“Hmm. Remember a few years ago, when we talked about mass infusion from orbital platforms? The idea of hypnotizing whole societies appeared credible.”

  They shared a laugh at the ludicrous notion.

  “Good thing we moved beyond it,” Shin said. “The new drop schedule is a strong plan, Amayas. It will serve its purpose without turning people into braying donkeys.”

  “What’s a donkey?”

  “It’s an animal I saw on Bolivar. I think it’s unique to that world. It’s a beast of burden, and not a smart one.”

  “Then you’re right, Shin. We don’t need donkeys. We need fighters and partners.”

  “It’s a bold strategy, Amayas. If the Splinters behave as you predict, we’ll have a real chance at holding off the invasion.”

  “The Origin taught me many things, one of which is to never rely upon assumption. I won’t be convinced my plan will work until I see it in action. We need to get our house in order as quickly as possible. And as for this welcome package: I think it’s been revised enough. I’m tired of making sure every comma is correct and every word parsed for a different audience. It’s time to deliver the future.”

  “Agreed, my friend. Just one last nagging question. Have you heard from Joakim Barter?”

  Shin referenced the leader of the Chancellor fleet, at one time the Inventor’s closest confidant. Those early, heady days of the Alliance, when the Chancellors expected to hold an outsized role, dissolved long ago. Their efforts to steal the warships Hermes, Charybdis, and Scylla burned crucial bridges. The very idea they’d use them to invade Aeterna cut deep.

  “Nothing,” Amayas said. “The mirrors have been unclear, but I believe Joakim has lost control of his people. They’ve lost more than twenty-five hundred Chancellors under his watch. I gave the orders, but he’ll take the blame. He couldn’t control the dissident factions. I gave him one job, and he failed. Then he betrayed me.”

  “Will they receive a welcome package?”

  “Not today. I want them to wait and wonder. If Joakim is still in control, he knows how to reach me.”

  “If he does, what will you say?”

  “I’m tempted to tell him he’s on his own, but we can’t afford a war with the Chancellors. Every member world owes them a literal debt.”

  “We might also need their soldiers if we can’t prevent the invasion.”

  Amayas reflected on his choices after returning from the Origin.

  “I was raised a Chancellor. I knew what they were and that I’d pay a price for doing business with them. I believe they may yet redeem themselves. Combat is one possible path. For now, they can simmer.”

  They boarded the transport Ferris. The warships Hermes and Charybdis waited above The Hold, all systems activated. The Splinter Vanguard divided its men between the ships. Shin docked Ferris in the Hermes bay to drop off the Inventor.

  Amayas stood at the egress, which pixelated open. He didn’t step off right away. He pivoted to the navigation circle.

  “Shin, when I almost lost you last week, I found myself reminiscing. I remember the first time we met. My sales pitch to Sho Parke was clumsy, at best. You were running security for him.”

  Shin smirked.

  “You sounded like a Kohlna with no teeth. Sho was not impressed. He tasked me with investigating your claims, which I considered the most idiotic chore he’d ever thrown my way.”

  “Which you made clear the second time we met. How did I convince you to buy in after failing so miserably with Sho?”

  “Honestly, Amayas? I was bored. With my life, my family, and certainly my job. I wasn’t good at playing Hokki. When I heard your spiel and looked inside a Splinter, I knew I’d never get a better offer.”

  “Unless I was a fraud.”

  “Hmm. As long as I woke up each day knowing it wasn’t going to be like the last, I didn’t care.”

  “Has it lived up to expectation?”

  “More.”

  “Good. Take pride in what’s about to happen. We set out to change the universe, and today is the biggest step on that path.”

  “Until the next one.”

  Amayas winked.

  “I’ll see you back at The Hold when all’s done.”

  Moments later, Amayas took his place in C&C and prepared to jump into Worm. Mehta Jarrod manned navigation. He had little training to do so, but the ship’s design made it possible for a simple man to travel the stars, so long as he possessed the ship’s NAR Codex sequence. The nav AI handled the complex duties. Choosing coordinates on the Galactic Plane Navigation Model was as simple as touch then voice verification.

  “We’re ready, sir,” Mehta said.

  “To Zwahili Kingdom we go. I hope they enjoy our surprise.”

  Amayas planned to visit each planet in the African quadrant plus Euphrates, while Shin took Charybdis to the other five. They’d enter a system, transmit the welcome package, wait one hour in silence for the appropriate contacts in Alliance leadership to respond, then open a public comm. All would see the face of the Inventor in the transmission, but only a few would see him in person.

  This time.

  In every case but Hokkaido, the Splinter delivery followed – if the local leadership dropped its complaints and threats. Each planet had sufficient cargo transports to rendezvous with the warships, whether in low orbit or the stratosphere. The pilots had instructions on where and how to drop off the cases. After that, Alliance leadership needed to finish the job.

  Amayas wanted to finish this task by the end of the first standard day, but he took a pragmatic view. One day might turn into three.

  After Hermes entered Worm, he settled into the captain’s chair.

  “Mehta, do you appreciate an inspiring speech?”

  The Mauri swiveled about and shrugged.

  “Is that what a speech is meant to do, sir? Inspire?”

  “It tends to be forgettable if it’s not.”

  “Where I was raised, men yelled and bragged. Sometimes when they were drunk. I don’t remember anyone giving a speech.”

  “Then you don’t have a jaded ear. Good. I’d like to play the speech I’m delivering to the Zwahilis. Tell me if you find it inspiring.”

  Mehta didn’t appear excited but nodded as if he had no choice.

  Amayas threw open a holo. He applied had liberal makeup before the recording, having tired of questions about the permanent bruise near his right jawline.

  “Good day, to the brave and righteous Zwahili people. My name is Amayas Knight, founder of the Splinter Alliance, an interstellar union of ten worlds – including your own – that seeks to empower humanity and usher in a new era in the wake of the Collectorate’s fall. We intend to chart a better path for all people through fair trade, shared security, and a new method of transport that will surpass the limitations of the Fulcrum. Unlike the Collectorate, where one caste controlled the galaxy’s economic bounty, the Splinter Alliance will provide innovation to allow every global economy to flourish, and its people to keep all the wealth it generates.

  “You deserve this. You languished for too long under the watchful eyes of the Ark Carriers. All humans deserve the opportunity to reach above and beyond. All humans deserve the right to chart their own destiny. These are among the key principles of the Alliance. You will be pleased to know many of your own people spent years laying the groundwork for this great union. On Zwahili Kingdom, the three major tribes have played an equal role. Their next step will be to present the product of their labor to your federated and regional governments.

  “Embedded in this transmission, you will find the Alliance Charter. I am certain you will agree these principles to be worthy of the Zwahili people. It is my greatest hope that …”

  And the words continued.

  While he hoped Mehta would render a positive response, Amayas found himself distracted. Oh, he was proud of the final result. He’d certainly revised, edited, and listened until he knew it by heart. Yet the speech would drone on for another twenty minutes, diving deep into a series of accolades intended to whip Zwahilis into a fervor. Amayas closed his eyes and relaxed.

  He was light-years from The Hold, yet he couldn’t leave it behind. Hours earlier, he started his day long before anyone else.

  Amayas gave in to days of longing and reviewed the mirrors. He filtered out everything but the Beta universe; in particular, he focused on Hokkaido under Swarm occupation.

  He had to know: Was there any hope at all for Royal?

  Previous readings turned up no subset involving the immortal. Yet the mirrors did not guarantee the future.

  Seeing the bloody chaos created by the Swarm and its endless struggle against the Talons always left Amayas feeling sick to the stomach. If the Swarm could not be defeated, perhaps it was best if the universe around them faded into oblivion.

  Still, he had to know.

  What Amayas saw there left him shaken.

  Royal. Bonju. Hoija.

  This had to be an illusion. Yes?

  No.

  Royal wasn’t just alive. He was working for them.

  No. Worse.

  He was working with them.

  Amayas broke away from the mirrors and collected his thoughts. I saw a variant of the future. Nothing more. Had to be.

  He retreated to his office and grabbed the first of many cups of café. He never said a word of it to Shin. Yet the image dominated every waking moment, no matter how hard he tried to kill it.

  21

  Opal Island

  Beta Universe

  R OYAL ENJOYED A LONG, QUIET SMOKE. The pipe contained top-grade leaf. Not quite poltash, but smoother than the varieties he grew up with. Somebody must have been an aficionado to hold a stash so refined on a planet where most leaf production stopped soon after the Swarm invasion. In the final two years of his Talon service, Royal’s unit relied on rare supply drops to replenish their lousy leaf.

  The only one who never complained was Exeter, who started smoking when he was five. He said the traders forced him.

  Royal awoke inside a cell, which didn’t surprise him. Two things did, however. The cell was a containment chamber for experiments. Above, a glowing disk reminded him of a Recon tube. Inch-thick glass surrounded him on three sides, and thousands of tiny bumps lined the floor in a grid. Next to Royal, a small tray contained a roll stuffed with fish meal, a bottle of water, and a digipipe.

  That gift, combined with the elegant laboratory outside the cell, led Royal to an inescapable conclusion: He was not a Swarm prisoner. They didn’t go for niceties.

  The chamber developed a thick ceiling of smoke by the time anyone approached. Royal sat naked, his butt riding the bumpy grid, when a teenage boy with a too-familiar face examined the prisoner like he was an animal.

  “What are you doing?” The boy asked.

  “Sitting and smoking, dumbass. What does it look like?”

  “No. Why did you remove all your clothes?”

  Royal had tossed them into a heap by the glass door.

  “I counted fifteen burn marks. Those fucking coits. How many laser pegs does it take to kill a guy with no armor? They’re rags now. And they stink. I could go for a nice ensemble like you’re wearing. Very professional. Upscale.”

  He made the boy look.

  Self-conscious little prick, just like all the elite.

  “You are debasing yourself.”

  “Look, kid. I spent a week butt naked in a damn pond, if you can believe that shit. And yeah, that’s where I took my shits. But this deal right here? Climate-controlled. Nice snack. Clean water. What’s not to love?”

  The boy stepped closer to the chamber, placing his left hand on the glass.

  “You’re him. Aren’t you?”

  “Him who?”

  “The soldier who proved Father’s theories.”

  “I think it’s a little more complicated. But sure, why not? Let me guess: Your name is Ya-Li.”

  “No. That’s Father’s name.”

  “You mean Bonju.”

  “Yes.”

  “He never told me he had a kid.”

  “He has eight. I’m the oldest. My name is Moon. You’re Ryllen?”

  “I traded that one in. Name’s Royal. Tell me something. Do you know about Ya-Li Taron across the divide? You could be his twin.”

  The boy stepped away. Royal saw a hesitance.

  I can work with this one.

  “Look, Moon. Let’s cut through the bullshit. You’re in all the way with your dad. You wouldn’t be allowed in here if you weren’t. I’m betting you know about Ya-Li and you got your own counterpart inside those Tarons. Let’s talk some Splinter magic.”

  “I know all about Father’s counterpart.”

  “Ya-Li died. Did you also know I killed him and his whole fucking family? Took a couple rounds, but I got the job done.”

  “Father told me you’re a cold-blooded killer.”

  “Pretty much. But that ain’t why I’m in here or why you’re giving me the time of day. Is it?”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “What did I just say about bullshit? Look. Moon. Seriously. You seem like you might be a nice enough kid, but this is a game for grown men. I’m here because Bonju needs me alive. And he can’t be the only one. He was protected by FGs when they took me out. I’m thinking Division LM. I killed his best allies in DLM, and a couple hundred of their friends. An asshole like me doesn’t get to live unless he's too damn important to throw in a burn pit.”

  “You’re right on all points, Royal.”

  An older voice, though familiar, emerged from behind the chamber. Bonju Taron wore a white lab coat. He approached his son and whispered into the boy’s ear.

  “Yes, Father.”

  Bonju waited until Moon departed.

  “He’s young, but he’s grown up quickly. He understands what has to be done.” Bonju sighed while staring down at Royal. “I never thought we’d meet again.”

  “You mean you hoped and prayed we’d never meet again.”

  “I feel like I’ve known you for so long, Ryll … excuse me, Royal. I knew you before the first time you crossed the divide. Indirectly, of course. I realize you learned the truth about Ya-Li. That’s why you slaughtered everyone on the Taron estate. Did it satisfy you?”

  Royal pushed himself up.

  “Were you inside him watching?”

  “I was. Ya-Li’s intellect was also his blind spot. He thought he’d outsmart everyone in his orbit.”

  “Did he ever realize you were playing him all along?”

  “At the end, perhaps. Royal, I never intended it to go so far. I was seeking answers. The Splinter led me to Ya-Li, and Ya-Li led me to you.”

  “Everything that’s happened to me the last eight years is on you.”

  “Blame me for the trigger event and the loop across the divide, but you had years of choices. This man you’ve become was always waiting to be seen. I’d say the wolf on your scalp is proof.”

  Royal didn’t argue the point. He was a killer before the Pinchon ambush that slaughtered Kai Durin. By then, his blood stirred with greater ambition.

  “Yeah, well, I’ll tell you same as I did Shin Wain: Someday, I’m gonna kill you, too. Won’t make me feel any better, but I can check it off my list.”

  “I’m sure you’ll try.”

  “Huh. That’s what Shin said.”

  “OK. Perhaps we can talk of more urgent matters?”

  “Sure. You start by answering a couple of my questions, and then I might take a shot at the only one you give a shit about.”

  “I’ll try. And by the way, my son is bringing you a new set of clothes. I’m not fond of interrogating a naked man.”

  Royal chuckled.

  “What’s wrong? Don’t like staring at my tattoos? Or maybe it’s because I’m hard?”

  Made him look. Asshole.

  Bonju turned away.

  “What do you want to know, Royal?”

  “The two fighters I was with. A kid named Reaper. An ex-Talon named Alvara. Am I right in assuming you killed them?”

  “Not me. But yes, they’re dead.”

  Sorry about that, kid. It was only a matter of time.

  “What about the Sai-Por resistance? How long before the Swarm goes in after them?”

  “I don’t have that kind of clearance. I saw many troop transports descending on the city as we took you away.”

  That’s what I thought. Nobody embarrasses the Swarm.

  “Last three questions. Where the fuck are we? Where’s my Splinter? And why do I think this ain’t a Swarm lab?”

  “I will say your instinct about the lab is correct. Beyond that, I can’t divulge anything. If you want me to accommodate your questions, I’ll need answers from you. The prisoner. Yes?”

  “Here I am.”

  “Do you know how to tether?”

  Royal smiled with immense satisfaction.

  “Word for word, Bonju. Just like I predicted.”

  “You never would have crossed the divide unless you had a quick retreat. How does it work?”

  “It being …??

  “The Splinter, of course. And yes, I have it.”

  “Good to know. But you skipped over the big question.”

  “Which is?”

  “Why did I cross in the first place?”

  Bonju’s half-smile suggested he knew or didn’t care.

  “I assume you brought down the ATB.”

  “By my lonesome. Damn fine achievement, I gotta say.”

  “The odds of using a Splinter to intercept that ship are infinitesimal.”

  “Not for me. Too bad about your friends, Lt. Doshenko and Maj. Otolski.”

  Bonju’s jaw slumped. The earlier confidence took a hit.

  “How could you have known about them?”

  “Same way I knew about Dr. Noor out at that temple. I never got to him, though. Fucked up that part of the mission.”

  Royal relished the moment when Bonju put it all together.

  “You killed them to stop our plan. You saw our future. You’re working with Amayas Knight.”

  “What’s the old saw? If something goes around, it comes around. Funny shit, huh? You sent me back with a mission to kill Amayas because he was a madman. He was going to use those Splinters to break down all the divides between universes. Turns out, he’s trying to save it from people like you.”