Remember the Starfighter (51 page)

Curious, Arendi turned on the open media feed, the console activating the surrounding systems. In another second, the link to the galactic networks opened, the information flooding through from the neighboring outpost.

On the adjacent display screen beamed the different channels, the content translated and carefully curated. Briefly, she found herself lost. It was data not simply from one world, or one system, but distilled from the thousands of planets, all of which were aligned with the Alliance.

Dressed in her Hegemony uniform, Arendi watched the pixels pulsate from the screen inside the Au-O’sanah’s hanger bay. She did so, as she unpacked a box of gear taken from the Elion, the precious technology at her fingertips.

Save for the audio from the display, it was quiet in the hanger, the floor nearly cluttered with stacks of other cargo acquired from Earth.

Three hours ago, the Au-O’sanah had jumped back into normal space, and docked with the orbital outpost. The specialist had left, and so had Julian, who was outside the Au-O’sanah, overseeing the refueling effort.

Glancing at the view screen, she went to the nearby console, and cycled through the assorted channels. It spanned a variety of different cultures, the alien life passing by in snippets of interstellar programming.

Not all of it was amusing.

NETWORK ALPHA: Find ascension with the Ouryan Union. It is where all can be granted. Immortality and infinity can be yours. All sentient life is welcome. Join the Unity now.

It was just one of the many channels from the Ouryan Collective, the content closer to propaganda than anything objective. She saw more channels promoting the Union’s military, its growing reach, along with its technological advances.

Disturbed, Arendi quickly switched it off, and browsed for something more innocuous. Looking for a channel that specifically catered to humans, she found one located in a so-called “news sphere”, the program devoted to the current events. 

The segment appeared on the screen, the holographic newscaster an A.I.

Animated in a web of lights, the artificial host seemed surprisingly human, the semblance of the man acting like an experienced announcer, its blue lips and wiry cheeks moving to the words. The newscaster smiled directly at Arendi, recounting the events of the day. But she was even more startled, when she raised the program’s volume and heard the A.I. speak. Apparently, it knew her name.

NEWSCASTER: The coming deployment of the collapser has dominated much of the news as of late. But just today the Ouryan Union made an unusual announcement, in what amounts to the largest bounty of all time. It concerns the search for this individual: a humanoid android named Arendi Soldanas.

She approached the screen, wide-eyed. It was her, the image taken months ago, on board Alliance Command.

NEWSCASTER: The Union claims she has violated intergalactic law, but its offering few details about her background. Although we’ve found no public data on Ms. Soldanas, the Union warns that she is extremely dangerous and is urging caution in any attempts at apprehension.

The bounty is at 100 trillion luxury credits, far surpassing any other amount on record. But the news has also stirred some controversy among the human community. In addition to Ms. Soldanas, the Union is looking for her two alleged accomplices, one of whom is former Terran Hegemony leader Sovereign Davinity.

The other is a former pilot with the Haven SpaceCore named Julian M. Nverson. The bounty on both individuals stands at 1 trillion credits each.

While the Union is withholding specific details on what laws the three individuals violated, today we invited well-known security analyst and human Calev Kimura to talk about this development. Mr. Kimura, please help us understand why this is so significant.

KIMURA: It’s certainly unprecedented in two ways. It’s the first time the Union has ever issued a bounty. And second, they’re offering an obscene amount of credits to anyone who can nab these three individuals. With that kind of money, one could buy several planets, or maybe an entire system.

NEWSCASTER: I imagine the Union has piqued the interest of every mercenary group in the galaxy.

KIMURA: But not just that. Even governments, especially those recovering from Endervar incursions, will be on the lookout. It goes to show that these three individuals have clearly offended the wrong people. And yet, surprisingly, they’ve managed to elude the Union, in spite of all their resources.

NEWSCASTER: Yes, perhaps a sign of desperation. Do you have any speculation on why these three individuals are being targeted, or who this Ms. Soldanas is?

KIMURA: My sources tell me Ms. Soldanas was connected to incidents involved on Alliance Command, and later at a SpaceCore base. Several deaths were involved, and significant damage to property was done. I’m told all other data on her has been deemed ultra-classified. Before today’s announcement, few people knew of this android, and they had deliberately sought to keep it that way. We have no idea who created her, but it seems as if she’s gone rogue.

NEWSCASTER: Interesting. But what are your thoughts on her alleged accomplices? Specifically the Sovereign.

KIMURA: Well, clearly the Terran Hegemony isn’t happy. The Sovereign Davinity is a revered figure in the human community, even though she’s been out of the public eye for close to a standard century.

NEWSCASTER: Yes, as I understand it, the Hegemony has issued a formal protest on the bounty.

KIMURA: Obviously, the Union is trying to control the narrative and paint the Sovereign as a wanted fugitive. Nevertheless, it’s all so bewildering and surreal.

NEWSCASTER: How so?

KIMURA: I think many, like I, had assumed the Sovereign was dead.

NEWSCASTER: But clearly, this isn’t the case.

KIMURA: No. On closer inspection, the intelligence data I’ve seen said she joined the Ula, after abdicating her position all those years ago. But I suspect that to some degree she was still active with the Terran Hegemony. One of my sources even suspects that she may have been affiliated with a clandestine specialist group under the Alliance, before it was terminated.

NEWSCASTER: It seems the Sovereign has suddenly become a major trending topic on the media spheres. From what I understand, she was quite popular during her reign. Even non-humans took a liking to her. But later, she faced decades of political infighting within her government.

KIMURA: All very true. Still, I have to say it’s good to see that she’s back, and many humans have fond memories of her leadership. Yet, I don’t expect her popularity to dissuade many from pursuing the bounty. 1 trillion credits is a lot of money.

NEWSCASTER: Hopefully, we’ll find out more on why she has returned. Well, that’s all the time we have for now. Thank you Mr. Kimura. Now on to our next segment, where we discuss the turmoil since the Alliance’s—

She stopped listening as the hanger bay door behind her opened, the liquid sound of the organic hull pouring in a rush.

On the other end, Arendi saw the specialist and Julian walking side by side. Neither looked content.

Julian was frustrated, and swore under his breath. The specialist was almost the same, her lips pursed, but her expression dour. 

Arendi assumed that it had something to do with the bounty, and hurried over.

“Was there trouble?” she asked. “Are you safe?”

Julian cocked his head confused. “Safe?” he asked.

“The bounty. Did you not hear?”

The specialist waved her hand.

Even as she tried to smile, the specialist could only bite her lip. No longer could she look at Arendi confidently. She simply closed her eyes and walked off sullen, taking her leave into the ship’s interior.

“It’s Richard,” Julian explained. “Her friend, back on Carigon. We think he’s dead.”

“What? How did this happen?”

“But that’s not all of it,” he said. “It gets worse.”

He was fitted in a bulky environmental suit, and unclamped the large gloves from his hand, throwing them down at the floor, along with his space helmet.

“It hasn’t been announced yet. But the Alliance… it’s essentially dissolving. Alysdeon’s contacts say it’ll be made official tomorrow.”

“The Arcenians, the Lanadians, the Iyanas, all the major powers are giving up their authority,” he added. “Instead, they’re ceding power to the Ouryan Union, and joining with them.”

Julian seethed. He stared down at the floor, and scratched the side of his face.

“Without the Alliance, I’m not sure how we’ll stop the collapser.”

As the organic door peeled back, Arendi entered his quarters and found him coughing, his face constrained and red.

“How does she do this?” Julian complained, nearly choking on the smoke.

Fed up with the spice cigarette, he placed it down on the ash tray, and fanned the fumes around his face. He had taken off the rest of the heavy environmental suit, and sat more sparsely clothed, donning a black undershirt and pants.

“Sorry,” he said, sitting down at the table. “I was just trying this.”

Looking down at the stick-like cigarette, Arendi could smell the pungent chemicals in the air.

“I didn’t mean to disturb you. I wasn’t sure if you were asleep or not,” she said.

Julian shrugged, rubbing his eyes with his other hand. “No, just trying to focus,” he said, picking up the cigarette with his two fingers. “Got this from Alysdeon. Care to join me?”

He offered the still burning blunt to her, only to slightly pull back.

“I’m sorry. That’s probably a stupid question.”

To his surprise, it wasn’t. Arendi timidly approached and reached for the cigarette with her index finger and thumb,

“Like this?” she asked, looking to him for guidance.

“You’re just supposed to inhale, hold it in, and then breathe it out,” he explained. “At least, I think so. I actually don’t feel much from it.”

Listening, she placed her lips on the moist end, and did as he instructed.

In one puff, Arendi inhaled the chemicals and let them circulate through her compartmentalized systems, before exhaling the pinkish vapor.

To Julian, it seemed natural, the fumes shrouding Arendi’s face in a stylish ring. She smiled behind it.  

“Looks like you’re a pro,” he said, impressed.

Arendi handed the cigarette back to Julian, who tried to smoke it again. Mimicking her movements, he let the vapor vent from his lips.

“So how does it feel to be the most-wanted person in the galaxy?” Julian asked, while coughing into his hand.

It was meant to be a sarcastic remark, his own half-smile perking through the smoke.

Arendi, however, grew tense.

“Worried,” she said. “The whole galaxy is looking for us.”

As a careful precaution, the Au-O’sanah had pulled away from the refueling outpost, and moved to a location within a neighboring asteroid field.

Arendi looked to the room’s window and saw starlight, with nothing but empty space and stellar rock all around them.

Safe for now, she thought. But still, Arendi remained unsettled. Clearly, there would be ramifications for all involved.

“Will you be able to return?” she asked. “To your people?”

Julian leaned forward in his chair, and put out the cigarette. No, he was about to say. In all likelihood, Julian could never return.

Instead, he thought back to that time weeks earlier — during another moment they had shared together.

“Remington,” he said, referring to his hometown. It was a place he felt numb to, the nostalgia lost to him. But in looking at Arendi, he could tell that she wanted it to mean something.

“We’ll see it.” he simply said. “Somehow.”

Julian rose from his chair, and turned to stare out into space. Watching the surrounding stars, he couldn’t help but envision the galactic masses, all striving to lay claim to the bounty on their heads.

“I’d never thought I’d be so popular,” he said.

Down next to the ash tray on the table was a still active data tablet. Arendi glanced at the screen and recognized the picture. It was of Julian, but taken years ago, when his hair and beard had all been shaved off, the garb he wore a military uniform. “Wanted Alive,” the caption below the old photo read. “Reward: 1 trillion luxury universal credits.”

“Maybe I’ll just need to get facial surgery,” Julian joked. “Or buy a nice hologram to mask my appearance.”

He smiled at her, trying to put the worries all to rest. It was something she could see, his tired eyes wanting to convey that warmth.

Arendi had her own sentiments she wished to give.

“No matter what happens Julian. I will protect you.”

He looked at her, caught off guard by her seriousness. Sitting in the chair, she stared back determined. 

Julian closed his eyes.

“Likewise,” he replied, trying to grin. “We’re in this together.”

He had wanted to keep things lighthearted, but the dire situation would not allow it.

“What will we do?” he uttered, opening his eyes and staring into the depths of space once more.

Arendi had been wondering the same.

“The Ouryans,” she asked. “Should we approach them? Can they even be trusted?”

The question was also on Julian’s mind. He returned to the table, and scrolled through the data tablet. “Here,” he said, handing it to her.

She looked closer, and began reading. “Richard V. Shakur, AKA Entarian,” Arendi said. “The virtual man from Carigon.”

“Before he died, he was leaking this data to the galactic networks.”

She scrolled through the displayed summary. It concerned the Ouryan Union, and a long list of “confidential activities” the interstellar group had undertaken over the last two centuries.

“The Union has been secretly disrupting governments across the galaxy,” Julian explained. “They’ve been funding opposition parties, supplying weapons, and even carrying out assassinations on political figures.”

It was all part of an effort to bring so-called “stability” to the other alien races, and align them to suit the Union’s vision. Arendi could imagine why. 

“They want to expand the Unity,” she said. “To bring more into the fold.”

“Richard. He wanted to save what was left of the Alliance,” Julian said. “He was desperately trying to prevent the Ouryans from taking over.”

“The other galactic governments, shouldn’t they be alarmed?”

“They have no other choice. The Endervars keep coming, and the Ouryans… They control the collapser, and some of the major fleets. Everyone is looking to them for aid. To end this war.”

The bleak scenario cast a pall over the room, the machinations of the Ouryans in the open. 

“Richard. If he hadn’t died,” Julian said. “Alysdeon had originally wanted to intervene, and convene a meeting of the galactic congress. To rally support and show the whole galaxy what we had found. But now…”

“The collapser,” Arendi asked. “When will it deploy?”

“Maybe in another month,” he replied.

“Then we still have time.”

Julian nodded, but wiped his eyes, exhausted. He grabbed the data tablet, trying to read the almost endless streams of text.

“I’ve been looking through the leaks for hours now. Richard. He told me to know the Ouryans. To know the enemy.”

“Have you made any progress?” she asked.

Julian tossed the data tablet aside, shaking his head.

“I’m out of my depth,” he said, clutching the back of his hair. “Things were much simpler before. When it was just us, and Alysdeon.”

Arendi nodded, as she quickly came to her own conclusion. “Then perhaps that’s what we need to do.”

“What do you mean?”

She paused for a moment, the idea emerging in her mind. It was true: the Ouryans were dangerous. But so was she, the Endervar technology at her command.  

“Your homeworld. Haven,” Arendi finally said. “Maybe we should just save it on our own.”