Broken Horizon Read online

Trevor offered Ryn a seat next to him which she accepted. The group made small talk while they waited for the service to begin. Ryn thanked Jacob and Sharon for their work saving Agamemnon and her father. Jacob learned that Ryn Solovyeva was a deckhand on Empyrean, assisting with the maintenance and repair of the spacecraft residing in the cruiser. He also learned that her father was Commander Nash Solovyev of the heavy cruiser Agamemnon.

  Eventually, a worship leader approached the pulpit. She told everyone to sing along using the hymnals located sporadically on the pews. Jacob didn’t want to, but several repeated jabs in the side made him attempt to sing. He had no idea Sharon had such a beautiful voice. Listening to her made everything worth it. Trevor also seemed to be having a good time. And, more importantly, so was Ryn.

  After the singing, an older gentleman led the congregation in prayer.

  Finally, it was time for the sermon. A portly fellow waddled up to the pulpit. His bald head appeared to be sweating. The pastor must have really got into the worship.

  “Good evening, friends! If you didn’t know, I’m Reverend Winter.” He smiled a toothy grin. “And we’re gonna have a good time tonight. The Lord is with us tonight! The Lord is with us! Can I get an ‘amen?’ Can I get an ‘amen?’”

  Several people in the congregation responded with their “amens.”

  Jacob zoned out a few times. He tried to pay attention the best he could but the preaching was not that interesting to him. He might have fallen asleep if it wasn’t for the occasional elbow jabs from Sharon.

  Reverend Winter’s bald head continued to sweat profusely. “Now, it’s time for a little hellfire and brimstone. Some people say we shouldn’t try to scare people into heaven, but if what I say saves people from hell, is there actually a problem? We should try every single tactic we can for the glory of God. Amen!

  “My friends, the end times are upon us. There have been many people throughout the ages that thought they knew when the end was coming. It never came. The Black Death, although horrible, was not the end. Misinterpretation of the Mayan calendar put the end at 2012. Nothing happened. 2280 was wildly believed to be the end by the Muslim world and many Christian brothers. It wasn’t. There was a mass suicide to prepare for the end of 2284. A pointless loss of life. Earth may have been destroyed during the Cataclysm, but humanity survived. This wasn’t the true end times. There are signs and portents now that I cannot ignore. Drake. Mabus.”

  A few members of the congregation booed.

  “The Antichrist.”

  There were several gasps across the crowd.

  “The Antichrist reigns from Babylon. He sows seeds of destruction across the cosmos. The harvest of souls is quickly approaching. The vampire affliction will be forced upon us. Even now, there are talks of allying with the vampires. This is the Mark of Death. The Mark of the Beast. We must resist. We must give our hearts to the Savior. There will be troubling times approaching, but we must persevere. The Antichrist and his minions will be thrown into the lake of fire.”

  The preacher continued preaching his hellfire and brimstone throughout the night.

  Jacob chuckled to himself. The end times. Yeah, right.

  December 4, 0270 AC – 15:00

  Officer Firing Range, USS Empyrean

  Edge of Galactic Union Space

  Sharon fired another round into the target. The humanoid shape was riddled with bullet holes, mostly in the head region. The target shimmied toward the back of the room on a cable that ran across the top of the spacious shooting range.

  Sharon reloaded her clip into her weapon. It was a standard “slug thrower,” as they were called. These weapons were used for centuries and there wasn’t any sign of that changing. Although there had been breakthroughs in portable energy weapons, the simple fact remained that a bullet going through flesh was still just as effective in the modern era. Handguns still used a form of gunpowder to deliver their rounds, but larger weapons, such as “gauss” automatic rifles, often used magnetic propulsion systems similar to a mass driver on a starship. If a weapon used some form of gunpowder, it was typically referred to as a standard “slug thrower,” as if the speed of the round coming out of a gauss rifle wasn’t considered “throwing” anymore.

  Jaxon Knight, who was also in the shooting range firing at the targets, called out to Sharon.

  Sharon removed the earmuffs that provided some ear protection from the loud weapons. “What was that, Jax?”

  “Oh! Nice shooting! Remind me not to get on your bad side!”

  Sharon laughed. “Sure thing.”

  Jaxon smiled. “You are a very good shot, though!”

  “Thanks! I come down here quite a bit. I know we need to be proficient with our weapons if we want to be promoted, I don’t want to be dragged down just because I don’t know how to fire my weapon.”

  “Oh, you have no worries there. Is Jacob as good a shot as you?”

  “No way. I’m surprised he even knows how to hold the gun, to be honest.” Sharon glanced at the targets that Jaxon had fired upon. “Hey, you are a pretty good shot, too!”

  “Thanks, I hope I never have to shoot somebody, though.”

  “I agree with that. For the most part.”

  “The most part?”

  “I want to put a bullet into whoever killed my father. They deserve to die.”

  “Oh, I understand. Do you have any idea who did that?”

  “I think so...” Sharon placed her earmuffs back on her head.

  Jaxon was slightly confused and nodded slowly. He looked at the target in front of Sharon and put his earmuffs back on.

  Sharon fired another shot into the head of the target.

  December 4, 0270 AC – 20:00

  Captain’s Quarters, USS Empyrean

  Edge of Galactic Union Space

  Captain John Devereaux looked over some files. The unrest in the Orion Confederation was getting worse. The rest of the galaxy was not getting involved, even though both sides of the Orion conflict begged for actual support. There were talks to start an embargo with the Orion Confederation. For now, President Eridanys refused to get involved in another war or to end any sort of trading. Drake Mabus disagreed and ceased all forms of trading with the Confederation, even though the Confederation didn’t trade with the vampires often to begin with. In fact, it was relatively clear that the Blood Dynasty was supplying the rebels with weaponry. The Star Republic, another superpower trailward of the Union, condemned the Blood Dynasty for these actions. Skirmishes took place occasionally along the border between vampire and Republic space. The galaxy was heating up and was about to reach a boil.

  A soothing tone announced that a member of his crew was outside his door.

  The captain’s quarters were a short walk from the bridge, just in case Devereaux was needed on the bridge. His quarters were lavishly decorated, but he often considered getting rid of it all.

  “Yes? Who is it?” Devereaux asked.

  “Commander Skyrift, sir.”

  “Come in,” he replied.

  The door slid open and Ember Skyrift entered into the quarters.

  “Commander, how are you? Please, have a seat.”

  “I’m alright, sir.” She sat down in an open chair in front of Devereaux’s desk. “I’m feeling much better lately. Ash says I’m recovering. The cancer is dying.”

  “Oh, that’s just great news, I’m happy for you!”

  Ember Skyrift was an amazing first officer. She stepped up to fill the shoes of Devereaux’s last second in command. He admired Skyrift, she was battling with cancer and still managed to perform her tasks to a high standard. Devereaux was happy that Skyrift was winning her battle with cancer. The imp inside of Devereaux could care less. The imp just watched, it didn’t interfere with Devereaux for now.

  “That’s not why I’m here, though,” Skyrift said. “While I was getting my last checkup, there was another one.”

  “Oh no.”

  Skyrift grimaced. “Another woman was raped and ki
lled. This time one of our engineers, Mrs. Paula Grus.”

  “Oh.” Devereaux leaned back in his chair. “I know her. She was an outstanding worker.”

  “Yes, yes, she was. Her husband found her, he had a night shift...”

  “That makes me sick. Was she killed the same way?”

  “According to Ash, yes. Strangulation.”

  Ash was the chief medical officer of Empyrean. Devereaux had known Lieutenant Ashara Cinderflake for many years. He had been neglecting to go to his physical. Devereaux was afraid of what Ash may find.

  Skyrift sighed. “I’ve got a forensics team searching her quarters for anything of note. This creep is extremely careful, we still haven’t found any DNA evidence. No bodily fluids were found, but there were definite signs of rape.”

  “She was raped and killed in her quarters?”

  “It would appear so, yes.”

  Devereaux frowned. “This is the third one. I doubt each and every one of the victims actually let their killer into their own quarters.”

  “That would mean whoever is doing this has high level access—potentially an officer of this warship. That is unbelievable.”

  “I agree. I trust everyone on this ship.”

  “What about the HLs? If they were savvy enough they could probably gain high level access.”

  “I really doubt it could be any of them. Was there anything found on the feeds?”

  “No. In fact, some of the footage was corrupted.”

  Devereaux pondered. “The killer is good at covering his tracks.”

  “How will we find this bastard?”

  “I don’t know,” Devereaux admitted.

  “In the midst of the killings, do you still want to actually go through with promoting the HLs to actual lieutenants?” Skyrift asked.

  “I see no reason not to. It will be a good idea to have other capable officers when the dam finally bursts. I’ll give it a few more months.”

  “They are far too green,” Skyrift replied.

  “They are hungry for it. They want to make a difference. These kids were thrown for a loop last year. Their entire lives changed. We owe our lives to them. They saved us once before without any sort of military rank. Just think what they could accomplish with our support behind them.”

  Skyrift sighed. “Far too green, sir...”

  Devereaux smiled. “Yes. Yes, they are.”

  “And that one called Arnold? He’s a fighter pilot now? I’m worried about him.”

  “Different people handle stress differently. I’m hoping he’ll burn his stress out flying a bird.”

  “Perhaps he’s burning his stress a different way...”

  “Oh, please, I see what you did there. Let’s not drag him down to the murderer’s level. I trust everyone.”

  “I’m sorry,” Skyrift said. “That was uncalled for. Still, there is someone you trust that is despicable. The news is starting to spread. People are frightened. We have to get to the bottom of this.”

  “I will do everything in my power to catch this bastard, I assure you. We’ll think of something. For now, let’s increase the amount of security throughout the ship.”

  “Yes sir, I will talk with the Master-at-Arms. With the killings here, the skirmishes along the border of the Star Republic, and the riots plaguing Orion Confederation... I just feel like...” Skyrift paused.

  Devereaux stroked his beard. “...Like the universe is going to hell.”

  December 8, 0270 AC – 20:20

  Mick’s Steakhouse, USS Empyrean

  Edge of Galactic Union Space

  “This place is far too expensive.” Sharon glanced at the menu. “This is obscene.”

  Jacob shrugged. “It was Trevor’s idea. Impressing the girl.”

  “You’re paying. I’m not.”

  Jacob looked at the prices on the menu. “Uh. Sure thing, babe.”

  Jacob looked fruitlessly for some sort of kid’s menu with hopefully lower prices.

  “I haven’t had a real steak in forever,” Jacob said. “My mouth is already watering.”

  “Heavy cruisers get all the fancy stuff,” Sharon said. “I feel kind of bad. There’s an effing steakhouse in the civilian sector of Empyrean, yet people on Artemis are basically eating dirt. There’s no justice.”

  “If you enjoy this meal or not won’t affect anywhere else. This is how things are.”

  “It’s not right.”

  “What are you going to do? Boycott this place?”

  “No. I want an effing steak from a real cow.”

  Jacob snickered. “Of course. Justice for all.”

  Ryn and Trevor arrived. They were in the middle of a conversation and Ryn was giggling.

  Ryn was wearing a gorgeous red gown. Jacob tried not to stare.

  Trevor was wearing a suit and tie. It looked identical to the one he wore at church. Jacob figured Trevor’s wardrobe wasn’t expansive.

  Sharon smiled. “Hey guys!”

  Trevor grinned. “Hey. Looks like you guys got here first. I would’ve been here a little earlier but...”

  Ryn laughed. “I take a while getting ready, alright? It’s not a crime. It just happens.”

  “You look amazing, Ryn,” Sharon said. “You spent your time wisely. What are you doing later, Ryn? How about we ditch these boys?” Sharon winked.

  Ryn sat down in her chair. “Oh you are lovely yourself, Sharon. I’m jealous of Jacob.” She smiled.

  Ryn was right. Sharon was stunning tonight. She wore a green top that showed ample cleavage. Sharon might have been trying to compete with Ryn’s bosom. Sharon’s wavy red hair was draped down her right shoulder. A gold necklace that Jacob bought her on their six month anniversary went around her neck. During that time, the loss of Rapture to Arnold’s dad was still fresh in everyone’s mind. The necklace had a pendant with a silver bolt that belonged once to Rapture. It looked out of place, but Sharon loved it. It was the only piece of Rapture she had left. Jacob attempted to buy Rapture from Arnold’s father, but he was about as stubborn as Arnold.

  Jacob looked down at all of the silverware in front of him. He had no idea what to do with all these utensils.

  Their waiter appeared. “Hello!”

  The sudden voice startled Jacob.

  The waiter seemed to be in good spirits. He wore an elegant gray suit. He was clean-shaven and bald. A huge smile was on his face.

  “My name is Tsuki and I’ll be your waiter! Can we get started with drinks?” The waiter looked first at Jacob.

  “Oh, just water.”

  Sharon nodded. “Water here too, please.”

  Ryn grinned. “I’ve never been here. Tell me, what drink would you say is the best here?”

  The man thought about it a second. “For you... I wish I could think of a drink that matched your beauty, but I cannot think of any.”

  “Hey, back off, buddy, she’s mine,” Trevor said.

  The waiter grinned ear to ear. “I am sorry, sir, I appreciate the beauty. I mean no disrespect.”

  Ryn grinned. “Why, thank you, sir.”

  The waiter continued, “I suggest the crisp taste of ‘Viridian Sky’ from the Khamsin Prime vineyards.”

  “Sure, I’ll try it,” Ryn said. “And a glass of water, please.”

  “I’ll have what she is having,” Trevor said.

  “Okey-dokey!” The waiter said. “I’ll be back in a jiffy! Think about what you want to eat, my friends!” He looked toward Sharon. “Do not think I am ignoring your beauty as well, my dear. You two are both goddesses. The luckiest men sit next to you. Am I right?”

  Jacob blushed. Trevor smirked.

  “Yes! I’m right! Lucky! So lucky! Haha! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’ll get your drinks!” The waiter jogged away from the table.

  “Well, he was certainly energetic,” Ryn said.

  “I don’t like the way he looks at you,” Trevor grumbled.

  “Oh please. That’s his job. He just wants a better tip,” Ryn said. “I’m not
that pretty anyways!”

  Trevor laughed. “Are you serious? You are crazy hot. Tell her, guys, tell her.”

  Sharon laughed. “Yeah, definitely.”

  Jacob wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to discuss Ryn’s beauty. He didn’t want to sleep on the couch. He just nodded.

  Ryn laughed. “My ex called me an ugly whore. It’s hard to know.”

  Trevor snapped. “What the hell? Where is this guy? I’ll beat the—”

  “Calm down,” Ryn interrupted. “He’s light-years away. Don’t worry about it.” Ryn chuckled. “Thanks for defending my honor, though.”

  “No problem,” Trevor replied.

  They continued making small talk and laughing. Jacob thought Trevor truly had a chance with Ryn.

  The waiter returned with the drinks and then asked what they wanted to eat. Jacob was lost in the conversation and completely forgot to look for something. He decided to just order last while he skimmed the menu again. And the prices.

  The waiter wrote down Sharon’s order. “Okey-dokey, madam! And you, sir? Have you figured it out?! Look, we aren’t open all night! I kid! Haha!”

  “Caesar salad...” Jacob said. “And, uh, the flat iron steak. Well done.”

  “Well done! Kill the cow! Alright! I’ll be back,” said the waiter energetically.

  “Well done?” Trevor laughed. “They are gonna give you the worst looking piece of meat, you know that? Medium rare, man, that’s how steak is supposed to be. You can’t order well done at a steakhouse.”

  Jacob shrugged. “I like it that way.”

  “Your boyfriend is weird,” Trevor said to Sharon.

  Sharon laughed. “I know, but you are the guy that was abducted by aliens! How weird is that?!”

  Trevor stared Sharon down.

  Sharon realized she might have made a mistake. Her eyes went wide. “I mean...”

  “No, no. I just hadn’t...” Trevor paused and looked at the confused Ryn. “...Told her that, yet.”

  “Told me what?”

  “I’m sorry, Trevor,” Sharon said.

  “No, no.” Trevor said. “It would have came up eventually. Look, Ryn, a lot of people don’t believe me and call me crazy but... yeah, I’ve been abducted by aliens. You can run away now if you want. I’m used to it.”