STARTING POINT: BEYOND THE BLACK



STARTING POINT: BEYOND THE BLACK

Vanessa Ravencroft © 2015

''“This is based on the starting point posted on Sci Fi Ideas. As usual my take on the story takes place in my “Universe”. I have adapted and slightly changed the premises of the intro to make it fit.)''

-1-

The heavy rain on this Four-Day afternoon, was not unexpected and part of the wet season of this planet. For the last fifty years planet management promised weather control and yet they still debated the pro and contra and the costs of such a system.

On days like this the skies above New Basingstoke were of a depressing shade of gray. The tall buildings creating man made canyons looked foreboding. Despite the ocean of colored lights and advertisement projections.

Burton Oalde sighed and turned his attention away from the narrow but tall window in the West side wall of his office on the 893rd floor of the old Granemoore office tower. Not exactly a very prestigious address to be honest, but not a really bad one either.

The project-a-sign outside in the hallway of the 893rd and next to the door read 'Oalde & Saviour Federal licensed Private Investigators '.

He and his partner were of a dying breed of independent Pis. Not being associated to any of the big agencies or corporations had its rewards. Burton liked to be his own boss and take an investigation where it took him, instead of where a franchise manager wanted him to go. Of  course not being part of Union wide recognized agency assured that those clients with deep pocket never walked through that office door or called him.

He tapped the surface of his desk and swiped a file into the foreground. It was supposed to be a homicide case. Not that many criminal cases came across the desk of a PI, capital crimes involving Union citizens were handled by Federal Police. In almost all cases Union Police did a terrific job and identified the guilty party and built a case in a Union court, but the United Stars of the Galaxies commonly simply known as the Union was so incredibly big, that it sometimes took years to close a case. The old saying was going like this .” Union Police will always get you, unless you died of old age before.”

Burton snickered at that and sighed once more. Just then he noticed the virtual office assistant signaling visitors.

Before he even had time to check who it was, his partner Brayden Saviour opened the door for a man Burton had only seen in visuals before. The visitor rushed in followed by Brayden who closed the door behind him.

Brayden his partner really looked like an old fashioned gum shoe from far distant Pre Astro times and god ol' Earth supposed to look. Complete with a Fedora hat pushed deep into his face and a dripping, wet glistening trench coat. Brayden so the story went once worked with that legendary detective Phil Decker, rumored to still be alive and copied that old Terran's style.

The visitor, both potential suspect and client was Eytan Vos, a civilian spacer claiming to have been past the Coreward fringes for many decades. Mr. Vos also claimed to have returned only very recently. From what Burton could ascertain so far was not very much. According to the sparse information he was able to dig up, this man had joined a privately funded expedition to a star system called Arinna System and a  world within named Sa’hashia.

Neither GalNet nor Encyclopedia Galactica had much more than a name and a spatial location. Only that it was over 2.000 light years beyond the last Union outpost and deep in unknown space.

Burton and his partner became involved in this case only about a week ago, when the Community manager of  Omia Colony asked them to investigate the circumstances that lead to an apparent suicide homicide.

Union Police accepted the report of the local law enforcement agency, that it was an open and shut case, with the only suspect having committed suicide and never even showed up.

Omia was a sleepy community of Seed farmers, small businesses and their employees, having one of their own, a well known community member without any hidden secret or strange behavior; suddenly turn into a homicidal maniac was a mystery to say the least. Burton had to agree, in terms of mysteries this one was a strange as they came. Lothar Boers, assistant manager of Omia Seed Mills , working for the better part of ten years for the company went home on a Eight-Day afternoon and killed his wife and then himself. Only to be found by their   ten year old son coming home after school. The dead wife was the sister of the man now in his office, and according to CIT central, the closed living relative to the surviving boy.

The spacer wore a non descriptiveive, gray one piece combination apparently made of Syntho leather and a Vari-fab  knee long over coat, a few shades darker than tcombinationion below.

Burton assumed it was not just a garment but a functional space suit. The soft bulging ring collar suggested a fold away film helmet, that could be deployed in the fraction of a second.

What struck him odd were the wrap around sun glasses the visitor wore before his eyes. While it was known that people from Earth wore sunglasses where ever they went, simply to be recognized as Terrans, Vos did not strike him as a native of Old Earth. Besides even the most arrogant Earther would wear the glasses pushed up into the forehead or folded away on a dark and rainy day like this.

“Mister Vos, this is Detective Burton Oalde .” Savior introduced the astronaut to Oalde. The older detective stood up and raised a hand to greet Vos, who immediately took the hand and shook with a firm grip.

Saivor added. “He and I are working on the case that involves your nephew.”

“My condolences.” Oalde apologized.

“There is no need for such sympathies, detective.” Vos interrupted. “Tragedies such as those suffered by my sister and her husband are rarely the fault of investigators. I’m certain you have done all within your power to find those responsible.”

Savoir offered the visitor a chair and Vos accepted, rubbing his eyes behind the sunglasses as he sat.

“People are rarely so understanding, under such circumstances Mister Vos,  but rest assured we are still at the beginning of our investigation and a far from making final conclusions” Oalde noted.

“I have full confidence in both of you. To close this case soon” Vos then turned towards Savior. “Could I trouble you for a glass, Detective Savior?”

“Certainly,” replied the young detective.

As Savior left the office to get a glass of water, Oalde began his own inquiries.

“I imagine you’ve had some tough decisions to make, Mister Vos. Taking care of a boy that age when you’re busy with those expeditions and going beyond the  fringes and into what some call the Big Dark  for months, if not years at a time-”

“I decided to postpone any new expeditions for the foreseeable future, the moment I was made aware  of my nephew Aiden's situation, Detective.” Vos asserted. “I have accepted a position within our groups Mission Support team at Vega Arradin. Granted, the star system is still within the frontier region but the position comes with steady work hours and Vega Arradin has a Union School and the environment a young person needs to develop. It might not be the  most ideal environment to raise him, especially after such a tragedy, but it must suffice.”

Savior returned with the glass of water, to which Vos gently bowed his head in gratitude.

The visitor then set the glass upon the desk before him, pulled out an eyedropper from his coat and emptied the contents into the glass.

While Burton observed the strange behavior of the man he said with a fine hint of accusation in his tone. “During my first investigation attempts I came across a witness account claiming you visited the Boers household just about a week before the murders.” Burton leaned forward and starred directly at Vos “I don’t suppose you could tell us of anything unusual you might have noticed during that visit?”

Vos shook his head. “Nothing out of the ordinary, I’m afraid. I had little time to visit the family and only conveyed stories to my nephew of my own experiences beyond the black. Though, I fear that my brief visit may have been the catalyst that lead to such a tragedy.”

“How do you mean?” Oalde asked.

Vos rubbed his eyes once again. Not once had he taken the sunglasses off his face. “Just a feeling,” he said, “little else.”

“Just out of curiosity, what stories did you tell Aiden Boers ?” Savior asked.

“They were not unlike the tales my own aunt had told of her Spacer days.” Vos replied. “They inspired me to seek out a career as a spacer. I wanted to know if the stories my aunt told me as a young child were true or if they were fairy tales.”

“While the local authorities are convinced the atrocity was committed by Lothar Boers before killing himself. We compiled a list of all visitors to the Boers household before the tragedy and we composed these images from witness accounts.” Burton activated the viewer and asked. “Mr. Vos, no none in the local community could identify those two individuals. Have you seen them before?”

Vos leaned towards the projection and stared for several moments before he answered. “I’m sorry. None of those men look familiar.”

“Perhaps it would be easier to see if you removed your sunglasses, Mister Vos ?” Savior suggested.

“It would make no difference, Detective.” Vos then plucked the sunglasses from his nose and revealed two milky white eyes with neither irises nor pupils. Even the veins of the sclera were not present. “I see just as well even if I have no desire to see anything.”

Oalde nearly jumped from his office chair. “Good god! What happened to your eyes?”

“I removed them.” Vos confessed as he first removed the white sphere from his left eye socket, then the right, and plopped them both to the glass of water on the desk. “I went beyond the black to witness the awe and majesty of space. However, there are horrors and dangers in equal measure.” He gave a little snigger as he recalled his experiences. “I half expected my aunt’s stories to be fairy tales to be honest, but fairy tales do not cause you to question your sanity, your moral center, your place in the universe. Fairy tales do not cause you to gouge out your eyes so you can finally look away, to return to a state of innocence and ignorance. Fairy tales do not force you to see everything, even if you no longer have eyes.”

Oalde nodded. “Indeed not, but I know the story now, Mr. Vos. You used God Dust ,m isn't that right?”

Vos stirred in his chair. “Never! I know the penalty .”

“Oh come on, those expeditions beyond the fringes are really smuggling trips. Perhaps your aunt was a smuggler too? We all know the value of that stuff, but you couldn't leave it alone and just smuggle it, right? You tried!”

“No!”

“Whats your HPI ? You are somewhat psionic gifted are you not? Mind if I check your CITI implant?”

“I resent your accusations. My organization and I are conducting valuable but private research. Besides whatever we do beyond the Fringes is not subject to Union law .”

“But what you do when you come back is, dealing and trafficking God dust, you know Mind Blower ,Gallow Ticket or whatever Califerm is called on the Black market these days. But if you are indeed the concerned uncle, you would not object to a scan,  right?”

Vos licked his lips. “Do I have a choice?”

“Not really, Sir. You could refuse and we would be forced to call the Feds. With us you have a fair chance and we get you to a Union Court clerk. If the Feds hear you smuggling Califerm... do I need to draw you a picture?”

Vos shoulders slumped “The monsters, the horror is real! I plugged out my eyes and I still see them! They call me! I must return and make sure the line is not broken!”

Burton simply scanned the man with his CITI checker. The hand held Citizen Identity Tag Implant scanner was connected via GalNet to CIT central, and a heart beat later Burton could read the displayed data and he said more to his partner than to Vos. “His Heidelberg Psi Index is over 150.”

Brayden asked. “I know Califerm is the most illegal drug, but what it does exactly eludes me at the moment.”

Burton explained“The drug temporarily raises the HPI  and gives Psionic abilities to those who normally have none or increases the abilities of a Psi talents tremendously. It increases the sensibility of nerve endings and makes such activities as extreme sports and sex into a whole new and intense experience. Some claim it raises the awareness of a telepath to such a level that he or she can hear the thoughts of God or the Gods.”

Vos bolted up. “Not gods! Demons! You are fools of the highest magnitude! You know of Anti matter but I tell you there is a an entire Anti Universe. Hell is real, it's the opposite!”

“You are a disturbed and mentally sick individual, Mr. Vos. Police is on its way to take you into custody. I am sure a judge will find you a good Psycho Surgeon and in a week from now, you be as right as rain remembering nothing and with a nice set of brand new eyes.”

Vos backed up into the corner next to the window.” You bastards, my nephew must be prepared to be the next. I am no smuggler! I am a messenger I am opening the eyes of all to the coming apocalypse. The gates will open and all will burn!”

Vos stretched out his arm and something organic, slimy and pulsating in a wet pinkish tone slithered into his hand.

Burton immediately knew whatever it was, it was dangerous. “Did you not scan him before you brought him here?” He almost yelled at his partner.

“I did! Whatever that is, its not registering on my weapon sca..”

Brayden Saviour could not complete the last sentence he would ever say. Something almost invisible, like a insubstantial waft of purple colored smoke emerged from the thing in the hand of Vos and engulfed Brayden's head, only to suddenly increase in size and rupturing in a gory shower of brain and blood.

Burton was instantly reminded of the crime scene images. It was not a shatter gun after all, it was this thing. He was armed and wondered how his chances were to reach for his Walther Pocket laser and fire it, before this lunatic killed him.

A loud voice outside his office. “Federal Police, we are responding to a call of assistance. Please open the door.”

Vos glanced at the door with utter panic in his face. “They must not get me! Or everything will be lost, the Darkness will win!

Instead of killing Burton, the gaseous pinkish substance appeared again and wafted against the transparent duro plast of the window. The tough material melted away as if in contact of the most corrosive acid.

The Police rapped at the door again “Open the door or we are forced to breach it.”

Burton yelled. “Help! Come in!”

Vos turned a last time and then catapulted himself through the now open window.

With a tremendous crash and splinters of pseudo wood flying everywhere, two cops in armor suits busted into the room.

Burton pointed to the open window and screamed against the howling wind. “He jumped!”

One of the cops stomped past Burton and left a sizable bigger hole in the window, taking pieces of the wall along as well.

Moments later the second cop said to Burton. “Whoever jumped out your window did not arrive at the ground. Whoever it was seems to have escaped for now!”