2.54 A Brief Window

54 – A Brief Window

After nearly two hours with Iris and Gladia, Hector left the captain’s suite to meet Mathews and the other rift survivors. He felt things had gone well—better than he’d expected, really. He’d thought they’d press him for details about his past, but Gladia seemed willing to extend him some courtesy.

Iris had tried to dig, of course, but when Hector brushed off her initial questions, saying he was a former soldier who’d been wronged, a mercenary with blood debts to pay, Gladia let it go, and she’d told Iris to leave it alone. In the end, it didn’t matter; Gladia had agreed to his demands. They would provision at Sojourn Station in orbit, then make the voyage toward the asteroid belt.

It seemed that, as long as his vengeance didn’t involve her—and it didn’t, not directly—Gladia was content to let Hector hold on to his secrets. Even so, her parting words had been about building trust, and he knew her patience wasn’t without limit. The meeting had solidified her role as the one in charge. Iris was powerful, of course; more precisely, her father was powerful and wealthy, but they weren’t Royals. They needed Ventress backing a lot more than Gladia needed them.

He nodded to a crew member who waved at him a little more enthusiastically than he would have expected. Rumors are spreading about me already?

//I don’t have access to ship comms or video feeds anymore.//

Hector couldn’t hold that against Gladia or Mae; he didn’t have any legitimate reason to have his AI roaming through their network. He stepped onto the elevator and crossed his arms over his chest. Part of him had wondered if he’d given too much away, but the truth was, he hadn’t played any cards they couldn’t have figured out on their own.

Hector could have told them something else was waiting in the asteroid belt, but he’d wanted to reassure them about the timetable. Either way, they would have seen the ship when they arrived—assuming it was still there. He barked a short laugh, imagining their faces if they flew all the way out to Jovian space for nothing. As for him not really being Hector Valerius, that much was obvious after what he’d pulled off in the rift, then against Lux—not to mention the scans Gladia’s medics had performed.

As he made his way to the loading bay, where the others were waiting, he reflected on the broader scope of his schemes—and the players he hadn’t had to deal with yet, at least not on that level. In the near future, he’d be dealing with Iris’s father, Grover Sparling. That didn’t intimidate him much; the man’s goals were clear to Hector now.

Sparling wanted to earn points with the Ventress family, and in so doing, help cement his position in what he saw as an inevitable shake-up among the nobility. If Hector played his part in the Tharsis Games, then he didn’t need to worry about Iris or her father causing him trouble.

Loyal Ventress was another matter. However, Gladia’s brother was on Luna, and according to Gladia, he had no plans to come to Mars before the coup—the whole thing was on Iris and her network to pull off. Of course, if you listened to her, Loyal would be playing his part, which was significantly broader in scope. He was building alliances in the Senate, which would be necessary for the next stage of the rebellion.

In a way, Hector was disappointed. It meant that he wouldn’t see Loyal or his entourage before the rebellion was well underway. Of course, that meant he wouldn’t be able to figure out what role Lucien had taken—who he was now. Ventress-Dane was also out of reach on Earth, but Hector knew it was only a matter of time. If he played his part—if Gladia’s faction captured Mars—then things would come to a head and Hector would get his chance.

I just need to make sure I’m ready.

Evie didn’t respond, either because she didn’t have anything to contribute or because he’d reached the loading bay and laid eyes on his friends. He made it halfway across the cluttered decking, pausing for an automated forklift as it hauled a pallet of supplies deeper into the ship, before Kristy spotted him and called out.

“Hector!” She waved and jumped, and everyone else turned to look at him.

Hector gave the motley group a good look as he approached—Kristy and Mathews, with heavy black duffels stuffed to overflowing; Paige looking small and nervous with a single suitcase at her feet; and then there was Ling—temporary, blue-plastic prosthetics on full display. He had a cane, but it looked to Hector like his balance wasn’t bad. He arched an eyebrow. “No Willa?”

Mathews shook her head. “Had family she wanted to get back to—said she wanted to get a normal job.”

“She was not interested in a notorious life,” Ling added with a straight face.

Hector looked at the man, his lips quirking in amusement. “Notorious, huh?”

He nodded and didn’t say a word to explain.

Kristy slapped Hector’s chest, stealing his attention. “I can’t believe you did it! I thought we were bound for a prison camp.”

Mathews was quick to agree. “Someplace we’d disappear.”

“Is it true?” Paige asked. “That you got us jobs on the crew?”

Hector shrugged. “On paper—for now. In reality, you’re all kind of on my…team, I guess.”

“You’re sure?” Kristy pressed.

“You guys don’t trust me?” Hector chuckled, shaking his head. “I just met with Freddy’s mom. I promise you’re good. In fact—” He turned and gestured toward the corridor leading to the central elevator. “—if you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to your quarters.”

“We’re not in some kind of ship’s barracks?” Mathews asked, frowning. “What about rank? I won’t lie, Hector, the only reason I’m jumping on this opportunity is because it’s going to take a while for my broker to sell those hooks and pearls. Then there’s the whole thing about setting up a new team, and…” She glanced at Kristy. “Maybe we want to try something else for a while. Even so, that doesn’t mean we want to be at the bottom of the pecking order. You know?”

Hector sighed, shaking his head. “You’ll just answer to me for now. Just don’t start any fights with the crew.” He turned and started walking. “Come on; we’re going to have plenty of time to talk.”

He heard their steps behind him, and Paige asked, “We are? Where’s the ship going next? Does Lady Ventress keep it in orbit or—”

“I’ll have my AI write up a brief.”

“But what’s my role?” Paige insisted, pushing past Kristy and drawing a startled exclamation.

“I’ll have something for you.” Hector looked down at her and tried a reassuring smile. “I promise you won’t be bored.”

Paige fell quiet, and Kristy asked, “What about Freddy? Everything came out like you guys planned?”

Hector nodded. “He’s going to be fine, but he’ll need a week or so in the tank.” He looked over his shoulder. “You’ve all got some rewards coming your way—besides whatever your broker gets you, Mathews. Gladia—Freddy’s mom—doesn’t have unlimited resources in the Martian System, but she’s promised me a budget. I’m not going to go over everything now—my AI will do that—but I’ll tell you that our first stop is Sojourn Station.”

Stolen from NovelPhoenix, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Sojourn?” Kristy cried. “You can get anything there!”

Hector chuckled. “That’s the idea.” He stepped aboard the elevator. “Now, come on. I’m all talked out.”

###

Much later, Hector sat on the edge of his bunk, looking around his room. Gladia hadn’t given him anything special. He’d seen the rooms his friends had been given, and his—designated as an “officer’s quarters”—wasn’t much different. The bed was maybe a little bigger, and his ensuite bathroom had a small alcove for a private shower. Other than that, he had a slightly bigger carpeted area before his bed and three drawers in the built-in dresser instead of two.

His suitcase sat beside the dresser, the green LED blinking occasionally. He wondered what Gladia would say if she saw the contents.

Remind me to plug that thing in.

//I will. As for your room, it’s comfortable enough, and Gladia made five of her crew members move so you could have all your people close by.//

True. Hector got the distinct impression Evie liked Gladia. Sometimes he wondered if she remembered more about his old life than he did—or, more precisely, whether she simply thought about it more than he did. He kept the thought cursory, not wanting her to recognize the question and start a conversation; he didn’t feel like getting into all that.

If Evie had “heard” his thoughts and wanted to question him, she missed the opportunity; his door chimed, and a window appeared on his AUI showing Lemon there, waiting.

“Come in.” The room’s AI—a subprocess of Mae’s—opened his door, and Lemon stepped in. “Hey,” he said.

“Sorry to bother you, but you said—”

“We’d talk. I know. Come on.” He patted the bed beside him; there wasn’t anywhere else to sit in the room.

She walked over, looking around. “Wow, your room’s smaller than mine.”

Hector laughed. “It is?”

“Well, maybe because I’m sharing with Kit. That was thoughtful of Gladia, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah. She’s a good host if nothing else.” He shrugged and leaned back, turning to the side so he could see her better. “I don’t mean to sound like an asshole; I’m just suspicious.”

“I know…it’s fine. I was thinking about what we talked about. About me leaving.”

Hector kept his face open, but didn’t say anything.

“I don’t want to, but I know that’s maybe selfish. I look at Kit, and I think about how, well, maybe we could just disappear. Maybe Gladia could help us change our IDs and get me a little quiet job for one of her family corporations. Maybe I could get Kit into a school and pay for some extra help to get him caught up. Then I think, well…nothing’s for certain. You have enemies; Gladia has enemies. Accidents happen all the time. And…”

She inhaled, looking down, then up, locking eyes with Hector. Her gaze was unusually intense, and he could see how her fist was clenched on her knee. “And I’m interested in what you and Gladia are doing! For the first time in my life, I don’t feel like…nobody. I feel like I’m seeing things from the inside, instead of just seeing what the people with power have done—accepting how it will impact me.”

Hector nodded, trying to show that he understood, but he could see she wasn’t done.

“My father tried to tell me about this. He tried to convince me that what he was doing—speaking out against the Empire—was necessary. I remember him talking about how people weren’t meant to live like we do. That we…we all crave some freedom. I don’t know what Gladia’s goal is, but I like her. What if I could influence her somehow? What if being around Kit changes how she sees…people like us?” Tears welled in Lemon’s eyes, and she said, “I might never get a chance to influence someone with power again. I don’t want to run away and hide.”

She stared at him, her chin trembling, and Hector found himself moved by her. He nodded, reaching out to take her wrist, uncurling her fingers so he could squeeze her hand.

“If you’re looking for someone to say you’re right, then I’ll be that guy. You’re right, okay? Hell, there are tens of billions of people in this system—maybe more; I honestly don’t know. Anyway, there are plenty of people leading mundane lives.”

He shrugged. “So, sure, take your shot. I’ll be here to back you up. Kit’s got more of a chance at a good life with you, no matter where you are, than in some agri-corp’s indoctrination program. Plenty of kids grow up on ships. Plenty of kids grow up with families who are more than a few steps removed from legitimate society.”

Lemon used her other hand to cup his, squeezing almost desperately as he spoke. Her tears had broken the dam and were streaming down her cheeks, but she looked happy. “Thank you, Hector.”

He grunted, clearing his throat. “Done too much damn talking today.”

Lemon looked as though she might lean closer—like maybe she wanted to hug him or something, but then her eyes unfocused and she laughed, wiping her cheeks. “Kit’s looking for me. Can we—”

“I’ll be here. We’re going to be sick of each other before this is over.”

Lemon did lean forward then. She grabbed his shoulder and pressed her lips against his cheek, kissing him softly. When she stood, she smiled at him, then hurried to the door and slipped out.

Hector inhaled deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes, trying to settle his mind, trying to reel in the hundreds of thought tangents. He had a dull headache taking shape, and he felt exhausted on many levels. As though on cue, Evie spoke to him:

//I can tell you’re tired, but do you want to review options for your available potentia?//

Hector nodded, and a window appeared on his AUI:

//Available Abilities and Boosts:

New Archetype: Veilborn Duelist – boundaries crossed, opportunities seized, violence refined—specter, blademaster, finisher. Transition Cost: 80 aura potentia.

Level Advance 11 -> 12. Cost: 102 aura potentia.

Critical Eye -> Apex Trance: With an infusion of aura, you will effectively double your Perception for a short time. As your Perception value transcends natural limits, you will experience moments of precognition, easing transition into the heightened mind-state of a battle trance. Cost: 75 aura potentia.

Awaiting directive…//

Nothing new, but I expected that.

//I’m glad you understand. Without advancing a level or changing your archetype, it’s not easy for me to form new pathways or connections.//

So? What do you suggest?

//Since you have plenty of potentia and the all-too-rare luxury of time, I suggest a staggered approach: Learn Apex Trance in case your new archetype won’t offer it, then change your archetype. We should save the level-up until you’re done changing archetypes. Reaver is rare, but Veilborn Duelist is on another tier altogether. You’ll find each level uncomfortably costly, but the benefits of each will make standard archetypes pale in comparison.//

How does it compare to my final archetype? I mean in my old life—Blade Sentinel.

//Significantly denser potentia propagation. You’re on track to have a much higher ceiling than you did back then.//

Hector smiled, nodding. Evie was his saving grace; with her cleverness, there was a good chance he’d be able to get where he needed to be in order to challenge the monsters waiting at the end of his bloody road to vengeance.

Do it.

//75 aura potentia applied. Pathway revisions are being mapped and will be implemented to advance Critical Eye to Apex Trance. This process will take roughly six hours and may result in transient disorientation and time loss. Under no circumstances should you perform high-risk activities before its completion…

80 aura potentia reserved for a queued archetype transition. Be aware: this transition will occur without further consent. Veilborn Duelist pathways will be mapped, and new connections will be propagated. Estimated time to completion once initiated: eight hours. Extra nourishment is encouraged during this transition. Dizziness and fatigue are likely to occur; take precautions.

Aura potentia remaining: 1054.//

Hector smiled at the warnings, then said, “Show me my status. I want something to compare against after the archetype change.”

Another update appeared, and he opened it, trying to stop his mind from spinning off in a hundred directions. He was trying to savor the window of peace he found himself in—a window he was sure would be decidedly brief.

//Status:

Level: 11

Archetype: Reaver

Aura Pool: 56/56

Aura Potentia: 1054

Attributes:

Strength: 25

Speed: 26.5

Vitality: 52.5

Perception: 17

Corpus Vivum Improvements:

• Similite-Infused Skeleton
• Phase Pathways 2
• Tissue Regeneration 2
• Environmental Adaptability 2

Abilities and Boosts:

• Aura Blade – Condense aura into a bladed force projection. Cost: 3 aura per 20 seconds.
• Speed Boost – Briefly enhance Speed by 3 for every unit of aura expended. Cost: Variable.
• Shadow Stalk – Use aura to gather shadows, eschew light, and mask your presence from the watchful eyes of your prey. The air grows still around you, holding your scent close and muffling the sounds of your passage. Cost: 5 aura per 30 seconds.
• Critical Eye – Enter an aura-induced combat trance that will temporarily enable you to more precisely land devastating strikes. Cost: 2 aura per second.
• Ghost Reaver – Slip into the veil, phasing out of physical space for a short time and enhancing your movement rate. Aura constructs will remain anchored in physical space and continue functioning while transitioned. Cost: 30 aura per 3 seconds.
• Shadow Step – With a surge of aura, briefly enter the veil and reappear a short distance away. Your destination is determined by your point of focus; accuracy improves with proficiency. Cost: 35 aura.
• End Report.//