“Sid! Oh, my boy; it’s good to hear your voice. I missed you so much when you slipped away on that station. Oh goodness gracious, I was worried about you when you vanished; I had to tear the whole station apart looking!”
I drew in a sharp breath, hoping Cain didn’t cause too much damage and wondering if Lorric went unscathed.
“The fight in the bar… Ooh, you missed a good time, you did. I always love it when the pathetic monkeys try to pretend they’re not worthless.”
My mind desperately searched for some kind of solution to the problem. Minerva’s weapons were present as not much more than a formality, only mild damage potential to other vessels, especially those of a larger size. Dei Lucrii had a defense grid, but Cain could tie it up, harassing with his drones while bombarding the station. Minerva was fast, likely fast enough to escape, but Cain knew it.
“Athena wants her revenge, Sid, but if you run, Mercury will have his way with your favorite hidey-hole.” Laughter issued from the comm. “Choose the destroyer and the destroyed, Sid.”
Grimacing, I didn’t reply.
“What a terrible choice you have! Even an Archivist still has feelings for other people, places, does he not?” Mock pity filled Cain’s voice. “Or is there nothing left to us but research, information, and more data?”
I contemplated the decision. It was true; I harbored some level of attachment to Dei Lucrii XVII. But… I was on the investigation of my life. Nothing, before or after my alteration procedure, none of the many successful conquests of data in my existence compared to the search of Ivan.
Even without such heavy purpose on my path, self-preservation was a close-second to information. Since nothing could be gained from staying except my demise, and feeding Cain with everything I knew was not something I could accept, I had to leave. I felt Dana’s ghost trickle through my thoughts again, and even she seemed to agree.
The station shuddered again. “I’m beginning to think you’re rude, Sid.” Cain’s tone rang with malevolence. “I can always bring the station down around your ears and recover your corpse later. It won’t be as fun to scoop out your cold and squishy brain-matter than if you were still partly conscious, but I do have a job to do.” Another shudder. “Business before pleasure.”
A terrified voice cut in from the station. “Do as he asks! Good God, man, you can’t just let us all die in here!”
My decision was already made, and in no way could I have ever justified the self-sacrifice. “I’m sorry, Marqyni,” I whispered, preparing to engage full thrust.
Both the station and Minerva shuddered with a wave of displaced force. Preoccupied, I thought Cain had fired something with more punch. In the ensuing moment of silence, I didn’t even consider it as the product of a large vessel arriving.
My ignorance was short-lived as a broadband override played through the intercom, cutting out all other communication. “This is Captain Josef Onnels of the GCG vessel Cassander. All hostile activities in this region will cease immediately, and all participants will power down weapon systems and prepare to be boarded. System travel is now considered restricted. Archivist Sid of the vessel Minerva is being hereby placed under arrest for the possession of materials sensitive to Galactic Central Government security. Any attempt to deviate from specific instructions will result in immediate hostile action.”
I punched my accelerator, my decision all the easier now that the Cassander was in-system to protect the station. Though its fighters would be swarming in a matter of minutes, I had plenty of time to escape both of my apparent pursuers. Cain’s ship, far too slow to continue threatening and bombardment, would have to start fleeing immediately. Even then, it was possible he wouldn’t escape. At the very least; he’d have to burn his drones distracting the wave of fighters from the Cassander.
Already out of the bay, I pinged the location of the Cassander and set my tail to it and Cain’s gunship at full speed. The communication override ceased, and I could hear Cain cursing and Onnels ordering me to stop through different channels. I cut out the intercom.
As I sped out of detectable range, a wave of regret and sorrow flowed through me, the most powerful emotion I could remember feeling since my transformation. I betrayed Dei Lucii: my home, and Marqyni: my friend. Nothing negative happened, but my decision to leave them made no difference. I reeled against the intensity of these thoughts, my rationality flailing against them. The presence of this extreme emotion was as disconcerting as the feelings themselves.
In an action I had not experienced ever before as an Archivist, tears flooded into my organic eye. I felt such potent strain, and I had no idea where it was coming from.
Casting aside the emotion, I tried to force calm composure and again focus on the task. It was possible I’d never be welcome to return to my one place of rest and comfort. It was also possible I wouldn’t survive the next week. The search was nearly over.
I tried to maintain a calm and serene status, but the guilt at my actions continued to bubble to the surface. Never before had emotions been so profound, and I became worried that something was wrong.
*Addendum: Please exert influence to hinder progress of GSA in Ivan investigation.
**Second Addendum: Inescapable Cain encounter sometime in near future. Survival improbable without assistance or upgrade.
Chapter 12: The Man, the Myth
The recent encounter continued to trouble me as I passed into the asteroid field. Full concentration would have been preferable, as the flexible flight path only corrected for small to medium sized obstacles. However, the rising number of competitors and my recent actions left me preoccupied.
I didn’t bother to check, but there was certain to be a flurry of news and gossip relating to the recent assault and lockdown of the Dei Lucrii XVII system. For certain, Daedra-Tech would be displeased about having my name attached to both their own and a fugitive status. However, losing the lead in the Ivan pursuit would likely have upset them more. They’d be able to handle the bad press and even get the Cassander to back off.
Either way, I didn’t hold excessive loyalty. They provided the means to perpetuation, as there would always be secrets to pursue for a massive-sized corporation. Still, I had no reason not to fulfill my contract.
In spite of the time taken, my flailing internal state remained mired in guilt. No amount of rationalization or the anticipation of finishing my task could scrub it away, and I could detect no immediate issues with my internal hardware. Yet it persisted, a seed of obsession in my mind. The best I could do was continue on and hope it did not distract me.
A hailing blip appeared on my screen as I swooped by another asteroid. “Vessel Minerva, this is Vapaus Colony. We are tracking your approach.” A calm voice came through. “Stand by for docking instructions.”
It seemed Grey’s warning had gone through; they were expecting me.
I cleared another large obstacle, and my eyes and the coordinates confirmed my arrival.
The asteroid which housed the colony appeared miles long, massive and appearing immobile against the consistent scattering of its smaller brothers. Tiny structures dotted some of the rocky surface, mostly metallic plates, and I suspected most of its infrastructure would be inside.
