Dramatis Personae

  Aghrael, who in the future becomes Grant Pardo – an alien that lives on Tundra as a human. He is the head of the Tundran planetary shields project and the chair of the Megalodon State University’s physics department. Grant is a physicist, regardless of species. Grant, is also a giant.

  Variel, who in the future becomes Will Atwater - an alien that lives on Saraya as a human. He owns Atwater Ships, the largest spaceship manufacturing conglomerate on Saraya. Will is the youngest of the adult aliens, and while he is not at all genetically human, he was raised by a human mother.

  Ivy - Variel's mother.

  Zverel - Variel's father.

  Jane - Variel's grandmother and the Jane whose unfortunate interrogation tape is being passed around Tundra and Saraya in the present day.

  Eleanor - a professor of human psychology at Prime City University, Second Carda'an homeworld.

  ---

  Two hundred eighty two years ago, Carda’an Standard year 6027, Second Carda’an home world

  The drive home from university took longer than he expected and it was dark by the time he walked into the house. Variel paused briefly in the darkened hallway, surprised to hear voices so far from the main room.

  “She’s my family!” The completely unexpected sound of his mother’s voice, raised in anger, echoed through the darkened hallway. Variel paused momentarily before walking on into the main living space of the home, a spacious room carved into the side of the cliff.

  “Uh.” He began.

  “Be quiet, Ivy.” His father snapped, turning towards his mother. “That is an order.”

  Silence reigned as the three of them stared at each other. Variel had never heard his father give his mom an order before. “What’s going on?” He asked.

  “Nothing.” His mother said, the obvious lie sliding off her tongue.

  “Nothing I want you to know about.” His father replied, providing the typically honest carda’an response.

  “I… I’ll come back later.” Variel said quietly, turning around and walking back out.

  ---

  Back in the car, Variel looked out at the dim light of the setting sun beyond his windshield. Most of the light was being blocked by the gathering clouds. The car was cramped, and his parents, clearly, needed their privacy. With a slight gesture of resignation, he called Aghrael. “Can I stay over?” He asked.

  “Why?” Aghrael asked, typical puzzlement in his voice. Aghrael didn’t understand or particularly like people.

  “Because… because why not.”

  “Fine.” Aghrael said. As far as arguments went, that one had been compelling.

  ---

  “A family matter.” Aghrael repeated thoughtfully as they sat looking out over the ocean far below the glass enclosed home carved into the sheer face of the cliff.

  “That’s what she said.”

  “As in her family?”

  “Have to assume hers. Dad’s side of the family can take care of themselves.”

  “And your dad doesn’t want you to know.”

  “Have to assume he doesn’t want me to get into trouble trying to help.”

  “It’s a reasonable assumption.” Aghrael agreed. “Is that it then?”

  “Nope.” Variel stretched out, taking another sip of the hot coffee he requested in spite of the late hour. Earth imports really were the best. “What we need to do, is hack the slave DNA registry and find out who it is she’s talking about.”

  “We?” Aghrael said incredulously. “Why would we have to do that?”

  “Because you’re a genius, and you’re bored. And because I want to.”

  “Can’t you just ask your mom?”

  “No.” Variel snapped. “Did you not hear the part about my dad giving her an order?” He paused. “He’s never done that before. What?” He added, noting the look on Aghrael’s face

  “Well you don’t really know that he hasn’t done it, do you? You just know he hasn’t done it in front of you.”

  “What are you doing right now?” Variel asked, visibly annoyed.

  “Making an observation.” Aghrael replied, nonplussed by the negative response.

  “Whose side are you even on?”

  “Side? I’m not on anyone’s side.”

  “Then why would you bring that up?”

  “Because the logical fallacy was too glaring to be overlooked.”

  “How are we going to hack the database?”

  “We’re not.”

  “Aghrael you will be helpful right now or I’m going to be seriously annoyed.”

  His human upbringing is showing, Aghrael thought. There was really no logical reason for Aghrael to help. And so he had no idea why the next words out of his mouth were “we could hack your mom’s computer and see if the relevant information is there.”

  There was a long pause. “Is that a hard no on hacking the government database?” Variel asked reluctantly.

  “I couldn’t even if I wanted to. Which I don’t.”

  “So theoretically if we were to…”

  “Put a key logger on her computer and get her password.” Aghrael said. People were endlessly overcomplicating things.

  ---

  “Her name is Jane, and she’s my grandmother.” Variel said three days later, back in the oceanside room of Aghrael’s home.

  “Ok.” Aghrael said with a shrug.

  “I want to check on her.” Variel continued.

  “Ok.” Aghrael nodded. That seemed reasonable.

  “I was thinking of heading out tonight.”

  Aghrael frowned as a twinge of suspicion began to dawn on him. “Ok.” He said.

  “Think you’ll fit in the car?” Variel asked.

  “Why?” Aghrael said in exasperation.

  “Because you’re bored.”

  “I’m not bored! I’m fine!”

  “Eh.” Variel grunted.

  As far as responses went, it was completely meaningless. And so Aghrael had no idea why the next words out of his mouth were “We can take my car. It’s modified so that I’ll fit.”

  ---

  The estate was massive, and private. The dark skeletons of enormous trees blocked out any view of the sky above, creating twilight where the sun would otherwise shine down. The ground was covered with the familiar emerald green moss that thrived in the deep shade of the forest.

  “He likes his privacy.” Variel said. They were both invisible, their skin reflecting back the twilight of the forest as they walked, tracking each other by the soft sounds of footsteps that would be barely discernible to someone whose hearing was less acute.

  “Don’t we all?” Aghrael replied, blurring one hand to make it visible as he made a dismissive gesture with his fingers.

  “Not this much.” Variel said. He was starting to get a bad feeling about the whole thing.

  “The important question” Aghrael said pointedly “is whether he likes his privacy enough to put in motion detectors.”

  “Shit.” Variel stopped in his tracks.

  “That’s why I brought an EMP.” Aghrael said cheerfully.

  “What… how?”

  “I made it. That’s what I do when I’m bored.” Aghrael held out his hand, unwrapping giant fingers so the EMP emitter became visible. It’s small and homemade, so the range is maybe 10 feet.”

  “Maybe?”

  “I’m going to keep it visible when we go in so you know to stay close. If we’re in danger of being seen, I’ll hide it. At that point, I’d say either stand still or run like hell.”

  Variel nodded. Carda’ans had little crime and trespassers were rare. As a naturally individualistic society, they also believed in very limited government interference. Meaning, if they both got shot for trespassing on someone else’s property, no one would interfere. Certainly not the emperor’s government. “Look, if you really want to go back…” He offered, suddenly uncertain. He was finding the dark woods unnerving.

  “I’ve walked all this way.” Aghrael said with an invisible roll of his eyes.

  They stopped at the edge of the darkened woods, looking out at the moss covered meadow beyond the trees. A solidly constructed log home stood at the top of a slight slope, darkened windows on all sides. “Wait.” Aghrael said quietly. He released the EMP, sending it rolling all the way around the meadow and then sending it in another circle around the house itself.

  “He’ll know something’s wrong.” Variel hissed, watching the small metal sphere rolling across the moss.

  “Yeah but it’s just a power outage. They happen. He won’t know there’s an intruder.” Aghrael took a step forward.

  “Stop.” Variel said, his voice softer than the breeze stirring the leaves all around them. “Don’t move.” Most lifeforms on first homeworld were chameleons and the evolutionary arms race gifted carda’ans with exceptional ability to spot the smallest imperfections as light was reflected along the moving surface of a chameleon’s skin. But what Variel spotted wasn’t another carda’an, it was the more imperfectly camouflaged mechanical surface of a rifle, made to blend with the external environment, but not as well as his own naturally evolved skin. The blur of light across its surface just barely allowed him to discern the shape of the weapon, hovering before the front door of the house. How the man managed to come outside without opening the door, Variel wasn’t quite sure. But now that his eyes knew what to look for, the shape of the weapon was unmistakable. They both stood perfectly still as the nearly invisible rifle hovered in front of the home. Although Variel knew with dead certainty that the man was there, only the rifle was visible to his sharp, perfectly evolved eyesight. The rifle, and the motion detecting scope sitting on top of it. Very slowly, he took a few steps back, so that the trunk of a thick tree protected him from the weapon and masked his heat signature. Universe willing, Aghrael would be smart enough to do the same.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “We run.” Aghrael said about two silent hours later. And then they ran.

  ---

  “I’m really not that bored.” Aghrael said a while later as they made their way back to the car through the woods. The sun had fully set by then, and the sound of predators who came out in darkness echoed thought the canopy “I was fine.”

  “All you do is play with lasers.” Variel said, allowing his hand to become visible to gesture dismissal.

  “I like lasers. Except when it’s a laser sight mounted on a rifle and pointing in my direction. In that instance, I don’t like lasers. At all.”

  “It was a good idea, the EMP.” Variel admitted.

  “I’m a genius. My ideas aren’t just good, they’re brilliant. They’re always brilliant.” Aghrael hissed, scratching the back of his neck in annoyance.

  Variel raised a silent eyebrow but otherwise remained silent. He knew perfectly well that if he was going to go back in and come back alive, he would need Aghrael’s help, brilliant or not. “Can you use your brilliance to figure out a way for us to get back in?” He asked.

  Aghrael paused midstep. “Fuck no.” He said, raising his voice in frustration. “Fuck, fuck no. This is the stupidest…”

  “Then I’ll go back on my own.” Variel interrupted.

  “I totally see why your dad gave your mom that order.” Aghrael said after a brief pause.

  “Yeah, he’s my dad. He knows me pretty well.”

  “I can brilliantly deduct that you going back on your own is the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard. How about that?”

  “I’m not arguing. I’m just doing it.”

  Aghrael kicked at a rock angrily, using his full strength, which he rarely did. The rock went flying forward, leaving a deep gauge in a tree trunk in front of them.

  “Well it’s not the tree’s fault.” Variel said mildly. “How about you give me some brilliant advice, and the EMP?”

  “Don’t go back.”

  “Given that we both know I’m going to go back, that’s not particularly brilliant, or even helpful.”

  Aghrael considered. “All you really want to do is see this Jane, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “She’ll probably come out of the house sooner or later.” He pointed out reluctantly.

  “So all we…

  “You.”

  “All I have to do is stand and wait, outside the range of the motion detectors.”

  “Theoretically.” Aghrael agreed reluctantly.

  “That is brilliant!”

  Aghrael sighed. “I know.”

  “You’re coming with, right?”

  “Yes.”

  ---

  It was two days later, and they still hadn’t seen Jane.

  “We’re going to need to go back to university at some point.” Aghrael pointed out, taking a glum bite of one of the ration bars they stocked up on before heading out into the forest. It was drizzling lightly.

  “Go ahead.” Variel said with a shrug. “It’s fine, I get it. And I’m sure your dad is starting to get worried. Does he even know where you are?”

  “Of course he knows.” Aghrael said, gesturing dismissively with his hand.

  “And he’s not annoyed?”

  “Of course he’s annoyed.”

  “You two close?” Variel asked curiously.

  “Sure.”

  “It’s pretty unusual that he… well, you know.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Aghrael said flatly. The industrial accident that resulted in his entirely unplanned existence impacted a number of embryos. His father was the only one who decided to keep the arguably unfortunate result.

  “Why did he?” Variel asked curiously. “Do you know?”

  “He’s cheap. Never bought insurance. Probably didn’t want to bother redoing it.” Aghrael shrugged.

  “You sure there wasn’t more to it than that? Maybe he got attached. People do you know. And he wants to spend time with you now.” Variel pointed out.

  “Of course he does.” Aghrael answered, in the completely self-assured way of a child who had always been loved and never thought much about it. They both froze as the EMP vibrated slightly. Aghrael had recalibrated the device to also detect the microwave pulses emitted by a motion detector. They both sat perfectly still, curling their fingers around the remainder of their respective ration bar. Aghrael curled the fingers of his oversized second hand around the EMP, masking its presence entirely.

  Jane’s owner walked through the forest, not bothering to hide. The rifle was slung over his shoulder, the motion detector fully activated as he walked. And Jane walked behind him. She followed exactly one step behind, as if pulled along by an invisible leash. Walking in perfect silence, her breathing was as evenly calibrated as her steps. Her eyes were blank and dull, staring listlessly at the man walking in front of her.

  ---

  “Sooo, your mom…” Aghrael asked as they made their way back out of the forest, hours later.

  “No! No!” Variel hissed in outrage. “It’s not like that. It’s nothing like that. You met Eleanor. Was Eleanor like that?”

  “Eleanor was Eleanor.” As far as Aghrael was concerned, Eleanor was in a category all her own.

  “Something is wrong.” Variel said quietly, ignoring the shiver that ran up his scales. Something was deeply, terribly wrong. “And I don’t understand it. Is it possible she’s not really his life mate?”

  “The records we got off your mom’s computer say she is. But we don’t know where she got the records from, or if any of it is true.”

  “She looked like my mom.” Variel said quietly. According to the records they took off his mother’s computer, Jane had given birth to his mother, Ivy. And there was no question the two women looked alike. Ivy with her dark hair and green eyes and Jane, with dark hair and those deep, sunken blue eyes that would haunt him forever. The age difference would be nominal, given that carda’ans extended human lifespans to a thousand years and beyond. Jane and Ivy looked like sisters, clearly related.

  ---

  “He’s been missing for days, Ivy.” Zvarel said tensely, looking out at the stormy ocean beyond the glass of their bedroom window.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize he was home when I spoke.” Ivy said for the hundredth time. “It was not my intent for him to overhear, as you well know. And you didn’t need to order me to stop. I would have done it myself. He’s our son. I’m as worried about him as you are.”

  “It’s not your fault.” Zvarel said, his voice softening. “And he’s been in touch every day. I’m sure he’s fine. I’m sure it’s all fine.” He added. It was a lie. It was rare, but sometimes carda’ans lied.

  “She’s a life mate.” Ivy said uncertainly. “He can’t actually hurt her without hurting himself. That is what you’ve always said. That is true, isn’t it?”

  “It is true.”

  “Then I don’t understand. Why are you all so worried? It will work itself out, won’t it?”

  “I’m sure it will.” Zvarel repeated, putting his arm around her and pulling her close.

  ---

  “So what now?” Aghrael asked as they drove back. He kept seeing the woman’s dull, dead eyes. It was creeping him out.

  “Now we talk to Eleanor.” Variel said decisively. “At least, I will. You’ll want to keep out of this one.”

  They drove in silence for several more hours, as Aghrael further processed what happened earlier that day.

  “I’m in.” He said.

  “No, you’re not. Not for this.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “I don’t think you understand…”

  “I do understand. And I also understand that you’re incompetent. I’m deep enough in this to be an accessory anyway. I need to stick around long enough to make sure you don’t get caught. It’s pure selfishness on my part.”

  ---

  “And what do you expect me to do about it?” Eleanor asked as patiently as she could. Aghrael had brought the EMP, and proceeded to activate it in her office, blowing out all electronics in the vicinity in his attempt to ensure that no listening devices were present. Eleanor, was less than pleased.

  “We know about the underground railroad for slaves. That is, I know about it.” Variel added in response to the blank look on Aghrael’s face. “Aghrael just knows about lasers and photons.”

  “Good for you.” Eleanor said flatly.

  “It’s not some sort of a sting operation.” Variel said impatiently. “We…” he paused, glancing over at Aghrael “you and I” he corrected himself, turning back to Eleanor “both know there is no such thing. The emperor is implicitly allowing the underground railroad to operate. Not for you, not for my mother, but for slaves like Jane. For when it all goes wrong.”

  “Even if, completely theoretically, there was any truth to what you are saying, the underground railroad is not for slaves like Jane. Jane is the other half of a life bonded pair. The bond is sacred, Variel. You, of all people, know that. No one will interfere. If the underground railroad ever interfered with a bonded pair, the emperor would not tolerate our existence. Nor would anyone else on this planet. It is not something we can do. Jane is not the only one who needs help. And the price of helping her, is too high for anyone to pay.”

  “But… it’s not… it can’t… can you just check? Theoretically? Can you check on whether it’s a real, registered bond?”

  “I will check.” Eleanor said quietly.

  ---

  “There is a registered bond between Jane and her owner.” Eleanor said as they returned to her office the next day. None of her electronics were working, but Aghrael sent out a new EMP signal, just in case. There would be no listening devices in their vicinity. At least this time, Eleanor had the forethought to leave her computer in the car. Her new computer. The old one was useless.

  They sat in silence. Eleanor left them to it. It was a lot for the boys to process, and they would need time. She understood that.

  “If that is true.” Aghrael said carefully. “And what we told you is also true, then there is only one possible explanation, isn’t there? It’s not normal, what we saw.” He gestured towards Variel. “Variel says it’s not normal. He says you’re normal. Well, somewhat. What we saw…” He sat in silence for about twenty minutes, while Eleanor waited patiently.

  “It wasn’t right.” Aghrael said finally. “What we saw was… broken.”

  “Corrupted.” Variel said quietly. A corrupted bond was legend and horror story made real. The man they saw, literally the walking dead.

  “What you have described” Eleanor said carefully “does indeed reflect the classic symptoms of a corrupted bond. The male became so possessive that he is controlling her every move. Every step. Every breath. Because of the technology we have available to us today, this is not a mere figure of speech. It is reality.”

  “So what do we do?” Variel asked.

  “There is nothing we can do.”

  “So you’re not going to help?”

  “Variel…” Eleanor sighed. “Even if I wanted to help… the carda’an legal system does not give me agency to act on my own behalf. I cannot commit a crime. My crimes are imputed onto my husband. And we all know how the empire punishes criminals. I will not expose him to that kind of risk. I cannot help you.”

  “But she’ll go insane.” Aghrael said. “And he’s hurting her. If it’s true that by hurting her he’s hurting himself…”

  “It is true.” Variel said, his voice sharp enough to cut glass.

  “It is true.” Eleanor agreed, holding a hand palm up, in what turned out to be an interspecies gesture of peace. “It is true, Variel. But in a corrupted bond, the male finds the pain preferable to losing control.”

  “How do you know?” Variel asked, anger in his voice. “Who are you to say?”

  “I am… I have been called in to consult. It is my area of expertise.” Eleanor said gently.

  “Then consult here! Fix this!” Variel hissed angrily.

  “I don’t believe that I can. What you’ve described is too far gone to be repaired. I’ve accessed more detailed records. Jane’s modifications were extreme. She has essentially become two people. The person she was before the modifications were made, and the person she became afterwords. It may not be possible to bond with both. Jane is broken, and so the bond…” Eleanor held out both hands, equally palms up. “I cannot help you.” She repeated. “The only escape from a corrupted bond is death. And carda’ans do not kill. Nor will I.” ‘

  “But he’s already dead.” Aghrael said.

  Eleanor shrugged. As familiar as she was with carda’an psychology, even she struggled to understand their overly broad definition of death. The man was obviously alive, and causing a great deal of harm.

  “What would you advise?” Variel asked.

  “Yours is an individualistic society with minimal tolerance for government interference. And it mostly works. But in instances like this, there is no recourse. None of us have the right to interfere.”

  “That doesn’t mean I can’t interfere.” Variel said quietly. Rights had nothing to do with it.

  It was Eleanor’s turn to sit in silence for a long, drawn out moment as she considered her options and weighed the morality of the choices before her. “I will tell you two things.” She said carefully. “First, the underground railroad is real, and if you wish to help, you can. Those who are hunted cannot remain here, nor can they return to earth. While the federated states remain independent, most of earth now belongs to the empire. But there are other options. It is not well known, but earth has sent out colony ships to establish human outposts outside of carda’an control. The intent was for these ships to remain secret. Obviously” she continued, not bothering to hide her regret “obviously we failed. The existence of the nine colony ships is known to the empire and the ships are being tracked and monitored. If you join the military, we can ensure you will be sent to one of these colonies. In return, you must agree to smuggle the cryochambers of the escaped slaves we provide you.”

  “And second?” Variel asked.

  “And second” Eleanor said, speaking with even greater caution “you should familiarize yourself with Aghrael’s research. Good night, boys.” With those words, she got up and left her office, shutting the door firmly behind her.

  ---

  “What did that mean?” Variel asked, clearly frustrated. “What does your research have to do with anything? It’s some sort of physics bullshit. How is that even relevant?”

  “I can’t go to earth.” Aghrael said somewhat abruptly.

  “Aren’t you going to have to?” Variel asked, momentarily distracted. “You’re the only homosexual on the planet. At some point, you’ll want to get laid.”

  “The emperor asked.” Aghrael said, with great reluctance.

  “He asked?”

  “It’s not really something he can order, I don’t think.”

  “He talked to you personally?”

  “Yes. He came by the house.”

  Variel whistled softly under his breath. “Because you’re a giant?”

  “Yes.”

  “Humans are pretty stupid. They may not figure it out.”

  “The emperor seemed to think they’re not that stupid. Eleanor figured it out.”

  “Eleanor already knew the answer. She just filled in the bits in the middle. Besides” Variel shrugged “Eleanor is Eleanor.”

  “I can’t go to earth.” Aghrael repeated.

  “So great, one of these colonies is probably perfect for you.”

  “Yes.” Aghrael agreed.

  “How is this going to help Jane, if everyone refuses to interfere with the bond? Even if we take her to one of these colonies, her owner will find her. That’s how the bond works. He’ll always find her.”

  “The bond is sacred.” Aghrael said carefully.

  “The man is dead.” Variel said. There was an easy solution here, even if he couldn’t voice it out loud. Carda’ans rarely killed. But the man was already dead… “Why did Eleanor tell me to ask about your research?” Variel repeated.

  “I can break the bond.” Aghrael said, with great reluctance.

  “The bond cannot be broken.”

  “The bond is not magic. It’s physics.”

  “Quantum entanglement.” Variel said, eyes narrowed in thought. “The bond operates through quantum entanglement.” He knew the basics, but nothing more than that.

  “Yes.”

  “And your area of study is?”

  “Faster than light speed communication, through quantum entanglement.”

  “When a mate dies, the male will know. Across any distance. Across light years.” Variel said, bringing the rest of his limited knowledge to the conversation. “That’s how we knew faster than light speed communication was possible.”

  “Yes. It’s a naturally occurring process, the hybridization of physics and biology. What the male is sensing is actually the moment the Einstein-Rosen bridge is broken.”

  “Einstein-Rosen… isn’t that some human guy?” Variel asked, puzzled.

  “It’s two human guys, and they came up with the explanation before we did. A wormhole connects the entangled particles.”

  “And how exactly does disentanglement happen?”

  “It happens when the wormhole connecting the two particles destabilizes and disappears.”

  “EMPs can do it.” Variel said, leaning forward. Electromagnetic storms damaged quantum comms. Even he knew that.

  “Yes.”

  “Can yours…”

  “No.” Aghrael shook his head. “The entanglement of a carda’an bond is too strong. It’s not easy to disentangle the particles. That’s what I’ve been studying. Our quantum comms would be superior if… well never mind. The point is, you would need a much stronger EMP emitter. Jane would likely get burns.”

  “But it would work?”

  “Yes.”

  “We need more information.” Variel said. “I should try to talk to him. If we can get him to talk to Eleanor, then maybe…”

  “We can’t get cameras inside the house, but we can plant them out in the forest, see what they do when they go outside.” Aghrael offered. “Maybe we’ll learn something that will help.”