Heretic Read online

  Heretic

  Book Three of the Terran Cycle

  Philip C. Quaintrell

  Contents

  Untitled

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Epilogue

  “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”

  William Shakespeare

  Prologue

  254 years ago…

  Captain Jedediah Holt stroked the smooth, dark skin along his jawline. He always liked to have a clean shave before a mission, whatever it might be. Start how you mean to go on, he thought. Relaxing into his high-backed chair on the command bridge, Jed surveyed his officers with pride. They had been hand-picked, each and every one, to be a member of the Paladin’s crew. They might not be the first or even the second ship, to make the trip to Century - Earth’s sister world - but their cargo was just as precious. As well as the crew, the Paladin’s swollen mid-section now housed a hundred thousand people, families, all.

  Jed looked past the busy bridge crew and took in the vista of stars that lay beyond the curving viewport. The edge of the starboard screen was aglow with the orange aura of the sun. If the Paladin tilted any further in that direction, the aura would intensify into that of a blinding light, capable of cooking them all in their seats. The captain knew it was an unnecessary risk to keep the heat shield powered down, but he trusted his helmsman, and he wanted to see the universe break its ancient rules when they activated the Solar Drive.

  The ability to travel faster-than-light wasn’t new technology, but it also wasn’t old technology. There weren’t many captains who had taken expeditions across the stars and the Paladin was one of a handful of ships to make the journey to Century. During his service in the United Defence Corps, Jed had been privileged enough to break the light barrier while on tour, but never as captain, and never with so many lives on his shoulders.

  “Captain.” Samantha Vale, the Paladin’s first officer, handed Jed a Datapad filled with readouts from the ship’s various chiefs.

  His reverie broken, Jed focused on his commander’s stony expression. “Something on your mind, Sam?”

  Samantha Vale had been under his command for seven years prior to their recent promotions on the Paladin. The Commander had gladly accepted Jed’s offer to be his first officer when he was made captain, only a few weeks earlier, though he had sensed some regret on her behalf.

  “No sir,” she replied curtly.

  “Come on, out with it.” Jed looked up at her from his seat. “You’ve been sulking since The Hub handed us our orders.”

  With an insulted expression, Sam’s mouth parted, but the commander held her barbed retort and straightened her back. “I have not been sulking, sir.”

  “Could have fooled me…” Jed knew his smirk would only piss her off more.

  The commander sighed. “Permission to speak freely, sir?”

  Jed expressed his mock confusion. “Do you have any other way of speaking to me?”

  “When you told me we were going to Century I thought it would be to do some deep space exploration. Check out the territory and neighboring solar systems. Root out any separatists that may have found a stronghold in the system…”

  “Something exciting,” Jed stated, reading between the lines.

  “I didn’t think we’d be taxiing a bunch of colonists from Earth to Century,” Sam explained.

  “That’s what the Paladin was designed for,” Jed argued. “It’s an Arc ship.”

  “I didn’t know that when I signed on…” Sam looked away, clearly embarrassed.

  “You should have done your homework.” The captain wagged his finger at her.

  “I didn’t sign on to be the commander of the Paladin. I signed on to be your X-O.” Sam wouldn’t look him in the eye.

  It was Sam’s loyalty that had earned her the promotion in his eyes. Jed knew he could trust her with his commands and his life. He wanted to treasure these next few years working so closely with her, it wouldn’t be long before Commander Vale became Captain Vale.

  “We’re going to help with the colonising of Century for a while,” Jed said. “It won’t be forever. Eventually we will be tasked with mandates like exploration, but for now, we get to just enjoy a bit of easy street.”

  “Captain Holt?” Helmsman Maloy turned from his station to face Jed and Sam.

  Before giving the helmsman his full attention, Jed looked up at Sam and waited for her response. The commander replied with a smile and a nod of concession. Captain Holt had seen more action than her, and he knew when to enjoy an easy command.

  She will understand that, in time, he thought.

  “What is it, Maloy?” Jed faced his helmsman.

  “We’re getting some error codes in our navigation array. I’ve tasked an engineer to look into it, but I wouldn’t advise activating the Solar Drive until it’s fixed.”

  “Understood. Carry on.” Jed trusted the Martian to have everything in order by the deadline for launch.

  Sam pointed at the Datapad in Jed’s hands. “One hundred thousand souls and six grumpy Raiders accounted for.”

  Jed chuckled to himself. “How are they holding up? They’ve only been on board for a day.”

  “They’re like six caged animals who want something to hunt. It’s going to take a few days to reach Century and, as far as they’re concerned, there’s going to be nothing to do.” Sam sounded as if she agreed with their way of thinking.

  “I’ll talk to them after we hit sub-space,” Jed replied seriously. The last thing he wanted was six highly trained UDC killers getting bored on his ship. “The Corporate War only ended a couple of years ago. There’s every chance the separatists have got people on board if they’re not on Century already. They need to be here.”

  Sam shifted her feet on the bulkhead. “The gravity feels a little light.” The commander turned to ensign Markovich, who was standing in front of a glass wall, streaming with readouts. “Marko, check the grav enforcers.”

  The ensign acknowledged and retasked his Glass Board.

  Jed smiled. “What would I do without you?”

  “Float away…” Sam emulated her captain’s smile.

  Over the next hour, Captain Holt sat in the middle of the bridge and listened to his crew converse. It was their level of tension that would tell him if anything was wrong with the Paladin. He knew that the sensor dish had taken a knock before they left space dock, but Ensign Sato was working to correct the issue, ensuring their communications were up to scratch. Engineering had already reported that the Solar Drive’s systems were at optimal levels for the distance of their jump. They were almost ready to leave the solar system.

  Jed checked the countdown on the screen built into his armrest. They were due to depart in six minutes.

  “Commander Vale.” Jed waited for Sam to turn around at her station. “Are we systems go?”

  Sam checked her monitor. “The Hub has given us a green light for departure, Captain. All systems are ready for the jump. Communications is still a little iffy, but we can transmit data.”

  Jed half-swivelled
his chair to face Maloy. “Helmsman Maloy. I trust the problem with our navigation array has been seen to. I would very much like to arrive in Century’s orbit rather than headfirst into a moon….”

  The levity eased the bridge crew before they left reality behind. There had never been a problem with using sub-space before, but the idea of slipping into the space between spaces was still a scary thought.

  Helmsman Maloy hesitated, looking over his monitor. “Our engineers have looked into it Captain and found no problems on the array’s end. They concluded that it must be a malfunction on our end. It’s most likely just my monitor, sir.”

  Jed didn’t like it. He looked at the countdown again. “Commander Vale…”

  No specific order was given, nor was it required. Sam’s hands danced across her monitor until she had the required information. “I have the same error code, Captain.”

  Jed gave a heavy sigh and puffed out his chest, chewing over the information. They would be pissing off a lot of people if they delayed their departure. But it was his ship, his command. The Paladin wouldn’t move an inch without his say so.

  Sam offered, “If the array itself is functioning, then it’s most likely a faulty connection to the bridge terminals.”

  Jed mulled it over with his chin resting on his hand. Every face on the bridge was looking to him, waiting for his command. “Can you still plot a course to Century?” Jed directed his question to Maloy.

  The helmsman keyed in a few commands before turning back. “Course laid in, Captain.”

  Jed sucked in a breath and looked at Sam, who nodded her approval. “Okay.” He raised his voice to be heard by everyone. “Commander Vale, alert our passengers and the crew of our imminent departure. Helmsman Maloy,” Jed flicked his finger across the screen in his chair and sent the countdown to Maloy’s station, “when you see zero, you have my permission to launch.”

  The bridge was a flurry of activity, but all measured and controlled. They were a fine crew, the best he could find. Jed spent the next minute going through his usual, physical routine of rolling his head and cracking his neck. He knew it was pointless since he wouldn’t feel anything when the Solar Drive was activated, but habits were habits.

  The countdown hit zero and Helmsman Maloy used the physical lever to activate the jump to sub-space. A low rumble rippled through the ship, but it didn’t feel right to the captain. Before he could give any orders, the lights flickered and the monitors were overlaid with a single message, displaying an error code.

  “What’s wrong?” His question was drowned out by the first claxon of an alarm, signalling the emergency diversion of power.

  Jed hit the override tab on his armrest and shut the alarm down. His crew was busy at their stations trying to understand the nature of the malfunction. He let them work for a moment before reiterating his question.

  “The Solar Drive is still charging!” Ensign Sato reported from behind his glass board.

  “What? Why is it still charging?” Captain Holt asked immediately.

  “Oh no…” Helmsman Maloy’s quiet voice carried across the bridge.

  “Helm, report,” Commander Vale ordered.

  “The drive is still charging because it thinks the journey is further away than Century,” Maloy explained, his eyes fixed on his monitor. “The navigation array has plotted a course into deep space, somewhere outside... this arm of the galaxy.”

  “Shut down the drive, NOW!” Jed ordered. If the Paladin was shot into deep space, they would travel beyond the point of no return. The ship only had enough solarcite to get them to Century, where they were expected to refuel for the journey back.

  There was another flurry of activity across the bridge, all the while the Paladin continued to rumble. Jed looked at Sam, whose grave expression told him everything.

  “The drive is non-responsive, Captain…” Maloy’s fingers jabbed at every available space on his monitor.

  Sam swivelled back to her screen. “Sending a mayday to The Hub now.”

  “I thought the course was laid in, Maloy.” Jed was already trying to contact engineering via the comlink in his chair.

  “It was sir, I don’t… When the Solar Drive came online it must have affected the array or…” Maloy groaned in frustration. “I’m completely locked out!”

  Jed didn’t have time to pressure the helmsman for answers. Only engineering could help them now. They needed to perform a manual shutdown before the drive threw them into uncharted space.

  “Sir…” The voice that came over the comlink wasn’t his chief engineer. “This is acting-chief Grenko. Chief Horlish is… dead.”

  The loss of his chief engineer stung, but Jed didn’t have time to mourn now. “What’s going on down there, Grenko?”

  “The Chief tried to manually shut down the drive, sir. It overloaded the bulkhead manifold and exploded.”

  “Jed…” Sam’s familiar use of his name drew his attention. “The drive is fully charged.”

  Captain Holt looked ahead as the rumbling reached its crescendo. The Paladin lurched forward and the stars stretched around the viewport, leaving nothing but the dark, empty abyss of sub-space.

  Chapter 1

  Kalian stood in a corridor that he had never been in, looking at a door he had never seen in person before. The foreboding door was circular and constructed entirely from exotic minerals that made it the perfect protection for the cube, parading as the Conclave AI. Reaching out, he placed one hand on the cool metal and pushed his Terran senses beyond the confines of the corridor.

  She was inside…

  Kalian’s senses easily detected the nanocelium that made up the cube on the other side of the thick door. Its menacing presence responded to his extra-sensing touch with what felt like laughter. Kalian hammered his fist into the vault door with frustration, but it made no mark. The cube knew as well as he did that everything inside that room was about to be vapourised.

  Li’ara was about to die.

  With both hands outstretched, Kalian reached out with his Terran abilities and pulled on the door with telekinesis. The exotic metal strained and groaned, but it barely moved an inch. It was exhausting. Kalian screamed in anger and went back to hammering the door. His senses detected Li’ara’s heartbeat increasing as the realisation of death set in. It was a feeling he wanted to spare her from, but he was helpless to intervene.

  “You can’t save me…” Li’ara’s voice came from behind him.

  Kalian turned around and saw the face of the woman he loved. Her startling green eyes and copper ringlets made her pale skin appear all the more beautiful. Now her features were sullen. Li’ara looked at Kalian with an expression of regret, but also of disappointment.

  “You can’t save me…” Li’ara whispered, her hand cupping his cheek.

  “You can’t save any of us.” Disturbingly, Esabelle was now standing behind Li’ara, her face bruised and bloodied.

  Kalian felt tears run down his face when Malekk stepped out of the shadows and wrapped his arms around his mentor’s slender neck. Without pause, the infected Terran snapped Esabelle’s neck with ease. Malekk smiled and strode towards Kalian and Li’ara, who had yet to turn away from Kalian as if none of this was happening. Malekk closed his fingers slowly around Li’ara’s chin and head, all the while watching Kalian.

  “NO!” Kalian was frozen in place, unable to move.

  Malekk snapped Li’ara’s neck and discarded her like garbage. “We are coming,” the infected Terran hissed. “We are hungry…” Malekk’s hand reached out towards Kalian’s face, blocking out the light.

  Kalian shot up in bed, covered in a layer of sweat. He always woke up at the same point. For three months he had been haunted by the same nightmare. Sitting on the edge of his bed, Kalian took a deep breath and focused his mind. Every molecule of sweat slowly lifted from his body as if he were in a vacuum. In moments his skin was dry and the sweat began to evaporate into the air around him.

  The desk beside his bed was cove
red in sheets of paper - some of which had been scrunched into a ball. The drawn image of Li’ara looked back at him, just as he remembered her. His ability to sketch near-perfect images of anything he had seen was new, and apparently a result of his developing Terran memory. Reaching out with a lazy hand, Kalian scrunched up the picture and threw it across the room. When he looked back at the desk, all that remained were the pages full of question marks. He looked at the word Evalan, surrounded by questioning symbols. The word had been engraved in Terran across the cube found by Savrick and the cube found at Trantax IV. The word and its meaning were just one of many mysteries surrounding Kalian’s life right now.

  “Your finer control is getting better every day.” ALF was standing in the darkened corner of the room.

  Kalian didn’t look shocked, but he rolled his eyes. “How long have you been lurking there?”

  “Still room for improvement I see…” The black Terran armour walked out of the shadows. To the casual observer, it would have appeared Kalian was inside, covered from head-to-toe in the nanocelium.

  Kalian knew it was hollow, though. Like me, he thought.

  “I thought you were overseeing the final stages of the Starforge’s construction.” Kalian stood up without any clothes on and ran his hand through his hair. It would be another hour or so before the images from his nightmare left him alone.

  “It’s finished,” ALF announced, his armoured head glancing out the window.

  Kalian turned to the vista of stars, beyond the Sentinel, and altered the structure of his eyes to see further than any human could dream. With the backdrop of a distant moon - used as a base for the construction - Kalian could see the crescent moon shape of the Starforge. It was much smaller than the one made by Protocorps, in keeping with the original Terran design. The Starforge in the Helteron Cluster had been designed for something far more sinister and larger. Unravelling that mystery was the whole reason for constructing this new Starforge.