Osirion's Ascent Read online

  Osirion’s Ascent

  Ardent Redux Saga:

  Episode 2

  Osirion’s Ascent

  Ardent Redux Saga:

  Episode 2

  By

  J. L. Stowers

  Copyright © 2018 by J. L. Stowers

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  First Edition, 2018

  Editing: Keri Karandrakis

  Cover Art: Tiffany at Dark Matter Book Covers

  Visit the author’s website at www.jlstowers.com

  Dedication

  For Cindy.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 1

  Dani Devereaux blinked rapidly; the dark abyss that surrounded her only moments ago was replaced with obnoxiously bright lights. Her chest burned from the electric current that tore through her body and brought her back to the land of the living. Dani propped herself up on an elbow and tried to focus her eyes as she looked around the room.

  The warden chuckled as a doctor checked her pulse, machines beeping and chirping all around her.

  Great, I’m in hell.

  “Thank goodness.” Howard breathed a sigh of relief and rushed to Dani’s side, patting her on the hand.

  “Howard, you asshole!” The words creaked out of her dry throat.

  “She’s back alright.” Howard’s deep belly laugh filled the room.

  Dani struggled to sit up, pulling on Howard to do so. Her head throbbed, the lights still burning her eyes. She could barely make out the table of expended medical supplies next to her. There appeared to be a number of syringes and medications.

  The doctor lifted a large needle and withdrew a deep purple liquid from a vial before turning toward Dani.

  “Hey, stop, what is that?” She held up a hand in protest.

  The doctor continued to advance. “This will help ensure your heart doesn’t stop again.”

  “At least for now.” Warden Quill laughed.

  Dani glared at the man, confused about his part in the charade.

  Warden Quill frowned at her glare and turned toward the doctor who was just finishing the injection. “Is the paperwork in order, Doctor?”

  “Yes, time of death was 1645 GC standard time,” he said as he plunged the needle into Dani’s bicep.

  A burning sensation quickly worked its way through her body, amplifying the pain she already felt. Dani gritted her teeth, and the feeling left almost as quickly as it came.

  “There you go. Feeling better?”

  Dani stared at the doctor a moment, unsure of how to answer his question. She was dead, and now she wasn’t; however, being alive most certainly did not ‘feel better’ for the time being, anyway.

  She found the strength to raise her arm and bump her fist into Howard’s shoulder. “I thought you were being metaphorical, you asshat.”

  “Yes, sorry about that. They didn’t want me to tell you at all, but you looked so miserable, I wanted to try to give you at least a little hope.”

  She stared at him blankly, unsure of what to say, knowing that he meant well.

  “Alright, Ms. Devereaux, you’re officially dead and no longer my problem. Thank you for not being the worst inmate ever, though you were certainly far from the best. I now have a press conference to attend about your death. Good riddance.” The warden shook her hand and briskly walked out of the room, the doctor close behind.

  “This is so weird,” Dani said to no one in particular.

  “Oh, just wait.” Howard chuckled.

  “I think I’ve had about all I can take for today. Coming back to life is no joke. I feel like shit.”

  “Actually, there’s just one more thing...”

  Dani’s eyes rolled back as her eyelids fluttered. “What is it? I just want to get out of here.”

  Another door opened, and two guards entered with a long, black bag on a gurney.

  “Your chariot awaits.” Howard bowed and swept his arm toward the bag.

  “Of course, what else would you do with a dead body?” Dani exhaled loudly.

  “Well, they typically incinerate them, with an audience. However, the paperwork shows that your body has been donated to science—more specifically the research vessel Houston.” Howard smiled proudly.

  “Good times.” Dani couldn’t help but chuckle at the situation. “Alright, help me into my ball gown.”

  Dani used Howard as a crutch as she climbed off of her bed and sat in the open body bag. Her muscles still screamed and her head was pounding as she eased into the dark confines of the bag.

  “All set. Zip me up and let’s get out of here.”

  Howard smiled down at her before finally pulling the zipper up and over her face. Not long after a strap was placed over her midsection, she felt the gurney begin to roll.

  Rolling along inside the body bag was eerily similar to what she felt floating in the black void, the primary difference being the total body aches and pounding migraine. Even the sound of the wobbly gurney wheel as she was pushed toward her unknown location created a stabbing pain in her head.

  “Papers?” a muffled voice said outside the bag.

  “Certainly. Here,” Howard replied.

  A moment later they were rolling again. At one point Dani thought she might slide right off the gurney as they accelerated down a ramp. The strap dug sharply into her abdomen. Just when she thought she couldn’t handle the pain any longer, the ground leveled out.

  Dani mentally ventured back into space at the moment Alaska’s Vengeance met its fate. Something didn’t feel quite right, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. There was something she had missed, but her attention had been pulled in so many different directions that the whole scene was blurry around the edges. She had gone over it a million times since it happened.

  It didn’t make sense that the ship that sent her beloved vessel a thousand different directions had shown no lifeforms. Androids lacked the sophistication to pilot a ship in that manner, and even if they were capable, their energy signals would have been picked up by the scanners.

  The nagging question on her mind was “why?” For what purpose would they destroy a ship like Alaska’s Vengeance? Sure, it was heavily damaged, but pirates and scrappers, the only two types of people to fly such a haphazard ship, would have salvaged what they could before blowing up what was left.

  The gurney stopped abruptly and the zipper jingled before sliding down. Another bright light caused Dani to grimace and turn her head.

  “Why are all the lights so bright all the time? It’s borderline ridiculous.”

  A voice cleared in front of her. She squinted, readjusting from her dark shroud. She seemed to be in some kind of cryo ward, a location where they stored bodies, some for experimentation, others awaiting more advanced medical treatments.

  “Captain Devereaux, it’s about time.” A tall man wearing a black suit stood at the foot of her bed.

  “I’m sorry, who are you?” She raised a hand to shield her eyes from the light, the migraine screaming for her to crawl back into the dark comfort of the body bag.

  The man had neatly combed short blond hair and a full beard. His stance was slightly off-kilter as he used his right hand to lean on a polished silver cane. The gentle clinking of metal on metal could be heard as he approached her bedside.

  “Patrick?” Confusion flooded her body as his face came into focus. “I thought you were dead.”<
br />
  The man smiled, only the left side of his face moving. “Not quite yet.”

  “But, you were on the Anchorage with my father. It was a total loss.”

  Anger flashed across his face. “That’s a story for another time. Right now we need to address our current situation and we haven’t much time.”

  “Okay, sure.” She wasn’t okay with it. She wanted to shake him and find out what he knew about the accident. She slipped her hands under her thighs instead.

  “Your escape from PS683 threw a rock into the Galactic Conglomerate’s pond. We assumed you were dead until the Triak’gue picked up your distress signal. We knew your ship wasn’t capable of traveling that distance so quickly, which left only two options. Either you were docked on a Vaerian mothership, or you gambled with a wormhole and won.”

  Dani opened her mouth to speak and Patrick held up his hand.

  “We know from the interrogations that it was the latter. Unfortunately, that didn’t explain the other evidence that piled up against you.”

  “Look, I’m not interested in rehashing that sham of a trial. I’ve never even been allowed to tell my side of the story.”

  “Honestly, your side doesn’t matter. Your crew gave the same story time and time again. They’re loyal to a fault, and as such, they’ve been grounded, as I’m sure Howard here has told you. Ms. Simpkins and Mr. Cruz are both out of commission. Mr. Reinhart is a loose cannon, and Howard here, well, he’s old. No offense.”

  “None taken.” Howard chuckled.

  Dani swung her feet off the bed, rage pumping through her body. “Thanks for the talk, Patrick. I’ll be on my way now.”

  “You aren’t free to go.”

  “Excuse me?” She was getting more frustrated by the minute. Her hands balled into fists at her sides as she tried to get her bearings to stand.

  “All of that’s behind us now. As far as the universe knows, the terrorist responsible for the devastation in PS683 is dead. Dani Devereaux no longer exists.”

  “So, what am I doing here?” She put her weight on her legs, her muscles screaming in agony. Dani bit the inside of her cheek to distract herself from the pain.

  “I need a pilot.”

  “I’m pretty sure there are still a few of those lying around here somewhere.”

  “I need a pilot who’s lived through a wormhole.”

  Dani froze and her eyes met his. “You’re kidding. We barely survived the first one.”

  “But you did survive, which is more than anyone else has managed to accomplish.” Patrick turned to Howard. “I thought you covered this with her.”

  “You told me to be vague.” Howard held up his hands defensively.

  Dani narrowed her eyes at Patrick.

  “Look, when it comes down to it, you don’t have much of an option. It’s either be dead, or be my pilot. You can’t tell me the second option isn’t at least a little bit appealing.”

  Her face relaxed slightly as she gave up the fight with her legs and rested back on the gurney. “So you’re just going to give me a ship?”

  “Well, there are some stipulations, rules, but... yes. We would give you a ship.”

  “Do I need to change my name? How does that work?”

  “Actually, no.” Patrick flashed a dazzling half-smile. “You see, my division has something in common with Captain Dani Devereaux... we don’t exist either.”

  “What kind of rules?” She was back on the defensive. The stars called to her, but she wasn’t convinced she wanted to be a slave for the company that was so reluctant to hear her out when things went sideways.

  “You’ll have missions that need to be completed. If you stray from your objective, well, let’s just say there are functions aboard your ship to prevent such actions.”

  “I’m still a prisoner then.”

  “I suppose, but with a much nicer cell.”

  Dani scoured her mind for an argument but failed. She knew she couldn’t go back to her former life, and her unbearable longing for space occupied every waking moment. “My crew?”

  “We have an elite crew lined up for you. The finest in the GC.”

  “No, my crew. If I’m going to do this, it will be with people I trust.”

  Now it was Patrick’s turn to pause.

  Howard chuckled from the chair he had settled into. “I told him you’d say that.”

  “Very well. However, if they join you then we’ll need to arrange ‘deaths’ for them as well. This project is completely off the books.”

  “I don’t think they’ll have a problem with that,” Howard added. “I know I don’t.”

  Dani smiled at Howard before turning back to Patrick. “So, what now? We just fly around and do what you say? Do we get any compensation?”

  Patrick sighed. “The best I can do is create false identification for you to use when you’re not on a mission. You can receive payments through accounts linked to those identities, but the amount will be unsubstantial, just enough for living expenses. The real prize is the work you’ll be doing.”

  “Right, laying our lives on the line for some mysterious agency.”

  “No. Laying your lives on the line for the greater good, which is precisely what Dani Devereaux did best.”

  The last comment hit Dani right in the heart. In that brief moment, she suddenly felt as though the years she had dedicated to the good fight under GC command were recognized. It had been so long since she felt like she had done something right that it was exactly what she needed to hear to push her over the edge.

  Dani glanced at Howard’s jolly face momentarily before nodding at Patrick. “Okay, I’m in.”

  Chapter 2

  Dani felt more like herself aboard the Houston. She was clean, fed, wearing her own clothes, and staring out a massive viewing window at the planet below. Still, something was missing and she knew exactly what it was.

  “Are you sure I can’t go down there? I feel like I should be there.”

  “Howard and I will manage just fine.” Patrick turned to Dani. “You need to learn to trust me.”

  Dani ignored the comment and turned to Howard. “So, what’s the plan?”

  “Well, I’ve been keeping in touch with them. Cruz is running security on a GC outpost. He wasn’t thrilled about the assignment because it’s pretty remote, but it was all they’d clear him for considering. Cassia just started a receptionist job nearby after checking out from the psychiatric facility.”

  “And Jag is down there.” Dani nodded toward the red, swirling planet.

  Howard sighed. “Yup. They’re holding him. He hasn’t taken to alternate authority figures as well as the others.”

  “I’ve arranged for his release into my custody,” Patrick chimed in. “If he agrees to rejoin the crew then we’ll work out a story for his death. Unfortunately, with your recent execution, getting the rest of the crew away quietly has become a bit of a challenge. The media seems to be stalking them all.”

  “Then won’t faking all their deaths seem equally suspicious?”

  “Yes, which is why we have a new plan. I’ve arranged to have Cassia and Cruz officially transferred into service aboard the Houston. They will be getting their reassignments over the next few days. We will pick them up on our way to our first location.”

  “What if they don’t agree to come back?” After the visit with Jag, Dani worried if her crew had been alienated over the past several months.

  Howard chuckled. “You don’t need to worry about that.”

  The unease in Dani’s stomach didn’t let up with Howard’s comment. She still worried about bringing them into whatever this secretive project entailed.

  Dani turned to face Patrick. “When are you going to give me more information about what we’re doing? Obviously it has something to do with wormholes, but what’s with all the secrecy? Surely the GC can’t keep a ship the size of the Houston a secret. This thing is massive.”

  Patrick almost looked proud when she mentioned the size of the
ship. “Officially, the Houston is a research and development ship. We’re not closely monitored, and the President of the GC oversees our budget. Despite the wishes of the Senate, he wants to pursue this mission. He’s all about exploration and wants us to figure out how to master wormhole travel. I’ll go over all the mission details once we have a crew put together for you. The covert nature of our work is part of the reason why salaries are so low. This vessel requires a significant amount of funding just to remain operational. The president is unable to increase our budget but wants us to follow orders, just under the radar of the Senate. Changes to our budget require Senate approval, which means he’d have to present the reason for the increase.”

  Dani sighed with impatience. “Alright, well let’s get on with it then.” She turned back to the angry-looking planet.

  “Very well. Howard, shall we?”

  Howard nodded after a short pause.

  “I can take your place if you want, Howard.”

  “No, I’m afraid that's not possible. We simply can’t risk exposing you to the public right now. I promise, they’ll both be safe. I have an armed detail accompanying us.”

  “Hurry back,” Dani said, staring down at the planet.

  She remained at the viewing window as the shuttle left the Houston and disappeared into the red fog below. As Dani watched and waited, she couldn’t help but notice that two guards had taken places at each end of the corridor she was in. They’d arrived just after Patrick’s departure and remained, surely to keep an eye on her.

  The stars in the distance beyond the planet drew her gaze. She couldn’t help but smile slightly. At least this prison has a better view. The swirling, red planet below was one of several in this system. The others were various shades of blue, green, and gold. If a planetary system was a city, then the planet Jag was held on would be the slums. It was out of place among the others, the original source of life for the system. However, as Draku—as it was called—outgrew its usefulness once the resources were depleted, the population spread to the other planets with the help of the Galactic Conglomerate.