Escape Velocity (The Black Star Chronicles Book 1) Page 2

  Chapter 4

  Ryn and several members of his research team gathered to review recent data from an experiment at a long conference table. A thin piece of glass ran down the middle of the table separating the five seats on each side. Hidden optics projected images in a manner that regardless of where one sat they saw the data in the correct orientation.

  “The results from the probe we sent past the primary black hole of this cluster,” Keon said; using an open pinch gesture he manipulated the map of the galaxy to zoom in on his focal point, “indicate that our original hypothesis may be correct.”

  “Wait, so you’re saying it is possible to get something out of a black hole?” Nikon asked.

  “That’s correct,” Keon said.

  “Pay up!” Pavel smirked.

  “I’ll bring it tomorrow.”

  “You better not forget like you did last time, Nikon.”

  “Focus,” Ryn ordered. He collected himself with a sigh before asking Sholia, “Lia, what does your data say about this?”

  “As hypothesized,” Lia explained, “it appears that entropy will diminish a black hole over a very long time. We’re talking billions of years.”

  “I don’t get it. Everything we’ve ever learned says the gravitational pull of a black hole is so absolute that even light doesn’t get away. How is this possible?” asked Nikon.

  “You understand that entropy causes everything to break down. It is generally accepted that this doesn’t apply to black holes. However, nobody considered that the reason entropy appeared to ignore black holes is because matter is almost continuously fed into a black hole, keeping the effects of entropy at bay. Or at least appearing as if it is at bay.” Lia told him.

  “So, you're saying that matter still escapes a black hole?” Nikon asked.

  “Yes. Our probe detected the emission of photons from the black hole. I further hypothesize that provided enough time this radiation would reduce the mass of the black hole to the point where it could no longer maintain the singularity.” Lia explained.

  “Our task is to develop a machine that can tell the future,” Ryn said. “I believe that the gravitational strength of a black hole is so strong that it will let us do that. With this data, I am hopeful that there are failed black holes out there that could fuel this machine.”

  “How exactly?” asked Elize.

  “May I Ryn?” asked Lana. He nodded and she continued, “Ryn believes, and I agree with him, the dense core of leftover matter from a dead black hole will still have a powerful gravitational field. If we’re able to harness that, we can use it to manipulate time. Which would allow us to ‘see into the future’.”

  “Precisely.” Ryn agreed. “I’ve had all of our equipment scanning space in every direction for years. So far none of it could find any of these cores. I suspect that these cores show up as small planets or other celestial bodies. Since we can’t locate one to retrieve, we’re going to have to kill a black hole.”

  Chapter 5

  Kali entered the Capitol building. She scanned the signs looking for the right lift. She knew her mother would have someone, somewhere waiting to report her arrival the moment she walked in.

  She waded against the crowd. Most personnel who worked in the building had finished their work for the day. Their simultaneous exodus made getting through the lobby difficult. She finally boarded the lift. The doors closed, silencing the din of the crowd in the lobby.

  Kali selected “Special Projects Engineering and Research” or SPEAR for short. A classified research facility housed on several floors of the building, and was responsible for the biggest breakthroughs in science, medicine, and many other fields.

  She stepped out of the lift and a stern, “You must be lost,” came from one of the Cherubim guarding the entrance to SPEAR. The guard stood up and she noticed the significant height difference between them.

  “You must let me in,” Kali responded.

  The guard stepped out from behind the security desk and said, “No. Per the Triumvirate Maximus no one is permitted to enter without clearance.”

  “Based on how nervous your colleague looks I believe that you are aware of who I am. My mother, Triumvir Genevieve, assigned me to protect one of the scientists here. I won’t ask again. Let me in.”

  After taking a few steps forward he looked down at her and said, “Yes, I know who you are. However, I can’t do that. I don’t want any trouble, but you have to understand I am just doing my job.”

  Anger surged through Kali. She stormed forward, pushed the guard against the wall behind him wadding his uniform in both of her hands. Despite her quarter meter height deficit, she easily outmatched him.

  “In case you can’t tell I haven’t had a great day.” She released the wadded shirt in her left hand and held it up in his face with her forefinger and thumb almost touching, “I am this close to losing it. If you don’t open that door and let me in…”

  Right then the door open and Ryn walked out. “Is there a problem?”

  “Not anymore,” Kali said backing away from the guard.

  “Good. Are you ready, Kali?” Ryn asked.

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” She snapped.

  “No reason. Let’s go,” Ryn said heading into the lift. Kali quietly followed him.

  Once the doors for the lift closed Kali said, “Let’s get one thing straight. I am not your assistant. I will escort you to and from this building only. Any questions?”

  “Are you hungry?”

  “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “I figured I would offer to make you a meal so we could go over schedules. I know I need the protection. I also know you don’t want to do this, but this doesn’t have to be a hostile relationship,” Ryn explained.

  Kali stared at him. Examining his expression. She looked for anything deceptive about his offer. Satisfied he did not intend to trick her, she said, “I’ll eat with you.”

  “Excellent!” Ryn exclaimed.

  The two of them rode the rest of the way to the lobby in silence. In the few minutes, she spent upstairs the crowd waned and only a few stragglers remained. Pleased she didn’t have to deal with so many people again they left the building without speaking. Once outside Ryn stretched his wings and prepared to fly.

  She hadn’t noticed his wings to that point. Most modern Seraphim kept them almost imperceptibly tucked tight against their back. Ryn’s feathers matched his dark brown hair, a genetic marker of naturally born Seraphim.

  Before he could take off she noticed something about his wings. They looked off balance to her. The left wing didn’t line up with the right one. If he didn’t get that fixed he may never fly right again.

  “Not so fast,” Kali ordered.

  “Why not?”

  “You are more exposed when you’re flying in the open.”

  “It’s ok, you’re with me.”

  “You’re injured.”

  “Just some scrapes and maybe a bruise or two.” Ryn said looking at his scrapped-up palms.

  “It is more than that; you have a lame wing.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I saw you stretch your wings. Your left wing barely matches your other one right now.”

  Ryn flexed his wings spreading them as wide as he could, “They feel fine to me.”

  “Look at your shadow.” Kali said.

  Ryn turned around keeping his wings outstretched. After examining the shadow for a moment, he folded his wings. Letting out a sigh he said, “Maybe you’re right. Now what?”

  “You go see a doctor and get it fixed.”

  “It’ll be fine.”

  “No it won’t. If your wing doesn’t heal right you’ll never fly straight again,” Kali said.

  “I am sure you mean well, Kali, but I think I know my own wings.”

  Frustration boiled just beneath the surface as Kali said, “Well, we’re not flying with your wings like that. Plus, we’re too exposed flying in the open. We will take my vehicle. I'
m parked close.” She walked down the many steps and he followed.

  “This is yours?” Ryn asked with a raised eyebrow. He eyed the sleek craft. The hunter green paint almost looked black in the low light of dusk.

  “Yes, is it a problem?”

  “No. I am pretty sure that is nicer than anything I’d buy myself.”

  “My father got it for me.”

  “Um, I don’t mean to prod, but I thought he, um…” Ryn paused.

  “Died?” Kali said. Ryn nodded in agreement. “He did. I went decades without spending any of my inheritance. I thought by using it I was selling him off piece by piece. After I realized he was never coming back, I went on a spending spree. So, in a way, my father got it for me.”

  “I see. Shall we?”

  Kali touched the craft, and it roared to life. “They implant proximity sensors on your fingertips when you buy it. It knows my touch. I can program a single finger or a multi-touch gesture.”

  “Very impressive. I heard these new ones can fly themselves. It has to be rather, unsettling, to trust the machine with your safety.” Ryn said sitting down into the craft. The low seats could lay completely flat, allowing the occupant to sleep during extended travel.

  Kali sat down next to Ryn and said, “At first it was unnerving, but I quickly got used to it. I found that the autonomous flight reacted quite well. It is simple to use. I named the car Egil. Tell it your address.”

  “Egil, I’d like to go to the Chronos Estate.”

  The automated response acknowledged Ryn’s request, “Destination recognized. Initiating transport. Enjoy the flight.” The craft took flight, deftly maneuvering through the dense air traffic.

  “This is pretty,” Ryn breathed a sigh of relief, “exhilarating!”

  “I know, right?” Kali exclaimed.

  “That’s a good look on you.”

  “What is?”

  “The smile.”

  Kali’s expression flattened. “I don’t have much to smile about.”

  “What do you mean?” He asked.

  “What do you think I mean?” Kali shouted at him. “I watched those wretched fanatics murder my father in broad daylight. They attacked him then fled. I see that every time I close my eyes.”

  “You still have your mother, your own life. That’s something, right?”

  “My life? Ha! What a joke. I am 133 years old. My father died when I was 112. A hundred and twelve!” She emphasized.

  “Oh, Kali, I didn’t know you were so young. I am so sorry. I can’t imagine…”

  “No, you can’t,” She told him, “all you care about is living. You don’t do anything but make sure you’re ok. That’s why I am here, isn’t it?”

  “No. I mean, that is part of it. I have a really important job, Kali. I don’t know what your mother told you I do, but my work is very important. I can’t let this gendercide stop the progress my team is making for the TriMax.”

  “Ha! The TriMax. They’re a joke. Do you think anybody actually listens to them?” Kali asked.

  “Of course. Each of the nations signed the treaty. We all agreed that they would govern us.”

  “You mean we got tired of killing each other. Just how long did that last? The gendercide is accelerating. They say within the decade there will be no more male Seraphim. What do you have to say about that?”

  “I hope they’re wrong. I have hopes of grandchildren.” Ryn replied.

  Kali scoffed at his idealism before saying, “You’ll never have, let alone meet any grandchildren.”

  “I am sorry you feel that way. I hope you’re able to one day have children and grandchildren.”

  She rolled her eyes and said, “Are you really that out of touch?” Ryn’s puzzled look answered Kali’s question, and she continued, “My mother made sure I’d never have any children. I am a freak. No one will ever love me.”

  “So it is true? You’re parthenogenetic?”

  “Yes. If I want to reproduce, I just clone myself. A single thought and I am expecting a new me.”

  “We are approaching your requested destination.” The automated system of the vehicle notified them.

  “I think I’ll find my own food tonight,” Kali told Ryn.

  “You don’t have to do that. Please come dine with us.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “I insist.”

  “You still don’t get it. You aren’t in charge of me. What time do you leave for work?”

  “Half hour after sunrise,” Ryn told her while he opened his door.

  “See you then,” Kali said without looking at him.

  Ryn exited the vehicle and before he had a chance to close the door behind him she took off.

  Chapter 6

  Kali stalked down the hallway of a dilapidated apartment building. The air felt thick and stunk of urine. Large pieces of paint curled off the wall. Other paint chips cracked under her feet. She tiptoed around broken glass and trash.

  ‘What a dump,’ she thought to herself. She knew the apartment well after so many visits to eavesdrop. ‘Only a matter of time before they start their conference call.’

  Like clockwork Kali could hear an incoming call through the wall. “I didn’t hear about the death of any scientists today Ms. Green.” Said the voice she recognized as Ms. Black.

  “That is because Capitol security got in the way. They arrested Blue. Yellow and I barely escaped.”

  “I don’t want any excuses! The tide is turning in our favor, and we cannot let those who think they’re in charge prevent us from accomplishing our goals. Am I clear?” Ms. Black said.

  “Yes, Domina,” Ms. Green and Ms. Yellow responded in unison.

  “The attacks have to seem random. You will need to wait several weeks before you attack him again. In the meantime, I want to you to stake out the target I am sending you now.”

  “Files received,” acknowledged Ms. Yellow. “Is this correct? This is a Cherubim.”

  “Yes,” Ms. Black said. “We are expanding our efforts. Eventually, we’ll target Dominions as well. Make sure to leave our calling card when you complete the task. Do not disappoint me again.”

  Before they could respond, Ms. Black disconnected the call. 'They really should invest in hideouts with thicker walls, you can hear everything that happens in there,' Kali thought to herself.

  She knew now would be the best time to strike. She placed a small explosive charge on the door. Set a short timer and stepped back.

  The charge blew, and Kali stormed into the room. She tossed a small disc towards one of them and tackled the other. The disc ejected a net. Eight small anchors latched into the ground, trapping the Seraphim.

  Kali wrestled with the other one. She gripped her opponent’s arm and applied a skilled bent arm bar which broke the arm just above the elbow. Her opponent cried out in pain.

  “We won’t tell you anything!” Screamed the one under the net.

  Kali grabbed a fistful of hair then pulled towards her before slamming her opponent’s head onto the ground. Her opponent groaned but still struggled. Kali bashed her head again. A disturbing crack echoed in the small room. Her opponent went limp.

  “Finally,” Kali sighed and stood up. She bent over and pulled up the head of the woman on the ground. She looked at the back of her head. “She’ll live. Can’t say the same about you, though.”

  “I know you. You’re the daughter of the Triumvir. You don’t scare me. I am over six thousand years old. I will crush you!” She taunted.

  “Which one are you, yellow, blue, green, red, whatever?”

  “I am not telling you.”

  “You sure about that?” Kali pulled her foot through one of the holes in the net and maneuvered her ankle ready to apply the right force to break it. “Last chance.”

  “I am not talking.” Kali twisted and with an audible snap the ankle broke. The ensnared woman grimaced in pain. Kali could tell she played tough but the pain floated just beneath the surface.

  “Not ta
lking.”

  “Just warming up,” Kali said as she pulled the woman’s leg further through the net. “Your knee is next. What is Ms. Black’s real identity?”

  “You’re insane!” She screamed. “They’ll kill me if I say anything. Besides, we never use real names.”

  Kali straddled the leg of the woman in the net and gripped the back of her ankle. “This must be tender.” She said and wiggled her foot around.

  The woman clenched her teeth in pain, “I. Am. Not. Talking.”

  “All I have to do is hold this tender bit right here and then lean back. Your knee will buckle, and it’ll be excruciating.” Kali warned.

  After a momentary pause, she delivered on her promise. She pulled the ankle, leaned back pushing her pelvis against the knee like a fulcrum. The knee cracked and the woman cried, “Enough, I give!”

  Kali dropped the limb, and it hit the floor with a thud. “Black. Who is she?” She demanded.

  Breathless from the pain the woman said, “She’s never told me her name. We use anonymous avatars during calls.”

  “I don’t believe you. Everybody knows Kyneska is behind this!” Kali shouted.

  “That’s absurd! It would be political suicide. Why would she even…”

  “I heard it with my own ears on the last breath of my father’s attackers. You can’t deny it!”

  The other Seraphim began to stir. She moaned incoherently. Kali drew a sword. “This was my father’s sword.”

  A meter long with a molded Obsidian handle the sword’s two cutting edges curved at the tip creating one long sharp edge. Designed for cutting and slicing, the sword hesitated as Kali forced it through the chest of the woman stirring out of unconsciousness.

  She coughed choking on blood before laying still again. Kali withdrew the sword and walked over to the other Seraphim.

  “You don’t have to do this. I’ll stop. I promise. I, I, I, huh-have a family.”

  “So did my father,” Kali said, and she pressed the sword into the woman. Blood spilled out of her when Kali removed the blade. She quickly turned around and looked for anything she could use to find Ms. Black.