“Nobody takes me seriously. Not even the guests.”

  He lowered his shoulders and slunk away.

  “Good one,” Moon said.

  “Sometimes, the truth is crazy enough to tell people straight-up.”

  “I hate having to shut him out. We’ve always been very close.”

  “I think he could handle it. I assume you’re following orders?”

  “Father and Mother want to make sure the children live a happy life for as long as they can. They come to me when they feel afraid or angry.”

  “You? Not your parents?”

  “I spend time with each one. It’s mostly for school, but they know I’m a good listener. That’s usually all they need. I give them an ear.”

  “You’re a great brother.” He chuckled. “My brother thought I was the fucking plague.”

  “Were you?”

  “You mean was I a killer way back then? Nah. I was just your ordinary dumbass who thought a family was supposed to love you.”

  “They are.”

  “Hmm. That was a gutty move you made against your father. He did not want me inside this house.”

  “He wasn’t being reasonable.”

  Bonju finished his café and led the girls inside, telling them to prepare for “night reflection.” Dyna sat alone at the table and opened another bottle of wine.

  “You wanted me here, Moon, because you needed me to see the whole family up close. Am I right?”

  “Now that you have, what do you think?”

  “Honestly, Moon. I see a happy family living in a dream world. I saw what it’s like in Sai-Por, and that shit’s going on everywhere. Hokkis are either fighting a battle they can’t win or wearing a scorpion tattoo and praising that bitch Empress.”

  “I know. I don’t want that future for any of my brothers and sisters. They’re innocent. They deserve a future away from Hokkaido.”

  “You hoped that by meeting them, I’ll do my damndest to help.”

  “Did it work?”

  Moon, a kid he’d known for less than a day, stood at eye level and radiated self-confidence.

  “Didn’t hurt, but I can’t make promises.”

  “Look, I don’t care what you did before today or who you hurt or why. I want somebody who’s going to push Father hard.”

  “Why?”

  Moon leaned in and lowered his voice.

  “I want him to think only about his family. I don’t care about the rest of Hokkaido. We can’t save it. I think you’re a very selfish man. Teach Father how to be more like you.”

  “Wow. That’s blunt. You’re not the kid I expected. As for your dad, I’m not sure you know him as well as you think.”

  Moon looked away when Bonju returned to the patio. He bid Royal goodnight. Moon kissed his mother on the cheek. He gathered the three youngest children and ushered them inside.

  Bonju did not look happy. He never said a word to Royal during dinner while doing his best to pretend the whole affair was his idea.

  “Sweets,” he told his wife. “I’m going to escort our guest to the lab.”

  Dyna raised a glass. Her eyes were red.

  “A pleasure, Royal. Don’t be a stranger.”

  “It was a damn fine meal. Thank you, Dyna.”

  Bonju didn’t say a word until he showed Royal the tiny room with a cot and a pillow.

  “Satisfied with yourself, Royal?”

  “It was nice. Good kids. I didn’t give anything away. Belly is full. So, yeah. Satisfied.”

  “All you had to do was say no to the invitation.”

  “Why? I would’ve disappointed Moon, and he’s part of our team.”

  “Royal, I don’t know what you said to him, but if you try to manipulate my son, you’ll never return home. All I have to do is contact Hoija.”

  Royal shrugged.

  “I’d say you were way off, but you’d never believe me. No one does. Can’t say I blame them.”

  Bonju pointed out the room’s limited features.

  “If you need to piss during the night, use that bucket. I’m going to lock this door.”

  “Huh. I’m wearing a bomb and a tracker on my gut. Still, you don’t trust me.”

  “Fine. The toilet is next to my office. If you can’t sleep, don’t feel the need to explore.”

  “Bonju. Seriously. Your team-building skills are shit. I’m not going to hurt your family. Time’s running out for both of us. Tomorrow, we’ll see if there’s a way to tether. Then we’ll figure out how to keep the fucking Swarm out of it. Good night.”

  He wanted to add “asshole” to the farewell, but it seemed a bit over the top. The man was trying to protect his family, after all. Royal closed the door, threw off his shoes, and lay back on the cot.

  Overall, he was pleased. He made a mental list of the leverage he might use if Bonju tried to screw him over. For now, escape was not an option.

  He lay there with his eyes open for a couple hours, shifting uneasily to his side and back again. Sleep proved elusive. In time, he realized why.

  Royal had not been alone with his thoughts since he arrived in Beta universe. The memory of the chase through the sewer and his final, desperate lunge for the Splinter resurfaced and replayed.

  He heard two words over and over.

  “Fuck yes.”

  Reaper.

  Twelve years old and already a psychotic killer. Death was waiting for him; the kid was searching for the best way to die.

  And yet.

  Breck was right. I shouldn’t have picked him for the mission. Yeah, I’m a selfish prick.

  He had no regrets about Alvara. She was a grown woman; she made her choice, even if the cause was hopeless.

  But Reaper? Why did it bother him now? He had brushed it off when Bonju confirmed the boy’s death.

  He was one kid among millions. Nobody’s gonna remember him. I did him a favor. He went out like a true fighter. That’s all he wanted.

  Royal didn’t know how much time passed, except that he was sitting upright on the cot, fidgeting, when he heard footsteps outside. Really? Bonju was checking up on him?

  The door slipped open.

  Moon gasped.

  “Oh. You’re awake. I didn’t think …”

  “What you doing here so late?”

  “I’m sorry. I couldn’t wait until morning. Father’s always in here by sunrise.” Moon stepped into the room, but he hid his left hand behind his back. “I didn’t think there was any harm. I was curious.”

  “About what?”

  “When I threw away your old clothes, I found something in your back pocket. It was like a piece of metal.”

  Shit. I forgot about it. Dumbass.

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “I was curious, so I kept it. But it changed overnight.”

  “What changed?”

  Moon revealed the contents. A golden ball fit nicely into his palm.

  “Is this part of how you tethered?”

  Royal jumped up, but Moon backed away with a rush.

  “It’s OK, Moon. Did you see it change shape?”

  “No. It happened after I went to bed.”

  Royal vowed to play this without dramatics. The armor was important, but not without the Splinter.

  “It’s a really important tool, Moon. I thought it stopped working, but it’s back in business. Maybe.”

  “What does it do?”

  “It gives me options. Are you going to tell your father?”

  “I should.”

  “But you’re not sure. You came to me first.”

  “We’re a team. We have to trust each other.”

  “We do. Here’s what I think needs to happen. You keep it hidden. It doesn’t help me tether, but your father won’t understand. Will you trust me on this?”

  Moon pondered for a moment.

  “I will.”

  “Good. You are my new best friend, Moon.”

  24

  Swarm Central Command

  Northern Operational Headquarters

  G EN. HOIJA TARON HAD NOT BEEN behind her desk ten minutes before her aide delivered the news: Admiral Rand Hauser arrived with a detachment from the SGC Sturgeon. His ilk never came planetside unless they intended to create upheaval. Gen. Taron received her warning with enough time to organize her desk and stand at attention.

  Hauser entered without theatrics, flanked by two lesser officers. He did not respond to the General’s salute. Few in the Admiralty intimidated her, but Hauser led the pack. His rigid jowls, death stares, and guttural speech commanded the room.

  “Administrator Taron,” he said.

  “General, sir.”

  “Excuse me, Administrator?”

  “Admiral, I am General Taron.”

  “You’re a Hokki, which makes you a Territorial Administrator at best. Your other title is an informal reward for your cooperation with the Swarm. Don’t confuse it for more.”

  Hoija knew her rejoinder was reckless, but she’d dealt with this Swarm nonsense for three years. She’d done more to advance the cause of Conquest and Conversion than men like Hauser.

  “Of course, Admiral,” she said. “I’ll remember that.”

  “Records demonstrate you’ve been an efficient TA. Do not imperil your future. Now, to your orders. You have been reassigned to Sai-Por City. You will manage civilian cleanup and transfer operations.”

  “Conditions on the ground have changed, Admiral?”

  “They will soon. We’ve had quite enough of Sai-Por and its sewer rats. We are mounting an operation to sterilize the substructure.”

  “Sir, how will you get around the insurgency’s web of explosives? They could devastate the entire substructure.”

  Hauser tapped a bead and opened a holo which showed Sai-Por’s intricate grid. Much of the city was calm on the surface, but fighting continued in the northern sector. The grid included the ATB-5 crash site and the tumbler bombing to the south.

  “We’ll use gas. A new variant on Hydron-4. Our analysts have pinpointed these ten incursions.”

  “Hydron-4 can be detected within fifty meters.”

  “Indeed. We want them to know it’s coming. The incursions will allow their major cells to reach the surface through these access points. A few might decide to detonate their bombs, but we calculate the vast majority will engage us on the surface. We’ll have FGs in position to overwhelm them.”

  “What of the danger posed by the gas entering city water?”

  “Covered. Tactical teams will stop the flow. Sai-Por will be bone dry when we release the gas. This variant will dissipate quickly. We anticipate no more than four hours without water. Questions?”

  She studied the grid.

  “What is the drop-off estimate?”

  “Four thousand. These are not strong candidates for Conversion. Your unit will establish a staging center in the Kungee District. Process the survivors with your usual efficiency and send them on to JUF for Conversion. Children will report to Kindal REF.”

  “We’ll send the drop-offs to the burn pits at Ran-San.”

  “I’ve spoken with the Master Fireman. He says the pits have been recycled. They can handle the new load.”

  “Very good, Admiral. Standard operating procedure. When the Talons realize they’ve lost their local network, they’ll hand over the northern sector. You’ll have a template to sterilize every insurgency.”

  “Our timeline is short.”

  “Sir, if I may. One final question.”

  “Yes?”

  “You could’ve transmitted these orders through the usual channels. Why the special visit?”

  He smiled, as if he anticipated the question.

  “I also have Imperial business.” He ordered his officers to leave; they complied. “The Empress is fixating on this other matter involving your nephew and his mad theory. We expected her to dismiss it after the public audience. However, she has these moments of ‘sudden clarity’ – her words – where she believes God wants her attention. This usually occurs when she wakes from a fitful sleep. It holds her interest for a few days then wanes.”

  “Has she made a new demand?”

  “See for yourself.”

  The new holo featured Empress Chastain IV up close.

  “General Taron,” she began from a church pew in full habit. “Or Administrator Taron, or whatever the fuck they’re calling you these days. I’m an old woman. Natives like you have tried to spin me up before. I know what you’re after. You want a post in the governor’s office when we leave that forsaken world behind.”

  She waved dismissively at the vidcam.

  “Don’t try to deny it, you Hokki cunt. It takes more than a chest-full of medals to earn a post. So, prove you’re worth it. I’m authorizing Hauser to grant you three ships if you make this tether business work. Assess their defenses and return. I’ll dispatch a team of my personal legions to make sure you do. If we can spread Scripture to another universe without Orzed slowing us down, we’ll be following God’s command. And you can rule over what’s left of your people. If I don’t see another Hokki, it won’t be too soon.”

  She ate a cube of cheese and held a dramatic pause.

  “You’re waiting for the hammer. Well, here it is. You have ten days instead of twenty. If it’s part of God’s plan, this tether business will work. If it doesn’t, you’ll die beside your nephew. I hear he has a large family. I have some ideas about them. You might want to keep those children in your thoughts. I don’t like being spun up, Taron. Do the impossible, or behold an airlock. Your choice.”

  The holo dissolved. Hoija felt sick.

  “Personally,” Hauser said, “I think you have ten days to live, Administrator. I’ve contacted the ship captains to put them on alert, but I doubt we’ll be needing them. Questions?”

  “No, sir. I’ll report to Sai-Por and impress upon my nephew the urgency of his project.”

  “Do that, Administrator.” Hauser stopped on his way out. “For what it’s worth, she might forget the whole matter. Chastain’s cognitive skills are not what they used to be.”

  “Thank you, Admiral.”

  For the first time since the Swarm invaded, Hoija Taron felt fear.

  25

  Mumbassa City

  Zwahili Kingdom

  T HE NEW SQUAD LEADER of the Splinter Vanguard thought Amayas Knight placed the Alliance in jeopardy with a stupid, reckless gesture. He tried to talk the Inventor out of this madness ever since the warship Hermes exited Worm and hovered above the capital city.

  “If they take you hostage,” Mehta Jarrod warned from the landing bay, “they will demand this warship and Charybdis as their price.”

  “I’m sure they’ll start from that position.”

  “But you have said the Zwahilis must never have these ships. When they realize we will not concede to a trade, they will try to take us by force. We will have to respond with violence or jump away.”

  “True, Mehta. In either case, the Alliance will near collapse. Trust will be lost. Yet I don’t believe the tribes will risk a schism. They have too much at stake. Still, if I’m wrong, be prepared to jump the ship to Boer. Deliver the welcome packet and continue the journey. We’ll delay the Splinter shipments until Shin can regain control from his end.”

  Mehta grunted with evident dissatisfaction.

  “I should be going down with you.”

  “No. I need you in C&C. I’ll have two able bodies to guard my flanks. Once we’ve cleared the shuttle, bring it back onboard by remote. I’ll call for you when I’m ready. I’d estimate two hours.”

  “Is this what you saw in the mirrors?”

  “Yes, but the future isn’t guaranteed. There are many wildcards, as Shin discovered on Hokkaido. It’s possible a disaffected faction within these tribes could make a surprise move.”

  The idea set Amayas on edge as his shuttle descended toward the city. His guards, one from Boer and one from Mauritania, said nothing. Amayas calculated that their black faces at his side would settle the nerves among the anxious Zwahili greeting party. It was a tactic he learned as a Chancellor and soldier of the Guard. Yet he knew the risks: Shared African heritage often did not supersede the rivalries between these planets.

  “Remember, your weapons remain holstered,” he told them. “No provocative movements unless we have to take a defensive posture. Do not activate your armor unless we fall under attack.”

  “Yes, sir,” they said in unison.

  They were timber-thick and disciplined. Royal trained them well in his short time as their leader. When the shuttle landed on the roof of the Federated Union building, the egress pixelated. The guards stepped off first. Amayas waited a beat before appearing.

  Three dozen men, divided based on their tribal colors, waited in formal attire. Triad leadership told him to expect some government officials who only today learned of the Alliance. These men – including the Prime Minister – might behave in a “reactionary” mode. They warned Amayas not to take the theatrics seriously.

  “Gentlemen,” he told his escort, “maintain a position three steps behind me. Be alert and do not smile.”

  As they walked toward the greeters, the shuttle launched on remote command.

  “It’s an important gesture,” he told Mehta beforehand. “If they see I lack a quick escape, they’ll know I trust them.”

  Three Zwahilis broke from the main group, walking shoulder to shoulder, each wearing a different color lapel. The unfamiliar man in the center, his hair silver and posture inexact, appeared in every future subset of the mirrors. The other two varied, though Amayas recognized them as Alliance leaders. One in particular surprised him.

  “Welcome to Mumbassa City, Amayas Knight.”

  The man in the middle extended his arms until Amayas joined him in a brief but substantial hug.

  “It is my great honor, sir.”

  “I am Prime Minister Winston Darsett.” He pointed to his left. “I believe you are familiar with Joseph Mogandi.”

  “I am.” They shook. “As I recall, you visited Artemis Station with a delegation about two years ago. Yes? You also played a significant role in the recent affair with Scylla.”

  “Indeed I did, Inventor. When we have the opportunity, I most desire to speak to you on an urgent matter.”