The Simmering Seas Read online

  “I understand.”

  “Is your fealty to me absolute?”

  “It is, Amayas.”

  “Will you follow me, above all others, to the end of this journey?”

  “I’m yours, Amayas. Show me the truth. I’ll always be yours.”

  The Inventor raced fingers through Exeter’s deep blond locks. He gave Exeter a handwritten note with a single, terse sentence.

  The boy’s heart beat with a deepening pulse, as if finishing the last leg of a sprint. The task seemed impossible. Horrifying. Irresponsible. Dangerous. Traitorous.

  Exeter wanted to ask why, but he knew the Inventor forbid it and might even strip him of the responsibility. It was as if time, love, and friendship no longer mattered. Yet perhaps this was always intended if he was to grow, to experience a new and meaningful purpose. After all, he lost his chance to fight with his fellow Chancellors in the last battles of the Earth war. Maybe he was meant to be a different kind of soldier in a most unexpected battle.

  “There’s nothing else to be done?” He asked the Inventor.

  “Nothing,” Amayas replied.

  “I understand. I’ll do it tonight.”

  Katherine Woolsey never saw her son coming.

  PART TWO

  UNDISTURBED

  “I was told the people of Hokkaido united to defend their world.”

  “I would laugh at you, but the truth is so terribly sad.”

  18

  Three years later – SY 5366

  K ARA SYUNG OFTEN DREAMED OF CONTROL. She grew up behind two brothers, neither of whom gave her credit for talent until she came of age. They did not feel threatened, for they knew the supremacy of Syung-Low would never fall to their little sister. Yet from time to time, she envisioned life as Perr and Li-Ann’s only heir. Though she never wished ill on Dae or Lang, Kara wondered whether her parents might bestow the same degree of faith in a daughter. Dare they raise her to pull the strings? What decisions might she make as Hokkaido’s first woman president of a seamaster corporation?

  Lang’s death changed the equation. Ironically, it also made the dream more fanciful. Kara watched as her parents poured all their love and encouragement into Dae, reinforcing the steel in his spine and doubling down on his destiny. She long suspected his sudden marriage to Luyn Taron was a calculated maneuver to tighten their tentacles within Nantou Global. Her intended marriage to Ya-Li Taron would make the tentacles impossible to unwind.

  But what if Kara were the last one standing? What if she occupied the executive suite atop the Global Center in Pinchon’s corporate cluster? What if they bowed and begged to her instead of the male guard? Most important, what if no one stood in her way to unravel a mystery threatening the future of Hokkaido?

  Grandiose visions.

  Impossible odds.

  Futility.

  Kara’s heart whispered this truth, but her brain shouted: You’ll never be allowed to step above your station. At best, she’d evolve into the likes of Hoija Taron someday – an arrogant proxy for the true power, strutting about in pretentious finery.

  Still, it would be fun to turn the masters into her puppets, if only for a while. These notions filled her with joy and trepidation as she stood on the north veranda sipping café following a light breakfast with the family. She needed these moments to herself, to bind her nerves and commit to the gambit which lay ahead.

  It had been sixteen hours since that rarest of human – a bioengineered immortal – invaded her cabana and made an offer she dared not reject.

  An immortal, a murderer, a terrorist.

  And maybe, the ally she never saw coming.

  “He has nothing to lose,” Kara told Chi-Qua after meeting with Ryllen Jee for an hour. “He has no shame, and he doesn’t fear death. He’ll go places the average Hokki won’t dare.”

  “Of course, he will,” Chi-Qua countered. “He has a return ticket no matter what. The same can’t be said for us.”

  “We need him, Chi. He knows people who can …”

  “Criminals, you mean. Killers like him.”

  “Yes. The ones who do the nasty bits. If we’re to understand what’s happening on Mangum Island, or how deeply the seamaster families are involved, I can’t just arrive there representing Nantou and expect to learn the whole truth. I need a Plan B.”

  Chi-Qua finished off the wine and cast a wary eye.

  “Relying on a man with no scruples. What a concept.”

  “Fair point. But Ryllen has one guiding principle: Revenge. It will keep him focused when we need him to be. As long as we share a mutual interest, I think we can trust him to stay on point.”

  Chi-Qua didn’t hide her skepticism. In any other context, Kara might have agreed with her assessment. Ryllen Jee admitted he lost no sleep over his murders.

  “If anybody misses those people,” he told Kara after laying out his crimes with blunt transparency, “they can have a word with me. Maybe I’ll tell them how life’s just another version of death. And these assholes I killed? They never did anything on Hokkaido worth a damn.”

  Nineteen bodies. One for each year of his life. Six as an agent of Green Sun, four to “make problems go away,” seven on his personal crusade, and two at Mal’s Drop.

  Though Ryllen’s tone suggested a certain pride in his work, Kara saw no evidence of psychopathy. He was friendly, charismatic, loose … dare she say it? Normal.

  And his plan? Too intriguing to ignore.

  Now, as she sipped her café on the veranda following breakfast, Kara quietly reviewed the scenarios he offered. He made promises based on assumptions but finished with an irresistible closing pitch.

  “Only way we’re gonna find peace is to do right by Kai and Lang,” he said. “You got money and a name. I got guns and all the lives I need. We can’t fail.”

  He was too honest to make a living as a proper salesman, but he seemed to know himself better than anyone she’d ever met. His braids aside, Ryllen bore no hallmarks of a Hokki upbringing, which taught the value of cloaking one’s true emotions behind a solemn half-smile and a chilled heart. She sensed Ryllen would always hand her the bottom line, no matter how bleak the forecast.

  “You said little over breakfast, Daughter.”

  Kara’s reflections ground to a halt when her mother sidled up, also nursing a café.

  “Everyone was quiet, Honorable Mother. We rarely eat outside. We haven’t had café in weeks. I wrongly assumed we were celebrating.”

  “We will be soon. Your Honorable Father and Brother were tired, I believe. The communion with Ja Yuan took longer than expected.”

  A day on a yacht? How exhausting could it have been?

  “About that.” She faced Li-Ann. “I was surprised they never brought it up. They must have made important decisions.”

  “A communion without resolution is a failure.”

  “I assume Honorable Father filled you in.”

  “He did.”

  “And?”

  Li-Ann never took her eyes off Kara as she sipped café.

  “You know the rules, Daughter.”

  “It’s less a rule than an arcane tradition. I might not be privy as a salaried employee of Nantou, but as Perr Syung’s only daughter and second heir, I should be entitled to crumbs at the very least.”

  Li-Ann looked away, amused.

  “Crumbs? We are marrying you into the most powerful family on The Lagos. Might I suggest you’re being fed quite well, Daughter. Speaking of which, I’m disappointed you haven’t asked about the wedding. I finalized the arrangements yesterday.”

  “I’m sure the ceremony will be beautiful. I’ll see in five days.”

  “Hmm. Your joy is infectious. It may interest you: I spoke with Ya-Li after he returned from luncheon. He was a gentleman, as usual, but he also appeared reticent. I trust you said nothing to discourage him?”

  Kara almost made the mistake of describing her lunch.

  “I wonder. Is Honorable Mother entitled to the intimate det
ails between a daughter and her intended? What are the rules?”

  Li-Ann wagged a finger.

  “Do not verbally spar with me, Daughter. It’s an ill-fitting look. I will make arrangements today to secure the transfer of your wardrobe to the Taron estate on Yeodlin along with any personals you desire. We will meet after your workday to discuss the particulars. Yes?”

  “And with Chi-Qua?”

  Li-Ann never acknowledged the question then pivoted toward the north garden, where she frequently strolled in the morning.

  Typical.

  Kara looked back. Luyn ate alone at the breakfast table, tearing through an extra helping of everything. She did this often, claiming she might be eating for two. Yet Hoija Taron said Dae was unable to father children. Was she right? If so, did anyone tell Luyn? Or perhaps a baby was inevitable, regardless of the father’s identity. Rumors swirled throughout history of elite families resorting to special techniques to ensure the “proper line” of descendancy.

  “Secrets,” Kara whispered. “Half-truths. False faces. Blackmail and conspiracy. It’s good to be Hokki.”

  Kara stopped off at the table to set down her empty cup and saucer.

  “I see Honorable Father and Dae have hurried off,” she told Luyn. “Halfway to Nantou by now, I assume.”

  Luyn patted her lips. “Honorable Father spoke of many meetings.”

  “And my brother?”

  “To his study for the morning, not to be disturbed.”

  Kara heard the offense in Luyn’s tone.

  “Did he say why? Perhaps follow-up work from communion?”

  “I know nothing of my husband’s business. Dae prefers it that way. I’ve never cared about the seamasters myself. In the end, every conversation comes back around to Kohlna.” She tapped her fork with impatience. “Fish. Always fish. Do you know what I mean?”

  Kara shrugged. “It’s the family business, Luyn. And if it weren’t for Kohlna, we’d have a hard time feeding two billion mouths.”

  “Oh, I mean no disrespect, but you’ll learn soon enough. When you sit at home as a married woman, you’ll expect love and attention from your husband. You don’t expect to compete against fish.”

  “I see. Luyn, is there something on your mind?”

  “No, no. Not at all.”

  “If you ever feel the need to talk, I’ll be happy to listen. Well, for five more days.”

  “Wouldn’t hear of it, Kara. You have far too much on your plate. By the way, I saw the vidtracks of you and Ya-Li on Lagos-P. The share boards were glowing like Huryo. Some are saying the WedLot drawings will set an entry record.”

  Kara had forgotten about the wedding lottery. It was a silly affair conducted by the elite families, allotting a limited number of public invitations for a hefty fee. Despite its purported goal of allowing average Hokkis to have prime seats at society’s grandest unions, its true purpose was to subsidize the massive cost of these bloated affairs. It was easy to spare no expense when part of those expenses would be covered by the middle classes.

  “Embarrassing,” Kara said. “How many lots are available?”

  “Fifty. That might be a record, too.”

  “What I’d give for a small, private wedding. You and my brother did it right.”

  Luyn rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t our choice, but the end result was the same. I couldn’t be more content.”

  Kara didn’t believe a word. She also didn’t have time to ponder the happiness of Dae and Luyn Syung. Today’s gambit needed her whole focus.

  Last night’s conversation at the cabana on Pantow Beach set important pieces into motion. What Kara did in the next two hours either pushed the game forward or ground her mission to a halt.

  It has to work.

  It will work.

  She repeated the words like a mantra on her way into the city.

  19

  A RE YOU SURE ABOUT THIS, KARA? It’s a highly unusual move. We’re barely beyond theory. Any proposal of this scale normally requires weeks of prep, not days.”

  She anticipated Geo Lann’s concerns. After all, he dealt with High Cannon Collective long before his transfer into BRED. Indeed, her entire team of engineers voiced skepticism about Kara’s plan. One day earlier, they sounded optimistic about miniaturizing shimmer tech for use in the WaveRammer cargo loading drones. They suggested the idea might be revolutionary. Now, as she proposed taking these ideas directly to the manufacturer before week’s end, their zeal retreated.

  “I understand your concerns,” she said. “Typically, we approach our contractors with detailed schematics and initial budgetary curbs. And yes, Geo, you know HCC better than any of us. They’re difficult to work with on a good day. But my goal is to pitch the session as a scientific meeting of minds. We want to stoke their imagination. Alli, do you think your initial simulations might form the backbone of a presentation?”

  Alli Parnish, a twenty-year veteran, nodded with reservation about the workup he promised Kara the day before.

  “It might. But as I said yesterday, we have scant hope of progress if HCC doesn’t allow us into their source code. Will they agree if we only have simulations?”

  “That’s my job, Alli. I’d like to think I learned a few tricks while I was imprisoned inside Marketing.” The joke drew roundhouse chuckles. “I want you and Geo with me. You handle the science, and I deliver the vision.”

  “How soon are you thinking?” Geo asked.

  “As soon as they’ll grant us an audience. How’s Daselin?”

  Geo whistled. “Kara, I know you’re anxious to get this rolling before your wedding, but two days? Alli and I have high standards. If you put us before their team this quickly, we might be compromised. We’ll have too many gaps and wishisms. Their design team don’t think highly of seamaster engineers.”

  “Why?”

  “They were trained by Chancellors on the Ark Carriers. The rest of us went to public university. It’s an unwritten caste system.”

  “Sounds like a battle of egos,” Kara said, intrigued by this connection. What might HCC engineers have learned in the final years of the Collectorate? “Good thing the Chancellors are a memory. So, they had a little help along the way. What of it? Their core product hasn’t changed in years. You and Alli show them an innovation. A couple of grads from public uni. Win and win.”

  She set the right tone. Heads nodded and smiles bared teeth.

  “You make a satisfying case,” Alli said. “But let’s say we’re prepared. Do we need to run this trip past EB Control?”

  Kara forgot about that nagging step. There was no chance she was giving advance notice to her father and the Executive Board.

  “No. Bylaws only require us to report to EBC ahead of formal negotiations and budget dialogue. As long as we don’t directly ask for the dynamic source code, we’re outside EBC jurisdiction.”

  “I understand,” Geo said. “We allow them the privilege of voluntarily granting access to their DSC.”

  “And we accept their terms, even if it means the code never leaves their sight.”

  “Bold move, Kara. Splitting a hair thin, but it’s your show.”

  “No, Geo. It’s our show. But it won’t matter if I can’t secure an audience. Everyone work together. Let’s give them something they’d never see coming.”

  She left them buzzing. Kara spent close to three years with these people, and she never realized they had an inferiority complex. Like many children of the elite families, Kara did not attend public university. She received specialized training through internships and private instructors who made a healthy career circulating through the Haansu District. Her privilege did not initially endear her to BRED, but her analytical skills won over the doubters. Now Kara understood: It was never about jealousy.

  She closed her office door and opened the plate at center desk, studying HCC’s key contact information. She didn’t have time to move through corporate channels or play hand-comm volley, so Kara went straight for the most appro
priate target.

  Dr. Hen-Bo Tyce, Chief Science Officer, knew more about shimmer tech than anyone at HCC. Forty years at the company; he was there when the first wave of shimmer tunnels altered shipping forever. She assumed he would be fascinated by a proposed innovation to the tech.

  Kara was wrong.

  Their conversation lasted less than a minute. He didn’t even bother with salutations or honorifics. Gaunt with silver hair – Kara thought he resembled death on approach – Dr. Tyce showed disdain at the mention of shimmer tech.

  “I seek new solutions for new problems,” he said. “There are no more horizons for shimmer, only mundane tweaks to the core design. My sister oversees legacy clients. Peddle your needs to her.”

  He dismissed Kara with a swipe, throwing her back to central reception. They were not eager to please, either – a strange response, Kara thought, given how she represented a client which spent billions of Dims on HCC products over decades. Persistence and finding a tone both demanding and conciliatory led Kara at last to the sister.

  Chin Sun Tyce shocked Kara with the generous smile and soft glow of a doting grandmother.

  “What a joy to make your acquaintance, Honored Miss Syung,” she said through lips painted deep blue. “I understand you spoke to my brother. I hope he wasn’t overly difficult.”

  Kara heard the crusty ravages of age in her voice. She didn’t appear as old as her brother, but Chin Sun sounded much like Kara’s own Honored Gran in the months before she passed.

  “I apologize, Honorable Miss Tyce. It was my fault. I should have made inquiries before contacting him directly.”

  “Actually, you impressed me. Most of our clients know my brother’s irascible quality. They try to steer clear of him. You were not afraid. Good for you. I understand you bring the potential for new business?”

  Kara refocused after the disastrous lead-in with Dr. Tyce. She knew better than to play the full hand at once.

  “Potential is the operative word. We might have an answer to an ongoing problem with the efficiency of our drone loaders. It involves shimmer tech, specifically tunnels. I’d like to visit along with my project team to discuss whether these ideas are scientifically viable.”