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  “Recently, while mining for Klyston, Windcorp made a groundbreaking discovery. In underground caverns on the light side of Prospect we found the ruins of a civilization. This civilization was different than any other discovered before. For two years now, Windcorp has been employing archeologists to investigate and document this lost society, a society we have come to call the Titans. What we have discovered is that the Titans had technology that rival our own, mainly in the form of harnessing energy.”

  While he talked, Castle placed various devices on the floor. They were all different shapes and sizes, but they were constructed from the same rough, rocklike material. Mr. Black bent over and picked up one of the foreign objects. It was about the size of a milk carton. “This, Mr. Prime Minister, is genuine alien technology.”

  From his position at the door, Letsego inspected the object. It didn’t look like much. He could only guess what its purpose was. But it did not seem to be the construction of some advanced race. How could this be what Windcorp had gone to such lengths to keep hidden?

  Chen looked the device over as well. “What is this?” His displeasure was evident.

  “It is a power source. One just like it powered our transport on the way here.”

  “I did not come all this way for a special type of battery!” Chen blurted out.

  “Mr. Prime Minister, it is not what this device does that makes it extraordinary. It is how it does it.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small vial of red and black dust. “Do you know what this is?”

  Captain Nadeem stepped in. “That looks like Rockworm,” he said, surprised. “What does that shit have to do with anything?”

  Mr. Black smiled. “That shit is the dawn of a new era in the galaxy.” He handed the vial to Nadeem. “This Ferenic dust is the basis of the Titan civilization. It powers all of the technology we have discovered. And it does it very efficiently.”

  Nadeem was fascinated. “This is not possible. I’m not a scholar but I know what Rockworm is. It is worthless. How can it possible power a whole society?”

  “I promise you, Captain. It is not worthless. Human scientists have just failed to discover how to harness its power. Until now. With the Titan technology, Ferenic dust is more efficient at supplying energy than any other substance known to man. The amount in that small vial could power this energy core for over a decade. It can be used in manufacturing and communications. The list goes on. The possibilities are endless.”

  “Enough,” Chen interrupted. “Mr. Black, I did not travel halfway across the galaxy to be sold a shipment of batteries. Mr. Titus may be the president of an intergalactic corporation, but I am not. I am not interested in high tech gadgets. Where are my weapons?!”

  Mr. Black paused and then nodded to Castle who reached into one of the crates. “I apologize, Prime Minister. Of course.” He looked at the plexi window at the far end of the room. “Is that room constructed as I asked, Captain?”

  Nadeem nodded. “It’s lined completely with ceramic.”

  “And you have the subjects I need.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Get them.” Mr. Black turned to Castle, who was holding what looked like an ancient rifle about a meter long, as well as two small cylinders.

  “Ready when you are, sir,” Castle said.

  Mr. Black turned back to Chen. “We will not keep you waiting any longer, Prime Minister. What we have in store for you is a demonstration of the potential for weaponizing Ferenic.”

  The door slid open next to Letsego. In walked a raider followed by five prisoners who were all blind folded and chained together. They were dressed in tattered clothes and looked malnourished. They had to be slaves. Their rugged captor held the main chain and dragged them across the room to the far door. Castle was there to open it for them. In they marched, and through the plexi Letsego could see the raider line them up against the back wall. The captives were all quivering in fear, not knowing what was going on.

  Mr. Black motioned Chen forward. “If you will join me at the window, Lieutenant Castle will begin the demonstration.” The two moved to the plexi.

  Castle was already inside the viewing room. He held the alien weapon across his chest. Something had changed about it from when he had first pulled it out of the crate. It now had a faint red glow around it.

  “Mr. Prime Minister,” Castle said through an intercom in the wall. “I have had the opportunity to test the Titan’s weapons systems extensively. I will tell you, sir, being a career soldier, I would be more than happy to take any one of these weapons into battle.” He waited for a response from Chen but did not get one. He then looked at Mr. Black, who gave him a subtle nod.

  With the approval from his employer, Castle hefted the alien weapon to his shoulder. Aiming at the center captive, he fired.

  What happened next Letsego could hardly describe. From the tip of the weapon sprang a red and black cloud of translucent mist. The mist rushed toward its victim and engulfed the quivering man, for a split second obscuring him from view. But as fast as he had disappeared, he reappeared, but now he was no longer a man. His face was frozen in terror, and his skin was ghost white. The mist had literally sucked the life out of him. What was left was a corpse, which collapse to the floor. It was a horror to witness.

  Chen’s reaction was the complete opposite of Letsego’s. A sinister smile crept across the prime minister’s face. “Amazing.” He stared at the man’s mangled body. “Do it again.”

  Castle nodded, lifting the weapon and firing at another captive. The second time was no less disturbing.

  As the second captive slumped to the ground, Chen turned to Mr. Black. “I will say I am impressed. These ‘Titan’ weapons are indeed formidable.”

  “Mr. Titus believed you would like them. Our scientists have been working to reverse engineer the device in order to facilitate mass production.”

  “I said I am impressed, not that the Federation could use these otherworldly devices,” Chen said with an edge. “Fancy small arms mean nothing to the Federation. Titus said that he had a real weapon for me. Something that could make us invincible.” There was a twinkle in his eyes as he said it.

  Mr. Black nodded. “Lieutenant, execute the next demonstration.”

  Castle pulled one of the cylinders from his pocket. He pushed a button on it and it began to glow black and red like the Titan weapon had. He pressed another button on it, placed it in the center of the room, and then calmly but quickly exited the room, sealing the door behind him.

  A few seconds passed by and then there was a flash. The entire room glowed red and then the same mist that had killed the other two captives burst forth from the cylinder. Almost faster than the human eye could comprehend, the mist rushed across the floor, up the walls and across the ceiling. The final three captives were engulfed. And then the mist disappeared, leaving only three corpses.

  “Iblis…” Nadeem muttered. “It’s the devil himself.” His eyes were wide in terror.

  Chen approached the plexi. “Now that is amazing.” He turned back to Mr. Black. “What did your scientists find out? How does this happen?”

  “It is the Ferenic. For years there has been the question of whether the dust is biological. Windcorp’s scientists have come to the conclusion that whether it is biological or not it does think. It does make conscience decisions. That is how it is able to produce energy so efficiently. And that is how it is able to kill so efficiently. When provided the right catalyst, the Ferenic will hunt. It will seek out any other living being and literally remove the life from it.”

  Chen was in awe. “But how did it spread like that? It expanded everywhere, covered everything.”

  Mr. Black joined Chen at the window. “Our tests have shown that Ferenic shows a unique attraction to metals. Not only does it flow and expand uncontrolled over them, but it can pass through them. If Captain Nadeem had not installed a ceramic lining to the observation room, it would have spread to this one and kill
ed all of us as well.” He let that sink in. “Think of the possibilities, Mr. Prime Minister. Entire starships, cruisers, completely made of metal. One Ferenic tipped warhead could kill everyone onboard, but leave all of the equipment intact. As Mr. Titus told you, the Titans have created the perfect weapon.”

  Chen was reveling in the power he could soon possess. Meanwhile, Letsego was quickly rethinking the urgency of his mission. This threat was far worse than he ever could imagine. He needed to notify the Peacekeepers. But until this deal was completed, there was no way he was going to be able to get to a communications station unseen.

  Chen’s mind was racing with possibilities. “How much testing have you done?”

  Mr. Black nodded. “We have brought you a large portion of the samples that we have collected from the Titan archeological sites. We have already conducted extensive tests on the weapon systems. They work both in the atmosphere and in vacuum. In these crates you will find many variants of the weapons.”

  “How did you first discover these capabilities?”

  “It was a lab accident, I’m afraid.” Mr. Black pulled a holo projector from his pocket. “Many of our scientists were killed, but their deaths will not be in vain.” He placed the projector on the floor and pushed a button. A man sized hologram took shape.

  The image was clearly a security recording. It showed a lab room with multiple men in grey lab coats. On one of the tables was a small cylindrical Titan device. “This was at one of the archeological sites at a Klyston mining facility, Em-Two-Bravo. We found remnants of a Titan colony there a year ago. These scientists were tasked with evaluating the technology discovered there.”

  He let the recording play. A few seconds in, as a scientist was interacting with the Titan device, there was a bright flash. Within moments, all of the scientists were lying dead on the floor. Their faces were pale and contorted as the captives’ now were. Shortly after, Mr. Black turned the hologram off.

  “This recording does not start to depict the devastation that was wrecked upon the mine Em-Two-Bravo. Because of the prevalence of metal in the facility, every single worker was killed. The Ferenic continued to spread until its path was blocked by the rock that makes up much of the terrain in the light zone. When we lost communications with the mine we thought it was technical problems. Upon investigation we discovered the truth.”

  Chen’s smile continued. “I want it all,” he said simply. “And the Federation will pay handsomely.”

  Mr. Black nodded. “About half of the Titan technological artifacts we have found are in these crates. The rest I will arrange to be shipped to you immediately.”

  “I don’t think you understand. This miracle substance Ferenic can only be found on Prospect. The Federation wants your sites, Mr. Black.”

  Mr. Black was caught off guard. “Mr. Prime Minister, that was not part of the deal you had with Mr. Titus. There is only one site remaining, after the Em-Two-Bravo disaster, and it is in Windcorp territory.” Mr. Black paused in thought for a moment. “I believe that Mr. Titus would agree to the exclusive sale of Ferenic dust to the Federation.”

  Chen was not satisfied. “Mr. Black, you have just revealed to me the most important discovery in the history of humanity. It would be irresponsible of the Federation to allow any of the lesser galactic powers to possess it.” He looked around at the rest of men in the room. “One way or another, the Asiatic Federation will control the source of this technology.”

  Mr. Black frowned. “I don’t like your tone. Mr. Prime Minister.”

  Chen grinned. “I do not care.” He nodded to his security detachment. In an instant they were spread across the room with their weapons pointed at every Windcorp trooper. Letsego found himself staring down the muzzle of a rifle at what looked like a very ugly Siberian soldier.

  Mr. Black kept his calm, as usual. “Mr. Prime Minister, it is impolite to point weapons at your associates during a business transaction.” He turned to Nadeem. “Are you going to let this happen on your station, Captain?”

  Nadeem looked uneasy. “The members of Black Crescent have already decided where their allegiance lies,” Chen announced. “It is now your turn.” He paced around Mr. Black. “You have two choices. Either Windcorp agrees to work with the Asiatic Federation and turns over all artifacts and archeological sites from the Titan civilization to us or we take them from you by force. Either way, the Federation is going to take Prospect. The only question is what side do you want be on?”

  For the second time, Letsego saw that Mr. Black seemed uncomfortable. “Prime Minister, this is not something I can decide on my own. I must consult Mr. Titus.”

  “No,” Chen shouted. “He felt that you were worthy to represent him here. He must feel that you are worthy of making this decision.” Seconds passed and the Windcorp executive did not respond. “What is it going to be, Mr. Black? I will remind you that if you select the second option neither you nor your men will leave this asteroid alive.”

  At last, Mr. Black responded. “Your terms are agreeable, Prime Minister.”

  Chen paused and then nodded to his men. They lowered their weapons. “You are making the right choice. The Federation always gets what it wants.”

  Mr. Black remained calm. “I hope you know, Mr. Prime Minister, that Mr. Titus will not take this lightly. Windcorp is not going to be a pawn of the Federation.”

  “You are not a pawn, Mr. Black. Think of this as a business arrangement.” Chen walked over to the Titan artifacts. “I am giving you a great opportunity. With the Federation to back you, Windcorp will become the first and only distributor of Ferenic in the galaxy.” He picked up one of the artifacts and inspected it. “Captain Nadeem. Please have your men load this cargo onto my ship. I must leave immediately.”

  “It will be done within the hour.”

  “Good.” Chen turned to his head of security. “Get word to the fleet. My speculations were correct. We must take Prospect.” He headed for the door, flanked by the federation soldiers. “And Nadeem. Please ensure that Mr. Black and his men get everything they need. They are our business associates now.” With that the leader of the Asiatic Federation departed.

  20: Pirate Latitudes

  Letsego walked alone through the asteroid corridor, his rifle casually slung over his shoulder. His intentions were anything but casual.

  After the business meeting had completed, he and the troopers had returned to the ship with Castle. There they had completely sanitized the craft, removing any sign of Windcorp and wiping the ship’s logs and computers. The ship was likely in the scopes of every Peacekeeper patrol in the galaxy and was only a liability to Windcorp. Black Crescent had agreed to drop the troopers and Mr. Black off at the closest civilized system at the earliest possible convenience. No one liked the plan, but there was no other option. Letsego only hoped that this newly formed alliance would preclude the raiders from killing him.

  It would be at least a day before the raiders had a shuttle heading out of the Belt. The troopers had been given quarters where they could make themselves comfortable. It was nothing to write home about with only enough bunks for half the troopers to sleep at one time. There was much griping among the men, but none from Letsego.

  He had finally gotten a chance to slip away inconspicuously. All the other troopers were asleep or in the galley. Free to roam as he pleased, Letsego left in search of a solution to the massive problem he found himself in the middle of.

  Letsego was once again looking for a communications room. He ran through in his head exactly what he would tell the Peacekeepers. The whole story was rather farfetched and any officer worth his salt wouldn’t take Letsego’s tale at face value. Luckily, the video recorder in his trooper helmet had caught every moment of the exchange and it was now logged onto a memory card for him to access at the press of a button. The Peacekeepers would be able to see the devastation that Rockworm could cause with his own eyes. They would have no choice but to act. If the Federation gained co
ntrol of this terrifying technology no world or civilization in the galaxy would be safe.

  He walked through the asteroid station with a new determination. His life didn’t matter anymore. All that mattered was warning Prospect before the Federation struck. If he died in the process, that was an acceptable toll to pay.

  Letsego wandered through the station for nearly two hours. The place was a massive tangle of tunnels designed with no rhyme or reason. He passed dozens of raiders, who didn’t give him a second look. The new alliance had been quickly advertised. Letsego passed through many compartments and chambers, but none showed any signs of serving as a communications center.

  He had just exited yet another weapons locker when his uniform’s comm unit vibrated. It was Castle. Letsego hesitated before answering. He considered ignoring the call, but if he went missing the raiders would likely lockdown the whole station, and then he would never get in contact with the Peacekeepers. He keyed the mic.

  “Johnson, where are you?”

  “In the head, sir,” Letsego lied.

  “You piss more than any interceptor pilot. Get your ass back to the quarters now.”

  Letsego stalled for time. “It might take me a little bit, sir, if you know what I mean.”

  Castle was not amused. “Well pinch it off. I have something very important I need your help with. You’ve got five minutes to be back here or I am going to make sure you stay on this rock permanently.”

  As much as Letsego had to find the communications center, he knew it would be unwise to keep Castle waiting. He rushed back to the quarters.

  As he entered the room he found the entire squad was awake and appeared to be preparing for battle.

  “What’s going on?,” Letsego inquired.

  The sergeant saw him and walked over. “Where the hell have you been, Johnson?”