Prologue
NeoGenix Executive Board Room
Valhalla, Sif—Third Planet of the Freyvian System
Three Months Ago
“I’m not doubting your intel, Lucretia,” said Julia. “I believe that the Starfire Conduit is as powerful and unique as you’ve described. What I don’t understand is why House Barkay would have it commissioned in the first place.”
Cyrus Valadar leaned back in his chair. He laced fingers together and stretched his arms back to relieve the tension building in his chest and shoulders. “My sister raises a good point, Dr. Blackwell. Prodigy commissions do not come cheap. Do we know why Ulysses would go through such trouble?”
Lucretia Blackwell straightened her glasses—an involuntary reflex she resorted to as her patience waned. Cyrus wondered if his chief science officer was even aware of the little tic.
“I was not able to secure that information,” she explained. “As you may have heard, the Don now rests among the stars. It’s entirely likely that he took the secret of the conduit’s purpose with him into the stardust grave.”
“You don’t know Ulysses is dead,” Joaquin protested. “The feeds insist he was nowhere near that attack on the Osiris compound. Anyone who says otherwise is just spoutin’ Chronos propaganda.”
Cyrus held up a hand to stay his little brother’s outburst. “We also know that House Barkay has every reason to dissemble about the death of their patriarch. It changes little.”
Truthfully, it changed much in the political landscape of the Ravian System. Cyrus just didn’t want his siblings to spend too much time questioning Lucretia’s sources. He trusted the doctor’s network of spies as much as he trusted any of their assets. In fact, he trusted them more than most.
He cleared his throat before continuing. “Let’s say that this information is correct. Who holds the Conduit now?”
“That would be Braccus Kai,” Lucretia replied.
“Ulysses arm’s dealer?” Julia asked incredulously.
“He’s more than an arms dealer, but yes—that is the man that I’m referring to.”
“And would he be willing to cooperate with us if we expressed interest in procuring the item?”
Cyrus answered Julia’s question first. “Certainly not. At least, not until Barkay is in full collapse. Even then, I don’t know that he would want to be seen openly cooperating with us in the current political climate. Such a move would send a troubling signal to House Chronos.”
Plus, if Cyrus was going to start establishing assets in the Ravian System, Kai and his minions wouldn’t be his first choice in recruits. Their operation on the Star Spire was enviable but overtly corrupt. It didn’t match the new image he was trying to cultivate for his family.
“But,” he continued, “the asset is still worth pursuing. Do we have an intermediary that can approach Kai in our stead?”
Joaquin and Lucretia began to rattle off suggestions. In the end, it was a demoralizing effort. Cyrus and Julia shot down each of the ideas in succession. It was not that Cyrus or his sister took any great pleasure in dismantling the ideas. That was just the role that they had long been accustomed to playing.
Usually, Joaquin’s rambunctious style garnered him an uneasy alliance with their youngest sister. Tessa, however, had not deemed to grace them with her presence—again.
The suggestion that caught Cyrus’s attention did not come from around the board-room table, but from its periphery. “I could go.”
Julia turned to eye the speaker thoughtfully. “Now there’s an interesting idea.”
Sydney Cross stepped forward from her place among the security team. Though the vest she wore displayed the Valadar family emblem, the Citza woman was not officially part of Cyrus’s detail. Her snowy tail swept casually from side to side as she waited for him to provide his thoughts on her suggestion.
“No,” he replied definitively. “I have too much need for you here. I can’t spare you for an assignment that will take you out-system for an indefinite period of time.”
Joaquin let out a suggestive snort. Cyrus glared at his brother, who smirked despite the silent rebuke. Julia rolled her eyes. Cyrus could not tell if the gesture was offered as criticism for Joaquin’s outburst or as an expression of solidarity.
His siblings could think what they wanted about his relationship with the assassin. Cyrus knew the needs he referred to were legitimate. It was probably better that the two of them remain ignorant of how many lives Sydney had taken at his behest in this last half-cycle.
Sydney seemed unperturbed by the decision. “If not me, then perhaps one of my sisters. It is not widely known that the Ghenza have allied themselves with House Valadar. We can secure the Starfire Conduit and transfer it to you without Braccus or his network every being the wiser.”
Now that was a novel idea. “It won’t arouse suspicion that the Collective is suddenly interested in cutting-edge technology?” Cyrus asked.
Sydney shrugged. “I doubt that anyone will ever hear of it. But even if they did, there would be little cause for question. We haven’t built our network on slitting throats alone. A reach such as ours requires a diversity of resources—both political, and technological.”
Cyrus eyed the others around the table. Neither of his siblings raised a protest. Lucretia let slip a satisfied smile. She was already thinking of what she might do with the Conduit.
“We’re in agreement, then. Sydney, I’ll allow you to handle the logistics on this. Work with Dr. Blackwell on resources and compensation. It’s her budget that will be supporting this little endeavor.”
The good doctor didn’t seem to care for that last remark, though Cyrus hardly knew why. He couldn’t recall a time when he’d ever failed to increase her budget upon request. Nine hells, the only reason he even gave her the arbitrary figure in the first place was to satisfy Julia. Then again, that was just another reason why his older sister made such an effective CFO.
Cyrus tapped the tablet in front of him, bringing up the meeting agenda. “With that settled, we have one more item of business to discuss. Molly, would you bring in our guest from the waiting area?”
Cyrus’s assistant stood up from her position to his left and made for the door. She vanished momentarily before reemerging with a man in tow. Despite looking the part of a wealthy executive in his tailored suit and artfully placed accessories, the man still looked out of place. Sahaia tended to do that.
His hair was the same deep black as his suit, as were his eyes. Those eerie orbs were marked with only a pinprick of light in the center, and the barest slit of white to mark where the corneas might have started. Even in an otherwise friendly and handsome face, those eyes conveyed mildly sinister undertones.
“Members of the Board,” Cyrus began. “I would like to introduce Ryker Ren’Dahl, Triumvir of the Minos Coven.”
Ryker bowed respectfully before taking a seat. “Thank you for agreeing to see me. I understand your time is valuable and my request was made on short notice.”
“Indeed,” Julia scoffed. “It seems that you’ve neglected to update the official agenda, Cyrus.”
He’d updated his agenda, which happened to be the only one that mattered. Cyrus chose to ignore Julia’s barb. “I believe you’ll all be very interested in what our guest has to say. Mr. Ren’Dahl, if you would begin.”
The shadow nodded. “That you, Don Valadar. And please, just call me Ryker. Ren’Dahl is our Coven name, and my people choose to go by our first names—even in formal context.”
He turned that dark gaze to Julia. Though she obviously fought the urge, she still shrank under the weight of those eyes. Ryker continued speaking. “I wish to inquire about a certain relic that was recently recovered in a deep-space salvage operation. It is my understanding that one of your companies registered the salvage and that ownership of the object was transferred to NeoGenix Incorporated.”
“And how, exactly, did you find out what’s been transferred to our holdings Mi… Ryker?” Joaquin seemed to force every bit of bumbling aggression he could into the question.
Ryker appeared unflustered by the challenge. “All a matter of public record, I assure you. My associates and I keep an eye on salvages looking for objects such as this. If you check your own records, you will see that the Minos Coven frequently purchases interesting finds from your salvage companies. This one, however, was transferred before we had the opportunity to make an offer. I wish to rectify that today.”
He produced a portable holoprojector from the inside pocket of his blazer. Resting the black disk on the table, he tapped its center to bring the object to life. A rotating image appeared above the device which Ryker enlarged with a flick of his fingers.
The projector displayed what looked to be a green crystal, partially occluded by chunks of black rock. It was certainly exotic— pretty, if somewhat unrefined. The crystal might have been appropriately fashioned into jewelry or some made to serve some other aesthetic function.
Cyrus had never seen the object before Ryker had shared the image in his missive. He was fairly certain it wouldn’t have been transferred to NeoGenix based purely on its cosmetics, though he did not know who had given the order to purchase it.
“This,” Ryker continued, “is a relic of great religious significance. The crystal emits low levels of dark energy, a phenomenon that is quite rare in natural constructs. The object’s radiation is harmless—hardly detectable except through the use of the most sensitive equipment.”
Well, that explained how it had been flagged for transfer. Cyrus leaned forward. “And to what application does your”—He searched for the correct word.—“organization intend for an object such as this?”
“No application, specifically. As you may know, the Covens are in a bit of a competition with Tempolose Nethera for control over ancient relics. We work cooperatively amongst ourselves for the control of objects that align with our unique interests. That is why you are speaking with me today, rather than an emissary from the Ren’Kue. The study of dark energy is something of our specialty out on Minos.”
Julia drummed her fingers contemplatively. “And what do you expect to do with this reservoir of dark energy?” Cyrus could practically read her mind. Whatever the Sahaia were doing, there was a chance that someone within Valadar Holdings could do the same.
The question was: Would Ryker tilt his hand and be honest about his Coven’s ambitions? Or would he dissemble?
“As you know, applications of dark energy remain relatively limited.” He spread his arms, turning his palms out innocently. “Radiation at such slow levels has no apparent application with current technology. We seek to secure the object purely for its cultural significance.”
Dissembling it is then. Cyrus chose to play along. “Perhaps you could explain the cultural significance of this artifact? Merely to satisfy our curiosity, of course. NeoGenix has no interest in the collection of religious relics.”
Something flashed in the black pools of Ryker’s eyes, breaking their ominous spell. Hesitation, perhaps? “I confess that I may prove an unworthy tutor. I am not as well versed in Nethrian lore as some of my counterparts.”
Julia seemed to pick up on what Cyrus was attempting. “You could at least tell us what it is called. Surely your colleagues gave you the name of the artifact before they sent you all this way from the Helion System?”
Given the choice between appearing ignorant and disclosing information he obviously wanted to keep secret, Ryker opted for the latter. “We believe this may be the Heart of Thule.”
Unlike Ryker, Joaquin had no qualms about displaying his ignorance. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
Ryker shrugged. “As I stated, I am not well versed in the Chronicles. My intellectual pursuits tend to be more… bureaucratic in nature.”
The reference was lost on Cyrus as well, but he resolved to look it up later. He didn’t believe for a second that Ryker knew as little as he was letting on, but had no lever with which to ply him. Instead of continuing down this path, he resolved to lead the discussion along more productive lines.
“And what price do you offer for this artifact?”
Whatever discomfort Ryker had been hiding dissolved in an instant. He donned a coy, half-smile. “I would begin by offering to recoup whatever costs your companies have incurred in securing the artifact. I would also offer three times your typical finder’s fee for an object of this class. Anything beyond that is open to negotiation.”
A generous offer, but still well short of the sum that such a prize was actually worth. Undoubtedly this opening play was intended to cover the costs of coming to the bargaining table.
Cyrus leaned back, steepling his hands contemplatively. “Thank you for your expression of interest, Ryker. Will you be lingering in Valhalla for long? As you will understand, this is something my siblings and I must give some thought to.”
“Yes,” the shadow said with a nod, his expression neutral. “I had planned to be in the city for the next three days. If you require additional time for deliberations, my schedule can be adjusted.”
“Oh, I don’t think that will be necessary.” Cyrus stood, walked to where Ryker was seated, and offered his hand. “Send a missive tomorrow and Molly will arrange a time for us to meet. I appreciate you coming to us with this. I would hate to have squandered such a rare find in our ignorance.”
Though Ryker took the hand, a great deal of hesitation lingered in his expression. “Thank you,” he said as Cyrus led him to the door. “I look forward to speaking with you again soon.”
After their guest had departed, Julia spoke up. “What was that?”
Cyrus fought the urge to roll his eyes. “I sincerely apologize for not updating the agenda. Ryker contacted me only yesterday.”
“And you decided against putting his request through the proper channels?” Her eyes narrowed to emphasize the rebuke.
“Please, dear sister. Dispense with your relentless adherence to bureaucratic standards and consider the opportunity on its merits. Surely, you can see the potential here.”
Joaquin scoffed. “Didn’ seem like the offer was all that impressive t’ me.”
“It was merely the opening salvo, little brother.” Said Cyrus. “Ryker intended only to demonstrate how serious he was about this transaction.”
Julia’s shoulders shifted and she tapped her lips contemplatively. “Yes, indeed. What does the Coven have to offer us that we might find valuable? To my knowledge, they have no equities or corporate interest that can be traded.”
“They seem to have plenty of cash,” said Joaquin. “How much do holy rocks run for these days?”
Julia shifted her omnipresent irritation toward Joaquin. “It’s priceless, you simpleton. Anything that the Sahaia would reasonably pay for such a thing would be less than its actual value. If it is money we are after, we’d be better off approaching Tempolose Nethera to participate in an open auction.”
“Perhaps we are being a bit short-sighted,” Lucretia suggested.
All eyes went to the doctor. Only then did Cyrus realize how quiet she had been during the short exchange with Ryker. “You were the one who requisitioned the artifact.”
“Of course I was. As you are quick to point out, the NeoGenix research division is my budget. Unlike other Valadar subsidiaries, I don’t rely on automatic flags in the corporate database to govern my acquisitions.”
Julia narrowed her eyes. “But why this? I wouldn’t have imagined that religious artifacts fell under your purview.”
“It’s not just a religious artifact. Like many of the things that the Church of Nethra lays claim to, the artifact likely has metaphysical properties that we have yet to discover.”
Cyrus was intrigued. “Like what?”
Lucretia drew in on herself. “I can’t be certain yet. I’ve only done a cursory analysis at this point.”
Joaquin rolled his eyes. “Then why do you think it has any… what did ya call ’em? Meta-psychical properties?”
“Because I’ve grown competent enough to understand technology more sophisticated than a condom.”
To Lucretia’s point, it took Joaquin a moment to realize he’d been insulted. Cyrus wrested hold of the conversation before then. “How long do you estimate it will take to discover the artifact’s true purpose?”
“It’s hard to say,” she admitted. “The readings I’m getting are… unusual. I need to evaluate them further before I can generate an accurate timeline.”
This was a real dilemma. Did Cyrus pass on an opportunity to strike an accord with the Sahaia to give time for Lucretia to complete her research? What if the research yielded information that was more valuable than anything that the Sahaia could provide? Or worse, what if it yielded nothing?
“I can give you these next three days to develop a proposal. After that, we will be forced to honor any agreement that is struck with the Sahaia.”
“Tha… That is an impossible task!” the doctor sputtered. “Even if I were to devote every—”
“It is the task you are given!” Cyrus declared. “I’m sorry, but we cannot pass up an opportunity like this on the off-chance that your research yields something more valuable. I’m as skeptical as anyone of Ryker’s account, but there remains the possibility that he is being honest. We may never unlock the true potential of this artifact, if such potential exists in the first place.”
He smoothed back a lock of his hair. It had been growing long as of late, but he found himself reluctant to cut it. Perhaps he felt he needed a change in appearance to correspond with his recent change in station. His father had never approved of men with long hair. Cyrus found something poetic in this small act of defiance.
Turning back to his siblings, he continued. “Now that we all know the opportunity cost, let us consider what we might gain in return. Do either of you have any suggestions for what we might ask in trade for this artifact?”
Julia and Joaquin began firing off ideas. Cyrus listened quietly, pointing out the merits and shortcomings of each. Some of them—mostly Julia’s—were quite good. However, Cyrus already had something in mind.
He eyed his siblings meaningfully. “All suggestions worthy of consideration. However, I think that perhaps we are still thinking too small.”
