Vehicles of Epiphany: Kincaide's War, #2

By Blaze Ward

Kincaide has led Dashavatara and his crew to freedom.

 

At least for now.

 

When Ildar's latest model finds them across the light-centuries, the chase begins

 

Can Kincaide get to the one star that even the Alvar fear?

 

And what will they find there?

 

Or who?

 

Vehicles of Epiphany is the second novel in Kincaide's War, continuing the epic struggle for the future of the galaxy, and every being in it. Or ever to be born. Be sure to start with The Eden Package.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Knotted Road Press
• Release date: Jul 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9781644703656

Blaze Ward

Blaze Ward writes science fiction in the Alexandria Station universe (Jessica Keller, The Science Officer,  The Story Road, etc.) as well as several other science fiction universes, such as Star Dragon, the Dominion, and more. He also writes odd bits of high fantasy with swords and orcs. In addition, he is the Editor and Publisher of Boundary Shock Quarterly Magazine. You can find out more at his website www.blazeward.com, as well as Facebook, Goodreads, and other places. Blaze's works are available as ebooks, paper, and audio, and can be found at a variety of online vendors. His newsletter comes out regularly, and you can also follow his blog on his website. He really enjoys interacting with fans, and looks forward to any and all questions—even ones about his books!

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Kincaide leaned back in his chair and considered kicking his feet up on the conference room table. Freaking rude, but it pretty much summed up his mood today.

After all, he was just the Foreman around here. In charge of the crew and the ship. Moments like this, he didn’t have anything to say or do. That was for the rest of the folks in here with him.

Instead, he turned to the Chairman and grinned. Zhubin Prakash had a scowl on his face like he could read Kincaide’s mind and see all the grief and trouble in store.

He couldn’t. She was on Kincaide’s right side today, looking petite and exotic and working hard to be Human.

Wasn’t, but he’d punch the shit out of anyone suggesting that anywhere he could hear it. Then maybe knock them down and begin stomping. Making a big enough point that the next six assholes kept their mouths shut, too.

Kincaide might be an old fart at fifty-eight Standard Personal, but he’d never been Indexed. Never would be, either. He intended to live, die, and be gone forever, unlike most folks.

Spitting in the face of the fucking Alvar and their quest to conquer the galaxy, en route to the universe.

He must have growled, because more people than just Odtsetseg turned to look at him. She had a grin like she was reading his mind as well. She might be. He was an open book for her.

Step-daughter, and everything that it implied.

And she had a cute blush when she looked too closely in his head.

You had something to offer? Zhubin asked.

Kincaide hadn’t put his feet up. Probably should have. Just as well now.

He leaned forward instead and put his elbows down.

I think trying to find Earth first is a dumb idea, Kincaide announced.

He gauged the room.

Zhubin was annoyed, but that was his default setting.

Reyhan Herath, Assistant Foreman, was sour and grumpy. About normal.

Dr. Avahan Dissanayake, Life Systems—which in this case meant Terraforming, Cloning, and Botany—was arguing in favor of looking for home. He didn’t have many allies yet.

Dr. Sewwandi Perera, Behavioral Medicine which meant crew mental fitness as well as physical, was with Avahan, which was rare because they tended to bicker. Except when it came time to go looking for Lost Earth, Kincaide supposed.

Lilith, no last name he’d ever heard, watched like a trapdoor spider, which was an unfair comparison from him, since she was.

Spider, that was. Half, anyway. Araneae, occasionally referred to as a Spider Centaur, though never in her presence. Leader of the Monster Wives, at least for now. That might change soon, depending on Odtsetseg.

Why should we not seek out our homeland? Avahan demanded.

They’ll be expecting it, Kincaide replied flatly. We lost them once. Bought a lot of time to escape, but if I was in charge over there, the first thing I would do would be to send a squadron of Warp Voyagers to Earth to reinforce the place and keep us from sailing in and recruiting our own fleet.

So you’d ignore it? Sewwandi asked.

For now, Kincaide said. They don’t know how or where to find us today. I expect that to change. Personally, I’d like to entertain the notion of setting up our first Human colony somewhere, out here in the darkness. Enough folks that they can survive if the Gage find us and destroy this ship later. Enough technical equipment that they could turn around and be a thorn in someone’s hide later.

Ours? Zhubin asked.

It’s Humans against the Gage, Kincaide snapped. Alvar, but all their pets and minions, too. Every edge I can take from them helps balance the scales. I’d like to sail to Earth with a whole fucking fleet of asskickers on that day, annihilating the Gage ships present and putting down a permanent enough base that they can’t come back. Carve out a section of the galaxy for Humanity. That means not getting caught today.

Can they find us? Zhubin asked.

That depends, Reyhan intercepted before Kincaide could snarl a profanity at the man.

All eyes turned to the Assistant Foreman. Second-in-Command, more or less. Kincaide’s oldest friend in terms of years, though even Reyhan knew almost nothing about him, at least compared to Odtsetseg.

Balding hair on top combed back. Ring of bushy gray around the sides. Sideburns brought down to points in front like horns on a bull, which more perfectly described the man. Top notch Information Systems specialist, which put him in charge of the ship’s Encyclopedia Core, itself a cut-down version of the famous Gage Catalogue that supposedly held all information everywhere.

Depends? the Chairman asked now, sounding official and all that.

There were only so many systems in this pocket where we could hide without direct observation, Reyhan replied. That’s why we’ve headed up and across. We’ll leave a trail, but hopefully they don’t have any orders to chase us on sight if we don’t stop at any of the stations along the way. Better than waiting for them to bring in enough ships to do the job next time. And they probably will, given the situation.

Alvar don’t see time like we do, Zhubin reminded everyone. To them, a decade is moving quickly. We might have long enough.

Roselani Thammavongsa will be leading the chase, Kincaide said. I doubt that she’ll take her own, sweet time about it. Woman wants revenge.

And knows you plan to die of old age on her at some point, Zhubin nodded.

Can you think of a better way to get back at someone? Kincaide laughed.

No, but I’m also not an original model, like you and Reyhan, Zhubin said. I’m an Analogue, a decanted copy of an Icon in their files of one of the greatest Human assassins they’ve ever met.

How many copies of yourself have you killed so far? Kincaide asked innocently.

He knew the answer, but wasn’t sure the others had really understood that part.

Four, to date, Zhubin nodded soberly. If they get mad enough, they might send a fresh copy of that dumb, twenty-four-year-old kid after us. He’s still committed to the cause at that point in his life. The copy I have of myself is from a few years later, after I had started questioning things. So we expect her or some other vessel to keep chasing us?

At least as far as the gates of hell, Kincaide nodded back. Maybe farther, depending. But Reyhan is right. We need to find a better place to hide. I still think that starting to set up new Human colonies in various places gives us a backup in case they do find this ship and destroy it later. Be a shame if they missed a few ticking bombs we left them.

Noted, Zhubin said. However…

Whatever else he was going to say was lost when Odtsetseg screamed and collapsed face first onto the table.

CHAPTER 2

Odtsetseg was on fire. Not as bad as that first time she’d attempted to twist the mind of that fucker Hasan Ildar, but close. Pain and heat erupted in her mind and then darkness claimed her.

She awoke in a strange room. Alvar by scale and decoration, with all the ornate decorations carved into every square centimeter of visible space like they did.

That Icky Woman was there. Roselani Thammavongsa. The one that had made demands on Kincaide before they’d escaped. The one with sexual needs that only a Human like Kincaide was socially and psychologically equipped to handle.

The need to be dominated, but in a narrow band. Physical as well as mental, with a loop of her own belt turned into a leash around her neck, barely tight enough to touch, but enough to suggest things to the woman. To lift her up to nearly orgasmic heights with nothing but the touch of silk itself.

And Kincaide’s words.

Odtsetseg shivered at the memory, then it was gone.

That Fucker Ildar was there, too. Magnificent. Dynamic. God Himself, at least to a poor Engine telekinetic that he had designed and built from samples in the Gage Catalogue.

His rage at Odtsetseg was a palpable thing. A scent hanging in the air. A taste lingering on the tongue. Triumph, on so many layers that she was reminded of Kincaide’s joke about turtles all the way down.

The Other drew Odtsetseg like a moth to a flame.

She was staring into a fun-house mirror at a copy of herself. Blonde hair instead of black. Blue eyes instead of brown. The same Siberian cheekbones and jaw. The same wide forehead and tiny mouth.

Altantsetseg. Golden Flower, when Odtsetseg meant Star Flower.

That fucker had decanted a new copy of Odtsetseg, going back to one of the old Icons that had been Indexed when he was still working forward. Odtsetseg had been Indexed several times since then, but only by the Chairman and the Monster Wives. All of those copies of her existed here on the ship, on Dashavatara.

Was she still on the ship?

Part of her was. That part felt the commotion in the conference room she had left. The sudden stirring of bodies and minds. The cries of surprise.

But they were an impossible distance away. Light-centuries and more.

Somehow she was in both places.

Altantsetseg walked closer. Odtsetseg did the same.

There was a pane of glass separating them as each held up a mirrored hand to the other and attempted to touch.

Altantsetseg smiled. Odtsetseg turned to run.

CHAPTER 3

Zhubin had a great deal of medical training, the product of a lifetime training to fight and kill people. One needed to understand how they were assembled as well, and how to heal them. That way, you could break things in ways that could not be fixed in time.

He had the Star Flower out of the chair with Kincaide’s help and flat on the deck, turned onto her side so she didn’t swallow her tongue or choke. The scabbard of one of his many knives went into her mouth to keep her from biting her tongue.

They had a recent Index of her, but Odtsetseg hated the booth almost as much as Kincaide did.

She would enter it, but only because it was necessary for the success of the mission. Nobody else could lift Dashavatara into warp-space.

Zhubin had fingers on her throat, listening to her pulse. Rapid, but not a medical emergency at present. He could always lift the thin woman and run to Sickbay.

Sewwandi had been sitting across from him. She was here now, pulling a sensor unit from a pocket and pointing it at Odtsetseg.

He wondered what good it might do, if Sewwandi was prepared to treat the rest of the crew. The Humans.

Odtsetseg looked Human, at least in the shadows. The eight red rays on her face, emanating out from her nose, marked the things Ildar had done to give her power.

Squid and octopus genes from the Catalogue had apparently been an early discovery in adding psychic power to the Humans that the Alvar overlords used to create their organic Engines. The cost was marking them thus, so it was not common.

Odtsetseg was among the most powerful ever created. At that was before she had broken free of her programming and started planning how she might break the limits Ildar had placed on her genetics.

How is she? Kincaide asked, hovering close by.

Foreman of the ship, but also Odtsetseg’s emotional anchor. Step-father, at least in the emotional sense. It didn’t make any sense, but Zhubin had learned not to question it.

Kincaide hated everyone, though he reserved a special antipathy for the Alvar. At the same time, that was an impersonal hatred. Few folks rose to his personal ire, so he was stable enough for the Star Flower.

More importantly, he wasn’t afraid of her.

Even Zhubin had come to understand what the woman had seen in him. That fear of her powers that had quietly taken root at some point.

Unexciseable, but at least he knew it was there.

He feared her power, just like most of the crew.

Most.

Kincaide feared nothing except failure, which had made him the perfect candidate for Zhubin to recruit first, when he and Hasan Ildar had originally envisioned this project.

Nobody could have imagined where it would lead to.

Stable, Sewwandi replied. I’m not picking up any abnormal physical symptoms, but we should probably get her to down to my office to check closer. I have no idea what happened.

Ildar, Odtsetseg whispered, pushing the scabbard away with a hand.

Zhubin leaned down, but she blinked several times and fought against him to sit up. Sewwandi nodded.

That fucker was there, she growled in a weak voice.

Who? he asked.

God, Odtsetseg snarled.

Ah. Hasan. He who had once set himself up as a god to this young woman, only to have her break free in a religious epiphany.

Kincaide? she asked, looking around.

Here, he said, squatting down next to Zhubin and holding out a hand for her to take.

Every other crew member resisted physical contact with a telepath. Especially Odtsetseg. It was like inviting the woman into your mind, unable to stop her from ransacking your memories. And maybe even making changes, though nobody really understood how long such changes lasted.

Kincaide had no fear of her. None.

Zhubin had the slightest jealousy, but crushed it.

Shit, he said after a moment, turning to Zhubin. We’ve just run out of time.

How so? Zhubin asked.

Ildar has a new Engine, Kincaide said. One he thinks is more powerful than Odtsetseg.

Is she? he asked.

Kincaide shrugged.

Maybe.

CHAPTER 4

Hasan was so excited that he might have even considered fornicating with that vicious blue bitch of an Alvar at this moment. Once, before he had Altantsetseg destroy the woman’s mind afterwards and wipe his own memory lest he lose the ability to attain an erection afterwards.

But for the telepathic shield Thammavongsa wore everywhere. And the letters she had no doubt delivered to various associates who would see Hasan destroyed if something happened to her.

Thus, the delicate game they played.

Worse, the bitch had denied him any of his previous sex objects. His Chuns or any of the other series of women he had designed for his sexual needs. Worst, Altantsetseg was a child mentally. Hardly much more physically.

By design, in spite of her apparent age as a young adult. No secondary sexual characteristics of any kind, from hips to breasts to even bodily hair. And the mind, while programmed to worship him as a personal god, was incapable of arousing him.

The whole point of the Chuns had been to have creatures that became aroused at the prospect of serving him. Of servicing him. Of being sexually abused by him.

Gods, fornicating with the Alvar bitch, though?

He smiled anyway.

You are certain, Altantsetseg? he confirmed.

I called her name across warp-space, Master, the blonde version nodded. She answered. We touched.

Hasan was slightly frightened at the prospect. That distance was supposed to be too great, wasn’t it? Light-centuries or more.

At the same time, warp-space was a thing even the Alvar only barely understood, and that after using it for something close to one million standard years.

You are certain it was Kincaide’s Engine? Thammavongsa demanded, stepping close now.

As usual, the giant woman wore the white toga of her class. Linen and off one shoulder to display a breast like a ripe melon. He was close enough to notice her arousal at the situation, and understood that revenge was a thing that crossed species when it came to deep emotional response.

They would both see Kincaide Kataragama destroyed for what he had done. And the rest of them.

And she and Ildar were working from the same starting point to the same conclusion.

If Dashavatara escaped them now, Kincaide and Zhubin would go out and create a new Human empire, somewhere in the darkness. One that would emerge like angry demons or locusts one of these decades to destroy the Gage Empire entirely and strip the corpse bare.

Once upon a time, Hasan Ildar intended to be personally leading such an army. And had even hoped to return soon enough that he could break this Alvar bitch personally when he became Emperor of the Universe.

It was not to be. He smiled up at her grimly.

Allies, for a time. At least until Kincaide was destroyed.

After that?

Hasan didn’t know. She had offered to bribe him with the one thing that would possibly overcome his deep and abiding hatred of all other species. Including hers.

Respect.

Elevating Humans to be partners with the Alvar, in control of all the other intelligent species out there to be conquered and enslaved.

He could almost taste the power she held.

Worse, he could smell the woman as she got close. Her scent had a richer texture up close, like their blue skin had pale patterns in it that could only be seen when close enough to touch.

Altantsetseg turned to the giant woman and bowed.

I saw her, Great One, Altantsetseg replied to the original question. There is only one other copy of this design that I am aware of, anywhere in the universe. Unless they have decanted more?

There. Hasan’s worst possible fear of all of them. That Kincaide would make more of his Engine. Perhaps start building other Warp Voyagers and sending them out like seeds, cast by a tree into the airstream and winds, seeking fertile soil.

A vengeful, Human Empire, returning to destroy the Gage.

He would not allow it.

Today, at least.

Thammavongsa smiled down at Hasan.

He stood one hundred and eighty centimeters tall. Short for a male. Both Altantsetseg and Odtsetseg stood one hundred and eighty-three, so looked slightly down on him.

Lady Thammavongsa stood two hundred and forty-five. And she was short for an Alvar, where the men frequently approached three meters in height and two hundred and fifty kilograms of mass.

Giants. Blue giants with white hair and an insatiable appetite to conquer the galaxy.

Worse, they normally lived for as long as eight thousand standard years. With what he had learned of genetic engineering, Hasan was already three-quarters of his first millennia old. Eventually, he intended to perfect a design that would let him live for one hundred thousand years or more.

Forever.

After he had destroyed Kincaide and the others, then moved on and eliminated the Alvar. Maybe everyone else while he was at it.

He watched some subtle deceit play out in the Alvar’s eyes.

Your orders? he asked.

At the end of the day, she held his leash.

For now.

CHAPTER 5

Roselani watched her pet human with his triumph, wondering if he really understood how transparent his tastes and desires made him.

At least to her, who had spent enough time studying Humans as a species.

And a few critical ones.

He hated her kind. Hated her, specifically. At the same time, he needed her. Her connections. Her power. Her hatred of Kincaide and the others.

The rest of the Gage Empire would move at their accustomed speed, spending perhaps a decade even planning a response, and a century implementing it.

Roselani knew she didn’t have that long. Not with Kincaide. He intended to die before she could catch him. And might, though she still wasn’t sure what she would say to the man if she actually did get to him in time.

If she had him right here in this room, instead of that fool Ildar.

Kincaide had no problem touching her. Arousing her. Pleasuring her in ways she’d almost forgotten she was capable of.

Not Ildar. Like magnets, he slid away whenever she got close, until she came to view it almost like a game. Move in, watch him slide back. Or worse, be forced to stand perfectly still as she violated his personal space.

Him, without any sexual release at all available, after keeping harems of sex objects around for whenever he felt the mood strike. Or the need.

So she tortured him. Slowly. Delicately.

Never too far, though, lest he finally snap one day and decide to kill her and whoever else he could lay hands upon before he was eventually brought down.

Delicate touch was required on her part, even though she doubted he even understood the concept. From what her scientists had told her, his most recent crop of sex objects, a dozen copies of a woman originally from Tianjin Dome, had been built for instant readiness and seemed to require some level of pain to achieve their orgasms, that in turn fueling his.

Hasan Ildar was nothing more than a sadist with power, but she knew that. Any Human seeking to become a bio-god usually was, which was why that group tended to be nineteen males in twenty, historically.

They had no power in the Gage, so they sought it out over their fellows.

She smiled at the transparent, little Human. Licked her lips as if unconsciously, just for that suppressed shiver that passed through him. Roselani had other men she could take to bed. Humans merely happened to be compatible with Alvar because they had such large penises, compared to body size. No other species came close.

So, Hasan, what does this give us? she asked.

He surprised her by turning enough away that she was almost looking at his back. Worse, he had almost brushed the side of his head against her nipple.

That might make him scream.

She did miss Kincaide.

Altantsetseg, were you able to locate her? he asked the new Engine.

The blonde version. The one with the terrible telepathic powers enhanced and not as great a telekinetic as her sibling.

Roselani wondered if Ildar understood how closely he was being watched. Or the things her scientists had introduced quietly into the design.

She knew where Ildar would take that design. What he would do with it. The minds the Engine would twist and destroy for him.

As long as they were the ones Roselani also wanted destroyed, they had an alliance.

She had a bet with herself as to how long it would be before Hasan Ildar simply had to betray that and attack her. The over/under was three more years.

For now.

I was, Master, the Engine nodded, eyes and voice subservient. She hid in a set of dark stars for now, as they are planning out where to go next.

Have they decided? Roselani demanded.

The creature flinched at her tone.

They have not, Great One, she replied. Some spoke of hiding yet. Others seek the forgotten homeworld.

Do they know where to find it? she asked sharply.

Roselani did. It had been necessary that she invoke her rank as a cousin of the Grand Gage himself, Emperor Kapono Phetphommasouk, in order to overcome the secrecy among the security bureaus, but she knew those coordinates.

They had feared that a telepath among the crew of this Warp Voyager would mean that Hasan Ildar could find it.

So she had ordered that system—the original Human Homeworld—to be reinforced. Significantly.

The Gage had sufficient Humans in the Catalogue. And had been breeding them for millennia for their mental abilities.

All intelligence was capable of lifting a ship into warp-space. It had become a factor of power then, where as few as six modern Humans could replace thirty-two Mori or Lop to carry a Warp Voyager through the thinness of the warp-shroud.

Or one Odtsetseg.

Roselani suspected that it would require at least two Altantsetsegs to lift as much mass, but that would reveal to Ildar too many of her secrets to mention. Vanechon continued on with the normal crew they had decanted after Kincaide had…

How had he known? How had she done it?

Nobody understood what the Odtsetseg had done.

Vanechon had appeared out of the warp shroud, intent on chasing Dashavatara. Instead, in that moment, an emergency, where it had appeared as though warp-spawn—those demons of the web all right-thinking people feared—taking over one of Vanechon’s Human Engines.

Of course they had voided the entire compartment to space.

Never let those demons have a foothold in this universe. Who knew what they might do?

Altantsetseg shivered, as if detecting Roselani’s fear and rage.

They do not know the coordinates of the homeworld, Great One, she said. They do, however, intend to seek it in their Encyclopedia.

Roselani’s single greatest fear was that they might find it. Somehow.

Kincaide was simply the most dangerous person of any species she had met in her nearly six thousand years. The most capable.

Roselani placed a hand delicately on Ildar’s shoulder to turn him back facing her. He flinched, but controlled it well.

It helped that there was nothing sexual in her touch now.

If you know where they are, we must hound them, she said, fighting to keep her voice above the low growl that still frightened both Humans. Chart the path and I will cause supply ships to be staged where we can move quickly and get to them, plus more traveling in convoy that will supply us as we give chase.

Should we investigate the zone where they have been hiding? he asked.

Roselani considered it. Kincaide could do any of a number of things to cause her nightmares, and had had more than two months to do so since Vanechon had limped back to Sextantis, wounded in pride and body.

I will have ships sent, she decided. "If Kincaide left people there, he lacks the ability to build new vessels today, and your Engine did not see others beyond the one. Dashavatara may yet be the sole vector of infection we need to deal with."

He shuddered at her choice of words, but they were not accidental. As he could be manipulated with sex, it was almost easier to draw out his rage and use it as a goad.

He would see those men destroyed for betraying him and leaving him behind. She could not prove what had actually happened. Nor did she need to.

She needed to catch up with Kincaide and destroy him.

Though she would still ask him one question before he died.

Why?

CHAPTER 6

Odtsetseg had retired to her cabin, up on the bow of Dashavatara. Tonight, she was in the forward space, clear at the tip, almost a patio with a large, clear wall showing nearby space and the gas giant they had been mining for exotic gases. Out beyond the warp-shields that protected the rest of the crew from the creatures that lived in warp-space and brought such nightmares to the Alvar.

She did not understand them, but they had communicated. Perhaps she had enough power to keep them at bay. And the willingness to use it to drive them off, but not destroy them.

At some point, it would be necessary to conduct an experiment in communication, though she still considered that it would be necessary for a second copy of her to be decanted first.

Worse, she would have to step into the booth just beforehand, with the idea fixed in her head, so that Zhubin and the women known as the Monster Wives could create two of her.

There were so many experiments that would require two copies of Odtsetseg be present. One working, and one victim. Both might be destroyed, but as long as there were freshly Indexed versions of her available, the mission was not at risk.

Behind her, she could sense both Zhubin and Kincaide moving around outside her space.

The original design of the ship had called for a single pylon forward, with the regular thruster engines and crew compartments aft. Safely inside the warp-shields.

Like all Engines, she had to be outside to lift the ship. Alvar vessels left only the Engine compartment exposed, but Kincaide had moved the bridge forward—outside—as well, putting his own cabin next to hers. Zhubin, unable to admit to being afraid, had done the same, so they had redesigned the forward end as a bulb on a goose’s neck. The three of them each had a sixth of the forward dome, with an airlock aft to the pylon itself and a common space with a small kitchenette and a salon taking up the rest where they could sit and relax.

She didn’t want company tonight, though both men had remained in the main space, in case she did.

Odtsetseg flashed back to that night she had first banged on Kincaide’s hatch, wanting nothing more than him to keep her warm. It hadn’t been sexual. She still didn’t even understand such things, except when she experienced them secondhand when one of the women of the crew got lost in a series of orgasms that were too loud on the mental plane.

She had wanted his warmth. And fallen into his dreams, living for a time as Nayani, his wife killed by Imperial Security forces more than twenty years ago.

Tonight, she wanted to be alone.

Which was probably exactly why the door chirped twice, letting her know that one of the ship’s three cats was asking for admission.

All three had been modified for greater intelligence, but nobody really knew how smart they were. What they had were strong emotional instincts and ties. Like Kincaide, they would either like or loathe someone, once that person stopped being a piece of moving furniture they had to navigate.

For them, it was enough that they had collars which could open hatches as they roamed. Or ask a resident if they wished to allow it, when someone was at home.

She supposed that they knew the truth about her emotional state.

Enter, she called.

Someone yarped from the main room.

Here, she called, patting her lap.

She had expected Snuggle, the little, black love bug lap kitty with three white socks, but instead Blur arrived. He was a gray tabby with a stubby tail. Such a dork.

Odtsetseg wasn’t sure what it said that the performance artist of the trio had sought her out tonight, but he immediately leapt up on her lap and placed his front paws on her chest so they could touch noses.

He purred at her, then turned himself into a small cinnamon bun in the middle of her lap, seemingly going immediately to sleep, save that he kept rumbling as she put a hand on his butt.

All three liked the warmth of Human touch, and she supposed that she was close enough to Human for them, even if she was the most alien creature aboard the ship.

Even the Monster Wives, as strange and exotic as they had been designed, contained nothing but the expression of Human genes. Including Lilith, who was a giant black widow spider from the waist down.

Only Odtsetseg went beyond Human.

Or was Blur here to remind her of her Humanity, in spite of her misgivings?

She left her hand in place on a furry, purring butt, and concentrated on the stars visible out the forward window.

That fucker Ildar had created a copy of her. Kincaide had expected it. Had predicted it.

He hadn’t expected how powerful she would be. Odtsetseg could not reach that far and speak to another mind. She had tried.

How had Altantsetseg done it, then?

That it could be done was a given. It had been. She had heard the woman’s call, misunderstood what it was, and fallen into it.

As a result, Ildar knew where they were. Worse, could track her in physical space, though she was less certain about what would happen beyond the next warp-shroud. Ildar’s copy had never been there. Hadn’t spoken with the denizens of that place.

More importantly, didn’t have Kincaide as a step-father to keep her warm and sane. At least as sane as any of them were.

Odtsetseg considered the power Altantsetseg had shown. Ildar hadn’t had enough time to radically redesign her model. And he had started with an older version of his Odtsetseg files to create his new Engine.

From as long as a year before Kincaide had broken her mind open and let her be free.

Was that it?

Altantsetseg wasn’t free. She was a creature of Hasan Ildar. Probably had been reinforced in all those places Odtsetseg had broken free specifically, once he knew that she could resist his power.

What would that cost?

Everything about Odtsetseg’s design had been a delicate balance of sanity, power, and stability, tottering unsteadily as he worked. Too much power often left her unstable or insane.

At least as Hasan Ildar would measure such a thing.

Odtsetseg liked to consider it her freedom instead.

And she was free. She could envision using her power to crush that fucker, and it hardly raised a twinge in her mind, where once she would have been burning with pain.

In his dream, Blur flinched hard, so Odtsetseg concentrated on sending him love. He calmed. Even began to squeak after a few moments.

Ildar might be willing to dance with variables, but he wanted power, so there had to be sacrifices somewhere.

What had he sacrificed, in order to make the woman that powerful as a telepath?

Except she didn’t fly. Wasn’t one of the Engines on Vanechon. Odtsetseg had picked up that hint in their touch.

Vanechon had their usual eight Humans, newly reborn six primary plus a pair of spares after she had killed the man named Eobasa at Gemaharn and caused the Warp Voyager to destroy their entire Engine compartment.

Fucking necromancers had called them all back to life, though.

Odtsetseg wasn’t ready to die, but she was also a unique design. Those others happened to be more powerful than average Humans, with the artistic and telekinetic abilities needed to lift a ship.

Telekinesis? Had Ildar cut out Altantsetseg’s telekinetic power, routing more of it to her telepathy? Most Engines could teleport an object the size of an orange across a small room. Odtsetseg had instinctively jumped away from a pan full of hot grease she was about to spill all over herself, landing nearly thirty meters away in her cabin, frightened, exhilarated, and powerful.

Oh, so powerful.

Able to take the power that Dashavatara’s engines generated and lift the entire ship into a warp-shroud all by herself.

Blur stirred. Sat up and studied her. Climbed up again and booped noses with her, emitting a happy chirp before he hopped down and raced madly off.

Performance artist, through and through.

Odtsetseg had a glimmering of an idea as to what Ildar had done to her sister.

How did she stop them?

CHAPTER 7

Kincaide had a mug of tea spiced with a little of this and that from the food printers. A rooibos, so no caffeine in it, which was good. He wanted to be able to sleep eventually.

Across the way on the farthest couch, Zhubin sat perfectly still with his eyes closed as though asleep.

Meditating, maybe. Still tracking the room and probably able to tell exactly how much tea Kincaide had left in his mug, in spite of the closed eyes. He was like that.

Zhubin Prakash was the textbook definition of paranoia. In all the good ways. It had gotten them this far, when added to the sneakiness that thirty years underground had taught Kincaide.

Where are we headed in the morning? Kincaide asked Zhubin, as though already deep in a conversation.

The eyes opened. Locked on him. Prakash smiled.

It was not a pleasant smile. Zhubin could be an unpleasant asshole when he wanted to be.

Not that shit like that intimidated Kincaide.

We did get interrupted, didn’t we? Zhubin asked.

Kincaide nodded. That had been a board meeting of the corporation that had hired Kincaide to build them a ship. Until it fell apart before they got around to making decisions.

I agree with the sentiment that we’re out of time, Zhubin replied. That for now, we must assume that Ildar can track us anywhere we go, because of his copy of Odtsetseg.

Altantsetseg, Kincaide corrected. She said the new one was a significantly different model from hers, whatever that meant.

Altantsetseg, Zhubin nodded. They’re coming for us. And presumably will combine speed with firepower when they do. Enough to destroy us when they finally corner us somewhere.

I figure a team of Warp Voyagers, Kincaide nodded back. And freighters that exist solely to replenish ships in motion. Probably two sets so they are forever running back and forth somewhere.

How does that limit our maneuverability? Zhubin asked.

Man was many things, including a copy of one of deadliest assassins the Gage had ever known, with the added benefit of thirty years as a rebel.

Old age and treachery, against youth and skill, as it were.

What Zhubin didn’t know, however, was ship logistics. That was exactly why he’d hired Kincaide. Man was utterly deadly with his hands, or any weapon you could carry.

Almost clueless at the starship scale.

But he’d hired an expert.

We have to get out of Gage Space, Kincaide said. Anywhere that they can surround us with warships means that they can damage this ship enough to eventually destroy us. Assuming they don’t want all of us alive for Indexing. Or dead recently enough to be brought back. I’ll eat a beam before they manage to board this ship. Dunno how you feel about it.

I’ll make sure Odtsetseg is safely destroyed first, Zhubin nodded. As well as copies of her. Then yes, I’ll join you in hell. At least until they realize who I was and bring back more copies of me. I’m not sure about the philosophical underpinnings of resurrection, when they can print fresh copies of someone. Might already be several of me running around. Creator knows I’ve killed at least four copies of myself over the years.

So right now, we have to run, and run hard, Kincaide agreed. Best option would be to head for the Line-of-Exploration. Once we cross that, they’ll slow down chasing, because they don’t know what’s there any better than we do. And will have to return to safe bases behind them for food, which actually gives us an advantage, since we’re better configured already to mine asteroids and comets for raw materials for the food printers.

You said best option, Zhubin said sharply. What other options do we have?

That bullseye ring of systems that the Gage marked off limits to everyone, Kincaide replied. For one.

I’ve heard the theory you and Reyhan have propounded, Zhubin said. An outer ring of systems with armed stations to keep people out. An inner ring of warning buoys. And a single system at the center of that? Why would the Gage do that?

They found something there that frightened them, Kincaide offered. Reyhan and I have gone round and round on the topic, and not come up with any better solution for the way they’ve arranged things.

What would frighten an entity as powerful as the Gage Empire? Zhubin marveled. They already claim more than a third of this galaxy, and intend to explore and capture the rest. What did they find?

That’s why it is a less good option than just running like hell for the far side of Gage Space, Chairman, Kincaide said. If I knew for certain that there was some terrible dragon there, drowsing but deep in their hatred of the Alvar, I’d head right over and see if we could make common cause with them. If nothing else, it guarantees that the Gage will leave us alone while we build a colony and make it tough enough to resist those blue punks. But that’s just supposition on our parts. If they can track us, it becomes risky to try something that crazy.

Would they expect us to run forward? Zhubin asked.

Kincaide considered it.

Yeah, probably, he replied. Get as far away from Al-Winoq and the rest of them as possible. Probably sending messages forward down every corridor as we speak, to cut us off.

And the chances we could outrun those messages? Zhubin pressed.

Low, Kincaide shrugged. You got some amazingly angry people over there, I’m reasonably confident. Especially if they let Ildar create a new and presumably more powerful version of Odtsetseg.

Is she at risk? Zhubin asked.

More shrugs. Lots of unknowns here.

Ildar probably thinks so, but he’s also dealing with the woman she was a year or more ago, Kincaide smiled. A few things have happened to her since then.

Then it seems to me that we have to make a decision immediately, in the heat of the moment, the man replied, sounding more like Chairman Prakash now. What was the name of that place? The one that Reyhan is convinced is the lair of an angry dragon?

Artamas, Kincaide replied. "At least from the records he found. Not a lot of navigational data, because nobody was supposed to go there. Just watch the warp-shrouds leading to it and send alarms if something happens. They don’t even say what. Just something."

Can you get past the stations around the other warp-shrouds? Zhubin asked.

Sure, Kincaide replied. Getting in is easy. We’ll have surprise and velocity. It’s the getting out later. If you thought Al-Winoq was dangerous, I imagine that any of these we try will be at least as bad, if not worse.

Yes, Zhubin said with a hard smile. That’s why I am ordering you to take us there.

Kincaide nodded.

Doom awaited, according to every hint they’d been able to tease out of those records so far.

Whose, though?

CHAPTER 8

Lilith was reclined in her nest, relaxed and sipping some tea as Kali knocked on the open hatch and entered. The problem with keeping an open office policy was that occasionally folks took advantage of it to walk in.

And bring their troubles with them.

Especially Kali. Rarely did that woman wish to sit and discuss abstruse philosophical matters.

Lilith nodded to the woman and watched Kali take the one chair for bipeds Lilith kept in here.

Not all the Wives could use such thing, so there was space for others to be brought in. Or simply left open for space, for the ones in water tanks.

Kali was especially blue today. The tight, all-black outfit she had on just accentuated the woman’s lean height and azure coloration. One hundred and ninety-five centimeters gave her the slightest height on Zhubin Prakash, but he had more muscles.

Still, Kali had more arms, and could use all four at once, with extra vertebrae, extra ribs, and extra collarbones for her over/under configuration. And the blue skin was a thing from ancient Human history that Brakiee Goaulda, another bio-god like Hasan Ildar, had drawn upon in creating all of them. The long black hair kept her from looking like an Alvar.

Should I be concerned? Lilith asked, when Kali sat silently for several seconds.

That depends, Kali replied evenly.

On?

Kincaide Kataragama, Kali said. You and he spoke. And came to an agreement to participate in an experiment with Odtsetseg’s help. But have not. As yet.

Lilith nodded. Kali was always like that. Sharp. Precise. Concise.

As yet, Lilith agreed. Odtsetseg needed time to consider how she might do such a thing. And Kincaide has been busy with ship work.

Fear? Kali asked, smiling wryly.

Maybe a little of that, too, Lilith admitted. I’m fine with you or one of the others having to take over as leader, if this fails and I’m stuck with the man. It’s the sticking part. As much as I miss touch, crave it even, I hesitate at the binding.

Should you go into the machine and be Indexed? Kali asked. Now, before, in case something goes wrong later?

Lilith growled at the woman. Even as she knew Kali had a valid point.

Like Zhubin, I will never enter a booth again, Lilith pronounced. There are no more copies of me. There will be no more copies of me ever. I survived Goaulda dying, with everything that did to the rest of us. I can survive Kincaide.

He’s at least more interesting, Kali nodded. And far better in bed, from what little I’ve been able to dredge out of the crew.

You have to be, when someone hasn’t been programmed to worship you, Lilith laughed harshly. Have to concentrate on all those little things that your partner needs, instead of just pumping a few times and collapsing in a heap.

Kali grinned. They both remembered Goaulda and his…foibles.

The ever-escalating need for greater horror and weirdness in the women he wanted to fuck. The Monster Wives he created as his mastery of genetics unlocked more and more possibilities. Bipeds stopped being sufficient for his arousal, so he’d created aquatic creatures like Niki and Serena. Or a scaled Naga in Euryale. A harpy named Corie.

Or a giant spider centaur from somebody’s deepest nightmares made flesh.

All of them emotionally and intellectually bound to the man. Sexually, where his merest touch had been enough to trigger overrides in all of them, leaving them no choice but to submit to his perversions and degradations with whimpering joy.

Lucky for him he was dead.

That just left Kincaide. And Odtsetseg’s firm conviction that she could break more of the programming and allow the Wives to know the touch of a man again, after centuries of militantly enforced celibacy, lest the next man bind them just as Goaulda had.

You should move soon, Kali spoke now, sounding more like a friend and less like a Second-in-Command. Lest you find more excuses to delay. That, or withdraw and one of the rest of us will step in for you.

No, Lilith replied firmly. As Kincaide said, it has political overtones, with the two leaders coming together like that. And emotional ones, where we both step into the thing willingly. The remainder of the crew will see that and hopefully overcome some of their fear and loathing of our kind.

And lust, Kali added. More than once I have caught wandering eyes undressing me from a distance, too nervous to do more than blush and look away when caught.

He did create us for beauty, Lilith reminded her. Eternal, at that. None of us has died of old age, or even aged appreciably in the centuries since he died.

And we will outlive everyone on this vessel right now, Kali nodded. Goddesses. Or demons.

Likely both, Lilith agreed. Such was Goaulda’s purpose. And yes, we will have to decide at some point if we build our own ship and separate ourselves from the rest of humanity. That, or become their pantheon of guardians and mystics, entrusted with the ancient wisdom of the centuries like witches. That can wait until Kincaide finds us a colony world and we start expanding Humanity again.

Can they find the Homeworld? Kali asked, mind apparently all over the place today.

Eventually, probably, Lilith replied. I’m not sure what good it would do. The Gage know where it is and would prevent us from making a base there.

I would like to see the land that gave birth to the tales that became me, Kali said. Euryale is the same way. We have cultural resonance, though Ildar didn’t include any Euro-descended folks when he and Zhubin built this crew. Just folks as close as he could get to the Tartars he claims to be. My ancestors, at least metaphorically.

"They have likely forgotten you