“Were you injured and can no longer work because of lasting pain? If so, then I have news for you! Soli-tech has developed an ‘in home’ Serum formula for the everyday joe. This does more than infuse you with Light; it will allow you to get Li-Tech replacements for spinal injuries, amputations, and more! Ask your doctor for more info!” – Medical advertisement on the Mars colony.

  “Ah, finally,” someone said when Dave opened his cabin door late that night to find none other than Frederick Barca sitting in the recliner across from his bunk. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

  The head of the Aegis Corps would only visit him in the dead of night for one reason. Until proven otherwise, though, he would assume it was for something bad and try his damnedest not to confess to something he might have done.

  “Sir, not that I mind you visiting and all, but why are you in my room?” he asked, getting right to the point without beating around the bush. It was how his mama raised him, and it was how he was going to go through life.

  “Because sitting on the floor in the hallway got uncomfortable about two hours ago.”

  Unfortunately, that raised more questions than it answered, but it didn’t stop Dave from asking another, “And how did you get in?”

  “By being friends with Tobias and Sarath. Doors tend to open for you when those two are just a phone call away.”

  Noted. He thought, filing away the remark for future use, “That makes more than a little sense. Hell, I woulda probably done the same in your shoes. What can I do for you, sir?”

  “I thought you were the smart one in your group?”

  “I wouldn’t go that far. My team is pretty quick on the uptake,” he replied. In his limited experience with officers, he’d learned to expect the unexpected. And when an officer wanted something, they almost always tried to flatter you before asking.

  “I’m not worried about the others in your squad,” Frederick said, taking an almost comically long pull from a wooden tankard in his hand. “I am here to talk about you. More specifically, the enhancement modules you’ll be trying out. You know, the ones you so freely liberated from the vault.”

  “The recording of Officer Hargrave told us to take what we needed,” he replied, worried that he was going to be brought up on charges or something.

  “I know, but it doesn’t make it a good idea. Please, sit,” he said, waving to Dave’s bed. “Would you like some ale before we get started? I brew it myself.”

  Confused and off balance, the Specialist shrugged his consent. Barca’s hand took on the features of Gate travel, then the hand simply shattered.

  The only other time he’d seen localized FTL travel was just a few hours ago when the Captain saved him and his fire team while using Officer Hargrave’s body. Being able to witness something like this without being actively attacked really allowed him to grasp just how amazing it was.

  “You’ll have to forgive me. I had a few friends over last night and haven’t had time to clean up. Finding things blind from a few hundred light-years away is tough enough, but when they’re not in the right spot – ah-ha!”

  The Officer stopped talking as his hand reformed, holding a frosty mug filled with a dark amber liquid. Handing the drink to Dave, he repeated the process and sank back into his chair.

  “You know, you really ought to get a better chair. Don’t we pay you enough to get nice things?”

  “I –”

  “No matter, this is your home. Next time I’ll bring my own,” he said, leaving Dave to wonder if this would become a normal occurrence. “Now, take a good deep drink and tell me it is not the best beverage you’ve ever had.”

  Obeying the odd man, the quality of the ale and its incredibly rich flavors left Dave pleasantly surprised.

  “What is this taste? I don’t recognize it,” he asked, relaxing more than he cared to admit.

  “It’s from a berry only found on Domum. After we restored the atmosphere, seeds that were dormant for thousands of years woke up and grew. To me, it tastes like a sweet blackberry soaked in honey.”

  “It’s amazing!”

  “If you like that, you’ll love the mead!” he said excitedly. “It goes down so smooth; you’ll swear it was just water. We drank it all last night, but I’ll make more and leave it in your room, ok?”

  “Ok… You make your own drinks?” Dave asked incredulously, taking another pull from the mug.

  “What else was I supposed to do in my free time for the last thousand years? Knit? Though… I suppose I could’ve mastered that by now,” he said, voice trailing off as he lost his train of thought.

  Draining the cup and placing it on a small table in the center of the room, he said, “Well then, Dave, I didn’t come here just to drink and shoot the bull. If you want another round, I’ll be happy to oblige, but that is not our primary focus.”

  Barca stretched his arms and rolled his neck, popping it several times before continuing, “You see Specialist, you are about to use something purely experimental. Everything I know about it comes from a point of failure. At best, we are working with educated guesses.”

  “Ok,” he replied slowly, apprehension rising.

  “The enhancement project Theresa and I worked on was canceled a long time ago, and for good reasons. Bottom line, we saw how much damage we could do if left unrestrained. If there was an entire battalion with our power, even if for only a moment, it could destroy worlds. Second, and more important to you, it seriously hurts the subjects. Many that used her enhancement serum became so addicted to its effects they couldn’t live without it.”

  “So why even offer it to me?”

  “Because we all have to make our own choices in this world,” he said, reaching through time and space to retrieve a sandwich, “and because she swears it’s fixed.”

  “Could I be as strong as you?” Dave tried to ignore the big man’s strange behavior, but pulling a sandwich from the other side of the galaxy in the middle of a conversation was, frankly, weird.

  “Honestly, probably not. No member of the Seven remains mortal in the slightest. As long as you are at least partially human, you can’t reach our level, but you can get close,” the Aegis leader explained around a mouthful of bread and meat.

  “You’re not mortal?”

  “Not really. Our DNA no longer has any characteristics of mortality, and we haven’t aged since we took the serum. Honestly, we are basically solid Light-made flesh.”

  “Wait… so you’re telling me you’re nothing more than a big ball of sentient Light?” Dave asked, more than a little confused.

  “Eh… kind of.”

  “Alright… I don’t really know what to say to that. Can we talk about these experiments instead?”

  “Of course, it’s why I’m here.”

  “You said there is a chance I’ll become heavily addicted to this stuff. What is the plan if that happens? Am I just screwed, or can we fix me?”

  “Well,” the Officer began slowly, “It’s a bit like heroin if you know anything about that. The first injection will hook you if the mixture is wrong. But don’t worry, we will put you in a Light proof room for several weeks while you go through the withdrawals, and afterward, we will make sure that you can’t get anywhere near it again.”

  Dave cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. “So wait… you throw me in a windowless room and wait. That’s the entire plan? What about flashbacks, cravings, relapses, the whole nine?”

  “Oh, you will have those. "But you won't receive the enhancement serum again,” he said straight-faced, “so you will likely seek other means of gratification until you fall in battle and are rebuilt as a Steel Cast.”

  “That’s a real shitty deal, you know that?”

  “I do,” he replied, taking another bite of the sandwich.

  “Can I have another ale… I need to think about this.”

  Reaching through space yet again, the Unranked Officer pulled out another frosty mug full of the amber liquid and handed it over.

  “Any other drawbacks to this nightmare of a drug?”

  “That one is interesting. The test subject we had the most success with lost his ability to craft Light for a day when it wore off. But while the drug was in his system, he could craft shields right about sixty percent of my maximum.”

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  “And what can I craft now?”

  “Maybe a tenth of one percent?” he shrugged.

  “Holy hell, but losing my power for an entire day… that is going to be risky in the field.”

  “Learn how to be smart?”

  “Thanks, I would’ve never guessed that.” Dave said flatly.

  “So, are you willing to give it a try?” Frederick asked.

  “Yeah, I need to be stronger to fight these things. If I can’t, there’s no point in me even going on the next mission.”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself. The People are very tough enemies. Even Ben could only make one talk for a few moments.”

  “Wait,” Dave said, holding up a hand. “You people have one of these things captive?”

  “Um… No?” Frederick lied unconvincingly. “Anyway. I figured that you’d still be game. If this works for you, we can restart the experiments for all seven corps. You might just be the catalyst that makes the AHF truly unstoppable.”

  The two men fell quiet as they thought about what Frederick had just said. It implied that forces capable of matching—and potentially surpassing—humanity’s power were out there waiting in the shadows.

  What would happen if humanity had that level of power at its disposal? Would the ever-hungry human republic plunder and demolish even more worlds to make room for a growing population?

  “Would that really be better for humanity?” Dave asked, breaking the silence. “I mean, we would probably use that power to steamroll every habitable planet we find. Are we sure that’s the right move for the universe as a whole?”

  “No, in fact, I suspect it will be very bad for everyone that isn’t human. Unfortunately, we have to look at the future. And right now, that means finding a way to defeat the enemy without endangering more lives than we already do.”

  “If this works, and we can make a variation for every corps… what about people like Jack?” he asked, taking a sip of ale.

  “What about him?”

  “He’s already had a second dose of Serum during our initial transformation. Would it work on him?”

  “Depends. How strong is he now?”

  “I don’t know how to judge Optics, but he can take people with him and act as a bridge for Possessors to reach further than normal.” He explained, tapping a finger on his temple as he thought, “and he can already hold four or five separate links.”

  “The first is impressive, but four or five is not so much. It doesn’t even cover your squad.”

  “No, I mean four or five full circuits. He can cover the entire squad with one,” he clarified.

  “That… is a different story altogether,” Frederick said, “But I won’t step out of my corps. That is for Albert to evaluate, not me.”

  Grabbing the empty mugs and pushing them back through his miniature Gate, the Unranked Officer stood and walked toward the door, “Think about it. Ultimately, it is your decision, but I want you to consider the good it might accomplish. I have it on good authority that your company will be grounded for quite some time … but don’t wait too long. If you go through with this, you will need to train with the new power.”

  Without waiting for a response, the head of the Aegis Corps walked out of the cabin door. As the cold steel door whispered closed, Dave found himself all alone with only his thoughts for company.

  ~~**~~

  This shite will be the end of me. Nessa thought, limping her way down the dimly lit hallway toward her cabin. It was embarrassing that a warrior of her stature couldn’t stand on her own two feet, but here she was, carried like a sack of corn by Warren and Thea. They pity me. They know I’ll never fight again. I wouldn’t be surprised if Command gives me new orders to join the artillery tomorrow.

  “Ness, you really need to learn your limit. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to carry you back to your room when you got too dru—”

  “Piss off.” She interrupted. The man hadn’t shut his hole since they’d left the pub, somehow keeping an unbroken stream of dialog running without the response—or interest—of anyone else. The worst part was that he did it stone sober. Not a single drop of liquid fortitude in his body, yet he somehow had the confidence of a college student out on a Friday night. “I know my limits. I’m Irish and I-”

  “Drink however much you damned well please. If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a thousand times. Unfortunately for you, we’ve been friends longer than we haven’t. This is not your norm, no matter what you try to tell me.” He said, cutting her off just as abruptly as she did a second earlier.

  “She needs to rest and maybe even talk about what happened,” Thea said, reminding the two bickering friends she was there.

  “I can’t be having you on my back too. Just get me to my cabin so you both can piss off and I can sleep. Hopefully, the med-bay will have my interface ready by morning.” Nessa said, venom dripping from her words.

  “I know the leg is bothering her. Hell, we talked about it before we even went into the pub… but apparently, she is letting it overwhelm her better judgment,” Warren replied to Thea as if the Breaker wasn’t there.

  “My fuckin’ leg had scars,” Nessa spat. “They were memories of what it cost to fail; marks from where that bastard beat me, gouges from my mistakes with a blade. Even the lingering pain from the time I tore a tendon a few years back is gone. I don’t get those reminders anymore. The only place those lessons live on is my head, and we all know how fickle a thing like memory can be. Tell me, what kind of warrior has no scars?”

  Oblivious to Nessa’s pain, the door to her cabin slipped open quietly and allowed the trio to stumble inside.

  This damned leg wouldn’t listen to her. Logically, she knew it was because she lacked the implant, but in her heart, it was like her father was trying to screw her over from the grave. Losing her agility would have made him laugh in delight as he forced her to fight with the handicap. Would he go easy on her in this state? Never.

  Why the hell wasn’t someone else cursed with the damned cybernetic limb? Were the rest of them forced to learn the sword from the day they could walk? Did they still train day in and day out, only taking breaks to sharpen the mind?

  Were they punished with pain when they made mistakes?

  No, but that was neither Warren nor Thea’s fault.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, lowering herself onto the bed and turning her eyes away, “You didn’t deserve that… I’m in a really dark place and need to work through it.”

  “We know,” Warren said, sitting down next to her and unbuttoning his sleeves, “Which is why Thea and I will be staying with you tonight and not returning to our rooms. I didn’t let you sleep alone when your father died, and I won’t do it today. You can stay… right Thea?”

  “Of course,” she replied, drawn back into the conversation. “I’m the team healer, right? Mental health is just as—if not more—important than physical health. My job doesn’t end when we step off the battlefield. Most of the time, that is when a Phantom’s real work begins.”

  “Thanks… both of you,” Nessa said quietly. She sucked in a deep breath and pulled back her shoulders before letting it out, plastering a smile to her face. “But neither of you better use this as a convenient excuse to see me in my skivvies.”

  “Oh please. You don’t have the parts to make my trouser snake dance, you can’t even make him wiggle. Also…” He said, raising a finger while pulling off his boots, “I call bed with Ness! Thea, you can have the extra mattress she keeps underneath.”

  “On second thought… You don’t need to do this,” Nessa said, secretly hoping they would remain as stubborn as always. “I’ll be fine by myself.”

  “What, so you can wallow in self-pity? Nope, that’s not happening. We are going to get all cozy and talk about the things that make us happy. Not a word about your dad, your leg, or how you think you’re not good enough for combat anymore. You don’t get to be sad and mopy… not tonight.”

  “He’s right you know,” Thea smiled, somehow making it feel like a high school sleepover, “I want to hear about you; What you’re reading, what you watch, how you relax, who you date… or want to date. And if you’re not getting lucky at least once a week, why the hell not?”

  “Well, the last one is easy. I don’t date. I mean… we’ve been kinda busy the last couple of years with all the soldiering we do.” Nessa said, trying to find an excuse.

  “Not all the time. Jack and I manage to go out at least once a week. We aren’t on missions day in and day out. We all know that for a fact. So, what is the issue?”

  “I’ve got… odd preferences,” Nessa dodged again while slipping out of her clothes and sliding under the blankets.

  “Boys? Girls? Anatomically incorrect Steel Cast with strategically placed tentacles?” Thea asked, sliding the spare mattress out from under the bed.

  “The idea of a relationship with someone has never really been at the top of my list. I just prefer to stay focused on my craft.”

  “So relationships are not your thing. What do you like? What do you do when you’re not working?” Thea asked, changing the direction of the conversation. “Me, I like to draw. I must spend a quarter of my income on supplies and programs, and another quarter on whatever literature I’m interested in that day.”

  “Mostly she just looks at swords and stuff,” Warren answered, taking the wall side of Nessa’s bunk. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve caught her looking up historical weapons and how they were used.”

  “Hey, that’s my secret,” Nessa joked, steeling herself for what she was about to say, “Honestly Thea, the reason I never bother with a relationship is that I just am not comfortable in that kind of situation. I don’t like people touching my skin… well, most people. I know Warren wants nothing sexual from me, and he’s been in my life for so long he’s practically my brother. I’ve occasionally had a random hookup, but after the uh… pleasure portion … is over, I have no desire for anything else. I don’t even take off all my clothes. That way, they can’t touch my skin—or my scars. If I meet someone, they need to be capable of sympathizing with my past. I need to understand how they pushed through the pain, but I hope I never meet someone like that.”

  Thea nodded her understanding and changed the subject again. She could tell these were very rough waters for the girl, and tonight wasn’t about that. It was about relaxation and bonding. If Nessa opened up more in the future, that was on her.

  “Well then, I think we need to talk about how we relax and not who we relax with. So, I’m going to do what I like best and order a pizza. I would get wine, but honestly, I’m all drinked out.”

  Nessa wanted to argue, she really did. She wasn’t worth this much trouble from people that surely had other places to be. But if she listened to her heart—and not the voice of her father that so often echoed through her mind—she knew this wasn’t something she could just let pass her by.

  These people cared about her so much, they would put their own lives on hold just to spend time with her. Like it or not, these were her brothers and sisters in more than just arms. Even the ones that weren’t here… they still meant more than she could say.

  Her guard was down, and that never came easy. But they had dismantled her armor one piece at a time until there was nothing left but raw emotion. It was exhausting, but the laughter they drew out of her left her able to truly sleep for the first time in years.

  The next morning, she lay in her bunk and stared at the painted steel of her cabin ceiling. Normally, waking up after such a hard night of drinking would leave her with a pounding headache. This morning was no different, but it came with more self-reflection than the usually allowed herself.

  Her father hadn’t been a good man. If the courts were to be believed, he wasn’t even a sane one. The only reason she’d met Warren in the first place was because his mother had been the maid for their estate. When they were young, they would play together on the strange jungle-gym her father had commissioned.

  It took until her tenth birthday to understand that it wasn’t a playground at all, but an obstacle course meant to sharpen her physical capabilities.

  He’d hired the best teachers money could buy, but it wasn’t really about giving either child an excellent education as much as it was to keep law enforcement from asking too many questions. Schools asked uncomfortable questions if you showed up covered in cuts and bruises, questions her father didn’t want to answer.

  She still remembered the bastard’s funeral. It was funny; the man hadn’t even died by the blade he so adored. As much as he deserved to die at the hand of the daughter he had broken so completely, he didn’t have that much decency.

  No, the man died in the manner of old men across time. Quietly, peacefully, and in his sleep.

  In fact, she’d only gone looking for him because he was late to morning drills.

  These people are not like your father.

  It wasn’t their fault she couldn’t open up like an actual human being. It was his.

  It wasn’t their fault the only friend she’d ever had before the military was the son of a servant. It was his.

  Most importantly, it wasn’t their fault she was so terrified of losing a fight, she’d sacrificed her leg to speed up an already assured kill.

  It. Was. His.