The Grey Veliar

Chapter 1

Time flew by with surprising slowness, despite the fact that Iida loved to travel and usually enjoyed such intervals of calm between her affairs. Sunrays shimmered beautifully, playing with reflections on the cabin walls, passing through the lowered light filters and creating an atmosphere of warmth and comfort she had already begun to forget.

Finishing her small makeup, which at her young age was more of a professional necessity, she looked attentively through the ship’s portholes at the majestic star of the Solar System, growing larger before her eyes. Undoubtedly, it was one of the most beautiful in this interstellar cloud, and anyone who had seen it even once forever kept that moment in their memory.

Iida took off her soft robe and put on the service uniform of an officer of the Galactic Council’s Internal Space Intelligence, which gracefully fitted her flawless athletic figure, and light boots.

She was one of the brightest representatives of her people: tall, slender, with large eyes shimmering with living gold, a slightly upturned and delicate nose, and black hair drawn tightly into a neat knot. She was modest and entirely devoted to her work. It was hard to imagine that behind that open face and seemingly innocent gaze hid a powerful analytical mind and a readiness to act in unexpected, and sometimes even highly dangerous, situations.

Many years ago, after completing the mandatory training required of long-range space explorers, she, one of the best students, was noticed by Iuma, the head of the Council’s Space Intelligence, who invited her to join their ranks. For proud Iida, who had grown up in an ordinary family without any privileges and who was not inclined to accept the attentions of high-ranking admirers, there could be no greater honor, and she gladly accepted the offer.

Soon she became Iuma’s right hand, and over time, Iuma grew to value more and more the lively mind and sense of responsibility of her young assistant. Iida always managed even the most complex and tangled assignments. And now she had been secretly sent to Fraal, the Blue Planet, to assist Tarion, one of the Council members, in investigating the recent circumstances surrounding the emergence of the Genomode.

Yet what troubled and stirred her thoughts was not the mission itself. She knew that among the group she was to work with was Maarv, her old friend. Once, they had trained together, and though perhaps something deeper than friendship had connected them, they had never spoken of their feelings.

Since their forced separation, they had neither met nor exchanged a single word.

Iida paced thoughtfully back and forth across the cabin, once again imagining how their meeting might unfold – the reaction of Maarv, and of the other members of the team as well, about whom she already knew more than enough from the materials and dossiers meticulously compiled by the Council’s intelligence services.

«Does he even remember me after all these years?» she thought almost aloud, frowning and stamping her foot in irritation. «And why should I suddenly care about it so much?!»

The stray thought, which had unexpectedly offered a simple answer to the question that had lodged in her mind, startled her. She forced it away with an effort of will, trying to focus on something else – it was time to prepare for arrival at the Station.

The enormous unmanned transport ship left by the Lyrians after the deactivation of the Genomode was at first adapted into a space transfer base near the moon of the planet. It was so large that it could easily hold several dozen of the biggest Vriinian cruisers and had its own adjustable gravity.

From the point of view of Abuun and his team of scientists, it was a very valuable acquisition for their forthcoming mission – to equip and prepare Fraal with everything necessary for humanity’s gradual emergence into the open world. The Earth Alliance showed great interest and, on its part, put all its efforts into the implementation of joint space projects and programs, assigning a large number of volunteers from among scientists and military personnel for this purpose.

For this reason, the base was gradually being transformed into a full-fledged station, with its hollow interior filled with multi-level decks containing living quarters, storage compartments, and guest docks for receiving numerous spacecraft. This Station was Iida’s destination, and it was there that she was to meet Tarion.

Until this moment she had never seen a Lyrian transport ship, and now she watched in wonder the vast, matte-white giant around which a lively swarm of various vessels was circling. Around the largest of them darted small transport robots, delivering or, on the contrary, taking away all kinds of cargo and supplies. What immediately caught the eye was the presence of several large Vriinian war cruisers. Their crews had been transferred to the Station, where, together with the humans, they carried out security duties and maintained order.

Iida arrived on a small private ship, so the identification procedure took a little longer. Her vessel looked unremarkable and drew no attention. During the passport control, she introduced herself as an engineer-archaeologist who had arrived under contract to study and search for valuable minerals on the moon of the Blue Planet. All her documents were in order, and the Vriinian security officers had no additional questions.

Iida walked around the Station for a while to get a sense of the local atmosphere and finally saw humans – there were already quite a few of them there.

«Yes, we really are very much alike», she noted to herself with satisfaction. «It’s always more pleasant to work with a race that has so much in common with your own. To discover kindred beings in the nearby galaxies – what a rare stroke of luck!»

Several times she tried to contact Tarion, but without success. After a long wait in an almost empty yet quite comfortable hall, she decided to inquire about him at the information deck. To her great surprise, the holographic auto-informer reported that Tarion, along with the entire crew of the Armaon, was absent from the Station and that their current whereabouts were unknown.

«That’s strange», Iida thought, puzzled. «And that’s completely unlike the Councillor!»

Unexpectedly, the hologram came to life again and informed her that a room had been reserved in her name in the residential section of the Station, wishing her a pleasant stay.

«Well, at least that’s something», Iida thought, briskly straightening her shoulders. «Perhaps there I’ll find the answer to this sudden disappearance.»

The large lift quickly carried her up several dozen levels to the residential section. From the nearby establishments lining both sides of the level came an incredible mixture of aromas – a dizzying blend of foods and spices. The scents of the local cuisine were so intoxicating that Iida simply couldn’t resist dropping into the nearest diner – after all, when else would she have the chance to eat something other than synthetic food!

The main clientele consisted of lower-ranking military personnel and the station’s service staff. The little restaurant was quite spacious and reasonably clean. In addition, it was neatly decorated with live greenery, flowers and small trees, which added a pleasant touch of variety to the otherwise uniform style of the Station, where fiberglass and metal predominated.

Soon a brisk human waiter hurried up to her and, in fairly good Galacton, asked what she would like, listing the day’s specials from the menu. None of the names meant anything to her, so she asked him to bring her whatever her fellow countrymen usually ordered – those who had actually survived it and come back for seconds.

«Visitors like you don’t usually come in here», the waiter said in a low voice, glancing sideways at a nearby group of Vriinian soldiers. They were noisily arguing about something, clearly having had a bit too much of the local drink, and from time to time they cast curious looks in her direction.

«A little further down the street there are quieter, more respectable places», he went on. «You’d feel much more comfortable… and safer there.»

«Thank you for your concern», Iida replied with a light smile. «But I like it here and I can take care of myself. And please, just bring me something to eat already!» she added with such pleading sincerity, imitating such an extreme degree of hunger, that the waiter hurried off at once to place her order.

When he returned a few minutes later with the tray, he was astonished to find the soldiers scattered about in all directions, lying on the floor and groaning, while at the very center of the wreckage sat a graceful young woman, already a little bored, calmly brushing invisible specks of dust from her table.

Chapter 2

Iida walked with pleasure around the spacious hotel room. Even compared to her usual, more than comfortable cabin aboard the ship, which she had been furnishing to her taste over many years of regular journeys through different worlds, this place seemed very pleasant. She was especially impressed by the enormous bathtub that looked more like a small pool, and she even felt glad that she knew how to stay afloat quite well.

After carefully examining the room and finding nothing that even remotely resembled a clue or a hint left by Tarion, she finally approached the information panel and entered the command to listen to the stored messages. All of them were advertisements inviting her to visit various places on the Station, except for the last one, which turned out to be encrypted – an impartial artificial voice requested a password.

Iida smiled. «There can be only one password!»

«How many Rionians does it take to fix a burnt-out photonic core?» she said clearly.

A few seconds later, Tarion’s i appeared on the panel. It was obvious that he was in a hurry and nervous which was not typical of him.

«Hello, Iida», he said, still typing something on the panel. «If you’re hearing this message, it means something has gone wrong and I wasn’t able to meet you in person».

«That’s not a problem», he added with a smile, finally tearing his gaze away from the panel to look at the screen. «The important thing is that you’re here and, so far, you’re doing everything right. You’re about to receive the encrypted route of the Armaon, which can be recognized only by your ship’s systems».

After saying this, Tarion lowered his head again and continued typing hurriedly.

«I hope that old bucket of yours can make the trip without falling apart», he finally went on. «We need to leave the Station urgently, but I have no doubt that you’ll be joining us before long. Your experience and skills will be of great use to us! So, take care, and until we meet again.»

The short recording ended, and Iida fell into thought.

«Strange that Tarion had gone out of his way to emphasize the ‘old bucket’», she mused. «He knew that ship perfectly well, and to speak of it so dismissively was simply impossible – at least not for another fifty years or so. Which means he was hinting at some kind of danger… Perhaps I’d better check the ship for tracking beacons before departure – just in case.»

Iida glanced at her bracelet, which had begun to glow – the coordinates had been received.

«And what did he mean by my experience and skills?» she went on thinking, instinctively flexing her fingers. «That I’m being watched and should stay alert? But I’m often being watched, and I’m always alert! Typical Tarion… Always has to make things complicated!»

She shifted in the wide, soft chair, tucking her legs under herself and settling in comfortably.

Even before landing on the Station, her intuition had told her that she would hardly have time to be bored here. And if one took into account the fact that the restless Rionian Councillor was always in the very maelstrom of events, then even without any intuition one could already expect plenty of unforgettable impressions.

«Speaking of maelstroms and impressions!» Iida thought with a smile, stretching. «I think I simply have to get into that enormous bathtub and have a proper soak!»

Suddenly she reflexively held her breath, automatically activating the oxygen capsule around her head – years of rigorous training had taught her to recognize, in a split second and without error, the presence of a powerful nerve gas capable of bringing down its victim almost instantly.

She sprang to her feet and pressed herself against the wall. A second later, the entrance door crashed down with a deafening crack, and Vriinian soldiers in heavy black armor burst into the room.

«Take her!» one of them shouted in a commanding voice, pointing at the girl.

The soldiers rushed toward her as ordered, intending to take Iida down as quickly as possible, but they soon realized she not only matched them in strength and agility, she surpassed them in every way. Two of them were hurled against the opposite wall in an instant, one after another.

Now in full combat frenzy, Iida flung aside the attackers who tried to close in on her, deftly dodging their elongated shock batons, shattering visors, and using the dirtiest and most painful techniques she knew, taking advantage of the fact that they clearly wanted her alive.

The passageway was already littered with motionless bodies when something exploded in the outer corridor, collapsing a whole section of the wall. Through the gaping breach burst at least ten more soldiers, who immediately opened a barrage of fire with paralytic rounds.

With the last of her strength, Iida hurled herself toward the new group of attackers, but before she could reach them, she collapsed unconscious to the floor.

«Bind her and get out of here, quickly», the officer commanded, catching his breath. «The whole station’s gonna swarm here!»

«She’s not a girl – she’s a damn monster!» one of the surviving soldiers replied nervously, prodding the unconscious Iida with a paralyzing electro-shocker just in case. «She knocked out more than half our guys!»

Chapter 3

Iida regained consciousness and, without opening her eyes, began slowly coming to her senses. She tried to understand what was happening and to recall the last events. Judging by the fact that she could neither get up nor properly move her arms or legs, she was tightly bound and lay in a half-reclined position.

«The sensors show she’s awake», someone whispered loudly in Galacton. The voice clearly did not belong to a Vriinian.

To avoid guessing what was going on and not to strain her head, which was already splitting with pain, Iida tried to open her eyes. When they adjusted to the light, she saw someone standing beside her – a figure in a white medical jumpsuit, with a sloped and not quite symmetrical back, tapping in some commands on the control panel.

Sensing her gaze, he slowly turned toward her, and she recognized a smorg.

Iida winced involuntarily. Well, what could she do – with a splitting headache it was hard to stay politically correct. To put it mildly, this was not the most pleasant of races, neither visually nor in terms of the values Iida was used to.

The smorgs considered themselves brilliant scientists, and indeed they had made great advances in genetic engineering and biosymbiotic cloning. They could clone any living being, while their accompanying bioprograms and biorobots recreated not only the physical but also the mental likeness of the original.

In all civilized worlds, they were regarded as perverse sadists and monsters with an absurdly inflated sense of self-importance, and even the most reckless adventurers preferred not to deal with them unless absolutely necessary. Moreover, it had long been officially forbidden for them to engage in any kind of scientific research that violated the moral norms accepted throughout the Galactic Union.

However, by then, forbidding them anything had become meaningless as there were almost no smorgs left. Rumour had it that once, a deranged smorg scientist, while studying the Genomode, had accidentally modified it in such a way that it wiped out almost the entire population of the planets in their system. Only the inhabitants of a few small orbital stations had survived. After that, the smorg race found itself on the verge of complete extinction. Those who remained were largely unpredictable and viewed most things with their usual cold, pragmatic cynicism.

Judging by his appearance, this smorg was one of the most distinctive representatives of his kind – with a large, pale-ash, oval head, expressive cold eyes, three barely visible nasal slits, full black lips, and sharp, uneven teeth. His neck was almost nonexistent. From a torso of irregular shape extended long arms in glossy black gloves, while his massive, heavy legs gave an impression of awkwardness rather than true clumsiness. The smorg, of course, noticed Iida’s reaction.

«That’s all right, my dear», he whispered again in a loud, familiar tone, with a hint of wounded pride. «We’ll have time to become friends yet. Who knows – you might even fall in love with me. I’m quite the handsome one, after all!»

«Who can say», Iida tried to smile, still struggling to understand where she was. «Set me free then, since you’re so friendly! A mind like yours combined with such a charming appearance – how can I possibly resist the temptation?»

«I heard that before they captured you, you took down half the crew of a battle cruiser», the smorg said thoughtfully. «I may be handsome, but I’m not stupid – a rather rare combination, if I may say so», he added with a touch of pride. Like most of his kind, he suffered, to some degree, from a mild case of megalomania.

«Now that’s true enough», Iida agreed. «At least no one could deny you a certain sense of reason. Yes, I can get a bit irritable when someone tries to offend me. But ingratitude is definitely not among my flaws. Set me free, and I promise I won’t harm you.»

The smorg hesitated, as if weighing his options.

At that moment, a familiar voice of an officer burst from the communicator on the panel.

«You idiot! You were supposed to get information out of her, not make friends!»

«Smorg is not an idiot!» the smorg whispered, louder than usual. «A surface scan showed nothing, and a deep one could damage her brain.»

«All right, we’ll do this the old-fashioned way», the officer said as he entered the room.

«Now then», he continued, «state your name. Who are you, and what is your connection to the Armaon’s crew? Keep in mind, we already know quite a lot.» He gave a nasty grin. «And remember – wrong answers are not exactly encouraged here.»

«Interrogating a bound woman – that’s the height of military honor», Iida said mockingly. «I never would’ve thought the Vriinian code of honor meant so little to you.»

«We don’t belong to the military. We act on our own, and we couldn’t care less about the Vriinian code of honor», the officer replied with a malicious grin. Stepping up to the panel, he ran his finger across it.

A wave of searing pain washed over Iida. Her muscles seized in violent convulsions, and it felt as if her whole body were being torn apart. After a moment, the officer switched the wave off.

«That was just a little taste», he said with a sneer as the girl came to. «I’ve always thought a live demonstration is the best motivator! So, how do you like your bed? Quite the handy find from the smorgs’ abandoned world», he went on in a mocking tone. «Perfect for a friendly chat between two compatriots who just happened to bump into each other far from home! And now, let me ask you again – who are you, really?»

«Just an archaeologist», Iida said simply. «Nothing special.»

The officer activated the pain wave again, and after waiting for the girl’s convulsions to subside, he gave a wicked grin. “I can do this forever, you know! And the best part – I never get tired of it!»

The smorg shifted uneasily from foot to foot beside him. He clearly didn’t like these procedures, and a flicker of sympathy flashed in his restless eyes.

«As soon as I’m free», Iida said hoarsely to the officer, «I promise I’ll kill you first!» She found she could move one leg – apparently the violent vibrations had damaged the latch mechanism.

«Oh, don’t you worry about that», the officer replied with ironic pomposity, clearly savoring the girl’s helplessness. He stepped recklessly close, leaning toward her face. «We still have a great deal to put you through, and a lot to learn about one another.»

Iida strained with all her might, and the latch on her left leg gave way and flew off. She then slammed her heel against the lower strut, and a small blue blade tipped with a powerful paralyzing toxin sprung from the toe of her boot. She had never had cause to use it before, but the moment was clearly right.

Summoning herself, she drove the toe of her boot into the officer’s left shoulder blade. His eyes went glassy with shock and he collapsed, face-first, onto Iida. Overcoming her revulsion at the heavy, slack weight of his body, she fumbled with the officer’s pocket until, with great effort, she found a remote and mashed every button.

Freed from the remaining latches, she leaned over the officer, pulled from the inner pocket of his cloak a pistol and her bracelet, and fixed a steady, intent gaze on the smorg, who sat frozen in astonishment.

«Come on, handsome», she said, grabbing him by the collar of his jumpsuit and steering him confidently toward the exit. «I’m not done with you yet. By the way – where are we?»

«In the Station’s private transport docks, next to the residential sector», the smorg wheezed obediently, shuffling beside her and trying not to trip. They reached the coded exit door, and Iida pressed her ear against it, listening intently to the sounds outside.

«There can’t be more than two of them!» she whispered, bracing herself to kick the door open.

«Um, if I may point out», the smorg rasped quickly, raising his hands as if to stop her, «there’s another exit that leads straight to the docks, and it’s not guarded. No one has to be killed!»

«A smorg who can’t handle violence», Iida said with a wry shake of her head. «Well, isn’t that something. Today really is full of surprises. Either way, I’ve got to reach my ship, and fast.»

They slipped quietly toward the dock lifts, chose their level, and soon stepped out onto the right platform. The place was bustling, and nobody spared them so much as a glance. A few cargo bots clattered nearby, sorting containers and sending them off on slow-moving belts into the depths of the bay, while fresh ones rolled up to take their place.

As they neared the ship, Iida keyed the hatch open and dashed up the adjoining ramp. When she turned around, the smorg was still standing at the bottom, looking utterly lost – his slumped shoulders, drooping hands, and mournful little face radiated such a mixture of tragic and comic helplessness that Iida burst out laughing.

«Come on, get in!» she called. «There’s room for you too, and plenty we still need to discuss!»

After showing the smorg to the guest cabin, Iida suggested he get some rest, then headed to the bridge – it was time to plot a course. The ship’s systems were charting the route according to the coordinates left by Tarion. It turned out that their destination lay at the very edge of the Galactic Center – quite a considerable distance away.

This was a relatively small region in the heart of the Milky Way, and its most fascinating feature was a stellar cluster shaped like a rotating ellipsoid – a sight unlike anything else in existence. Venturing into the Center itself was considered utter madness because of the enormous, dense, and searing gas-and-dust clouds that filled it.

Their path led toward a small yellow-green planet almost entirely covered in jungles interspersed with high mountains. Originally uninhabited, the planet had, some time ago, been taken over by traders of every kind, race, and persuasion, and over the years it had turned into a vast open marketplace where absolutely anything could be bought or sold.

«I wonder what carried them so far?» Iida thought.

Once clearance for departure came through, she began carefully guiding the ship out of the Station. Preparing the engines for the jump, she switched on the autopilot. She never much liked piloting manually or meticulously overseeing all the in-flight processes – though she could do it almost flawlessly. In Iida’s own opinion, the ship’s hull being «almost without a single scratch» was proof enough of that.

The technicians on Ilium, however, didn’t always share her view. They could never understand how anyone could so carelessly drift through asteroid clouds or dense dust fields on autopilot, once again adjusting the misaligned engines packed to the brim with every kind of junk imaginable.

Chapter 4

The next day, Iida woke up rather late and, feeling ravenously hungry, quickly washed up and rushed to the galley.

In the common compartment sat the smorg, quiet and calm, who had been awake for some time and had patiently waited for her all this while. A faint pang of guilt pricked Iida – who would’ve thought that this smorg would turn out to be so polite and considerate that he’d sooner starve than rummage through the ship’s stores in search of food!

«Well then, start talking», Iida said, busily demolishing her breakfast. «How did you end up in the hands of those Kvaon bloodhounds? What’s your name, and where are you from? The last time I saw smorgs was, what, a hundred years ago – back when I was still studying at the academy on Vriin, and since then – only in unpleasant reports…»

Despite his rather unappealing appearance at first glance, the smorg ate gracefully, moderately, and with a certain sense of aesthetics, using a whole set of different table utensils – most of which had remained untouched since Iida had first come aboard the ship.

«I was born on one of our surviving orbital stations», the smorg began quietly, managing to eat with dignity and speak distinctly at the same time. «For quite some time, I saw nothing beyond that station. Since the Genomode destroyed our system, many generations have passed. Almost all of my compatriots gradually left – some went to other worlds, others tried to return to our home planet when it finally seemed possible. And after the reactor accident in one of the technical sections, I was left completely alone.»

He fell silent, lost in thought, as if sinking into a distant past, and judging by his sorrowful, unfocused gaze, it was clear that the memories did not come easily.

«Why did you stay there and never leave?» Iida asked. «Your planets are safe now, aren’t they? And scientists like you are valued in the most… mm… let’s say, different worlds.» She hesitated, vividly imagining what kind of «different worlds» might actually value smorgs.

The smorg seemed to understand her hesitation perfectly.

«Yes», he said, «we’re not welcome in many places. And I very much doubt that those who left ever found happiness elsewhere. As for those who returned to our home planets, now nothing more than vast graveyards of our civilization, they were never heard from again. There are so few of us left that the very word smorg already sounds like a name. And I haven’t called myself anything else for a long time.»

«Tell me one thing», Iida said after a brief pause. «The people of Kvaon found a modified genome virus on one of your planets. I need to know – was it you who helped them?»

«I’ve never been to our home planets», the smorg said quietly. «I have no idea what’s happening there now. They stumbled upon my station only after they’d thoroughly looted an old storage facility where concentrated Genomode capsules had been kept. The capsules had lain there for ages and had become extremely unstable.»

He paused for a moment, recalling those past events, and then went on.

«But they had no idea – not until, during a cruiser’s ascent from the planet, one of those capsules broke apart in the turbulence of the upper atmosphere, killing the entire crew instantly. On the remaining two ships, some of the dissatisfied were ready to start a mutiny. I saw how mercilessly that unrest was crushed, and I realized who I was dealing with.»

As he spoke, his voice grew steadier, acquiring a deeper, almost pleasant resonance, as though each word helped him remember how to talk again. His gaze drifted somewhere far away, into the distant corridors of memory.

Iida felt a sincere pity for the unfortunate smorg. He had lived alone for so many years that words had become foreign to him, almost like forgotten tools, yet now, at last, he was using them again.

«I’m very glad you weren’t involved in this», Iida said, feeling the weight lift from her chest. «My task is to find and punish everyone guilty and implicated. In this matter you could be one of the key witnesses!»

She paused for a moment, then went on, «You’ve nowhere to go anyway, so I suggest you keep me company until this tangled business is finished. After that we’ll see.»

A faint glimmer of hope passed across the smorg’s hunted, resigned face, and he looked at Iida in astonishment.

«I could brew you elixirs», he said at last. «They’d make you faster, tougher, stronger. I only need certain ingredients and the opportunity to test them on identical specimens…»

«Elixirs?» Iida echoed, suspicious and wary. «You’re not going to turn this ship into some kind of killer virus drifting alone through the galaxy, are you?»

«Far from it», the smorg snorted, offended. «It’s nothing to do with viruses, nor with the sort of chemicals that have intergalactic crooks and bandits drooling to drag us into their labs. Don’t forget how far we’ve come in genetic engineering. The effects are short-lived, but they can help you survive a dangerous scrap which, with your… mm… over-active way of life, is only a matter of time.»

«All right, thanks for the concern», Iida smiled. «Forgive my doubts and don’t take them to heart. I promise that as soon as you brew your potions, we’ll test them.»

«And judging by the scanners, we’ll have more than enough specimens for that soon», she said, then let out a loud curse. «A small unmarked ship is tailing us! Who else could it be if not our mutual ‘friends’?» she asked rhetorically, tracing a detailed perimeter of the nearby space on the holographic chart.

«The smorg would not wish to fall into their hands again», the smorg said. Nervous, he began to speak of himself in the third person. «And he will do his utmost to be useful, so that it never happens again!»

«That’s good», Iida replied. «You can take the laboratory and the adjoining cabin – it’ll be more comfortable for you there. And don’t wait for me next time to eat. From now on, you’re a full member of the crew, and you can do it whenever you like. And I’ll call you Smorg, since you seem to like it so much.»

Smorg nodded solemnly, his gratitude obvious, and shuffled off toward the laboratory, wringing his hands in anticipation as he went. Iida, meanwhile, began preparing for the exit from hyperspace, opening more than half the lockers with her gear. She had no intention of being caught off guard again and was feeling decidedly resolute as she pulled out the racks of serious weaponry – the kind you couldn’t find in ordinary arms shops. This time she intended to plan her equipment down to the smallest detail.

Chapter 5

As the ship approached the planet, Iida disengaged the autopilot and took control herself.

The object known as DL-254 – that was how the planet appeared on every known chart, had two suns, perfectly equidistant from its orbit. Their light fell softly upon the golden-gray clouds that wrapped the world in a dense shroud, beneath which stretched endless jungles and towering mountain ranges.

Most of the largest mountains had long been hollow within, interconnected by a vast network of underground transport routes. These «mountains» served as immense trading hubs – some belonging to private clans, corporations, or powerful merchant guilds.

For most of the year, DL-254 was drenched in heavy rains. Iida looked at the meteorological readings with distaste, then at the thick storm clouds. From above they looked spectacular, shimmering with a magical palette of soft golden hues, but below, they turned into grimy gray masses, and she loathed dampness.

Recalling the description, she’d read in the ship’s library, where the planet had been portrayed as golden-green, Iida thought with a wry smile that someone had simply been absurdly lucky to catch a few cloudless days and chose that very moment for their cosmic aerial photography.

Judging by the coordinates, she was to land on a platform near an enormous mountain of pale stone. Before long, she spotted a tunnel carved into its side – wide enough for even large transports to pass through. Iida guided her ship inside and was immediately struck by the sharp contrast: for all the untouched, almost primeval look of the exterior, the interior of the vast hangar was astonishingly advanced and technological.

Everything here was robotic, automated, and intuitively arranged. Green lights flared up along the floor, marking the path toward an open landing platform that glowed bright emerald even from a distance. Getting lost here would have been quite a challenge.

Iida donned a light but functional combat suit and, after giving the smorg clear instructions, stepped out of the ship onto the soft-landing surface. Almost at once, a sleek, streamlined lift capsule slid out from the corner of the platform.

It carried her through several levels, each alive with activity. Everywhere she looked, adventurers from across the neighboring galaxies bustled about, bartering, shouting, and hurrying on their own mysterious errands.

Soon the lift came to a halt, and her wristband began to glow and emit a soft signal, indicating she had arrived at her designated point. The room she stepped into was enormous. The lighting was dim, almost dusk-like, and unevenly spread across the vast space. Rows of containers of every conceivable shape, size, and color stood neatly arranged, their surfaces marked with inscriptions in dozens of alien tongues.

Along the nearest wall loomed a collection of heavy planetary rovers with massive wheels, some of them clearly battle-modified, their gun turrets gleaming faintly in the low light. At the far end of the hall, a bright glow marked several huge exits. Iida made her way toward them, activated her scanner, and paused, wondering what her next move should be.

Suddenly, there was a noise behind her. It grew louder, swelling into a distinct rumble – the heavy thud of many magnetic boots striking the metal floor.

Iida hesitated. If she activated her defense systems now, she’d stand out like a flare. Instead, she moved closer to the rows of containers for cover. Her scanner lit up with nearly twenty fast-approaching heat signatures, and judging by their spectral colors, they were heavily armed.

«Damn it», she thought irritably. «Tiavrans! Why are there always so many of them?»

«We know you’re here!» a loud voice shouted in Galacton as the squad stopped not far from her position. «Come out peacefully, and we’ll spare you!»

«As you wish», the same voice called again moments later, its tone turning harsher. «Then it’ll be the hard way!»

«Move in, all of you!» barked another commanding voice, and the squad began advancing, spreading out to encircle Iida.

Suddenly she sensed movement behind her, but had no time to turn. Something powerful detonated nearby; she felt the shockwave but heard no usual explosion. Instead, the world seemed to dissolve around her – weight vanished, and Iida found herself suspended in midair. Everyone else in the hall had also lost orientation, drifting helplessly upward.

«A vacuum grenade», she realized, trying not to make any sharp movements though that did little good. She hung in the air, struggling to twist around and catch sight of whoever had «hung» her there.

Then that someone threw a magnetic lasso that coiled tightly around her, yanking her out of the zero-gravity field with a few powerful pulls. In the next instant, strong arms caught her around the waist and set her back on the ground.

While she was still catching her breath, her rescuer snatched the shoulder weapon she’d brought for emergencies and fired at one of the floating soldiers.

The result was beyond anything he’d expected – the powerful energy beam didn’t just tear the Tiavran into glittering fragments but jumped to the others, then to the containers, until within seconds there was nothing left within the zero-gravity zone – no movement, no shapes, no trace of anyone or anything at all.

«Good heavens, Draam! You’re a walking massacre!» came Kane’s astonished yet admiring voice as he stepped out of the dark corridor just as the blast faded.

The huge Vriinian turned the weapon over in his hands with genuine awe. «I’ve never seen anything like this before…»

Iida realized she had finally found the ones she’d been searching for. Despite the immense relief and sudden joy she felt, this hardly seemed the right moment for emotional outbursts. She simply walked up to Draam and carefully took her weapon back from his hands.

«It’s called a disintegrator», she said sternly. «An extremely dangerous thing. And zero gravity amplifies its power tenfold.»

«More than half of them were Tiavrans», Kane declared with mock solemnity. «And those, as you know, are our least favorite enemies. But now that we’ve finally met, allow me to introduce the mighty Draam! And I’m Kane – from Earth.»

«I know perfectly well who you are», Iida replied, a trace of irritation in her voice. «Now tell me – where are the others? And for the record, I could’ve handled it just fine without your help!»

At that moment Tarion and John emerged from the nearest passage, and a little later Maarv appeared behind them. When he saw the girl, he went pale with emotion. As, in truth, did she.

«I recognize our independent Iida», Tarion exclaimed with evident relief, greeting her with a graceful bow. «But against those creatures, believe me, a little help was the very thing you needed!»

Iida returned his bow politely. Unlike the others, she had never accepted his informal manner and always maintained a formal, composed tone.

«I’m glad you’re all alive and well», she said, addressing them all at once. «This isn’t the place for talk, but could you briefly explain what you’re doing here?»

«You’ve got that right», Tarion smiled. «Not the best place for talk. So, I suggest we clear out of here at once – I’m not sure we’ve accounted for every hunter, so it’s better to be safe. We’ll head for the Armaon, and we’ll send your little craft back to the Station on autopilot to my private dock – I’ll transmit all the necessary codes to you now.»

«All set», came Arma’s soft voice. «One life form detected on board – neither Vriinian nor…»

«That’s my smorg», Iida said, cutting Arma off. «We need him as a witness. And besides – he’s good», she added quickly when she noticed the astonished looks the others exchanged.

«Where did you find a smorg?!» Draam asked in disbelief. «I thought they’d gone extinct ages ago!»

«Save it for later», Tarion cut in sharply. «Don’t your instincts or your survival reflexes tell you we should be getting the hell out of here? Or am I just getting old and overly jumpy?»

«Hell, no, Tarion», John replied cheerfully. «Your intuition shields us like a trusty force field, protecting us from every cruel twist of fate!»

«And those… containers?» Draam asked, puzzled, glancing toward Iida. «Can they be brought back somehow?»

Iida frowned and fixed him with a stern look. «I’d really like to know how you’re supposed to bring back something that’s completely gone?!» she said with biting irony, shooting a quick glance at the pensive Maarv nearby. «First they shoot, then they think!»

Tarion smoothly stepped between them, gently taking Iida by the elbow and steering her toward one of the corridors.

«You know», he said in a conciliatory tone, «we’d better head for the ships. It’s never wise to argue with Draam, especially when he’s hungry.» He cast a quick, conspiratorial look over his shoulder at the grinning Draam and gave him a playful wink.

Approaching Iida’s ship, they found two unconscious Tiavrans lying on the ground. Standing beside them was the smorg, watching them closely.

«Well, allow me to introduce», Iida said, «my companion – Smorg! Smorg, these are our friends, the ones we’ve been looking for.»

Smorg bowed politely, entirely unfazed by the silent astonishment of the others – he’d long grown used to such reactions and paid them no mind.

«These ones», he said, pointing toward the unconscious Tiavrans, «wanted to get on the ship. So… I let them in. For safety, I thought it wise to neutralize them a little, and I released some paralytic gas. But it really shouldn’t have had that effect», he added, sounding both surprised and faintly guilty. «Fortunately, they crawled out on their own and only collapsed here – they’re terribly heavy, you know! And, well…» the smorg went on, visibly embarrassed, «since they are… mm… already lying here, I thought perhaps I might test one small formula – the base compound for the elixirs of speed and strength.»

«You’re a real genius!» Draam exclaimed. «Go ahead, I don’t mind! If everything I’ve heard about your kind is true, those two don’t stand a chance anyway!»

The smorg snorted indignantly but wisely decided not to argue with the massive Vriinian. Leaning over one of the Tiavrans, he injected the contents of a capsule he was carefully holding into the creature’s neck.

For a while, nothing happened. Then, suddenly, the Tiavran’s eyes snapped wide open, and with a terrifying roar he lurched to his feet, clutching his throat as if choking. He knocked the smorg off his feet, stumbled forward, and, after a few frantic steps, slammed full-force into the wall. In an instant he was up again, darted toward the edge of the platform with unnatural speed and leapt straight into the abyss below.

«Yeah… impressive. That was really fast», Kane muttered, still stunned.

«No kidding», John agreed, eyeing the dents in the wall where the Tiavran had struck. «And definitely hard!»

«You’ve got another capsule left, don’t you?» Draam said in a mock-pious tone, giving the smorg a friendly wink. «And don’t let a little setback bother you! Experiments are always like that!»

The smorg obediently approached the second Tiavran and injected him with the second capsule before the stunned Iida could stop him. This time, he wisely stepped back.

The reaction came even faster. The Tiavran sprang to his feet almost instantly, a feral snarl twisting his face and madness blazing in his eyes. He lunged straight at Draam, who happened to be the closest.

The Vriinian didn’t hesitate – he swung his massive fist and slammed it into the creature’s bestial face with full force. But the usual effect didn’t follow. The serum seemed to have multiplied the Tiavran’s strength many times over; he simply knocked Draam off his feet and then leapt on him again, jaws bared, aiming for his throat.

At first bewildered by what was happening, Maarv and Tarion finally snapped out of it and rushed toward the Tiavran, trying to pull him off, but he shook them off with ease. The next moment he lunged at Maarv, who managed to fire, yet even the large-caliber, high-energy light blast didn’t stop the creature.

Maarv took a crushing blow to the face and was hurled across the hall, slamming into the far wall. Tarion launched himself into an acrobatic spin and kicked the Tiavran with both legs – it did no real harm, but bought a few precious seconds.

In that brief moment, Iida dragged the still-dazed Maarv farther away and tried to bring him around, while Kane and John were doing the same with Draam, too wary to use their weapons – everything was happening so fast that taking proper aim was nearly impossible.

Suddenly, the Tiavran froze in place. Just like the first hunter, he clutched his throat with both hands, his eyes rolling back as he began to wheeze and choke. His head began to swell, growing larger and larger until it suddenly burst, splattering everything around with blue shreds. The headless body collapsed to the floor with a wet thud.

«Well», said Kane, the first to come to his senses, «I think I’m actually starting to get used to this!»

He helped Draam to his feet and, carefully stepping around what was left of the Tiavran, walked over to Maarv, who shook his head and said warily, «I’m not letting that smorg into my lab! If he doesn’t kill us with one of his miracle concoctions, he’ll come up with something else!»

The smorg, who had been watching the whole scene in astonishment, merely spread his hands. «There weren’t enough components!» he said simply. «I should’ve added inhibitor blocks for the amplifying chains, but they weren’t there!»

Maarv groaned as he got to his feet and looked at Iida. «Thanks for the help! It was supposed to be the other way around!»

«In what way, may I ask?» she smiled. «You mean I was the one who was supposed to get thrown into the wall?

«I got it, got it!» she said hurriedly, noticing that thinking straight was still a bit of a struggle for him. Or perhaps he was just putting it on, looking awkward and sheepish. «You’re welcome», Iida added. «And by the way, I’m glad to see you too. You haven’t changed a bit since the last time we met.»

Chapter 6

Iida took everything she needed from her ship, set the autopilot on course for the Station, and, together with the Smorg, transferred to the Armaon. Maarv gave each of them a separate cabin and arranged a tour. Iida’s eyes widened in astonishment when she saw several enormous pallets of Galactic Credits in the storage bay. Such an amount of cash was almost beyond imagination.

«Did you rob some intergalactic bank?» she asked Maarv, reaching up and trying to touch the top.

«We’ll tell you everything and explain», said Maarv. «You and your unlucky chemist, who now can’t be dragged out of my laboratory!»

Smorg was utterly delighted with the Armaon’s laboratory and gazed at Maarv with such pleading eyes that he simply couldn’t refuse, though he gave Arma the strictest order to keep a close watch on everything happening there.

After some time, everyone gathered in the cozy and spacious wardroom to discuss their next steps and bring Iida and the Smorg up to speed.

«You can probably guess», Tarion began, «after we quite literally tore the Blue Planet from Kvaon’s claws and set in motion the official process of Earth’s admission into the Galactic Union, life has become rather unsafe for all of us, especially on the Station, which now swarms with his spies. After several incidents that nearly cost some of us our lives, we decided to act ahead of him and came here, to this intergalactic marketplace, where everything can be bought and sold.»

«At first, we wanted to wait for you», Maarv went on, leaning back slightly. «But not long ago, we received an anonymous message. It said that a certain influential figure was extremely displeased with our actions and advised us to vanish from sight quickly and find him a planet no worse than Fraal.»

He paused for a moment, glancing at Tarion, then continued in a quieter voice:

«We were ordered to begin immediately, or else we might soon ‘feel the unbearable burden of being.’ And just so we wouldn’t waste too much time thinking about who sent it, someone planted an explosive device in Tarion’s conference hall. Draam was there when it went off – he was almost blown into open space. He managed to grab onto the bulkheads and hung there by sheer miracle until help arrived.»

«Maarv and Draam had no intention of indulging his imperial ambitions», Tarion said with his usual hint of irony. He also leaned back in his chair, fingers drumming lightly on the armrest. «And his rude tone, combined with that vulgar manner of speech, struck a nerve with all of us.»

The corners of his mouth twitched in something between amusement and fatigue.

«Abuun confided that the Station’s leadership is under serious pressure from certain mysterious Vriinian senators. They were hinting at our involvement in the explosion and demanding that we all be detained until the circumstances are clarified. So we decided it would be best not to linger on the Station.»

Tarion paused, his gaze softening slightly as he looked at Iida. «I left you a message», he added, «tuned to your frequency. All we could do then was hope our departure would keep you safe and spare you any trouble.»

«I arrived incognito, but they were expecting me», Iida replied, her voice calm yet edged with tension. «And I suspect I was being followed ever since the initial control checkpoint. I was simply lucky they didn’t run a deep scan. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. You can thank our Smorg for that.»

Maarv gave Smorg a friendly slap on the shoulder, a broad smile flickering across his face.

«On behalf of all of us», he said warmly, «I offer you my deepest thanks! And welcome to the crew! Iida told us you’ve got no one left, so from now on, we’ll be your friends and family. That’s how we do things aboard the Armaon.»

Smorg sniffed emotionally and asked, «So that means I can work in the laboratory? With resources like yours, I could be truly useful! I’ve got so many, so many new ideas!»

«You know what!» Draam exclaimed. «Let’s move to the dining hall and continue this conversation over a proper dinner! I’ve taken the liberty of ordering a whole array of culinary delights from this planet!»

By then, the Armaon had already broken free of DL-254’s gravity, gliding into open space. Under the steady hum of its hyper-engines, the ship set course for its next destination.

«I know you still have a lot of questions», Tarion said, savoring something that looked like a galette with a crisp, spicy crust from the new batch of supplies personally procured by Draam. «With your permission, I’ll continue. Some time ago, while hiding from our pursuers on one of the abandoned planets, we quite miraculously stumbled upon one of the greatest scientists of our era – Krean.»

At these words, Iida choked and began to cough, her eyes widening in disbelief.

«What do you mean, ‘stumbled upon’?» she managed between coughs. «He’s alive?»

«Oh, yes, and he’s doing wonderfully», Tarion went on, gesturing gracefully with the hand that held the galette. «He’s even started a family and built himself a household with an impressive farm.»

He leaned forward sharply, studying the contents of his glass. «No… just my imagination», he murmured, then went on.

«So, he ended up there thanks to those same caring friends of ours – the very ones because of whom we, in turn, have been spending such an… entertaining time.» A wry smile touched his lips as he set the glass down. «He passed us his bio-fablet filled with astonishing research, we had to push, as the locals would say, a few of the simpler ones on DL-254. You see, we desperately need the funds to produce the components that might – no, that certainly will help us in this uneasy struggle.»

«As you probably know by now, Tarion happens to be one of the universe’s foremost know-it-alls when it comes to the Ticket – the one we recently managed to assemble», Kane continued, since everyone else was far too busy devouring the delicacies before them, while the girl still sat listening intently. «As it turns out, the Ticket contains a wealth of useful and very intriguing information, including maps of distant and as yet poorly explored worlds.