Anomaly on Cerka Read online

  ~How can I be of service?~ Void answered.

  ~I have some Reavers here, alive and dead. I wondered if you might want to bring them back to our universe?~

  ~That would be ideal. I shall join you momentarily,~ Void answered, and withdrew from her mind.

  Amanda opened her eyes to see everyone in the ship and looking at her.

  “So?” Jessica asked.

  “One moment,” she said, and watched the space around her through her Aetheric sight.

  Seconds passed.

  “Was something supposed to happen?” Usef asked, just as Amanda saw a sudden build-up of Essentia right before her, in the middle of the bay.

  Suddenly, a burst of rippling, silver energy was floating in midair. It looked like an endless fractal of expanding liquid chrome constantly folding in on itself as waves of blue energy flowed off it.

  The crew of Sabrina looked on with wide eyes as the fractal expanded over the next two seconds, and then collapsed down into the shape of a nude woman made from gleaming chrome.

  The figure floated above the deck, her silvery hair rippling behind her head as if under water. She turned her glowing blue eyes on Amanda and smiled.

  “Greetings, Amanda. I see you have been successful,” Void said aloud in her soft, melodious voice with its odd pitching effect.

  “Void. Thanks for coming. And yes, thanks to this crew, Reaver Morden has left this universe behind,” Amanda replied.

  Void turned and looked over the people assembled around her. “You have my gratitude, friends of Amanda. The Reavers are a scourge upon the multiverse. Your actions today will not be forgotten.”

  “Just trying to keep Cerka in one piece…which seems to be a losing battle,” Jessica replied.

  Void turned back to Amanda. “I shall remove these Reavers. Do you wish to return with me?”

  Amanda smiled. “Not just yet, I have some unfinished business to attend to,” she replied with a glance at Cheeky. “Also, there’s someone I want to see before I leave.”

  “As you wish. I shall see you soon,” Void answered.

  Her body collapsed back into the mind-bending fractal that defied three-dimensional space, and with a snap, it was gone—and so were the bodies of the Reavers.

  Silence filled the bay as everyone stared at the spot that Void had just occupied.

  “What in the name of the core damned demons was that?” Misha asked.

  “Her name’s Void,” Amanda answered. “She’s a Magus like me, but much older. I’m just over a thousand years old, but Void is probably over ten thousand, and she travels the multiverse.”

  “She looked like a…thing…” Misha said, waving his hands around in the air.

  “The emissions from her were all over the place. Like she was made of everything and then nothing,” Jinx said with a look of awe on her face.

  “I won’t pretend to know much about that,” Amanda said. “But many of the truly ancient Magi often transcend the need for a human form, becoming something like living energy.”

  Amavia glanced at the others. “Sounds like an ascended being.”

  “Maybe the Magi are our universe’s version of them,” Amanda replied.

  “Then I know of an AI you should meet,” Amavia suggested.

  Cheeky skipped over and grabbed Amanda’s arm, pulling her in close. “Not yet, though, we need to chill out a bit after all that.” She looked at her with her piercing blue eyes. “You’ll stay the night at least, won’t you?”

  Amanda smiled back at the blonde. “How could I refuse an offer like that? Of course I will.” She gave her a wink before addressing everyone else. “We’ve not really had much chance to just sit and chat, with all this Reaver shite going on. I want to know more about you guys…and who this AI is that you want me to meet, Amavia.”

  “His name’s Bob, you’ll like him,” she replied.

  “Also, he’s with Tanis, so if you’re paying her a visit, he won’t be far away,” Jessica replied.

  Sabrina asked in a mock whisper.

  “It’s a colloquialism, Sabs,” Cheeky said. “Surprised you didn’t get that.”

 

  Jessica sighed and leant against Trevor. “I need a drink, anyone else?”

  Everyone’s hand went up.

  Sabrina asked.

  “Dammit,” Jessica muttered as she looked at the crew. “Well, don’t drink us dry before I get back.”

  DINNER

  STELLAR DATE: 05.11.8948 (Adjusted Years)

  LOCATION: Sabrina, Cerka Station

  REGION: Mullens, Virginis System, LoS Space

  An hour had passed by the time Jessica finally made it back to the ship, surprised to find Trevor waiting for her in the main bay.

  “I thought you’d be up in the galley, downing our best scotch with our new friend,” she said, sliding an arm around his waist as he leant over to kiss her.

  “You know me,” Trevor said when their lips parted. “Always work to do. Plus, I had to clear out the local stiffs—the ones that Amanda’s silver friend left behind.”

  “Stars,” Jessica muttered. “We have enough trouble on our plates without interuniversal heists being a thing. I kinda want to forget that this even happened.”

  “Well, we’re going to be remembering until this is all patched up,” Trevor swept his hand around the bay.

  Jessica nodded, noting the offline turrets that were still extended, the half-melted section of decking, and the scorch marks on the bulkheads.

  “What a mess.”

  “You’re telling me,” Trevor replied.

  “Well, husband mine, that is tomorrow-crew’s problem. Today-crew should eat, drink, and be merry.”

  “The rest of that saying isn’t very cheerful.”

  Jessica shrugged. “Well, for us, we just have to change ‘die’ to ‘fly’.”

  “Or ‘make repairs’.” Trevor winked.

  “So inspiring.”

  The sounds of merriment reached them long before the couple even began to climb the ladder to the crew deck. Once at the entrance to the galley, Jessica stood with Trevor, soaking in the view for a minute.

  Amanda, Cheeky, Usef, and Amavia were all playing a game of Snark on one end of the worn wooden table, while Jinx and one of Sabs’ mobile frames were helping Misha prepare a meal. Finally, Iris was leaning against one of the bulkheads, hollering intermittent, especially unhelpful directions to both groups, and laughing at their mistakes and misfortunes.

  “Since when did you become such a rabble-rouser, Iris?” Jessica finally asked, striding into the room.

  “I’ve always been a troublemaker. Don’t pretend otherwise.”

  “She got you into half the scrapes you’ve ever been in,” Trevor added as he walked toward Misha. “Sad state of affairs when you have the AIs helping you cook, while the meat suits all play games,” he told the other man.

  “ ‘Help’ is a very interesting word,” Misha said, turning to regard Trevor with obvious relief. “More like training them on a skill that has no value, purely for their amusement.”

  “Let’s not change the subject,” Iris called out. “What scrapes did I get you into? I distinctly remember getting you out of a lot of scrapes.”

  Jessica gestured at herself. “If memory serves, you were the one who got me mixed up with RHY and saw me end up with purple skin—”

  “Which was one of the best things that ever happened to you,” Iris interjected.

  “Well, you…”

  “Got you out of RHY’s research labs, saved you from Derrick—twice—saved you and Cheeky on Serenity, convinced you to do the right thing, which made our family and saved Star City, stopped RHY from blowing us up at the Perry Stra
it…. Should I go on?”

  “She has a really good point,” Trevor said. “Iris is pretty much responsible for all of our success. We should make her captain.”

  Jessica cocked an eyebrow. “Wow! Way to change your tune. Mighty thin ice for a man of your size.”

  “I wonder what happened to Derrick,” Iris mused.

  “Well, we paid for him to be sent to a prison,” Cheeky said. “Hopefully that’s what happened.” She gave an involuntary shudder. “That guy had the creepiest grey skin.”

  “What’s wrong with grey?” Iris asked with mock indignation.

  “Everything,” Jessica said. “Luckily, you’re silver. Silver gets a pass.”

  During the rapid-fire exchange, Amanda had watched the crew with growing amusement. After Jessica’s last statement, she laughed loudly while shaking her head.

  “Sounds like you’ve lived through some interesting times. Cheeky said you’ve crewed this ship for thirty years?”

  Sabrina said in a morose tone.

  “Don’t give us that schtick, Sabs,” Cheeky said. “You’re not that weak-willed AI anymore. Plus, you and I have been through a lot! Next to her, I’m senior in tenure,” she said the last to Amanda.

  “Maybe Sabrina should be captain, if she’s been a part of this ship for so long. Who’s next in seniority?” Amanda asked, looking around.

  “I guess I am,” Jessica replied. “Well, Iris and I signed on at the same time, of course. I should add that Sabrina does own the ship…. So there’s that.”

  Sabrina said with a mock cackle.

  “OK…that’s a bit unnerving. I guess I’m next,” Trevor grunted. “Though I was sort of drafted. Join-or-die type of thing.”

  Amavia blurted out a laugh. “That’s not how I heard the story. It was more ‘stay where you are and you’ll die’.”

  “So what is your story, Trevor? How did you end up on Sabs?” Amanda asked.

  “Ah, memories…. I used to work security jobs on a station nearby, but I threw some fists in an underground fight club kinda deal. Jess ended up in the ring, fighting against me…”

  “It was love at first punch,” Jessica smirked, playfully hitting him in the ribs.

  “I won’t deny, I did enjoy getting my hands on you,” Trevor grinned.

  Jess rolled her eyes, but continued to smile.

  “I was next after Trevor,” Misha supplied. “The crew saved me from a pair of homicidal women out to kill me.”

  Amanda laughed.

  “Then me,” Usef grunted. “Though I’m not really crew, this is just a temporary assignment.”

  “Assigned by Tanis?” Amanda asked.

  “Uh huh. I sometimes wonder what she signed me up for,” he answered with a deadpan expression, as his gaze swept the room.

  Cheeky snorted and threw a handful of nuts from the bowl on the table at the Marine. “If you had your way, you’d never leave us.”

  “As much as I love the glitter guns I installed in the captain’s chair, I won’t be here forever. Everything comes to an end,” he replied with a shrug.

  “Glitter guns? Hah! Why am I not surprised,” Amanda said. “I’ll make a note of that for the Arkady.”

  “Is that your ship?” Jinx asked.

  Amanda nodded. “Yup. It’s smaller than this and doesn’t have an AI, but it’s home. Well, one of my homes.”

  “I signed on shortly after Usef,” Amavia said. “Teeechnically, since he isn’t crew, that means came on ahead of him.”

  “Amanda, you’re always ahead of me,” he replied.

  “Sorry, what?” Amanda asked. “How am I ahead of you?”

  “He means me,” Amavia replied. “I used to be two separate people, Amanda and Yolonda. Our minds got merged in an attack, and now we’re Amavia. Sometimes,” she glanced at Usef, eyes narrowing for emphasis, “Usef forgets that.”

  The big man only shrugged. “You look like Amanda, and I knew her for over a century. I feel like this is a forgivable offense.”

  “How did you get to 'Amavia’ from Amanda and Yolanda?” Amanda asked.

  “Evil AI attacked our brains, Yolanda took refuge in Amanda’s mods and mind, and things kinda got mixed up. It’s been an adjustment, but we’re—I’m—getting used to it.”

  Amanda nodded, wide-eyed, and Amavia shrugged.

  “Life from death, you know. That’s how it is.”

  “Obviously I’m the newest,” Jinx added in the brief silence that followed Usef’s statement. “I’ve only been with the crew for a few weeks. Before that, I was a refugee, and before that, I ran the navigation computer in an AST ship.”

  “You ‘ran’ a computer?” Amanda asked. “That sounds a little like overkill to me, and cruel.”

  Jinx nodded. “Well…the AST doesn’t view AIs the same way as the League of Sentients—or my new friends here in the ISF. I lived in slavery in the AST. I barely even knew the outside world existed, beyond plots, vectors, and trajectories.”

  “That sounds horrific. The Sentient AIs in my universe have full rights throughout the Nexus. They’re treated the same as people.”

  “What’s your world like?” Jinx asked. “Is it like this? I imagine with magic, it must be plenty different.”

  “In some ways, yes. It’s still the twenty-first century where I’m from—2017, to be precise—but the Magi first traveled to space over ten thousand years ago and built their civilization in the stars. We call that the Nexus. Earth has been left to develop on its own for that entire time. The people there have no idea about the Nexus, although we came close to exposure when the dragons attacked New York this year.”

  “Dragons?” Cheeky asked, her eyes wide.

  “You’re kidding,” Jessica said.

  “And the weirdness returns,” Misha muttered from beside the stove.

  Amanda smiled. “No, I’m not kidding. They’re called Void Dragons. They’re magical creatures that fly through space. Nasty feckin’ things, too. Not easy to kill.”

  “Stars,” Jessica muttered, shaking her head as she imagined having to fight off dragons.

  “There’s some on our side too. Got to ride one once, through the clouds of Jupiter.”

  “Wow, I’m totally jealous right now,” Cheeky said. “I’m no dragon, but maybe you’d still be interested in a ride,” she proposed with a wink.

  Misha cleared his throat at that. “OK, glad everyone has talked themselves hoarse while I kept cooking, but I guess I’ll share the food with you anyway.”

  Sabrina chided.

  “Whatever,” the cook said with a laugh that was far happier than his words. “Not enough room on the table for all this, so everyone, grab a plate and go down the line. We’ve got steak tips, a lasagna-like dish—I had to improvise on the noodles—baked haddock, fries, potatoes six ways from Sunday, lots of greens to pick from, and the ribs I started earlier came out perfectly.”

  “Excellent, I’ve been looking forward to this. I’m famished,” Amanda said as she rose with a smile. “Looks like a meal fit for a king.”

  “Or a starship captain,” Jessica amended as she got in place behind their guest.

  The crew loaded up on food and continued to swap stories for several hours, adding beer, wine, ice cream, and several other pastries to the ongoing meal.

  Jessica noticed Jinx sitting and talking to Amanda about her universe in greater detail as they ate. The AI was sounding rather wistful, and Jessica wondered if she might decide to ship out.

  Later, a dozen games of Snark were played. Amanda was given her own deck before Usef finally called it a night, followed by Misha not long after.

  Jessica was feeling like she could use a half hour in Virginis’s glorious sunlight before getting some shut-eye, when she noticed that Cheeky was making eyes at Amanda.

  she asked the pilot privately.

  she’s receptive, but there’s no way I’m going to pass up the opportunity to have sex with someone from another universe.>

  Jessica couldn’t argue with that logic. If she wasn’t tired, and wasn’t getting a vibe from Trevor that he wanted some time with her alone, she might have considered joining in.

 

 

 

  The pilot sent a mental snort.

  Jessica and Trevor bade their farewells shortly after Amavia did, and they were barely in the passageway when Jessica clearly overheard Cheeky say, “OK, so where do you want to bang?”

  “Doesn’t waste any time,” Trevor said, shoulders heaving in soft laughter.

  “No, she sure doesn’t. So long as she doesn’t do it in the captain’s chair, I don’t care where they have sex.”

  This time, Trevor didn’t hold back his laughter. “What about on the galley table?”

  “Trevor! There are some things you just don’t do! That’s an antique!”

  MOVING ON

  STELLAR DATE: 05.12.8948 (Adjusted Years)

  LOCATION: Sabrina, Cerka Station

  REGION: Mullens, Virginis System, LoS Space

  Amanda sat up in bed, leaning back against the headboard. She had just awoken from a long night’s rest after what must have been a couple hours of bedroom Olympics with Cheeky. The pilot lay beside her, as naked as the day she was born, arms and legs splayed wide, breaths heavy and deep. She’d been insatiable, with a stamina that kept her going and going.

  Amanda smiled at the sight of her. She was looking forward to getting home and telling Maria about her adventure and this pretty blonde. She’d likely be jealous.

  After the stress of the last day, hunting down the Reavers and dealing with her issues using Magic, it’d been a much-needed release to just sit and enjoy the company of the crew for a few hours and get to know some remarkable people.