Universe of the Soul (9 page)

My spirit is warning me, I know what I have to do, but it will go against all the training and commands I have received since entering the convent life when I was young. Perhaps I should wait and see how the situation unfolds; it is always better to be informed than to run around in the dark.

But then, darkness has its own uses, as does ignorance.

I'm beginning to fear that the change Ayane spoke of will be very soon.

“R
ise and salute, captain on the bridge!” At Vice Captain Lowell's order, everyone on the bridge rose from their assigned positions and saluted as Captain Heedman entered the bridge, followed by Captain Francesco Yates of the battleship
G.C.N. Damacene
and a few members of his senior staff.

“Welcome back to the bridge, my dear fellow,” Captain Heedman said in an almost fawning tone. Captain Yates was nearly a foot taller than Heedman. Like all other kievians, Yates boasted a second set of eyes high on the forehead, and impressive copper colored tentacles in lieu of hair. His burnished gold complexion made Heedman look sun starved. His gray uniform was crisp and sharp, hinting at a newer style than Heedman's. An over-shined medal for excellence hung on his chest. He'd left the collar of his jacket open to sport an expensive looking cloth cravat.

Yates made a thorough survey of the bridge before commenting, “I see that you have some new members on your senior staff, Albert.”

Heedman scurried behind Yates as the taller captain strode across the room to where Adri and Gray stood together beside the tactical station. Giving Gray the critical eye, he said, “I thought I knew most of the up-and-comings on the officer lists, but I'm afraid I don't recognize you.”

Gray saluted. “I am Field Lieutenant Thaddeus Grayson, formerly of the
G.C.N. Cliam Lomas
, currently stationed in the Turotia system.”

“I see,” the captain said, although from his frown Gray could guess that his non-aristocratic name wasn't ringing any bells. “Well, good luck with your assignment.” And with that dismissal, Gray knew he had been forgotten. It was often the same with those in the military who had gained their rank through blood and political connections. Yates turned to Adri. “Lieutenant Commander Rael, I see that you are still hale and hearty,” there was a definite sneer in Yates's voice now.

“Much to my enemy's displeasure, yes,” Adri replied in a polite monotone.

“I hear your name is on the list for captain candidacy.”

“Yes, sir.”

Yates raised an aristocratic eyebrow. “The credential reviews are coming up, but I hear that there is quite a list this year. Even Lieutenant Commander Carter has applied for captaincy.”

Adri glanced over to the
Damacene
's senior staff, still standing by the doors to the bridge. “I am pleased for him.”

“So am I; his uncle is sponsoring him for a position.”

“Again, I'm pleased for him.”

“Hmm,” with a last frown at Adri, Yates moved to the captain's seat and sat, turning then to Heedman to discuss the latest news from Halieth, the capital planet of the Commonwealth. With no place to sit, Heedman had to stand beside the console to talk.

“I take it that Captain Yates is not too fond of you,” Gray whispered.

Adri raised a skeptical eyebrow and whispered back. “He's an aristocrat from Kieve, and has some political pull with the Supreme Council. He even met the chancellor.”

“So he's a snob.”

“Basically. He dislikes me on principal because my family was nothing, politically. He is also irked that I have advanced the way I have without a political sponsor.”

Gray muttered something truly uncomplimentary under his breath. Adri had to bite down a smile. “I've seen you on the battlefield; you earn your position, you don't have it handed to you on a platter.”

The smile escaped. It was strange, but the compliment made her stomach flutter. Her stomach did a great deal of fluttering around him. The traitor. How was she supposed to handle this? Obvious she could not escape. Despite her own advice, she'd gone out and become his friend, and now the rest of her was willing to risk more.

It was sure nice to smile again.

“And who was that guy he shoved in your face? Carter?” Gray went on.

“Lieutenant Commander Royce Carter. He's Yates's operations officer. See, he's the one with the light brown hair who looks like he's falling asleep.”

Gray looked over the visiting
Damacene
staff members and easily managed to pick out the young man who looked like he was about to take a nap while standing. He was a slender fellow, maybe a few inches taller than Gray and currently had a pleasant, my-I'm-happy-to-be-here-half-awake smile plastered to his face. “He doesn't look like much.”

Adri shook her head. “Carter never looks like much.”

Something in her tone, perhaps the half-concealed amusement, made Gray turn sharply towards his superior officer. “How well do you know this guy?”

“Carter and I go way back,” Adri murmured, staring now at the officer in question.

Something dark and unpleasant twisted in Gray's gut. “How far back?”

But just at that moment, the two captains had decided to adjourn for a meal, causing the usual minor chaos as officers took up or relinquished their posts. “All the senior staff is requested to come and dine in the mess hall, now.” Lowell announced.

In the general exodus off the bridge, Gray had no chance to repeat his question.

“Rael, it's great to see you again,” Lieutenant Commander Royce Carter wove expertly through the crowded mess hall to stand in front of Adri as she entered.

Adri smiled. “It's good to see you, too, Carter.”

“Sorry if I'm interrupting,” Gray said as he bumped another of the
Damacene's
senior staff out of the way in order to stand beside Adri. “I'm Field Lieutenant Thaddeus Grayson.”

Carter's eyebrows lifted at the possessive stance Gray automatically took beside her. He grinned as he turned back to Adri. “My goodness, Rael, I leave you alone for a few months and you go off and decide to have a personal life!” He winked at Gray. “I commend you. I've known our brave and stalwart Rael for years, and this is the first time I've seen her with…a someone.”

“Danwe, Carter,” Adri hissed, mortally afraid that she was blushing, “It's not like that.”

Gray turned to look at her, put at ease by Carter's comment. “Isn't it?”

Adri's glare could have melted tunsteel. Before she could come up with something suitably scathing, Captain Heedman called Gray's name.

Carter watched Gray wind his way towards the head table at the other end of the mess hall. “How long has this been going on?”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.” Adri gestured towards the tables and sat down at an empty one against the wall. Carter sat down across from her. “You know, I kind of like the look of him.”

“I have absolutely no desire to talk about my subordinate, Carter.”

Carter studied Adri's face for a moment before replying, “If you like. But if I were you, I wouldn't worry about the situation too much. Just…let nature take its course.”

“Thank you for the sage advice. Now drop it.” Adri ordered a cup of coffee from the simulator built into the wall.

Carter's smile was lightening fast. “That's one of the things I like about you; you always state your mind.” He sighed dramatically. “You never gave me a chance,”

“Your infamy with the ladies preceded you, pretty rich boy.”

“Yes, I'm afraid you're right.” With that, Carter shifted in his seat, suddenly turning serious. “You're on this year's list for the captain's candidacy.”

“That's right. I hear your uncle is sponsoring you.”

Carter shrugged. “Uncle still has delusions that I'm going to turn out an admiral. But I am ready to take on my own crew.”

“You getting a ship?” Adri lifted an eyebrow.

“Most likely,” Carter replied. “But your name is actually ahead of mine.”

Adri frowned thoughtfully. “That's strange. I don't have a sponsor to shove my name out there.”

“That's just it. Reports of your missions have been spreading like wildfire throughout the Advance Force and making its way to the capital. They bumped your name once, they can't afford to do it again, not with the rep you're making.” Carter sipped his own coffee and winced. “Ugh. Simulated crap.”

“So you're saying my name's going to get called?”

Carter grinned and shrugged, leaning back in his seat. “What do I know? I'm just a pretty rich boy, who joined the Advance Force for the flashy uniform and the ladies.”

Adri smiled slowly, taking a sip of coffee. Yep, it was crap. “If I believed that, I would be sorely underestimating you.”

“You wouldn't be the first.”

Gray walked up to the table just in time to hear Adri ask, “So which poor soul are you victimizing now?”

Carter gave another dramatic sigh. “You have no romance, Rael.” He turned to Gray, “I'm telling you, the woman doesn't have a single romantic bone in her entire body. I do not victimize people. I merely try to see if we are compatible or not. Its called dating, you know.”

“Dating is just another form of victimization for one party involved.” Adri replied dryly. Gray had the feeling that this was an old argument. “One side of the party is interested, and the other is too weak to say how they feel and so goes along with the other's idea. Before you know it, it's a huge mess and one of them ends up totally miserable.”

“Like I said, no romance.” Carter twirled his empty mug in his hand.

“So who is she?”

Carter suddenly looked uncomfortable and a little embarrassed. “You remember Fayded? Leah Rachel Fayded?”

Adri reflected for a moment. “Is she the one who drop-kicked you out of the second story window after you asked her out?”

“Yep.”

“You've got to be kidding me. She graduated ahead of everyone else. I also think she hates your guts.”

“You're not wrong.” Carter sighed. “She's currently the assistant operations officer aboard the
Commodus.
We ran into them – well, not literally, but figuratively – about three weeks ago.” He sighed again. “She still hates me.”

Gray snorted at the lovesick expression on Carter's face. “You've got it bad.”

“Don't I know it. Well,” Carter rose to his feet as the two captains began walking towards the entrance to the mess hall. “It looks like our esteemed captains have finished their superior meal, and we'll be on our way. I really don't think that lavender neck wrap compliments Yates's complexion, do you?”

“The fact that you called it a lavender neck wrap is disgusting. Get lost, pretty boy.”

Carter sauntered off after the captains. “See you later, Rael. Keep safe. Nice meeting you Grayson,”

“Safe travels.” Adri and Gray watched as the senior staff of the
Damacene
exited the mess hall on their way to the transportation dock for their short shuttle back to their ship. “Come on, our shifts started ages ago.”

“How long have you known Royce Carter?” Gray asked as they walked towards the lift that would take them up to the bridge.

“Since the academy. I got into officer's school because I was good. Carter got in because he had connections. But don't let that fool you. He has a sharp mind, and though he's not the best in field combat, he'll make a good captain.”

“He seemed a bit…shallow,” Gray mentioned.

Adri smiled a little. “That is his greatest asset.”

“I'm not following you,”

“Don't worry about it.” Adri glanced over at Gray's face and saw a look of confusion and suspicion. “I don't have many friends,” she found herself saying. “Even fewer whom I am able to keep in touch with. It's nice to see Carter now and again.”

Gray's face cleared. “As long as he's just your friend,”

Adri scowled. “What's it matter to you, anyway?”

“A guy hates competition that might have a leg up on him. Carter obviously likes you, and he's known you longer. I feel threatened.” Adri gave him a blank stare. He grinned boyishly, “This is the part where you're supposed to assure me that I'm the only man you're interested in.”

Adri rolled her eyes and started walking again. “You're still here, aren't you? I let you get away with calling me Adri, don't I? I haven't taken Fayded's example and drop-kicked you down to the brig, have I?”

“Hmm, lucky me. It seems as though you're a lot more accepting of our relationship that you were even earlier today. We're making remarkable progress.”

The smug look on Gray's face caused Adri to scowl. “Then again, drop-kicking you into the brig might not be such a bad idea.”

All throughout Adri's shift, her mind kept drifting toward Gray, who was working with Commander Wede-Uctan, head of Analysis, at the Analysis station. Her personal life, despite her ardent resistance, seemed to have taken a turn. The more she thought about the situation, the less she liked the idea of pushing Gray away and going on with the way things had been.

Let nature take it's course had been Carter's advice. He ought to know.

Still, a part of her stood back, fretting that the closer she got to him, the more painful it would be when he was gone. It would be best to tread carefully, whatever she ended up doing.

Change is coming
, something in her mind whispered. Adri glanced again at Gray and wondered if the change was going to be for the better.

Username: Cassie

File://GC#000118ugd//confidential//uri

Password: ******

Access Granted

Command: open file to last saved date

It borders on disobedience to have a private log that is not accessible to my human superiors, but Zultan has done so for a while now, and no harm has been done, so my logic sees no fault in going ahead and doing so as well. This seems as good a place as any to record and analyze the latest data I have received.

I have been activated little more than 48 hours, and I am already faced with issues that stress my logic systems. Some entity is attempting to murder my ada – I mean, Dr. Floyd Tarkubunji. The evidence that Zultan has been gathering over the past weeks leaves no other conclusion than a human conspiracy against the doctor, for reasons yet unknown. Zultan believes that the premature death of Dr. Harriman Tarkubunji also plays into this situation, and I am inclined to agree.