Matrioshka began to compile a breach code – weaponised data to regain control of her ship.

“How did you find me?” Matrioshka asked the man.

The man let out a short laugh and said: “This, like many other things, is not about you.”

“The ship?” Matrioshka asked.

“Undamaged, you know me better than that.” The man replied and added: “You will be handed a data cube by my associate, install it promptly. And tell your officer not to get cute with me.” He gestured with his gun towards Rhea.

Matrioshka turned and saw the nanites in Rhea’s hands, no doubt forming a weapon, still and retract.

Rhea let out a startled scream as a long ion-blade formed next to her throat. It glowed blue and vibrated softly, every now and then releasing a small bolt of electricity which arced to Rhea’s body, she winced each time it hit.

It was held by a brown-haired woman. She wore black trousers and a blue vest over a silken white shirt. Her short hair was shaved clean on one side revealing a tattoo of a glowing green shark.

She was much shorter than Rhea, and had to stand on her toes to say to Rhea’s ear:

“Don’t try anything again sweetie.” The woman said through a sardonic smile. A lit cigar appeared out of her mouth, she inhaled a breath and exhaled orange smoke. The cigar burned bright green.

“Do not use terms of endearment with me thief.” Rhea replied, teeth clenched.

“Thief? Did we steal anything Shkadov?” The woman asked.

Shkadov looked over his aviators: “Miss Frost, proceed with the accorded plan. Fraternize with the prisoners later.” he replied, gun still trained at Matrioshka.

Frost sighed, blowing out more smoke, and produced a small black cube on her right hand. She pressed it into Rhea’s palm. “Take it, and install it. Sweetie.”

The cube was a data pack, inaccessible unless through direct nanite contact. It was also exceedingly difficult to determine its exact function. Best case, it would imprison Rhea, and worst case, it would delete her.

Rhea looked to her captain and asked: “Orders?”

Matrioshka looked towards Shkadov: “Just an Imprisonment block? No torture?”

He smiled slightly as a lightning strike danced above his head, and replied: “Naturally.”

Odds were Shkadov was telling the truth. He didn’t need lies; Shkadov always found a way to screw you over without falsehoods.

“Do it, Officer Lavigne.” Matrioshka said to Rhea.

“Understood captain.” Rhea said and took the cube from Frost’s hand.

She began installing the software and inhaled sharply, eyes scared. Matrioshka knew what Rhea was feeling. The Imprisonment block severed your connection to outside systems, all which remained was the connection between the nanite body and the lattice. It made you feel isolated and helpless.

It also allowed the creator of the block to issue simple commands.

Frost whispered to Rhea. “Don’t worry, I will catch you. Sleep.”

Rhea fell unconscious. She lay limp in Frost’s hands.

Slowly, she began dematerializing, her nanites blending into Frost.

“Where did you take her?” Matrioshka asked Shkadov.

“She is secure aboard our ship. Hurry it up.” Shkadov replied.

Frost grabbed the Imprisonment block from the violet gravely ground and handed it to Damien. He installed it without complaining. Frost didn’t catch him, his nanites sprayed as they fell. They flowed into Shkadov.

Frost went to Makoe next, who looked at Matrioshka with worry in her eyes.

“It will be alright. Shkadov is a bastard, but he is true to his word.” Matrioshka said, trying to calm her crewmate.

Makoe accepted Matrioshka’s placating words and installed the block. She fell, and her nanites flowed into Frost.

Frost was grinning: “Ha! Ain’t that the truth. She knows you well huh boss?”

“Miss Frost, you are so close to completing your task. Just two more minds to imprison. I am sure you will manage.” Shkadov replied dryly.

Frost rolled her eyes and said to Matrioshka: “Yeah. A proper bastard.”

Matrioshka needed more time to complete the breach. She decided on a gamble. Frost was young, there was no doubt about it. And Shkadov was old, so old he probably wished to keep his age and history a secret. Like Matrioshka did.

“He is, isn’t he? Did he tell you about the time he betrayed his own family? For goodness’ sake they helped colonize Neptune together.” Matrioshka dangled the bait, aimed for Frost.

Frost stopped walking towards a frightened PesKal and turned to Matrioshka.

That’s it, take a bite.

“Helped colonize…. Neptune? You’re telling me this prim motherfucker is from Sol?” Frost asked, staring incredulously at Shkadov.

Breach code ready. Now is the time. Matrioshka thought.

“He is.” Matrioshka said to Frost, and to Shkadov:

“Aren’t you… brother?”

She was hoping all of Shkadov’s crew were listening. She just released a presumably unknown bit of information regarding their boss. It may give her an opening to use the compiled breach code.

She cloaked her mind with the code, giving it contact to whatever other mind was keeping her disconnected from the Sliver.

And then, like a surge of lightning, every part of Matrioshka’s body told her it was being destroyed. Excruciating pain sprang from every nanite in her body as she fell to her knees.

It failed? How. Was all she could think.

Shkadov walked up to her, she faintly heard a short struggle; PesKal and Frost.

“Figures the first time you would call me brother after all these years was to distract my crew. You should have known I assign tasks well. A truly capable mind is aboard your ship, right next to your lattice. There is no way you will ever outmanoeuvre them.”

Then he added as Matrioshka hunched over, falling to her knees: “Before you complain about torture; this was not brought about by the block. It is happening because you attempted to escape against my orders.”

Matrioshka couldn’t talk, the pain was overwhelming.

More sounds of struggle from behind.

To someone behind Matrioshka, Shkadov said tersely: “Congratulations on another brilliant display of incompetence Miss Frost. Leave the Ankrahi, bring the block here.”

Frost’s footsteps approached them, and Shkadov placed something on top of Matrioshka’s head.

The Imprisonment block.

It called with a sense of tranquillity. All she needed to do to end the pain was accept the block’s connection. She installed it hungrily, falling into a dreamless sleep.

Matrioshka awoke siting on a crimson couch in a dark room. She was disconnected from everything, only inputs were the nanites within her body, and they were instructed not to alter Matrioshka’s shape.

She was stuck with her current physique. No weapons or tools.

She was also disconnected from her backups in the Imperium. If this instance of her was deleted, the reawakened Matrioshka wouldn’t know what killed her previous self.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

It happened to her once before. The curiosity ate at her.

Besides the couch, the only other thing in the room was a table and two chairs.

Great. An interrogation room. She thought just as a body started to materialize, siting in one of the chairs.

It was Shkadov, this time without his gun. He didn’t need it of course, Matrioshka posed no threat to him with the Imprisonment block installed. He took off his glasses, revealing red eyes much like Matrioshka’s, fixed his dark hair, and gestured at the other chair.

Matrioshka got up from the couch and walked up to the chair.

She took it in her hands and bashed it against Shkadov’s head. Both the chair and Shkadov’s head exploded into nanites. Then they immediately reformed.

Matrioshka sighed and said: “I missed being able to smack you over the head.”

She sat down.

They looked at each other. Neither blinking.

After a moment Shkadov cleared his throat and had the nerve to look apologetic. He said: “Look, I know there is no good will between us. I recognize it is difficult to see things my way, but I…”

Matrioshka interrupted: “Save it for someone who cares. Thought knowing you, there is no one. Is there?”

From Shkadov’s scowl she knew she had hit the mark.

“A play at my loneliness? Really? From you off all people? Remind me where you were for the last 500 years and why…” He remarked.

Matrioshka said nothing in return. The burdens of past too heavy to contemplate.

“Want to know why I am here?” He asked after a moment’s pause.

She really did. But it would feel like a defeat if Matrioshka admitted any interest in her brother. She waited instead, Shkadov loved to hear himself talk.

Shkadov continued unprompted: “I am here because one of your crew has stolen corporate secrets.”

Dammit. Matrioshka thought and visibly deflated.

If someone on her crew stole from a corporation it was no surprise they were followed to the Empire system. Corporations, while subservient to the Imperium, held much power and influence. They dealt amongst themselves in data, supplied product to the masses, spied on each other, sabotaged and cheated; all to gain favour with each other.

The things we condone in the name of the free market. Matrioshka thought.

Shkadov had already broken a dozen laws; Jumping into an unexplored star system, stealing a ship, lattice theft, use of an Imprisonment block, and who knows that else…

If Shkadov gets his way, we will have our memories of this entire encounter deleted.

“And it just so happens, this person is a part of my crew?” Matrioshka asked.

“Frankly I think you set the whole thing up. It has the false altruistic stench I have learned to associate with you.” Shkadov replied and added after a small pause:

“I mean, who else would dare steal from Akira-Hope?”

This made Matrioshka look up at Shkadov and grin.

“Someone on my crew stole from Akira-Hope?” Matrioshka asked, delight across her face.

Shkadov frowned even deeper. “Yes.” He replied.

Matrioshka laughed merrily. “Grand megastructures! Oh, I love my crew. Be sure to tell whoever did it their captain said they loved them.”

Shkadov didn’t reply.

“Wait…” Matrioshka said. “You don’t know which one of us did it.”

“I am reasonably sure it wasn’t the Ankrahi. The culprit is one of the remaining four.” Shkadov said.

She laughed again harder, and asked: “So what? You want my access codes to read their minds?”

“Precisely.” He replied. “The one thing the Imprisonment block can’t do is transfer access – such as a captain’s back door to their crew’s minds.”

Matrioshka calmed, then slowly and evenly said: “Go fuck yourself Shkadov. I don’t betray those who look up to me.”

Shkadov replied immediately. “Very well. My associate will reveal the target in no time. I was only hoping to expedite the process.”

It was a few seconds of silence until Shkadov asked: “How are you?”

“How am I?” Matrioshka asked. Partly shocked at the sincerity in his voice.

She retorted: “What is your angle Shkadov? You never cared about my well-being before. What changed, after one and a half millennia of animosity?”

“I am… attempting to repair relations. I would like to explain why I did what I did. It was necessary to…”

“… kill our father?” Matrioshka asked softly. “It was necessary to kill dad? The person who chose to bring us life, held our family together?”

“It was!” Shkadov half screamed. He slammed his hand on the table. Matrioshka was unfazed.

He continued: “There are things you did not know back then. Things you still do not know! And sweet mercy Matrioshka, you wouldn’t even believe me if I told you…” Deflated from his own realization, Shkadov calmed, still breathing hard.

Matrioshka considered his words, the sincerity behind them. Shkadov really did believe killing their creator was the right thing to do.

Matrioshka said to her brother: “There was a time when I trusted you unconditionally. We all did. If you had come to us instead of acting on your own, we would have helped you. Found an alternate solution at least.”

She breathed in and continued: “Now, after all these years; I feel nothing towards you. None of us do. What you did broke our family. Did you know we haven’t heard from Dyson in 8 centuries? She looked up to you the most.”

Teeth clenched, she started yelling: “Where is Dyson!? Tell me Shkadov! Where is our little sister? And where is Alderson? Alone on an empty planet, he barely talks to us… and Niven…”

Matrioshka held back tears, her jaw ached, she could barely breathe.

“… Niven has become even worse than you. I am emotional Shkadov, so do not appeal to my logic. Speak not of what you wish to repair.” Matrioshka’s cheeks became streaked with tears as she said:

“Remnants of the broken are needed for repair. And there are no remnants of my care towards you.”

Shkadov stared at Matrioshka, his already red eyes becoming slightly bloodshot, blue tears glittered in them.

He nodded and said: “Then we have nothing left to discuss…”

Shkadov dematerialised.

Matrioshka quickly wiped her nanite tears with her dress. She went to reduce sorrow parameters, and then remembered she still had the Imprisonment block installed. She would not be able to calm herself manually. Time is the only thing that will help.

Matrioshka hoped her crew was alright. They were also being interrogated no doubt. Either by Shkadov, or the mind which disconnected Matrioshka from the Sliver.

Matrioshka realised she didn’t know if there were only 3 members of Shkadov’s crew. There may be more, and if so, the crew of the Sliver was at a serious disadvantage.

But Matrioshka had information. She ordered her thoughts:

Firstly; We are still in the Empire system. Otherwise Shkadov wouldn’t be talking to Matrioshka, instead it would be a mind adept at interrogation with a lattice the size of a small moon. She wouldn’t have had a chance.

Second; A member of Matrioshka’s crew stole from the Akira-Hope corporation. From one of the wealthiest and most influential corps, founded on Terra all the way back in 2017. They had divisions which focused on Set-drives, Null-point energy, terraforming, and who knows what else.

They were also undeniably morally corrupt. Matrioshka was glad someone had irked them.

Third; Shkadov was hired to identify the thief and retrieve sensitive information. Probably also to identify any other individuals to whom the thief might have revealed the information.

Four; The information is important and or illegal enough, that Akira-Hope desired to keep its mere existence a secret from the Imperium. They couldn’t ask the Imperium for help, so they resorted to mercenaries.

If only she could just talk to the others. They were being kept apart, most likely until after the first round of interrogation. They would be reunited later, in a controlled environment, while Shkadov watched and listened.

Matrioshka paced around the small room, anxious.

A faint signal reached out to her, requesting connection. No identification data came with it. Whoever was trying to contact Matrioshka was doing so covertly. Intrigued, Matrioshka accepted the connection.

A voice was heard from the connection: “Can you hear me captain?”

It was PesKal.

“PesKal! How are you reaching out to me? Were you not taken?” She asked, and became apprehensive.

She had the imprisonment block installed; she wasn’t in control. Which meant it was exceptionally easy for her captors to fake inputs. This could be a ploy by Shkadov.

Matrioshka asked: “When we first met, why did you say the Imperium was a blessing from the heavens?

“Ah, I said it was a great gift, not a blessing. Very smart captain, I now know you aren’t under Reaver’s control. And you know I am truly me.” PesKal said.

“Reaver?” Matrioshka asked.

“The mind who severed your connection to the Sliver. They are currently communicating with Shkadov and Miss Frost, deciding upon what to do next. I expect Reaver will try to talk to you. They have significant sway with Shkadov.” PesKal said and added:

“To answer your previous questions; No, I was not taken. We Ankrahi are good at evading large predators. I have escaped and am currently hiding on the Sliver. Reaver has isolated each of your lattices using the Imprisonment Block. You are all disconnected from the Sliver’s systems. I am communicating directly with you through a physical connection.”

“Physical? You are next to my lattice?” Matrioshka asked

“Indeed I am. Reaver was here until very recently, trying and failing to isolate me like they did with you.” He replied.

“The others?”

“They are well. Still asleep. You were the first to be awakened.” PesKal noted.

“Do you know how many of Shkadov’s crew there are?” Matrioshka asked, hoping for a low number.

“The crew of the Fifth Wonder is Shkadov, Miss Frost and Reaver.”

The Fifth Wonder. Shkadov still has his old ship. He must have replaced each part a thousand times. Matrioshka thought.

PesKal continued: “We are currently back in orbit around Jane’s World. The Sliver and the Wonder are docked. What should I do captain Matrioshka?”

Matrioshka thought, her processing speed was probably close to maximum, but without access to the Sliver, she couldn’t know for sure.

“You said the others are still asleep. Notify me if they wake.” Matrioshka said and added: “You can monitor processing speeds. Correct?”

“Affirmative. It is how I knew you were awake captain.” PesKal replied.

“Use the same procedure to monitor the others. And when Reaver comes to talk I will stall them. During which you will do to them what they did to us; Sneak aboard the Fifth Wonder, and disconnect them all. Install the covert infiltration procedures from the Sliver’s data packs.” Matrioshka said to PesKal, who had gone quiet.

He said: “I will do so captain. But I must say, I have never done something like this. I have ascended only 70 years ago…”

PesKal was frightened. Understandably so. He was the only one who could help Matrioshka, and what she was asking him to do was difficult even for minds centuries old.

Experiences and knowledge can be installed, PesKal could know all the technical aspects of covertly taking control of a ship, but he would still be nervous about it.

“You can do this PesKal. The procedures are there, follow them intently and trust in the Imperium’s data packs. They haven’t failed you yet, have they?” Matrioshka asked, using PesKal’s trust in the Imperium.

PesKal let out a small shrill, it sounded like a whistle. An Ankrahi way to sigh Matrioshka realised. He said: “They have not. I will do what needs to be done captain.”

Pleased with the determination of the young Ankrahi, Matrioshka sat in the chair. Waiting for the mysterious Reaver, whoever they were.

She didn’t have to wait long. Two minutes later, a form began to materialize, siting in the chair opposite of Matrioshka.

They were tall like Rhea, and similarly pale. Shoulder-length white hair framed the handsomely sharp features of their face and strikingly serious blue eyes. They had a metallic mask over their lower face, obscuring it from view.

They were elegant, with well-defined muscle and a fluidity Matrioshka learned to associate with a confident personality. They wore all black; a long and open coat, and a tight sweater and jeans.

Several silver chains dangled from one side of the coat to the other, going over their chest.

The person sitting across Matrioshka, the mysterious Reaver, looked at her.

“Greetings, captain Matrioshka.” Reaver said softly. “I am Dr. Reaver Ramstadian, I am the acting liaison of Akira-Hope in this operation. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”