Deep Black by Logan

Author:Logan [Logan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BookBaby

Thursday, March 11 2410

— 309ae —

6 days from jump

He hated war. Ten years ago, there had been a war, and Darius had learned then that war brought confusion, and confusion brought opportunity. It was in the aftermath of that conflict that he had gained a clear understanding. War was undoubtedly a catalyst for significant change, but it wasn’t the conflict itself that had presented the opportunities he on which he had capitalized. War meant people were dying. People were being drafted. There were security crackdowns, and generally, it was a bad time. It was the tension, the uncertainty, the need for peace and security. Those things had given him power, and when he gained control, he had achieved everything else.

The tension between factions within the State meant they were busy looking at each other, not him. Uncertainty in the people indicated they were willing to grasp onto hope and to do things they wouldn’t do otherwise. So, he continued to breed insecurity and tension, stealing from here, giving there, each time with the intent of keeping the peace, while riding the edge of war. The very last thing he had wanted was a full-on war.

Hubris, that was his problem. He had begun to believe his own press. He had convinced himself that he could maintain the careful balance between war and opportunity, even as he knew the two sides were moving closer to a collision. He had even believed that he could overpower the State. Now his business had taken a severe downturn, and if the hostilities remained, he would be hard-pressed to find a means of maintaining his operations.

Now, war was fully on. Gone was the pretense of desire for a peaceful solution to the world’s problems. The West had attacked what they believed was the East’s stronghold in Africa. The East had retaliated, pouncing on the West with weapons never before seen on Earth. They were beating back the State’s forces day by day. The West was exposed as a rotting hulk. Its veneer had been punctured, exposing the weakness within. Its antiquated weapons and equipment were no match. Now they were in full retreat, taking heavy losses.

What plagued Darius most were the unanswered questions. Who had set off the bomb in Buenos Aires? It wasn’t a surprise. Though he had known it was coming, he still didn’t know who, exactly, was behind it. It seemed too odd of a coincidence that the bombing and the Mark II’s disappearance had happened so closely together. That too was a mystery. The Mark II was gone, disappeared into thin air as far as he could tell.

He lamented the plan to steal the Mark II. That foolishness had cost him his best asset, the one asset that might have helped him answer some of the questions that plagued him.

It was apparent that someone, somewhere, had wanted this war. It was possible that whoever had started this war also had something to do with the Mark II’s disappearance. Then again, he didn’t really know.

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