The Stars Like Gods Read online

  Spencer contacts Joaquim and asks him to meet with Adlai. Joaquim is deeply suspicious, and he and Perrin argue about whether they should do it. Joaquim reveals why he despises Justice: that Justice officers on Synra killed the love of his life and destroyed all her psyche backups.

  The meeting takes place, and Adlai gives Joaquim a copy of the vaccine for NOIR to distribute. On the way back home, Joaquim is hit with a tranquilizer dart and kidnapped.

  Perrin flees in a panic with the vaccine and returns to The Chalet. She and Ryan study the vaccine to ensure its genuine, then she meets with Adlai again. She tells him about Joaquim’s kidnapping, and they reluctantly decide that they have to focus on getting the vaccine distributed before trying to rescue him, since Adlai is already in danger of being fired. Despite all the angst, they instantly hit it off and agree to work together.

  Nika and Dashiel arrive at the outpost in time to see two ships show up; Gemina gases the outpost then orders dynes to transport the inhabitants in stasis chambers onto the larger ship. Nika sneaks onboard and tells Dashiel to track her. An interference field blocks her signal, though, so Dashiel plants a tracker on Gemina’s personal ship, then barely escapes as the outpost is destroyed.

  The ship Nika has stowed away on arrives at a space station, and she sneaks off to investigate. The Tabiji is docked there, and she breaks into its navigation records and copies its travel history. Then she steals Gemina’s personal ship and meets Dashiel and the Wayfarer on a nearby moon.

  They quickly tie the Tabiji’s journeys to the historical route of the Shorai, deducing that the Shorai must have discovered something at the terminus point of the Tabiji’s trips.

  They follow the path the Tabiji has been taking and discover the stronghold of the Rasu. The aliens have built a Dyson lattice around a star to siphon off its energy. Thousands of city-sized platforms orbit the star, from where countless ships arrive and depart. They observe Rasu ships joining together to create larger vessels in a seamless fashion. This triggers a recollection by Nika, but when a Rasu ship opens a wormhole vortex that nearly drags the Wayfarer in, they decide they should leave.

  Once they’re safely outside of the Rasu stellar system, Nika recounts the story of something that happened to her 3 years earlier. She and Perrin went to a club, where a man offered them a simex depicting an alien invasion in which they are tasked with disabling the alien ship.

  In the simex, they found themselves in a jungle as a ship—what Nika now recognizes as a Rasu ship—descended from the sky while burning the jungle with a laser beam. The ship landed and machine-looking aliens disembarked. Several natives attacked and were quickly captured. The aliens transformed into a variety of shapes and tools, the metal they were made of liquifying and resolidifying as needed. Perrin got injured, and they tried to exit the simex, but the exit command didn’t work.

  They sneaked on the ship and came upon the Rasu killing all the native prisoners. Perrin screamed, and the Rasu pursued them on a chase through the ship. They made it to the command center, where a huge plasma chamber powered the ship’s main weapon. Before they could try to disable it, Rasu surrounded and killed them.

  They woke up in the club and tried to get a refund for a defective simex, only to learn the man who gave it to them didn’t work there. As they were leaving, Nika heard a voice in her head saying, ‘Remember this. When the time comes, you must remember what you have seen.’

  Dashiel and Nika conclude that someone deliberately targeted her with information about the Rasu. They speculate that it might have been the Sogain, a mysterious, technologically superior species Asterions encountered 200K years ago. In that encounter, an Asterion vessel was forcefully ejected from the Sogain system by a cosmic force and warned by a disembodied voice never to approach again. Armed with their new knowledge of the Rasu threat, Dashiel and Nika decide to return to Mirai.

  On the Guides’ Platform, Blake Satair, a Justice Advisor, probes Joaquim’s mind for information on NOIR. Joaquim’s internal defenses block much of the ‘interrogation,’ but Blake is able to extract the name of Joaquim’s former boss, the owner of The Chalet. He has the man brought in, extracts The Chalet’s address and kills the man.

  On the way to Mirai, Nika accidentally triggers another encrypted memory. In it, a man named Steven Olivaw tells her he intends to undergo a Retirement & Reinitialization, essentially committing suicide. She professes her love for him and begs him not to go through with it. He muses that perhaps she could find happiness with his next incarnation, but she tells him she won’t accept a hack copy, and he leaves. When the memory is over, Nika lies to Dashiel about its contents. She realizes that Dashiel is a descendent of Steven and is troubled that for some unknown reason her former self clearly never told him this.

  When they reach Mirai, Dashiel receives a message from his deputy at his company asking to meet. Nika suspects it’s a trap, but he insists on going. They argue, and he leaves in anger. Nika tries to track him, but he’s turned off his locator. She’s wrestling with what to do next when she receives an anonymous message stating that NOIR headquarters has been compromised. She orders everyone to evacuate immediately then departs in the Wayfarer for The Chalet.

  Dashiel arrives at the meeting and is ambushed by Blake. He’s able to get a one-word message to Nika before Blake disables his comms.

  When she receives it, she realizes it was in fact a trap and he’s been taken prisoner. With no way to locate him, she has no choice but to continue to The Chalet. When she arrives, she blows a hole in the roof and evacuates people as Justice squads begin attacking on the ground floor. Several NOIR members are killed, but most are able to escape. Nika takes off in the Wayfarer then blows up the building, burying the attackers in the rubble.

  After taking the injured to a clinic, Nika meets with the source of the anonymous messages, who turns out to be Guide Delacrai. Delacrai tells her that Joaquim and Dashiel are being held on the Platform and, when pressed, reveals that in return for the Guides delivering them thousands of Asterions in stasis chambers every few months, the Rasu agreed not to invade and enslave Asterion worlds.

  The Rasu are interested in the Asterions’ unique physiology of bio-synthetic intelligence powered by kyoseil and quantum programming, though they have not disclosed why. The Rasu also claim to control hundreds of galaxies spanning this region of the universe. Nika demands the woman’s help in getting onto the Platform and freeing Dashiel and Joaquim; Delacrai agrees.

  Nika, Adlai and Spencer prepare for an assault on the Platform, while Perrin and Maris ready Maris’ loft for the other half of their plan.

  All the Advisors (except Adlai and Dashiel) arrive at the loft, ostensibly for a party, and Perrin locks the door and blocks all communications. Maris recounts everything they’ve learned about the Rasu, the outpost kidnappings, the virutox and Nika’s psyche-wipe. Maris pressures Gemina until she fills in the gaps on the Rasu, their demands and the Guides’ actions to comply since then.

  Maris then reveals that the Guides are holding Dashiel prisoner, and that Nika and Adlai are currently rescuing him. On hearing this, Blake tries to disable the communication block to get word out, but Perrin and others subdue and restrain him.

  Joaquim wakes up in an interrogation room. He frees himself from the restraints and searches the facility, worried Perrin was captured as well. Instead he finds Dashiel, whom he frees.

  While hunting for a way off the Platform, they find the Guides’ inner sanctum. There they discover that the Guides are using remote-controlled dolls instead of real Asterion bodies, with their psyches living inside massive servers. Such an existence is anathema to most Asterions, and in disgust Joaquim records a narrated video of the dolls and servers.

  While Dashiel investigates further, Joaquim disappears into the power control room for a few minutes. When he returns, they exit the sanctum for the Platform’s central chamber. The main entrance is locked, but they hear sounds on the other side and start banging on the doors.
r />   Nika, Adlai and Spencer infiltrate Mirai Tower. Security fires on them, and they face resistance all the way to the Platform entry in the penthouse. Under fire from AEVs outside, Nika nearly electrocutes herself hotwiring the d-gate, and they flee through it onto the Platform. Once there, they hear a commotion in the central chamber. Unsure of what waits on the other side, they ready their weapons before opening the doors.

  They find Dashiel and Joaquim on the other side. Nika embraces Dashiel and tells him she loves him, but before they can talk further, more security forces attack.

  Once dispatched, they return to Mirai Tower. Joaquim insists they all go out on the balcony then sends a command. In orbit above Mirai, the Platform explodes. Adlai wants to arrest Joaquim, but Dashiel talks him down.

  Nika and Maris reunite, though this is the first time Nika has met Maris since the psyche-wipe. Nika goes on camera in a live broadcast and, with Dashiel, Adlai, Maris and many other Advisors at her side, addresses the Asterion people. She tells them that the Asterion Dominion is in grave danger, and she needs their help to save it.

  CONTENTS

  * * *

  LATENCY

  CHMOD

  ALIASES

  NESTED ARGUMENTS

  READ/WRITE/EXEC

  CHECKSUM

  MULTITHREADING

  ROOT ACCESS

  THE

  STARS

  LIKE

  GODS

  LATENCY

  240,000 YEARS AGO

  * * *

  MIRAI

  Nika Kirumase settled onto a cushioned chaise beside the railing as the yacht’s bow cut into the crest of a wave, sending a misty spray of cool water over her and the port side of the deck.

  She wiped her face dry before responding. “Yes, we are pretty damn good at governing ourselves. But the fact remains that with the addition of a third colonized world, we risk descending into a quagmire of endless squabbling driven by conflicting priorities. Worse, we risk drifting apart from one another. To be strong—to protect ourselves—we need to remain united. As distasteful as it is to all of us, this means a pan-world governing body.”

  Charles Basquan returned from the bar, his hands full, and passed out frozen lime vodka cocktails to everyone onboard. “Not a whole government, though. Just a council of sorts, don’t you think? A small body to decide issues affecting more than one of our planets. I wouldn’t expect it to be a full-time job for those who serve on it.”

  Maris Debray nudged Nika’s feet to the side and draped herself across the bottom half of the chaise, despite the two additional chaises waiting unoccupied elsewhere on the deck. “Charles, I admire your optimism—and your yacht, by the way, this is fabulous—but put two or more people in a room together and grant them the power to make decisions, and bureaucracy is as inevitable an outcome as sex.” She sipped on her drink. “Still, it is needed.”

  Nika fought to reclaim a portion of the chaise for herself. “The sex, or the bureaucracy?”

  “The government, my dear.”

  “Oh, right.”

  “And a military.” Lance Palmer stood stiffly by the outer wall of the main cabin, holding his cocktail between two fingers like it was a contaminated lab specimen. “If I may interject, I assume this is where I give a speech on how the universe is an incomprehensibly dangerous place, and we need to be prepared to defend all our colonies against any number and variety of threats we might encounter. Which we aren’t. Prepared, that is.”

  “How about we enter your statement for the record instead. You’re not wrong, Lance, but it’s a conversation for another day.” Nika gave up the fight for ownership of the precious chaise real estate and swung her feet onto the deck. “Do any of us want to serve on this council?”

  Charles scoffed. “I cannot think of a single worse notion than slaving myself to the whims of the populace.”

  “Give the populace a little credit. They’ve done rather well for themselves so far.”

  “You serve on it, then. Actually, now that I consider the idea, you’re perfect for the job.”

  Nika studied her drink. He wasn’t wrong…but like Charles, she suspected she’d chafe under the artificial constraints certain to accompany the position. She shook her head. “I have too much wanderlust to tie myself to a government desk job.”

  “But if it’s only part-time—”

  “No, Maris is correct about the bureaucracy. I am, however, willing to take point on organizing the creation of this council.”

  “Great. Being off the hook as I now am, I’m getting another drink.” Charles disappeared into the main cabin.

  Nika shot his back an annoyed look but raised her voice so he could still hear her from inside. “I think it goes without saying that, even if we’re not official appointees, all of us should plan on supporting whomever is chosen. We’ll owe it to them to step up and advise them on issues where we have particular expertise.” No one objected, so she kept going. “What are we talking about here? A single representative from each of Synra, Mirai and Namino?”

  Charles wandered back onto the deck, drink in hand, and collapsed onto one of the empty chaises. “I really don’t think we need anything more complicated, at least to start.”

  Maris poked Nika’s leg with a painted toe. “Ana would be a great choice.”

  Lance gave up scrutinizing his drink to frown. “Who?”

  “Anavosa Kelaine. She’s practically the mayor of Mirai One already. Smart, pragmatic but principled. Maris is right. She’d be a good choice.”

  “I adore it when you talk dirty to me.”

  She soft-punched Maris in the thigh. “You wish. What about for Synra?”

  Blake Satair, who had been quietly brooding on the opposite side of the deck until now, perked up. “Luciene Toskav.”

  Nika groaned. “He’s an ass.”

  “Yes, but an ass who gets things done. When so many people abandoned Synra for the—” Blake scowled at the lovely, powder-blue afternoon sky “—allegedly nicer climate of Mirai, Synra’s societal infrastructure began to fall apart. Luciene stepped in, restored order and gave purpose to those who remained.”

  Nika had heard plenty of rumors implying the tactics Luciene had employed to do so bordered on the unsavory. But it was true he had probably saved Synra. Ends and means.

  She regarded Blake skeptically. “I’m surprised you don’t want the job.”

  “Oh, I do. But I’m a man of action. I prefer to be on the streets, making a difference on a daily basis outside of the, yes, inevitable bureaucracy.”

  Frankly, she was relieved. He was far too much of a zealot to be entrusted with the keys to the kingdom. During the SAI Rebellion, he’d exhibited a troubling absolutism which veered toward blind narcissism. He and Steven had clashed regularly and had come to blows twice in the dark final days of the doomed rebellion.

  Steven…she gazed out at the sparkling waters of Hataori Harbor, letting a pang of wistfulness drift over her. She still felt his absence sometimes—times like this—many millennia later. A long string of lovers stretched from this morning back to mere months after he…she hesitated over the word, even in her mind. Sunsetted. But they all were and had been exactly that: lovers, never confidants or kindred spirits. Never soulmates.

  She took a quick sip of her drink then peered up at one of them. Grant Mesahle lounged atop the pilothouse with his legs dangling over the edge of the glass enclosure. “And Namino? Grant, you’ve claimed it as your home. Any ideas?”

  He hesitated long enough to brush wind-blown hair out of his face. “Jose Ruiz or Iovimer Ballard. They’ve both been deeply involved in the colony buildout. Iovimer in particular has made resources materialize out of thin air at the exact time and place they’re needed. Man’s a magician.”

  Nika brought her glass to her lips again, only to find it empty. She stood to go refill it, then spun around. “Maris, do not—”

  But Maris had already stretched out along the full length of the chaise with a luxuri
ous sigh.

  “Best be careful. I might just flip you off into the water when I get back.”

  “That would be an adventure, too.”

  Nika rolled her eyes and headed for the bar. “We ought to brainstorm a few more names for each world, then we can submit the slate to the people for a vote. Obviously, we’ll ask the nominees for their permission first.”

  “They’d be crazy not to want to serve.”

  She glanced over her shoulder at Blake. “Are you saying we’re all crazy?”

  Charles snorted. “Oh, without a doubt.”

  It was true enough, she mused as she refilled her glass. You didn’t live for 460,000 years without going a little bonkers in the head.

  Nika returned to the deck and considered her options, then headed for the far end of the bow to rest against the railings where they met. From this vantage, the afternoon sun bathed her in a warm, welcoming glow.

  Maris raised her hand in the air, though she didn’t sit up. “I am the last person to impose a bit of sobriety on the conversation, but I feel as if a question needs to be asked before we proceed any further down this path. Are we willing to subordinate ourselves to this council? To obey their directives even when they don’t suit us?”

  She shrugged. “So long as they act justly and fairly, I think we should. That’s what having a government means.”

  “And if they don’t act justly and fairly?”

  Nika jumped as a frigid wave crashed into her back. “Well, it’s not like we haven’t rebelled before.”

  CHMOD

  DAYS UNTIL RASU DEADLINE: 27

  1

  * * *

  PRESENT DAY

  MIRAI JUSTICE CENTER

  “Conspiracy to commit murder resulting in final death of an Asterion, 24,600 counts. Conspiracy to commit kidnapping, 21,820 counts. Aggravated kidnapping, same. Unauthorized psyche wipe, two counts. Aggravated unauthorized psyche tampering, four counts. Abuse of power. Treason. Violation of Charter provisions I 14.103, I 56.888, III 24.046, III 24.105, V 2.018 and V 106.241.”