his personnel files, trying to
narrow down who the mole might be.

His console beeped. He checked the time.
Right on schedule. He tapped the button and accepted the call.
“Have you got anything new?”

Rafael’s face appeared on the other side of
the screen. He looked tired and disheveled. “Yes, some,” he
said.

Calvin knew Rafael’s window of time was
limited, so he decided to remain silent and just listen.

“
People have been asking
questions...” said Rafael, looking deeply troubled. “Investigating
me and the others from the Nighthawk. I need to be extremely
careful; I only hope they haven’t found me out already.”

“
Do what you have to do,”
said Calvin. “Go dark. Disappear.” He didn’t want to lose Rafael as
an asset, but he also didn’t want him to be taken prisoner or
killed.

“
I can’t do that, my mission
isn’t complete,” said Rafael. “I have begun to find things out
about your mysterious Phoenix Ring.”

Calvin was all ears.

“
I don’t have any of their
identities determined yet, and am perhaps a long way from that. But
I know that a group of very wealthy, very influential people has
been behind a series of odd decisions recently passed in the
Assembly.”

“
My understanding was that
the Phoenix Ring was more involved in the military than the
civilian government,” said Calvin.

“
They have their dirty hands
in both places. A lot of strange things are happening in the Fleet
right now. Unusual deployments, some re-shuffling of the top
leadership, and so forth. But the Phoenix Ring is just as involved
in the civilian government.”

That was a chilling thought, but not
terribly surprising. More of a worst case scenario.

“
Tracking the registered
lobbyists hasn’t proven extremely useful, at least not yet, but
based on a lot of the decisions that several Assembly-members have
made, I believe there are many under the table bribes and deals
being made.”

“
Is there any evidence that
the Phoenix Ring has infiltrated the monarchy?”