Mercy Rail

Montana “Monty” De Silva

Stepping through one of the Stellar Pathways is always an experience. A once in a year, for some people once in a lifetime experience. They make you jump through hoops to get passage, miles of red tape just to get to the gate, like they’re trying to suck the magic out of it. But this kind of magic don’t go quietly, no matter how much bureaucracy they throw at it. You stand on one side, shaking in your boots, while a whole new world waits for you on the other side. Then all you have to do is… keep walking.

Bera’s end of the Pathway from Liosh is built into a cliff face, with the whole terminus station built into the canyon around it. The complex is a fortress made of sturdy concrete, all smooth surfaces and sharp angles. Not exactly welcoming, but at least you know the folks in charge take security seriously. Seven massive trains sit down below, each on their own rail line, waiting patiently as hundreds of people and thousands of tons of cargo are loaded aboard. This, I suspect, is the only time of year things are actually busy on this world, the only time people bother to remember it’s here.

Most folks who walk the Pathways would avoid passing through Bera if they could. Most would rather avoid thinking about it. It’s a hot, dry world, nothing but desert and mountain as far as the eye can see. And that sun, that sun that never sets. No matter where you go, it’s always high noon. But Bera completes the circuit for the rest of the Pathway network, linking all eight worlds together. So just like a long family road trip, sometimes you gotta pass through a whole lot of nothing to reach where you’re headed.

I’m not looking forward to that long hike down the cliffside to reach the platform, but luckily my first stop should be up here near the top. Now, where is the marshal’s office?

***

To be honest, I’m not sure what to expect from Marshal Raile. I know she’s head of security for a whole damn planet, but so far as I can tell, she hasn’t made a ton of waves since taking office. Even things that should be public record, like her age and homeworld, are completely unknown. How does a blank page like her get into a position like this? My only guess is she must have been a spy for the Octarchy at some point, and this job must be her idea of a cushy retirement.

I’m not sure if her office supports that theory, however. It’s smaller than I would have expected, with a simple desk in the center of the room and a wide window to the left over- looking the canyon. Shelves along the walls hold various antiques, fossils, and trinkets, all of them preserved in shimmering stasis fields. Okay, so she’s a collector, but she’s not exactly flaunting wealth or privilege. Aside from the walls, the interior of the space is utilitarian.

The woman herself stands at the window, gazing outside with her hands held behind her in a parade rest. She wears a uniform consisting of a long white coat and blue sash, with matching white hair pulled back into a meticulous half-braid.

“This your first time on our world, Mr. De Silva?” she asks once the door is closed. She doesn’t turn, she just keeps staring out the window at the horizon.

“Yes, ma’am,” I say after clearing my throat.

“I’m curious, what’s your first impression?”

This is a bit odd as introductions go, but I play along and join her by the window. Her age is hard to discern, even up close. The skin is smooth, but with the right genetics that could place her anywhere between twenty and two hundred in Standard years. She is for sure human, though; no hint of Srassen blood.

“Hope you won’t mind my honesty, ma’am, but it don’t look like much,” I answer.

“That’s what most people say. Bera may seem unimportant, but if you remove even this small piece, the whole system falls apart.” She smiles wistfully. “That’s why I’m here, but what about you? What brings you to my station, Mr. De Silva?”

“Montana, ma’am, or Monty. Mr. De Silva is my father.”

“Fair enough.”

“I’m here chasing a bounty,” I say. “Caught word he passed through this way, most likely heading for Denzore.”

“Hmm, that would put him on the Mercy Line,” Raile says, pointing down at the train sitting nearest. “My sage says it’s going to be a narrow window this year; we only have three Standard days to make it across the desert before the Denzore gate opens.”

“Why’s it called the Mercy Line?”

“Because most of what we’re sending is food, fresh from the fields of Liosh to the tables of Denzore. A lot of Denzonites never get fresh produce; all they have is processed work rations. Beyond that, we’re also delivering medicine, textiles, and relief workers.”

“You can’t feed a planet of billions with one train’s worth of goods,” I say, “Even with the size of those beasts you got down on those tracks.”

“No, but we are carrying enough for a hundred million people, and those people matter.” She finally turns from the window to face me. “Tell me about your mark. Whose hide are you willing to chase across three worlds?”

I send her the file via neural link, and she takes a moment to review it.
“Bounty’s a lioshi male, Varl ‘Vaultbreaker’ Vendic,” I say, though she probably doesn’t need me to read any of this out to her. “Wanted for a half-dozen counts of armed robbery. And he’s a psion, which makes him extra dangerous. His telekinesis is strong enough to rip open a bank vault, which is how he got the nickname.”

“Lioshi don’t usually travel alone,” she notes with a hint of concern in her voice. “And if security hasn’t flagged him already, then–”

“He’s probably using a false identity to slip through. Word from my source is he’s most likely got a counterfeiter with him, along with a few of his gang’s muscle for protection.”

“Sounds like this took a lot to arrange. Your source, someone on the inside?”

“Yes, ma’am. He’s riding high off his latest score, but things are hot for him on Liosh so, my guess, he’s either planning to lay low on Denzore until it simmers down, or….”

“Or someone’s recruited him to join the big leagues offworld,” Raile finishes. “A guy like him could do a lot of damage on Denzore. I’m curious, though, what’s your stake in this?”

I was hoping she wouldn’t ask that.

“It’s, uh… been a hard year,” I admit. “Got some debts to pay. If I can bring in this bounty, could be the start of a new life for me.”

She studies me for a minute. “Alright, you’ve sold me,” she says, “But on one condition: I’m going with you.”

“What? Uh, ma’am–”

“If he’s as dangerous as you say, then it doesn’t make sense for you to risk your neck alone. And besides, he slipped through security on my watch, and I have a reputation to uphold.”

“Marshal, I can assure you, I am qualified for this job.”

“Oh I’m sure,” she says, “But I have a policy. The bounty says ‘dead or alive.’ I have to know, what are your intentions for him?”

Another hard question. “Alive if I can, but… honestly dead would be safer.”

“I’m coming,” she insists, fetching a white hat from atop her desk. “Come on, Montana, we have a train to catch.”

***

It woulda been too optimistic to think we could track Vaultbreaker down before the departure. But on the bright side, we got three days until Denzore station and only one train to search. And, owing to the marshal’s good graces, I get a free ticket to ride across the dunes.

“I’ve given Vendic’s description to my security team,” she says once we reconvene in one of the passenger cars. “If anyone spots him, we’ll know.”

Impressive as the trains are from the outside, it’s a whole other experience on the inside. The car’s a triple-decker, with plush seating and tables lining the windows along the balconies. Wouldn’t have expected to find luxury on a harsh world like this one.

“Can I ask a personal question, ma’am?” I ask as we make our way along the car. “Why pick Bera of all places for retirement?”

“What makes you think this is retirement?” she asks with a smirk. “I don’t look that old, do I? It’s the hair, isn’t it?”

“No, ma’am, just a hunch.”

“Well, your hunch isn’t far off,” she admits. “I was sick of the politics on Srassen. Zalia and Ginvaris were never my speed. Tried Iaclite for a while. Really tried, but… got restless. Considered Denzore. That woulda been familiar, but… too stressful, I think. But my partner, Z, she loves the desert, so this seemed like the best compromise. Far enough out of the way that it’s quiet, active enough that we can still make a difference.”

That was a lot more of an answer than I was expecting, honestly.

I let a moment pass, keeping an eye out as we walk for any lioshi matching Varl’s description. It’s a diverse crowd in here; a dozen different species speaking a hundred different languages. But most of the passengers have the same look to them: that of leaving home for the first time in search of new opportunities offworld. There’s worry and anxiety mixed with optimism and cheer.

“And, uh, the hair doesn’t make you look old, ma’am,” I say, awkwardly scratching my beard. “Sorry if I implied.”

“Well shit, then it’s not doing its job!” she jokes. “Z says it looks distinguished, I’ll have to tell her you disagree.”

“How long you two been together?” I ask.

“Long as either of us can remember; we’re practically joined at the hip.”

“And what’s she do?”

“Same as me, but in her own way. Some days she takes the lead. But she’s a philosopher at heart, I’m more hands-on.” She turns her head to the side and presses a finger near her ear, to indicate she’s receiving a message. “Security got a hit in the dining car. With me.”

I anxiously rest a hand on my phaser as she leads the way.

“You keep that thing on stun, you understand me?” she orders. “We’re not risking an accident on my train.”

“With respect, ma’am, I don’t think stun’s strong enough for–”

She wheels around and glares at me with eyes like steel.

“S-stun it is, then,” I stammer.

We come out onto the third floor balcony two cars up, where a handful of security androids in white armor stand at attention. A pair of small drones hover nearby as well.

“Is all your security automated?” I ask.

Ignoring my question, Raile pushes me against the nearest wall and signals for quiet.

“He’s down below,” she warns, sharing her security feed with me.

Through the link, I can see Varl and his men gathered around a dining table in a dark corner of the car. They’re relaxed, chatting over a game of cards. Vendic himself strikes a hard balance between intimidating and distinguished: broad-shouldered, barrel-chested, and wearing a black suit, with impressive horns and a tuft of beard-like fur hanging from the end of his bovine chin. In his company are a mantis-like sudaorn, feline meseag, a human man with slick black hair, and a srassen female whose fine elfin features defy a dangerous and sadistic attitude.

“The sudaorn’s his counterfeiter,” I whisper. “Probably forged IDs for the whole crew.”

“We move in on my signal,” Raile instructs. “Vigilkeeper will clear out the passengers in case things go south, and the drones will provide covering fire from above. You got a gravity belt?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She gives me an impressed smirk and steps over to the railing. “On three… two… one….”

As one, we vault over the railing into freefall. Our gravity belts detect the fall and slow our descent at the last second, letting us land with catlike grace. We each draw weapons and train them on Varl, easily the biggest and most valuable target of the whole crew.

“Varl Vendic!” I shout, doing my best to sound in command. “You’re under arrest for six counts of armed robbery and psionic assault! Hands where we can see them!”

Our arrival and my outburst seems to have a bigger effect on the rest of the passengers in the car. Some gasp in alarm as plates and glasses clatter. Vendic and his crew keep their heads, however. Some hands go up, while others reach for weapons. Behind us, Raile’s Vigilkeeper androids start ushering people away from their tables and out of the car.

Vendic chuckles from deep in his chest, quiet, yet with a menacing timbre. One by one, his crew get up from the table and fan out around us, not at all intimidated.

“Well, it seems they can count,” Raile says in a deadpan tone. “Five against two must look like pretty good odds to them.”

Her drones descend from the balcony with weapons active, and two of her Vigilkeepers break from the crowd to join in the standoff. Fingers twitch with tension, waiting to see who’ll pull the trigger first.

“This don’t have to get messy, Vendic,” I warn.

“Monty,” Varl says, flashing his teeth at me. “You’re more desperate than I thought, old friend, to keep chasing across the stars like this. It’s flattering, don’t you think boys?”

His crew signal their agreement with mocking smiles. Varl steps forward with his arms outspread, no weapons in hand, because he certainly doesn’t need any. Then his fingers curl in, just so, and I know what he’s about to do.

“Duck!” I shout, too late.

Varl brings his wrists together, palms forward, and a wall pressure bursts outward from him. Raile and I are knocked backward onto our asses as a sound like an explosion rocks the entire car. People scream and run for cover as shards of glass fly everywhere. My bell has been thoroughly rung, but before I can even recover, Raile and her androids are already back up and engaging Varl’s crew in a firefight.

One of the robots kneels over me. “Come on, Montana, I could really use some backup right about now!” it says in Raile’s voice.

I groan and struggle up to a sitting position, watching as a nanomesh barrier constructs itself between us and Varl’s crew. I clutch my phaser tight and take cover, peering over so I can pick out a good shot. Raile’s Vigilkeepers have absorbed most of the crew’s attention and firepower, so none of them are looking in my direction. I line up three precise shots in rapid succession, downing the human, srassen, and meseag before they even realize what’s happening.

That leaves Varl and his sudaorn counterfeiter still in the fight. With phasers in each of his four hands, the mantis unloads a wild barrage of laserfire. Raile and I take cover as Varl prepares another psionic blast. There’s a deafening boom, followed by the scattering of sand across the car as the nanomesh barrier disintegrates. Varl and his partner take this opportunity to flee, heading for the doorway for the next car up.

“He’s getting away!” I’m about to give chase when Raile puts a hand on my shoulder.

“Hold on,” she says. “That tight corridor will give them an advantage if we rush through blindly.”

“What’s in that next car?” I ask.

“Cargo. Everything ahead of this car is cargo, including checked valuables and all of the food that’s been reserved for Denzore.”

“Great,” I grumble. “So he’s sitting on a mountain of loot that he can hold for ransom, and he’s got the perfect chokepoint to defend it with.”

Varl’s three fallen crewmen begin to stir, but Raile’s androids are quick on the draw. “You are under arrest,” one of them states, “By the authority of the Bera Colonial Security Commission. You have the right to remain silent.”

“We got his crew, though,” I note. “We could negotiate?”

“Use them as hostages?” Raile asks. She closes her eyes as if in deep thought, then calmly removes her hat and sets it on a nearby table. She then unties her blue sash and begins wrapping it around her head like a scarf. “Out of the question,” she says, at last opening her eyes. “I’ll not use sentient lives as bargaining chips.”

“You got another idea?”

“We simply need to iterate on our strategy for the next approach.” She regards the remnants of the nanomesh, a mess of inactive nanites like heaps of sand. “Let’s see how much of this is salvageable.” Raile reaches out, and the nanites react to her beckoning hand like leaves in the wind. They swirl in spiraling fractal patterns, and eventually coalesce back into a single amorphous mass. “Yes, I think this will suit our purposes quite nicely.”

Just then, the train car is rocked by another impact.

“That was Varl,” I say. “What’s he up to now?”

“We’re slowing,” Raile answers. “He must have decoupled the cars.”

I rush to the door and try to pull it open, only to find it jammed. Varl’s attack must have dented the mechanism.

“Step aside,” Raile instructs, directing the nanites to swarm around the door. There’s a loud grinding noise as the mechanism is slowly dismantled.

“Not sure we’re gonna catch up to him at this rate,” I warn.

“Patience is a virtue, Mr. De Silva.”

We’re back to ‘Mister’ now?

Eventually the door falls free, exposing our car to a rush of hot air from outside. The nanoswarm forms into a screen, like the surface of a bubble, just thick enough to provide insulation from the oncoming wind. It looks like Raile’s intuition is correct; the catwalk and cables linking the two cars have been blown to shreds, and the distance between us and our mark is steadily growing. There’s no sign of Varl or the sudaorn on the other side; just a dark and abandoned doorway. The nanoswarm reaches across the gap and grabs hold of the fleeing car, then morphs into a sturdy bridge.

“I have questions before we proceed,” Raile says. “If you intend to kill Vendic, I need to know why. It seems you two have some personal history?”

“You could say that.” Not eager to overshare, I pass through the nanoscreen and begin crossing the makeshift bridge.

“Mr. De Silva!” Raile scolds, following close behind.

“I can take it from here, alright? You should stay behind and look after the passengers.”

“Vigilkeeper can handle that.”

“You got an awful lot of faith in your automated security,” I note, shouting to be heard over the rush of wind.

“There’s no one I trust more, on this world or any other.”

A few more cautious steps bring my feet to the next car. But when I put my hand on the nanoscreen to step through, it doesn’t budge.

“With respect, Ma’am, this ain’t a game,” I say irritably. “He’s getting away!”

“And he will continue to get away, until you answer my questions.”

I turn around to face her, but have a hard time meeting her stern gaze. Guess she’s got me backed into a corner.

“We grew up together, alright? Our families worked the same greenspire on liosh, but all us boys wanted to do was get out there and see the Cluster. We used to play Cops & Robbers, chasing each other through the wheat and cornfields. That reactor breach that gave Varl his powers? If things had gone a bit differently, it mighta been me who got hit.

“Our families assumed–me included–that it’d be a big opportunity for him. The academy usually fast-tracks psions. He coulda gone anywhere, done anything. But I guess it wasn’t enough. He didn’t want the Octarchy to hand him success, he wanted to grab on and take it himself. I reckon stealing gave him a rush, you know?”

Raile listens patiently as the dunes roll by.

“His actions reflected on the rest of our families, though. Wages were cut, things got harder and harder every year. So I turned to bounty hunting, to try and even the scales.”

“That hardly warrants killing a man,” Raile says. “He hurt someone close to you?”

“My husband,” I admit. “He’s still lying in a hospital bed, in a coma he might never wake up from.” I close my eyes to keep the tears from coming. “I used to think if I could bring Varl in alive, everything would go back to how it was when we were kids. But now… now he just needs to be put down.”

Raile takes a deep breath. “If I may offer you an old woman’s perspective? I too know the sting of betrayal. My partner had the opportunity to kill me once. I probably deserved it, but she chose to save me instead. That was the start of a relationship that has endured for nearly six thousand years, and I have spent every waking moment since then working to pay that kindness forward.”

“You’re talking about you and Z?” I ask.

She nods. “And that is why my assistance comes with a condition. When we apprehend Varl, you can do whatever you need to in order to find peace. But I must ask for one minute with him, uninterrupted.”

“What’re you planning to do with that minute?”

“I’m going to save him.”

With that, the nanoscreen gives way. The two of us, now with an understanding, step into the dark confines of the cargo car. Massive stasis containers press in on either side of us, leaving a labyrinth of narrow corridors between them.
“Stay sharp,” Raile advises.

“I got something that might help,” I say, pulling out a bioscanner. “Psion like Varl should make this thing light up like fireworks.”

“You certainly come prepared, don’t you?”

The device isn’t showing anything yet; Varl must’ve retreated pretty deep inside. Oddly, it’s only registering one signal: mine. Raile oughta be giving off something too, but maybe we’re standing too close together. She pulls the scarf off her head as we venture on, leaving it wrapped around her neck.

“Where’d I leave my goddamn hat?” she asks, annoyed.

Before I can answer, a blinking light on the bioscanner calls my attention. “He’s coming!”

I hear the pounding of his hooves ahead before my eyes can spot him. He comes at us like a bull, ready to plow right through us. We each get a shot off with our phasers, but his psionic shield deflects them. Raile shoves me out of the way and takes one of his horns right through the shoulder.

“No!” I scream as Varl shoves her limp body to the ground. I fire again, but he doesn’t even seem to notice.

“Monty, Monty, Monty,” Varl says, shaking his head. “All these years, and they’ve still got you fooled. The whole world’s pulled a wool over your eyes, and you just can’t seem to shake it.”

“The hell are you talking about?” I ask through gritted teeth.

Raile begins to stir, slowly pushing back up onto her feet. Her wound, wide across as my hand, isn’t bleeding at all. Instead, a silvery substance like mercury oozes from it as it starts to knit itself back together.

“This woman who’s been holding your hand this whole time? She’s a puppet, no better than the half-dozen others they sent to bring me in. The only thing that sets this one apart is that it can pass for human.” With a flick of his wrist, he psychically lifts Raile off the floor and pins her against one of the nearby crates. “The marshal is just a mask, with nothing behind it. The face of law and order on this barren rock… is only a face.”

He presses harder, crushing her windpipe. “It’s just the same as back home. You bought into all the Baron’s empty promises. ‘Work hard and be rewarded?’ They sit on a mountain of wealth, while the product of our land and our labor gets sent off-world! And the Sages’ promises of advancement were just as empty, I guarantee it! The only way to get ahead in this cosmos is to take more than what’s offered to you.”

“Let her go!” I shout.

Varl steps toward me, but there’s no menace in his posture. He leans down and places a hand on my shoulder, holding me to ensure I can only look ahead at where Raile is pinned.

“You just don’t get it, Monty,” he says quietly. “We have an entire train’s worth of food right here. Food that she was going to give away to people who didn’t work for it. You and me, we could hold it for ransom when we get to the Pathway, get a fair price.”
“You and me?” I ask, incredulous. “You really have no idea what you’ve cost me, Varl? What you cost our families?”

“We pull this off,” Varl whispers, “And we’ll be heroes. All you have to do is help me dispose of that android.”

I stare into Raile’s eyes. She looks at me with resignation and mouths, “Find your peace.”

I slowly level my phaser and press one finger against the safety, on the line between the Stun and Kill settings. There’s a shift in the air beside me as Varl lets his defenses relax. A breath later, I make my decision. With one quick motion, I pull the phaser back so that it’s pointing right at Varl’s scruffy chin, and pull the trigger. Golden light erupts from my weapon and soaks through his body, knocking him out cold.

Varl and Raile fall to the ground at the same time, one freed and the other unconscious. The woman coughs and sputters, gasping for air in a way that sounds genuine. It’s enough for me to reach out and offer a hand, to help her up.

“How much of what he said is true?” I ask.

“All of it,” she croaks. “I am Vigilkeeper. I am the train.”

“You said you can save him. I want you to show me what you mean by that.”

Raile nods and hobbles over to where Varl lies still. She kneels behind him and places her palms against the sides of his head, right near his horns. Circles of light appear on the backs of her hands, like a progress bar slowly filling. A minute later the process is complete.

“I have him,” she says, stepping away. “Do what you have to.”

What I have to do.

I kneel down and point my phaser right at the center of Varl’s broad chest. My finger flips the safety from Stun to Kill. He lies there, perfectly still, just like my husband in his bed back home. There’s nothing left of the boy I grew up with. This feels like the end of our story, but in truth our paths diverged a long time ago.
And in that moment, I realize I don’t need to pull the trigger. So instead, I step away.

“You’re sure?” Raile asks.

I nod. “Yeah… yeah, I’m sure.”

“Alright. In that case, help me get him into one of these stasis containers. I’ll make sure you get your bounty.”

“Hang on,” I say, casting a glance each way down the darkened corridor. “Where’d the counterfeiter go?”

It doesn’t take long for us to find him, at the door to the next car up, trying to pick his way through the lock. We sneak up side by side and place a pair of phasers against his back, prompting him to raise his four hands into the air in surrender.

***

And just like that, the chase is over. Raile’s nanites repair the broken cables and keep the train in one piece, while Varl’s crew is put in stasis until we reach our destination. Every- thing returns to normal, like it was never wrong in the first place. Raile retrieves her hat from the dining car and invites me to join her at the bar. She sets her scarf down on the chair next to her and places the hat atop it.

“Hey bartender,” she says, waving down a rodent-like denzonite, “Water for me, and a Dark ’n’ Stormy for my friend here.”

“And for you, sir?” the bartender asks me.

“Oh, uh… bourbon,” I say.

The man quickly prepares and distributes our drinks.

“Cheers,” Raile says, clinking my glass with her own.

“What’re you gonna do with Varl?”

“You were about to put a phaser bolt through his chest, and now you’re concerned for his wellbeing?” She shakes her head. “Z’s gonna put his mind in a sim for the length of his prison term, while his body stays in the stasis field. We’ve got a rehabilitation program for inmates like him, with a pretty good track record if I do say so myself.”

I nod solemnly.

“You will see him again,” she assures me. “And if all goes well, he may be a bit closer to the boy you remember.”

“Thank you.”

“Just the job.”

“Who’s the ghost?” I ask, indicating the hat, scarf, and cocktail.

“Only the best man I ever knew,” she answers. “He was like a brother to me. You actually remind me of him, a little bit.”

“How’d he die?”

She takes a sip of water, then regards me with a smirk. “Tell you what. If your travels ever bring you back this way again, maybe I’ll tell you the whole story.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

“And what about you, Montana? What’s next after Denzore, heading home I assume?”

“Yeah, soon as I can. Find a sage, find out how many months I gotta wait before a Path opens up back to Liosh. Maybe find some work while I’m there.”

“Well, you better watch your ass on Denzore,” Raile warns. “I’ve seen that planet chew up and spit out more country boys like you than I can count.”

***

Stepping through one of the Stellar Pathways is a transformative experience, one that many people might never have even in their whole lifetime. Each world in the cosmos is unique. Culture, history, laws, even the sky and the gravity holding you down. How much of our homeworld do we carry with us when we travel? How much guilt, heartbreak, and worry can fit through a spatial anomaly? I thought somehow I’d feel different after this was all over, less weighed down. Guess it was too much to hope for.
Stepping through the gate from Bera to Denzore isn’t really the start of a new chapter, it’s more a continuation. A reminder that life continues, even if the one you love is still hospitalized and the boy you grew up with is behind bars. All you have to do is… keep walking. The Pathways will carry you, heartache and all, wherever life is pointing you next.

***

Marshal B. R. “Beta” Raile

You like him, don’t you? Zahra asks as Monty departs through the Pathway to Denzore.

Why, you jealous? I think back to her.

She only chuckles.

You did a good job getting through to him, I say. Thanks for stepping in.

Oh, all I did was give him a nudge. You were right, that boy has potential.

My diplomatic unit, the proverbial “face” that Vendic regarded with such disgust, turns away from the Pathway and takes the lift up to our office. We have one at each station, since there always seems to be something going on when the Pathways open up that requires more direct attention. For now, though, my Vigilkeeper units are enough to handle the operation. Crowds disembark from the train, one car at a time, and refresh themselves at the station before proceeding on to the Pathway. Vendic’s crew are escorted through in handcuffs, but I keep their leader behind in his stasis cell.

So, you want to tell me about your plans for Vendic? I ask.

I’m going to pair him up with Joushuin, that otori graverobber from a few months back, Zahra responds. I think those two will be good for each other. I already have a set of scenarios prepared, and I anticipate full rehabilitation in nine to twelve subjective years. When mind and body are reunited and Vendic has served his term, he’ll be a new man.

Ever the optimist, I remark.

We got our happy ending, didn’t we? I think it’s only fair the rest of the universe gets the same chance.

Here we are, six thousand years later, and a brighter future still looks just as close as the next horizon.

Funny thing about the future, Zahra says, It never seems to arrive.

The lift reaches the peak of the complex, and I take a moment to gaze out at the endless expanse of desert around us. There are precious few marks of civilization on this planet, save for the Pathway stations and rail lines between them. But they’re mine, and I will defend them with everything I have.

Beta, dear, what’s on your mind? Zahra asks. You’re not fretting about the heat death of the universe again, are you?

No, just a few things closer to home. Some worrying reports from a mining outpost not far from here, and there’s that smuggler’s ship that’s still unaccounted for.

And I suppose I can’t convince you to rest and enjoy your victory?

You know me, Z.

She sighs. Well, no time like the present.

No time like the present.