- 3 MONTHS AGO -
Heresy. There is no other word for it. Aki01 returns to her office at ARKS Command expecting to meet with Lieutenant Arkon. Instead she finds a liar and a traitor. Her half-sister, Rho, thinks she can fool Aki by taking Arkon’s place, but Aki is one step ahead of her. When Rho lunges with her taser, Aki neatly sidesteps the attack. A moment later her blade is pressed against Rho’s neck.
“I don’t have time to indulge you any longer,” Aki growls. “If you won’t tell me what I want to know, I have no further use for you. That’s why I am going to ask you this only once: switch back with Lieutenant Arkon. He has proven himself a capable subordinate and I would hate to lose his services. We both know I can’t force you, Rho. However, I am not past destroying his body to get to you. I leave the choice in your capable hands. What will it be?”
Reluctantly, Rho decides to comply. Aki01 watches in silence as her sister completes the body transfer. Once again, Rho takes the form of Zero Three. An unconscious Arkon lies sprawled on the floor beside her.
Good girl. She’s done everything Aki asked, but it makes no difference. She is a threat, and threats must be eliminated. As Rho climbs to her feet, Aki suddenly lashes out, thrusting the Red Partizan deep into her sister’s back. There is a loud crunching and tearing of metal. Rho is impaled, the photon blade sticking out of her chest like a glowing harpoon.
Aki expects her to scream or to beg. Instead, Rho surprises her. In a shaky voice she says, “Answer me… one last q-question… would you? W-What did you mean… when y-you said… you had already t-taken care of Irene…?”
“I meant exactly that,” Aki replies coolly. There is a hint of satisfaction in her voice. “I killed her, just like I’m going to kill you.”
And with that, she yanks out the partizan. The blade rips through Rho’s insides, leaving a gaping hole in its wake. Her sister stumbles forward and crashes into the nearest wall. She tries to remain upright, but it’s no use. With a soft gasp, Rho slides to the floor. Dark streaks stain the wall behind her. It is only a matter of time before her body shuts down for good.
Aki smiles to herself. That’s two down, she thinks.
Three to go.
* * * * * * * * *
- CURRENT DAY -
Every time.
Every time Aki01 looked in the mirror, she saw the faces of her sisters. Aki02. Aki03. Rho. The sisters she once tried so hard to kill. They were always there, looking back at her. It’s hard to forget your victims when you share the same face.
That’s not me, she thought as a fresh wave of guilt swept over her.
Not anymore. Okada’s virus is gone. I won’t let anyone control me like that again…
Aki01 pushed the unpleasantness from her mind. She reminded herself that she was on vacation, a voyage through the stars, its purpose to get away from thoughts like those. This was no time to get depressed. It was time to cheer up, to move on!
At least that’s what she kept telling herself. She wasn’t sure she believed it, at least not yet. But she had to try. After all, she had an appointment to keep. A date. A… well, Aki wasn’t quite sure what to call it, but she was going.
She looked herself up and down in the mirror one last time. It was still hard to believe. Was that really her staring back? The dress she’d been given to wear was gorgeous, like something out of a fairy tale. With its frilled, multi-tiered skirt and ring of flower-shaped ornaments, it probably cost a small fortune.
Aki adjusted the front of the strapless dress. Then she adjusted it some more. There, perfect. She was good to go.
Here goes nothing, she thought. With a mix of eagerness and trepidation, Aki stepped out of her cabin and headed for the elevator at the end of the hall.
* * * * * * * * *
The Grand Ballroom was located two decks up. A sign outside advertised the evening’s program: “Tonight only! The Cosmic Ball – A stellar dance through the stars!” Aki stepped through the large entry doors… and was immediately awed by what she found inside.
Alternating columns and arches lined the left and right walls. They were adorned with purple and black drapes of the finest silk. The cloth seemed to shimmer and sparkle where the light caught it, like the surface of a Naberian lake at sunset. Against the far wall, a grand central staircase cascaded downward from opposite directions and met in the middle. Overhead, the room blossomed upward in a huge, two-tiered dome. Hanging from the center of that dome was what appeared to be a glittering, three-meter-wide disco ball. In reality it was a massive holographic projector covered in dozens of separate emitters. Each emitter was aimed at a different spot on the walls, floor, or ceiling. The images they projected matched the theme of the Cosmic Ball—stars, planets, nebulae, pulsars, quasars, comets, and more. The resulting illusion was that the grand ballroom was somehow suspended in space, surrounded by some of the galaxy’s most incredible natural wonders. It was a breathtaking sight.
And then there were the people. Oh, the people! What style! What glamour! Each one, a unique work of art. Aki had never seen such elaborate dresses, such well-tailored suits. CASTs of pure silver and gold, Newmans trailed by an entire entourage of attendants. Clearly, this was where the wealthy passengers of the ship had congregated.
It was all a bit much for Aki. She was used to dealing with crowds—as the former headmaster of the ARKS Academy, she had delivered her fair share of commencement speeches. But in that ballroom, with its lavish guests and extravagant furnishings, she felt entirely outclassed and out of place.
Her gown wasn’t helping any, either. It had been designed purely for style—a foreign concept to Aki—and for beauty. She was far too practical to be bothered with aesthetics, so the idea of dressing up to “look pretty” never occurred to her. As a result, the gown left her feeling vulnerable and exposed, and she was gripped by the sudden urge to run back to her cabin and change out of it.
She didn’t do that, though. Feeling awkward was bad enough, but abandoning her appointment—date?—would have felt even worse. So she stayed. As a compromise, she tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible, steering clear of the crowds and their discriminating gaze. It was as though the walls had their own gravitational pull, drawing her away from the center of the room. Aki slowly made her way around its perimeter, traveling clockwise. As she marveled at the numerous sights and sounds, she kept one eye peeled for Évangelique.
Eventually she found herself standing in front of a rectangular glass case. Inside, a small-scale replica of the galaxy rotated on its axis. A hundred billion pinpricks of light had been condensed into a model no wider than an end table. Sparkling and shimmering in a dozen different colors, it was truly a sight to behold.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
Aki didn’t need to turn around to know who had spoken. After all, his bearded visage was reflected on the glass. “Captain Orville. I didn’t realize you would be attending the Cosmic Ball.”
“Part of a captain’s duty is to entertain his passengers,” he said, stepping beside her. They both watched as the tiny galaxy slowly spun inside its glass box. “’Infinity.’ That’s the name of this piece. One of Saldoran Uranti’s greatest works, and the last four-dimensional sculpture he crafted before he died. If you stare at it long enough, you can witness the birth and death of entire star clusters.”
“Amazing.”
“Indeed. And extremely valuable. This sculpture alone is worth more than every other piece of art aboard this ship combined.”
Aki raised an eyebrow in Orville’s direction. “Your bosses must have deep pockets.”
“Not as deep as you’d think,” the man replied, his mouth pulling upwards in a wry smirk. “This piece here is on loan from the Oracle Society for the Arts. We pay them royalty and insurance fees, they let us show off their collection. A rather equitable deal, if I do say so myself.”
“I see.”
Orville leaned slightly closer to Aki. His voice dropped in volume, barely above a whisper. “This piece is also the latest target of our thief, the one I told you about earlier.”
“What? How do you know that?”
“He sent us a message stating as much. Practically taunting us. Said he plans on stealing ‘Infinity’ during the Cosmic Ball. Right here, tonight. I’ve got security guards stationed at every entrance and exit, and half a dozen more posing as guests. They’re mixed in with the crowd behind us. On top of that, this glass case is protected by a triple-layered alarm system. No way anyone’s getting past us, not this time. If he’s stupid enough to try, we’ll nab him for sure.”
Aki rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Did the thief announce any of the prior robberies?”
“No, just this one. Why?”
“Have you considered, Captain, that this could all be a diversion? To focus your attention here while the thief strikes elsewhere?”
“I considered it, yes. But given the value of this piece, I can’t afford to ignore it.”
The Caseal nodded in understanding. She didn’t envy Orville’s position. Trying to out-guess a thief using an inadequate security detail, especially when the thief’s methods and motive—aside from thievery itself—remained unclear… It was a bad situation all around.
“I won’t ask for your help,” said Orville, “but… keep an eye out, would you?”
“I will. Good luck catching your thief, Captain.”
“Thank you, Colonel. And please, enjoy the ball.”
Orville drifted back into the crowd and was gone. Aki took one last look at the “Infinity” sculpture, then continued her path along the edge of the ballroom. She wasn’t headed anywhere in particular. Just wandering, and waiting, and looking out for anyone suspicious. It wasn’t long, however, before someone found her instead.
“Ah,
Mademoiselle Aki!” called a cheerful yet familiar voice. “
Bonsoir! How wonderful it is to see you this evening.”
Aki turned to face the new arrival. “Hello, Évangelique.”
The purple-haired CAST looked positively stunning. She had chosen an exotic, ankle-length dress of deep violet with gold trim. The low-cut attire clung tightly to her body, her generous curves filling it to capacity. Stiletto heels gave her an extra boost in height, while a stylish pair of earrings accented her already-beautiful face.
She took Aki by the hands and kissed her lightly on both cheeks—a greeting of sorts. “
Mon chéri, please—call me Éva. All my friends and lovers do.”
Aki cocked her head to one side, slightly amused. “And which do you suppose I am?”
“Tonight, you are my very special ‘plus-one.’ And tomorrow? Well… we shall see, won’t we?”
Aki couldn’t help but smile, if only a little. Despite herself, she had to admit it was nice seeing the other woman again. There was something infectious about Éva’s attitude, her zest for life, that Aki found invigorating.
“There!” Éva exclaimed. She waggled a playful finger in Aki’s direction. “That smile! I knew you had one in you. And I must say, it was worth the wait. Now, let me get a better look at you.”
The Caseal stepped back to admire the view. She looked Aki up and down, nodding as though she were appraising a piece of art. “Lovely,
mon chéri. My mechanical heart flutters at the sight of you. Truly, you are a vision like no other.”
“It
is a beautiful dress,” Aki agreed. “Thank you for letting me borrow it. You’re very kind.”
“Borrow?
Non non, my dear. It is a gift! Now that I’ve seen you in it, giving it to anyone else would prove a disappointment. This dress was made for you, of that I’m certain.”
“But… it must have cost a fortune! I couldn’t possibly—”
“You can and you will,” Éva insisted. Her tone was warm, but firm. “You are going to let me spoil you tonight. Why? Simply because I can, and because that is what I want to do. So put aside any thought of payment and enjoy this wonderful evening with me. As they say,
saisir le jour—seize the day!”
“I… Thank you,” was all Aki could say.
“No thanks are required, but you are most welcome.” Suddenly remembering something, Éva snapped her fingers. “Ah! One more thing.”
She stepped forward and affixed a flower, a beautiful white camellia, to the side of Aki’s hair. “There,” she said when it was done. “The perfect flower for my perfect flower. Now, you are complete.”
Just then, a new song began playing through the speaker system. It was a jazzy little number, mellow but upbeat, and altogether catchy. It reminded Aki of the songs her creator, Dr. Bowman, used to listen to in his lab.
Éva must have noticed it too, because her eyes lit up with delight. “Oh! I absolutely adore this song. A classic from a bygone era.
Mademoiselle, would you do me the honor of joining me for a dance?”
“I… I’m afraid I don’t know how,” Aki admitted. Sadly, that was one program she had never felt the need to install.
“Nonsense! Everyone knows how to dance. You just don’t
know that you know, that’s all.” The woman held out a hand in invitation. “Come, come! Let me teach you.”
Aki hesitated a moment, then accepted. Hand in hand, the two Caseals waded through the crowd to the center of the dance floor. They were quickly surrounded by a sea of couples rocking and swaying to the rhythm. Each one, lost in their own separate world.
“Now then,” Éva explained with a smile, “take your right hand in my left and hold it out—like this. Good! Next, put your other hand on my shoulder while I put mine on your hip. There! You see? There’s nothing to it. Now, we dance.”
Aki was still confused. “Wait. You’ve explained the form, but not the movements. I’m not… that is, I still don’t know how to move properly.”
“Worry not,
mon chéri. Just leave that part to me. I will lead, you will follow, and the rest will work itself out.”
“Okay,” she replied, not sounding entirely confident.
Éva began swaying back and forth. Slowly at first, then a little quicker. Forward. Backward. One direction, then the other. Aki did her best to follow the movements. It wasn’t easy, especially in high heels.
“
Mon chéri?”
“Yes?”
“Look up, darling. You’ve been staring at my feet the entire time. When you dance, you need to look at your partner. I want to be able to gaze longingly into those big beautiful eyes of yours.”
If Aki were capable of blushing in embarrassment, she would have done so. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t want to trip over you.”
Éva snickered, then let out a long, hearty chuckle. “Forgive me,” she said afterward. “I take no pleasure in your inexperience. It is only that… you are very cute, in several ways.”
“C-Cute?”
Éva laughed again. A lively, good-natured laugh. “Do you trust me?”
“‘Trust’ is such a big word. I hardly know you, and…” Aki stopped. That was the rational, analytical part of herself talking. In situations like these, sometimes it was best to simply go with the flow. She tried again: “I mean, yes. I trust you.”
“Then look into my eyes, and trust me to lead you.”
“Okay,” she replied, more confidently that time.
And so they danced. Éva held her close as they joined the mass of swirling, swaying bodies. It quickly became second nature and Aki found herself following Éva’s movements with ease. Step left. Step right. Turn. Repeat. It was as if the pair had become a single entity, operating completely in tandem, their feet moving in conjunction with the music. Aki lost herself to the rhythm and, for the first time in a long time, felt truly and unequivocally
happy.
Éva smiled up at her. The shorter woman radiated nothing but care and affection. Aki focused on the feeling of their intertwined fingers. The hand gently cradling her hip.
Warm, she thought,
for an android. For the second time that day, she caught a faint whiff of cinnamon.
“Thank you,” she said softly, “for inviting me tonight. This is lovely.”
“Believe me, darling, the pleasure is mine.”
Aki glanced over Éva’s purple-haired head. In doing so, she noticed—quite to her surprise—several pairs of eyes staring back at her. Was it her imagination? She braved a second glance… and discovered the same. People were definitely watching them. Watching
her. But why?
“People are staring,” she whispered to Éva, somewhat concerned. “Am I still doing something wrong?”
“Not at all. You’re doing quite well, actually. A quick learner.”
“Then why is everyone staring?”
Éva leaned in until her lips were beside Aki’s ear piece. “Because,
mon chéri, you are the most beautiful woman in the room tonight. They are all jealous of me right now.”
Aki frowned. “It’s not nice to tease people.”
“
Au contraire. I meant every word.” The woman pursed her lips. Just for a moment, some of the cheer left her eyes. “Though I can’t help but wonder, what could make such a pretty flower look so sad?”
“You think I’m sad?”
“Not so much now. But earlier, yes. Others may not see it, but I see it as clear as day. Like a blinding sun.”
Aki hesitated, not sure what to say. “I… It’s a long story…”
“We have all night. And morning, if necessary.”
Éva must have noticed Aki struggling, because she added, “The abridged version will do, if you prefer.”
Trust. It all came down to trust. Aki rarely opened up to others regarding such matters. She had hardly spoken about it to her own family. It was intensely personal to her, and she felt uncomfortable sharing it. But somehow, as she gazed into Éva’s patient eyes, she found the courage she needed to force the words out. “I… worked for ARKS Command aboard
Ur... There was a man, he… took control of my programming… He forced me to hurt the people I care about... My friends, my family… I tried to stop him, but I wasn’t strong enough. After that, I…”
“Ah. Say no more, my dear. I believe I understand now.”
“You do?”
Éva nodded. They kept dancing. Hadn’t slowed down or missed a beat.
“That is precisely why you need this night,” she said. Her accented voice was soft and comforting. “And precisely why I am the best person to guide you through it.”
“You never did tell me about your line of work,” Aki remarked.
“I am many things,
mademoiselle. Here on this ship? I am what you would call—for lack of a better term—an escort.”
“An escort?” Aki blinked twice. “You mean like a… a… a prost—”
“A prostitute?” Éva threw back her head and laughed. “
Non non, darling, nothing so vulgar. I loan out my company to those in need of an evening’s companionship. It is my job to make them look good, to make them feel good. Those who wish to be seen, and those who wish to be cared for. There is no sexual transaction involved. Some things,
mon chéri, cannot be purchased.”
A cloud of doubt had started to form in Aki’s mind. The realization of a possibility. “Then tonight… was all just ‘work’ to you? A job, is that it?”
“Not at all,” Éva replied, shaking her head. “As I said earlier, my scheduled appointment canceled at the last moment. He fell ill, I’m afraid. The Andolan Flu, of all things! Since I was already planning to attend the ball, I decided I would go anyway and invite the person of my choosing. I assure you quite emphatically,
mon chéri, that you are most certainly
not ‘a job’ to me.”
Aki couldn’t detect any subterfuge in the woman’s words. No hint of malice or misdirection. Perhaps she was telling the truth after all. But in that case, there was one question still lingering in Aki’s mind. “Why me? Of all the people you could have chosen, why did you approach me?”
Éva smiled. It was a smile that could’ve melted the heart of the coldest tyrant. “What can I say?” she shrugged. “It was love at first sight.”
Aki was stunned into silence. The other woman hadn’t been subtle with her affection before, but to state it so plainly caught Aki off-guard. She didn’t know what to say. Didn’t even know how to feel.
And still, they kept dancing.
“I—,” Aki started, before the room was abruptly plunged into darkness. Every light in the ballroom died simultaneously. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem for a CAST, most of whom have built-in night vision and infrared sensors. In this case, however, Aki encountered strange electromagnetic interference. It messed with her visual sensors, reducing her vision to little more than grainy gray static.
A collective gasp rose up around the room. From the sound of it, everyone was in the same boat—confused and unable to see. Aki kept her hand firmly tethered to Éva’s. Not because she was afraid. After all, she had faced much scarier things on the battlefield. Rather, she held on for reassurance.
Reassurance that she wasn’t alone.
Three seconds passed. Then, just as suddenly and mysteriously as it went out, the power came back on.
At first glance, nothing had changed. Everyone looked dazed and confused but otherwise alright. Aki, however, had a sneaking suspicion the outage hadn’t been accidental. She immediately turned towards the glass case in the back of the room—
It was empty. The “Infinity” sculpture was gone. Captain Orville’s thief had struck again.
TO BE CONTINUED
Author’s Notes:
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