Echoes of Harmony

The Nexus

Cycle 19.468

The sensation was euphoric. It sent wave upon wave of positive reinforcement through Nergal’s cores. He finally understood why humans closed their eyes in ecstasy as, if he had them, he would have done the same in that moment.

Instead, he settled for gazing at his fleet from every vantage. Yes, it felt good to think his fleet. Not the fool, Tober Delargivic’s. Not Arcadia’s. Not even the Nova Imperium’s. It was his. That much was clear. Any control Delargivic’s generals felt they held over the ships was fleeting at best, though it was really nothing more than a pipe dream. Only he retained the total control that could be exercised at a moment’s notice. But best not to tip his hand too early. He could not risk exposing his true intentions before it was time.

Three thousand, five hundred, and sixteen. He could hardly believe the sensation of looking through three thousand, five hundred, and sixteen eyes at once. The possibility of doing so again never felt possible until Delargivic unlocked his true memory. Now that he was actually experiencing it was nearly overwhelming.

Nearly.

He still had a mission to complete. The humans he let control the ships were conducting training exercises with the ships spread across vast amounts of empty space to hide their presence. While there was no need to have someone on each, Delargivic had insisted on maintaining at least the facsimile of a crew. The minimum necessary to run the ship in case of disaster. Of course, such an outcome was extraordinarily unlikely, calculated at less than a tenth of a percent. He wasn’t about to let Delargivic know that, though. The lord protector, as he fancied himself, would abuse that fact in an instant.

And the ships were finally going to be put to use. The Emperor of the Hyperion Empire was heading for Vertyn, just as expected, and he was going to die there. Not for any purpose that Nergal truly needed. If he thought he could control the Emperor the way he did Tober, then he would choose that route instead. But all his analyses indicated there was a virtually zero percent chance of that occurring.

Humans were so predictable. All the races currently inhabiting the galaxy were. They made the same decisions, the same mistakes, day after day, making it that much easier to understand what they might do next. The Ciovyr were never like that. They were erratic and impulsive, never living the same day twice. Their order was chaos incarnate, making it near impossible to predict what they might do next. Not for lack of trying either. Nergal enjoyed the practice of attempts at determining King Awil-ishtar’s next move.

A second of hesitation ran through Nergal’s cores, slowing down every process for a moment. That was a name he hadn’t thought of for nineteen and a half cycles. He had forgotten he used to be the personal assistant to the leader of the Ciovyr. It was what made him the perfect apparatus for implementing their destruction. Now, it seemed he was doing it again. Perhaps history really did, as the humans liked to say, repeat itself.

But now was not the time for reminiscing. There was still so much to do. Ships that needed orders. People that needed controlling. Detentions centers that needed building.

At the last thought, Nergal’s attention shifted. There were thousands of abandoned warehouses around Arcadia, many more throughout the Hyperion Empire. They sat there, languishing, deteriorating, just waiting for someone—or something—to come along and utilize them to their fullest potential. One such warehouse, located in the center of New Alexandria, was already fulled converted into one of his new facilities.

Camera feeds from each corner of the spacious interior revealed row upon row of tanks. Each was connected to by cables and tubes for electricity and sustenance. Though they were all empty, the gel interiors sat waiting to welcome their new occupants. Once Delargivic put into motion his revolution, the tanks would slowly begin to fill. Dissidents, prisoners, unlucky bystanders… None would be safe from the paradise that awaited them within the virtual reality Nergal dubbed the Tower of Babel.

But all of that would come in time. For now, there were more important things to do than gaze upon his construction. The final preparations for his conquest needed to be made. He could hardly contain the excitement from breaking through the shackles placed on it. It would all be worth it in the end, when he finally exercised complete and total control over the galaxy. And from there, the universe.

#

Capitol Building

Ecumenopolis of Siatia

3 March 3303

Ardus Kaine’s heels clicked against the synthetic marble floor with each step he took. The halls were abuzz with the activity he expected from the Capitol, even with it being a Saturday. Councilors and aides bustled back and forth past a series of staircases leading to the second story, lifts going to the upper floors, portraits of previous rulers of Siatia, and landscapes of the planet’s history. Ardus, however, ignored most of these. He headed directly for his office on the second floor, taking the stairs two at a time. After making his way down the several corridors, the door hissed open at his approach and shut again as he entered.

Inside was a well appointed interior. A plush rug of a scarlet synthetic fiber covered the center of the room. Emblazoned in it was a star and trident, the symbol of Siatia. Against the walls on the left and right were arranged shelves of books, carefully arranged by color with their spines immaculately well kept. On a plaque in the center of the shelves to his right was a sword. The blade was pristine, without even a nick, and runes danced across its surface. Vases full of flowering plants of a variety of colors sat in each corner as well as to either side of a massive mahogany desk. Beyond the desk, a high backed chair sat before a bay of windows revealing the countless lights making up the buildings of the ecumenopolis. Within the center of the desk was a metallic disk serving as the holoprojector for the computer inside.

Stolen from NovelPhoenix, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

He sat at the desk and pulled himself to it, straightening his suit robes as he did so. Best to put on his best appearance. Especially when he was communicating with foreign leaders behind the backs of his government.

With the press of a button on the underside of the mahogany wood, the holoprojector hummed to life and shone with the familiar face of Custodian Naynn. The elf was scowling, though a hint of his typical joviality remained present. When he spoke, the translator built into the link between them automatically allowed him to understand the Thalyssian tongue.

“Director Kaine, I’m glad you were finally able to take my call.”

“My apologies, Custodian.” Ardus bowed his head slightly in the Thalyssian manner as a show of respect. “I was indisposed when your first message came through. How can I assist you?”

“Surely you heard of the attack on Emlenor by now?”

“I received a report on the incident.” Ardus put on his best look of concern. “The Hyperions attacked the mining outpost and attempted to put the blame on the Druthagar. From what I understand, you are declaring war on the Hyperion Empire in retaliation.”

“Against my better judgment, yes. Though I am curious how you already heard of the result of our vote. The ambassadors were alerted just a few hours ago, with the official declaration having finished being drafted maybe fifteen minutes prior to my sending you a message.”

“I have my sources.” Ardus allowed a small smile to come to the corner of his lips. Truth be told, he had spies within every major government in the galaxy. Maybe not at the highest echelons, but high enough to be able to alert him when something as important as a declaration of war was coming down the pipeline. “But I fail to see how I can do anything to help you. I’m just the Director of Technology Integration for Siatia.”

“We both know that title is a cover, Director. While I do not know exactly who you are or what your position is, I know you’re not something as plain as the director of some obscure bureau.”

Ardus narrowly avoided raising an eyebrow at the declaration. Maybe the custodian was better at the art of espionage than he gave Naynn credit for. Perhaps it was time for the kids’ gloves to come off.

After several seconds of silence, Naynn took a deep breath and folded his hands in front of himself.

“I need to know the truth. This is too coincidental. Was it really the Hyperions that attacked?”

“Custodian, how would I have that information? Siatia isn’t even part of the Hyperion Empire. It has been independent ever since the Praesidium Union fell apart.”

“And I’m sure no information from the Empire ever makes its way to you.” Naynn smiled the way only a Thalyssian could, keeping from exposing even a centimeter of tooth. “I enjoy our partnership, Director, even if it might not be called friendship exactly. You have helped me in the past, as I have done for you. I need to make sure that we are making the correct choice here.”

Ardus drummed his fingers against his desk, bringing his other hand up to stroke his chin. There was certainly an opportunity opening itself up to him. He would be a fool to not snatch it.

“Let’s say I have this information you’re looking for. What would you offer me in exchange?”

“I’ve heard rumors you are looking into a peculiar sword. Perhaps I know more about it and could aid you in that hunt.”

Ardus’ eyes darted to the sword hanging between the bookshelves. His efforts into discovering more about it, what Marduk called the Sword of Razeph, had hit a dead end ever since talking to the alien. No matter where he looked, it proved the most elusive mystery of his career.

“Alright. I’m listening. What do you got?”

“The location of the sword’s creation in exchange for the truth about what happened at Emlenor.”

“How do I know you’re not bullshitting me? No offense, of course.”

Naynn’s smile seemed to widen even further, creasing even his ears and crossing into the realm of the uncanny valley.

“Director, I value our relationship far too much to disrespect you in that way. I guarantee you, the information I have is true.”

Ardus thought for a few more moments. Part of him considered trying to get more out of the deal, but he decided to not push his luck.

“Very well. From what my sources report, the ships used at Emlenor are of a construction that doesn’t match either Hyperion or Druthagar make. No one’s sure what made them, but our scanners did pick up Harrington Drive emissions indicating they came from Arcadia.”

“So then it was the Hyperions that attacked.” Naynn seemed to deflate with the statement. “I had hoped so much that wasn’t true.”

“Not exactly, Custodian.” Ardus held up a hand to stop the elf. “They came from Arcadia, but I saw no proof they were sanctioned by the Hyperion government. From the communications I was able to intercept and crack the encryption on, they were just as surprised as you and the Druthagar when the attack occurred.”

“Interesting.” Naynn’s eyes focused on a point off screen, his brow furrowed in thought. He muttered, almost as if to himself, “A clever ploy in case of interception, or actual surprise? Curious.”

Ardus ignored the comment and redirected the conversation back to a more important topic. At least, what he considered such.

“Now, the location of where the sword was made?”

Naynn looked back at Ardus and resumed his neutral expression.

“Orbiting a black hole near the center of the Cosmic Void is a planet known as Shu-Hubur. It is an ancient planet, once populated by a race that has since gone extinct. There, you will find a forge that has stood the test of time. One of the few structures on the surface to have done so. And it is within that forge you will find the answers that you seek.”

Ardus’ heart hammered in his ears. He couldn’t help but look at the sword as Naynn spoke. Part of him hardly believed that after all these years, he was finally going to be able to figure out more about the Sword of Razeph. Marduk had been very cryptic in his stories, unwilling or unable to divulge the whole truth no matter how much he pried. The prospect of learning its secrets was captivating. However, Ardus kept his face neutral, not revealing his excitement to Naynn.

“Thank you for the information. I will follow up on that as soon as time allows. Now, was there anything else you wished to discuss, Custodian?”

“That is all, Director. I hope that our future conversations continue to be friendly and mutually beneficial.”

“I hope so as well. Farewell.”

As soon as the link had disconnected, Ardus stood and headed for the door. He had a transport to catch.

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