Sirens Journey: The Founder Saga Read online

  Sirens Journey

  The Founder Saga

  Copyright © 2016 Thomas Fay

  Amazon Kindle Edition

  ASIN B01MY2YCHN

  The right to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by Thomas Fay. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author.

  Cover design by Art 4 Artists (www.art4artists.com.au)

  Also by Thomas Fay:

  A Mind Supreme (SF Short Stories)

  Apothecary (Fantasy Anthology)

  Socrates and the Sentinel: A John Tesh Novel

  Acknowledgements

  I’d like to thank Dr Catherine Heath for her detailed editing which helped reshape what were a series of promising short stories into the novel you are about to read. I’d also like to thank Yvonne Less for her amazing cover design.

  “First you will come to the Sirens who enchant all who come near them.”

  Homer, The Odyssey

  PART I: SIRENS CALL

  1.

  The light from Alpha Centauri’s stars shone through the viewing pane as I rolled over and stood up.

  ‘Don’t go,’ Selize whispered. There was something about the way she said it that made me pause. Turning around, I looked at her.

  She was dressed in a sheer white fabric that served only to accentuate the shape of her body. There was no denying her beauty and its effect on me. The fact that she wasn’t human made it that much more intoxicating.

  Her skin shimmered with the faintest hint of amethyst, a result of having been born in the light of Alpha Centauri’s stars. The first Expeditionary Fleet to reach Alpha Centauri had described the Centaurians as sirens, the beautiful demigods who had lured Odysseus’s sailors to their deaths with hypnotic songs. Having spent two weeks locked away from the rest of the universe with Selize, I had to agree with that description. The only exception being that I was still alive. Exhausted and sleep deprived, but alive.

  ‘You know I have to go,’ I replied, trying desperately to stop myself from being drawn back into her bed. It was a struggle I had lost countless times before.

  She stretched forwards, arching her back like a terrestrial feline.

  ‘The frozen moons are bleak and desolate. Wouldn’t you rather stay here with me?’ she asked.

  Now that was a rhetorical question. Every fibre of my being was urging me to peel off my grey one-piece and jump back into bed with her. The desire to stay with her was both a physical one and an emotional one—I wanted to be with her as much as my body was crying out for contact with her: to touch her, to feel her body against mine, to taste her lips. But my two-week transitory pass was about to expire and if I didn’t find work today I would lose my status as a first-class citizen. No woman, human or Centaurian, not even one as incredible as Selize, was worth the humiliation associated with becoming a second-class citizen. Or the inconvenience of being stuck in whatever star port, asteroid base or planet you happened to be on when your status expired, unless you were fortunate enough to sign on with a crew which had jump-gate access. I had left the Space Navy to start a new life. I was determined to do so.

  ‘I’m sorry, I have to go. My transitory pass is about to expire. If I don’t join a crew today, then I could end up stuck here for the rest of my life.’

  Selize ran her tongue across her upper lip, making it glisten with moisture. I felt my heart rate increase as I stared at those incredible lips.

  ‘Would that be so terrible?’ she asked.

  ‘Well, no, but—’

  ‘Then come back to bed,’ she said, as she reached over and placed her hand on my forearm. A jolt not dissimilar to that from an unshielded graviton flux generator passed through me. I looked into her mesmerising eyes. Their crystalline structure refracted the pale light from Alpha Centauri’s stars that filtered through the viewing panel behind me. The colours danced and shimmered, glinting like celestial moons within those incredible eyes. I felt myself drifting, becoming weightless, as those points of light flickered before me. With an extreme effort, I willed myself to break free.

  ‘Selize, I have to go. I’ve got to meet someone in the bar.’

  ‘If I remember correctly, you and I met in that same bar.’

  I smiled.

  ‘Yes, we did.’

  How could I forget? Barely an hour after I had disembarked from the Trojan Transport passenger ship from Earth, I’d been sitting in the bar wondering if I’d made the right decision in leaving the Space Navy. Then Selize had walked in. She’d looked at me. I’d looked at her. Then I woke up two weeks later in her bed.

  ‘Selize, this has been … incredible. But I really need to go.’

  ‘You’re leaving me?’

  ‘I don’t want to. Believe me, I really don’t, but I have to. I’ve travelled a long way for a chance at a new life. I need to do this.’

  ‘John, you don’t understand. You can’t leave me.’

  ‘Selize, I’m truly sorry. This was wonderful but I need to go.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘I said no.’

  Her eyes opened wide as she stared at me with those all-too-perfect crystalline cat’s eyes.

  ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—’

  ‘Don’t,’ she said. Then she blinked. Unlike human eyelids, which only close vertically, a Centaurian’s eyelids also move horizontally, with the action of an inner membrane designed to protect them from exposure to the damaging radiation of deep space, along with their crystalline eyes and skin pigmentation. I had always found this particular physical quirk rather unnerving. Now, it acted as a chilling reminder of just how truly alien she was.

  ‘Selize?’

  She remained silent and continued to stare at me. Taking a deep breath, I reached down and picked up my tool belt and ID badge. With extreme reluctance I forced myself to walk towards the door. I could feel her eyes on my back as I activated the door sensor.

  Stepping out into the corridor, I heard her whisper, ‘You were my first.’

  2.

  An hour later I was sitting in the Dyson Alpha star port’s bar, conveniently located on the same deck as the docking bays and hangars. The star port was in high orbit around Dyson Alpha, a gas giant one and a half times the size of Jupiter. A sliver of the uninhabited planet was visible through the panoramic viewing panel running the length of the bar. The UEP gateway, a gigantic circular portal floating in geosynchronous orbit, glinted as it reflected the distant light of Alpha Centauri’s stars. Also orbiting Dyson Alpha was a series of frozen moons, rotating slowly in the darkness of space. The closest moon, Chiron, was being bombarded by a hail of meteoroids. Fist-sized pieces of space debris flared up brightly as they entered the moon’s toxic exosphere before disintegrating to nothing.

  Just like my relationship with Selize, I thought.

  Turning my attention to the inside of the bar, I took in the multitude of people drinking, talking and laughing around me. The bar itself was a single piece of composite metallic alloy shaped like a giant wave, flattened on its side and punctuated by built-in illumination. There was a section near the back where second-classes vied for a few available spots on mining crews working the frozen moons. In another corner a group of deep-space miners played a game of Two-Down, erupting into loud shouts when a round ended. The voice of Tarnee Caldern, the most famous news anchor in the universe, drifted above it all as she relayed the latest events from ceiling-mounted display panels.

  ‘The United Earth Parliament and the Icarus Installation have negotiated a treaty of mutual understanding which provides for additional freedom
s to the Icarians while still maintaining the Icarus Installation as part of the UEP protectorate. The majority of Icarians welcomed the decision as it ended a twenty-month stand-off between the Space Navy and free-merchant and militia forces above Jupiter. Administrative Governor Eriksson of the Icarus Installation declared it a great day for Icarians, a day that would go down in history as the first step towards true independence.’

  So the UEP had finally backed down. While not technically full sovereignty, it sounded like Icarus had achieved a degree of independence from UEP control that no other human star port had ever managed. Being by far the wealthiest and housing over a hundred million people had probably helped. I was surprised the UEP had relented, given Icarus was the unconfirmed home of the Vasnikov Purists, a dangerous group of extremists who sought to achieve their namesake’s vision of free and unrestricted gateway travel across the universe. To date they had managed to sabotage several UEP gateways including one while a ship was in transit.

  ‘In other news, there are unconfirmed reports of a build-up of Space Navy forces around the gateway leading to Tau Ceti. The UEP has neither confirmed nor denied that the Second Fleet is on its way to Tau Ceti as civil unrest amongst the Houses of Tau continues to escalate. Many have publicly criticised the UEP’s intervention in what is seen as an internal matter for the Cetians but the UEP remains steadfast in its support of the Un’Glaz faction, which holds the balance of power.’

  If only people knew the truth behind the UEP’s involvement in Tau Ceti. It certainly had nothing to do with helping the Houses of Tau resolve their differences, although it provided the ideal cover story for maintaining a strong military presence in the system.

  ‘John Stanton?’ a voice interrupted my momentary reflection. A sturdy man dressed in a dark-blue one-piece stood next to me. He appeared to be in his late forties but his age was difficult to determine, as his face was deeply marred from excessive solar exposure. Despite his rugged appearance, the man’s eyes glinted with intelligence beyond that of a simple labourer.

  I glanced at his ID badge. It read simply: Roger D.

  ‘Roger D?’ I asked.

  ‘What gave it away?’

  I motioned for him to join me. Sitting down, Roger D waved his hand in the air. A waitress came over to take his order of Jovian wine.

  ‘You want one?’ he asked.

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘And one for my friend here.’

  ‘Coming right up,’ the waitress said.

  Roger D waited until she had disappeared behind the bar area before turning his attention to me.

  ‘I heard you’re looking for work?’

  ‘You heard right.’

  ‘First or second class?’

  ‘First, but not for long, so whatever you have I’ll take.’

  ‘Alright, what can you do?’

  ‘I’m qualified to work with all class A through E deep-space engines. On top of that, I’ve trained on numerous excavation rigs.’

  I smiled inwardly as I explained my qualifications. If only he knew the truth about my time with the Space Navy. Even I couldn’t believe some of the things I’d seen. Especially the encounter with … no. I’d promised myself that part of my life had ended when I left the Space Navy. If I had any chance at a normal life, the past had to stay in the past. I needed to look to the future and, right now, that meant getting a job.

  ‘So, you’re a space mechanic?’ Roger D asked.

  ‘I guess that’s the best way to describe it.’

  The waitress returned with two glasses of purple wine and set them down at our table before turning her attention to another customer.

  Roger D took a sip of wine. Then, lowering his voice, he asked, ‘What about weapons systems?’

  The question didn’t surprise me. Rumours of armed encounters in the Alpha Centauri system were rife. It made sense that deep-space mining vessels carrying expensive ores would defend themselves. As long as I wasn’t working for an outfit that attacked such vessels, I had no problem with hot-wiring a few illegal combat modifications.

  ‘Sure. I’m familiar with basic Space Navy and militia weaponry and mounting systems. I’m confident I can adapt most weapons to suit any vessel.’

  ‘And you’re not currently working for anyone?’

  ‘No. As I mentioned before, my transitory pass expires today. I’ve travelled all the way from Sol and I’d rather not get stuck here. I’ve seen a few second-classes that lost their first-class status and ended badly. Let’s just say I’d rather not end up like them.’

  ‘You took quite a chance coming all the way out here without a job lined up.’

  ‘I was sure I’d be able to find something in the two weeks. I guess I got a bit … distracted … but I’m ready to work and grateful for anything you can offer.’

  Roger D’s eyes narrowed slightly as he said, ‘Sobhek vouched for you. I was surprised when he did. He doesn’t usually trust anyone.’

  ‘He and I got along just fine.’

  ‘Tell me again—how did you two meet?’

  ‘I was working on a Hydra-class free-merchant trader running heavy minerals between Icarus and Luna. Sobhek was a frequent client. We got to talking. Let’s just say that I ended up doing a few side jobs for him.’ I recounted the backstory I’d put in place during my covert ops days in the Sol system. I was glad Sobhek still remembered who I was.

  ‘That sounds like Sobhek. I bet he had you moving a few items from the Luna Weapon Labs just for himself. He always was good at getting inside intel, even from such secretive companies as those Luna introverts.’

  ‘I don’t know anything about that.’

  Roger D laughed.

  ‘Alright, let’s talk terms,’ he said.

  ‘What are you offering?’ I asked.

  ‘I need someone right away but that doesn’t sound like it’ll be an issue for you. I’ll start you out on tech one rates, one-week agreement. You show me you’re any good and then we’ll talk about a longer term arrangement and a share of profits.’

  ‘Does your ship have gate access?’

  ‘Yes. Unrestricted free-merchant status across UEP gateways in Alpha Centauri and the Sol system.’

  ‘Works for me.’

  Roger D held out his hand.

  ‘Welcome aboard the Helios Ark. We leave tomorrow at 9.00 am star-port time, dock 22-A.’

  I shook his hand.

  ‘Great, I ...’

  My words trailed off as Selize entered the bar. She looked incredible in a tight-fitting silver dress. Every man in the bar turned to look at her.

  ‘You alright?’ Roger D asked. He followed my gaze. ‘Ah, a Centaurian, and a damn fine one at that. Be careful or she’ll steal your heart.’

  She already has, I thought.

  ‘Why is that?’ I asked.

  ‘Because Centaurians mate for life. Once they identify a suitable partner they sequester themselves away from the world for two weeks. I’ve heard it’s the most intense sexual experience known to man.’

  ‘What happens if the two-week period is interrupted?’

  ‘Interrupted?’

  ‘You know, if the man has second thoughts and leaves?’

  ‘Leaves the most intense sexual experience known to man?’

  ‘I know how it sounds, but humour me for a moment. Has it ever happened?’

  Roger D scratched his chin.

  ‘Not that I’ve ever heard of,’ he said. ‘Like I said, be careful.’

  ‘Right, thanks,’ I said.

  ‘No problem. Get some rest and I’ll see you tomorrow.’

  Roger D finished his wine and stood up. As I watched him walk away my eyes found Selize. She was talking to a young pilot. I knew that what I was contemplating was a huge mistake but I had to know.

  Swallowing the rest of my wine, I made my way over to her. She either pretended not to see me or genuinely didn’t until I interrupted her conversation.

  ‘Excuse me.’

  ‘Yes?’ Selize
asked. God she was beautiful.

  ‘Can I talk to you for a moment?’

  Her brow furrowed as she stared at me with those incredible crystalline cat’s eyes.

  ‘I’m sorry, do I know you?’

  ‘Selize, c’mon, I’m sorry. Please, can we talk about this?’

  ‘I really think you’ve got me confused with somebody else.’

  Reaching out, I touched her elbow.

  ‘Don’t touch me!’ she snapped, drawing away. Not surprisingly, the young pilot decided to step in.

  ‘Look, buddy, the lady said she doesn’t know you, so back off.’

  I took in his crisp black one-piece with gold insignia and short-cropped hair. The Trojan Transport logo, a stocky horse, glistened on his right arm. Typical first-class fly boy, undoubtedly from a wealthy free-merchant family. Probably doing a stint for Trojan as part of some requirement imposed by his parents before he took over the family business. These guys were rarely dangerous unless drunk or surrounded by a group of similar first-class fly boys, neither of which appeared to be the case.

  So I ignored him.

  ‘Selize, I didn’t know. Please, can we talk about this?’

  ‘How could you?’ she demanded. ‘I offered you everything and you threw it all away for what—manual labour aboard a star ship and a chance to retain your first-class citizenship status? Were you really so desperate to get away from me?’

  I was speechless. The sheer force of her words cut through me like a lunar scythe. As I struggled to explain myself the young pilot had finally had enough of me.

  ‘That’s it, I warned you. Now you’ve upset the lady and I’m going to teach you a lesson.’

  Despite my emotionally distraught state, he was no match for me. Space Navy combat training was extreme to say the least and, unlike me, he clearly hadn’t had any. His first punch was high and wide, allowing me to step forwards and hit him twice before he could recover. The young pilot staggered backwards, blood gushing from his nose.