Chapter XXXIV – Tianyun Hao

  Leading away from the entrance to Star Junction, a corridor ensconced in glass curved off around the surface of Yuntu-9, leading towards the docking array. Here was assembled the crew of the Amrita, apart from Seraphina and Apollo.

  Mingxia faced the crew.

  “Well, I guess this is it,” she said. “I can never say it enough, but thank you for everything.”

  “And I’m sorry for what I dragged you into,” said Tavian.

  Mingxia grinned. “I guess you’ve made up for it,” she said. She leant forward and pecked him on the cheek. “Seriously, though, thank you.”

  “It’s been fun,” Tavian replied.

  “Yeah, it has!” said Nova. “You sure you don’t want to stay?”

  Mingxia shook her head, her long silky black hair shifting around her. “I need to set a course for myself that’s mine alone. Besides, we’ve been over this – I don’t have all the fancy skills and magical abilities needed for Cosmic adventuring with you guys.”

  “I haven’t got any fancy abilities,” said Nova, “I just grew up doing hacking challenges and fixing old machines ‘cause I was bored.”

  “You sell yourself short,” said Mingxia. She took a deep breath. “Well, goodbyes are never easy, but let’s get this over with before I cry.”

  Harry stepped forward and wrapped her in a hug. “I’ll miss having you around. You’re a lot more normal than these weirdos.”

  “Hey!” snapped Nova, then she looked down. “I guess it’s true,” she said more quietly.

  Harry stepped back and Mu stepped forward next. “Stay safe, and stay in touch,” she said to Mingxia. The two women hugged.

  “You too,” said Mingxia. “You’ve got my details. Let me know that you’re all doing alright once in a while.”

  “I will,” said Mu.

  She pulled away.

  Kal was standing next to Mu. He didn’t move, but Mingxia stepped forward and wrapped him in a hug. He eventually responded with one arm, perfunctorily patting Mingxia on the back.

  “Thanks, Big Guy. The Cosmos always feels safer with you around,” she said.

  Kal grunted in response, then quickly pulled back.

  “Bye,” he said.

  Barely had Kal stepped away than Nova bounded over and wrapped Mingxia tightly in her arms.

  “I don’t want you to go!” she exclaimed. “With you on board, it’s like I have a big sister.”

  “You’ve still got Mu,” said Mingxia. “And Seraphina… and Ostara.”

  “It’s not the same,” said Nova. She looked over her shoulder at the others. “Sorry.”

  “Well, I’m always happy to chat. Put those upgraded comms systems to use whenever you want,” said Mingxia.

  “I will,” said Nova. “You better believe it.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  Nova finally let go and Ostara approached Mingxia, her face bearing her customary smile.

  “It has been a pleasure having you on board with us,” she said. “We all wish you the best in the future.”

  “Thank you, Ostara,” said Mingxia. “I’ll never be able to repay all the kindness the crew has shown me.”

  “There’s no need,” said Ostara. “We look forward to seeing you starring in the holodramas.”

  “We’ll see,” said Mingxia.

  “I’m sure we will,” said Ostara.

  She wrapped Mingxia in a hug.

  Afterwards, Mingxia turned Tavian’s way again, grinning once more. “And that just leaves you,” she said. She paused. Then she turned around with an, “Okay, bye.”

  She took a few steps before she turned back around. “Just joking.”

  “Damn straight,” said Tavian and before she could move, he’d wrapped her tightly in a hug.

  He leaned in close to her ear and whispered. “You know, if in a little while, you’ve had time to think things over…”

  She gave a small laughed and whispered back. “In a little while, you’ll have moved onto someone else. I know you, Mr Locke.”

  He pulled back, holding her shoulders now. “You wound me,” he said. “As ever.”

  “I doubt it,” she responded, then pulled herself free.

  “I’ll see you round,” she said with a wave.

  With that she wandered back towards Star Junction.

  “Bye!” shouted Nova, waving fervently in her wake.

  Tavian sighed. “Shall we get going then?” he asked.

  Ostara nodded. “We should. Time is of the essence.”

  The crew made their way back towards the Amrita.

  The Amrita completed its Jump near the icy moon of a gas giant in Luanyuan’s system. A few defunct satellites floated about, but there was otherwise little sign of civilisation.

  Tavian and Mu sat behind Kal, Nova, and Ostara, who themselves sat facing the forward viewing port of the Amrita’s bridge. Before them, Apollo was perched atop a small plinth, appearing like some art piece in a museum, majestic against the backdrop of the alien vista outside.

  The moon blotted out the sun, casting the Amrita in night, but in the distance the light fell upon the gas giant’s swirling cloud tops. The planet filled much of the view, apart from that taken up by the cratered lunar surface. The moon had no atmosphere, and Tavian could clearly see what must be great mountains of rock and ice, though from this height they appeared as only small bumps, inversions of the multitudinous impact craters.

  “My long-range scans are picking up virtually no starship traffic in the entire system,” said Nova. “Shit, Yarkan seems lively compared to this place.”

  “We weren’t expecting much,” said Ostara. “There’s no major industry or resource extraction on Luanyuan, and the rest of the system is deserted.”

  “What are the convicts even doing then?” asked Mu.

  “Labour for labour’s sake,” replied Ostara. “The penal system only masquerades as industry – it’s mostly just punitive.”

  “Sounds about right,” said Mu, darkly.

  “No sign of orbital security around the planet itself?” asked Apollo.

  “Not that I can see,” said Nova, looking at the screen in front of her. “Any of this look suss to you, Kal?”

  Kal shook his head. “Docking station in geostationary orbit. Few comms satellites. Not even seeing any STOCs in action at the moment.”

  “So, we can just waltz in?” said Tavian.

  “Getting to the surface shouldn’t be difficult,” said Kal, “It’s what we do once we get there that’s gonna be the challenge. There’s only one spaceport, and with so little traffic, we’ll attract plenty of attention going in there. Of course, we could take the Amrita’s Lander out in the middle of nowhere—”

  Nova interrupted, “—but we don’t know where Toghrul is, so we are gonna need to ask questions.”

  “Couldn’t find that info in a computer?” asked Tavian.

  “Luanyuan is under direct Imperial administration – every system is much better protected than those used by the Planetary Governments on Shangxia or Yarkan,” replied Nova.

  “Aren’t the actual penal colonies run by some corporation?” asked Mu.

  “The Luanyuan Planetary Development Corporation?” asked Nova. “Yeah, as best I can tell it’s basically just an extension of the Imperial government – a corporation in name only. Probably an excuse to make some official rich.”

  “And ensure they have less oversight, no doubt,” said Mu.

  “Probs,” agreed Nova. “Anyways, their systems are as tight as the official administration’s.”

  “So, we just gotta talk to people to find out where he’s being kept,” said Tavian.

  “Without alerting the Imperial authorities,” added Kal.

  “What about you, Mu? The Starflow here’s not all messed up like on Yarkan. Can’t you foresee where he is?” asked Tavian.

  “I’m not omniscient,” said Mu, “I can only foresee events I’m there for. Besides, it’s not like memory, it’s fragmentary.”

  “And more vibes-based,” chipped in Nova, “Mu was explaining it to me.”

  “So, you can’t foresee a moment where we’re with Toghrul and tell us where that might be?”

  Mu fixed him with a glare.

  “Right,” said Tavian. “Well, I know I haven’t really been very involved up until now, but I’m assuming some of you have made a plan, right?”

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  Ostara spoke softly. “We have the… fundamentals of a plan.”

  “Ah, that gives me confidence,” said Tavian.

  Nova piqued up, “I had been thinking we could fake an issue with the Amrita and stop for repairs.”

  “Which is all well and good,” said Kal, “But after Shangxia and our involvement with events on Yarkan, some Imperial database is inevitably going to flag us, then we’ll be under constant surveillance.”

  “The Resonance Bureau was trailing me on Yuntu-9,” said Mu.

  “Trailing you? When did you leave the ship?” asked Nova in an outraged tone.

  “I went out briefly.”

  “Without me?” said Nova, placing her hand to her chest in a gesture of hurt. “I thought you said you wanted to stay on board the Amrita?”

  “It really was only brief,” said Mu. “At any rate, I don’t know if they tracked us here, but it’s not impossible. In which case we might be flagged already.”

  Ostara spoke up, “While that is new information, it does strengthen the reasoning for the plan Harry and I were discussing.”

  “And that was?” asked Tavian.

  Ostara pressed a button on the comms panel. “Harry? Would you please join us on the bridge?”

  “Be right there,” came the response.

  It didn’t take long for the doors to slide open, and Harry to appear. “Hi, all,” he said with a typical grin.

  “How is the plan progressing?” asked Ostara.

  “Well, I’d say it’s going well. The Tianyun Hao should be in system in about six hours. Captain Kang has received the funds and says she’s happy to help.”

  “Care to explain?” asked Tavian.

  “I met a freighter captain on Yuntu-9,” said Harry. “She is willing to rendezvous with the Amrita out here and take us to Luanyuan.”

  “For a price,” said Tavian.

  “Of course,” said Harry.

  “Can we trust her?” asked Mu.

  Harry gave the appearance of one carefully considering the question for a moment. “She seemed like something of a shady character,” he said. Then after a suitable pause, continued: “So, I assume she’s trustworthy. Didn’t seem like a snitch.”

  “What has my life become,” murmured Mu.

  “Oh, come on, Princess,” said Tavian. “Aren’t you having fun?”

  Ostara chimed in. “If Harry is willing to trust Captain Kang, I am also willing to do so.”

  “We giving Harry that much credit?” asked Nova.

  “I think Mr Zhang’s plan is likely our best option to get to the surface of Luanyuan,” said Apollo.

  “Guess so,” said Nova, quietly.

  Tavian added, “I’m definitely on board with keeping a low profile for the Amrita, but… are we just going to pretend to be crew members for this Captain Kang? Because if our mates in the Resonance Bureau had Mu under surveillance, they’ll probably flag her, even if she isn’t coming from the Amrita.”

  “Captain Kang is happy to smuggle us down,” said Harry. “She assures me she has a long, successful history.”

  “Seems legit,” said Tavian.

  “You don’t need to come,” said Harry.

  “Don’t be stupid,” said Tavian. “Of course I’m coming.”

  “Then you’re just gonna have to trust my judgement on this one – unless you’ve got a better idea.”

  Tavian shrugged. “Fine, let’s give it go.”

  Nova was lying on her bed, immersed in a platformer on her tablet when a call suddenly appeared on screen. It was the Captain.

  “Hi, Cap,” she said, trying to conceal the mild annoyance of having her gaming interrupted.

  “Miss Reilly, I was hoping you could assist me with something,” came the Captain’s voice. “I believe an unregistered vessel likely entered the system sometime in the past twenty to thirty hours. It may have been either before or after we arrived. Its origin would have been the planet Moyang. It was likely a small vessel – significantly smaller than the Amrita.”

  “Okay…” said Nova.

  “Would you be able to review the Amrita’s sensor logs for any sign of the vessel?” asked Apollo. “And if you find nothing there, I would appreciate it if you could investigate other sources for information on this vessel.”

  Nova furrowed her brow. “Well, like I said earlier, the government systems on Luanyuan are much tougher to break into than those on Shangxia or Yarkan… but there might be some commercial satellites or relay stations that would record shipping data. I might be able to find one that has the information you are looking for.”

  She paused, thinking through the Cap’s request. “Most planets keep a publicly available database of basic arrivals and departures… but I’m guessing if this is an unregistered ship…”

  “Yes, I doubt those aboard the ship would appreciate having the authorities knowing about them,” said Apollo.

  “If such a database even exists for Luanyuan,” added Nova. “Can I ask what’s so important about this ship?”

  There was silence at the other end of the line for a few moments.

  “Unfortunately, Miss Reilly, I can’t tell you right now,” said Apollo. “But if you could please trust me when I say that it is very important that this vessel reached or reaches Luanyuan.”

  “Sure, Cap,” said Nova. “I’ll see what I can find for you. Anything else that might be useful in my search?”

  “I am not sure I have much more to offer you,” said Apollo. “But if anything comes to mind, I’ll let you know.”

  “Right. Thanks, Cap.”

  “Thank you, Miss Reilly,” said Apollo, then the line went quiet.

  Nova gave a sigh, put aside the tablet, then rose, swinging her legs from the bed. She stood and walked over to the main console, waking it from standby.

  So many unusual requests from the Captain over the last few days. First it was boosting the comms system, now searching for dodgy unregistered ships. A thought occurred to her. Before she brought up the Amrita’s sensor logs, she pulled up the comm logs. Sure enough, shortly after she’d finished upgrading the comms there had been a super-long range transmission made by the Captain.

  Nova didn’t want to snoop. But she couldn’t help notice one key detail in the logs. The name of the planet that transmission had been made to. Moyang.

  What are you up to, Cap?

  She shook her head.

  Have faith. He’s never led us astray before. If he says he can’t tell you, he can’t tell you.

  She closed the comms logs, and brought up the sensor logs to begin her search. Looking through the data she was once again struck by how very little shipping traffic there was across the Luanyuan system. In any other system she’d been in, finding a single vessel using such little information as the Captain had given her would be far worse than finding a needle in a haystack. Here though, it actually seemed distinctly possible.

  But what does it have to do with rescuing Toghrul?

  She reprimanded herself for once again questioning the Captain. She’d been given a job and she’d do it.

  And that’s what she did, settling in to sift through the unremarkable haul of data from hours of sensor sweeps, since they’d disengaged the Jump drive. After about thirty seconds though, she got bored.

  No need to do this manually, she thought. She got up and grabbed an energy drink from the fridge, then set about programming a search algorithm.

  If you came to Luanyuan, I’ll find you.

  The freighter Tianyun Hao was significantly larger than the Amrita, a fact that became more and more apparent as it drew closer. Mu observed it through the Amrita’s expansive forward viewing port as the shadow of the icy moon fell across its hulking form.

  “Starship Tianyun Hao requesting docking, Cap,” said Nova.

  “Madam Ostara, please line us up,” said Apollo, “Then they’ll be good to proceed.”

  Nova fired off a reply to the Tianyun Hao, while Ostara, who was at the steering controls began to subtly alter the Amrita’s position relative to the larger vessel.

  “In position, Captain,” said Ostara.

  A moment later Nova called out, “Tianyun Hao has confirmed alignment. Proceeding with docking.”

  Soon there came a loud clank and a slight shudder.

  “Docking link established,” said Nova.

  “Well then,” said Apollo, “Shall we go meet Captain Kang?”

  “Let’s do it,” said Harry, who was sitting beside Mu.

  “Nova, please message Tavian and Seraphina,” said Ostara. “We’ll meet them in the common room.”

  With that they all stood and headed for the common room in the ship’s middle section. Here was located the main docking point for the ship. Mu remembered it as the place she had first come aboard the Amrita back at Shangxia’s Orbital Ring.

  Mu had changed into her typical Aixin court dress. While she might have been better served remaining more inconspicuous in one of the more modern, casual outfits Nova had provided her with, she felt more comfortable meeting another Starship captain dressed in her traditional garb. Some – Nova, for example – might consider it stuffy and overly formal, but it was what she was used to. It just felt more right.

  “Hi all,” said Tavian, emerging from the opposite end of the common room as they entered.

  “No Seraphina?” asked Ostara.

  “She says she would rather stay here,” said Nova, holding up her tablet.

  “Sounds like classic Sera,” said Harry. “Shall we?”

  With that, Ostara pushed a button next to the exterior hatch and it slid open, revealing a small corridor beyond. With Apollo and Ostara in the lead, they disembarked from the ship and headed toward the Tianyun Hao beyond. As they neared the far end of the corridor, the hatch there also opened, revealing a woman in brown overalls.

  “Crew of the Amrita, welcome,” said the woman, gesturing for them to come in.

  As Mu stepped over the threshold, she got her first look at the Tianyun Hao. Its interior had none of the warmth and homeliness found on the Amrita. Instead, everything had an unadorned industrial appearance. Shipping containers and machines now surrounded them. It was a space much larger than the Amrita’s common room – indeed it had the appearance of a warehouse.

  Mu now had a better look at the woman who had ushered them aboard. She was quite tall, with short hair, and broad shoulders. Her face bore a wry grin and her brown eyes sparkled with mirth.

  “Well,” she said, “I take it you must be Captain Apollo. Harry did tell me that you were… a cat… but I didn’t quite believe him. I have seen a great deal of the Cosmos, but never anyone quite like you.”

  “It’s a pleasure to be able to bring some novelty to the life of one so experienced in the ways of the Cosmos,” said Apollo, “I take it you must be Captain Kang?”

  “Captain Kang Jiayu at your service,” said the woman, putting a hand to her chest.

  Ostara stepped forward. “I am Ostara, first mate of the Amrita and this is our crew.”

  “Pleased to meet you,” said Kang. “Oh, I see we have an Aixin with us. Didn’t expect to see your kind involved in such… unofficial business.”

  “I am not associated with the Imperial government,” said Mu.

  “If you say so,” said Kang, “Just don’t go causing any trouble for me and my business and I won’t need to ask any more questions.”

  “I certainly don’t intend to cause you any hassle, Captain,” said Mu.

  “Then we shouldn’t have any problems,” said Kang. “Oh, and Harry, good to see you again.”

  “The pleasure is all mine, Captain,” said Harry, with a slight bow.

  The Captain gave the hint of a laugh, then turned back to Apollo.

  “Now, I’ve got your payment, courtesy of Harry, so why don’t we go over the specifics of the job, before we get on with it?”

  “Of course,” said Apollo. “It’s quite simple, really: my crew needs to get to the surface of Luanyuan without attracting the interest of the Imperial authorities.”

  Kang shook her head with another laugh. “Baffles me that anyone would ever want to go to that place, but I’m sure you have your reasons.”

  “Then I take it you are able to do this for us?” said Apollo.

  “Wouldn’t be here if I thought I couldn’t,” said Kang.

  “Do you have a pretext for going to Luanyuan?” asked Apollo.

  “Sure,” said Kang, “I’ve got a shipment of… special goods… that was bound for Enyopeia in the League. Thing is, I’ve now got word that Enyopeia’s been overrun by the Host, and I don’t fancy doing business with Xerxes.”

  Mu saw Kal flinch as Kang said this.

  The Captain continued. “I hear the Development Co on Luanyuan is pretty undersupplied by the Imperial Government, so I’ll see if they won’t at least purchase some of the shipment off me.”

  “Pretty risky selling what I’m gonna guess are weapons from the Empire back to the Empire,” said Tavian.

  Kang shrugged. “Eh, the Empire’s no monolith. It’s all just made up of individuals. If you’ve got something that the person opposite needs, they’ll do business.”

  “How dangerous is Luanyuan that the authorities might want to buy a whole shipment of weapons bound for a warzone?” asked Mu.

  Kang now laughed uproariously. “Pretty fucking dangerous!” she exclaimed. “You really sure you wanna go there?”

  “Are the convicts rebelling?” asked Mu.

  Kang shook her head. “It isn’t the convicts they’re worried about. Those they can handle. It’s the jungle itself.”

  “The jungle itself?” repeated Mu.

  Kang looked over at Apollo. “I don’t wanna jeopardise the money I’m getting for this gig, but are you sure you’re all ready for this?”

  “I assure you, Captain, the crew are up to the challenge,” said Apollo.

  “Well, if you say so. Now, I can’t promise you the most comfortable ride to the surface, but I’ll get you there, sure enough. Once you’re there, we’ll keep in touch through secure channels, but keep in mind, me and my crew will only be hanging around for a week tops. If you can’t get what you need to do done in that time, you’re gonna have to find a different ride back to that fancy little ship of yours.”

  “Understood,” said Ostara.

  “Now, who’s the best person to go over the technicalities of secure comms on the surface with?”

  “That would be Miss Reilly,” said Apollo.

  Ostara indicated Nova. Kang turned her way.

  “Well, aren’t you a little cutie,” she said with a laugh. “If you want to stay here and have a chat with my tech guys, we’ll get you all sorted out. As for the rest of you, we’ll be heading for Luanyuan in one hour. Go grab whatever you’re bringing, but keep it light. Meet me back here before the hour’s out and we’ll show you to your… ‘seats’.”

  “Understood, Captain,” said Apollo, “Thank you for your assistance in this delicate matter.”

  “Always happy to help out some new friends for the right price,” said Kang. “Will you be coming along for the ride, Captain?”

  “No,” said Apollo, “I will be remaining aboard the Amrita.”

  “Sounds like a wise move,” said Kang, chuckling. With that she turned and walked off. After a moment she stopped and turned back. “You coming, Miss Reilly?”

  Nova nodded and scurried after her, calling back to them to remember her bag when they returned.

  Mu looked at the others. “This is all seems very promising,” she said.

  “I thought she seemed nice,” said Tavian.

  “See, I thought so, too,” said Harry.

  Mu shook her head. “I’m going to go pack.”

  With that she headed out the hatch and back towards the Amrita. As she stepped back into the familiar surrounds she remembered Captain Kang’s words.

  The jungle itself.