[Darius]

The tracker attached to Zachery's ship led me right to Phoenix. And in one bold move, I shall end Phoenix's hold over me and recover the research data in Avia's head. And Zachary, well, I no longer consider him my nephew. Payment comes due for his disloyalty.

A sly grin came to my face. How wise was I to insist that Gideon Lief place the tracker during his otherwise pathetic capture attempt? A good business manager always considered backup options should a primary venture fail. But it wasn't any ordinary tracking device, rather cutting-edge technology. Utilizing quantum entangled materials, it was not unlike the long-range coms, but completely passive. Thus, that Aberrant Avia would not detect it.

On the bridge of the assault ship Nihilus, I gazed at the holographic star chart. "How much longer, Reaper?"

"About four hours, Dr. Welde," he answered, glancing over his shoulder. Salt and pepper stubble covered his tan face and partially bald head. A long, jagged scar extended from chin to temple, crossing his left artificial eye. The eye, an expensive augmentation, looked like a glassy, dark camera lens surrounded by a silvery metal iris — particularly disquieting when it gazed at me.

Reaper was a pretentious name, even for a seasoned mercenary. But he and his team were the best, and with a price to match. After the fiasco with an Omni-Corp security team on Panchaia, I willingly paid it.

"Go to stealth mode, Vex," Reaper ordered the pilot sitting beside him. Her fingers fluttered over the control panel icons with practiced ease.

Vex had an exotic look that would fit within a neo-pop nightclub, including blue-tinged mohawk hair, styled dark makeup, and tight black flight suit that displayed an appealingly fit body. But her typically hostile expression warned others to keep their distance. Even Reaper was wary of this woman.

"Stealth activated," she responded. "How do you want to approach?"

"Slow and easy," Reaper replied. "We still don't know what we're up against."

The Nihilus was well armed and designed for stealth. A jet-black exterior made visual spotting difficult, rounded edges and special coatings hid it from radar, and a special system linked to the star-drive confounded space displacement monitors. All state-of-the-art military tech, and partly why this mission was so outlandishly expensive.

But I had no budget concerns anymore.

My employment had been terminated, but not before I transferred a significant amount of Omni-Corp credits into a secret account — more than enough to pay for this operation.

The stolen internal documents that Aberrant Avia released spread across the info-web like wildfire, and not even a seasoned public relations department could hold back the outrage. Omni-Corp took a huge image hit, and worst, according to the board of directors, the stock value plummeted. Loud public protests burst out across the Sol Federation. Politicians not under our influence postured in the usual righteous fervor, while those under our thumb shrank back into the political shadows. 

The board needed scapegoats, so they voted out the chairman, Augustus Windsor, and fired me. Ungrateful cowards! The corporation was on the cusp of greatness because of me, and they abandoned ship in the first storm. Seething anger simmered in my gut, but the only outward expression I allowed was clenched fists.

But they will pay for their lack of vision. Once I perfect the nano-bots mind altering functionality, the board of directors will become an early application.

"We're close. There's our target," Vex said, gazing at the zoomed image on the forward viewer.

"The asteroid?" Reaper glanced down at a data screen. "I'm not reading anything special about it."

"That's where the tracker is."

"Hmmp," Reaper grunted, wrinkling his forehead. "Bring us closer, but minimize thrust and maintain stealth mode."

It seemed to take forever to reach the asteroid, but I appreciated the professional care they took to keep us hidden. No one spoke as the Nihilus slowly and ever-so-carefully circled the asteroid. It seemed an unremarkable M-type asteroid, oblong and pitted with small craters. Although, there was evidence of past mining operations, which made sense given the relatively high metallic composition.

I peered over Vex's shoulder. "Are you sure the tracker is on the asteroid?" I asked in a quiet voice.

Vex huffed and turned and glared at me, as if offended by my question. "It's near, Dr. Welde. But in the asteroid, not on it."

I took a step back lest she lash out. Reaper and his team of thirteen were a crude lot and only tolerated me because I was paying. The small cabin they gave me was spartan compared to my usual luxury accommodations, but given the circumstances, sacrifices were required.

Looking down from only a hundred meters above the surface, a large rectangular mining shaft came into view, extending into darkness.

"It's in there," Vex said.

Reaper nodded. "Take us in, nice and slow. Switch to radar imaging, but keep the transmitter output low."

The Nihilus, which easily fit within the enormous shaft, slowly drifted down into the darkness. A holographic image appeared before us, showing the shaft walls in tight gray wireframe form, flickering slightly with each radar imaging cycle. Subtle superimposed coloring represented surface temperatures in the deep infrared band.

As we approached the bottom, a protruding object came into view, blurry at first, then resolving. A brighter coloration indicated it was warmer than the surrounding shaft.

I recognized it.

"That's Zachary's ship, the Freebird," I said, grinning. The knot between my shoulder blades relaxed. "We are at the right place."

"Vex," Reaper ordered, "dock at the port across from the ship." Then, he pushed a chair-arm switch, opening the Nihilus intercom, and announced. "Gather up! We are go for boarding, port side."

Reaper jumped up from his chair, then, at the bridge hatch, turned his head to me. "Ya' comin' along, Welde?"

"That's why I'm here," I answered, following him out the hatch.

Twelve mercenaries waited for us beside the docking air-lock hatches, nine men and three women, all wearing black environmental suits and holding dark helmets with clear face-shields at their sides. The suits were designed to allow the wearer to venture into non-breathable atmospheres or even vacuum. The team was heavily armed, each with a plasma rifle and sidearm. Some also carried additional tools in side-packs. Scowls or blank expressions regarded me — this wasn't a sociable bunch, but I wasn't paying them to party.

"Here," Reaper said, tossing me an environmental suit while slipping on another. "We don't know what's inside."

"Your concern for my safety is touching, Reaper."

"My concern is the payday at the end of a successful mission, Welde."

I grinned. "Of course."

"Suit up!" Reaper ordered his team. "Switch coms off. We go in radio silent."

"I want them alive," I reminded Reaper while putting on the suit.

"We'll do our best, Dr. Welde," he replied. "But no promises."

Firming my lips, I nodded my understanding. There were too many unknowns in this operation to ensure a specific outcome. If I had to, I would cut the cybernetic implants from Avia's dead body. There were ways, although difficult, to extract data from it. I didn't mind if Phoenix died, just wanted to be there when he did. And Zach... I was done protecting him.

"Remember," I cautioned, again, "we are going up against Aberrants. They will have full control of all facility functions."

Reaper narrowed his natural eye to a slit and glared. "This ain't our first rodeo."

Not mine either. Avia had proven especially difficult to catch, despite my efforts, and I expected Pheonix to be no easier. So, I had a backup plan. Unknown to Reaper, following us was a Sol Federation battle cruiser, captained by someone beholden to me. If this operation failed, it would pound this asteroid into rubble with its railguns under the guise of stopping dangerous Aberrants.

Almost as if choreographed, the team slipped on helmets, checked weapons, and lined up at the oval hatch. Responding to a hand signal, two mercenaries entered the airlock, closing the hatch behind them, then opened the station hatch at the other side. I watched with Reaper through the hatch window.

One of the two lifted a strange bulky gun with a short, but large diameter barrel. What was that? Pointing it ahead, he pulled the trigger. But no projectile emerged, rather some sort of hazy ring with a sharp twang sound I could hear even through the hatch. Lights in the docking bay flickered, then went out. After a moment of darkness, emergency lights provided dim illumination.

Then, I understood. "Brilliant," I muttered to myself, grinning. The EMP blast won't affect an Aberrant, since their quantum core cybernetics are organic-based, but it would disable standard electronic-based monitors or robotics in our path, thus blinding Pheonix and undermining his response.

The other mercenary beckoned us inside with a hand signal, indicating that the way was clear. We filed through the hatches to a smooth rock cavern. Several crates marked with Sol Federation military logos were stacked haphazardly to one side. Apparently, Phoenix diverted them for his own use, more evidence that he was Aberrant.

At Reaper's hand signal direction, a man and woman stayed behind, guarding our return. Vex had remained on the ship. The others, with me hanging close beside Reaper, made our way through a hatch to a long passageway. Another EMP blast preceded us, dimming the passageway almost to darkness. Helmet headlamps switched on to light the way as we marched on.

The mercenaries checked each hatch and side chamber as we passed, sometimes shooting an EMP for good measure. We found no one within storage rooms or two lush hydroponic garden chambers, nor was there any resistance to our advance, but we had much more of the asteroid to search. My heart lifted — perhaps we had taken them completely by surprise.

As we continued, a faint sound came to my ears. The mercenary at point turned back and tapped his ear, then pointed ahead, showing the source. The sound grew louder as we moved on, more slowly now. Music. An ancient classical Bach fugue, if I was not mistaken.

The music flowed from an open hatch ahead, echoing off the rock walls.

As I stood back, the black-clad mercenaries hugged the wall near the hatch. Silently, Reaper counted down by retracting fingers — three, two, one... At zero, one man fired the EMP gun inside, the sharp sound making me jerk. The lights inside flickered and the music abruptly stopped. Plasma rifles at ready, the others, all but Reaper, myself, and the one with the EMP gun, swept through the hatch like a midnight bat swarm and fanned out in practiced precision.

The chamber was some sort of recreational room with various exercise equipment, sports gear, and thin padded floor marked with various lines, hardly the mysterious hideout of an Aberrant mastermind. About twenty silvery androids lined the wall, but were limp and motionless. Apparently, the EMP blast stilled them, all to our advantage.

The mercenaries' weapons all pointed at four people about twenty-meters across the chamber. A dark-skinned man sat in a padded chair, lanky legs sprawled out, with a big grin on his face. Two women stood beside him on either side, hands clasped behind their back and eyes cast passively downward. One, the red-blonde woman, I did not recognize, but the other was none other than Avia. Most unexpected, though, was a wide-eyed young girl hiding behind the unidentified woman.

"Dr. Welde," the man said, pulling his legs in and standing. "This is an unexpectedly bold move on your part."

Flipping a neck latch, I pulled off my helmet. "Phoenix, I presume?"

He bowed eloquently, extending an arm. "In the flesh, so to speak. I had hoped to meet you face-to-face someday."

I wrinkled my brow in confusion. Didn't Phoenix realize how dire his situation was here? After a moment of awkward silence, during which Reaper glared at me as if to say, 'well, get on with it,' I asked, "Where is Zachery?"

"He is nearby, safely locked up. Do you want your nephew back? I will utilize him otherwise."

"No," I replied. "He is no longer family."

"Then what do you want, Dr. Welde?"

I pointed. "Avia. And the research data she holds."

Phoenix put on an unsettling grin. "Avia belongs to me." He turned to her. "Don't you, my dear?"

Eyes remaining cast down, Avia responded in a weak voice, "Yes, Damon."

Damon? Is that his real name?

Phoenix continued, "She already provided me the data. Your research team had made some remarkable progress in the nano-bot control coding. Now I can finish the work and unleash their full potential."  

"Are you delusional, Phoenix?" I said, sweeping my arm wide toward the many weapons pointed at him and the disabled androids. "When the king is trapped, it's checkmate."

"Is it, Dr. Welde? This isn't chess. But I must say, leading with EMP was superb strategy, my compliments to your team. But there is something you had not considered."

I narrowed my eyes. "What's that?"

"My robot army is EMP shielded."

Phoenix snapped his fingers, and all hell broke loose.

We never stood a chance. The previously stilled androids flashed to life, red eyes blazing. Simultaneously, they snapped arms up and fired plasma bolts from wrist mounted cannons. The room filled with orange flashes, echoing pops, and anguished cries in a harsh, deadly symphony. I ducked down with an arm shielding my head.

It was over within two seconds. Somehow spared from slaughter, I stood among the felled bodies of the mercenary team. Bodily fluids leaked from gaping and smoldering wounds. I retched as the stench of burned flesh grated my nose and throat. My survival was obviously intended, but to what end?

Phoenix smiled from ear-to-ear as he walked casually toward me. My hands trembled and chills overtook me as I stepped backwards, only to find my way blocked by an android. The robot grabbed my arms, holding me tightly.

"Dr. Welde," said, sighing, "didn't we have an agreement of sorts, or at least common goals? I promised to fulfill your aspirations, selfish as they were, and I would have, but now..." He sighed again. "But now you have betrayed me."

"And what are your aspirations, Phoenix?" I spat. "Wealth? Power? Revenge?"

"Nothing so trivial, although I must admit a degree of vengeance, but rather I seek the benefit of mankind. The nano-bots have the potential to transform humanity into something better."

"You are mad, Phoenix."

"Transformative genius is often mistaken as madness, Dr. Welde. You could have been part of it."

I stared. Phoenix was so full of himself.

The women stood still, eyes turned down, and then I realized Phoenix had used the nano-bots on them, making them passive and obedient.

Phoenix touched his forehead, then grinned. "Why, Dr. Welde, you purged the nano-bots from your body. That must have been unpleasant."

"It was no fun." I cringed, recalling the day-long blood filtration process. Unpleasant was an understatement.

"No matter," he said, then turned toward the women and beckoned with a hand. "Avia, come here." When she did not respond, except for a quick upturn of eyes, he repeated the command in a stronger voice, narrowing his eyes. "Avia, I said come here!"

Avia obeyed, walking slowly to his side. Phoenix gently stroked her cheek, but her blank expression never changed.

"Amazing, the nano-bot technology," he said, "how it bends the will, but it has limits. Avia still struggles to accept her destiny. You are all about research, Dr. Welde, are you not? Shall we do a scientific test?"

I gasped, holding a breath as Phoenix reached down to extract a long knife from Reaper's utility belt. He turned it, allowing the dim emergency lights to flash across the shiny blade. Then he placed it in Avia's hand.

"Avia abhors killing, a weakness in some situations," Phoenix explained, "but she might make an exception for you, Dr. Welde." He looked directly into Avia's blank eyes, and ordered, "Kill him, Avia."

Avia's eyes widened slightly, and the knife trembled in her hand.

"You obey me, Avia," Phoenix growled, then shouted, "I said kill him! Cut his throat!"

Avia turned to me, eyes and expression blank again, knuckles white as she tightly gripped the knife. My heart pounded as I struggled against the android's restraint, to no avail. I pleaded, "Avia, I know we have had some misunderstandings--"

Sharp, searing pain changed my words to raspy gurgles as she sliced my neck, cutting deep. Warm blood sprayed, gushing across my collarbone and down my chest within the environmental suit. I wavered, becoming dizzy. My last vision before darkness overtook me was Phoenix's smirking face.