Asterion Noir: The Complete Collection (Amaranthe Collections Book 4) Read online

  ASTERION

  NOIR

  THE COMPLETE COLLECTION

  (AMARANTHE ♦ 11-13)

  G. S. JENNSEN

  2019

  ASTERION NOIR: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION

  Copyright © 2019 by G. S. Jennsen

  Cover design by 'sdecoret' and G. S. Jennsen.

  Cover typography by G. S. Jennsen

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.

  Hypernova Publishing

  P.O. Box 2214

  Parker, Colorado 80134

  www.hypernovapublishing.com

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  The Hypernova Publishing name, colophon and logo are trademarks of Hypernova Publishing.

  Ordering Information:

  Hypernova Publishing books may be purchased for educational, business or sales promotional use. For details, contact the “Special Markets Department” at the address above.

  Asterion Noir: The Complete Collection / G. S. Jennsen.—1st ed.

  ISBN 978-1-7323977-6-7

  AMARANTHE UNIVERSE

  * * *

  AURORA RHAPSODY

  AURORA RISING

  STARSHINE

  VERTIGO

  TRANSCENDENCE

  AURORA RENEGADES

  SIDESPACE

  DISSONANCE

  ABYSM

  AURORA RESONANT

  RELATIVITY

  RUBICON

  REQUIEM

  AURORA SHORT STORIES

  Restless I • Restless II • Apogee • Solatium

  Venatoris • Re/Genesis • Meridian • Fractals

  ASTERION NOIR

  EXIN EX MACHINA

  OF A DARKER VOID

  THE STARS LIKE GODS

  RIVEN WORLDS

  CONTINUUM

  *

  Learn more at gsjennsen.com/books or visit the Amaranthe Wiki.

  DRAMATIS PERSONAE

  * * *

  NOIR

  Nika Tescarav

  Perrin Benvenit

  Joaquim Lacese

  Parc Eshett

  Ryan Theroit

  Cair Norton

  Ava & Maggie Zobel

  Dominic Vazhiere

  DIVISION ADVISORS

  Dashiel Ridani, Industry

  Adlai Weiss, Justice

  Maris Debray, Culture

  Gemina Kail, Administration

  Iona Rowan, External Relations

  Blake Satair, Justice

  Cameron Breckel, External Relations

  Selene Panetier, Justice

  Katherine Colson, Administration

  OTHER CHARACTERS

  Grant Masahle Spencer Nimoet

  Vance Greshe Lance Palmer

  Erik Rhom Simon Granger

  Magnus Forchelle Tristan McLeros

  Roqe Ovet Theo Jacoby

  Zyche'ghael Zhanre'khavet

  GUIDES

  Delacrai (Kiyora)

  Anavosa (Mirai) Selyshok (Ebisu)

  Luciene (Synra) Iovimer (Namino)

  View the Galaxy Map online at gsjennsen.com/map-anr or delve into the maps, characters and more at the Amaranthe Wiki.

  SUBSCRIBE TO UPDATES

  GSJENNSEN.COM/SUBSCRIBE

  Get AURORA RISING Books 1 and 2 for FREE,

  stay informed about ASTERION NOIR and new books,

  and be the first to know about events and other news

  CONTENTS

  * * *

  Dramatis Personae

  Galaxy Map

  EXIN EX MACHINA

  Asterion Noir Book 1

  OF A DARKER VOID

  Asterion Noir Book 2

  THE STARS LIKE GODS

  Asterion Noir Book 3

  A Note From the Author

  EXIN EX

  MACHINA

  ASTERION NOIR BOOK 1

  CONTENTS

  * * *

  WHOAMI

  BOOT SEQUENCE

  RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY

  INTERRUPT

  EXCEPTION ERROR

  PATTERN MATCH

  STACK OVERFLOW

  SYSTEM CALL

  WHOAMI

  Generation: kyr

  Input desired designation: __

  Raindrops splattered on the pebbled surface beneath her cheek. One, two, three-four-five they splashed, bounced and rebounded into her face.

  Generation: kyr

  Input desired designation: __

  The input cursor flashed across her vision, blurring and wobbling to mix with the rain. What did it want from her? Who she was?

  No. The blinking cursor told her she was no one. Nothing. It asked who she intended to be.

  Generation: kyr. Cardinal. First. New. Tabula rasa.

  She splayed trembling fingers upon the surface beneath her—a street. She recognized its nature because, without thinking about it, she knew many things. Words. Names for objects. How those objects worked. History…but not her own. Behind the blinking cursor a universe of knowledge waited, prepackaged, catalogued and ready to serve her. Everything in the world except who she was. Had been. Could be.

  Her eyes rose to focus on the visual plane stretching out from her, centimeters above the street. Shimmering lights in the darkness. Shadows of buildings swallowed by deeper, darker shadows. From here to the indistinct horizon, raindrops splattering plink-plink-plink.

  Who began life sprawled face-first on a street in a rainstorm in the middle of the night?

  The answer returned as null. Some before had led to her awakening in this situation now. Kyr was a lie, for this was not the beginning. Something had preceded it to bring her to this moment. But when she sought an answer in her mind, she found only emptiness. A blank slate. Tabula rasa.

  Generation: kyr

  Input desired designation: __

  Desired? She desired the name that went with before. She desired data to fill the emptiness—

  Murmured voices flowed into the gaps between the splatter of the raindrops, accompanied by harsh clack-clack-clacks. A shadow loomed over her, and the rain stopped. She looked up.

  A woman with long ginger hair, bright blueberry eyes and a freckled nose crouched beside her. Above the woman, a translucent leaf sheltered them both from the rain. “What’s wrong? Do you need help?”

  She forced her throat to move, followed by her tongue, then her lips. “I….”

  The woman glanced past her to something in the distance. “Joaquim, get over here!”

  A new shadow dimmed the darkness further and brought with it a deeper, gravelly voice. “She’s functioning?”

  Did her sorry state qualify as functioning? A nod from the woman proclaimed it did.

  “Can you sit up?” The deep voice drew closer until it overpowered the rhythm of the rain. “We’re going to scoot you back against the alley wall, okay?”

  The alley wall? Had her sordid awakening not even mer
ited a proper avenue as its setting?

  Strong hands grasped her shoulders and lifted. She belatedly tried to help, but it made little difference. A second later a hard surface met her back, and she was sitting upright. Two visages hovered in front of her to study her in concern—one open and expressive, the other guarded and cautious.

  She moved facial muscles that felt foreign, as though they’d been sloppily glued to the bones beneath them, into something like a smile. “Thank you.”

  “Of course.” The woman continued to scrutinize her. “Are you hurt? Do you need repairs?”

  Carefully she shook her head, relieved when it didn’t tumble off its perch. “No, I’m not damaged. I’m ky—”

  “Kyr. Yeah, we figured that part out.” The man’s mouth rose on one side as if amused, yet the rest of his expression insisted it didn’t do amusement. “Bit of a rough transition, eh?”

  “A rough transition is forgetting where you’re supposed to sleep for the first few days. Something went wrong with her.” The woman flashed her an apologetic smile buoyant enough to bring color and verve to the washed-out world. “Sorry. I’m sure you’ll be fine. Do you want to come with us? We can offer you a roof, a shower and something to eat, if not much else.”

  The faint traces of levity vanished from the man’s face. “I don’t—”

  “Shush, Jo. She’s in no condition to be a threat to us.” The woman’s warm, comforting smile returned. “Please, come with us.”

  She nodded mutely. Notions such as showers and food sounded luxurious beyond imagination, not to mention mere dryness. All this blank slate had known of life thus far was the hypnotic but terribly wet splatter of rain.

  “Let’s get you up. It’s not far.” The man took one of her arms, and she climbed to her feet mostly under her own power. Sloppily glued into place or not, her muscles seemed to recognize their function. It was a start.

  The woman touched her shoulder in encouragement, or perhaps to provide a steadying hand. “I’m Perrin. This is my friend, Joaquim. What are you going to call yourself? Do you know?”

  Know? What did she know? She knew emptiness. A void where there should be data. Wherever her eyes looked, the cursor followed with its incessant wobbly blurred blinking. Taunting her, judging her. Who are you? Who do you intend to be?

  Generation: kyr

  Input desired designation: __

  Her lips moved of their own accord, acting at the behest of something beyond her conscious perception.

  “Nika. You can call me Nika.”

  BOOT

  SEQUENCE

  1

  * * *

  FIVE YEARS LATER

  PLANET: MIRAI

  ASTERION DOMINION

  GENNISI GALAXY

  “Clear through to the 5th level, second hallway.”

  “Team 1, move ahead.”

  “Team 3 in position.”

  “Team 3, hold there until I give the signal.”

  When Team 1 reached the final hallway separating them from their destination, Nika signaled a halt.

  Ηq (visual) | scan.thermal(240°:60°)

  Τ → Η μ (α) = 342°

  Τ → Η μ (β) = 9°

  The building’s security force had consisted solely of dynes and drones up until now, but two semi-flesh and semi-blood guards stood watch over the data vault itself.

  Nika (Team 1): “Two heat signatures on either side of the door.”

  Ava: (Team 1) “Permission to take them out?”

  Nika (Team 1): “Negative. Lock your targets but hold position here. I’ve got this.”

  She crept forward one silent step at a time, and her kamero filter rippled and shifted to match the visuals of her changing surroundings.

  Nika: “Team 2, status?”

  Perrin: “Team 2 ran into a very rude security dyne.”

  Nika: “Which resulted in Team 2’s status being…?”

  When she was three meters away from her targets, blades extended out from the inside of each of Nika’s wrists. The guards stared forward, seeing nothing as they shuffled their weight from foot to foot in boredom. She timed the rhythm of their natural movements and fell into sync with it as she reached the closed door between them.

  Perrin: “We’re fine. Ryan spiked it, and it’s now our new best friend. In position in fifteen seconds.”

  Nika: “Tell Ryan he can’t bring it home. He exceeded his pet limit two pets ago.”

  She rose onto the balls of her feet and spun in a half circle, thrust her arms out so they extended behind the guards, and plunged the blades into the bases of their necks. The metal pierced each of their port openings and speared the cores of their neuromorphic brains.

  The guards crumpled to the floor as one. Instant neurological shutdown. Far more controlled and less messy than letting Ava shoot them.

  Perrin: “He says—”

  Nika: “No more pets.”

  She watched the bodies for two seconds to make certain they were out of commission, then wiped the brain matter residue off the metal before retracting the blades. Odds were the guards’ employment contracts with Dominion Transit included replacement bodies and free regens for line-of-duty expirations, though the paperwork might take a while.

  Nika: “Team 1 beginning vault infiltration.”

  She retrieved a thin roll of flexmat from the pouch on her belt and applied it in an X pattern across the door while the rest of her team cleared the hall and joined her outside the data vault.

  Perrin: “Team 2 in position.”

  Nika: “Team 2, hold your position until I give the signal.”

  She pressed her fingertips against each edge of the neat X to confirm the seals. “Parc, mirror me.”

  Parc Eshett stepped up beside her, though his presence there revealed itself only through the flow of data exchanged between them. She pressed her index fingers to the top and bottom right corners of the X; he did the same on the left side. “Activate.”

  A calibrated series of electrical signals flowed from their fingertips into the flexmat at each corner and began transforming the door’s chemical composition molecule by molecule.

  “And back, everyone.” She stepped away from the door as, from the corners in, the metal crumbled and its remnants drifted aimlessly to the floor. In seconds nothing but a pile of chromatic dust lay on the floor, and the entrance was open.

  Nika: “Team 1 moving into the vault.”

  She pulsed the room to mark the layout and electrical junction points and shared the results with the other team members through the operation’s nex node. Next, she placed a shell on the floor beneath the center of the door frame and triggered it. From the perspective of the hallway, a projected replica of the former door and the two meters surrounding it now filled the space, concealing both their presence inside and the bodies’ presence outside from any person or dyne that wandered into the vicinity of the vault.

  “Ava and Carson, place your charges. Parc, go to town.”

  “Finally!” He rushed up to the hardware block that dominated the room and instantly became a flurry of motion and flashing augments. Specialized tools appeared and vanished from his hands so rapidly they might be mistaken for body mods. She didn’t think they were, but where Parc was concerned you could never be certain.

  Nika’s gaze swept across the room and her team. They all carried out their assigned tasks with focused, honed efficiency, and she couldn’t ask them to work any faster. The reality of the open doorway made her feel exposed, though, as the false projection only protected them so long as the illusion wasn’t tested by security. “Team 2, Team 3, status?”

  Joaquim: “Team 3 check.”

  Nika: “Team 2?”

  Perrin: “Maggie wants to know if she can take the dyne home as a pet, since Ryan’s exceeded his limit.”

  Nika: “She’ll simply give it to Ryan the instant I go upstairs. No. More. Pets.”

  Perrin: “But—”

  Joaquim: “Perrin, get your people in l
ine. This isn’t playtime.”

  Perrin: “Mind your own team.”

  Joaquim: “I’m Operations Director, which means I’ll mind every team. Shape up.”

  Parc looked over at her. “We’re all set here. Just give the word.”

  Nika: “Enough. Stand by for my signal.”

  She moved up beside Parc, tapped into the vault with her fingertip and scanned his work. Not that she didn’t trust it; he ran figure eights around her diverges in his sleep. As usual, the subtlety and finesse of his painstaking alterations radiated digital brilliance, so she disconnected and stepped back. “Ava, Carson?”

  “Charges are armed and ready.”

  “Same.”

  “Start your timers…and we are out of here.” She gestured toward the doorway to emphasize the point but waited until everyone had cleared it to exit herself, stopping to retrieve the shell on the way out. Once in the hallway, she slid her Glaser out of its sheath and pointed it at the wall above the empty door frame and the bodies.

  The Glaser was a flexible device with many uses, both as a tool and as a weapon. When its energy output was targeted in a fine, precision stream, one of its capabilities involved etching markings into virtually any material. The laser it emitted followed the flow of her hand’s graceful, sweeping motions, and in its wake the engraving burned brightly against the muted pewter of the wall.

  Nika smiled.

  Inside the data vault, the timers hit zero and the charges detonated, sending sparks flying and smoke hissing into the hallway to temporarily obscure her handiwork. “Teams 2 and 3, you are a go. Execute and exit along your designated routes. Reconvene at The Chalet.”