Wizard Zero: Mission 2: Black Ocean: Astral Prime, #2

By J. S. Morin and M. A. Larkin

An ancient ruin holds miraculous technology and a deadly secret.

When a survey team unearths buildings on prospective mining planet, at first, it's hailed as an archeological jackpot. But the ancient structures are more advanced than anyone's seen. And the hedge against technology is a wizard.

Cedric and Hiroko lead a team to study the mysterious underground facility from a lost age. And when they discover the alien caretaker, he's none too happy that primitives have infested his home.

Wizard Zero is the second book in the Black Ocean: Astral Prime series. It hearkens back to location-based space sci-fi classics like Babylon 5 and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Astral Prime builds on the rich Black Ocean universe, introducing a colorful cast of characters for new and returning readers alike. Come along for the ride as a minor outpost in the middle of nowhere becomes a key point of interstellar conflict.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Magical Scrivener Press
• Release date: Jul 3, 2018
• ISBN: 9781942642862

Book preview

Wizard Zero

WIZARD ZERO

MISSION 2

BLACK OCEAN: ASTRAL PRIME

J.S. MORIN

M.A. LARKIN

MAGICAL SCRIVENER PRESS

Copyright © 2018 J.S. Morin & M.A. Larkin

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.

Magical Scrivener Press

www.magicalscrivener.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.

Ordering Information: Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address above.

J.S. Morin & M.A. Larkin — First Edition

ISBN: 978-1-942642-86-2

Printed in the United States of America

WIZARD ZERO

MISSION 2

On a station where things broke faster than any maintenance team could fix them, any day that ended with fewer repair requests than when it started was a good day. Chief Engineer Roland Kane used to honestly believe that.

YF-77 was a station cut off from the support of the Maho Saigai Mining Concern, most of ARGO space, and most financial means. They had food and a backlog of spare parts, but all those resources were finite. Without a fresh income stream, simple feats of engineering like putting a new airlock seal on Docking Clamp 7 would become impossibilities. Days like Kane’s would dry up. Staff would start quitting, assuming they could even bum a ride back to ARGO territory.

But those simple worries faded when Kane’s comm popped up with a message from the interim security chief. Whatcha want, Keystone? he snapped.

Ben Okoye had been a low-rank grunt in Maho Saigai’s organization. One of Kurt’s flunkies. Word around the station was that he’d worked his way up from a glorified doorman at a company hotel on Mars. Now, Fujita had given him Kurt’s job for lack of anyone better qualified. But Kane would be damned before he gave the guy the respect Kurt had earned.

Quit calling me that, Kane, Ben griped. I’ve got a situation here, and I’m calling you in as a senior representative.

I don’t work for you, Keystone, Kane shot back, kicking his tool bag because he knew that this was a dead-end argument. He was going to have to play along with whatever Ben had going on. It was just a matter of proactive discouragement for next time. Where’s Princess Nepotism?

Director’s in for a full medical. Rest of the survey team’s come up clean, but they finally got her into Med Bay about an hour ago. And now we’ve got a ship docking.

Kane rolled his eyes. It’s a ship, Skippy. If you can’t deal with a dockside greeting, I’ll let Frowny-chan find someone else to fill Kurt’s holster. He paused a second with the comm line closed. That hadn’t come out the way he’d intended.

If Ben caught on, he wasn’t in a mood for rubbing Kane’s nose in it. He had bigger problems. It’s an eyndar ship.

Kane clenched his legs to keep from wetting himself. Then it occurred to him that there wasn’t a general quarters alert in effect. Even Ben Freakin’ Okoye couldn’t be daft enough to overlook something so basic. And that meant that the eyndar weren’t firing on them or demanding surrender. What’s the score? Dump your haul, Keystone, or I’m coming up there to—

That’s what I need. I need you up here. They’re going to want to meet with the director. As second in command, you’re going to have to apologize and take over.

Kane clenched his teeth. Apologize for some hospitality slip-up? To a bunch of mangy savages like the eyndar? If YF-77 had weapons, Kane would have taken his brief stint as commander to open fire on the bastards. Instead, he weighed the idea of summoning Fujita out of a comprehensive medical scan, naked except for a specimen smock and probably dripping with fluids from the test tank. With all the modern scanning equipment on the market, Maho Saigai had still opted for systems that seemed more like quackery than modern medicine. Ardman couldn’t get Kane into Med Bay for any condition that left him conscious enough to withhold consent for treatment.

Kane checked his chrono. Fine. I can be up in Ops in seven minutes. It was a point of pride being able to estimate transit times from any point in the station to any other point, accounting for inconveniences like malfunctioning moving walkways and preventative maintenance schedules on the lifts.

Not Operations, Ben replied. Docking Bay 746.

But I’m … Kane said, then hung his head. I’m two docks over. Be right there. Anything I need to know?

No time, Ben said hurriedly. I’ll brief you when you get here. The comm shut off abruptly.

Kane blew a weary sigh and trudged off for Docking Bay 746, leaving his tool bag behind.

The walk was too short.

When Kane arrived, he combed back his hair with his fingers, hoping that sweat would slick it back enough to keep him looking presentable for canine dignitaries. The airlock bridge to the eyndar vessel had already connected, and the station’s newest guests were standing with Ben Okoye, who now looked just like the hapless bumpkin he really was.

And this is YF-77’s chief engineer, Roland Kane, Ben announced loudly and with a giant forced smile.

The two creatures standing with the station’s plaza cop were a mismatched pair if ever Kane saw one. The smaller of the two was Ben’s size with fur the same dark hue as the human’s skin and pointed ears that stuck up at the sides of his head. A stubby muzzle showed a mouthful of fangs bared in an unwelcoming smile.

Greetings … Roland Kane stud, the eyndar said. He folded his arms behind his back and lowered his head just enough that he never had to take his eyes off Kane. I’m am Rrolou of Grey Nebula … trade agent. A pack leader.

As much as the threatening dog-man tried to hold Kane’s attention, his gaze wandered away as he replied. Yeah, likewise. Didn’t know your kind spoke any English.

Some do. He made it sound ominous, like some kind of warning. Kane could only envision English-speaking eyndar plotting to take over ARGO by surprise wearing human masks. The image was almost comical until he considered that the eyndar would probably cut such masks off live human faces.

Ben continued the introductions. And this is Myo Tam, trade ambassador of the stuunji people.

It was hard to miss Myo Tam, not the least because she was the size of the other three sentients in the corridor stuffed in the same skin. There was a presence that filled the space. Breath whuffled softly from nostrils like blower vents. Beady eyes regarded him from a gray-skinned face dominated by a massive nasal horn. Minister of Trade, actually, Myo Tam said in a deep melodious voice that stank of hay. But Ambassador is fine.

Ben handed Kane a datapad. I’ve arranged the ambassador’s quarters on Concourse B. If you could escort Minister Myo Tam, I’ll show Ambassador Rrolou to his.

Mine must be … nicer than the stuunji bitch’s, Rrolou said. Without question. I insist.

Naturally. Naturally, Ben assured the eyndar as they walked off. It made Kane sick to see a fellow human kowtow to one of those dogs.

What’re you and Rover doing traveling together? Kane asked as he referenced the borrowed datapad for the room assignment and set off with his giant herbivore in tow. If you don’t mind me asking.

Rrolou’s people have entered into a defensive alliance with mine, Myo Tam explained, lumbering along at Kane’s side, easily keeping up with a gait that made the deck creak beneath them. But we are bidding separately on your new gravity stones. Very much separately. Nevertheless, Rrolou was kind enough to offer transport.

Good guy, that Rrolou? Kane asked offhandedly. He doubted that Bumbling Ben was going to get much out of the eyndar directly. Kane had never met a stuunji, but they had a reputation for being on the simple side.

I believe him to be typical of his kind, Myo Tam said diplomatically.

Kane snorted. Should I shoot him now and save us all the trouble?

Two giant hands covered the stuunji’s mouth. By all that is holy, no! Myo Tam replied, aghast.

Relax, Jumbo, Kane said, patting the air with his hands. "No one’s shooting anybody. You oughta know, though, that them eyndar and us have a history. That’s why the EADZ is here in the first place. Neither of us is supposed to be in here, let alone setting up shop."

I’m aware of the Eyndar ARGO Disputed Zone, Myo Tam replied. It was tough to tell with a two-and-a-half-meter tall talking rhino, but it sounded condescending. "When your people conquered my homeworld, the refugees settled here just for this purpose. Mind how you speak of my people’s protectors."

Hey, sorry, man. I just—

And I’m not a man, Myo Tam cut in. She tapped the giant ring that circled her horn like a blacksmith had hammered it there. Men among my people rarely wear horn rings. It is a very profound sexual statement when one does so.

Oh, Kane said, then cleared his throat. It was still a long walk to Concourse B. Well, learn something new every day. Guess I’ve got a lot to learn about stuunji. Am I right?

The stuunji lumbered along without looking at him. I suspect an understatement.

Before Crash Day, Hiroko had made a habit of taking breakfast and coffee at the Vermillion Arrow Diner. She’d let the habit fall by the wayside in all the chaos, but now that things seemed to be finally looking up, she’d resolved to start enjoying life a little again. She nodded at Jace Jarvis on her way in when he raised his coffee cup in acknowledgment. The tech dealer had set up shop nearby after the previous owner vacated in the wake of the disaster, so it came as little surprise he’d take breakfast here.

Kendra already had a table for them by the window.

Hiroko didn’t use to invite her assistant, but Crash Day had made her realize something else. She was stuck out here, abandoned by her family. She needed someone to talk to, and Kendra was the only friend she had. Almost enough to make her want to promote the woman, except then she’d have an assistant she didn’t know.

Smiling, she slid into the booth.

Kendra was already tapping in an order for the both of them on the datapad attached to the table. Years of bringing the boss coffee had clearly left no doubt as to what Hiroko wanted to eat or drink.

I’ve been thinking, Hiroko said. If we start making a profit selling these stones … you’re about due for a raise.

Kendra chortled and looked away as if hiding a blush. Um … thanks. That’s … that’d be great.

The diner’s owner, Tanya, brought over their coffees herself. She always did, even if she sent a server to wait on the other tables. Haven’t seen you in a while, Director. Figured you found somewhere else to eat.

Hardly, just so busy. I’ve been taking most meals in my office lately. Things were rather hectic there for a while.

Turning around now, are they?

Sure, if you didn’t count an eyndar cruiser parked outside the station. But even that might help her turn a profit eventually. If they weren’t her first choice of buyer for the Dragonhearts, at least she knew they had money. We can only hope.

Tanya shrugged as if to agree to hope, then headed back to the kitchen.

So, Kendra said, placing her palms on the tabletop. We’re in business for ourselves now. Our own customers and everything. That means we really need a new name for this place.

The diner?

Kendra snorted. The station!

That drew a frown. "YF-77 is a fine