“Please, I don’t know if this counts as some weird crime, or if it’s just something I need to sort out on my own or whatever. I just want some advice. It all started with my… first wife. I mean, she used to just be a live in roommate-stroke-maid for me, but you know how that goes. She’s a Cambiar, just adorable. And she’s still sweet, and beautiful. But… things got weird after we married. After our first month together, she says she’s ‘sporing’. I think ‘Ok, ‘let’s see how this goes’. She grows this sac, and a few weeks later a baby Cambiar drops off her. So yeah, of course I assumed she was our daughter, of a sort. I never said those words exactly, but I thought she was mine and Yeelin’s little gift. She grew up faster than I could blink. But then… things happened. Little Kiraka had her first birthday, and reached adulthood but on the very same day suddenly declared herself my new wife. It seemed the two of them had different expectations of what a ‘family’ entailed. That was five years ago. I have twelve wives now. Three more are on the way. Every day they… I’m not sure how much longer I can kee- Oh, hello babe, uh, babes. Wait, no darlings, I’m just making a pho- Wait, no, hold on! No, don’t suck my co- No! No!” – Unknown, 2263. Recording from an amateur relationship helpline for interspecies couples.

  Elias wasn’t particularly sure that having just one more guard would help with the apparently magical interloper that had come to infest Nucleus, but was nonetheless glad to have him around. A few days had passed since ghostly meeting in the dead of night, and needless to say, it had put the already stressed higher ups into panic mode. The fact that some strange man, capable of sneaking into the facility’s most private areas, had gotten in and out without detection, and had managed to wipe all traces of his existence from even CAI’s recording banks was enough to nearly make Rannos pass out.

  Lucian, in a surprising change, maintained stoicism when faced with the situation. He calmly increased security personnel around the site and began an organised background check on all residents of Birkdale’s Gate to see if he could track down the suspect. Of course, when it finally came time to showing Lucian the footage, EXCAL had come in to save the day. Though the artificial intelligence had been still been grumpy, if such a word was appropriate to use for a machine, he had saved Elias’ skin by doctoring the footage to make it a slightly less egregious use of Nucleus resources. After adjusting the video to show a pile of harness parts where the S-Drive had been, and changing all of his speech with rerecorded lines to fit the new context, Lucian had mostly been concerned with the trespasser instead of Elias’ work.

  “Look, I don’t know about you guys, but I think that guy has to be with Heaven’s Doctrine,” the new guard, an oaf of a man called Talon, said.

  “And what makes you think that, newbie?” Kurt said.

  The group of three, though Elias would have felt more comfortable with a few dozen more guards considering how close he had been to a potentially life-threatening danger, were walking across the bridge towards Birkdale’s Gate as they paused for a moment on the bridge. It was the same bridge he had been stopped on a few months before when Madison had needed to vent to him, and his destination that night had been the same as now.

  “Hey, I’m no newbie!” Talon said, puffing his chest out. “I’ll have you know I served H&H for years! I was even at-“

  “Yeah, yeah, New Horizons and all that. You said that already. Look, you might have been some big shot security officer for that shitheap of a megacorp, but as far as GaltCorp cares, you’re new blood.”

  “But I’m telling you – I saw this sort of shit before. Uh, excuse my language, Dr Savage.” Talon looked embarrassed at how quickly he’d gotten enthused at the conversation.

  Elias just laughed and dismissed the concern with a wave. “It’s fine. Swear away, not like the Nucleus’ new bogeyman is going to care for professionalism when he…” Elias snuck up behind the new guard as he looked towards Kral’Thul’s horizon. “Gets you!” Elias poked him between the shoulder blades.

  For a second, Talon squawked before turning around with a frown. When he looked to Kurt for sympathy, the more experienced bodyguard just rolled his eyes and looked away.

  “But it’s true!” Talon said. “It felt like half of Starheart were traitors for the Corpse Emperor or, even worse, were brain-washed Paradisian cultists. Hell, I even went on a mission with Mikhail Olegovich himself.”

  “Bullshit,” Kurt grumbled. “If you met Mikhail ‘One-Shot’, then I’m the president of Tripwire Services. Dude’s now running the goddamn Ten-Tri’s military; if he ever knew you were onto him, you would’ve been dead in an instant.”

  “I swear! He was disguised, but I always knew there was something about him! He was a… a doctor, I think.”

  “You don’t sound confident,” Elias said, smirking.

  “No, you gotta believe me. And, Vigino! Salvador Vigino was there as well! That engineer who somehow became a politician in the Out-Han Alliance. I swear to god, in a few years you are definitely going to hear that the Out-Han and Ten-Tri are working together, or something.”

  ‘Or something’. How very credible. They let Talon ramble about conspiracy theories and some misplaced awe for the ex-clanlord as they continued walking. Tracing along the path on the outer edge of Birkdale’s Gate, Elias could see and smell the signs that the residents were preparing for the IGS. Strings of lanterns and new pop-up stalls lined the main thoroughfare as people bustled about, shops were wheeling out new souvenirs and goods, and tour groups marched about the distant plaza square.

  The IGS was drawing near, and in not too long all of the Collective Corporations of Humanity would get to see Kral’Thul in all its glory. Part of Elias wondered if it was at these sorts of events where the countless smaller companies, subsidiaries and independents both, would fight one another for domination over their particular fields. Though none had risen to challenge the founding six, previously seven, megacorporations, Elias considered that maybe new dealings in the shaky status quo of modern life in the galaxy could lead to something new. His enjoyment of the fresh air and green skies was only slightly stymied by the thought that behind every corner of a building or shadow of a monorail carriage going past, Isaac could be waiting, lurking for the right moment to make his move.

  What exactly had he wanted anyway? The impression Elias got of the man was less of a spy probing for answers, especially considering the bluntness of his presence there, and more of a parent asking after a child how their day at school was. Well, if Isaac really wanted to know, school had gone great, thanks – the secrets of the S-Drive were close at hand, and in the short time Elias had spent with the S-Drive he had uncovered something inconceivable, impossible and overall exhilarating. Elias was uncertain of how exactly to proceed once the project was finished.

  He wanted to wait some time before discussing with Chel-Lin about how to distribute it. Maybe… giving it over to Kantor? Hell no, that thought made him sick. Sell it? That sounded risky, and a good way to get assassinated by those dominating the S-Drive market. Which, technically, still included Kantor, as a leading executive of GaltCorp. Perhaps there were other paths to pursue in getting word of the device out to the public.

  Regardless, if his plan was successful, and a new alternative form of FTL travel was made available, then the barrier for all life to travel around the galaxy quicker and faster than current methods would be lowered astronomically. As it was, only the most powerful of the corporations still had access to the remaining Keepers, bribing them with funds and favours, as the rest still using S-Drives were forced to use unreliable computers. Those tended to be reserved only for the incredibly brave and incredibly stupid, and even then those computers only worked with smaller ships. Cambiar wormhole technology was impressive, but was hugely energy inefficient, required a small fleet of Cambiar ships to initiate, and could only be used to move to systems with certain types of stars, again due to the way energy was siphoned. And as for the Tylas Bubble Field Manipulator? Elias doubted that regardless of how well the Symposium went they would be giving that up soon – the alternatives would be just too valuable to their greedy tendrils. Then again, Elias and Chel-Lin’s new invention would likely contain a BFM, so in a way, he was going to be spreading it himself. Huh. Neat.

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  Thinking of the future, Elias’ mind circled back to the biggest weight on his mind at the moment. He had yet to feel the same sensation of half-prescience, half-instinct he had felt during the accident of Nucleus Five, but he knew he was close. Just some more time.

  Speaking of time, as the labs were still officially closed as a result of the fire, and would likely only be further delayed due to the new security changes after Isaac’s unexpected intrusion, Elias had decided to make the most of the day to see the one thing he couldn’t take to Nucleus when he first arrived. A few minutes of feeling the strong breeze of the air in his hair, sending his golden locks flying about, and they had arrived. It was a storage centre, owned by the technically independent company of ‘Ever-Haul’, but was effectively one of thousands of companies GaltCorp controlled through shell companies and unofficial deals.

  Heading inside and signing in with his credentials, Elias ran his hand along the roller doors as he counted the number of units until he reached his own. He had left it purposely blank, so as to not draw attention, but did arrange to have some of the storage company’s security in the hall around the door. What he had left in there was far too valuable to be stolen, and Elias would never forgive himself if that happened. Clicking the remote the receptionist gave him, the door clattered upwards to reveal a standard, boxy room. To some, it would have been considered a waste of a storage container. There was just a jagged mass covered by a dustcloth, a small mechanical workbench and an open locker lined with vehicle parts.

  Talon took position outside the unit as he pretended to look busy, when Elias clearly saw him browsing the inter-sys on his comm-device. Wait, was that the ‘SupaFighta’ frontpage – the site where people discussed who would win in fights with one another? Was that a picture of Mikhai- No, it was too much. Elias needed to stop judging the new guard’s love for powerscaling and get back to what he came for. He turned, seeing Kurt noticing the same thing as himself, and both fought to not laugh.

  “Alright,” Elias said, jokingly shoving a red-faced Kurt who was struggling to hold his giggling. “Let’s see the old girl.”

  He strode forward, and with the same motion his uncle once had, he whipped the cover off the mound to reveal his most prized possession. Above all else he had in life – his pride, his intellect, his years of work, though not the love he shared with Chel-Lin, as that was solidifying into a core part of him – the item in front of him was essential to his sense of self.

  Rocinante, his uncle’s last gift.

  “Holy shit,” Kurt whispered, his previous mirth at Talon’s expense fading into awe.

  Elias ran a hand along her chassis, still smooth and unblemished. The last time Elias had the chance to ride her had been over a year before, during a temporary stay on a terrestrial colony to do field testing on the effects of highly charged magnetospheres on internal fusion diffraction in GaltCorp’s newest fighter ship design. Skimming across the plains there, the hoverbike’s high-frequency blades cutting through grass like nothing, was a joy he had missed dearly.

  As he paused his inspection, everything seeming fine thus far, he screwed up his face. In thinking of his times of happiness, he came to a realization. Since coming to Nucleus, he had gone through far more times of genuine connection and fun than he could have counted in the years before. In fact, most of those past times were rides on Rocinante. He guessed that his nineteenth birthday was pretty ok, considering he spent it in his room cooking up a new theory. Yeah, that was… fine.

  But coming to Nucleus, teasing Kurt and sharing beers with him, fighting with his Tylas partner over every little encounter, sitting through all the countless hours of Madison’s rants, acting as Bernard’s wingman in front of the cameras, helping EXCAL with his silly knight game…

  Spending time with Chel-Lin, and not even when they were embraced in one another touch, or when they were joking about nothing in particular, were some of the best times he could remember. Some nights they didn’t even say a word, just holding one another as they watched a cheesy proto-wave movie, or even just watching the night sky.

  It was, for the first time, that Elias realised he hadn’t quite been happy with the life before coming to the strange, alien position he found himself in. He thought he had been, but looking back…

  “Elias?” Kurt asked. “You good?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” Elias said, coughing on something in his throat. Yes, just a hair or something. That’s right. God, why was it so hot in the room? The air wasn’t that cold, so why was there sweat in his eyes?

  Turning away from Kurt, and wiping the definitely not tears from his eyes, he moved to start his usual ritual with Rocinante.

  “So, not just here to look?” Kurt looked over his shoulder at the strange looking tools before him.

  “Nope, got to make sure the girl is all calibrated. I don’t expect much drift in her instruments, but it never hurts to check.”

  He spent the next half-hour working over Rocinante. Bit by bit, he made sure she was as in a fine a state as ever. Blades were cleaned and polarised, handlebars were checked for perishing, and sensors were all refreshed. It was as Elias finished up on the positronic-accelerators attached to the baryplate on the underside that he heard Talon drop his comm-device.

  “Whoa, uh, Mr Tylas, Dr Savage is in here and I’m his guard so…” Talon trailed off.

  Looking over his shoulder, Elias saw an unexpected sight. A group of maybe a dozen or so Tylas had silently filled the hallway around his storage unit, arranged in a half-circle to block any means exit. In the middle, approaching with the patience of unchanging stone, was a Tylas dressed in far more elaborate scarves and ribbons, his four-eyed glare fixed on Elias.

  Well, great.

  “Dr Elias Savage, offspring of Kantor Savage,” the ornate alien said, clear haughtiness in his translator. “We must speak. In private.”

  Damn, if Elias thought Chel-Lin had been up her own ass when they first met, she had nothing on the Tylas before him. It was probably because of people like him that the diplomacy between humanity and the Tylas had gotten so bad in the first place.

  He nodded to the grim looking Kurt and spooked looking Talon. Shuffling away, past the group of floating aliens, their leader continued to affix his attention on the scientist. His neck was swathed in countless black bolts of cloth that trailed along his outer mantle, like a cape torn to shreds on purpose.

  “Oh boy, I just love it when people corner me in an isolated location,” Elias said, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu. “So, how can I help you today?”

  “I am Scorching Dominant Aveo-Dos of House Takara, Lord of Honor and Decency. I would mind my tongue, human, if I was in your position.”

  Oh shit. Aveo-Dos, the local governor for the Baraldian Heralds? He had been the shadowy Tylas overlooking his first checkpoint check-in, hiding at the back of the room. Well, this was about to get interesting.

  “I see. What are you here for then?”

  “I am not one to waste time, as my position is one of great importance to my people. As such, I will make my point clear, and will let your inferior mind take its time to process my words.” The Tylas shuffled, his outer mantle rippling for a second before it flattened. “Savage, do as you wish with the so-called Interspecies Galactic Symposium, but know that your efforts will be for naught. Were it not for the sake of Barald’s pity, I would have disregarded any such approaches of your people. So, be grateful, pride-filled thing of meat and bone. When the time comes, and our lord has returned to the world, all of the strength in your weak empire will not matter. The best thing for your peoples and mine is to stay away from one another.”

  Big words, very humble. And yet, it was clear to Elias over his time spent with Chel-Lin that the Tylas was not exactly comfortable. The light movement of his eyes, the speed fluctuation at the ‘hem’ of his outer sheath, they all showed the Scorching Dominant would rather be elsewhere. Elias had one potential reason behind this, and it was likely a fluke, but he would not take being cornered like some high-school nerd in a locker room without trying.

  “Is that so?” Elias raised an eyebrow and smirked. Just a fraction. Enough to draw an irritated twitch to Aveo-Dos’ eyes. Bingo. “You see, I was rather surprised during that little lab accident we had a bit ago that a whole lot of Tylas helped out. Really surprising, but it did tell me one thing, kite – you aren’t as unified as you wanted us to think.”

  “How da-“

  “I imagine you didn’t expect that now, did you? Was it the Proclaimers? I heard their influence over your leadership is growing by the day.” It was a complete bluff, using the name of the only political group Elias knew of, but since Kar-Trine had come to help, then perhaps others had followed in his path. It appeared that Elias had struck gold, as the Tylas’ glare transformed into a full-scowl. Hatred seared beneath his glowering.

  “Watch your tongue, primordial reject. Dissent is but a minor setback. Kar-Trine and his followers are a dying breed of fools. I expect it is the same fate for your entire pathetic species.” The alien turned to leave. “Do as you wish, Savage. It won’t amount to much. Play with your toys, scramble in the dirt. Remain blind and impotent as we surpass you.”

  Silently, the alien and his posse, some of whom kept looking back towards Elias in hesitation, drifted away. Elias stuck his head out the door to see Aveo-Dos give one last fury-filled glance backwards before exiting the hallway. Talon and Kurt approached, the latter whistling.

  “Well, well, well, Elias,” Kurt began to clap. “I imagine you’ve pissed off a lot of people in your life, from executives to scientists to bodyguards, but to spit in the face of him? The man in charge of this whole part of the Heralds? That must be a new record.”

  Elias looked back towards Rocinante, who almost appeared to shine with a new sense of valour and pride in her waxy coat, before rolling his neck.

  “What can I say?” Elias said. “When I aim big, I go for the stars.”