Red Nova

Beyond the Veil

The silent void of space existed for eons. It was another frontier but not the final frontier. Death was always the final frontier. Life in the twenty-seventh century had become more senseless than ever, or so thought Admiral Niralus Bisel of United Earth Command. Yet, like most people, he managed to persist in his meaninglessness—pretending that ignorance was his greatest ally, and that his life was still significant.

Bisel read Doctor Larbel’s email and felt the UEC was pathetic because of its fraudulent concern about morality. The law to arrest people only if there was evidence against them had always ticked him off. As a result, he formed a new fleet of his own volition to arrest Vreffith Larser. He then left Earth, traveling through the seemingly endless systems of space. Bisel was on board Goliath, the largest UEC starship in history.

The spacecraft entered the Alpha Star Cluster. Three other starships followed. They soon halted near a lifeless moon. Innumerable stars, as usual, shimmered throughout the galactic veil while Goliath flew closer toward the moon’s planet. Bisel, in the meantime, stood in a windowed corridor, viewing the Alpha system. He stared at Khiylos, an orange-blue planet surrounded by a yellowish wave of cosmic dust.

He left the corridor as Goliath entered Khiylos’ atmosphere. The Alpha system’s binary suns were still visible despite the fact that it was almost midnight, at least according to Earth’s time, which humans, like Bisel, had a habit of following regardless where they were. Even though Goliath flew with little noise, its size didn’t help in rendering it undetectable. Goliath approached Onnas Asan, a hovering colony located millions of miles above Khiylos’ rocky surface.

When the spacecraft arrived, it flew toward the highest skyscraper: Vignia Corporation. The building stood over four thousand feet high; it was the heart of all commerce in not just Onnas Asan but the entire universe. The colony had become a galactic Wall Street. It rivaled with Earth’s most ancient cities of commerce such as Manhattan, London, Shanghai, and Dubai.

The colony of skyscrapers had turned into the usual: a dark and slummy black-market colony with buyers who belonged to syndicates of the outer frontier. It was an acceptable form of business for most people in the universe. When the UEC vessel arrived, however, passersby kept to themselves. Goliath slowed down as it reached Vignia Corporation. Inside its cargo bay stood a gray shuttle as well as two soldiers in heavy-plated armor. They were walking toward the vehicle while loading energy cartridges into their MP-98 rifles.

“You ready for this, Keith?” asked Jolus Bako.

“Ready as can be, Admiral Bako,” said Keith Wernn.

Jolus teasingly sulked. “Still a smart ass spic, huh?”

“Of course,” said Keith. He finished loading his magnum-pulse rifle and added, “I couldn’t be anything else.”

“Good,” said Jolus, smirking. “I was worried you changed after Vindor.”

“I did,” said Keith. “But for the better. Ask any woman in Amsterdam.” He shook Jolus’ hand. “All jokes aside, congrats on the admiral making you a lieutenant.”

“Thanks,” replied Jolus. “It wasn’t easy.”

“It never is,” said Keith, fixing his unkempt wavy hair. Keith was rugged looking with facial stubble as opposed to Jolus who had a crew cut hairstyle and an overall clean demeanor; even Jolus’ goatee was well groomed. “So,” continued Keith, “any idea why we’re going to arrest Vreffith?”

“No clue,” said Jolus.

The door behind them abruptly opened, and in came an officer wearing a mandarin-collared uniform with several medals pinned to his chest. Keith and Jolus saluted him when he approached.

“At ease, soldiers,” said Admiral Bisel.

Jolus put on his helmet. “Ready and able, sir,” he said.

“Sergeant Keith Wernn and Lieutenant Jolus Bako?” said Bisel. “I read your dossiers. It seems the two of you have a lot of experience.”

“That’s right,” said Keith in an irritated tone. “Against criminals who’re proven guilty.”

Admiral Bisel hunched, glaring at Keith with eyes so harsh that it made him gulp. “If you’re not ready for this mission, Sergeant, then you’ll end up dead,” he said callously. “Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir,” said Keith.

“Good,” replied Bisel. He clicked his UND and activated the shuttle. Its scissor doors automatically spread open while Bisel added, “Let’s make this fast and smooth.” He approached the vehicle and stepped inside.

Feeling agitated, Keith muttered to himself, “This is bullshit.”

Jolus couldn’t help but chuckle at Keith’s behavior. After complaining, Keith put on his helmet and went inside the vehicle, followed by Jolus.

Goliath, which had the UEC logo imprinted on both its wings, came to a halt as its cargo bay opened. The shuttle flew out, gliding toward Vignia Corporation’s docking platform. Bisel glanced at the skyscrapers through his windowpane as the shuttle descended. Each building had its own unique form of architecture, and yet they all looked homogeneous, thought Bisel. He felt a sense of peace looking at Onnas Asan, at least until he heard Shiva—Goliath’s integrated Artificial Intelligence—speak from the front monitor.

“Admiral,” began Shiva, “as your observing AI, I wanted to inquire one last time: are you positive that this action is valid? It was adequate to imprison your last two suspects, but Vreffith Larser—”

“Shiva,” interjected Bisel, “I appreciate your concern, but enough is enough. The UEC isn’t doing anything when they already know that Vreffith is behind the slave trades. I will no longer obey protocol. Today is the last day he sees Khiylos, or any other planet.”

“Very well, Admiral,” said Shiva. “You are the commanding officer, and I accept your decision one hundred percent.”

“Thank you,” he said, agitated. “Now land us below.”

The shuttle descended onto the parking bay of Vignia Corporation’s vast skyscraper that soared all the way to the clouds. When the vehicle reached the building’s parking platform its propulsion deactivated, wheels jutting and touching the ground.

“Shall I drive across the bridge, Admiral?” asked Shiva.

“Here is fine,” said Bisel. He looked through the windowpane, grimacing. “They’re already here,” he added.

When the shuttle’s scissor doors opened, Admiral Bisel exited with his soldiers. On the opposite end of the platform appeared a man in an expensive business suit. Though he looked handsome, his face was rather sullen. He had several bodyguards beside him. They walked across a bridge that connected to the parking bay of Vignia Corporation, stopping at the middle of the bridge where Bisel and his soldiers stood.

“This is unexpected,” said the shrewd man. “What brings you to this lonely side of the galaxy?”

“Vreffith Larser,” said Bisel.

“Why, that would be me,” said Vreffith, giving the admiral a sharp smile. “What can I do for you…?”

“Admiral Niralus Bisel: Tenth Fleet military,” he said sternly. “I’m here on behalf of the UEC to arrest you for smuggling, selling illegal weapons, and slave trading with the Black Moon syndicate.”

Vreffith laughed. “This is the third time the likes of you come to disturb my province,” he said. “This is not Earth, and you have absolutely no proof of—”

Admiral Bisel clicked his UND, materializing a blue force field around him and an FG-400 in his hands; he pointed the fusion gun at Vreffith’s left bodyguard, blasting him off the bridge with its beam. The other bodyguards reached for their weapons when Sergeant Keith Wernn and Lieutenant Jolus Bako fired at them using their MP-98 rifles. The incendiary bullets burned and disintegrated every guard.

“Are you insane?” shouted Vreffith, his face contorted.

Bisel wore a smug expression while he replied, “Ever ask yourself that question?”

“You’ve just buried your future!” exclaimed Vreffith.

The admiral clicked another button beside the primary trigger of his gun: a yellow beam pulsed out at Vreffith. When the fizzing beam hit Vreffith, it caused him to convulse backwards. Groaning, he knelt to the ground and fell sideways on the platform.

“Even your…family,” stammered Vreffith, fainting.

“Shiva,” called out Bisel, speaking through his UND’s vidlink, “ready the shuttle. We’re returning to Goliath.” Shiva reactivated the shuttle’s engine. In the meantime, Bisel glanced at Jolus for a moment while walking back to the vehicle and added, “Lieutenant, bring Vreffith to detention block S when we arrive.”

Although it was difficult to see Jolus’ wary expression through his full-plated helmet, he responded firmly, “Yes, sir.”

Bisel looked at Keith when he reached the shuttle. “You did well, Sergeant,” he said, stepping into the vehicle. “Assist the lieutenant with Vreffith, and be quick about it.”

Keith complied and walked to the bridge, helping Jolus. They grabbed Vreffith, carrying him all the way to the shuttle. The repulsions activated when the doors shut, and then the shuttle flew back to the UEC vessel. It was not long until the shuttle returned to Goliath’s cargo bay. It docked with hardly any noise other than its substructure’s steam. Admiral Bisel was the first person to leave the craft. He left Keith and Jolus to their duty, making his way to an elevator portal, also known as an EP, labeled Command Deck. Stepping into the cylinder-shaped pod, he waited while a white beam appeared by his forehead.

“Scanning Genesis-DNA,” said Shiva.

Bisel sighed as the white beam moved up and down, scanning his body from head to toe. He had little patience for anything, especially trivial procedures such as identification. After all, he was in charge of the Tenth Fleet. Shiva knew this to be true via her databank; however, as an AI, she had no choice but to obey protocol. Additionally, she was programmed to take pride in abiding by every rule that exists in the UEC.

Admiral Bisel, on the other hand, cared little for laws. They were obstacles to him—a means to an end, he conceded. Furthermore, his rank in the military allowed him not to care about such laws, and it also allowed him to take matters into his own hands, or so he concluded, which was why he had decided to abduct Vreffith without any evidence of what he’d accused him of. Bisel was arrogant, obnoxious, and indifferent. And he was perfectly happy that he possessed all three of those attributes because he smiled when thinking of each and every one of them.

He finally ported to a hall connected to the ship’s command deck. He walked through the corridor and entered the command deck. The crew saluted him.

“Welcome back, Admiral,” said Captain Heims, saluting Bisel.

“Thank you, Captain,” said Bisel. He stood in front of the deck’s primary computer and activated a visual terminal with a UEC interface. Yet it didn’t go past the login screen when he typed into it. “Shiva,” he called out edgily, “I think they changed the password again. Connect me to the GT log.”

“Connecting to the Galactic Terminal,” said Shiva. A brief moment of silence fell. “Log: active,” she added.

Bisel pressed a few buttons on the terminal until a voice sensor appeared, displaying a recording symbol.

“This is Niralus Bisel speaking, Admiral of the UEC Tenth Fleet military,” he said. “As of today—Thursday, April 14, 2698, GE, Vreffith Larser has been taken into my custody and will be imprisoned in detention block S. Vreffith is charged with galactic treason. He has been linked with slave trading and smuggling illegal weaponry for the Black Moon syndicate. Vreffith also has unusual profits with his business: Vignia Corporation. This suggests further connections to the Black Moon syndicate, which, according to UEC Intel, is located somewhere in the Alpha Star System. I will be detaining Vreffith Larser without execution until further information is found. This report is officially closed as of 2300 hours. End log.”

“Log saved,” said Shiva. “Admiral, shall I disconnect from the Galactic Terminal?”

“Yes,” he said. “That will be all.”

“Disconnecting,” she said.

Once the Galactic Terminal turned off, the admiral turned around. “Captain Heims,” he called out, “disengage from Khiylos and set a course for the Delta Star System. We’re going to Brimidia.”

“Aye, sir,” said Heims, accelerating the spacecraft.

“We’ll be using the Casimir station at Brimidia’s spaceport to reach the Raging Gamut,” said Bisel.

Captain Heims froze for a moment and asked, “We’re traveling beyond the galactic veil, Admiral?”

“Yes,” said Bisel snappishly. “Our mission will not be successful unless we travel there. Set the course, Captain. I’ll be back at 0100.”

Captain Heims nodded hesitantly and maneuvered the ship while Bisel left the chamber. Heims glanced at his vacant command chair for a moment and then looked forward, steering Goliath with a frown. The rest of the crew on the deck gazed at one another with expressions of anxiety and fear but nevertheless continued working at their computer terminals.

Even though Shiva could technically control every aspect of the ship, it was customary—mostly as a precaution—for military personnel to have their own positions and duties in case an AI, such as Shiva, malfunctioned. Adams, for example, normally steered the starship. Ever since Bisel had come on board, however, Adams’ job had been switched to communications. Captain Heims, meanwhile, was forced to fly Goliath instead. And Carey, who was originally in charge of communications, helped Adams. This sort of “job switching” became a symbol of Bisel’s chaotic and demeaning presence.

Goliath turned and accelerated. The spacecraft moved in gentle vibrations via its engine burners and flew out into Khiylos’ orbit. The other UEC starships motioned forward as soon as Goliath left the planet. They were fairly big ships but weren’t even half the size of Goliath. They were all maneuvering toward Goliath to regroup. Heims eventually exited the Alpha Binary Star System and plotted a course for Delta, where Brimidia was located.

“Captain,” said Adams abruptly, “with all due respect, how come the admiral is forcing you to helm the ship when you’ve always been giving the orders?”

“To be honest, I’m not sure, Adams,” said Heims. “I haven’t been sure about anything lately. In fact, I feel the UEC has turned upside down since Admiral Bisel came on board and formed us into the Tenth Fleet. Personally, I’d much rather have you helm Goliath. I hope that’s some consolation what with this insanity.”

“Thanks, sir,” said Adams.

Carey sighed. “I wish he would at least tell us why we’re traversing to Gamut,” she said nervously. “Especially with Vreffith Larser.”

“Trust me, I’ve been wondering about that myself,” said Heims.

“I’m glad to know you’re on our side, sir,” said Carey. “You’ll always be our captain no matter what happens.”

“Thank you, Carey,” said Heims, faintly smiling. “Let’s just try to remain calm while Admiral Bisel is aboard. Hopefully by tomorrow this will all be over.”

The crew complied, continuing with their duties while Captain Heims flew the ship through the cosmos towards Delta. Not one person in the UEC had been known to venture beyond the veil. The galactic veil, or in more technical terms, the Milky Way Galaxy, had become humanity’s new home rather than just Earth. Though always possible to travel farther, anything beyond the veil was unknown; this seemed mystical and yet frightening to the crew. Fear had always dominated and superseded any form of curiosity, especially for one such as Captain Heims. The only thing he and his crew could do was to try shaking away their fear and focus on their duties.

In the meantime, Bisel was walking through a corridor of silver-colored walls and pale blue lights that radiated along the ceiling. He grumbled under his breath as his UND spoke to him from its cubical vidlink:

“I don’t like this one bit, Admiral,” said Commander Saven.

“You have your orders, Commander,” scowled Bisel while a scruffy engineer passing by stopped and saluted him. Bisel nodded at the engineer and continued, “Remain with the rest of the fleet until we have clearance.” He turned his vidlink off before the commander could reply. He reached an elevator portal labeled Prison Bay and stepped inside it. “Take me to block S.”

A white beam appeared, moving up and down his body. “Classified sector,” said Shiva. “Scanning Genesis-DNA.”

“Shiva, you already know it’s me,” said Bisel, less patient than before.

“Admiral Bisel,” she began, “you, above all personnel, should know that dismissing procedure is against my programming.”

He rolled his eyes. “One of these days I’ll have to remove your protocols.”

“That, Admiral, is illegal,” she said.

“Well, you wouldn’t say that afterwards,” he said, shrugging.

At that moment, Bisel was teleported. Upon reappearing, he stepped out of the elevator portal that joined a different corridor and walked through it. There was a sealed hatch at the end. Upon standing beside the access door, he waved his hand next to a monitor embedded in the left wall.

“Access granted,” said Shiva.

The door made a thumping sound as its central seal pushed inward and rotated in a one-hundred-eighty-degree movement. Then the door opened, sliding into the left wall. Bisel entered the prison bay, an enormous white-paneled chamber filled with bridges—some lower and higher than others. He crossed over a bridge, glancing at the chamber-sized window through which showed a view that made him feel as though he stood before a lost treasure: the galactic veil. Before him was an endless panorama of stars. The rest of the chamber was filled with circular pods, all of which were sealed by hatches.

Bisel clicked his UND, selecting vidlink. He inputted a code, similar to when one made a phone call several centuries ago, and waited until an image of Jolus appeared. “Lieutenant,” he said, “I’m crossing the prison bay now. Is Vreffith contained?”

“Yes, sir,” said Jolus. “We’re standing guard until you arrive.”

“Excellent, I’ll be there soon,” said Bisel.

He ended his vidlink session and walked through another access door opposite to the one he had come from. He was back in the regular silver-colored corridors and passed by a few cells with energy shields, two of which were already holding prisoners. Ahead stood Keith and Jolus, the same soldiers who’d assisted Bisel in Onnas Asan. They saluted Bisel and waited for him to approach.

“As you were, soldiers,” said Bisel. “It’s time for me to interrogate our guest.”

They gave Bisel a quick salute and left him alone in detention block S, the highest level of security in any prison. And sure enough, an energy shield prevented Vreffith from escaping. Bisel stared at him with a callous smirk, noticing that he was awake.

“It’s too late for apologies, Admiral,” said Vreffith gruffly. “There’s no turning back from this. Not even the military will listen to you.”

Bisel clicked his UND, porting an FG-400 in his hands, and fired another pulse charge at Vreffith who gagged in agonizing pain. Vreffith jolted against the wall of his cell, falling to his knees.

“Apologies?” said Bisel. “You obviously don’t know me very well. I don’t take shit from scum like you. I only came down here to let you know one thing.”

“Oh?” said Vreffith, raising an eyebrow. “And what’s that?”

“That I know your precious little secret,” said Bisel. “This is the end of the line for you, Vreffith. Or should I call you Liagon?”

Vreffith glared at him suspiciously. He stood up and had a firm countenance as though the electrical pulses coursing through his body did not affect him.

“I want to say impossible,” said Vreffith. “But I have clearly underestimated you and your pathetic race.”

Bisel grinned. “You didn’t underestimate my race, only me,” he said. “And you’re still human, Liagon. Those experiments didn’t remove your humanity.”

“Really?” said Vreffith. His eyes flared from their natural blue to an inhuman citrine as he added, “Then why don’t you remove this barrier and find out how human I am?”

Bisel blasted Vreffith again with the same pulse charge. “You’ll soon learn that I’m not as foolish as you,” he said.

Vreffith groaned, twitching on the ground. “I’ll kill you myself,” he muttered.

“Not today,” said Bisel, blasting him once more.

Cringing back, Vreffith shuddered against the wall and fainted. Bisel glared at him with a stern expression and then left, grunting under his breath. He walked through the prison bay again and used an elevator portal, returning to the command deck. His crew saluted him. Bisel nodded at them while walking over to a spiral staircase that led to the second level of the deck. When he reached it he went up and sat on the captain’s chair—his chair now.

The command deck had two levels: the first was a circular floor where his crew worked. They were stationed on elevated seats, working beside their navigational monitors. The second floor was known as the observation deck, surrounded by an octagonal see-through windowpane. Bisel remained seated here, observing his crew and the vastness of space.

Goliath and its fellow ships were finally approaching Brimidia in the Delta Star System. It was a charcoal-red planet with an asteroid belt, and it had five moons orbiting it. Also, not far from Brimidia was a gigantic ring-shaped spaceport. However, the port was better known as a Casimir station. Picking up speed, Goliath reached Brimidia and entered its hot atmosphere. The planet’s crimson sky looked hazy, sporadic showers of ashes raining down from its dense clouds. As soon as Goliath flew past the ashy sky, the crew on the command deck heard a beep.

“Admiral,” said Adams, “the IGF is requesting communication. Shall I open the vidlink for you?”

Bisel stood up and put his hands behind his back while he said, “There’s no need for you to do that. Shiva, activate the vidlink.”

Adams looked down from his terminal with a shameful expression when Bisel gave that command.

“Activating,” said Shiva.

When the vidlink activated, an officer appeared on the screen. It was so clear, as opposed to the UND’s static-like form, that it looked as though the officer stood right there with the ship’s crew.

“This is Officer Jansen of the Intergalactic Federation,” said Jansen. “We have you on our visuals and have confirmed your identification. What is your business here, Admiral?”

“I’m requesting use of the IGF spaceport to reach Gamut,” said Bisel.

Jansen coughed, an expression of disbelief on his face. “Are you aware that the amount for Casimir use is doubled if it’s not a return?” he asked.

“Six hundred thousand,” said Bisel in an irked tone. “Correct?”

“Correct,” replied Jansen.

“Our mission has already been approved,” said Bisel, lying. “You can remove the funds from my account under this UEC code: AGS-00-3842.”

“Very well,” said Jansen. “The Casimir station should be ready in about three hours. If you’d like you can dock at the Nas Vando colony, Port-82, until the Casimir is ready.”

“Thank you, Officer,” said Bisel.

Jansen nodded and ended the vidlink session.

“Disconnecting,” said Shiva.

“Carey,” called out Bisel.

Carey flinched and turned to Bisel, hardly believing he knew her name.

He went on, “Inform the rest of the fleet that they’re allowed to dock inside Port-82 and that I’d like to meet with my commanders in the Argana Lounge.”

“Right away, Admiral,” she said.

Carey manually opened the communications console to contact the rest of the fleet while Bisel left the deck. He used an elevator portal nearby labeled Residential Quarters. It ported him to the ship’s residential wing. He then headed over to his private quarters. As he did so, his UND flashed and vibrated.

“What do you want, Shiva?”

“Admiral,” began Shiva as Bisel waved his hand at the wall scanner, entering his cabin, “you have stated in your log that Vreffith Larser has been detained due to galactic treason: slave trading and smuggling. However, during your interrogation with Vreffith Larser, you referred to him as ‘Liagon’ and claimed he was used in experiments. Yet there are no files presenting your accusations.”

“Your point?” he said, going into his personal lavatory. The lights automatically flickered on when he stepped inside.

“Admiral, as your AI—”

Bisel interjected, “You want to advise me. Shiva, your protocol is to obey my command and only my command. And yes, you have the authority to ask questions, but only so much as to benefit the UEC. There’s a reason why my knowledge of Liagon is not available in our database. This is none of your concern.”

Silence fell, broken only by the sound of the faucet’s water as Bisel washed his face. He then dialed into a transparent pad, at which point the marble sink vanished. Afterwards, a mirror manifested on the wall.

“My concern is the UEC’s concern, Admiral.”

Staring at himself in the mirror, he retorted, “Shiva, don’t pretend to be an android. You know that you’re an AI; you have a personality of your own. And that means, somewhere within your programming, you’re meant to be nosey—like us humans.”

“Admiral, I assure you with one hundred percent certainty that my inquisitive trait is a part of my programming to benefit the UEC,” she said.

“Admit it, you’re nosey like us,” he said amusingly. “You want to know for yourself because you’re used to knowing everything. Just admit it.” He laughed because Shiva didn’t respond. “Anyway, if I keep speaking to you my officers will be drunk by the time I join them in the Argana Lounge; well, except for Mar’kett. Listen, not even President Weldner knows about Liagon. You may find what I’m doing to be suspicious compared to what other UEC officers do, but there’s a reason why this information is classified. More importantly, I’m relying on you to keep it that way. Can I depend on you for that?”

“Your information and actions are secure with me, Admiral,” she said. Bisel sighed with relief while Shiva asked, “May I shut down for maintenance until our scheduled departure?”

“That’s fine,” he said.

“Thank you,” she replied, shutting down.

Bisel entered another code on the panel. A part of the wall automatically turned into a hand dryer, blowing warm air on his hands. Upon them drying, he walked back to his bedroom and glanced at the dressing cabinet on which stood a frame with an old picture of himself, his wife, and daughter. Bisel looked about ten years younger in the photo. He held the frame and stared at the decade-old family photo, gently touching the spot where his wife sat.

An uncontrollable emotion swelled up inside him. It made him feel as though he’d forgotten to appreciate or love. He couldn’t find the proper word for the feeling that was shot into his heart. Bisel felt betrayed by his own mind, like a nurse who’s supposed to care for her own patients but injects poison into them instead. A part of him wanted to rip this sensation away, never to feel such a thing again. Yet there was another part of him desperately trying to hold on to whatever it was that made him so emotional.

He thought this was unnatural. What was love other than the condescending feeling he had when speaking to fellow officers and soldiers? Disrespecting anyone who got in his way, being in absolute control of everything, was the only love he knew. It was a different kind of love; a craving for power. Bisel had forgotten what it was like to really feel—to really love, at least before his wife had died. The word finally came to him the way a seizure abruptly occurs: depression. And in this moment of depression, he lost his power. He was human after all.

His eyes became teary. He stared at the photo as he thought, Elsa, I still don’t understand why you died. Nesha and I have grown apart without you…we miss you. Upon placing the frame back on the dresser, he looked at himself in the mirror beside his bed, rubbed his slightly coarse, aged face, and combed his salt-and-pepper hair.

He then tightened his fists and said aloud, “The mission must be accomplished, no matter the cost.”

Looking across his shipshape bed, he glanced at his window overlooking the approaching IGF docking bay of Port-82. He stared at Nas Vando for a brief moment and then left his private quarters.

Shortly after Heims landed the spacecraft, Bisel exited it. The other UEC starships were already stationed there. Crew members stood outside, talking among themselves; however, they stopped and saluted the admiral when he passed by. Bisel nodded at them while he left the docking bay.

Two teenagers were rifting in front of Bisel when he stepped outside. Rifting in the twenty-seventh century had become the latest form of entertainment. It was the sport of gliding through the universe. Anyone with a rift board could surf any ocean wave, skateboard along any street, or ski down any slope of snow. Best of all, one could activate its hover engine and glide through the air or space.

Bisel glanced at the rifters with a faint smile. Seeing them made him think of his daughter who happened to be a passionate rifter, which helped him appreciate the sport. He eventually turned and walked through Nas Vando, one of many IGF colonies on Brimidia. Most of the buildings in the colony were skyscrapers. Some of them, however, were smaller, such as the Argana Lounge. Bisel could see the black-tinted club on his UND; though, to reach it meant he’d have to walk across Nas Vando’s park. He passed by a few skyscrapers, as well as a monorail that motioned fifty feet above him. While walking toward the park, he couldn’t help notice a group of young skaters.

He paused along the flowery walkway for a moment and observed the teenagers skate in Nas Vando’s rifting plaza. He was so drawn to the stunning sight of sidewalk surfing’s return that he ended up approaching the area just to watch. Another rifter suddenly flew over him from behind, performing a windwheel, which was identical to a cartwheel’s motion but used with the wind tide. Bisel cringed due to the rapid stunt, barely seeing what the rifter had done. He sighed and entered the colony’s square, where most of the skaters were hanging out.

A vibrant crowd cheered at the skateboarders who gracefully skated across the artificial ramps and steps.

“Give it your best, Shala!” shouted one of the spectators.

Shala Bella, one of the many skaters there, had just performed a switch kickflip. Shortly after, Sendis Nayama, another skater, swerved along a vert ramp in midair and performed a full cutback somersault. The onlookers clapped and wore awestruck expressions because Sendis used the wind tide so well. Then, before landing, the wheels of his board disappeared—replaced by a hover engine, allowing him to rift skyward.

“You’re going to get first place, Sendis!” said another person in the crowd.

Sendis rifted toward the crimson sky, gesturing at his applauding audience with a shaka sign. He embraced the wind tide while he rifted away, vanishing from Bisel’s sight.

The other rifters continued to skate through the park. Bisel felt a strong sense of peace as he watched them. Rifting was his daughter’s favorite sport, and he enjoyed it too; however, time was passing. He didn’t want to keep his officers waiting long, so he walked across the park and approached the colony’s club.

Bisel cautiously stepped into the Argana Lounge—Nas Vando’s greatest sanctuary for relaxation and pleasure—and glanced at the people inside. It was a shady yet sensual place for visitors. Calisian strippers and prostitutes danced on the stage while human patrons lustfully whistled at them. Vel’pheasian bounty hunters were loitering in the darkest corners, wondering who they could kill without getting into trouble. Fe’lorians were there too, though most of them were waitresses rather than patrons.

Calisians looked identical to humans, except they weren’t from the Solar System; they lived in the Delta Star System. Brimidia had always been their homeworld. When the UEC had first come to their planet, they created colonies such as Nas Vando for people like Bisel to visit. Although calisians and humans had an identical appearance, they didn’t share the same physiology. Calisians were fatally allergic to cold climates, yet in warmer climates their strength was unmatched by any species.

Vel’pheasians, on the other hand, did not resemble humans in the slightest bit. In fact, they looked more like a blend of reptiles and orcs from absurd fantasy novels written by humans. This scute-scaled species varied in complexion. Most of them had greenish scales, though some were more unique and had black and ivory scales or scutes. Vel’pheasians were born with slit-shaped eyes, claws, hunched backs, and lengthy snouts. Only a few of them had tusks, and those in the Argana Lounge had thick tusks.

Last were the fe’lorians. Though from the same star system as the vel’pheasians, they lived on a water planet known as Fe’lora, which was vastly different than Yak-Shur—the parasitical world of the Vel’pheasian Empire. Fe’lorians were capable of living on land yet preferred to live in an ocean. They usually lived for two hundred years and had fusion power for blood. Their complexions were mostly terracotta but some had golden fleeces. And despite the fact that they resembled women they had no gender because they were asexual beings. To Bisel, they seemed angelic, yet those who had horns looked more demonic to him.

He finally spotted two familiar humans after observing the crowd. One of them, a fairly young woman, waved at him. They sat in the back, away from the techno-ambient music most patrons were dancing to.

“It’s good to see you, Admiral,” said Commander Rena Mar’kett, saluting Bisel.

Most humans were mixed, but she appeared to be Caucasian with short blonde hair, green eyes, and a light complexion.

“At ease, Commander Mar’kett,” said Bisel. “And...it’s good to see you too.”

The other human, a Russian commander by the name of Alex Saven, had brown hair, black eyes, and a thick beard. He said nothing; he simply frowned at Bisel, remaining seated. Bisel glared at him with a similar distaste, sitting beside Rena Mar’kett.

“Phase one is complete,” said Bisel. “Now we—”

Interrupting him, a horned fe’lorian waitress approached their table and spoke in Cosmontric, the universal language.

“Would you like anything to drink, sir?” she asked, looking at Bisel.

“I didn’t know fe’lorians enjoyed being in places like this,” said Bisel, looking at the waitress curiously.

“We don’t, but it’s work,” said the fe’lorian. “Can I get you something?”

Bisel grumbled under his breath and noticed that the others already had drinks. “I’ll have a garsini, on the rocks.” He turned back with a slight smirk, watching his commanders drink their liquor while the fe’lorian waitress left. “Vodka? You’re getting fancy, Savenski.”

“It’s Saven,” he said. “And what else would I drink in this alien shithole?”

“I’d watch my tone if I were you,” said Bisel.

“My tone?” said Saven. “With all due respect, Admiral, what the hell are we doing here?”

A few neighboring vel’pheasians stared at Commander Saven, snorting and grunting among themselves.

“Shhh,” whispered Commander Mar’kett. “Keep your voice down.”

Bisel fixed his eyes on the table as he breathed heavily. Then he leaned back in his seat and finally said, “This mission is on a need-to-know basis. I can’t risk any of this information falling into the wrong hands. That being said: everything’s running smoothly, and I’m certain it will stay this way because I’m in charge. You should be grateful I even requested to see your face here.”

Saven slammed his glass on the table and stood up in a crazed frenzy. “I’ve about had it with your lack of respect,” he said. “You’ve been bullshitting everybody since the academy. I’m sick of this arrogance of yours!” He glanced at Commander Mar’kett, scowling, and added, “I’ll be outside until it’s time.”

Bisel looked unaffected by Saven’s words. To him, it was as though Saven had never even existed. Mar’kett looked at Saven with sympathy but said nothing to him. The fe’lorian returned with Bisel’s garsini. It resembled chartreuse liqueur, yet its origin was vel’pheasian. After the fe’lorian waitress gave him his drink she walked back to the front where the calisian strippers danced.

“Phase two will begin at 0400,” said Bisel, his voice low. “We’ll be using the Casimir station to reach Gamut. Afterwards, you’ll await my orders.” He seemed to hesitate at first but eventually continued, “It’s obvious that Savenski can’t be trusted. But how about you? Can you be trusted?”

“Niralus,” said Mar’kett as if shocked, “we’ve known each other since Higher Education. Of course I can be trusted.”

“I certainly hope so,” he said, grabbing his glass of vel’pheasian liquor.

“How’s Nesha?” she asked.

Bisel grunted, taking a sip of his garsini. “Still ignoring my mail,” he said.

“Nesha’s going to be eighteen soon, right? I really think you should let her go on that senior trip,” she said.

Bisel choked on his drink. “What?”

“Niralus,” she began, “if I may speak my mi—”

“You certainly may not,” he interjected, observing the dim lounge with a scornful expression.

Mar’kett sighed and said, “You’re too overprotective…like her mother. The more strict you are, the more she’ll rebel. And the more she rebels, the more distant the two of you will be. Is that what you want?”

“You’ve got a lot of mouth, Rena,” he said.

She chuckled and said, “Enough mouth to help you.”

“More like stress me out,” he said.

“Since when do I stress you out?” she asked, playfully pouting. “Come on, we’ve always been friends. Why the cold shoulder now? I think Fen Treydis is a perfectly safe place for her and her friends to go.”

“Look, I’ll think about it,” he said. “Just lay off my daughter. This is neither the time nor place to think about her trip.”

Mar’kett stopped herself from chuckling at what Bisel had said. She kept quiet as Bisel took another sip of his garsini. There was a moment of silence between them while a new song played in the background. After a few seconds, Mar’kett broke the silence:

“Niralus, is it really safe here?”

Bisel drank the rest of his garsini in a single gulp and laid the glass down. “Nowhere is safe,” he said sternly. “But we’re allied with the IGF, so this is as safe as it gets.”

Mar’kett nodded, staring at her half-filled glass while Bisel stood up from his seat.

He then muttered, “Rena…”

“Yes?” she responded, somewhat bewildered by his tone.

“I need you to stay focused,” he said. “Once we’re beyond the veil, anything can happen to us.”

Mar’kett pushed her glass of vodka away. “I’ll do my best,” she said.

“Glad to hear,” he said.

“But,” she sputtered as Bisel turned to leave, “I think that for the first time in my life I’m scared.”

“You’re supposed to be,” he said, walking away.

Another officer, somewhat clumsy looking with the same uniform and medals as Saven, bumped into Bisel.

“Oh, Admiral!” said the commander. He stiffened up, saluting Bisel. “I’m really sorry for being late. Our AI was acting very strange.”

“No worries, Naiman,” said Bisel. “I had the same exact problem with mine. Commander Mar’kett is in the back if you’d like to speak with her. You’re free until 0400.”

“Thank you, Admiral,” said Naiman, saluting Bisel again.

Bisel nodded, leaving Naiman to himself. He jostled through the crowd, approaching the bar. He then waved his UND by the tilted screen on the marble counter until it flashed green and displayed: Thank You.

In the meantime, Sergeant Keith Wernn and Lieutenant Jolus Bako sat a few stools away from him. They had finally taken off their helmets. And, quite surprising to Bisel, was that one of the many calisian prostitutes was all over Keith. Her warm hands were stroking his wavy hair while she brought her lips close to his, teasing him. As for Jolus, he merely stood beside Keith, gawking at the half-naked prostitute.

Calisian prostitutes were Keith’s dream come true. They not only looked as beautiful as human women but were immune to all known diseases. This meant that no matter how many calisian prostitutes he’d sleep with, he’d remain perfectly healthy. It was pretty much any man’s dream come true, except for Bisel who acted as if his wife were still alive.

He glanced at Keith and sulked; there was something about Keith that ticked him off, and it wasn’t the fact that Keith was ready to sleep with any available woman. Perhaps it was because he sensed that Keith had a similar haughty attitude when it came to dealing with others. The only major difference between the two of them was that Bisel could get away with his disrespectful decorum; yes, that’s right, he thought, decorum. To him, being disrespectful was a good thing, just not when someone was disrespectful to him. It was somewhat unfair, but he earned the right to his superiority, or at least that was what he concluded.

The calisian prostitute kissed Keith passionately. Upon kissing him, her lips changed from dark red to a very pale complexion.

“You know,” said the prostitute, “you’re a lot colder than most humans.”

“I get that from a lot of women,” said Keith, continuing to kiss her.

“Hey, baby,” hollered another prostitute, rubbing Bisel’s shoulder.

He glanced at her with a miserable expression. Though he had respect for prostitution, he didn’t feel aroused since he still yearned for his dead wife.

“I’m not interested,” he said.

The patrons on the dance floor kept dancing wildly to the techno-ambient music as lilac lights flashed throughout the lounge. Bisel had no choice but to listen to the banter surrounding him. The ecstatic music locked on to him, pulling him towards a whirling dirge of emptiness. He was beginning to drown in despair again. Then, almost robotically, he freed himself as his eyes flitted into focus. Mar’kett, as he noticed, still sat at her table, speaking to Commander Naiman. He rested his elbows on the counter, sighing while the lounge’s escape dwindled before him.

Several hours passed. The crew of the Tenth Fleet returned to their mandated stations when 0400 came. They continued their flight toward the Raging Gamut. Leading the fleet was Goliath. The starships gradually approached Brimidia’s Casimir space station, which happened to be about the same size as Nas Vando but in the form of a ring. It had an immense hole at its center. Any ship could fit through it, even Goliath.

“Jansen,” called out one of the IGF officers, “all thermal emissions are ready, and the graviton is stable.”

Officer Jansen nodded at the officer. He pushed two levers, each in opposite directions, and then opened the tower’s communications console. “Admiral,” he said through the vidlink, “the quantum field has begun to materialize. Thank you for using our service. We hope you have a safe journey.”

“Thank you, Officer,” said Bisel, sitting comfortably in his armchair on the observation deck.

At that moment, Shiva ended the vidlink transmission.

Bisel, meanwhile, looked out into space. It was somewhat peaceful, seeing the seemingly endless void that sparkled with a span of infinite stars. Staring at the radiant panorama gave him the silence he needed, which the Argana Lounge lacked.

He eventually glanced at the lower level of the command chamber and said, “Captain, accelerate into the Casimir.”

“Aye, sir,” said Heims.

As the fleet flew closer, eight light-pulsing pillars formed from the ring’s hull. The eight pillars were spaced apart like the spokes of a primitive wheel, except the pillars did not connect in the middle of the ring. Their sharp pinnacles shimmered and released an electrical discharge, creating a violet aura of energy. The thermal emissions and negative energy density from the ring produced a Casimir effect, which was so powerful that it formed a stable wormhole.

Captain Heims continued to steer Goliath closer to the singularity. Delta’s star beamed across Brimidia, lighting up the fleet with its shine. The light dimmed as each ship flew toward the ring. They were only a few miles away from the wormhole. Then the station’s gravity and negative energy density engulfed Goliath, as well as its fellow ships, into the blackened horizon. In seconds the fleet vanished from Brimidia’s space station.

Gamut’s starry space illuminated as a crack of light opened in its galaxy. The cosmic fracture glittered in an ivory color, similar to the star system’s white dwarf. Goliath appeared from the fissure and accelerated into an unusually high speed as the thermal radiation wore off. The rest of the fleet followed soon after. They were surrounded by asteroids that glowed what with the white dwarf’s radiance. And behind them, in the far-flung distance, was a crimson-tinged nebula that resembled a phoenix.

There were no known colonies in the Raging Gamut Galaxy. It was a lonely and empty region of space, and none of the crew understood why they had traveled to another galaxy with no returning Casimir station. It was disturbing enough to know that Admiral Bisel had arrested Vreffith Larser, yet there was nothing any of them could do except to follow their orders.

Bisel stared at the distant nebula in complete awe. And though his crew shared the same remarkable feeling as they gazed out into Gamut’s space, there was still a woeful feeling within them. They journeyed to another star cluster—the Raging Gamut—but more importantly, it was in another galaxy altogether. They were beyond the veil.