Random, Journey, and Storm would make planetfall unnoticed, link up with the local rebels, and then lead them to victory over the Church forces. Hopefully, the locals would then agree to work with the main rebellion, to produce the new stardrive for the upcoming war. No one said anything, but everyone knew this was to be the make or break for Jack Random. Either he could bring this off, in which case he probably was the real thing, or he couldn't. Whatever happened, he was no great loss. They could always send in someone else to lead the rebels.
Giles Deathstalker, Finlay Campbell, Evangeline Shreck, and the Wolfling were to go to Shannon's World. Famed throughout the Empire as the most luxurious pleasure planet of all time, something had gone terribly wrong there three years ago. No one knew what, but the few people who were brave enough to go there never came back. The Empress sent down a full company of marines. Nothing was ever heard from them, either. These days Shannon's World was quarantined—as much to prevent anything breaking out as anyone foolish enough to try to get in. The various owners were still arguing over who was going to pay for the major armed forces necessary to get the answers.
Only one man had ever come back alive. Half-dead, half-mad, he had lived only a few days, mostly because he wanted to die. He renamed Shannon's World as Haceldama, the Field of Blood. Apparently, there was a hideous war going on down on the pleasure planet, though between whom remained unclear.
"And you want us to go there?" said Finlay Campbell incredulously. "Where does it say on our resumes that we do suicide missions? And what makes this hellhole so important, anyway?"
"Vincent Harker," said Alexander Storm simply. "One of the greatest strategic minds living today. He has knowledge of everything from distribution of forces within the Empire to its contingency plans in case of rebel attack. This is vital information, and we need it. Normally, he's so well guarded that we couldn't get anywhere near him. But twelve hours ago Harker's ship was attacked by a pirate craft. Nothing to do with us. Both ships managed to destroy each other, but Harker got away in an escape pod. He landed somewhere on Shannon's World. We have to find him before the Empire does.
"We have two small advantages. Firstly, since this happened only twelve hours ago, we have as good a chance of finding him as whatever forces the Empress finally sends in to look for him. Secondly, Harker's pod was equipped with a beacon, and it should still be sending, though you won't know that for sure till you get down there. Thirdly, whatever's happening on Shannon's World, you people are best suited to survive it. You've already lived lives that would have killed anyone else."
"Nevertheless," said Finlay. "You are sending us to a planet that only one person has ever returned from, and he was dying and crazy?"
"Got it in one," said Storm. "But we really can't miss this chance at getting our hands on Harker. Think of it as a challenge."
Finlay gave him a hard look. "You think of it as a challenge. I'm not going."
"Yes you are," said Evangeline.
Finlay turned his glare on her. "Give me one good reason. Hell, give me one bad reason."
"Because I'm going," she said calmly. "Our beloved leader has decided I'll be more useful there. Haceldama, the Field of Blood. Sounds almost romantic, doesn't it?"
"You have a strange idea of romance," said Finlay.
"Of course," said Evangeline. "I fell in love with you, didn't I?"
"I should give up now," said Giles. "Trust me on this; you're not going to win."
Finlay glared around him impartially. "In the unlikely event that I return alive from this venture, certain people would be well-advised to come up with one hell of a reward."
"That's my hero," said Evangeline.
After that, choosing David Deathstalker and Kit SummerIsle to take control of Virimonde and run it for the rebellion went very smoothly. The meeting broke up and everyone went their separate ways, and only history would note that this was when the great rebellion really began.
Owen and Hazel, Jack and Ruby and Giles sat around a table in the castle's great kitchen, relaxing after the Sturm und Drang of the Council meeting with several bottles of wine and a nourishing meal of the never-changing protein cubes. Giles kept swearing he was going to fix the food machines to turn out something different, or indeed anything different, but somehow he was always too busy with other things. Owen had a dark suspicion that Giles had lost the manual for the machine, but didn't want to admit it. Alexander Storm and the Stevie Blues had taken one look at what was for dinner, and decided very quickly that they needed some time in private to work on their reports for the Golgotha underground. Owen had a suspicion they had some food of their own tucked away somewhere.
He took a determined bite at his second protein cube. He kept hoping that he'd get used to the stuff, but somehow every day it found a whole new way to taste utterly vile. He swallowed his mouthful through sheer willpower and quickly washed it down with a large mouthful of wine. Little wonder he ended up half-drunk after every meal. He was beginning to wonder if it might be better to get drunk before the meal, so as to be better able to cope with it. He sighed deeply and pushed the rest of the cube away. He'd been meaning to start a diet soon anyway.
"Don't worry," said Hazel. "There are some really good restaurants in Mistport."
"There had better be," said Owen.
"I want a genetest," said Random suddenly, and everyone looked at him. He flushed slightly. "I mean, there must be the equipment for such a test somewhere in this castle."
"I think so," said Giles. "Or at least something that I could patch together to do the job. But there's no need. We know you're the real Jack Random. We all touched each other's mind in the Madness Maze when it changed us."
"That's not enough," Random insisted. "All that proves is that I think I'm the real me. I could be wrong. Who knows what the Empire mind techs did to me while I was their prisoner?"
"You don't need to take any test to prove to us who you are," said Ruby.
"Hell with you," said Random. "I want to take the test so I'll know who I really am. I'm not sure anymore. You saw their faces in the Hall. They came here expecting to meet a legend and instead found just a tired old man with jumbled memories."
"Will you stop this old-man nonsense," said Ruby. "You're only forty-seven. You told me yourself."
"But I crammed a hell of a lot into those years," said Random. "At least, I think I did. I can't trust my memory anymore."
"I can set up the test," said Giles. "But it'll take time to put the equipment together. It'd mean delaying your departure for Technos III for two, maybe three days."
Owen frowned. "I don't think we can wait that long. We're working to a timetable, remember?"
"Tests can wait," Ruby said firmly. "I know who you are, even if you don't. We've got jobs to do, and they take precedence."
Random still looked troubled, but finally shrugged and nodded his head. They all sat around the table in silence, looking at each other and then looking away. They were going to have to split up soon and go off on separate missions from which some or all of them might not return. No one was quite sure what to say.
"We'll still be linked through the undermind," Giles said finally. "Wherever we are. I don't think distance will make any difference."
"But it might," said Hazel. "This is all new territory. No one's ever been linked like us. Hell, no one's ever been like us."
"Yeah," said Owen. "There's got to be a catch. You don't get powers like ours without paying some kind of price."
"That's human thinking," said Random. "Limited thinking. You're not human anymore, so why should you have human limits?"
"There has to be limits," said Giles. "There are always limits eventually. We may not be strictly human anymore, but we're not gods."
"I wouldn't mind being a god," said Ruby. "Having bronzed young acolytes bringing me gold and jewels for tribute. I could get behind that."
"There's more to it than that," said Owen. "The link that binds us isn't just a glorified comm
channel. It's changing us, bringing us together. Have any of you noticed we're starting to talk like each other?"
"Yeah," said Hazel. "We all sound a lot more alike than we used to. We're using the same phrases, sharing the same concepts, developing similar ways of looking at things."
"If you'd noticed all this," said Random, "why didn't you say something?"
"I was hoping it was just me. I mean, this is pretty damn spooky when you think about it. It's not just speech patterns, either. We're using each other's skills, without having to learn them first. Even augmented skills, like Owen's boost."
"Sometimes one of you will say what I've been thinking," said Owen. "And I get feelings about where people are and what they're doing, even when I've no way of knowing it. Are we becoming a gestalt, do you think? A group mind?"
"I don't think so," said Giles. "We're still capable of keeping secrets from each other. Isn't that right, Hazel?"
Her heart jumped, but she kept her face relaxed. "What are you talking about?"
"Perhaps you'd care to tell us why you've been spending so much time in the Hadenman city," said Giles.
"That's my business," said Hazel flatly.
"We're all entitled to our private lives," said Owen.
"I want to know," said Giles.
"She's been seeing Tobias Moon, all right?" said Owen. "If she didn't want to tell us, that was her business. Just because we're close now, it doesn't mean we have to open up our souls to each other."
"We may not have any choice," said Giles. "If the link continues to grow and strengthen."
"Which sounds to me like a damn good reason for splitting up and putting some distance between us," said Random. "No offense, people, but the only person I want in my head is me."
"Right," said Hazel. "And besides, I don't think humanity's ready to cope with Ruby Journey the god."
"You have no ambition," said Ruby calmly.
"But we're a lot more powerful together," said Owen. "Remember the force shield we raised against Silence's troops? They couldn't touch us with anything they had. I don't think any of us could do that separately. There might be other things we could learn to do together. Powerful things. Don't we have a responsibility to the rebellion to become as powerful as possible? We're the rebellion's secret weapon, the ace in the hole; we're the one thing that might tip the coming war in our favor. Are we being selfish in valuing our own individuality over the rebellion's needs?"
"Perhaps some of what we're fighting for is everyone's right to be an individual," said Random. "We can't save humanity by becoming inhuman. The only other people to survive passing through the Madness Maze were the scientists who created the Hadenmen. Do we want something like that as our legacy?"
"He's right," said Giles. "We all have monsters within us. What if our growing power let them out, let them run loose? Who knows what we might become?"
They all sat and thought about that for a while. Owen thought how easy it had been for him to kill the Blood Runner, halfway across the Empire, in the Obeah systems. Finally, Random sighed and leaned forward. "This is all irrelevant. We can't stay together. We're needed on three separate planets, right now. We'll be leaving as soon as the Hadenmen have ships ready. Everything else will have to wait till we return. Now, is there anything else we need to discuss? I don't mind admitting I've found today's business exhausting. Somewhere there is a bed with a thick mattress and heavy covers calling my name."
"There is one thing," Owen said reluctantly. "You remember my personal AI, Ozymandius? He turned out to be an Empire spy, and I had to destroy him with my new powers before he destroyed us. Well… he's back. He talks to me, but I'm the only one that can hear him. The odds are I'm just cracking up from the pressure, but it might be something more sinister…"
"You never mentioned this before," said Ruby.
"He was scared we'd think he was crazy," said Hazel. "We wouldn't have thought that, Owen. We all understand about pressure and what it does to people."
"Besides," said Random, "if you were going crazy, we'd have felt it through the link long before now."
"Does Oz still have the control words he planted in your mind and Hazel's?" said Giles, frowning.
"He says not," said Owen. "But I have no way of knowing whether he's lying or not. He hasn't tried to use them. So far."
"Talk to him now," said Random. "We'll try and listen in. Everyone crack their comms wide open and concentrate on the link as well. Go ahead, Owen."
"All right," said Owen, just a little self-consciously. "Oz, are you there?"
"Of course I'm still here," said the AI. "Where else would I be? You told me to shut up, remember? Personally, I'm amazed you've been able to stagger through your days without my assistance. I could have given you all kinds of advice during the Council meeting. Still, with all these new magic tricks of yours, I suppose you're too grand for me now. I mean, I'm just a class-seven AI with access to more information than you could wade through in a lifetime…"
"Shut up, Oz," said Owen. He looked around the table. "Well? Did you catch any of that?"
"Not a thing," said Random, and the others shook their heads. Random looked thoughtfully at Owen. "Do you think it's your AI?"
"No," said Owen. "It can't be. I killed Oz in the Madness Maze; I destroyed his mind completely with my new powers. I felt him die."
"Then, who is it?" said Hazel.
"I don't know!" said Owen.
"It could be some aftereffect of the Madness Maze," said Random.
"Oh, that's really comforting," said Ruby. "You mean we could all end up hearing things?"
"If you can't think of anything helpful to say, button it," said Hazel. "No wonder Owen didn't like to talk to us about this."
"I have to say I don't see what we can do to help, Owen," said Random. "Keep us apprised of any new developments, though. That goes for all of us. But I think we'd do better to leave this for another time, after we return from our various missions. They have to take precedence. In the time before we go, Owen, I suggest you run a few diagnostics on your comm implants, see if that turns up anything. Anyone else been having problems they'd like to talk about?"
Everyone looked around the table at everyone else. Hazel kept her mouth shut. She couldn't tell them about the Blood. They wouldn't understand. It was her problem, she'd beat it herself. She'd beaten it before in Mistport, and that was where she was going. It was a sign. It had to be. The silence dragged on, until finally Random pushed back his chair and got to his feet.
"Good night, people. My left foot has gone to sleep, and I'd like to catch up with it as soon as possible. Get as much rest as you can before we have to leave. I have a strong feeling it'll be some time before we get another chance to rest."
He nodded to them vaguely, turned, and left the kitchen. Ruby Journey grabbed a half-full bottle of wine and went after him. Hazel nodded briefly to Owen and left as quickly as she could without it seeming strange. She didn't dare talk to him. She might blurt out the truth. If anyone would understand, it would be Owen. But she couldn't take the chance, and so she left the kitchen without looking back and went to her quarters alone. Giles and Owen sat looking at each other across the table.
"I'm sorry we're having to part so soon, ancestor," said Owen. "We've hardly had a chance to get to know each other."
"I know you're a true Deathstalker," said Giles. "That's all that really matters. You're a good fighter—for an historian. Is there… anything you'd like to ask me?"
"Well," said Owen, "I have been wondering… why do you wear your hair in a scalplock? I mean, that's the sign of a mercenary soldier."
"Yes," said Giles. "It is. The Empire I remember is gone now, just a memory. The Emperor I swore to serve is long dead. Things haven't turned out at all how I expected. You always hope the future will be better, and your descendants will have an easier time than you had, but I saw the rot setting in, even then. And nothing's changed in the last nine hundred years, except for the worse. At least I've
lived long enough to see the beginnings of a rebuilding. I'm no longer Warrior Prime. That was taken from me long ago, and so I became a fighter for other people's causes. Just like now. I'm a mercenary, Owen. Nothing more. Hence the scalplock. I always did have a weakness for the dramatic gesture. Are you sure there's nothing you'd like to talk to me about before we have to part?"
Owen shifted uncomfortably on his chair. Ever since Giles had killed his son Dram, he'd been trying to be a father figure to Owen, but Owen didn't want or need another father. He still had enough problems over how he felt about his actual father. So in the end the two men just smiled and nodded to each other, and went off in their different directions to get what rest they could before their separate journeys.
Two Deathstalkers, bound by blood and honor, guilt and perhaps a little feeling. Heroes of the forthcoming rebellion. Who had no way of knowing to what dark end destiny would eventually bring them.
CHAPTER SIX
Voices in the Dark
It gets strange out on the Rim. The starship Dauntless hammered through the darkness, a small silver speck in the long night. Captain John Silence sat in his command chair on the Dauntless's bridge, staring somberly at the main viewscreen before him. Not that there was much to see on the viewscreen. This latest tour of duty had brought him right to the edge of the Rim, where the normality of suns and planets and life gave way to the endless empty dark of the Darkvoid, which knew nothing of light and life. Except for the Wolfling World, whose mysterious depths held an army of reborn Hadenmen and the beginnings of a new rebellion. Silence's mouth flattened into a grim line. He'd been driven from that world in failure and disgrace, but even so he was in no hurry to return there in search of revenge. Unnatural powers had manifested in the dim vast caverns below that planet's surface, forces and events almost beyond human comprehension. Forces that had touched and tainted him, too. The Wolfling World was a dangerous place, and Silence had decided very firmly that he wasn't going back there without the entire Imperial Fleet to back him up. He knew the difference between courage and a suicide mission. It was essential that the rebellion gestating inside the Wolfling World be damped out and eradicated, but until he could convince the Empress of that, Silence had every intention of keeping a safe distance between him and the only living planet in the Darkvoid.