Into the Void by James David Victor

Author:James David Victor [Victor, James David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fairfield Publishing
Published: 2019-10-21T16:00:00+00:00

11

Ansible Link

Something’s wrong. Anders knew it immediately. The voice that blared through the ansible link wasn’t a voice full of cock-sure pride or imperial arrogance. It wasn’t the voice of a commander-general.

It was the voice of a girl.

“H-Hello!?” the voice echoed strangely, even though ansibles were one of the most precise methods of communication.

And it sounded scared. Anders knew the sound of fear when he heard it. Sibbi, his Sibbi, had spoken like that in her final moments.

“What is the meaning of this? Where is the Commander-General Cread?” the Black Rose demanded of the console.

The console was sparking with light like a midwinter firework, Anders thought. He’d never heard of an ansible connection going wrong. It couldn’t, could it? It was powered by interconnected electrons. In the entire universe, the two electrons that joined to form the link could never pair with another.

So, just who’s on the other end of the line!? Anders thought. “It’s going to be alright,” he called out cautiously. As a widower and a father, the man couldn’t do anything otherwise.

“It’s you,” the voice said, and instantly sounded relieved.

“Who are you!?” shouted the Black Rose. “Alpha-black override! Alpha-black override!”

“STOP.” The girl’s voice changed, and Anders could feel it not just in his ears but behind his eyes and in the bones of his jaw as it hit him like a wave. He fell to the floor, crying out in pain as he did so.

“Listen to me. You are in grave danger. We are ALL in grave danger. I can only hold her out for so long, but she will come back…” the girl’s voice was saying.

“What? I don’t understand…” Anders hissed as he raised his head.

He saw that the Black Rose was similarly on the floor in front of the console, hands clutched to her head in seeming agony. Dalia? Anders turned to see that the Ilythian was also in distress, but she appeared to be able to control it better. She was taking short breaths and staring fixedly at the console.

“It’s the same voice that contacted the Ilythian Council, telling them to meet with the clone,” Dalia hissed. “I feel it. In here.” She pressed one long-fingered hand to the side of her head.

“No time. She is coming back!” the voice said, and Anders’s head throbbed in agony with every word.

“Who? Who is coming back? What danger?” the lieutenant gasped.

“You must get to Sector 7. Find the benevolent Morathian. He will help you…” The girl’s voice resonated like a shockwave.

“The benevolent Morathian? Sector 7?” Anders shook his head. This wasn’t making any sense. “Why? Who is coming back?”

“She is almost strong enough. She will have her war, but she won’t end there. At her fingertips is a weapon that will make the whole galaxy burn…” The voice sounded panicked, hysterical even.

“Who!?” Anders called through his pain.

“The Eternal Empress!” the voice said, and abruptly, the console exploded, and everything in the room went dark.

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