Purge of Prometheus (51 page)

The Captain rubbed her temples as though suffering from a terrible headache.
 
Keryn was prone to believe that, having suffered under the mantle of command with such events transpiring, Captain Hodge very possible no longer remembered what life was like without a headache.

“I’m rambling now, but it’s hard to keep your thoughts in order when you’re constantly questioning if they truly are your own thoughts.
 
If he could make a man confess to a crime while under the influence of the Crown, what else has he done?
 
How many other people on board this ship have done things against their will because he was toying with our emotions?
 
I’m suddenly second guessing every crime and accusation made on board, wondering if he had an influence on the outcome of the events.
 
Gods, I even fear for my life.
 
He can read peoples’ minds.
 
If he even began to believe that I thought him guilty, I have no doubt that I would suffer a sudden and severe ‘accident’.”

Captain Hodge suddenly glanced away from the screen.
 
Glancing down quickly, she added, “I will continue this message momentarily.”
 
She looked up and called, “Please, Yen.
 
Please come in,” as she turned off the recording.
 
Less than a second later, the video restarted.

“He was just here.
 
As I stated before we were interrupted, I am concerned about all our safety.
 
I think he’s still oblivious, but I have no way to hide my thoughts from him.
 
If anyone on board does anything to rouse his suspicion, I think we’ll be his next victims.
 
Maybe I’m just paranoid, but I don’t believe so.
 
Neither does Horace, my Security Officer.

“I tell you all this because I don’t think I’ll survive the war with the Terran Fleet.
 
Should something happen to me, I want you to know that it wasn’t an accident.
 
No matter how preposterous that may appear when you hear of how I died, realize that he had a hand in it.
 
More than anything, I want to know that my death wasn’t in vain and that he will be prevented from do the same to other Officers, Warrants, or Crewmen in this Fleet.”

Captain Hodge took a deep breath and brushed the hair out of her face.
 
“This concludes this correspondence with the High Council.
 
Captain Hodge, signing off.”

Keryn felt the tears streaming down her cheek.
 
She didn’t want to believe it was true, that Yen could truly be that savage, yet she couldn’t deny Captain Hodge’s words.
 
As Keryn’s emotions continued to storm inside her, the image of the Captain disappeared and the High Council returned.
 
Though it was only a recording, Keryn could feel their intense stares judging her as she cried quietly alone in her room.

It was the Uligart Councilmember who spoke next.
 
“I believe that, after watching that correspondence with Captain Hodge, the last one we received before her death, that you can imagine our interest in this situation.
 
We have discussed this issue for the past few hours, which is a great length of time for men as old as we are.
 
We have come to the following conclusion: we believe that Captain Hodge’s concerns were valid.
 
It is the only way we can account for the Captain, Horace, and Vangore all dying in a single attack on the
Revolution
.
 
If Captain Xiao truly did commit the murders of three more Officers of the Fleet in an attempt to cover his first murder, than he is growing careless.
 
A careless man with deadly power is apt to continue using that power for ill gains.
 
We don’t believe that he has stopped committing murders.
 
In fact, he may very well be choosing his next target as we speak.”

Keryn’s thoughts jumped to Iana, who had hidden onboard her vessel, fearing for her life and claiming Yen was trying to kill her.
 
Her claim no longer seemed so far fetched.

The Pilgrim Councilmember, her face full of the wrinkles of age, finished for the High Council.
 
“Magistrate Riddell, we are tasking you with a mission most severe and important to the continued success of the Fleet.
 
We are tasking you with killing Captain Xiao for the good of the Alliance.”

The Councilmembers let the declaration hang in the air as Keryn absorbed their request.
 
Her heart stopped beating at their words, unable to believe that they would choose so drastic an approach to dealing with someone they perceived to be a threat.
 
More importantly, Keryn couldn’t fathom why they would choose someone who once had an emotional attachment to Yen to be his hired assassin.
 
Regardless of whether or not she felt the accusations were true, Keryn wasn’t sure if she was strong enough to follow through with blatant murder.
 
Killing an enemy would always be easier than killing a friend.

The Pilgrim Councilmember continued.
 
“We have already conceived a plan that will succeed, but we need your support.
 
We understand the depth of the request that we have thrust upon you, which is why we do not expect an answer soon.
 
However, we feel that you must move against Captain Xiao during the next conflict.
 
If his ship is destroyed during the battle, then he will no longer be a threat to the Alliance.
 
Think about our request, but think quickly.
 
We will be expecting an answer soon.”

The screen faded back to black with the symbol of the High Council emblazoned in the center of the console.
 
Eventually, that too faded, leaving Keryn alone to her thoughts.
 
She shook, feeling cold all over and numbness spreading through her limbs.
 
She wanted to leave her chair, but feared that her legs would not support her.

“How can they ask me to do this?” she asked the air, knowing only one other entity heard her cry.

Because if he is allowed to live
, the Voice replied,
you could be the next to die after Iana.
 
Maybe he’ll kill us because I insulted him during our meeting.
 
Or maybe it will be because you are granting amnesty to his chosen prey.
 
Who knows?
 
Psychopaths rarely make sense to the sane.

“Why me?” Keryn sobbed.

You want a justification for killing your former lover?
it asked.
 
Maybe you should walk two doors down the hall and talk to the woman he’s already traumatized.
 
He already tried to kill her.
 
Maybe she will have the answers you seek.

“Iana,” Keryn whispered into the room as she got to her feet.
 
Wiping the tears from her eyes, she left her room and walked down the hall.
 
Stopping in front of Iana’s door, Keryn knocked softly.
 
In her heart, she hoped that Iana wouldn’t answer.
 
The soft padding of feet on the far side of the door told her otherwise.

The door slid open, revealing a worn and exhausted woman.
 
Iana’s blond hair was disheveled and face swollen from crying.
 
Keryn could see the look in her eyes and knew that she didn’t look much better.
 
They stood in silence in the doorway, sharing an unspoken bond of kinship.

“I owe you such a huge apology,” Keryn said finally, choking back the tears that threatened to spill down her face.
 
“I’m so sorry.
 
Please forgive me.”

Her tears started to fall as Iana stepped forward, embracing her tightly.
 
Standing in the doorway of Iana’s quarters, the pair released months of pent up emotion as they sobbed into each others’ shoulders.
 
After minutes had passed, they slowly pulled apart until they were holding hands across the chasm of the doorway.

Softly, Iana started to laugh.
 
“We look like hell, don’t we?” she asked.

Keryn laughed with her.
 
“Yeah, I really think we do.”
 
Reaching up, she wiped away the tears once more before continuing.
 
“Iana, I am truly sorry.
 
If you’re up for it, I really need to hear your story.”

“I’ll pour us something stiff to drink,” Iana replied, suddenly serious.

Keryn followed her inside and sat at the table as Iana poured them both drinks from a clear bottle of liquor.
 
Sitting across from her, Iana sipped her drink as she began telling her story.
 
Keryn finished three drinks and felt lightheaded by the time Iana was done talking, finally finishing with her flight from Yen in the hallway and eventually hiding on board Keryn’s ship.
 
When she was done, they both sat in silence.

“What are we going to do?” Iana asked, seemingly relieved to finally be able to tell someone the truth.

“I don’t know, Iana,” Keryn replied, shaking her head.
 
“I just don’t know.”

CHAPTER 36:

Keryn awoke in a strange bed in a strange room.
 
Groggy and disoriented, she rolled to her side and was surprised to see the mop of blond hair splayed across the pillow beside her.
 
Keryn remembered her long talk with Iana the night before and, knowing that she probably felt as emotionally drained as Keryn did, slipped out of the bed without waking her.
 
Though she looked disheveled from a night full of heavy emotions, Keryn quickly got dressed and left the room, heading back toward her own room.
 
As the door slid open to her quarters, she noticed Adam sitting at the table.

He eyed her curiously before he spoke.
 
“You look like hell, love.”

Keryn nodded.
 
“I’m fine, just still exhausted even after sleeping through the night.
 
Iana and I had a lot of catching up to do and a lot of tears to share.”

“Is everything alright?” he asked.
 
Keryn could tell that he wanted to pry, but wouldn’t.

“Everything’s fine now,” she answered as she walked over to pour herself a cup of coffee.
 
“We just had a whole lot to discuss.
 
Girl stuff, mostly, you know how it is.”
 
Noticing his look of skepticism, she quickly changed the subject.
 
“So, I’m surprised to see you still awake after such a long shift on the bridge.”

As if on cue, Adam yawned loudly.
 
“I’m beat.
 
I was just worried about you after I got home and saw the place untouched.
 
After everything that’s been going on, I have a tendency to fear the worst.”

“You really are a sweetheart,” she said as she leaned over, kissing him softly on the cheek.

“It’s why you keep me…” he was interrupted as red fire warning lights illuminated the room and sirens sounded throughout the hall.
 
The screeching siren pierced through their door and drove a spike into Keryn’s tired mind.

“That noise is Gods awful!” she yelled to be heard over the sound.
 
Activating her radio, she called to the bridge.
 
“Where is there a fire?”

Alcent’s voice called back.
 
“It’s nothing serious.
 
We’re shutting down the sirens now.”
 
As he finished, the lights and noise ceased.
 

“What the hell was that?” Adam asked, activating his own radio.

“It was a fire, but it was quickly contained,” Alcent answered.

“What was the location of the fire?” Keryn asked dubiously.
 
She knew how dangerous an uncontrolled fire could be onboard a ship.
 
With only a limited amount of breathable – and flammable – oxygen and all the explosive rounds, fires could be deadly in space.

“The location was the science wing, laboratory three,” he replied.

Keryn and Adam turned to one another.
 
“Wyck,” they both said as they leapt to their feet and hurried toward the door.

They reached the lift quickly and tapped their feet impatiently as the elevator slowly took them upward, toward the science wing.
 
Used mainly for the Terran’s biological research, the science wing was a converted wing of living quarters on board the ship.
 
After its discovery, the new crew had added some modifications, making it the optimum area to conduct their research into the Deplitoxide cure.
 
Wyck and Tora had been working in the lab most of the night, which left Keryn dreadful of any fires that might have broken out.

As the elevator doors opened on the floor, however, laughter flooded from down the hall.
 
Keryn came around the corner just in front of Adam to find both Wyck and Tora collapsed on the floor, giggling like children to one another.
 
A group, mostly technicians with a mild amount of scientific knowledge, gathered around the pair.
 
On the floor, both the young geniuses were covered in soot, their hair unkempt and singed from an obvious burst of flames.
 
Undaunted, though, they continued to laugh as they shared insights into their obvious failure.