Ham put the other survivors out of his mind.

  “What do you want from me, Advisor Osteen?”

  “Nothing. I know you won’t admit to the crime. Your stature will be destroyed. I suppose what I want is simple, because I am a simple woman from a poor world.” She let go of his hand. “I wasn’t raised as a Chancellor. If I had been, I never would have seen the true path to glory. That’s what I want from you, Mr. Cortez. To walk the true path. But take care. The Scorpion waits for the Disbelievers.”

  In one swift motion, Ola Osteen redirected her attention to a friendly face and waved. She never looked back as she sauntered away with another Bolivan delegate.

  Ham’s heart raced.

  Everything made sense.

  * * *

  “I think five hours is long enough,” Kara said as the reception wound toward its conclusion.

  A few delegates milled about, most sitting at the bar. The symphonic music ended, and the servers in green/white uniforms seemed exhausted.

  “I have to agree,” said VP Rikard, who caught up with the Aleksanyans shortly after Amayas made his entrance. “I can’t remember when this day began.”

  Cando patted him on the back.

  “You’re not used to life on a starship. The body clock doesn’t appreciate the absence of natural regulators.”

  “I always take my café at sunrise. It’s been an adjustment.”

  “And now the hard work begins. I hope we’ll find time to connect outside the sessions.”

  “Love to.”

  He shook Cando’s hand and hugged Kara.

  “We’re going to build a better future,” she said.

  “With partners like you and Cando, I think we might.”

  Rikard loosened his collar and headed out.

  “He’s a good man, hon.”

  “He is. Still, I’d love to know what he and Michael were talking about. I have a feeling their allegiance will pose problems.”

  “If their allegiance is the only problem, then I’ll count us lucky. I’m exhausted, hon, and I spent most of my day on my ass.”

  “Good. You’re in a routine. Time for bed?”

  He planted a wet kiss, which smelled of sweet red wine.

  “I might even sleep. Eventually.”

  The booth had offered a wonderful refuge, but Kara felt stiff all over when she slipped out of it. Now, could they make it to their room without being cornered by other delegates?

  Only a few remained. The path seemed clear.

  “Oh.”

  Ham sat alone at a table across the way, staring at his drink.

  “Should we say goodnight? I think he’s in a foul mood.”

  She watched Ham and Amayas go back and forth for twenty minutes at that table. Neither man smiled. Amayas walked away moments earlier, his somber body language a direct contrast to the exuberance he showed when he entered.

  “Perhaps we should wait until morning. Let him stew, hon. You know how Ham can be. He’ll work through whatever’s conflicting him. He’s at his best when he’s clear-eyed.”

  “Fair point, sweetheart. Let’s call it a night.”

  She didn’t want to be rude, but Ham would understand. They spent virtually every day in each other’s company for the past fifteen months. Cando thanked the bartenders and nodded to a passing server.

  Kara would not have heard the odd thump if the nightclub still bustled. As such, her eyes followed her ears. Nothing struck her as unusual at first.

  She gasped.

  Was it?

  “Cando.”

  Kara pointed to a small table where Ham sat seconds ago nursing a drink. Both he and the glass disappeared.

  “Look.”

  She ran without thinking when she saw the misshapen figure on the ground. She told herself this wasn’t what it looked like.

  “Oh, no. No, no.”

  Ham laid on his side, the glass tight in his hand. She and Cando rolled him over.

  He had too much to drink. That’s it. He’s taking on too much.

  He stared back at them.

  No. Through them.

  Cando checked his pulse.

  “Fuck me.”

  He jumped up and yelled toward the bar.

  “Contact medical. We have an emergency!”

  Kara grabbed his wrist. She felt nothing. His skin was gray.

  “I haven’t done this in years,” Cando said. “Stand back.”

  Cando positioned himself above Ham and pressed down on his chest. She received the same training as a child but had forgotten until this moment.

  He pressed.

  He pressed.

  She never let go of the hand, but nothing changed.

  If anything, it felt colder.

  By the time the medics arrived, Cando had given up. He pulled Kara to the side and hugged her. He said something about the phasic tools being able to work wonders.

  But Kara knew.

  It wasn’t real. She’d wake up in the morning and go to his quarters. He had something important to tell them.

  Then she allowed the tears to flow.

  Hamilton Cortez, born Nathaniel Loomis, was gone.

  PART TWO

  DISCOVERIES

  “There is no such thing as time travel. Our science has struggled with this potential for three millennia. We have objective proof that the universe will not permit leaps in time forward or backward. Our very existence relies on these physical limitations.

  “Yet tales of individuals breaking these inviolate walls persist. Many claim the foundation of the war itself rested on such a premise. My exhaustive research found nothing of the sort.”

  - Hortencia Colon

  From her treatise: Mythology and the War of the Nine

  14

  K ARA DID NOT KNOW HOW to grieve for Ham. Their lives intersected a little more than a year ago. He manipulated her at Mal’s Drop, playing a dangerous game with his immortal protégé, Ryllen Jee. He used her in his investigation of Mangum Island and joined Ryllen’s bloody scheme to unleash terror at Kara’s wedding. He wasn’t clever enough to realize both he and Ryllen were being played by Ya-Li Taron.

  “The worst days of my life happened after I met him,” she told Cando. They sat in bed hours after Ham’s death, unable to sleep, with the first conference sessions approaching. “Sometimes I wonder how it all would have played out if I’d stayed away from Zozo that night.”

  “Don’t do it,” Cando said, wrapping her tight. “It’s a waste of mental energy. I used to wonder what life would’ve been like if I never joined up with the Talons. We made choices. Here we are. And for the record, I like where I am.” He kissed her. “Love it.”

  “Oh, yes. Me too. I can’t imagine life without you.”

  “No need to explain. I understand. Ham was part of the special sauce that brought us together. Him, and a few lunatics playing games with the universes.”

  “Right from the start, he had this sophisticated air about him. He didn’t need to say he was ten steps ahead. You heard it in his voice.”

  “He held our little crew together when it looked like we might not survive the first three days.”

  She thought of Ham’s difficult choices at Artemis Station and the subsequent capture of Scylla. He emerged as leader for a rudderless crew with no clear objectives. And yet, so much of his steady demeanor glossed over deep cracks of insecurity.

  “About a week before we entered the Zwahili system, Ham confided in me. He said he worked best as an independent contractor.” Kara wiped away the last tear. “He was glad he avoided leadership roles in the Guard. ‘I’m no captain, but I am a good actor. If one compensates for the other, I might be worthy of the big chair someday.’”

  “He came into his own by Aeterna. He saw through Michael Cooper from the start. He outmaneuvered that arrogant ass at every turn.”

  Kara laughed. “Took pride in it, too. Went toe to toe with him in the nightclub.”

  “He knew how to get under the man’s skin.”

  “Michael must have hated him for it.”

  Cando sighed. “Enough to kill him?”

  She wished he hadn’t gone there. They had promised each other to put away the paranoia about Ham’s death until the autopsy verified the cause. Kara pulled away and looked her husband in the eyes.

  “Michael? Why?”

  “Ham had enough on Michael to destroy his credibility.”

  “Yes, and so do we. Michael is a narcissist, but he’d never stoop that low, especially not here.”

  “Are you sure? Remember what Rikard told us about his past with Michael? They worked in the Solomon insurgency on Earth. I did my research. They were assassins. They killed Chancellors. Michael knows how to murder people in cold blood.”

  “Sweetheart, there are many people on his ship just as skilled, including you. Even if I suspected Michael, I don’t know how he pulled it off. He left the nightclub at least an hour before Ham died.”

  And there it was: The rabbit hole they vowed to avoid. Grief and shock might keep them up all night, but exploring potential murder suspects and methods were certain to do so.

  Suspicion arose within minutes of the ship’s doctor declaring Ham dead. Aston James Capt. Sylvia Dunston and her head of security, Peter Philbin, arrived quickly to close the club. They made sure the few witnesses – crew and a handful of delegates – understood not to discuss the incident. Dunston realized the stakes: If rumors of a murder circulated, the conference might fall apart.

  “We have no reason to believe this poor man died of anything other than natural causes,” Dunston told everyone, including the doctor. “A stroke, a heart attack. It could be anything.”

  Kara almost challenged Dunston, believing she’d suppress any findings of an unnatural death. The Captain allayed those fears in her instructions to the doctor, Leandro Harrold.

  “When you have the results, contact me and the Aleksanyans. If there’s anything abnormal, we’ll decide how to proceed.”

  “How long will you need?” Kara asked the doctor.

  “I’m not certain.” Dr. Harrold shrugged. “I’ve never done an autopsy. I’m not qualified. This will have to be phasic-only. I’ll run blood samples while the tools do their work. If the cause is overt, we’ll know within the hour. If it’s underlying or requires deeper investigation, we could be looking at days.”

  Dunston’s security transferred the body out of public view. The Captain stayed behind with Kara and Cando.

  “As much as I’d prefer it,” Dunston said, “we can’t keep this under wraps. At least one witness will talk. Rumors will spread.”

  “Understood,” Cando said. “You have to stay ahead of gossip. What’s your plan?”

  “We have a few hours before delegates wake and go about their business. I’d like to prepare a simple morning message they’ll find on their bedside plates.”

  Kara thought the idea callous.

  “The ones where we’re shown breakfast menus and reminded of the ship’s amenities? ‘Oh, and by the way, a passenger died last night. We thought you’d like to know.’”

  Dunston’s sharp nod and shaded eyes said she knew it wasn’t the best delivery system.

  “We’ll keep the news gentle so as not to distress anyone. We’ll acknowledge the passing of a respected member of a delegation. At this time, the delegation wishes to withhold the name until it may contact next of kin. A formal announcement will be made later, and the delegation wishes the conference to proceed in honor of their close and trusted partner.”

  “You already have it written, Captain.”

  “I spent time in the Office of Bereavement and Compensation for the Guard and later the Warner Alliance. I’m an expert in sizing death.”

  Cando squeezed Kara’s hand as if to say, “The Captain needs to do her job, and we need to let her.”

  “Fortunately, Capt. Cortez was not scheduled to participate in the breakout sessions,” Dunston said, “so his absence will not be immediately noticed. I know this all sounds quite baroque. You were close friends. But I must contain the details for now.”

  “What about Dr. Harrold?” Kara said. “He doesn’t seem confident.”

  “You mean qualified.” Her sigh was long and deep. “Leandro is a good man, but far from what we’d expect on a luxury starship. Truth is, Earth’s physicians are overwhelmed. Our medical infrastructure was devastated during the war. The ones who applied for this position were not the crème.”

  “So, if there was an emergency with serious injuries and …”

  “You heard him. We’ll leave most of the work to the phasics. Anyone we can’t treat, we’ll send home in a ship with a wormhole drive. I’d prefer you not mention this to anyone.”

  The crew wasn’t as spectacular as she’d come to believe. Fine.

  “What if the autopsy shows Ham was killed?”

  “Then we’ll proceed to the next logical step. We look at whatever evidence Peter Philbin collected. He secured the drinking glass, and he’ll test it. He’ll also test the clothes if necessary. He’ll conduct discreet interviews.”

  “Are there secure cams in here?”

  “Yes, but we have strict rules regarding them. We cannot view the vids unless a crime is confirmed to have occurred.”

  “What? I don’t understand.”

  “Privacy concerns. It was stipulated in the parameters worked out by the advisory council. I am bound by those terms.”

  Cando must have seen Kara’s irritation because he stepped in.

  “Does suspicion of a crime meet the parameters?”

  “I’ll have to review the document. The language is nuanced.”

  “We’d appreciate it, Captain. Keep us informed.”

  “I will. Do you know if Capt. Cortez had next of kin?”

  “He only spoke to me of a woman who lives on Hokkaido’s moon, but she’s not related. His family? He never talked about them.”

  “His real name,” Kara said, “was Nathaniel Loomis. He served in the Guard and Special Services. Beyond that, he was born in a city called New Stockholm.”

  Dunston’s features turned pale.

  “Oh, dear. New Stockholm was …”

  “Destroyed years ago. He told me. I also remember him saying he had no family there. If there is family, they might already consider him dead. He went native, as they say. I heard Chancellor families disowned children for doing that.”

  Dunston shifted with unease.

  “Very well then. I won’t pursue that line of inquiry. Until we know more, all I can do is offer you my deepest condolences.”

  “Thank you, Captain,” Cando said. “I’ll need to contact my crew on Scylla, and we’ll arrange to meet the Hokki delegation before the sessions begin. We’ll make sure everyone is discreet.”

  And that was that.

  The man who created a family from Green Sun terrorists and battle-weary soldiers from another universe had died alone and, for the time being, without acknowledgement.

  Kara’s head swirled as they headed toward their quarters. All that wine did not help.

  “What are we supposed to say to them, Cando?”

  “The crew will know how to push on. We lost brothers and sisters for years. A few commanders, too.”

  “But this wasn’t war. It’s not supposed to happen this way.”

  “No, it’s not. Remember what Ham said the last time we saw him? He was afraid of blind spots. Maybe our blind spot is assuming we’re not at risk if we’re far from combat.”

  Kara knew he was right.

  “We thought the only thing that could hurt us here were words. A few temper tantrums, or maybe a fistfight. And Ham? I thought he’d survive us all. He was too clever by half.”

  A new wave of tears formed with a sobering thought.

  “We were all he had, Cando. A tiny crew on a huge warship.”

  “He worked his ass off for us. He asked the difficult questions.”

  “Which is why I refuse to believe a man like that simply drops dead in the middle of the night. Don’t tell me you believe it.”

  “Part of me wishes he did, hon.”

  “What?”

  “If it’s nothing more than his heart gave out, we can grieve and move on. But if someone murdered him? The implications are …”

  “I know. It means there’s a killer onboard, and an investigation could throw the conference into chaos.”

  Their lift door opened. They waited until verifying it was empty before Cando resumed the conversation.

  “What really worries me is why. What did Ham know that threatened someone to such a degree they’d go to this extreme? We’re on a heavily guarded ship in a system twenty light-years from anywhere.”

  “Maybe he planned to tell us first thing. He thought it important enough for us to come around before the sessions began.”

  The lift opened. They scanned the empty corridor and proceeded toward their quarters but stopped outside Ham’s door.

  “Security didn’t mention checking his room,” Cando said. “I doubt they’d find anything pertinent, but …”

  “The Captain needs to allow us in. I think we’d better go through his personals before security does. Can we trust Peter Philbin?”

  Cando nodded. “I don’t know, but Dunston seems reasonable. I’ll contact her.”

  Inside their own room, Kara yearned for the giant bed. If she laid down, she intended to fall asleep at once and awaken refreshed, straight out of a bad dream where Ham only appeared to be dead.

  Rather, she tossed out the suspicion they both homed in on within the first few minutes.

  “It has to be Amayas Knight,” she said. “He was the last one with Ham. He left a few minutes beforehand.”

  “What’s his motive?”

  “He’s hiding something important, and Ham knew what it was. You didn’t believe his scanty report about the Inventor’s base either. Ham was being evasive, sweetheart. He was never evasive.”

  “I’ll confess. Amayas jumped to mind right away. But I don’t believe he’d risk it. There were witnesses. Plus, Ham was too smart. If he had evidence against Amayas, he’d store it in a safe place. Amayas would assume as much.”