I asked Dr. Tanner to give you this when you awoke. It tells you the history of a people you will find nowhere else. It might exist in some vault within the United Star Systems, but it isn’t taught anywhere—ever.
Two hundred and fifty years ago, Earth was in turmoiclass="underline" over population, war . . . hunger.
Only the breakthrough of warp drive calmed things when a new frontier opened up. Funded by Governments and corporations, Earth’s first generational colony ships undertook colonial expeditions in large numbers. Millions left.
But it wasn’t enough for some people. The space race fueled new rivalries among old enemies.
Then a man named Reminus Octavian (who we later called Lazarus) developed a technology to imprint one’s consciousness onto a clone. Earth outlawed the practice. It was the one thing Earth’s fractured Governments agreed on. But as with any banned act, the military and other private interests experimented. Cloning was easy. But no one could unlock the secrets to transcendence.
Lazarus’ discovery was the catalyst for The Existential War as it came to be known. We could live forever. The sick, the injured, the old, could transfer their consciousness to a younger self. The Lazarus Society was born. And it exploded seemingly overnight.
Millions pledged to Lazarus who wanted to unite Earth under one leadership, and he was popular enough and powerful enough to do it.
But people opposed. Not only might it place the future of humankind with Lazarus if he held them for ransom with his technology. But the philosophical debate raged—what would one do with forever?
Time is a distinct factor which drives human initiative and endeavor. If we have forever, would our inherent human ingenuity fade? More than half the world believed so.
The war was fought from 2250 to 2253. Hundreds of millions died. We almost set ourselves back to the Ice Age. But the forces of United Earth, at least those united against Lazarus prevailed.
Overzealous soldiers committed genocide against our Society. They blamed us for the war, and we had to pay for what we’d done.
A door chime indicated he had a visitor. Whatever his mother was on about, he was certain he didn’t want to read it in passing. He set it aside for later.
He passed his hand over the console on the work station and his visitor entered.
Max walked in holding a glass in each hand filled with a dark bubbly fluid. “Your favorite, if I recall.” He extended his hand.
Aaron took the drink and sipped it. Carbonated twenty-first century cola recipe.
“Thanks, Max,” he said. He peered up at the doctor. Undoubtedly, this was another one of his medical observations under the guise of a friendly visit. Not that Max needed a reason to visit. But the doctor generally preferred to be reclusive whenever he was aboard a starship.
“So when are you going to confront the elephant on the ship?” Max fired his opening salvo. And a straight shot it was.
It was obvious the doctor had wanted to broach this subject a long time. Max knew him well. Despite the frequent bluster, the doctor knew exactly what subjects might be off limits or how far to push.
And if Aaron pushed back hard enough, Max wouldn’t hesitate to rip into him. A coy response was the right push back for now.
“What elephant? I thought Lee and Flaps only brought aboard horses on their last misadventure.” Aaron moved from behind the workstation and sat on the sleep-inducing recliner in the front section of the room.
“You know very well what I’m referring to, Aaron. It’s not doing you or her any good. So much tension whenever you’re together in the same place. Certainly isn’t good for the crew. They like her. And they’re loyal to you. Don’t make them choose between the two of you. They might start to feel they’re doing something wrong.”
“I’m still processing it, Max.”
“What’s there to process? Aaron, maybe you’re not seeing it. But your continued attitude around Rachael is eating away at her. There are things you don’t yet know about what happened on Atlas.”
The opposing force captured Aaron and Lieutenant Delaine while they were on Atlas. An insufferable character, calling himself Ben James led the opposing force. At first, their captors pretended to be allied operatives. But that facade quickly faded.
During the ordeal, Rachael hadn’t tried to say anything. Their captors whisked them away to some supposed safe house where they began interrogating both of them at first. Finally, when they threatened to shoot Aaron, she stood and appeared to be with Ben James, claiming that threatening her wouldn’t force Aaron to cooperate anyhow.
Lee had rescued Aaron just before he could be executed. She’d been knocked unconscious during the fight and they’d left her behind.
“I know enough.”
Max sat on the day couch opposite from him. “You really don’t. I’m not even going to get into why her supposed betrayal stings you so much. But if I were you, I’d read the after action report on that whole shebang.”
What did Max know that he wasn’t telling him? “Shepherd classified the entire damn thing above even my clearance. Apparently, compartmentalization takes priority over any gaps in my knowledge about the entire operation. It’s history, it was successful. They’ve decided there are things I don’t need to know.”
Max sipped his own drink and nodded. “Interesting. Well, I’ll just leave this here then.” Max placed a datachip on the couch.
Aaron sat forward, closing the recliner. He reached for the datachip and examined it. He gave the doctor a questioning look.
“Seek and ye shall find, my young friend,” Max smiled and left the ready-room.
Aaron blew out a breath and shook his head. He sat behind his workstation, inserted the datachip and read the file.
The more he read, the more his gut knotted. He felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time. It reminded him that he was still merely a flawed human being. It was a disgusting feeling.
He was ashamed.
Chapter 10 – Unspoken Rules
“That was my favorite table, Lee” – Aaron Rayne
Crew lounge
Personnel deck
Lieutenant Rachael Delaine sipped her dark, bubbly beverage and set it back down. It was a risk drinking anything around the two United Fleet officers sitting opposite her! She’d barely swallowed the last sip before she burst into another fit of laughter.
Rachael enjoyed every moment of the time she shared in the crew lounge with these two characters.
She stared across the table at the two of them. No matter how much the young ensign told her to call him Flaps, she just preferred Yuri.
And it was an unspoken rule that no one called Lee by his first name.
It was also an unspoken rule that you didn’t offend Lee. It was a good joke. Lee was deadly to an enemy, but harmless to his friends.
These past few months, the true allure of serving aboard a starship became apparent to her. The camaraderie, the family, the adventure.
The unknown.
It was why she’d requested transfer to starship duty. Once bitten by the bug, you couldn’t go back.
Every day she listened to their stories. From Yuri’s adventures in the Academy to Lee’s many escapades.
Lee was difficult to read. He almost never betrayed any emotions or expressions. He wasn’t as rigid as a robot or anything—she giggled—remembering something someone had said to her not too long ago.
Lee had a deadpan sense of humor. If you didn’t know him, some of the things he said might sound offensive, but having come to know him, she realized it was his way of telling you he liked you. That he felt comfortable around you.