Into the Void (Beyond Humanity Book 1) Read online

  Into the Void

  Beyond Humanity – Book One

  Kellie Sheridan

  Copyright © 2017 Kellie Sheridan

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN-13: 978-1-988902-03-6

  Cover Design by Cormar Covers

  Edited by Fading Street

  Junior Editor: Abi Pearson, Miglė Šarakauskaitė, Max Molina

  Also by Kellie Sheridan

  Mortality

  Duality

  Into the Void

  Isolation

  Magic in my Bones

  Magic in my Soul

  Magic in my Blood

  Writing as Kellie Bean

  A Long Walk Home

  Four of a Kind

  Two's Company

  Three Strikes

  One in a Million

  Chapter One – Oliver

  The greatest starship captains of all time could never have had days like this one. Or if they did, they were smart enough not to mention them.

  It was these kinds of days that sometimes led to Captain Oliver Briggs second guessing if getting a ship of his own had been the right move. It had cost him everything, but after a lifetime of imagining being something more, he'd believed it would all be worth it. The eerily serene couple who sold him the Lexiconis had promised that being able to control his own fate, his own path, would change everything.

  But if he was being honest with himself, nothing about being a starship captain had been living up to expectations recently.

  Lately, it mostly meant more paperwork.

  Bright colors danced throughout the room, streaming in from the large window that filled the wall behind the desk in his rented office, splashing blues, greens, and oranges onto every wall. There was no escape from the relentless optimism of the advertisement being projected outside.

  “Explore new possibilities! Become your best self!” The same platitudes repeated every few minutes along with a cascade of images showing the latest in SolTek Industries products—a bracelet that could sense the increased heart rate of those around you, an engine upgrade that would shave down the flight time between Earth and Mars. It was more than enough to give him a headache. It wasn't like the biggest tech company in the system needed to advertise—they were already everywhere. Somebody, somewhere had probably organized this to add one extra level of annoyance to an already hellish day.

  "Ready for the next one?" Safa asked, popping her head into the sparsely decorated room Oliver was occupying for the afternoon.

  "Give me a minute, and then send them in," he said, grumbling back, not quite accepting that this meeting would be equally painful no matter when it started. The best thing was to get this over with so he could get home and off this massive space station orbiting Mars.

  Meeting with prospective clients had long been Oliver's least favorite thing about owning a ship of his own, and he dreamed of the day when he wouldn't have to answer to anyone but himself and his crew. But for now, he needed the influx of credits to keep the people that worked for him happy and on the payroll, and his ship fueled. Whenever he absolutely had to, he came back to this damned station, let his agent set up a few meetings for him, and took on enough jobs to get him through to the next go-around.

  At least the Lexiconis' last job had been a big one, keeping the crew on the go for nearly a month with only a few scarce days off in between.

  Now, all he had to do was get through this last meeting, and he'd have a full week to relax, help with a few repairs, and not worry about clients before heading back out among the stars then starting up again on the usual Earth-Mars trade route.

  Too soon, the office door opened, and a petite, brown-skinned woman stepped inside, hesitating for a moment before shutting the door behind her. She had a delicate face, and thick, black hair tied in a long braid. Her makeup blended nearly seamlessly with her face, making her look a little too put together to be real.

  Oliver stood out of habit, plastering his face with his best ‘you can trust me with your business’ smile at the same time. He didn’t have to like this part of the job, but if he wanted to keep flying, he damn well had to do it anyway.

  "Hi," the woman said, her golden-brown eyes darting around the room a few times before finally locking on Oliver’s, a tight, businesslike smile plastered on her face.

  "I'm Captain Briggs." Oliver extended his hand. Usually he would have taken the time to refresh himself on the client’s file, but this time, there was nothing to see. The request had been unusually vague, with a nearly suspicious lack of information. He was going to have to wing it and hope for the best.

  "Evie … Evelyn Paulson."

  The smallest prick of frustration formed in Oliver's gut. If this woman couldn't even get her own name out without stammering, there was a very good chance the name she had given him was fake. And that she was probably about to pitch him an illegal job.

  Situations like this one were exactly why Oliver still paid an agent to help line up new clients for the Lexiconis, so he didn't need to waste his time talking to people that could potentially hurt his business and his reputation.

  The woman sat down without being asked and looked up at him expectantly.

  Well, she was already here. And it was possible she was simply shy, though everything from her smile to the revealing fit of her clothing suggested confidence was not her issue.

  Oliver sat down. "What can I help you with?"

  The woman smiled, both charming and disarming all at once. Gone was any hint of nerves. It was a smile that screamed politics, or maybe a business background. "I need a ship to take me to a specific set of coordinates, no questions asked."

  Oliver couldn't help the grimace that soured his expression. "That's not usually the type of work we do." That much wasn't entirely true. The Lexiconis did occasionally ferry passengers around the Sol system. But Oliver didn't want to have to deal with passengers again anytime soon, especially ones using phrases like ‘no questions asked.’

  Oliver's eyes inadvertently darted toward the portascreen propped up on the desk. Was it too late to get this meeting cancelled?

  The woman pressed her lips together, clearly unsure of how to proceed. "The Lexiconis came highly recommended once I mentioned where it was I was looking to go. The man I spoke with assured me you’d be interested."

  Oliver waited as the woman fished a portascreen out of the bag at her feet. After a few clicks, she handed the device to him.

  The screen was currently about the size of Oliver's hand, though like other portascreens it could be expanded to be about the size of a sheet of paper. It was currently showing a map, and in the corner, a set of coordinates. Oliver had to look at it twice before he was sure of what he was seeing. Both pieces of information showed a location somewhere between the orbits of Uranus and Neptune. Oliver glanced up at his guest, not sure if this was a mistake.

  "I know. It's unusual, and I know there's nothing out there. I've had the same conversation with everyone I've spoken to today. But that's where I want to go. Need to go." The tone of her voice left no doubt that this was not the kind of woman who was used to being told no.

  Not that he'd have any problem doing just that, if he had to. Except . . . now Oliver’s interest really was piqued. This was deep space they were talking about. Or at least deeper space than a ship like his ever had any excuse to visit.

  Humanity's reach into the universe hadn't extended much farther than the Kuiper belt. Most humans still lived on Earth, but a couple hundred thousand lived on the moon and her space stations in that area. Close to half-a-billion more lived on Mars or in orbit. Only a few had ventured to the outer reaches of the system, and most cam
e back within a year or two.

  Oliver had always wanted to go. To Uranus, to Neptune, maybe even to Pluto and beyond. Just to see what all of the places he'd dreamed of as a boy looked like in person. He'd imagined what they might be like ever since he'd boarded his first interplanetary transport as a child. He’d tried to take everything in at once as the transport made the trip between Earth and Mars, knowing his efforts would be fruitless.

  And yet, the stars had still managed to amaze him. The experience had been awe inspiring enough to plant the seed in his mind that maybe he’d have a ship of his own one day.

  Space travel had come a long way since the 2030s when the Mars colony had become truly viable, but it was still expensive. And slow. A trip like this would take more than a week each way, and Oliver didn't have anywhere near the number of credits he would need to fly out that far without making anything as a result.

  Opportunities like this one didn't come along often. At least now the agency sending Miss Paulson to him made a little bit of sense. Anyone who knew Oliver knew he had the itch to travel, the urge to just go. But an exciting opportunity wasn't enough to make this particular dream come true, at least not at the rates Oliver usually made.

  "Unfortunately, I'm not convinced this is going to be a good fit. We were looking to make a run out toward Earth and already have a few deliveries going that way. This would completely derail those plans, and there's no chance we'll be able to find more work going the same direction. This is simply too far to go. I'm sorry." And he really was. Oliver knew he'd be reliving this conversation for weeks to come, maybe longer. Possibly even for years, until something like this came along again.

  And hopefully by then, he'd be able to afford to say yes.

  Oliver took a breath and forced a polite smile. It was probably for the best. Some of his crew might not have been as enthusiastic about this idea.

  When the woman didn't respond, Oliver handed back her portascreen and stood, hoping she'd take the signal as an end to the conversation. As an end to negotiations. Because he wasn't sure he'd be able to say no a second time.

  Evelyn stood too, and Oliver breathed a sigh of relief and disappointment.

  "How much would you need to make this worth your while?" Evie was already back to staring at the screen in front of her, typing frantically onto the clear surface. "If you can leave today, I can pay very well." She handed the screen back. This time, all it showed was a number. And not a small one. It was close to three times the amount he would've made taking a half-dozen jobs running cargo to Earth.

  And stars, it was more than enough to justify the trip.

  Oliver struggled to wrap his mind around the possibility that had been laid at his feet. This might actually happen. Except, had she said something about wanting to leave today? That was a red flag all on its own.

  "I'm not sure what you’ve been told, but my crew and I have recently returned from a job, and the Lexiconis isn't taking work until next week at the earliest. But if you're willing to wait, I'd love to make this work.”

  Miss Paulson shook her head as Oliver's heart threw itself against his ribcage in anticipation. He wanted this. For himself, and for his crew. "It has to be today, or I'll find someone else."

  His heart sank. Now or never wasn’t going to be an easy stance to work with. And who knew what this woman was messed up in that she was willing to pay more than the going rate in order to get off Centuri as soon as possible. If this woman was running from someone, Oliver didn't want to know. He would also be risking fines or worse if he was caught dealing in something illegal.

  Oliver allowed himself a moment to close his eyes and collect himself, trying to sort it all out. At least now he was finally awake and alert, ready for whatever was coming next. And his headache was long gone. But there was no easy answer waiting for him.

  "I wanted to leave within two hours, but if you can have me off the station by ten tonight, I will throw in a five-thousand-credit bonus, available as soon as the contract is signed. You'll get another forty percent of the total price when we leave, and the rest when we return."

  Despite the insistence in her voice, the woman standing in front of Oliver was practically vibrating with nervous energy, her eyes shining with the same hope he was desperately trying not to feel.

  She barreled on, refusing to take silence as anything other than an invitation to convince him to say yes. "I know this is unconventional, and I know there's a part of you that wants to tell me there's no point in going out to that part of space. I've heard it all before, and I want to go anyway. I'd also very much like for your ship to be the one that takes me there so I can stop thinking about the logistics. I need to go, and I need to go now. So, do we have a deal?"

  Oliver opened his mouth to decline. Everything about this job screamed bad idea. And he'd already agreed to take the supply run that was offered to him in his last meeting, moving crates of seed from Mars to Earth. He'd need to cancel, or subcontract it out. He'd also need to stock up on supplies, and quickly.

  Nothing about this situation was ideal, except for the potential it offered. It was an excuse to let the Lexiconis stretch her wings, to give his crew a serious bonus, and maybe pay for some upgrades as well.

  But he couldn’t manage the ship by himself. He’d need his crew and they weren't exactly available this week.

  Shit. He was really going to have to say no.

  Except, he couldn’t make himself form the words. This job was a risk and he knew it, but he also knew he’d never forgive himself if he didn’t at least try and make this work.

  "If you can give me an hour to talk to my crew, I'll have an answer for you. I know this isn't as clean cut as you were hoping for, but it's the best I can do right now. My team is the best, and if you want the Lexiconis, you want them with it. But I can't agree to something like this without getting them on board."

  "Shouldn’t you be the one making these kinds of decisions?"

  "I am. But if I want these people to continue working for me, and I do, I need to do a fair bit more than just pointing them toward something and telling them to go."

  "A captain who respects the people working for him. I can appreciate that. But if I don't hear back from you within the hour, I'm going to have to make other arrangements. I'll be sorry to do it, but I can't wait. And the deadline for the bonus stands either way." She took a step back from the chair she'd been seated in before. "I guess I'm just optimistic that you're going to say yes."

  Oliver wouldn't let himself say it out loud, but he was starting to feel a little optimistic too. Maybe this wasn't going to be anything like an episode of Star Trailers or Discovery Quest, but hopefully it would be enough to help scratch the itch he'd been feeling for months now, the itch for something more. He'd gotten himself a crew that could take on anything—and had paid a high price to add them to his team—but their various talents had gone to waste more often than not. With a paycheck like this one, he'd be able to keep them happy for a little while longer. Long enough to figure out some sort of next step that would let him keep them all together for at least a little while longer.

  After rapping against the metal door to Sprocket's apartment in the mid-level of Centuri Station, Oliver held his breath and waited.

  In only thirty minutes he'd already talked to most of his crew. Safa hadn't minded the news of a surprise job at all. He wasn't even sure she'd really noticed he’d been talking to her, too engrossed in whatever game she’d been playing on her portascreen. Lincoln was surprisingly glad for the excuse not to stay on the station for a whole week—there was a good chance he and Lena were fighting again. Gwynn had been a little annoyed, but that was basically her default mood. And once Oliver had mentioned the bonus, she was almost enthusiastic about the idea. Almost.

  But this last conversation would be harder.

  The door swung open, revealing a short woman with dark skin and nearly-black hair. She was scrawny from her shoulders to her ankles except for the large, round stom
ach. Elise was due in just over a month, and Sprocket, Oliver's engineer, had barely stopped talking about his incoming first born since he'd shared the news.

  Elise's face lit up with a smile as she reached over to hug Oliver without saying a word. It was only once she released him, ushering Oliver into the apartment that she spoke, giving his shoulder a quick squeeze at the same time. "I didn't know we were expecting you. But I was already bugging James to invite you over for dinner on Thursday. Still, this is a very welcome surprise. How have you been?"

  Guilt prickled in Oliver’s mind as he did his best to relax. "You know me. Tired. Busy. More of the same. But, how are you? You look incredible."

  "I'll have to take your word on that. I've been feeling puffy and gross all week, so I'm avoiding anything reflective for the time being. But I'm excited to finally meet the little guy. And to have the chance to put him down in a crib instead of carrying him around in my midsection all the time."

  "You know it's a boy?" Oliver said, excited at the idea. "Sprocket didn't say anything!" In fact, Sprocket was convinced he had a daughter on the way based on a feeling alone, but he and his wife would only learn the sex of their baby once it was born. Traditionalists.

  "We don't know. Today I'm calling the baby him. Tomorrow, I'll go with her. And repeat." Elise moved across the living room, stepping over a few slats of wood and a pile of screws. "James," she shouted. "Oliver's here.”

  A moment later, James Walker appeared from the open doorway leading into the kitchen. Oliver hadn't called him anything other than Sprocket since they'd first started working together.

  "Hey, boss! What brings you to my neck of the woods?"

  It wasn't that long ago that Oliver had his own apartment on Centuri Station, but once Safa had asked if she could live in her suite of rooms on the ship full time, he'd realized he'd been missing an opportunity to save some money. He'd sold his apartment and moved onto the ship full time, only coming to this section of the station when he was visiting Sprocket or trying to track down Gwynn.