Astra: Synchronicity (36 page)

"Well, sweetheart, you did it. The Allied
Confederacy is on the defensive, about to be brought to their knees
by the Xuranians. I doubt anyone else in the history of the human
race could have done it better."

She stared up into the hazy crimson sky as
she crossed her arms. Their sun felt hotter than normal on a planet
whose weather rarely changed from day to day. Clouds circled
Superbia south of the habitable zone, depositing a constant supply
of fresh snow, which melted and filtered its way to the desert
until every last drop had been used or evaporated. The weather at
the colony site was virtually constant. At first she hated the
certainty of it all. She'd never lived anywhere without a tapestry
of seasons as volatile as she was, but she took comfort in having a
world to call home without constant fear.

She shook her head. "It's still too early to
get our hopes up. Nothing has really changed, has it…?" Zingeri was
almost as predictable as the weather.

He took off his sunglasses and stared at her.
She did her best to dodge his intrusive probing of her mind.
Because his power almost matched hers, her best efforts were in
vain. "I thought that's what you needed to make you happy. But all
you've been thinking about is Magnius and his refusal to come home
when you should be celebrating. We lost him a long time ago. It
doesn't matter whose fault it was. He's not a kid anymore. I doubt
we would've even recognized him if he walked past on a crowded
street before Kimber tipped us off."

It pained her to admit he was right because
it meant acknowledging she'd failed Magnius as a mentor. She did
her best to rationalize her feelings. "I don't need any potential
threats running around out there. Dying is not on my agenda.
There's still too much for me to do. Psions deserve a strong
leader, and I'm the only original Earth survivor left."

"That's because you had Tiyuri kill the
others."

"I offered every one of them my hand in
friendship and they betrayed me. The Zoleki's were the worst about
it. They came here and abused our hospitality for years. Their
continued existence in Astra threatened me. They deserved every bit
of what we did to them…of what
I
did to them." She ran her
icy fingers through her hair, letting her hands warm on her scalp.
"I've worked so hard to make us something we were never destined to
be. We're better than that. Making this happen has always been my
purpose in life."

"There was nothing specific in the prophecy
that said anything about you dying."

"I could see it in Kara's eyes…I could feel
it in her mind. There's no doubt about it, Z; she is sure I'm going
to die."

"Who's to say what's for the greater good?
Martyrs have had a powerful impact throughout the course of human
history."

"This is about me, okay? I'm not going to sit
back and do nothing when there are people who may be conspiring to
end my life!"

"Then tell me where the hell they are so we
can go kill them right now!" he yelled. "Oh, that's right…we have
no fucking clue about who they might be."

"The horse."

"Coming from Kara that could mean anything.
Remember a few years ago? 'When Azura is in retrograde, the great
bull will discover the fire of the Gods.' The bull didn't reference
a person. It was about the PAU unearthing electrum."

"She specifically told me to find the
rabbit…that I wouldn't be able to kill the rabbit."

"Did you ever stop to think you wouldn't be
able to kill it because it wasn't a person? Why are you letting her
prophecy spin you up? We have no idea what it means." He put his
sunglasses back on. "I wish you'd stop thinking about that damn
prophecy. I'm tired of hearing it in my mind like a bad song your
neighbor keeps playing to annoy you. Stop it before I have to slap
some sense into you."

She knew he was joking but his words annoyed
her nonetheless.

The sliding door opened behind her, and as
she turned around, a young man bowed his head to her. "There's a
transmission inside for you."

"Where is it from?" Aliane asked.

"Xur."

The word frightened her and left her
wondering if her plan was about to backfire in her face. Just
because they'd outsmarted the humans didn't mean the Xuranians were
as dim-witted. She'd banked on the fact that they wouldn't
care—that they'd be too infuriated to spend months pouring over
evidence in a crime where the true perpetrators were already dead.
Maybe their technology could detect mind-altering psionics. Had
they found Valera's dirty mental fingerprints all over the
body?

She tried to play it cool for the sake of her
companions. "They've probably reconsidered our request for
integration after all." But fear clouded her wishful thinking. In
the back of her mind there was always the possibility the Xuranians
would find out and come to Superbia looking for blood. They'd stop
just long enough to nuke the planet from orbit, killing every last
psion without bothering to look them in the eye.

When she turned to reenter the house, she
heard one final tactless thought from Zingeri: <something to drink when you come back out, sweetheart.>>

She would've flown off the handle at him as
she'd done so many times in the past, but she ignored him. Her mind
raced with explanations and possible excuses to save all of them
from certain death. Valera was of the PAU. She'd never lived here
on Superbia. She'd carried out the acts of her own accord or at the
request of their government, not Aliane. It was the only
contingency she had for their continued survival. Hopefully, they'd
be more open to reason than they appeared to be with the AC.

Before she knew it, she stood in front of the
communication console in the house. Every fiber of her being wanted
to run, but they didn't have the ships to evacuate the planet. And
even if they did, there was no way they'd escape a foe like the
Xuranians. So instead of doing what she desperately wanted, she
forced herself to swallow her fear and answer the call.

She touched a few buttons on the display and
responded. "Aliane of Superbia. To whom do I have the pleasure of
speaking with?"

The Xuranian on the screen didn't look
familiar. He had intricate pale markings on his face and long black
tentacle-hair held back away from his face with a golden length of
cloth. The orange gemstone hanging around his neck enchanted her.
Havier had a similar facial tattoo pattern but was very tall and
gaunt, and this Xuranian was stocky and muscular. "My name is
Rhiel, High Commander of the Xuranian fleet. There is an urgent
matter we need to discuss."

She wondered if that was code for prepare to
die. "I wasn't aware your vessel had ventured to Abyssa."

"We have not left orbit of the star you call
Zion," he informed her. "The humans here are…difficult. Confused.
But soon all will be brought to order."

Was he being honest or speaking in riddles?
She didn't know what to make of this alien race, and not being able
to read their minds would leave her at a grave disadvantage against
them. "What is this urgent matter you've contacted me about?"

"I have been recently informed by the royal
family of your interest in being absorbed into the Xuranian
society. While I am not in a position to grant such a request, I
find your standing amongst the humans as something of an enigma.
Are you not superior to them in every way?"

The direction of the conversation took her by
surprise, albeit pleasantly so. "We are. A strong telepath can
dominate the will of hundreds of humans. Our warriors can lay waste
to an entire field of human soldiers. Unfortunately, there aren't
many of us left. Many psions have been killed at the hands of the
normals because they're afraid of us."

"If you are willing to abdicate your status
as citizens of Astra, you would become strong candidates for
inclusion into our society. We cannot wage a war so far from Xur
without anywhere to base our operations. Your star is sufficient
for our needs but far from ideal. Your…abilities…would serve us
well. If you do not renounce citizenship, I cannot guarantee your
safety."

Aliane furrowed her brow. "Have you spoken
with the Pan-Asian Union yet?"

He blinked at her several times in
uncertainty. "I understand there has been an…incident. Their ruler
has died?"

"Murdered," she told him. "It's thought to
have a connection with the attack that occurred on your world."

"Please, tell me more."

"I personally know very little. It's
suspected that the assassin acted at the behest of the Allied
Confederacy. That he was a spy and that both of the attacks were
planned. The new General Secretary would have far more information
on the current investigation than I know."

He mulled over the magnitude of what he'd
learned for almost a minute. "I must speak to the Divine Chancellor
regarding what you have said. He is presently in mourning so I do
not know when I will contact you again, but rest assured. When I
have more information, I will." The screen went suddenly black.

She sank into the chair beside her. Talking
with Rhiel felt like running a mile holding a large brick of ice,
and she didn't really know what to tell the others about the
conversation. Right now, she was glad he was gone. For all she
knew, they'd take the investigation into their own hands, and
somehow all the evidence would come pointing back to her. But if
she was lucky, the Xuranians would align themselves with the psions
and the PAU. And for the first time in her life, Aliane would truly
be happy.

When the monitor began to flash from an
incoming transmission, she jumped and caught her breath. Once she
read the text, she breathed a sigh of relief. It had originated
from Northampton under Tiyuri's fake implant ID name. With any luck
he'd be reporting back of his success.

She activated her console and was greeted by
a shadow against a dark wall. She'd gotten used to his covert
method of operation over the years and rather enjoyed her messages
from the invisible man. "Do you have good news?" she asked.

"I've located our man. He's receiving help
from the second lady. Tonight, I will have tea at the Estate and
gather additional information."

She couldn't fathom why Nadine Taylor would
help him, but based on the video of the incident from Xur, she
should've expected as much. "Do not sleep with her." That was their
code phrase whenever they alluded to killing someone. Filters
routinely scanned transmissions for incriminating words so
criminals found interesting means of foiling them. Tiyuri could not
afford a scuffle with Nadine; better to avoid her by laying
low.

"I wouldn't dream of it. You'll hear from
me."

The line went dead. He might be a man of few
words, but he got the job done. Two centuries had taught her that
was the most redeeming quality possible in a man.

Soon, Magnius would be home. And this time
Tiyuri would not fail her.

"This is it, you guys. In a few minutes
you'll be someone else."

Amii, Nadine, and Magnius stood on a
cobblestone street after midnight in an area of Northampton most
locals stayed away from. Fifteen years ago, the underprivileged had
been relocated to Quad Three in an effort to consolidate crime and
make the city a safer place. It worked but not without significant
grumbling from the rest of the UE. As time passed, psions moved
into the area and made it a hotspot for random violence. Wandering
around Quad Three alone after sundown was an invitation for
murder.

When Amii glanced up, the night sky amazed
her. The Milky Way cut across the heavens in beautiful clarity. The
twinkle of the stars through the atmosphere captivated her senses
and distracted her from the scent of rotten garbage wafting down
the alley. She felt eyes watching her from the shadows, but no one
else was around. Only the three of them roamed in violation of
curfew at this hour.

Magnius rubbed his wrist. "I've done this
before. When I had my name changed. Who exactly are we
impersonating?"

"No one. I had unique chips made for both of
you. I figured it would be the best way to keep it on the down
low." She handed each of them a new ID chip. "I also took the
liberty of marrying the two of you."

"You did what?"

Nadine sighed. "Feel free to head downtown
for a divorce tomorrow if you must. I just wanted to make things
easier."

"Yeah…I bet you did." He nodded at the door.
"Who is this guy anyways?"

She pressed her hand against a panel next to
the door. "A telepath. I've worked with him before. He said he'd
help you."

After almost a minute, Amii heard rustling
behind the door. A short bald man cracked it open and peered into
the darkness at them. When he spotted Nadine, he waved them inside.
The scent of mold and mildew hit them with suffocating force.
Uneven piles of dirty plates mingled with dusty stacks of old books
throughout the kitchen. Several cockroaches scurried toward dark
corners as they passed to the living room.

Flames lapped inside a vintage wood-burning
stove in the darkened room. A white sheet covered the couch, and
candelabras lit the walls with a romantic glow. A desk and table
were filled with comtabs and mechanical equipment. Several
holographic implants lay next to an ID scanner.

The man paced around in the center of a
frayed oriental rug patting his hands nervously. An intense violet
aura consumed his eyes. "I know I said I was gonna do for this for
you, but I can't now. Given who you've brought me, I think it's
only a minor inconvenience. Nothing will change except for the fact
that I'm gonna get caught."

Nadine shook her head. "What's the
problem?"