Imbrium City: Rise of the New Defenders

By Anthony Brum

Cadet Kiera Austin, young and extraordinarily gifted, is a student of the Stellaris Academy, in the lunar city of Imbrium. Resentful at the choice of her new partner, android Leo Silver, the pair are called to an emergency on a remote outpost of the Moon: a fire, that Kiera suspects was deliberate and is somehow linked with Leo's past. Driven by a desire to find the truth, Kiera's investigations arouse the attention of some powerful and very dangerous forces, who will stop at nothing in their pursuit to hunt the cadets down...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anthony Brum
• Release date: May 6, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386178668

Book preview

Prologue

Lawson stared through the glass tank into the eyes of an alien. The creature slunk to the safety of a rock, fearful, reticent. He laughed. Feeding time. He opened a wooden door, revealing a clear glass box in which were creatures resembling maggots, except these had four pairs of wings equally spaced along their backs. He used a small net to retrieve one of the maggots from the box, and carefully replaced the lid to prevent any further from escaping. Thoughts of the day ahead swam through his mind- a meeting with the Housing Strategy advisors, and then another with the Transport Committee. Dull little people doing dull little jobs. He plucked two of the wings from the back of the maggot and watched it writhe around in his open palm, before dropping it into the top of the fluid. It sank, perhaps an inch below the surface and was at once devoured by something resembling a stick insect with fins and large teeth. The beings were always so peaceful, docile and it seemed only the introduction of food stirred them from their passive state. Lawson liked to keep them hungry however, partly because stocks of their natural diet wouldn’t last forever, and partly to keep things just that little bit more interesting.

A beep sounded from one of the computer screens on the desk.

Minister, said a female voice. Altai Scarp are advising no reported problems. The firing will go ahead as scheduled.

Thank you.

He sat at his desk and pressed a button on the keypad in front of him. Another of the screens lit up with a panorama of the galaxy- a vast swathe of thousands points of light. Lawson manipulated the view, spending several minutes finding just the right spot; panning the camera to the side and zooming in, another adjustment here and there, magnifying further. He was a busy man and his time was expensive, but the particular object he was seeking had been given some considerable attention, and he knew exactly where to find it. Lawson glanced at his watch. Not long now. Suddenly an explosion flashed on screen.  A beam of energy, trillions upon trillions of Watts in magnitude, searing through space at the speed of light found its target, and in the blink of an eye a rock billions of years old was fragmented and scattered into tiny pieces.  The Minister relaxed into his chair and smirked. Debris continued to scatter from the centre of the blast.

Excellent.

Behind him, the tank became a maelstrom of activity, with every creature it contained breaking into a frenzy of hysteria, driven by terror and hatred.

***

Chapter 1

Kiera tightened her grip on the controls of the craft, eased the lever forward and felt a rush of excitement, as it surged away from the invisible shield of the dome and out into space. This was an Atlas Pulse Propulsion shuttle, pretty low on the pecking order of space travel vessels, but it was hers, or at least under her command, and her maiden voyage was to collect her new co-pilot and Stellaris Academy partner.

A Beep sounded from one of the on-board monitors, which lit up with the face of Fleet Sergeant Timbre.

Good Morning Cadet Austin. His gruff voice sounded more like an order than a greeting.

Good Morning Sergeant.

Congratulations, Kiera. There aren’t many at the Academy that are given a space ship so young. Make sure you look after it or there’ll be trouble.

Yes Sir.

Your new partner has been carefully selected, a fine cadet, just like yourself, but, well he’s just a bit different. Don’t pre-judge when you meet him.

Kiera frowned and felt a mild foreboding looming. Different, Sir?

He didn’t do his training at the Academy campus. Anyway, you’ll be there soon enough. It’s the A.I. labs out in Cognitum. The route is programmed into the shuttle so you don’t need to take it out of autopilot. And remember Kiera, don’t break my ship.

Don’t break the ship, Sarge. Got it.

The Sergeant gave a wry smile and the screen turned black. Her new partner is a bit different and didn’t do his training at the campus, thought Kiera, what was all that about? Well, as Woody said, she’d find out soon. Anyway, time to get to know the Atlas a bit better. Woody didn’t actually say don’t take it out of autopilot, and what was the point of taking charge of your own space ship if you couldn’t fly it yourself? With the number of hours she had notched up in flight training, Kiera could practically pilot it in her sleep. She pressed some buttons on the panel overhead. The message Manual Control Activated blinked in large letters on the screen. She let out a whoop of delight as the craft banked first to the left then sharply to the right, zigzagging around an imaginary obstacle course towards Cognitum. The On board monitor switched on once again with the darkened face of the Fleet Sergeant.

Cadet Austin.

Yes, Sir?

The diagnostics of your ship must be malfunctioning, he growled. Because my screen down here is telling me you are flying a loop-the-loop. That can’t possibly be right, can it?

No, Sergeant. I’ll run a check.

See that you do.

Kiera switched the ship back to auto pilot and her thoughts turned to who her new partner was to be. A fine cadet, just like yourself  were the words Woody had used. He’d have to go some to match her achievements, Kiera thought. Despite only being thirteen years old, her progress through Stellaris Academy had been so remarkable she was in a class with peers three years her senior. It wouldn’t be long now before she would receive her Space Wings and was widely expected to graduate top of her class. Cadets in their final years were usually paired with someone unknown to them, to gain experience jointly piloting a craft. Kiera had had her suspicions that there might be something a bit out of the ordinary about her partner from the way Woody had spoken about him in the past. It seemed everyone else knew the name of their counterpart, even if they had not yet met, except her. The Cognitum base came into view and she resumed control of the Atlas, guiding it smoothly through the air gate. The computer confirmed external atmospherics were all OK; it was safe to exit the craft.  

Kiera was greeted by a balding short bespectacled man wearing a white suit.

And you must be Kiera, he said, extending a well-manicured hand. His accent had an edge to it- English, educated, with each word clearly pronounced.

I am Dr White.

Hi said Kiera cheerfully. The man seemed friendly enough, however her guard remained instinctively up.

Come this way, please. How was your journey?

Kiera and the doctor engaged in idle chit chat while she was led through a series of brightly lit corridors until they reached a set of doors bearing the plaque Artificial Intelligence Research.

Now then, said Dr White with his hand on the door. I think we have your partner just about ready. He smiled, briefly displaying perfectly even teeth. His name is Cyborg AIR XT.23-7, however that is a bit of a mouthful. White swung open the door. Inside, dressed in Academy uniform, a humanoid figure with skin the colour of dull metal, stood on a disk pulsating with light. His features were that of a young boy, staring directly ahead, frozen as if like a statue. Surrounding him were a flurry of white suited lab workers, busying about with clipboards and computers.

Activate! ordered Dr White. At once the laboratory team scuttled to their control stations around the room and started tapping at keyboards and touch screens. Light from the disk at his feet faded. The humanoid blinked and looked around, focusing on Kiera. His expression remained blank, however his eyes twinkled with life that was rapidly filling his body.

Well, what do you think? We call him Leo. Cadet Leo Silver.

A robot said Kiera quietly. It seemed everyone in the room was watching, gauging what her reaction might be. She turned her head to look at the doctor side on. I’ve come all the way out here so you can give me a robot for a partner.

He gestured toward Leo. This is an incredibly advanced piece of...

Why? Kiera snapped. Why haven’t I got someone normal? She stomped back out through the door, slamming it shut.

Kiera, stop. Come back here, called White, but she was already half way down the long passageway. She needed space. Why was it that all the other students in the Academy had another person, she thought to herself, amid a wave of frustration. Why was it that she didn’t? Was it because of her age that she somehow needed watching? Or was it because she was a gifted child? Unwelcome feelings of insecurity that had plagued her at the Academy started creeping up again and she banged the wall with her fist. She’d previously put it down to being younger than her peers; the being a bit different to everyone else, the not quite fitting in. Maybe it was because of her parents, her background, but at that thought the bubble of anger burst. She wiped her cheek. Pull yourself together Cadet Austin, you have a job to do.

Dr White caught up with her. What is wrong with you? he said with some annoyance. Why are you so upset?

Kiera stared defiantly at the doctor. Have I been given an android so he can spy on me? In case I can’t be trusted with a human co-pilot?

The doctor shook his head. No, no, no, absolutely not. Look, I know this might seem a little unusual to have an artificial life form as a partner, but is that really so bad? You are a special student, Kiera. We’re proud of how you’ve progressed at the Academy, and indeed we’re proud of Leo here, too. He is a very highly developed being, much more than just a machine. But the time is right for him to get some life experience outside of the laboratory. If anything, we want you to keep an eye on him.

She begrudgingly accepted the doctor’s reasoning, but another smile and the flash of his shiny white teeth did little more than irritate her.

Kiera marched back to the shuttle with Leo in tow, to make the return journey to Imbrium.

I’m driving she stated as they entered the ship, which soon rose elegantly and thrusted out of the air dome. The journey progressed in silence. Kiera shot Leo a glance. He was staring straight ahead, but there was a distant look in his eye, like a small child away from home for the first time. Kiera’s frosty resolve began to thaw, and she realised for the first time she hadn’t heard him speak. She sighed. So, have you done all your training at the base back there?

Leo nodded.

Where were you before that?

He looked blankly at her. I can’t remember. His speech was deliberate, as though the words had to be processed and considered before being vocalised.

But you can fly, right? You do know how a spaceship works and can read star maps and all that? said Kiera, frowning.

I’ve been programmed with all Academy subjects. I can’t remember anything before that.

She pondered his answer. Perhaps Leo had only been created just before starting training, but it was odd he didn’t know. Usually droids knew the time and date to the second when they came into being, as she knew her own birthday. Dr White did say she was to keep an eye on him, perhaps to monitor his development.

Suddenly the incoming message beep sounded and Sergeant Timbre was back on screen.

All starborne units, he began urgently. This is an emergency. You are directed to assist in a potential rescue operation. Head for Base 12 in Altai Scarp, but do not dock until ordered. The screen turned black and Kiera and Leo exchanged anxious glances.

How long till we get there? she said, banking the shuttle in a tight U-turn. Leo swivelled on his chair and rapidly tapped at his control screen.

Nineteen minutes at top propulsion, he said. But I can override the restrictors- that’ll cut a few minutes off.

Ok nodded Kiera, as the craft soared through space towards the Cadets’ first mission.

Base 12 was a group of scattered circular buildings, linked by a network of tubes, giving the appearance from above of some great synthetic organism growing on the surface of the Moon. The top of the air dome which protected the whole colony was starting to fill with a layer of dark gas. As well as encapsulating a breathable environment, the domes regulated the amount of sunlight that penetrated into the colonies below. It was rare to see the form of the protective shield so clearly defined when in its transparent state.

Look. It’s that pod there, said Kiera pointing to one section with a wisp of smoke rising from the roof. It’s on fire. Notify control we’re approaching the gate.

Leo looked round sharply. Sergeant Timbre said we’re to wait until cleared to go in.

No one else is here, Kiera snapped. There might be people trapped in there.

Leo returned to the control panel as the craft glided smoothly to the shield entrance, which opened obligingly as the star shuttle rolled towards it. The craft sailed through the short section of airlock tube and touched down on one of the loading bays.

Come on, said Kiera as she hastily unbuckled and jumped out of her seat. They ran towards the grey pod. The smoke had now stopped but one of the outside walls was marked with a streak of black soot.  Kiera hit the entry button with the bottom of her fist. The door slid open and she darted inside. The Cadets stopped momentarily, and heard the sound of coughing. Kiera ran down the corridor and burst into the room.

Are you alright?

Two women were in an office, one slumped on a chair and the other leaning on a desk. The walls were lined with glass fronted cabinets, each