Page 25 of Sublime Target
Responding to his command, the armor extended segmentally from his neckline, forming a visor that shielded his eyes from the damaging ultraviolet radiation. Although his skin was coated in a transparent nano-polymer UV blocker, allowing him to walk outside in broad daylight, the layer didn’t cover the most vulnerable part—his eyes.
He blinked furiously, waiting a moment for his eyesight to clear.
The discomfort was only temporary, and it was all worth it for the chance to get her alone.
“Are you all right, Jerik?” A look of consternation crossed Clarissa’s features. She tensed as if afraid of what his reaction might be.
“Your planet’s sun is extremely harsh,” he lamented, folding his arms. “Unlike you humans, who evolved in the light, we haven’t developed resistance to ultraviolet radiation.”
The expression of mild horror gracing her features was somewhat adorable. “I didn’t realize! I’m so sorry, Jerik. Let’s go back inside.”
“No. You brought me out here to show me the view. I’m interested in your little city. Besides, I’m protected now. Everything’s fine.” He tapped his visor, made from millions of nanites, hardened to form a transparent shield.
It was the latest upgrade, designed to make Earth’s harsh conditions bearable. Thanks to the continual research Zharek carried out on the First Division warriors, the tech was evolving at a scary rate.
She chuckled, a low, enthralling sound that took him by surprise because it was one of the most pleasing things he’d ever heard. “Little city, huh? Sometimes, I forget the Universe is so big. And I apologize. It was presumptuous of me to think you wouldn’t have a backup plan for sunlight exposure.”
She looked at him again, and suddenly, it felt like her mask had fallen away.
The wind tugged at her hair, pulling a tendril loose, twisting it this way and that.
“A dozen revolutions of command has taught me that I need to have a backup plan for everything.”
“Even delayed meetings?”
“Delays are inevitable. And I’ve encountered my share of egotistical bastards in the Universe. Let’s just say your boss is fortunate I don’t operate the way I used to.” He stared out across the city skyline; across the shimmering body of water humans called a harbor. Tiny floating vessels drifted across it, traveling in a leisurely manner as if they didn’t have a care in the Universe.
Humans were like that sometimes, caught in their little bubble, unaware of what lay in wait for them beyond Earth’s idyllic blue skies.
He saw buildings and rooftops stretching toward the horizon. Structures of metal and artificial hardened stone. Bridges. Transportation lanes and tracks. Bots and drones whizzing through the air.
Humans built their civilized zones in a sprawling, disorganized manner, but Jerik had to admit there was a certain kind of genius in how their cities seemed to work despite all the chaos.
“I’ve lived in this city all my life, but I never get tired of this view,” Clarissa said wistfully, following the direction of his gaze. “You know, Mr Garul, the more I thought about it, the more surprised I was… that you would personally come to Garner Tower to negotiate. My boss is one of the most powerful people on the planet, but I have no doubt you could find a way to take that site from him without going through all this bother.”
Jerik nodded. That had been his first instinct. It would be easy to threaten Earth’s ruling Federation into forcing Garner to relinquish his land, but then he wouldn’t have had a chance to come face to face with her.
How pleased he’d been when Mavrel had informed him of this very convenient reason to visit Garner Tower.
The area in question was a large patch of arid territory in the center of this very continent. It wouldn’t be remarkable or worth bothering about if not for the fact that it bordered Kenna Kendricks’s homestead.
The current site of Darkstar’s base on Earth.
How did she already understand the situation so well?
“Your loyalty to Garner seems a little fluid for someone of your position.”
“I would never stray outside the boundaries of my official duty, Jerik. I’m just being pragmatic. I know you’ll get what you want either way, so I’m trying to preempt things on behalf of my employer. But I can’t help but be curious. When I first heard that your ships had appeared in Earth’s orbit, like many other humans, I thought this was it. That you’d take control of the planet—of us. So why haven’t you?”
“Principles,” Jerik shrugged. “We’re not an empire anymore.”
“I heard the empire was defeated. Your people did that?” She was openly curious and unafraid to show it. There was a certain naïveté about her, or maybe she knew a lot more than she let on and was willing to take a calculated risk.
He marveled that this delicate human could be like this with him of all people.
“I’m anti-imperialist,” Jerik admitted. “Wasn’t always the case, but when one sees enough and does enough, even the hardest of hearts can start to crack. My father was a military man. So was his father before him. As far as I can trace back, the men in my family have been warriors. They go to war, get wounded, go back again, and eventually get killed, leaving behind their mates and their younglings. I’m the last of my line, and there came a time when I realized I didn’t want to be fodder for the meat grinder anymore. Didn’t want to serve masters that wouldn’t even bat an eyelid if I perished. And if I were ever to have the fortune of finding a mate and producing offspring, I wouldn’t want that fate for her. There were other reasons, too—too many to mention. To give you the short of it, we’d all had enough. That’s why we nixed the empire. And we all swore we wouldn’t ruin the Universe by carrying on with their methods.”
He surprised himself by saying all this. Maybe it was because he found her straightforwardness refreshing.