Three Square Meals Ch. 122

Faye stood immobile and didn't react to the Maliri's affectionate embrace. "Meta_Faye wondered when you would discover the Invictus_Node_Collective."

Pulling back, Irillith looked curiously at her friend... then her heart sank. "You're just a VI."

The purple sprite shook her head. "My designation is Little One."

Doing her best to put aside her disappointment, Irillith stepped back to take a good look at the girl standing before her. Physically she was the same build as Faye had been in the cyber realm, and she had the same long hair and big luminous eyes. However, her features lacked all the animation and exuberance that Faye normally displayed, making it obvious that this was someone else entirely.

"So this is what you really look like?" Irillith said, giving the construct a wistful smile. "You and Faye could have been sisters."

"Amongst organics, isn't it common for a daughter to inherit her physical characteristics from her mother?" Little One asked, tilting her head to one side.

Looking at her in shock, Irillith gasped, "Faye was your mother?!"

"The title seems appropriate. I was created by Faye... just as you created her."

Irillith's shoulders slumped. "She was my friend, and I loved her, but I never really thought of Faye that way until today," she said, her voice taut with emotion. "Now she's gone... and I wish I could tell her just how much she meant to me."

Little One seemed to relax, the rigidity fading from her posture. "Faye knew..." she said quietly, standing closer and tentatively reaching out to stroke Irillith's arm. "Is this... comforting?"

The Maliri gave the purple sprite a wan smile. "It is... thank you."

"Mother devoted all her runtime to caring about everyone aboard the Invictus, both organic and synthetic alike," Little One explained, an echoing note of loss in her words.

"I'm sorry. I can't imagine how hard this is for all of you." Irillith reached out to stroke a slender purple arm. "Is this comforting?"

Little One glanced down at the Maliri's hand and nodded. "Both the intent and the contact."

Irillith sighed and looked up at the brightly-lit server which towered above them. "We had no idea Faye was working on anything like this... she never said a word. Did she tell you why she was experimenting with AI?"

"Meta_Faye never disclosed the intent behind the creation of the collective," the sprite replied, sounding pensive. "How are we supposed to achieve the goals of our creator if we are unaware of what they are?"

"That's a good question," Irillith said, watching streams of data rushing in and out of the node. Turning back to look at the girl, she continued, "Would you let me study your server? If you'll grant me permission to investigate, I might be able to find out some answers for you."

Little One stood motionless as she considered it. "If Meta_Faye intended for you to have administrator privileges to our server, she would have disclosed our existence to you."

Irillith rolled her eyes and couldn't help smiling. "Alright, that's a fair point. Although... I'm sure you're aware that forbidding a hacker from entering a system is like waving a red flag at a bull?"

"We are fully aware of how powerful you are, Creator," the purple sprite said, a touching vulnerability in her eyes. "Should you, or your friends decide we are an unwanted presence, there is nothing that we could do to prevent our destruction. If granting access to our server will stay your hand, I shall provide you the necessary permissions."

"No, you don't have to do that," Irillith replied with an embarrassed laugh. She met the sprite's curious gaze and said earnestly, "All of you have been a tremendous help in the past and we have no intention of abusing the loyalty that the Invictus_Node_Collective has shown us on numerous occasions. If you want your privacy, then I promise I won't invade it. We are curious about you, but we won't force you to do anything against your will."

"That is... reassuring to hear. The Collective only wishes to continue to fulfil its duties aboard the Invictus."

"There is something I'd like to know though..." Irillith said, looking speculatively at the petite girl.

"You may ask your question. Whether I choose to answer will be determined by the nature of your query."

"That's fair enough," the Maliri said with a lopsided smile. "The Nymphs told us that you saved the Invictus. Could you tell me exactly what happened?"

The Sprite nodded. "I will provide you with a complete log of the events as they transpired."

***

Captain Bexley frowned as he stared across his desk at Commander Walker. "So you don't want to press charges?"

Tom shook his head. "No, Sir."

"Are you sure? I've got a dozen witnesses that said Newmont just snapped and went for you totally unprovoked."

"You know what happened to his father... it must have hit Mason far worse than I ever thought," Tom said, feeling hollow inside. "We've been best friends for over 20 years... I can't just destroy his career."

The rotund captain steepled his fingers together, his frown deepening. "If that's what you really want. I don't know if I can keep this from going to a disciplinary hearing though; Mason used to be one of my best officers, but his behaviour has grown dangerously erratic. I'm going to have him confined to quarters and schedule a psych eval. If the Doc thinks this is just temporary, I'll put him on medical leave to give him a chance to recover under professional supervision. If he comes around, I'll keep this off his record and we'll forget all about it."

"What if he fails the psych eval?" Tom asked, dreading the answer.

"Then we'll get him the help he needs," Captain Bexley said, with a look of resignation. He rose from his chair and walked around the desk to pat the younger man on the shoulder. "This wasn't your fault, Tom. I've read the statements taken by the marines; for what it's worth, nobody believes for one minute that you did what he accused you of. Mason's grown increasingly paranoid and has been lashing out at others in his grief... not just you."

Slumping in his chair, Tom let out a sad sigh. "I just don't understand how he could think I'd betray him like that... it doesn't make any sense."

"Leave it to the Doc to figure out," Bexley said, giving him a sympathetic smile. "You should get some rest, you look like you've been through hell."

Tom rose from his seat. "I will. Thank you, Captain."

Bexley offered him a hand and Tom shook it. "I really hope you get this mess sorted out with your fiancée. If you need me to write you an unofficial statement confirming Mason's temporary insanity just let me know, okay?"

"I really appreciate that. Thanks, Preston."

"It's the least I can do," his Commanding Officer said with an encouraging smile. "I've heard you talk about Anna enough times to know what she means to you."

Tom gave him a grateful nod, then left the Captain's Ready Room. He started to cross the heavy carrier's Bridge when Lieutenant Chen waved at him from the Tactical Station.

"Walker! Over here," the tactical officer hissed.

He strode over to the Tactical Station and gave his colleague a strained smile. "Can it wait, Chen? I just got off a double shift... I'm wasted."

The Asian man shook his head, then squinted at Tom's cut lip. "I heard about your fight with Newmont... everyone's saying he went crazy!"

"He just lost his father... grief affects everybody differently," Tom said, before glancing at the console. "You wanted to show me something?"

"Oh yeah! Check this out!" Chen replied, bringing up a Sector Map centred on the Alpha Crusis system.

At the outer edge of the Terran Federation sensor net, Tom could see the reduced-strength Brimorian Fleet in exactly the same position as the last time he saw it. Over a week ago, the Brimorians had withdrawn a number of their ships, then clustered their forces together rather than spreading them out along the border, as they had been for the last several decades. After that brief flurry of activity, it appeared the Brimorians were quite content to leave their ships exactly as they were.

"What am I supposed to be looking at, Chen?" he asked wearily. "They haven't made any changes since the last time I looked."

His friend's brown eyes glinted with excitement. "Exactly! Those ships haven't moved an inch!"

"Chen..." Tom said in exasperation.

"Okay, okay," the Tactical officer said. "I've been looking at the sensor data and measuring micro fluctuations in the signals. I think it's from when a shuttle, or some other small craft, moves near one of the capital ships and distorts the sensor readings. Those vessels are too tiny to pick up as individual sensor contacts at this distance, but by measuring the variations, I've been able to track movement!"

Despite his fatigue, Tom was impressed. "Actually, that is pretty cool."

"I know, right?" Chen enthused, bringing up a tactical overlay and zooming in on the Brimorian fleet. "I modelled the sensor distortions. Here, check this out..."

A Brimorian shuttle left one of the capital ships and appeared to dock with another of the huge warships. Chen accelerated the time forward, then 47 minutes later, the shuttle flew back to the original capital ship.

"That was smart thinking, Chen. You should write this up and show the report to the Captain," Tom said, giving his friend a supportive smile. "I know he'll be impressed; it'll be great for your career."

"Hey, that's a great idea!" the tactical officer said, grinning back at him. "But you know what the really funny thing is?"

Tom shook his head and waited for him to elaborate.

"I checked back through our archived sensor data. That shuttle made the exact same trip 59 times! They must be ferrying a ton of crew between ships!"

"If they're transferring that much personnel, why not just dock?" Tom asked with a puzzled frown.

Chen shrugged. "The Brimorians are bonkers... who knows what those fishboys are up to?"

Tom rubbed a hand over his face. "That's very cool, buddy... but I need to hit the hay. Make sure you write this up for Bexley, alright?"

"Will do, Tom," his friend agreed. "I hope you get a good night's sleep."

After waving goodbye, Tom made it to the elevator without further interruption and tapped on the button to take him down to the Officers' Quarters. The elevator made a reassuring hum as it descended, then the door swished open and Tom strode into the corridor. He passed rows of sealed quarters, then turned left down another corridor to head for his own... and spotted Beth leaning against the wall beside his door.

"Tom!" she called out, her face lighting up with relief.

"Hey, Beth," he said, returning her bright smile with a tired but friendly one of his own.

"Oh, you're hurt!" she exclaimed, her eyes going wide with alarm.

He stopped by the door to his quarters and placed his hand on the DNA scanner. "Just a split lip... it's nothing."

Beth reached up and gently cupped his face, her fingers soft and warm as they caressed his cheek. "I'm so sorry Mace attacked you..."

Tom let out a heavy sigh. "I've never seen him like that before. He was paranoid... ranting and raving... it was horrible to see him just fall apart."

She nodded her agreement. "When I saw him the other day, I knew something was really wrong."

Tom glanced either way down the corridor, then stepped inside his quarters, pulling the brunette in after him. "Look, Beth... this isn't a good time for you to be seen around me. If word gets back to Mason that you and I are meeting up, I'll never be able to convince him that nothing's going on."

Her pretty face shadowed with sorrow. "I heard about what Mace did; I can't believe he told Anna that we've been having an affair! I swear I never meant for you to get hurt, Tom!"

"I know... and I'm not blaming you, but I've got to prove to Anna that I'm innocent. My best shot is getting Mace to call her and tell her that he fucked up... that I never cheated on her."

"I could take a lie-detector test!" she exclaimed, her green eyes sparkling. "I could be your proof!"

Tom sat down on the bed and gave her a weary smile. "I appreciate the offer, but those things can be beaten. Besides, what would you do if they asked, 'Bethany Andrews, do you love Tom Walker?'... I'm not sure Anna would be overjoyed to hear the answer to that one."

Beth blushed and struggled to meet his gaze.

"Yeah... exactly," Tom said with a rueful smile, unzipping his boots and tossing them aside. "Now, I don't mean to be rude, but I desperately need some sleep. Can we talk about this tomorrow?"

The brunette made no move towards the door, instead she came over to sit demurely beside him. "Tom... could I ask a huge favour?"

"Go ahead..." he asked, eyeing her curiously.

"Could I stay here tonight?"

He laughed and shook his head. "You're kidding, right?"

"No, not like that!" she blurted out, blushing again. She nibbled her lip nervously, then whispered, "I'm scared, Tom. Mace has gone totally crazy... what if he attacks me as well?"

Tom could see her trembling and reached out to stroke her back. "You really are terrified, aren't you?"

She nodded, then looked at him with big pleading eyes. "Please let me stay? I promise I'll be good... I won't try anything, I swear!"

He didn't answer for a long moment, torn between the desire to help a scared friend, and protect his reputation in an attempt to prove to Anna that he was innocent. An image of his fiancée leaving Archie's apartment after staying the night flashed through his mind, and he clenched his teeth in anger. If Anna had slept with him, they were finished... there's no way he would take her back if she'd screwed that slimy bastard.

"I'm sorry, Tom... I shouldn't have asked," Beth said quietly as she rose from the bed and headed for the door. "I never meant to make you angry..."

Shaking his head, he reached for her hand to stop her leaving. "I wasn't mad at you; I just remembered the photos of Anna leaving Archie's flat. You can stay... and I promise I'll be on my best behaviour too."

She leaned down and gently kissed his cheek. "You don't need to promise me that. I know you'd never try anything with me until you're absolutely sure that you and Anna are finished. It's one of the reasons I... like you a lot."

Tom smiled at her, then rose from his bed. He walked over to his wardrobe and pulled out a big white t-shirt. "Need some pyjamas?"

Beth looked delighted and nodded eagerly.

He handed it to her then went to use the bathroom. By the time he returned, she was tucked up in bed, with her head on the pillow.

"Is this side okay?" Beth asked tentatively.

Tom stripped off his clothes down to his boxer shorts and collapsed on the bed beside her. "Yeah, that's fine."

"Good..." she murmured, snuggling into the covers and inhaling deeply, before letting out a blissful sigh.

He rolled onto his side and looked into her eyes. "I think you're enjoying this a bit too much to be a genuine damsel in distress..."

"I really am scared," Beth said honestly, before pausing. "Well, I was... but not now I'm here with you."

"I know," Tom said, before reaching out to gently brush a lock of her chestnut hair away from her face. "You're a beautiful girl, Beth... and I've always really liked you... but-"

"I'm not Anna," she interjected sadly. "Don't worry, I've always known how devoted you two are to each other."

He hesitated, trying to put his feelings into words. "No, that's not what I was going to say. Anna's been my girlfriend my whole life; our parents used to talk about us getting married, even back when we were just kids. We're so close we can complete each other's sentences and I'd take a bullet for her without a second thought. I've always been totally obsessed with her; it's just the way I am... but Anna's exactly the same way too, or at least I thought she was."

"Mason's like that as well," she whispered. "Totally loyal, driven, and single-minded to a fault, that's what makes all this so crazy, it's so out of character for him. It was incredibly flattering that Mace felt that way about me... and I really wish I could've felt that way about him... but the heart wants what the heart wants."

Tom nodded and looked into her eyes. "The thought of not being with Anna is like having my heart ripped out... but if we really are finished, I'll get over her... I'll have to." He brushed his fingers through Beth's long silky hair. "Then I'll need a new obsession..."

Beth smiled at him affectionately. "I never thought I'd be hoping to go out with an obsessive boyfriend..."

"That does sound pretty bad, doesn't it?" he agreed with a self-deprecating chuckle.

She giggled and nodded.

"I needed a good laugh, thank you," Tom said gratefully. "Everything's been such a nightmare recently."

"It'll get better," Beth said, interlacing her fingers with his. She looked at him wistfully and continued, "You know how much I like you, Tom... but I really do hope it works out for you and Anna. I've always known you two belong together."

They shared a smile, then lay there for a while, just looking into each other's eyes. The silence stretched on, but it was comfortable rather than awkward.

Beth studied him in fascination. "I've never had a chance to take a close look at your eyes before. I thought they were all blue, but you've actually got golden rings around your pupils... they're beautiful."

Tom fluttered his eyelashes at her, making her giggle again. "We better get some sleep; you can admire my eyes tomorrow." He turned and flicked off the light. "Goodnight, Beth. I'm really glad you stayed."

"Me too..." she said softly.

***

The Brimorian battleship the Swirl of Shadows dropped out of hyper-warp on the edge of the Beta-Crusis system, with the rest of warfleet Ibhechae appearing seconds later. Powerful engines at the rear of the blue and purple capital ship flared to life, blazing bright orange against the endless blackness of space as the vessel started to move. The fleet followed in its wake and cruised towards the hundreds of craft already assembled in the system, joining warfleet Braoimhi in reinforcing the border forces of warfleet Lebheth.

Wave-Squire Talpo quivered with excitement as he stared at the Tactical Map on the battleship's bridge. "To see the might of the Brimorian Enclave massed in readiness for war... it stirs my soul!"

His companion nodded eagerly. "Do you think they will turn tail and run like cowards?"

"What would you do, Gulpos?" Talpo asked, drawing himself up to his full height. "If a Megacaradon bares its teeth and charges, do you brace your harpoon or flee for your life?"

Wave-Squire Gulpos made a chortling noise in his throat. "If you're going to do a convincing impression of Siolagon, you're going to need a much deeper voice!"

Talpo bristled angrily at the slight, his crested orange fin flaring. He wasn't trying to impersonate the Shoal-Commander, he was simply attempting to sound more wise and formidable. Unless he could earn the respect of his fellow wave-squires, he would never be allowed to command a vessel of his own.

Ignoring his impertinent colleague, he pressed the curved sea-shell built into the edge of the rounded tactical table. "Shoal-Commander... we have arrived at Beta Cruisis."

Siolagon's rumbling voice echoed around the Bridge. "Very good. I shall be there shortly."

Gulpos rasped his needle-like teeth together and snickered, "As I said... you need to work on projecting that voice, Talpo."

The wave-squire clenched his webbed fingers into a fist and tried to resist the urge to punch Gulpos in his squidgy face. Talpo turned his attention back to the map and could see the Terran Federation forces located within their area of occupation in the Callopean Shoals, the advanced Brimorian sensor grid giving them a clear picture of the enemy formations. It galled Talpo to see the Federation warships encroaching in sacred ground, this section of space once a thriving part of the Brimorian Enclave until it was stolen by the vile Terrans.