On the way to Rimzana, Starrider made a slight detour to drop off the rebels on Pluvios. Peter invited the stranger to stay with them, but Darius did not feel ready to live on a planet and decided to remain on the ship, if Val would have him. More surprising was Mrill’s decision to remain with her as well.
“Why?” asked Peter.
The blue-skinned woman shrugged. “When we first met, you said I was free to go wherever I wanted. I assume this still holds today?”
“Of course.”
“Then I will travel with Val, Nim, and Darius for a while. But I’ll come back to you one day, don’t worry.”
Peter shook his head. “I’m not worried, I just didn’t expect this. But it’s your choice and I can respect that.”
“Thank you.”
Leaning against the ship’s wall behind them, Val watched quietly, though she was just as puzzled. After her brother turned and walked down the ramp to rejoin his fellow rebels, she straightened and looked up at the ceiling.
“I think we’re all set, Nim.”
“Door closing now,” responded the familiar voice. “We’ll be taking off in a couple of minutes.”
The two women turned and headed back for the control room.
“Care to share the reason you’re still here?”
Mrill glanced at Val with her usual blank expression.
“Don’t like my company?”
“I’m just curious.”
“Curiosity seems rampant in your family.”
“Nevertheless...”
“I suspect you might need my help in the near future.” She paused. “Besides, I am not devoid of curiosity myself and would like to meet this Kaine fellow you can’t stop talking about.”
Val grimaced. “That’s pushing it.”
“Is it?”
The ship’s captain looked away.
“I’m just worried about him, is all,” she muttered.
“Of course.”
They walked on in silence until they reached the control room. By the time they settled in their seats, the ship was already racing through the stars.
Val glanced back over her shoulder. “Maybe we should have checked in on Darius...”
The stranger had chosen to stay in his cabin, which was not unusual for him. The only times they’d see him were when he’d get hungry.
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“He needs to be alone,” said Mrill. “That’s why he didn’t go with the others. It is easier here.”
Val glanced at her. “You’ve been in his head?” Mrill nodded. “Will he be alright?”
The bounty hunter remained quiet for a long time.
“I cannot say,” she finally answered. “He is tormented. Even this type of solitude—here, on this ship—is so different from what he’s been used to for so long. He feels like an outsider, like he does not belong.” Another pause. “He questions his sanity, but also his purpose.”
“His purpose?”
Mrill turned to look at the other woman.
“The world he knew is gone. His family, his friends, everything. He lost it all. What is there left for him? He feels aimless.”
Val pursed her lips. “So would I, if I were in his shoes. Is there anything we can do to help him?” Before the Vron could respond, she turned to look at the dashboard, a frown on her face. “How about you, ship? Any grand ideas? Was it you who set this man on our path?”
“No,” said the AI. “Lt. Rickert was... not expected.”
“Great.”
Mrill sat quietly, staring at the stars, her fingers twitching.
“Val...”
“Yes, Nim?”
The disembodied voice sounded distressed.
“I’ve been monitoring the holonews and there’s something you need to see.”
A floating image formed before the two women.
“Latest reports indicate that the alien fleet, which had been heading toward Assalin, has disappeared.” Val recognized the popular anchor. Athissia blinked as she read through her notes. “One minute it was there, the next it was gone. Government officials have declined to comment. Our correspondents, aboard the Amandine presship, have been following the invaders from a distance and witnessed their disappearance firsthand. There is much debate about what happened and where the aliens are now. What will be their next move?”
The recording faded.
Val stared at where the image had floated.
“How could they just... disappear?” she muttered.
“It’s probably just a more sophisticated form of stealth mode,” offered Mrill.
Val straightened in her chair and thumped the dashboard with her fist.
“That’s it! That’s exactly it.” She pointed an accusing finger at the controls. “You knew all along this was coming, didn’t you?”
“How could I have known?” asked Nim, with a hint of resentment.
“Not you! I mean the AI.” She frowned. “The original one.”
“Why do you think it knew?” asked Mrill.
“Because of Calista!”
“Calista?”
“A world that vanished a hundred years ago.”
“A world can’t vanish.”
“Yeah, well, this one did. But it’s still there. Just invisible. I bet these aliens are using the same technology.” Her frown deepened as she looked back at the dashboard. “Why didn’t you just tell me the aliens had hidden Calista?” When the AI remained silent, she grunted. “Answer me, damn it!”
“There is no need to shout,” it said calmly. “I can hear you.”
“You have some explaining to do! I’m waiting.”
“I can calculate what actions specific individuals will take within a small margin of error, Val. The more variables are added, the more this margin increases.”
She scowled. “What does that even mean?”
“It means,” said Nim, “that the more information you have, the less predictable you become.”
Val grunted.
“For my plan to work,” said the ship, “I must be able to predict your reactions to specific events.”
“And what exactly is your plan? No, wait. You can’t tell me, because that’d be giving me too much information. Is that it?”
“That is correct.”
“Well, I don’t like it.”
“If the aliens made an entire planet disappear,” said Mrill slowly, “should we not ask ourselves why they did so?”
“How would I know? And I bet this stupid AI wouldn’t tell us even if he did know. Do you?”
“I can only guess,” it said.
“And what is your guess?”
“The most logical explanation is that it was meant as an experiment.”
Val looked confused. “An experiment? To what purpose?”
“The aliens do seem to know a lot about the Imperium,” remarked Nim. “Perhaps they learned everything they know from studying Calistan society.”
“A simple study would not require cutting a world off from the rest of the universe,” said Mrill. “If they wanted it contained, it is likely they had other, perhaps more nefarious goals.”
Val wrinkled her nose. “You mean like studying human anatomy?”
“Possibly. They would want to know the strengths and weaknesses of the Imperium. Not only strategically, but also physically.”
“Great. And what are we supposed to do with this information?” Val glared at the dashboard. “You’re a real pain. You know that, right?”