Treachery: Celestial Empires Book 2 Read online

  “We have been given controls of the ship back,” Xavix said. “And I scanned the system – all traces of the hack that allowed them to take over theUmbra have been removed.”

  “Can you do something to protect the system?” I asked. “To prevent anything like that from happening again?”

  “I'm currently coding some countermeasures that I will be uploading to the mainframe,” he replied. “It's a temporary solution though. We would need more advanced technology to make it a permanent fix.”

  I rubbed the bridge of my nose, feeling a sharp pounding start to form in my head. “I can't worry about that right now. Do what you can to safeguard the ship and keep control of it.”

  “On it,” Xavix said. “I've plotted out a course to 51 Nyota and if conditions stay optimal, it should take us no more than thirty-five minutes to arrive.”

  “Good,” I said. “Let's get there and get this over with. Whatever this is.”

  Xavix, in control of the Umbra's controls once more, entered the asteroid belt, deftly navigating his way through the dense cluster of rocks. He flew with a precision I knew I never could and carefully picked his way through the belt, taking care to avoid letting the asteroids hit the hull of the ship. It was an impressive bit of flying, I had to admit. It made me glad I'd splurged on buying him all that time ago. In addition to being a good companion, he had better, more practical uses as well.

  “Are we almost there?”

  I snapped my head up when he spoke and found Theron standing in the doorway to the cockpit of my ship. My eyes instantly narrowed, my jaw clenched, and the anger I'd been working so hard to tamp down, suddenly flared up again.

  “What in the hell do you think you're doing up here?” I growled.

  “I just thought I'd – ”

  “Thought you'd what, come up and listen in to what we're talking about so you can go back and report it to your master, Boygan?”

  Theron looked at me and cocked his head, a look of confused astonishment upon his face. I had to admit, if this kid was playing a role, he was damn good at it. Looking at him standing there, I might be tempted to think he actually was innocent, that I was just being paranoid and jumping to conclusions.

  But I knew better. And the fact that he'd lied to me about who he really was, right from the jump, only made me even more suspicious of him. Made me believe, down in my bones, that I couldn't trust him.

  “Listen, I don't know what you're talking about,” Theron said. “I don't know who this Boygan person is.”

  “Right,” I said. “It seems pretty convenient then, that you show up on our ship and get locked inside with us – just before Boygan takes control of it. And that you were looking pretty buddy-buddy with those Zhakan soldiers back there on Javis. And that now, you turn up on my bridge the moment we get control of the ship back, meaning we're able to lock down our systems and keep Boygan from eavesdropping on our conversations. Is this all just some sort of odd timing? Coincidence?”

  Theron nodded vigorously. “It must be,” he said. “I swear to God I don't know anything about this Boygan person. He's not my master and I'm not spying on you for him – or for anybody else. I'm as much of a victim in all of this as you are.”

  “Bullshit,” I said. “You're no victim here.”

  “I don't know how to even begin to convince you that I'm not who or what you think I am,” he said. “But I'm getting really goddamn sick of trying. You want to believe I'm a spy? You think I'm reporting on you to this – Boygan, person? Fine. Kill me then. Leave my body – where ever in the hell we are – and be done with it.”

  I looked at him and was actually impressed by his little outburst. It was the first emotion I'd seen from him other than stark terror. And I had to admit – he sounded sincere. Genuine. It really was an impressive display.

  “You're good,” I said. “Really, really good. You ought to think about a career in acting – I think you'd be great at it.”

  Theron was apoplectic. His face turned bright red and he looked like he wanted to scream. I sat back and tried to keep the smug smile off my face watching him go through his cycle of anger. I could tell he was doing his best to remain composed and in control – traits necessary for an effective officer in the Air Alliance – but it seemed to be a Herculean task for him.

  I did have to say again though, if he was faking all of this and trying to pull one over on me, he was doing a damn fine job of it. I looked over at Xavix who remained focused on navigating us through the asteroid belt – although knowing him as I did, I was surprised by his silence. He was usually good for a snarky comment or two somewhere along the way.

  “Why don't you trust me?” he was finally able to choke out.

  “Other than the fact that you're a liar?”

  “I explained to you why I lied about my identity.”

  “But the fact remains – you lied,” I said. “Not exactly the best footing to get off on with me. How in the hell do you expect me to trust you when you're a proven liar?”

  Theron open his mouth to speak, his face still red and contorted with anger. But then he closed it again without speaking and the anger in his face began to fade. It was replaced by a look of resignation. I let him stand there and stew on my words for a few moments, content to let him twist a bit more. The fact of the matter was, I couldn't trust him. Didn't trust him.

  And with so much at stake, I couldn't afford to put my trust into the wrong person. More to the point, my mother and aunt couldn't afford for me to put my trust into the wrong person.

  “Fine,” he said. “I get it.”

  He turned and walked back down the passageway, sealing himself back inside the ship's mess hall. I sat back in my seat and rubbed the bridge of my nose again, the headache only growing stronger. Xavix still hadn't spoken and his silence seemed to be getting a bit more – pointed.

  “What is it?” I finally asked.

  “Have you considered the possibility that he's telling the truth?” Xavix asked. “I analyzed his speech and found that there is a high probability that he was being honest. That he is not, in fact, an agent of Mr. Boygan's.”

  “You ran a lie detector on his voice?”

  “That is one of the skills built into my systems, yes,” he replied.

  I turned and looked down the passageway, finding it still empty. Then I turned and looked at Xavix, who was still absorbed with piloting the ship and keeping us from taking hits from the countless thousands of asteroids in the Nyota system. Even though I'd been with him for a long while, I was still amazed by how many things he could do simultaneously. While technology on Earth and the advancements that had been made were still amazing to me, technology on other worlds were on a whole different level.

  Despite everything I'd seen and done, I still sometimes found myself staring wide-eyed and slack-jawed at some of the technological marvels from other worlds.

  “So, you think he's being honest?” I said. “You think he's trustworthy?”

  “I think he's being honest, yes,” Xavix replied. “Trustworthiness is an entirely separate animal. Make of it all what you will.”

  “Well, that's about as clear as mud, thanks pal.”

  “But Gemma,” Xavix said, “mud is anything but clear. In fact, it's quite opaque due to – ”

  “It's just a saying, Xavix,” I said. “Just another silly Earth saying.”

  He paused for a moment as if processing and then nodded. “Of course,” he replied. “You humans certainly do have many sayings.”

  “That we do,” I said. “A saying for any situation. That's why the greeting card indust – never mind.”

  I didn't want to have to explain greeting cards to Xavix – not with the image that was currently filling theUmbra's view screen. Dead ahead of us was 51 Nyota – the supposedly untouched, uncharted, uninhabited planet.

  From space, 51 Nyota looked brown. Dry. Desolate. It looked a lot like Mars from space, come to think of it.

  And it was the place Boygan wa
s supposedly holding my mother and my aunt. I guessed that if he was going for way off the beaten path, desolate land of hell, Boygan was right on the money with 51 Nyota.

  “Okay, Xavix,” I said, feeling the tension ramping up within me. “Take us down. Let's finally find out what we're getting ourselves into.”

  Chapter Ten

  Xavix landed the ship at the coordinates he was given with a slight bump and powered it down. I let out a long breath, my stomach churning and my head spinning. I had no idea what I was walking into. All I knew was that it wasn't likely going to be good.

  “On the bright side,” Xavix said. “That Zhakan mechanic really worked wonders with theUmbra. Your ship has not flown that well or that smoothly in the entire time we've been together, Gemma.”

  “Great,” I said. “I hope I'm around long enough to enjoy the newfound health of my ship.”

  Staring at the view screen, I saw that the world outside the ship looked much like it had from space. Namely, dry, dusty, and desolate. A strong gust of wind was blowing clouds of dust that made it almost impossible to see clearly.

  But my view wasn't so obscured that I couldn't see large buildings sitting in front of us. They were large, dark, and didn't appear to have any windows at all. Not that they were really missing anything. The view on 51 Nyota wasn't exactly – inspirational or breathtaking.

  “So much for this place being unexplored and uninhabited,” I said dryly.

  “The good news is that the atmosphere outside is similar to the atmosphere on Earth, so you shouldn't have any difficulty breathing without a respirator,” Xavix said.

  “Wonderful,” I replied. “As long as I can manage to avoid choking to death on the clouds of dust out there.”

  “I would consider that very unlikely,” Xavix said. “Given that you merely have to cross approximately fifty yards of open ground before – ”

  “Sarcasm, pal,” I said. “Use that big computerized brain of yours and look it up.”

  “Alright,” I said. “I guess I should get this over with.”

  I turned to find Theron standing in the doorway. His jaw was set and there was an angry light in his eyes. I pushed my way past him toward the landing ramp to get ready. I put on a jacket and slipped a pair of goggles over my head.

  “What do you want?” I asked.

  “I want to help,” he replied. “I know you don't trust me, but – ”

  “You're right, I don't trust you,” I said. “And more to the point, I don't want or need your help.”

  “Yeah, but I – ”

  “Mr. Boygan's instructions were very specific,” Xavix interrupted. “Only Gemma is allowed inside. Nobody else. If they see you – or even me – it would have negative repercussions for her family.”

  I glanced over at Theron and he looked like he wanted to object, but he wisely stayed silent. I tucked my weapon into my holster and took a moment to steel my nerves – which were currently on edge with stress and tension.

  “I will have the ship standing by,” Xavix said. “For when you get back.”

  I gave my metallic companion a smile and a nod – it actually seemed like he cared enough to be concerned about me. And then I cast a glare over at Theron for good measure. Turning to the doorway, I punched the button that would lower the ramp and secured my goggles over my eyes. A moment later, I was stepping down the ramp and into the strange, harsh environment.

  The ramp closed behind me and as I crossed the open ground. I felt the sweat rolling down my back. The surface of 51 Nyota was hot. Really hot. Like Death Valley in the summertime hot.

  “Yeah, but at least it's a dry heat,” I muttered to myself.

  I trudged across the hellish landscape - fifty or sixty meters of open ground never feeling like such an insurmountable distance before. The hot wind gusted, making this place feel even hotter, and the sound of the dirt and debris clicking off my goggles filled my ears.

  After what felt like a long, arduous hike, I finally arrived at the door to the building – and stood there like an idiot. There was no keypad to enter a code, no optical scanner – hell, there wasn't even a doorknob. The smooth black surface of the building mocked me. How in the hell was I supposed to get in?

  A moment later, as if to answer my question, a panel next to the door slid to the side. A mechanical arm slid out with some sort of oblong-shaped – thing – on the end of it. The oblong-shaped thing pivoted up and down, a red light shooting from it sliding up and down my body. I was being scanned – and was getting more impatient by the second.

  “Seriously?” I called out. “Is this really necessary? Who in the hell else do you think would be standing out here?”

  The mechanical arm slid back inside and the panel slammed shut. A couple of moments later, the door in front of me slid aside, finally granting me access. I stepped in and, finally getting out of that stifling heat, let out a long, satisfied sigh as the door closed behind me. The temperature inside was cool – almost chilly. And it felt entirely amazing.

  “Thank God for air conditioning,” I said as I pulled my goggles down, letting them hang around my neck.

  I ran my hands through my hair and grimaced as I watched the clouds of dust billowing around me. Nearly jumping out of my skin, I was barely able to stifle a squeal of fearful surprise when gusts of air – cool air, thankfully – buffeted me from the sides of the small room I was standing in.

  With the blasts of air hitting me, it wasn't long before the clouds of dust were filling the room around me. There was a second sound that filled my ears and I watched as the clouds of dust were sucked up into vents in the ceiling. It was all over in a few moments and I was clean and dust-free again.

  “Nice, Boygan,” I said. “That's pretty handy. I'll give you that. Now, can we get this shitshow on the road, please?”

  A panel slid aside in one wall, revealing a box-shaped cavity inside.

  “Please place your weapon inside,” came a voice over some unseen speakers. “You may retrieve it when you leave.”

  I hesitated for a moment before complying with the order and putting my gun inside. I pulled my hand away and the panel slid shut again. I hated being without my weapon, and the only consolation I had was that at least I thought I was going to be allowed to leave.

  “Fine,” I said, turning in a circle and scanning the blank, black walls of the room around me. “Happy now?”

  There was a long silence in the room before a door slid open in the wall to my right. I looked at it suspiciously for a moment, the knots in my stomach constricting almost painfully, before I walked across the room and stepped through the door. It slid shut behind me with a loud clang – almost like the sound of a prison cell door being slammed shut.

  I was standing in total darkness. It was like being in a sensory deprivation tank and it was completely disorienting – not to mention totally unnerving. I had no idea what was in front of me or to the sides of me. I only knew there was a wall and a door behind me because I'd just stepped through it. Everywhere I looked, it was just – black. And silent. It was like I'd gone completely deaf and blind.

  “Follow the lights, please,” said a voice over a speaker that echoed out of the darkness.

  “Lights?”

  On the ground in front of me, a long row of small, round lights embedded in the floor began to glow softly. The illumination wasn't sufficient to light up everything around me though, so I remained mostly in darkness. With no other choice but to do as I was told, I sighed and followed the small dots of light.

  The building was larger than I imagined – although the gentle downward slope of the floor I was walking on told me that at least part of this structure was underground. I might not have noticed the sloping of the floor if I hadn't been so keyed up and on edge. When I got that way, my senses were usually heightened and I noticed everything.

  After about five minutes of walking, the lights ended and I found myself standing before another door. It slid aside and revealed a larger room – one
that was well lit – beyond. The feelings of trepidation and unease in me only intensifying, I stepped into the room, my body tensed and ready for a fight.

  But no fight came.

  Instead, I found myself all alone in an empty chamber – a larger version of the first room I'd entered. The walls were bare and the lighting came from some hidden source I couldn't see. All I knew was that – well – I could see.

  “Hello?” I asked, turning in a circle. “You got me here, Boygan. Now, what the hell do you want from me?”

  There was a slight hiss and a crackling sound a moment before the wall in front of me lit up like a television screen. Except the picture I was seeing wasn't one of my favorite programs, it was like something out of my worst nightmare.

  My mother and aunt sat in chairs, their eyes wide, tears running down their terror-stricken faces. The soft glow of the electro-cuffs at their necks, wrists and ankles bound them to their chairs. My mother looked gaunt. Pale. Given her medical condition, I had no idea how much more of this she could endure – though, I didn't think it could honestly be much more.

  “Where are you, Boygan?” I called. “You got me here. Now, let them go!”

  “Oh, I'm afraid it's not going to be that simple,” Boygan's voice filled the room around me.

  He stepped into the picture on the wall in front of me and stood directly behind my mother and my aunt. They tried to turn their heads, but the electro-cuff prevented them from moving. Their eyes grew wider and the terror on their faces only deepened. Just seeing his face, seeing him standing behind my mother, filled me with a severe rage all over again. I didn't take killing lightly, but in that moment, if he'd been standing in front of me, I would have torn him apart with my bare hands.

  Which was probably why he'd wisely chosen to not be standing in front of me.

  “You said you'd let them go when I got here,” I said. “Well – ”

  “Actually, that's not what I said,” he replied smoothly.

  I studied the room they were in, looked closely and tried to find some clue about their location. The walls weren't black though, which made me doubt that they were in this building. And in the upper corner of the video frame, I saw what looked to be a window. It was just a corner of it, but to me, it looked like a window – and that it was sunny outside of where ever they actually were.