ã€ŠAcadia: Chaos In The Cosmosã€‹


 Chapter 1: The Recruit

    Nia was sinking.

    The ocean''s waves were cresting around her underneath the gaze of a pitiless sun. Her lower half, submerged, was frigid, cold as ice, writhing beneath the blue. The water''s chilly tingle, almost electric, traveled up her skin till her head collapsed beneath the waves. Then, just after she descended, spurred by instinct, she looked back up to see the sky sparkling above, caught in the distorting lens of the water''s film; the sky seemed to be fluorescing from emerald to dark blue. She had done it a thousand times before but couldn''t help but think: What if this is the last time?

    That high up from the ocean''s floor, the water fought her with an intense upward rush. But she thrust against it, turned to face the seafloor, and began kicking with the fury of a fighter. Nearby, schools of fish swam past. They emerged from the hazy blue nothingness and, farther away, disappeared into it again. Below, gray shadows were moving. Sharks! She thought as her lungs convulsed with dread, but she calmed herself, realizing that they were just Manta rays.

    Deeper into the depths, she descended. Then, more mindful of the time, a glance at her diving watch revealed 120 seconds had elapsed. She was nearing the bottom but paused her descent momentarily to look around and caught sight of a hole several meters ahead. The hole looked like a warped ring with a mouth wide enough to fit a school bus through. Along its rim ran a jagged edge with large, slender chunks of sharp rock protruding. The inside looked dim and foreboding. Little light leaked through.

    I''ve dived a thousand times before. Relax, she thought. But as she swam toward the hole, she felt the waves of fear wash over her, progressively getting stronger. Her chest grew more tense as she tried to calm herself, but the uncertainty of what lay ahead wouldn''t allow her to. She was racing against time, had no scuba gear, and was free diving. The only thing keeping the oxygen in her lungs and the ocean out was sheer willpower.

    But even her will was ultimately governed by time. Her watch was ticking, tapping rhythmically against her wrist with thumps as gentle as raindrops. But each tick meant one less breath. Two things were impending: death or escape. But before either, she had to enter the cave and retrieve something.

    She crossed into its mouth, eyes closed, twisting her body into an awkward shape to avoid being cut by the stalactite-like edge. The mouth swallowed her in a gulp. Then the current slowed again to a speed so slow it was soothing. She reflexively opened her eyes and saw that she''d entered a new environment. It was nearly pitch black. She flicked on her headlamp. Its beam stretched ahead far and wide, illuminating the roughly cylindrical cave walls. They were rough and bumpy, making it difficult to find what she was looking for: her little sister Acadia''s bracelet.

    The week before, Nia remembered going diving in the cave with her sister. And Acadia had hit her hand against the cave walls and accidentally knocked it loose. They searched for it then but couldn''t find it. Acadia claimed it didn''t bother her, but Nia knew she was lying.

    So Nia searched for a glint of gold along the rough ridges of the walls.

    It was hard to ignore just how quiet it was down there. It was so silent that Nia could almost hear her thoughts echo off the walls.

    Her lungs were feeling stressed after such a long time of holding air in, but relief coursed through her when she saw something glinting in the misty depths of the cave floor. She kicked her way down, and there it was¡ªthe bracelet, perched along the edge of a rocky bump. She stretched out her hand and yanked it toward herself, taking a moment to inspect it. It looked undamaged. Its golden sheen gave off a muted glow in the shower of her headlight. Her clenched lips spread wide into a smile as she turned and kicked back toward the exit.

    As she went, she felt a strange tremor in the water. Is that a quake? She thought. But then she heard a sound coming from behind and turned to see a massive sea goblin, with its mouth gaping wide, revealing row upon row of large triangular teeth. The beast was the dread of the ocean and conjured nightmares among sailors and divers alike. Its bulbous head attached to a sinuous, snake-like body swam in their darkest dreams.

    Nia started kicking more furiously than ever. But it gained on her. Even with her flippers, She could never outswim the beast for long. It was nipping at her heels in mere moments as if it was toying with her.

    Right before it was about to bite her, she flipped downward and folded her body into the posture of a frog, pulling her legs close to her chest; then, she kicked with all the energy she had in her. Her body raced toward the ghostly floor; she twirled around 180 degrees. So that she was still moving head first toward the floor, but her torso faced the sea goblin. It lunged at her. Then she pulled the spear gun from her back, aimed it at the sea goblin, and fired reluctantly. The spear torpedoed into its head. It wriggled violently at first, then less so until its body was stilled by death.

    She swam through the inky blobs of blood oozing from the sea goblin out the cave''s mouth. Natural light greeted her as she raced toward the surface. Her lungs were screaming for air when she breached the water''s surface, and she swallowed oxygen in a series of rapid gulps.

    Yet another brush with death, she thought.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Exhausted from all the strenuous swimming, she allowed herself to float atop the surface for a while. Her body lay still but for the jiggling of the water that rippled her flesh. Her eyes kept moving, though, darting across the sky, watching the setting sun before landing on the birds above.

    The birds, whatever kind they were, appeared to be fuzzy white dots against the scattering rays of dimming daylight. One of the birds loitered above her, rolling around in circles. Something about it was off, though; it lacked the gracefulness that usually characterized the movements of birds. Nia wondered if it was injured.

    Oh, poor thing, she thought.

    She also wondered what it thought of her from up there looking down at her, just a tiny dot against the vast blue.

    Her mind quickly slipped from the heavens to the heat; the sun was scalding.

    Though it was harsh, it made her grin: The contrast of feelings, from the chilly depths of the sea to the sun''s furnace on the surface. The extreme opposition of sensations made her feel the weightiness of living more intensely.

    Ultimately, life is a cloud of sensation from beginning to end; some periods are cloudier or clearer than others. But in some moments, time staggers to a halt and remains frozen for a while. And she felt as though she got to live for an eternity in the space it took to draw a few breaths. She was frozen in a feeling.

    As she laid there bobbing around, with the occasional splash of water washing across her face, out of the hazy gray of her periphery, she discerned something appearing on the horizon. It was fuzzy at first, but it took shape quickly, morphing from a shadowy blob into a boat''s broad mast crowned with a fisherman''s flag towering on a beam above it. She felt relieved. Initially, she planned to let the current drag her closer and closer to shore for a while and then swim in when the distance wasn''t too great, but with a boat on its way; she might be able to catch a ride.

    After a bit more bobbing around and some kicking, waving, and screaming, the boat pulled up to her. A young man standing on the edge of the deck stretched a pole toward her. But the haze of the sun descending behind him sealed his face from her view. Instead, she could only see two large, veiny arms extending along the pole. She grabbed her end, and his arms began retracting. He pulled and pulled until he yanked her onboard.

    The boat was larger than she imagined it would be. The deck was littered with empty fishing cages, small and large.

    She dropped her spear gun, slid across the deck, and rested against the railing.

    The man who had pulled her up followed.

    "Are you alright?" He asked, leaning over slightly to get a better look at her.

    "I''m fine. Thanks for the assist."

    "Looks like you would''ve gotten a nasty sunburn if you were out there any longer."

    She chuckled and shrugged.

    "What were you doing out here floating around?"

    "I went diving."

    "Oh, that explains the spear gun you left over there," he said, pointing to the spot where Nia dropped it.

    "Oh, I''ll get that," Nia said, grabbing the rail to climb to her feet.

    "Don''t worry," he replied, waving Nia off as he ran over to grab it.

    Then he hurried back to her and dropped it in her hand.

    She nodded a thank you.

    "Where''s the spear?"

    "Deep inside a sea goblin."

    "I really need to use the bathroom," Nia said, wobbling her legs.

    "Sure, it''s downstairs. You can''t miss it," he said, pointing at the closed-off corner with a nondescript wooden door.

    "Thanks. I''ll be right back."

    "Hey, be careful in there," he replied, smiling.

    "Don''t worry. I know how to use a bathroom," she quipped, playfully rolling her eyes.

    She walked downstairs, looked around, and then slipped into the bathroom. It was a tiny room with a toilet squeezed into its corner.

    To her dismay, the toilet paper roll was finished. So she began shuffling around for a spare roll, racing against her incoming number two. First, she checked the cupboard over the sink. Then she looked in the drawer underneath but still found nothing.

    It didn''t help that the ship was rocking back and forth. Nia felt a little nauseous. Finally, once it was getting hard to hold it in, she stomped her feet in a fit of frustration. Then she noticed the floorboard felt hollow. She stooped down to check again and gently rapped her knuckles against the floor, and sure enough, she heard that hollow ring again.

    She stooped down and realized there was a little door in the floor with a tiny latch that she reached for. The door swung open with little exertion. Her anticipatory smile faded quickly. Instead of neatly stacked rolls of toilet paper, she was staring at a bunch of wires, canisters, and other strange equipment. She jiggled the items around to see if there was any toilet paper underneath. But there was nothing else.

    Curious, she picked up one of the canisters and twirled it around in her palm. It was only when she hung it upside down and saw a pin dangle from it that she realized it was a grenade. She was looking at a pile of dozens of grenades and what must have been explosive wiring. The canister she held was branded with the seal of the infamous cult, the Syndicate.

    Her breath grew heavy, and she could feel sweat beading along her hairline. Her wide, quivering eyes were locked in a blank stare.

    Knock! Knock! The door shook.

    "Anybody in there?" A voice rang out.

    "Yes, yes!" Nia replied.

    "You alright? You sound a little off," the voice boomed back.

    "I''m good; just a bit backed up."

    "Oh, Okie Dokie," replied the voice, trembling with laughter. "You''ll get through it." The pitter-patter of footsteps then grew distant, which calmed her down a little.

    Nia closed the door in the ground. She had suddenly lost any desire to relieve herself. She needed to get off the ship immediately, so she pushed open the bathroom door slowly, only to feel several hands yank her from behind it and throw her down on the ground outside. She looked up. Standing above her were a bunch of the crewmates she had seen on deck earlier. Their eyes were filled with cold, steely stares. One of them marched into the bathroom, pulled the door in the ground, and looked inside the floor.

    "She moved the grenades around," he yelled furiously.

    "She must have opened it and saw," one of the men replied.

    Another voice followed, "I told you she sounded weird in there like she was up to something. When I knocked, she was talking about being backed up. Yeah, right," he chuckled loudly along with the others.

    "We can''t let her get off this ship alive," said one of the men, brandishing a knife.

    The sight of the long, sharp blade dangling mere feet above her shot a series of chills through Nia''s body. She shivered until one of the men kicked her in the head, and her vision blurred into darkness.

 Chapter 2: The Guest

    Nia kissed her teeth as she woke with blurry vision. It took a few flutters of her eyelids to see clearly. When she came to, she noticed several shadows encircling her. Once her vision was crystal, she realized the same men were standing around her from before she had blacked out. She was duct-taped to a chair, bolted firmly to the ground.

    Theo sat not far in front of her.

    "Good to see you again," he said.

    "Look, I didn''t see anything. Let me go. I promise I won''t say a word," Nia said.

    "Haha, which is it? You didn''t see anything, or you won''t say a word about what you saw?"

    "I... didn''t see anything," Nia said with shaky breath.

    "You''re a bad liar, and the tell in the way your lips quiver," Theo replied, pointing at her lips.

    "I saw that too," sneered one of the men.

    "We can''t let her live," spouted another.

    "Yeah, but first, we must find out if she''s a spy," said Theo, as he signaled to the man behind her with a loud snap. The man peeled away from behind her and returned with a bucket in hand. She could tell it held something heavy from how he struggled to carry it.

    Once he set it down, she saw that water filled it to the brim.

    "Are you working for the government?" Theo asked.

    "I''m just a kid from a poor village. And my mom and sister must be worried about where I am."

    He got up and walked in a tight radius in front of her. Then turned toward her abruptly, rolled up his sleeve, and pointed to a tattoo on his arm. It was an image she had seen on the grenades, the symbol of the Syndicate.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Theo said. ¡°You know the organization I belong to.¡±

    Fear bit Nia''s tongue. Not a word escaped her trembling lips.

    "You know what, let''s dump her head in the bucket," said Theo, gesturing at the others to pull her out of the chair. She wiggled as hard as possible to try and escape, but it was in vain. Two men stepped forward, yanked her from the chair, and dragged her toward the bucket of water.

    "This is your last chance. Tell us if you are working for the government?"

    "No," she screamed, shaking her head.

    "Dunk her!" Theo thundered back.

    Nia strained as hard as possible against the hands that drove her head toward the water. But the more she resisted, the closer the water came. In the final moment, she swallowed a massive gulp of air. Then, immediately, the water washed over her face and swallowed her whole head. She held her breath for a bit but then panicked. Her jaws widened against her better judgment, and the water rushed in, filling her mouth, throat, and nostrils.

    They repeated the process twenty times.

    Nia kept squirming like she had a seizure.

    Then she felt some hands yank her right back up. She hacked up all the water she took in and coughed like a hag for a while, then wheezed in breath after breath.

    "She''s not a spy," said Theo. "If she were, the cops would have raided the ship already.

    "How do you know?" Asked one of the men.

    "Because, rookie, spies are trained to react more stoically than she is. Plus, we dunked her twenty times, and she hasn''t cracked because she isn''t hiding anything!"

    "Oh," the voice replied.

    "You don''t look too good," said Theo, offering his hand. She waved him away. Then he ordered the two men to throw her back in the chair.

    "Now that I know you''re not undercover, I''m going to tell you the truth about who we are."

    "Can you just let me go?"

    "No, let''s talk. Do you know what the biggest problem in the world is today?"

    "Everybody does, the energy cloud in space that''s eating our universe."

    "Yes, but what''s the cause of that?"

    "There''s no one to blame. It''s a natural disaster."

    "Sure, we don''t cause natural disasters, but we can control how we respond to them, no? And our government isn''t responding well."

    "True."

    "Right now, we have no idea if the cloud can be stopped or not because the government refuses to fund research into how to do it. And there''s no serious contingency plan to build enough spaceships to get everyone off origin and the other planets in the rest of the Xymoran Federation to more distant planets that will take longer for the cloud to reach. And why would they, all the rich and connected people, government ministers, generals, and other leaders, know they can always get away? So they don''t care about us."    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Nia sighed.

    "Of course, as I mentioned before, we don''t know when the cloud in space will devour our planetary federation because its growth seems irregular. But that could change tomorrow, and it could sprint to our planet. So we don''t have the luxury of counting on that. We have to act as if it''s going to happen soon, so we can hopefully be prepared long in advance. The Xymoran government has been bad long before this. That''s why the Syndicate has fought them so long to protect innocent people. But the emergence of this cloud in space adds a new sense of urgency to the need to fight and topple the government."

    "I get your point, but I don''t think things will ever change," Nia whispered.

    "Really," said Theo, pausing in disbelief. "No, things can change."

    Nia tried to stop herself but couldn''t and broke into laughter.

    "You think there''s going to be a revolution? Your beloved Syndicate has been fighting the government for so long, and you''ve failed because they are far too strong."

    "Well, we''re changing our strategies and tactics now. We won''t fail this time. But I know how you feel. I was once like you, cynical and adrift in this cruel world. But the Syndicate gave me a purpose. It can give you one, too."

    "So all this is part of your recruitment pitch," Nia chuckled, shaking her head. "I''m not interested."

    Suddenly, the ship shook.

    "What the hell is that!?" yelled one of the men.

    A volley of loud gunshots, brawling, and foot stomps followed above deck.

    Then a booming voice emanated from outside into the ship, "This is the Xymoran maritime police. Your ship is in violation of the nightly curfew, and all on board will be detained."

    "Shit!" yelled Theo. "Couldn''t one of you have mentioned the curfew?"

    "The captain said he''d push the ship far away from shore so we''d be less likely to get raided," said one of the men.

    "Clearly, he didn''t push us out far enough!" Theo replied.

    "No, she''s not," Theo said. "You guys should start going up now. If they corner us down here, we''re all dead."

    The man nodded and began racing up the stairs.

    Theo dashed toward Nia and pulled his knife out in front of her. When their eyes met, her whole body shivered.

    "You have to come with me," said Theo before bending down to cut the tape that fastened her hands and feet.

    "Hell no!" Nia said, though she was quietly relieved that Theo didn''t mean to gut her with the knife.

    "Didn''t you hear me say police are on the ship?"

    "Damn it! Then how are we gonna get off? Nia asked.

    "We''ll have to run up to the deck and then grab one of the inflatable motor boats and jet off in the dark," he said through clenched teeth as he strained to cut the last bit of tape off her.

    "Did you just say go upstairs? Are you insane? It sounds like a bloodbath up there."

    "Well, down here, our deaths are guaranteed. So let''s go up and take our chances instead," he said, his face returning to its calm and inviting form. Nia couldn''t quite explain it, but some combination of fear on her part and what seemed like genuine care radiating from Theo''s face made her grasp his outstretched hand.

    He pulled her up, and the two set off running, Theo with an assault rifle in hand and Nia trailing closely behind, sweaty and out of breath.

    Racing up the steps, they encountered a Xymoran police officer. Theo fired, and the man flew back onto the deck, dead.

    The deck was slick with blood and bits of flesh from edge to edge; it disturbed Nia deeply. They struggled to move across it without slipping as bullets whipped just over their heads. Theo traded fire with several police officers. But quickly enough, they reached the rear of the deck, where an inflatable motorboat was tied to the railing.

    "Here it is," Theo said, gesturing to Nia to unfasten it. She began to disentangle the ties.

    Nia was working as fast as she could but found it hard to focus in the din of a firefight. Covered in goosebumps from head to toe, she kept hoping that somehow, none of the bullets would hit her.

    She managed to pull off the final attachment cord and watched as the boat dropped several meters, slammed into the sea, and shot towering jets of water spray right onto the deck. The rubber dinghy floated and began drifting away from the ship.

    "Alright, you go first, and then I''ll come," Theo said. "And don''t get any ideas. If I see you trying to escape, I''ll gun you down."

    "Ok," she swallowed before climbing over the railing and standing on the ship''s edge. She drew in a deep breath and then leaped into the sea.

    For a few moments, she was flying, and then, splash! The water was colder than when she dove in earlier, so cold her teeth began chattering immediately. She made haste, crawled onto the boat, and checked the motor. It was fine.

    Despite Theo''s warning, she considered escaping for a split second, but her contemplation turned into hesitation, which deflated when she heard another splash and turned to see him rapidly kicking over toward her in the water.

    He grabbed the edge of the boat and helped himself onto it. Nia watched, refused to help, and cursed him under her breath.

    In front of her, he sat on the floor with his gun tucked beside him. He shivered the chill away as a few cold mists escaped his lips. Nia started the motor, and the boat roared away from the backdrop of the chaotic ship. They could see the ship burning as the raft moved across the water. It glowed like a massive lamp in the otherwise pitch-black night.

    "What''s causing the fire?" Nia asked.

    "The gas canisters and grenades on the ship must have been hit in the firefight. The whole thing''s gonna blow soon. Trust me. You might wanna look away."

    But Nia''s eyes were peeled. Even in all her years of diving, she had rarely felt so much suspense.

    The ship was blown to bits that went up in a massive fireball. The ball of fire expanded outward and consumed the whole of the ship, and scarred the surface of the water around it into steam. At the same time, bodies and shrapnel were thrown into the water, accompanied by a boom that echoed like rolling thunder. The sound went out with an explosive wave so potent it drove the still night''s air into a furious wind that whipped across the ocean and rocked the boat violently. Nia fell down in the boat but raised back up in awe. She felt goosebumps roll across her body.

    "Damn!" Nia yelled.

    Then she muttered quietly to herself in disbelief. She was struggling to process everything. What had started as a simple dive to retrieve her sister''s bracelet had terminated in chaos.

    Death is out to get me, she thought. I think it will this time.

    Every hair on her body tingled; her throat was almost clenched shut.

    "Oh, you''ve gone quiet," said Theo.

    Nia''s eyes met his with a piercing stare.

    "Go ahead and sleep. I''ll take over the boat," Theo said.

    "I''m not sleeping with you around," Nia barked.

    "I just saved your life, remember? And it wasn''t a request."

    Her mouth widened as she struggled to say something sharp and witty.

    She moved away from the engine as he moved toward it.

    She was tired.

    And the rhythmic rocking of the boat was a powerful lullaby. While the boat swayed, skipping over wave after wave again in a ceaseless pattern, Nia''s eyes dimmed, her head wobbled, and she crumbled flat against the floor of the boat. Before her awareness went, the last thing she heard was a loud snore. She smiled. It was hers.

 Chapter 3: The Dear Leader

    The capital palace was a grand spectacle. It was seven stories high and had nearly a hundred rooms with a gray cobblestone finish. Its surrounding fields stretched for miles, making it the largest portion of land in Xoya, the capital city of the planet Origin and the whole Xymoran federation.

    Its fields and gates were buzzing with security. Checkpoints had been set up. Darius, leader of the Xymoran Planetary Federation, had called for a meeting with his military and political staff.

    His ministers had to scramble to get the details together on the troubling events unfolding near the edge of the realm, the region of space inhabited by humans. There had been several major military skirmishes between Xymoran troops and the forces of the Ahkosans, a group of renegade planets devoted to resisting Xymoran hegemony. Casualties had run into the hundreds. What was already a low-intensity war was growing into something worse. Darius wanted answers and a strategy to crush the enemy.

    That was what weighed heavy on General Nodalis as he entered the palace. He wanted to be the one to deliver the silver bullet solution. He wanted to lead the effort to maintain and expand Xymora''s dominance throughout the realm and, thereby, peace.

    Nodalis was a battle-hardened man who had led campaigns all over the realm. He had fought pirate fleets, bandits, destroyed revolutionary organizations, and more. His thirst for action was hardly quenched, though.

    As he moved through the halls, he paid attention to the portraits that adorned the walls. They were pictures of elites that rubbed shoulders with Darius, business people, leaders in the police, governors, and the like. But it was the pictures of the Generals that mattered most to Nodalis. Being on those walls was a huge honor for a general, but his picture had not been put up yet. He always felt Darius refused to as a way to keep him in check. He would have to do something incredible to earn his place there. And it was the specter of failing to create a legacy great enough to warrant it that had haunted him nearly all his life.

    Nodalis saw his daughter, Copernica, and Emperor Darius''s daughter, Princess Chrisyntha, along with Chrisyntha''s cousin, Raya, chatting. They had been friends since they were toddlers, and seeing them together made him smile.

    Nodalis was about to wave, but he noticed a commotion among them. Copernica was in tears, arguing with Chrisyntha.

    He could barely make out what they were saying.

    But Copernica was moving toward Chrisyntha before Raya gently yanked her away.

    "It''s ok; you''ll always have me," Raya said to Copernica as she held her close.

    Nodalis looked on, puzzled. He was tempted to intervene but feared he might make things worse as an older man stepping into the drama of the young.

    So he sighed and then turned back to the meeting room entrance and stepped in.

    The other invitees were already inside. But, of course, Nodalis enjoyed being last. Because he wanted all eyes to land on him, especially the emperor''s, he relished the opportunity to be the center of attention.

    Emperor Darius sat nearby. He was once a tall, strapping man, but disease had ravaged him. Over the years, Darius had grown into a shell of his former self, a shadow so unlike the younger him that people rarely believed his photos from his youth were real. His deterioration was not lost on Nodalis; both men had known each other for much of their lives. And Nodalis took pride in knowing he was still strong and vigorous despite being a few years older than Darius.

    "Welcome, my ministers and you general. It''s time we talked about the threats that might tear the realm apart. Tell me more about the renegade planets," Darius said. "Oh, and my daughter will join us shortly. I want to start educating her for when her time comes to take my place and lead."

    Everyone at the table nodded. And right after, Chrisyntha walked in.

    "Welcome, honey," Darius said.

    "Father, thanks for having me. Hello everyone."

    They all began to rise out of respect, but she gestured for them to sit and offered a disarming smile.

    "That won''t be necessary," she said.

    She sat beside Nodalis.

    "Your majesty," Nodalis said to Darius. "The Ahkosans have constantly attacked our spaceships and killed hundreds of our soldiers. But we haven''t declared war," Nodalis said.

    "And for good reason, your majesty," Jax, the foreign minister, replied. "As long as we don''t declare war, the opportunity for a diplomatic resolution remains."

    "My desire to declare war grows stronger by the day. I have no patience for rebels, and diplomacy is always a weak tactic," Darius replied.

    "Your majesty, if I may, let''s try using carrots instead of sticks. The whole realm is in a deep economic depression, which is driving the rise of dangerous politicians and movements who promise they''ll deliver economic prosperity through conquest by stealing others'' wealth. And the only way to counteract that is to increase trade across the realm. Since we have the largest economy, only we can lead that effort. By allowing the Ahkosans and others more access to export to our market, we might be able to bribe them to stop fighting. That''s part of why they''re attacking us. They''re frustrated with the current economic situation. If we don''t end the realm-wide economic depression, there will be a realm-wide war," Fran, the economy minister, added.

    "No, because if we give the Ahkosans that, then everyone else will be lining up to get it," Darius said. "And it will show that we can be easily bullied."

    "His majesty is right. And if we open up or market to everybody, how will we protect our local industries? The unemployment rate is high enough already. We''ll have a violent workers'' revolution on our hands if it gets any worse," Genn, the industries minister, added.

    "The economy and foreign minister are offering fake solutions when the obvious solution is force. We can wipe the floor with the Ahkosans and teach everyone else a lesson; there is no need for any economic or diplomatic crap. Let''s crush them," Nodalis said.

    "I couldn''t have said it better myself, Nodalis. Some of you ministers are being blind to the reality of power," Darius barked. "War minister, what do you think?"

    "I''m afraid I''m on the side of the diplomats. The planetary politics is too messy. If we declare war on the Ahkosans, the BIOS federation might join in against us. We would defeat the Ahkosans easily, but a war with BIOS would be immensely more difficult and deadly," Devan said.

    "Why are we so sure BIOS would join in?"

    "Because there is evidence they are the ones supplying the Ahkosans with weapons. Last month, BIOS claimed a shipment of their weapons was stolen, and the stolen weapons, somehow, turned up in Ahkosan''s hands. The interesting thing is those weapons aren''t even Biosian tech. The Biosians bought the weapons from pirates. And the weapons are actually weapons stolen by pirates in raids on our ships, which the pirates resold to them. Our guess is the Biosians do that to test their weapons against ours in mock preparations for war, and then they hand some over to the Ahkosans to aid them against us. The other piece of evidence is circumstantial: Only BIOS''s or Chemitar¡¯s backing could make the Ahkosans confident enough that they''d dare attack our ships, and we know it¡¯s not Chemitar," Devan added.

    "Look, we aren''t even sure if we still have a more powerful military than BIOS. A decade ago? Sure! But now it''s hard to know because our tech is mechanics and electronics-based. In contrast, theirs is biologically based, which makes comparisons a bit difficult. So again, let''s try diplomacy," said Jax. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    "Father, I agree," princess Chrisyntha chimed in. "There are too many unknowns: A war with BIOS and its proxies could be the beginning of the end of our hegemony, which right now is maintained more by the illusion of our power than it is by real power. If we go to war, and they call our bluff, the illusion will disappear and result in chaos."

    "I disagree. We''ve been holding back too long. We don''t have to declare war on BIOS to punish the planets that have attacked us. Every day that we don''t makes us look weak, and that erodes the illusion of our power, too, dear daughter."

    "Father, I agree with those who want to try a carrot-based approach, and I want to go a step further. I think it''s time we considered creating a whole new order in the realm based on peace, trade, and cooperation, not coercion and protectionism."

    "''We'' dear?" Darius asked. "Remember, I''m still Xymora''s leader, so there is no we."

    "Yes, dad, I meant no disrespect."

    "You''re an idealist, but that''s not best for the current environment in the realm. We have to display strength to keep the peace."

    "I don''t think that''s constructive, father. The concessions that many are asking for are tough, but it''s better than war. For example, many want us to stop enforcing the border around the realm that prevents people from expanding into territory outside of the realm. Why not relax the rules and allow some exploration and settlement outside the realm? That would reduce the impetus driving the Ahkosans to fight us to open our markets and the impetus driving other leaders and groups to wage wars to steal wealth from others because there''s so much land and resources outside the realm for people to access, so they wouldn''t need to. The scarcity that''s heating things up in the realm is artificial. "

    "Freeing people to expand into space outside of the realm would cause numerous problems. I don''t want to open the border because the further humans get away from each other, the more likely it is that we''ll grow divided culturally, politically, economically, and biologically. The border in space helps shrink the size of our differences by forcing us to stay relatively close, which facilitates cultural exchange, some trade, and communication, which helps keep us from becoming too different. Too often, humans capitalize on differences to discriminate, hate each other, and, eventually, wage bloody wars."

    "His majesty is correct," said Genn. ¡°Sealing the realm''s border prevents the space mining monopolies from expanding into new regions of space with abundant supplies of raw materials like metals and minerals. It''s a way of managing supply to keep prices at an appropriate level. If all the space mining companies in the realm suddenly stumbled on abundant sources of raw materials to mine on the planets, moons, and asteroids beyond the realm, the prices of raw materials would crash and harm the realm''s economy even more. So we have to keep the supply of raw materials below a certain threshold. The border helps with that."

    "What you really mean is you don''t want the other space mining companies in the realm to get access to materials beyond the border because it would allow them to compete more easily with Asterys, our space mining monopoly," Chrisyntha shook her head. "And the real reason you don''t want prices to drop is that so many elites who have shares in Asterys benefit from the revenue higher prices for raw materials generate for them."

    "Your majesty, if I may, that''s one thing I agree with Chrisyntha about. Asterys shouldn''t be a monopoly. We need to break it up. From a purely military perspective, if we are going to war, we want to have multiple mining companies competing with each other to drive down prices for the raw materials we will need to build tons of weapons," Nodalis said. "The cheaper the raw materials are, the more weapons we can make."

    "No, we are right to defend our own industries!" Darius yelled.

    "Well, I don''t agree with her on opening up the realm''s border because the border helps prevent enemy planetary groups from accessing the vast resources outside the realm to use for their war machines," Nodalis added.

    Darius nodded.

    "I''ll never open the border, and Asterys works fine the way it is. Never forget, daughter, those elites you said profit off it are my friends," Darius continued. "The people don''t know what''s good for them. I do."

    "But father, to them, the area outside the realm is a place of wonder, opportunity. With all the resources and planets out there, many people throughout the realm see the chance to experience abundance like never before. They want to have the excitement of discovering new areas of space, new planets, asteroids, moons, and more. Letting people explore out there would generate a ton of goodwill and make us more popular with people here at home and across the realm. And maybe the best reason to open the realm now is to find new planets to move to before that cosmic cloud gobbles up the realm."

    "Oh please, no one has to worry about that seriously for a while," Darius scoffed. "Let''s move on. Nodalis, I want you to begin preparing for war with the Ahkosans. Send as many ships as we can. They must be crushed."

    "Yes, sir," Darius nodded.

    Chrisyntha looked dismayed.

    "But Father¡ª"

    "That''s it for today," said Darius, waving her off. "I want everyone except Nodalis to leave now."

    The ministers were surprised by his sudden request but hid their shame and complied; rising together, they made their way through the door with Chrisyntha while Nodalis remained, wondering what was in store for him.

    "I''m an old man with little time left," Darius said. "But I''ve made peace with it, so I don''t want any pity. I have one major concern about what will happen when I''m gone. My daughter will succeed me, but as you can see, she''s not ready to lead. She thinks diplomacy and conversation can solve every interplanetary issue. We can always avoid war through dialogue blah blah blah. I wanted you to see for yourself, and that''s just what she got around to saying. If I had let the meeting go on, you''d all learn that she wants to undo almost every major policy of mine."

    Nodalis shook his head.

    "That''s why I need you to be a firm, guiding hand for her. I just don''t trust her to lead by herself when I''m gone."

    "What are you really asking of me? I can''t make her do anything when she becomes leader. She''ll be far too powerful for me to control."

    "To her, you''re like an uncle. You''d have more influence than you think."

    "She might tire of me easily."

    "Well, there''s another option," he paused as he pulled a sheet of paper onto the desk and slid it over to Nodalis. "Based on the law of modified succession, I can designate that you become caretaker leader after me instead of my daughter."

    Nodalis poured over the sheet of paper. It said what Darius claimed. Nodalis paid particular attention to Darius''s signature and fingerprint on the paper. It was legit.

    "Of course, the position of caretaker leader doesn''t last forever. You''d get ten years, but I''m hoping that would be enough for you to shift her perspective while maintaining and expanding on our current policies."

    "If I do this, people would claim it''s a coup. She''s so popular with the people. They adore her and want her to lead. More importantly, she''s like a niece to me. I could never betray her."

    "Again, the people don''t know what''s good for them. Sure, people will complain, but it''s legal," Darius replied. "And you don''t have to invoke it immediately when I die. You could wait and see; maybe decide at a later time."

    Nodalis nodded creakily.

    "This is about preserving our planetary federation''s hegemony, which is good for the realm. Fools call us an empire, but beyond our federation, we only have a few possessions here and there, no colonies. Our power comes from our immense economic and military power her at home, not directly ruling other people, contrary to what the propaganda says. The rebels want chaos. So we have to stop them. My daughter just doesn''t get it. But I know you do. After all, we go way back. We''ve always thought similarly about these things."

    "Yes, we have."

    "I love my daughter. She has a good heart, but sometimes I wish I could trade my daughter for yours. Your daughter is a colonel in the military now, isn''t she?"

    "Yes, she keeps climbing."

    "That''s quite an accomplishment. She was always ambitious, strong, and a born leader. "

    "I couldn''t be more proud."

    "And I couldn''t be more envious," Darius laughed. "Well, that''s it for today. I hope you''ll consider doing what I''ve asked," Darius added as he reached across the table and shook Nodalis''s hand.

    Nodalis nodded.

    "Do you know why I picked you? I could have chosen Chrysintha¡¯s cousin Raya to replace her. They are like sisters. And by law, she¡¯s next in the line of succession. But she¡¯s an idiot, too simple-minded for politics. I chose you because you always follow the rules, even back in our military days. You were always the dutiful soldier. A man like you doesn''t do things rashly. And that''s why you''re just a general while I''m the leader of the federation."

    Nodalis frowned.

    "When I led the coup to take over the government, I never asked for your help because I knew you''d say no, possibly even report me, but after I took control, I also knew you''d be my most loyal soldier. You''re just so good at following orders."

    "Yes, sir," Nodalis grudgingly replied.

    "Good man. Now, be on your way."

    Nodalis stood, saluted, and exited the room.

    Darius''s eyes followed, fixed on him as he went. He laid back in his chair, assailed by the gravity of the decision he had just made.

    Am I doing the wise thing? He thought. Only time will tell.

    But he frowned, remembering he wouldn''t be around to judge. After all, he''d have to die for the successor, whoever it would be, to take over. The weight of his decision would fall on generations he would never witness. He could only hope for the best. It was partly why he left the ultimate choice up to Nodalis. It calmed his mind somewhat to know that the decision wouldn''t be entirely his. It was so much easier to make decisions without living with the consequences or having any skin in the game. He had simply opened a door. It would be up to Nodalis to step through it or not.

 Chapter 4: The Morning After

    Morning first came as a ray of sunlight through Nia''s half-open eyelids. She resisted the urge to squint as she often did when she detected first light. More sleep would have been fine on any other day, but she couldn''t forget that she was in a quasi-hostage situation with a stranger. When her eyes sprang open, a glance behind her confirmed the previous night had been no dream. Sure enough, Theo was sitting at the back of the boat, wide awake, with his gun held tight.

    He paid little attention to her as he looked across the water, guiding the boat carefully to the shore.

    Even though Theo was so puzzlingly erratic, Nia had seen his intellect flash in little ways. And though she hated to concede it, it made her feel a little safer to know there was a rational side to him, a counterbalance to his raging madness. But as her eyes ran over the rifle he held, she still wondered if or when he would let her go.

    If necessary, she would have to use it to escape. Still, she feared the thought of accidentally killing someone else in the crossfire if she ever had to shoot it. Maybe she could scare Theo off with it. But he didn''t seem like the type to buckle easily. Her frenetic mind ran to the sea goblin she had shot the other day, underwater, and the many different animals she''d killed for food.

    But they were just animals, though.

    Then again, she wondered if, in some unrecognizable way to human beings, every non-human-living thing counted its life as precious to itself as people do their own. If so, she was already a killer several times over. So maybe, killing him would be more of a step down than a leap.

    "Relax, everything is going to be ok," Theo muttered, with a wry smile, as if he had read her mind. And, strangely, he had eyes that reinforced that impression¡ªeyes so piercing they seemed to reflect the soul of whatever subject they looked onto.

    "Your words mean little to me," Nia said.

    He momentarily turned his head down before swinging it upward with a big grin followed by a lightning round of laughter.

    "Alright," he said, tossing his hands up flimsily for effect.

    Nia suppressed the knawing urge to snap at him. His penchant for turning everything into a reason for laughter unnerved her, but she wouldn''t give him the satisfaction of more ammunition for his habit. So instead, she counted to ten under her breath in cycles, letting her anger wash over her and quietly fade.

    She could tell he knew from the way he creased his lips, like a displeased old man. Disapproval curdled in those thin sandwiches of flesh, and it made her spitefully happy to think so.

    But it mattered little; their joint solitude was about to end. They were finally pulling up to shore.

    Nia had always loved beaches; they tingled with the magic of memory, from family outings to dates and dives.

    Nature is almost synonymous with greenery, but it fields rarer colors in respectable quantities as well. At the beach, rich pink hues met blues along the shore, where water cascaded up and lapped against the coral sand. Without sparing a moment, she leaped from the boat onto the bank, took up a fistful of sand, and then watched the tiny crystals sparkle in her hand.

    A beach was more than a place of recreation. It was a testament to the incredible creative power of nature, a place where water, wind, and gravity, over eons, had humbled the massive, jagged edges of continents into soft sand. Each grain was unique, stamped with the signature of its artist, mother nature.

    Still, despite its obvious attractiveness, the beach was, oddly, sparsely occupied. Only a few people were mingling along the stretch of sand. Fewer still seemed interested in the two''s literal appearance out of the blue. The few eyes that met theirs showed little alarm, which Theo tried to temper with his charming smile. Nia was focused on masking her fear.

    But, again, people didn''t seem to care.

    Behind her, Theo left the boat in the shallow water. She noticed him emerging from it without his rifle and was relieved, in part, because that could make it easier for her to get away. But Nia was also more worried because the area was strange to her. It seemed she''d still have to stick with him for a little while more.

    The only thing she knew about the world outside the major cities and her hometown was that much of it was ruled by roaming gangs and cartels, nearly all of which formed fleeting alliances and battled each other to expand their territories and markets. Except for the occasional raid or patrol, the government had long since abandoned its responsibilities in such places.

    "Come on. Let''s get off the beach and into town quickly," Theo said.

    "Alright!" She snapped.

    "Move faster then."

    "Where are we?"

    "Polk point."

    "Never been here before."

    "It''s a well-known node in the global black market trade network, so it''s less likely to have Xymoran cops patrolling. It''s also why nobody is making a fuss about my gun because guns are a common sight here."

    "Hmmm, so you thought bringing us here was a good idea?" Nia asked sarcastically.

    "As I said, it''s one of the places we can avoid cops. It''s worth the risk. Just keep your head down, and we''ll be fine."

    They started moving up a road adjacent to the beach that ran through an elevated patch of land whose peak shut out most of the view of the town on the other side. But as they strolled up the road, the community slowly emerged into view. Once they climbed over the hump, any expectations of continued quiet, as they had on the beach, was shattered.

    The town bustled like a little city. Both were dazzled by the hive of activity. People were moving from shop to shop, buying and selling. Performers studded the roadside, drawing curious looks and laughs.

    "Where are we going?" Nia asked.

    "Well, I''m hungry, so look out for a restaurant or bar."

    "Are you kidding me? Food is what you''re concerned about now?"

    He ignored her.

    It wasn''t long before they found a spot. It was an ugly little establishment, cobbled together from scraps of metal and worn wood. It looked like a dilapidated barn. But at least the seats were of decent quality. Theo did not seem bothered by the dank surroundings, but disgust was plastered all over Nia''s face.

    The waiter gave them menus, which displayed a varied selection of beer. Luckily, the food menu was a little better.

    It included delicacies such as roasted rat with caramelized onions. And according to the description, the rats there were local delicacies because they tended to be much larger than rats elsewhere. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    "You''ll wonder why you ever thought the chicken was so special," a line in the menu read.

    Theo ordered a beer, and Nia settled for some fried fish, which she spent half the time dissecting the bones out of despite it being listed as filleted.

    "I have many questions," she whispered to Theo in the cacophonous joint.

    "They''ll have to wait," said Theo.

    "They can''t," she replied sternly.

    "Geesh, ok, but keep your voice down."

    "You didn''t just stumble on me by accident in the ocean, did you? So how did you find me, and why were you looking for me?"

    "Looks like you''re startin'' to figure things out. You''re right. I didn''t just stumble on you. I''ve been looking for you for years. As for why, I can''t tell you everything yet, but someone made me swear to find and protect you a long time ago, and I''ve failed to until yesterday."

    "Does that someone have a name?"

    "Yep, somebody is the name," he nodded.

    Nia frowned.

    "So, how did you find me on the water?"

    "I used a bird drone, which detected when you came up from your dive. And then we moved the ship in your direction."

    "I knew one of those birds looked off."

    "Oh, of course you did," he said with ample sarcasm.

    Nia pulled back on her stool. She realized it made sense that it wasn''t a happy coincidence that a ship appeared on the horizon not too long after she breached the surface.

    "It''s insane that you were watching me."

    "The plans I have for you are far more important than your precious sense of privacy. Someday you''ll be grateful I came for you. It''s not like your life was so interesting before today," Theo scoffed. "If you only knew what''s in store."

    Nia kissed her teeth.

    "I know you''re thinking of running away back to your home. You shouldn''t, not just because I''ll shoot you. But because you''re the biggest danger to your family right now. You¡¯re a fugitive from the law. If you go back home right now, you might bring the law down on your home."

    "We don''t know if any of the cops in the raid that saw me lived to tell their superiors. There was a huge explosion after we left the boat, remember? My family is all I have, and they need me."

    Theo shook his head.

    A well of anger was filling inside Nia''s chest. But she calmed herself; To reach her family, she would have to survive him first, and part of that meant letting him guide her through terrain he knew way better.

    "So you have drones that look almost exactly like birds. Where''d you get those from?"

    "Our allies on BIOS make advanced living, biologically based tech; some say it''s the most advanced tech in the realm. They call their tech ''organics'' as opposed to electronics."

    "BIOS. Yeah, I''ve heard many rumors about them, but they all sounded ridiculous. I mean, how can anything living be a technology?" Nia laughed.

    Theo frowned.

    "Think about it. You have eyes. What are eyes?" He asked.

    Nia shrugged, "squishy balls in our faces that we use to see."

    "On other words, human eyes are cameras, but we don''t usually think of them that way."

    Nia''s jaw gaped open.

    ¡°I guess that us true,¡± she replied.

    "But it doesn''t stop there," he said. "Think of all the other biological systems that are technologies. Our ears are microphones. Our joints are motors. Our skin can detect ranges of heat and cold, like a thermometer. Our brains are computers. The human body is a constellation of integrated technologies."

    "Yeah... you''re right," Nia whispered.

    "And that''s just us humans. Other creatures have a variety of technologies we don''t. Mosquitoes can see in infrared. Bats have echolocation. Some octopuses can camouflage with their surroundings. I could go on."

    "Please don''t," Nia asked.

    Theo laughed.

    "The point is, again, BIOS makes tech primarily based on biology, so they use genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and other related fields to create biological technologies. So the bird you saw was a real bird, but enhanced with surveillance and wireless communication features, it can track anything, including you. But it was a very old model they loaned us. They have much more advanced stuff now that you could not tell apart from anything in nature. It''s a shame the bird was sleeping when the Xymorans came to attack our ship because we could have used some advance warning."

    Nia cupped her cheeks in her hands and puffed out some air in frustration. That wasn''t what she was expecting at all. It shook up her model of the realm. To her, tech was almost always electronic. But she was learning that there was a different kind of tech being made by humans in some faraway planetary group.

    She knew there were many other planetary groups, which were typically solar systems with multiple inhabited planets, that banded together to form political and economic unions.

    Still, Nia had imagined that humans everywhere pretty much lived the same way with only slight variations; why wouldn''t they? Humans are all fundamentally the same, after all. She wondered what that must be like, for a society to have a completely different technological foundation. But she knew there was no way for her to get off Origin, and the thought killed the budding dream and vision.

    She slipped from her daydream with a scowl.

    "So, why did they give you an old version of their tech?"

    "Because they worry about the Xymoran government getting a hold of their tech and reverse engineering it. Giving us old tech reduces the risk because even if the Xymoran government gets hold of old tech and figures out how to copy it, they''ll still be way behind the more advanced stuff."

    "Hmmm, makes sense," Nia muttered.

    Her mind quickly slipped to thinking of her family. She really wanted to go back home, but she was trapped.

    She had more than her fill of fear lately, and she was quietly choking on it. She kept tracing her fingers across her brow, unconsciously giving expression to fear and stress.

    "Hey, it''s going to be alright," said Theo, fixing his eyes on hers.

    She noticed how even when his eyes were lit with rage, they always had a touch of sorrow. And at that moment, his eyes reflected the dewiness in hers. It was a strange feeling, looking into herself through someone else''s eyes. He was unconsciously mimicking her out of empathy in a momentary lapse of control. And it made Nia recognize that he was more than the brash man he had been.

    "Come on, it''s best we keep moving," Theo said, shattering the moment.

    "Yes, well, you still have to pay," said the waiter overhearing Theo''s words.

    "Of course¡ª"

    "That will be $850."

    Theo began rummaging through his pockets for change. Nia mirrored him out of sheer embarrassment. She didn''t want to owe him anything and tried hard not to gasp as she felt her fingers repeatedly clasping nothing but air in her pockets. She hoped Theo was having better luck.

    Theo swung toward Nia and uttered a single word, "Run!"

    They took off quickly through the exit and cut up the street. In the haze of acceleration, Theo and Nia constantly bumped into people and couldn''t avoid knocking over some carts and stands. There were audible groans and gasps as they coursed through the town''s streets. Nia thought he seemed to be leading them to leave the city from the same place where they had entered. Still, it soon became apparent that he was just running around the city aimlessly.

    "What are you doing," she screamed at him. "We should be trying to get back to the boat and out of here."

    Theo looked back at her and smiled.

    "Did I say anything about leaving this town?"

    As they approached the end of a road, they noticed several heavily armed men waiting there. Nia couldn''t help but think it somehow connected to the bar incident. But there was no time to think about it. Theo dropped to the ground, placed his hands over his head, and yelled, "today, you get to take me alive, boys!"

    Nia, puzzled, spun around and headed in the opposite direction. But she soon heard the sound of boots in hot pursuit. She was straining against the limits of her strength and stamina to maintain her stride. Their pursuers kept gaining, and before long, another group of men appeared in front of her.

    Realizing she had nowhere else to run to, she threw her hands up and surrendered.

    The men ran over quickly and grabbed them.

    "The local domina wants to have a word with you two," one of the men screamed.

    Those words triggered a ripple of chills throughout Nia''s body.

 Chapter 5: The Local Domina

    No matter how you position yourself, cold concrete never makes for a good bed, Nia thought. After several nights of being locked in a cell, it was the primary thought that kept assailing her. The cell, small and cramped, had been stripped of paint. Nearly every inch of its walls were covered in holes and pee stains. Rusty steel bars stood between her and the outside world.

    The only contact she had with that vast beyond, then, were the memories that steadily dripped into her mind of a time before the cage, when she roamed the outer world freely without a gray thought about what might come next.

    She mainly reminisced about her family, her mother, sister, and father, a man she had never known. However, she liked to imagine what he might have been like. The sum of what flowed through her mind was varied and vast. It came in bits and pieces, an image, followed by a flurry of words, her sister''s last kiss, the sound of her voice, and the picture of her cherub face. How those puffy cheeks of hers glowed so brilliantly when they were red with joy; That made Nia blush in adoration at times.

    Sadly, her mother''s hair had grown gray with the cares of life. She once smiled so brightly. But after her second husband died, she went into a long decline. Yet, even before that, Nia had always found it hard to connect with her. Her mother was almost always distant and cold.

    Most days, Nia was lucky to hear even a peep from her. It was only sometimes when their eyes met that her mother turned her lips upward into a smile out of embarrassment. But it was always contrived. Sure her lips smiled, but never her eyes. Yet, Nia always found herself smiling back, carrying on the charade, partly due to pity but also because that smiling character her mom played was the closest thing to the genuine vessel of happiness her mother once was.

    It hurt Nia so much to think about how they must have thought of her.

    How were they getting by without me?

    After all, she caught most of the food that fed them on her dives. And she traded most excess catches for necessities. She knew her little sister would be spilling torrents of tears, waiting up for her, going sleepless. She could only hope her mother would not withdraw more deeply into her numbness because Acadia needed her.

    You have to be strong for her mother, Nia thought as she paced back and forth in her deafeningly silent cell day after day.

    I have to get back to them soon.

    She was stuck thinking about how to escape the place. Theo was kept separate from her so that she couldn''t count on him for help.

    The only time a guard would come down was when it was time for food. Surprisingly the portions were good. She didn''t expect to be better fed there than she''d been in years.

    But anyway, the guard only opened the bars wide enough to slip the dish through, and she always insisted that Nia stand way back against the wall at gunpoint while she did. So rushing the guard would not be a smart move.

    She had thought of other moves, but there weren''t many. So the only viable play that remained was a boring one, patience. The local domina would have to see them eventually to issue a judgment.

    And that day had come. A guard soon bent the corner. She had no food. Her hands hung long by her side. That piqued Nia''s interest. What was she doing? Her facial expression gave nothing away. She stopped just in front of Nia''s cell, twisted in the key, and rolled the cell bars open. She stood there, as stiff as the bars themselves, and eyed Nia up and down.

    "Follow me."

    Nia didn''t know whether to be shocked or relieved as indecision washed over her. Finally, she stepped forward, staggering after the guard as she marched back up the corridor.

    Nia''s head swiveled. Her eyes bounced from wall to wall, observing them intently, then turned back to the guard. She followed her as she snaked through the maze that led away from the cell.

    Soon, they emerged above ground into the blinding daylight, something Nia hadn''t seen in days. The natural light was so overwhelming to her tired, sun-starved eyes that she struck out her palm towards the sun to shield herself until her eyes slowly adjusted. As the haze wore off, she followed the guard until they turned into a large courtyard with a high wall surrounding the compound. There were dozens of heavily armed guards patrolling the space. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    They kept moving and stopped in front of a woman resting in a chair. The woman was petite with dark eyes.

    For a while, the Nia stood exchanging dreary looks with the woman, but not a word was spoken. All Nia could hear was the noise of footsteps approaching. Sure enough, she saw two men coming. One was hunched over. The other stood stall. Only when both drew closer could she make out their faces. It was Theo being dragged in by some guard.

    He kept being difficult, so the guard kicked him to the ground and began beating him with a baton. Several other guards ran over and joined in until Theo stopped resisting. Nia looked over at him, concerned, something the woman noticed.

    Finally, several of the guards dragged a limp Theo over beside Nia.

    Once he arrived, the woman in the chair straightened her back and gestured to the guards with a nod. Both responded by standing closer to Theo and Nia, sandwiching them. Theo and Nia greeted each other with a glance.

    "Welcome to my town," the woman said.

    They stayed quiet.

    "My town has certain rules, rules a waitress tells me you both broke."

    "Well¡ª"

    "Shhhhh," the woman bellowed to Theo, who quickly clasped his lips,

    "You will only speak when I allow it."

    "Your debt to the restaurant must be paid. But we ran through all your belongings, and it seems none of you have any local currency or Xymoran money. Any ideas?"

    Theo glared at the woman. Nia''s breath curdled in her lungs as she looked away, desperate to avoid the woman''s grating gaze. She tried to be quiet, as if there was a level of quiet that might cause everyone to forget she was there.

    "Silence is not an answer," the woman''s voice boomed again. "I should just sell you two; you''re both young and fit, so you''d fetch a high price on the market. Unless you have people who are willing to pay for your release."

    "My people will pay," said Theo.

    The woman chuckled for a few moments.

    "Well, give me their contact information."

    Theo recited a number.

    The woman stopped chuckling then, as did the guards.

    "Good, go make the call. State the terms of the ransom," she said to some of her guards. "And throw them back in the cells."

    The guards whisked them back underground, threw them both in a cell, and left.

    After, Nia turned to Theo. He had dragged himself across the floor into a corner, leaving streaks of blood behind him on the floor. The beating had made him uncharacteristically quiet.

    It seemed risky to bother him, but she had little choice. She had fears that only his answers could allay.

    "Theo, Theo, Theo," she whispered.

    "Maybe if you stopped whispering, I could hear you better," he responded.

    "Are you ok?"

    "What''s your actual question?" He asked.

    "Will your people pay for both of us to be freed?"

    "No," he hissed.

    "Oh, no! I''m going to die here. Aren''t I or get sold into slavery?"

    Theo chuckled, then cupped his face.

    "No, we aren''t. I sensed you would be a fast learner when we met. I''m disappointed right now."

    "What are you talking about?"

    "That number I gave her. She thinks it''s just my family''s number. But it''s a specific number used by syndicate agents who need to be rescued. In a little while, my people will pour in guns blazing to rescue us. So I suggest you brace yourself for it."

    "You really think she''s dumb enough to fall for that? She''s clearly an experienced woman."

    "The thing is, even the smartest people let down their guard when they think they''re talking to dumber people. And she thinks we''re just a couple of clowns who didn''t want to pay our restaurant bill. So yeah, she''ll fall for it, not because she''s dumb, but because she''s smart."

    Nia scoffed.

    "Keep that in mind. Sometimes, when you can''t outsmart someone because they are too smart, use that against them."

 Chapter 6: The Cavalry

    Nia must have paced around her cell a hundred times, anxiously waiting to be rescued. Theo spent most of the time mute or half asleep. She kept waking him periodically, fearing it was best for him to be up whenever they came. She wasn''t sure they would recognize her if he didn''t say who she was, and she didn''t want to get shot or left behind.

    Her constant movement strained her legs, so she stopped to rest. Then there was a boom! Coming from above, she heard a single gunshot and several feet shuffling in one direction. Then all hell broke loose. A barrage of gunshots started to pour down on the ground above them. Looking up, Nia could see the cell''s ceiling vibrating. Theo, who had somehow managed to doze off again, sprang up.

    "I think that''s them," Nia said

    "It better be."

    His signature grin was back.

    "The guards might try to kill us before they get here. Come on, let''s move to the wall at the edge of the cell," he said.

    Both of them braced their backs against one of the walls that connected with the bars of the cell. Once they stayed there, any guard running toward the cell would not see them unless they looked inside and recognized their outlines against the dark, shadowy cell wall.

    Both of them soon heard feet pounding down the corridor. Theo gestured to Nia to be quiet. She slowed her breathing and peeled her eyes for what she guessed was a coming guard.

    After crossing into view, the guard stopped and pivoted toward the cell. She faced them but was initially oblivious to their presence; startled, she paused and poured her eyes over the cell''s interior. She was struggling to make the two out. But once she did, she grabbed her assault rifle and stuck it between the bars. But before she could pull the trigger, Theo ran over and tried to wrest the rifle away from her.

    The guard tried using the bars as a lever to overpower him. She couldn''t risk holding the trigger quite yet, though, because she would have to take one hand off the barrel and risk Theo regaining the upper hand and using the gun to strike her.

    Nia stood frozen against the wall. Theo turned toward her and brandished his clenched teeth. Then through them yelled, "Come help me!"

    His sharp tone snapped Nia out of her paralysis. She hurried over. A moment of hesitation swept over her as her eyes landed on the rifle''s barrel. Still, with some more coaxing from Theo, she reached out and helped him pull on the gun''s barrel.

    The look on the guard''s face morphed from concern to dread. Sure enough, Theo and Nia managed to yank it from her. Then, as the guard turned to run away, Theo fired a few rounds into her back. Nia closed her eyes just before she could see the bullets hit, then opened them slowly to the sight of the body lying lifeless on the floor.

    The still body hit Nia with a series of flashes. She recalled the bloodied bodies strewn across the deck of the boat she escaped from.

    Theo noticed the dazed look in her eye, grabbed her arm, and started pulling her with him. They rolled up to the body, which Theo checked for anything useful. He found a handgun, put it in Nia''s hands, and they kept going. He didn''t have to say anything. Nia knew she was expected to use it if necessary.

    The two could hear more boots trampling toward them from around the corner. Theo stepped in front of Nia and moved toward the bend of the corner. She saw him looking downward. Theo watched the shadows of their would-be attackers stretch through the opening across the floor.

    They were about to bend the corners like lambs to the slaughter. The first guard''s eyes widened right before Theo pulled the trigger. He fell instantly. The rest stopped spilling into the open and stayed behind the corner wall. They kept peeking around and firing instead. Nia ducked into one of the open cells for cover. Theo did as well. Nia instinctively held up her handgun. She thought of using it, but her trembling hands felt differently.

    Silence fell as they heard the last remaining guard reload his weapon. Sensing the opportunity for a kill, Theo stepped out of his cell and moved toward the corner.

    A hand swung out from the corner and released a large grenade. Nia ran straight to Theo and pulled him back into their cell for cover. They landed hard, just in time to avoid being hit by the blast.

    The grenade went off in a thunderous boom and rattled the ground. The walls of the cell they had ducked into vibrated like a tambourine. As the noise died down, Nia looked up to see a plume of dirt mingled with smoke rising from the point of detonation.

    Nia crept toward the cell''s exit first, but Theo''s hand descended on her shoulder from the rear and yanked her behind him in one quick motion.

    "Are you trying to get shot?" he whispered sharply. "Stay behind me.

    "Would it kill you to say thanks?" Nia said. "I just saved your life."

    "Yes, you did. Next time be better at it. My damn shoulder is aching from that hard fall," he said, rubbing it.

    Nia shook her head.

    Theo pushed into the corridor, took out the last guard, and gestured for Nia to follow him.

    He crept slowly up to the corner and turned into it. The hall was empty. Both moved quickly toward its end and turned into another hall.

    They leaned against the wall as they moved up the corridor. They could hear heavy breathing coming from the other side of the wall. With a twirl of his index finger, Theo signaled to Nia that he was going to slip around to the other side. He motioned for her to follow closely.

    At the end of the hall, he twisted around sharply to the other side and was greeted with a hail of bullets. Both crouched low to avoid being hit. Theo fired, and a series of bodies thudding to the ground echoed back. Nia fired too.

    Several bodies were strewn about. One body''s face, twisted in horror, was especially triggering for Nia, who didn''t want to look at it for more than a moment, but couldn''t look away.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    In the corpse''s eyes, it felt like her fear was gazing back at her, which made her shudder.

    "Check the bodies!" Theo yelled, snapping Nia out of the grip of fear.

    Grudgingly, she listened, moved across the bodies quickly, and did her best not to look into their faces. Finally, on the last body, she found a paper bunched up in a jacket pocket, pulled it out, and examined what looked like a map.

    "Theo, I found this. I don''t know if it''s important," she said, holding the paper up high.

    Theo shot over to her and poured over it under the dim glow of the roof light.

    Nia watched his face morph from a puzzled scowl into a large smile.

    "It''s a smuggling route for gangs. And look, this is the important part; they have smuggling routes into Xoya."

    "The capital city, why is that important?"

    "You''ll find out in time. Right now, let''s keep moving."

    They coursed through the maze of corridors and met little resistance as they rounded out the rest of the underground complex.

    Finally, they sailed up some steps into the courtyard they were in not long ago. What Nia heard before matched what she was saw¡ªlifeless bodies were strewn all over the ground. There was still some fighting ongoing on the distant side of the courtyard.

    Nia could hear neighborhood residents running into their homes and ducking behind whatever they could for safety outside the compound walls. There was a cacophony of sounds, bullets, yelps, cries, and screams. Nia felt her stomach churn.

    Where is the woman who sent us to the cells? She wondered.

    She started looking around for her, moving carefully behind whatever large obstacles or debris she could find to avoid bullets. But she didn''t see her on the ground. Then, finally, off in the distance, she saw her huddled behind the last set of guards left standing. She was screaming at them. What exactly? Nia could not tell, but she did not look like she was about to surrender.

    Yet, one of her guards dropped his gun and surrendered. The others followed. It seemed like the wisest course of action, considering they were surrounded by armed syndicate agents.

    Once things quieted down, she headed over quickly. By then, the guards and the woman were being cuffed. But the men cuffing them started kicking, hitting, and harassing them.

    Nia ran over and yelled, "Stop!"

    They ignored her, so she pulled her gun on them. That got their attention.

    "Who the hell are you asked one of them?"

    "I''m with Theo."

    "Liar."

    "No, she is with me," Theo said as he emerged behind her and gestured for the men to calm down.

    Nia dropped her gun and walked over to the woman.

    "I''m really sorry about that. What''s your name?" Nia asked her.

    "You''re his prisoner, aren''t you?" she asked, looking at Theo.

    Nia didn''t answer.

    "It''s funny. I saw how you looked at him when my guards beat him. Your pupils were wide with a depth of concern that only caring eyes can have. That''s Stockholm syndrome. Trust me. I''ve kidnapped many people, so I know what it looks like."

    Nia scoffed.

    "Or maybe I just don''t like seeing people get beat up. I just saved you from that, didn''t I?" Nia said. "I was only worried about him because if he died, I didn''t know what would happen to me."

    "Sure," The woman replied sarcastically.

    Nia tried to drown the woman''s voice out in her mind, but her words kept piercing through Nia''s mental fog. Nia turned to look at Theo as well. He saw her and brandished a gaudy smile. That smile of his she''d once hated was growing on her.

    Nia glanced back at the woman; by the horror on her face, she could tell the woman had taken stock of what had just happened. They locked eyes in silence for a moment.

    "Won''t you tell me your name?" Nia asked again.

    But she remained mute. Her eyes did the talking.

    "When the time comes, you or someone else will have to put him down. He''s too wild."

    Nia ignored her with her eyes but not her ears.

    "My name is Nadira."

    "Finally, I''m Nia, by the way."

    The woman nodded.

    A tap on the shoulder alerted Nia to Theo''s presence. He was smiling over her shoulder.

    "What are we going to do with you?" Theo asked the woman.

    "You mean there''ll be no trial or jury?" She quipped in a sarcastic tone.

    "Relax, you''re not going to die yet. We scored a map off one of your dead lieutenants that shows some of your smuggling routes. We have something major to smuggle in the near future. So we''ll have to keep you alive for your help. If you comply, we''ll release you back to your cartel."

    "Of course. You put your higher principles aside for greed just like everyone," Nadira replied.

    "No, what we''ll be smuggling is consistent with fulfilling our principles. It''s not about money."

    Nia walked off sometime after their bickering heated up into a storm of expletives.

    From afar, she looked as syndicate agents marched Nadira off into one of the three helicopters that had come in cuffs by syndicate age. She would have been more concerned, but her mind went elsewhere. Instead, she was thinking of how she had never felt more content with life than when she was with her family. She missed them so badly the feeling had congealed into a deep yearning in her gut.

    But, though she hated to admit it, her family life was boring. She missed them, but she had never felt more alive than she had during the chaos of the period since meeting Theo. Some darker part of her that was thirsty for excitement was finally being satiated, but it was hungry for more.

    Theo made his way over to Nia.

    "I''ve decided not to fight you, even though I want you to come join us at the syndicate. I made a promise to someone to keep you safe, but not against your will. You said you wanted to go back home, so I''ll help you do that," he said.

    "Are we going to take one of those choppers?" Nia asked, pointing to the three on the ground.

    "Not those. Look up," he said, pointing at the clear blue sky.

    "At what?"

    "Wait for it."

    Out of the blankness of the atmospheric canvas, a glint of light flashed and began descending slowly. Nia heard the sound of propellers, but it was a quiet hum. Quiet enough to make her wonder if she was actually hearing anything beyond the ambient din of their surroundings. It took a few moments for her to realize it was another helicopter. She was going home.

    Nia breathed a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 7: Ascension

    Darius and his daughter, Chrisyntha, sat in his bedroom. He was seated in a wheelchair, hunched over, facing her.

    Her eyes were moist.

    His time had come.

    Each inhalation of his was laborious to the point of torture. It had become masochistic just for him to breathe.

    Chrisyntha held her father''s hands and rubbed them delicately. She had watched the life drain out of him for days. His health had deteriorated rapidly in the period since the meeting he called with the ministers and generals. And it wasn''t just his body that was failing. His mind was going too. Sometimes he''d remember her name; sometimes, he''d stare at her blankly and scream like she was a stranger. She found it hard to keep composed throughout the ordeal, to keep from crying or cutting away in frustration.

    It was heartbreaking. But she kept by his side, fed him in the mornings, and regaled him with stories from the past. When he did recall them, he smiled in delight. When he didn''t, she found he was often entertained nonetheless.

    Nia took a break from her concern-saturated thoughts and noticed her father staring through the window.

    She looked out to see what he was looking at and saw nothing.

    "Father, what''s there?" She asked.

    Once she got beside him, she realized he wasn''t breathing.

    She shook him gently. He didn''t budge.

    Reluctantly, she checked his pulse. He was gone.

    She looked over at his half-finished cup of mint tea that had only just been made by his nurse. Steam was still floating out of the cup. It was the one thing he couldn''t do without every day, which made her wish he had gotten to finish it.

    Before she consciously let them flow, tears cascaded down her face. She dropped to her knees, buckled under the weight of the realization that her father was forever gone.

    Guards outside could hear the commotion, so they rushed in.

    "Go get doctor Ingler," she yelled at one of them.

    The guard sped off.

    Ingler stumbled in shortly after.

    He double-checked Darius''s vitals with his equipment and officially declared him dead.

    Other officials began filing into the room.

    They watched as Chrisyntha cradled her father in her arms on the floor. She paid little attention to them.

    "Your highness, it''s time."

    She recognized the voice and looked up to see Nodalis standing in front of her, with his hand outstretched.

    "I don''t think I''m ready."

    "Few ever are, but it''s best to do the ascension immediately. So there''s no time for false rumors to spread about who''s in charge."

    She nodded, creakily and took his hand. He yanked her up.

    "Uncle," she muttered as they hugged.

    "I''ll always be here for you," he replied. "Come, now you must take the throne and become leader of the realm."

    Technically, she had become empress the moment her father died. But there was a ceremony to be performed, and the realm would be watching. Luckily, the palace staff was trained to always be ready to initiate such a ceremony because one never knew when it would be necessary.

    Word had been sent to the public via state-controlled media that Darius was dead, and the ceremony to make Chrisyntha Empress was imminent.

    Chrisyntha took Nodalis''s hand as they walked up the hall. She led, with others behind and guards beside.

    ¡°I want Anderz returned from exile on BIOS. He¡¯s the philospher who we need to look to for insight in these difficult times.¡±

    Nodalis sighed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t recommend it your highness, but you''re in charge now, so I will.¡±

    Chrysintha smiled at him.

    Soon Raya took Chrisyntha''s hand, other hand, and he noticed how Copernica, his daughter, stayed back, glaring at Chrysintha.

    "I''m guessing you three have worked things out since the last time I saw you all arguing?" Nodalis asked.

    "We''re getting there," Chrisyntha responded. The other two nodded.

    "Good," Nodalis replied.

    "Remember, we are supposed to have the ceremony in the Great room downstairs, your highness," said Dante, one of the officials.

    "Why?" Chrisyntha asked.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Dante seemed startled at the question but composed himself and said,

    "Well, it''s been done that way for generations."

    "Well, I want to do things differently," she said, "I want my ascension ceremony done outside on the front lawn. Tell security to allow folks to come in from off the street so they can witness it. I want the people to have access to me. I want them to see the process in person. It shouldn''t only be broadcast over tv, while only elites get to see it in person."

    Nodalis''s jaw dropped.

    "But, princess, excuse me...I mean, empress. It won''t be safe," Nodalis said.

    "Uncle, the people love me!"

    Realizing he was not going to convince her otherwise, Nodalis nodded. But her behavior only added to his concern that she was possibly unfit to be leader. He still had the certificate, signed by Darius, that gave him the approval to function as leader instead of her, and it was tempting to produce it and take over, but he didn''t feel it was the right thing to do.

    He had never been a power-hungry man and always saw himself as a servant of whoever was in charge. He didn''t want to seem like an old general launching a coup. Given time, he hoped he could still steer her in the right direction, but by her side, not above her.

    Chrisyntha ordered Dante to tell the media to say that she''d be having her ceremony on the front lawn. Nodalis told security to comply, screen folks, and let them onto the front lawn.

    Nearly everyone in the party that surrounded her was nervous. She was bucking tradition, possibly jeopardizing their safety. But she was the empress. They had to obey.

    Chrisyntha pressed ahead quickly, forcing the others to pick up their pace. Folks of their stature were used to a slow, stately walking style, something they''d practiced from a very young age. It was not enough to be a high-ranking official. They all wanted to give off that impression in how they spoke, dressed, and carried themselves.

    But Chrisyntha didn''t care for that. She knew she was throwing them off, making some angry, but she''d never had much taste for tradition. Some part of her deliberately wanted to shake them up. She took pleasure in it.

    As they neared the doors that opened onto the front lawn, they could all hear the commotion of the people outside. More and more people were streaming onto the lawn through security. The officials could hear the chorus of feet plodding in the grass, kicking up a cacophony that roared into the building.

    Chrisyntha attempted to step out first, but Nodalis and the guards, concerned for her safety, launched themselves in front of her.

    As they all passed onto the front lawn, cheers went up once the crowd spotted Chrisyntha.

    Many yelled her name, cheered, and whooped.

    The crowd''s energy soared as she passed by and waved.

    Outside waited the crowner, the official responsible for placing the crown on Chrisyntha''s head. He watched as she moved toward him.

    Between both of them was a long row of soldiers facing each other, frozen in the saluting position, waiting for her to pass through. But she took her time, making sure to stir the crowd''s passions by blowing kisses, gesturing, and smiling.

    Eventually, she passed through the soldiers and reached the crowner. His face lit up. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to crown the next monarch. It was considered a great honor that would garner the crowner respect for the rest of his life.

    But just before he commenced laying the crown on top of her head, Chrisyntha smiled and wagged her index finger, gesturing for him not to.

    Then she turned to the crowd.

    "Today, we are going to do something different," she said. "I want one of you to come and crown me."

    The crowd went ballistic.

    "Let me, let me," the chant echoed throughout the mass of people.

    "How about I let a child do it," she yelled to the crowd.

    "Have my kid," the yell went up repeatedly in response.

    She surveyed the crowd, looking for a child to choose. Finally, her eyes landed on a young boy sitting on his father''s shoulders.

    "Hey, little boy, come here," Chrisyntha said, pointing to the kid.

    His tiny face glowed with joy. His father moved through the crowd, carrying the boy with him until he was just in front of her.

    She took the child and placed him on the ground beside her, thanked the father for bringing him, then turned to the kid.

    "What''s your name?" She asked.

    "Cory."

    "Nice to meet you, Cory! Are you ready to crown me, little one?" She asked.

    He crossed his hand behind his back, swayed from side to side, nodded nervously, and said, "Yes, mam."

    Chrisyntha took the crown from the original crowner, who frowned, and handed it to the boy.

    The crowd lit up in amusement.

    She turned to them and spoke.

    "Say these words to me and place the crown on my head, young man: ''I the crowner hereby crown you Empress of Xymoran Planetary Federation.''"

    The boy repeated the words and stretched the crown toward her, but she was too tall for him to place it on her head. So she knelt before him, and he dropped the crown on her head.

    Once he placed it upon her head, she stood, and the crown shone out a hologram of the realm that spun around here, symbolically making her the center of all inhabited space. The hologram displayed all the planets, planetary confederations, stars, asteroids, and the like in the realm. All of them swirled around her.

    The crowd cheered wildly. It was a huge breach of protocol for a leader to kneel before a commoner. The people couldn''t believe their eyes, but they loved it.

    Several of the people in Chrisyntha''s entourage were outraged. Some even turned away to avoid seeing her kneel. Nodalis could feel his face getting red.

    How unbecoming of her, he thought.

    Chrisyntha hoisted the little boy up in her arms.

    "By my order, this child will receive the title of crowner and enjoy all the lifetime respect and compensation that comes with it, and his family will be compensated as well."

    Members of the crowd clapped, excited to see one of their own honored in such a way.

    "I promise to be a leader who serves all of you, not myself. I promise I won''t grow cold and uncaring. I''ll fight for peace and prosperity for all."

    The crowd cheered and clapped.

    Chrisyntha looked behind her to catch the pulse of the officials. She noticed how quickly they changed their dry looks into fake smiles, acting as if they supported her, but she knew the truth.

    Nodalis only managed a simper. Chrisyntha took note of his honesty. She didn''t expect him to be happy, just not fake. That would do.

    She turned back around and bid goodbye to the crowd. Then she walked the boy and his family into the palace.

    Nodalis couldn''t help but wonder if he had made the right choice.

    Chrisyntha seemed hell-bent on burning down every rule or tradition that reigned since her father''s founding of the monarchy. She was appealing to the people in an unprecedented way.

    He could only wait and see the results, which gave him little comfort.