Shadows of Mars (Broken Stars Book 1) I.O. Adler (read people like a book TXT) 📖

“You told me already. I get it. But that doesn’t mean you’re obligated to volunteer everything anyone says, right?”

She Who Waits showed a band of yellow. Carmen licked her lips as she willed the alien to hurry in whatever mental task she was performing. Green Eye and Four Arms were in the hall and moving the cylinder even as the worm was growling orders to Metal Voice. Metal Voice took his position at the door with his sole focus locked on Carmen. His three tentacles wriggled like vines in a breeze.

The Primary Executive coughed as it squeezed out of the chamber.

She Who Waits began to move. “I am summoned.”

Carmen got in her way. “I need you now. So how does this work? Can you talk to the Cordice for me?”

It was impossible to tell if She Who Waits was facing her or if she even had a front, back, or side. But the hovering red light rotated towards Carmen. “I will translate but you must unlock a channel through their communication node. I have been cut off by the Primary Executive.”

“Jenna, are you listening? Can you connect me to the Cordice?”

The white sphere appeared on the hologram console, brilliant but not blinding.

“Hello, the Cordice. Is anyone there?”

The voice that answered sounded distracted and tinny. “Yes. Are you there, daughter of Sylvia? We again have access to the in-ship communications. Yet we continue to have difficulties. Multiple systems are disabled. Power levels are good. Simulation is stable. But the home ship is compromised and the caretaker is offline.”

“We know. I want to help but there isn’t time for a rundown. My sister has access to your home ship?”

“Yes. I am the engineer. I allowed it. I understand there was an attempt to return what Sylvia Vincent stole. The harvester must be brought back.”

“Maybe you missed it, but it’s here. Our request was simple. We get my mom…we get Sylvia Vincent and Hamish Townes back and you return us home. But the Melded are taking her with them.”

The engineer’s voice was somber. “Yes. They demanded the harvester once we departed from the Framework. We intended to leave peacefully. We never believed they would follow and attempt hostile action.”

“They’re here to steal it?”

“We aren’t willing to fight.”

Carmen waved her arms in frustration. “They can do that? Just take it and you’ll let them? What about this Framework and the other races there?”

“The council on the Framework has no enforcement authority. And not all member species are opposed to the seizure. Most haven’t completed meaningful repairs of their vessels and a few have proven unwilling to do so. We offered any who wish to upload and join us. But a vocal faction agrees with the Melded on their course of action and have declared a willingness to fight against the enemy. A minority among us within the simulation share this wish. They claim that all resources within the Framework should be turned over to their cause, including our harvester.”

“How does my mother fit in here?”

“They believe Sylvia Vincent retains control.”

She took a moment to process this. Why hadn’t the Cordice just told them about her and Jenna? If they were resigned to giving up the harvester, it would get the Melded off their spaceship.

Barrett had emerged from his place behind the console but hadn’t said a word. His face was damp and paler than before. He looked like he had just run a marathon and was ready to collapse.

A second red light popped up next to She Who Waits. The worm’s voice blared.

“Designate Primary Executive is requesting my assistance,” She Who Waits said.

Carmen scowled. “That wasn’t a request. It can wait.”

“The Primary Executive needs me to speak with designate Sylvia Vincent.”

“If he can talk to her, so can I. I’m asking you to let me talk to her first. Is she in there? Put me through.”

The Cordice engineer interjected. “After what your mother Sylvia did during the caretaker malfunction, we’ve restrained her so she can no longer access any systems.”

“What does that mean? She’s in prison?”

“Hardly. She has liberty within the simulation except for any external communications. She took advantage of us when she sent the harvester to Earth to bring you here.”

There was a story there, but Carmen suspected she had little time to hear it. Somehow Mom had duped the Cordice into letting her connect to a bot and had reset the encryption when commandeering the harvester. How long before the Primary Executive found out that her mom didn’t hold the keys anymore?

“Can you let her talk to me?” Carmen asked.

It took less than a second. The voice she next heard, crisp and clear over the Cordice communication system, was her mother’s.

“Hello, Carmen. You and Jenna made it this far. I’ve missed you so much and I love you. We’re so close. You’ve done well. And in a short while, we’ll all be together again.”

Chapter Thirty

Her mom’s voice.

Carmen knew it, and it didn’t sound confused like when they had encountered the mom-bot on board the first sphere. Yet her mother had made hundreds of transmissions during her journey to Mars. Newscasts, voicemail, video mail, and all the interviews during the lead-up to the mission. Barrett had made the point that it could be anyone using their mom’s image, voice, and speech pattern.

Carmen couldn’t shake the fresh suspicion that either the Melded or the Cordice might be willing to deceive her by ruse. They needed her and Jenna’s access to the harvester. Holding on to her mom would be their leverage.

One of She Who Waits’ red translation lights twinkled. The worm blurted a fresh command. She Who Waits replied in a short string of sounds that were as bubbly as the Primary Executive’s words, yet somehow polite.