Grant drove his car to the outskirts of Megalodon City, enjoying the smooth vibration of the overpowered motor. The children were waiting as instructed, miles beyond the city limits, where there was no chance their small shuttle would be detected. It was the middle of nowhere, and there would be plenty of parking for a multitude of small vehicles capable of traversing the snow covered surface of Tundra. Grant’s car was not one of those vehicles. He paused momentarily, staring out at the ice covered road beyond the windshield. He undid his seatbelt. All things considered, it seemed like a rather nice evening for a walk.
About six hours later, Pharel and Starel glanced up at the hammering sound of a knock echoing through their tiny, snow covered shuttle. Starel activated the sensors, which informed him one large life form stood outside. One very large, Carda’an life form. No vehicles were detected in the vicinity. Exchanging a puzzled glance with his brother, Pharel went to open the shuttle door.
An ice covered giant walked in, leaning down to get through the entryway.
“I thought it was a nice day for a walk.” Grant said flatly. He placed the small bag of hair onto the shuttle console before turning around and walking back out.
Starel leaned down, picking up a clump of ice from the floor of the shuttle. It did not melt. That would take a while. The ambient temperature outside had cooled it down to far, far below the melting point. “We’re going to call Robert.” Starel said.
“You think?” Pharel rolled his eyes before reaching for the comm controls.
---
The stars above were almost painfully clear, their light cutting through the darkness of space. A supernova in the far northernmost sector of the sky spread out in splendor, its light spilling millions of light years across the universe. The golden glow of Titan shone overhead, its warmth oddly comforting against the icy coldness of the distant stars. Grant settled down under an ice covered mushroom cap, stretching his legs out in front of him. He enjoyed the open space. And he was no longer cold. In fact, he found the snow and ice surrounding him to be rather soothing. He had not been sleeping well. But here, sleep would come easily, settling around him as the snow created a perfect cocoon shaped to his exact specifications. He stretched out, getting more comfortable as the darkness settled around him.
---
Something was wrong with his cocoon. Deeply, terribly wrong. Rather than being perfectly shaped to his specifications, there were now sharp, bruising edges everywhere. The support was gone entirely and every movement caused the bruisingly sharp edges to dig in deeper. Grant frowned. Why was his cocoon moving? With great reluctance, he opened his eyes. The uninspiring gray interior of a standard Tundran shuttle surrounded him. Very standard. Entirely generic in fact, with not a single change or modification. Grant sighed and with great reluctance, sat up. “Why” he said “would you do this?”
“You could have been found.”
“By a human out for a stroll?”
“At some point, the snow will melt and humans will indeed start going out for strolls.”
“I would have woken up by then.”
“And the floods? Were you looking to go for a swim, as well?” Robert asked as he stopped the shuttle, turning around to hand Grant a hot cup of coffee.
Grant looked into the cup with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. “I did not ask you to interfere. Take me back.”
“I will not. It took me over a day to find you. I cannot simply walk off and do it again.” Robert sighed. “The moment is lost, Grant. If you wish to wallow, please be civilized about it and do it at home.”
“I will wallow wherever I damn well please.” Grant got up, still somewhat stiffly, and walked back out of the shuttle, back into the starlit night. He looked up at the familiar nebula shining overhead. It was the perfect time of night and the perfect location for the view. In the icy cold air of Tundra, the nebula was almost painfully bright, shining over the snow. “What’s that?” Grant said idly, mostly to change the subject. Along the western edge of the familiar shape of the nebula, there was a patch of darkness, blocking out the cloud of cosmic gas mixed with dust.
“A random bit of the night sky, perhaps?” Robert said, but his tone was softer as he gazed up at the sky overhead. Grant was who he was, and they both knew he wouldn’t listen unless he wanted to. “Perhaps it’s a black hole.” Robert continued, deciding to be agreeable.
“It does not look like a black hole.” Grant said, cocking his head slightly. “It is too large. If it were that large, you would see the impact of its gravitational pull.
“Perhaps it’s small but close.” Robert said with a shrug. “Isn’t that how it works? How can you gauge size without knowing distance?”
“But there is no black hole nearby in that sector of space.” Grant said, his eyes narrowing with some interest. “I’m going to ask the ship to do further research on this.”
“Wasn’t it always there?” Robert asked, mildly curious.
“It may have been there for some time, but not visible from our location.” Grant looked down, kicking out at the snow beneath his feet. “It’s not just Tundra moving around the sun. The milky way spins around the black hole that is the center of our galaxy and the universe is expanding all around us. We think of the two homeworlds as the center of our world but in fact, Tundra and Saraya are closer to the galactic core. Old earth and our homeworlds are further out. We think of ourselves as being out in the middle of nowhere, but in fact, we’re closer to the center of it all.”
“The center of it all is a black hole. I’d say the homeworlds are better off where they are. Now, tell about this brilliant plan you had. The one with the parking. And let’s talk about it from inside the shuttle. I’m cold.”
Somewhat mollified by the prospect of a lecture, Grant returned to the shuttle, waving his cup of hot coffee expansively as he talked. “You see Robert, there is this concept of an internship. And it’s free. They will do whatever you ask and you don’t have to pay them. It’s really quite astonishing the things humans come up with. Does the TSS offer internships?”
“Yes.” Robert hissed quietly, as a feeling of dread crept along his scales. “What did you do, Grant?”
“I interviewed her.” Grant said cheerfully. “She was really quite pleasant.”
“And the head chopping? Bonded over that, did you?” Robert snapped, his annoyance truly monumental.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
Grant raised an eyebrow but otherwise remained silent. Robert’s comment did not warrant a response.
“You will not hire her.” Robert continued. “That is an order. Do you understand me, Grant?”
“Have the children gotten back to us with the results?” Grant asked, taking another sip of his hot coffee and ignoring Robert's commentary. He was rather tired of taking orders.
Robert hesitated.
“Robert?” Grant said pointedly. “Have they? It’s been over a day. The ship works fast.”
Robert remained silent.
“Robert.” Grant repeated, somewhat sharply. “You realize I can ask the children myself. They’re quite scared of me.”
Robert shook his head in resignation. “Remind me, what was the prompt you gave the ship, before she made James?”
Grant blinked, surprised by the change of topic and struggling to get his still somewhat frozen brain cells to function at full speed. “We need an ally. Make him more like us.” He said slowly.
And then Robert laughed.
Grant cocked his head. He hadn’t heard Robert laugh in decades. Really, the man should not be capable of it. After all, Robert was dead. “What were the results?” He asked again, his curiosity truly piqued. What could possibly be so amusing about Alanna Summer’s DNA profile?
Still chuckling slightly, Robert held out the message the kids sent back. As always, the ship was succinct and to the point. Two lines of text glowed in the cold, industrial light of the shuttle. “Exceptionally observant. Within Acceptable Parameters.”
Grant blinked. And then he started laughing. “Make him more like us.” He said with a gasp.
“They were engaged within two weeks.” Robert replied. And then he started laughing again. “You will not hire her.” He added, the laughter fading as suddenly as it had come. “Not under any circumstances. Do you understand me, Grant?”
“Of course I will.” Grant waved a hand dismissively. “She’s one of ours, Robert. She was literally made for us. And I like our humans. We make them better.”
“She is not one of ours. We completed a thorough background check and there is no question, she was born on Saraya. She has nothing to do with us.”
“The chances of a naturally occurring DNA profile within acceptable parameters…” Grant began.
“Really, Grant?” Robert said, his voice now sharp enough to cut glass. “Have you done that math?”
“Based on the human records…” Grant blinked in startled surprise as once again, Robert interrupted him.
“And what relevance do you think old earth records have here?”
“Well they’re equally…” This time, Grant interrupted himself. Pausing mid reply, he remained silent.
“Now it comes to you.” Robert said, the tone of his voice reverting back to the hollow and empty sound everyone was so accustomed to hearing.
“Her mother?” Grant asked carefully.
“Died in childbirth, origins unknown.”
“Ah.”
“Yes.”
“Did John know you were going to disappear for a month or two?” Robert sked, changing the subject before the conversation became even more tense.
“John, does not care.”
“Are you two…” Robert hesitated.
“I had intended to discuss this after a few months of quiet hibernation.” Grant said sharply.
“As you wish.” Robert agreed. “It’s not my intent to interfere.”
“It never is.”
“Grant…” Robert began.
“And you, how have you been, Robert?”
“I am, as always.”
“You laughed.”
“A momentarily aberration.”
“How inspiring.”
“Grant, about John…” Robert began again before stopping with uncharacteristic uncertainty.
“I am genuinely curious. How had you planned to finish that thought?”
Robert glanced out the darkened windows as the snow beat against the shuttle, taking their view of the outside world from limited to nonexistent. “I don’t understand what you are doing. You own multiple patents for improvements to our faster than lightspeed communication capabilities. I suspect you could own more. You must be one of the wealthiest men in the known galaxy. Why are you here?”
“Cannibal moon lost its appeal.”
“And earth. Why don’t you go to earth?”
“I cannot. By the emperor’s personal request.”
Robert paused. “Personal request?” He repeated carefully. It was unheard of. Understandable given Grant’s unique circumstances, but unheard of.
“Yes. It was a long time ago.”
“It was not an order.”
“I am not going to earth.”
“Then go home.”
“And what would that accomplish?”
“I don’t understand you.” Robert repeated.
“And I don’t understand why you are confused.”
“Just get a slave, Grant. Go home and get a slave. You could have Sael himself make him to spec. You do not need to put up with any of this. I don’t understand why you do.”
“Do you know, that’s really not how I thought you would finish that thought.”
“How can it not be? It’s what anyone in their right mind would be thinking.”
“I’m not thinking it.” Grant said flatly.
“Is it some sort of moral compulsion? Have you decided to oppose the entire institution?”
“No.”
“Are you certain?”
“I have no objection to the institution, Robert. What you and Olivia had, it was beautiful.”
“Olivia did not know. You always understood that.”
Grant shrugged. “She would have understood if she knew.”
“Are you so certain?”
“Yes. And even if not, had she been born in a different place, a different culture, she would have understood. I have no problem with the institution. As between the biological slavery that is a life mating and the state sanctioned institution that is legalized slavery, it is a question of circumstance as to who comes out on top. And regardless of who it may be, there is a certain balance. Too much power is a dangerous thing, Robert. As we have seen. Without balance… it is an ugly thing we all become. Personally, I do not want to know what I would become. It is an entirely selfish decision on my part.”
“Are you going to kill John?”
Grant’s eyes narrowed. “No.”
“Are you offended that I asked?”
“Yes. Now, if you will not drop me off back in the forest, take me home.”
“I planned to.”
“I would have returned in the spring.”
“I know.”
“What happens when we win?” Grant asked abruptly. “They.” He corrected himself, seeing the confused look on Robert’s face. “What happens when the Tundrans win, Robert? When is it enough?”
“I don’t understand the question.”
“I think you do. What happens when you’ve had your revenge? Samantha Hawk killed every member of William Thornhill’s administration, and it was not enough. The man who made the decision to bomb Dragon City, is dead. Everyone associated with him, is dead. And it is not enough. Tundra successfully attacked Saraya’s moon and destroyed their base. The Sarayan supply lines are shot. Their people are starving and suffocating from lack of oxygen. Now, we are nuking their barely rebuilt moon base again. And soon, we will send nuclear warheads onto Saraya itself. A life bearing planet. When does it stop, Robert? When is it enough?”
“Enough for who?”
“You tell me.”
“It is not my intent to take revenge upon Saraya.” Robert repeated.
Grant paused, processing the response slowly as his still somewhat frozen brain attempted to comprehend what he was hearing. “I don’t understand.” He said slowly. “What other goal could there possibly be?”
Robert looked out the shuttle window for a moment before getting up and sitting on the floor beside Grant. “I’ve stopped investigating.” He offered.
“Was the mystery not enough to keep your attention?” Grant asked sarcastically.
“Not for long, no. Jane came from cannibal moon. You said that to regain their sanity after cannibal moon, humans needed to spend time on Tundra. Jane appeared to be relatively sane, as compared to our human friends from cannibal moon. Therefore, I must assume she spent time on Tundra and then found a reason to leave.”
“Perhaps it was the climate.” Grants said with a wince.
“Jane went from Tundra to Saraya.” Robert continued, as if Grant had not spoken. “And she did so for a reason. This left me with a suspect pool of two. You can imagine the amount of work it took to discern the real culprit. As between Will, who was raised by a human mother, and Daren.”
“Why must it always be the obvious suspects?” Grant said with a sigh.
“They are obvious for a reason.”
“You did not have to investigate beyond the first obvious suspect. It was entirely unnecessary.”
Robert shrugged. “I like to know.” He said.
“What now?”
“It is still theft.”
“Then what was the point of investigating? There’s no need to bring Will into this.”
“And that” Robert said “brings me back to your original question. The goal is what it has always been.”
“What?” Grant asked in genuine confusion.
Robert smiled slightly. “It’s the Tundran war of independence, Grant.” He said. “It’s in the name.”
“But we have indep…” Grant paused, as a few more semi frozen brain neurons fired off in due course. “I see.” He said.
“The goal has never changed.” Robert repeated.
“This feels like a long term objective.” Grant said mildly.
“It will take the time it takes.” Robert responded. “I could use some help.”
Thank you for reading, I can't wait to get started on the second book. I have an outline but would love to get everyone's thoughts on what they want to see from the second book. I'll throw out some options below but if you have other ideas, please leave a comment and let me know!
