Web of Truth (Cadicle #4): An Epic Space Opera Series Read online

  “The IT-1s aren’t ready to roll out yet,” Wil replied, keeping with Taelis’ style to forgo pleasantries. “The current guidance system can’t account for other ships and variable hazards.”

  The High Commander scoffed. “So it’s useless.”

  “No, it just needs some refining.”

  “And how long is that going to take?”

  As long as it takes to make it safe. “I don’t know.”

  Taelis scoffed and shook his head. “We need the IT-1s.”

  “Well, they’re not ready,” Wil maintained.

  “You see this?” Taelis pointed to the map above his desktop. Red points surrounded several larger blue objects scattered throughout the field. “The Bakzen have us pinned down. How are we supposed to make any headway without the ability to make precision strikes?”

  Wil eyed him. “Do you want a genuine answer? Because you’ve repeatedly requested that I stay out of command decisions for now.”

  Taelis shook his head. “That’s because you aren’t prepared yet.”

  Wil held in an exasperated sigh. “Then I’m not sure what you want from me.”

  Taelis minimized the holographic map with an irritated swipe of his hand. “What, exactly, have you been doing for the last three years since you graduated?”

  “Aside from redesigning your whole fleet?”

  “If that’s been your only endeavor, where has it gotten us?” the High Commander countered. “I think you have unnecessary distractions.”

  He’s undoubtedly referring to Saera. Shows how little he knows about me. “Well, now you actually have warships that can jump into Bakzen space, for one.”

  Taelis shook his head. “You’ve been wasting time on schematics when you should have been training a set of officers.”

  Wil crossed his arms. “What good are new officers if they have no fleet to command?”

  “The fleet can be constructed in short order. But I’ve been at this for long enough to know that trust is built over time. You need your own people in the key positions to maximize the effectiveness of your command.”

  “Trust? I wasn’t the one lying to trainees for years. At least now they’re mentally prepared before being pulled into the Jotun division.”

  The High Commander scowled. “So you’re just as impulsive as always—exactly why you aren’t ready to step into a true command position yet.”

  If I had my way, the disclosure wouldn’t be limited to just within the TSS. How the Priesthood was able to keep it contained is still astounding. “I’m only doing what’s necessary to rally support.”

  “Support will come from your officers.”

  “And where am I supposed to find those officers?”

  “Banks has a list of candidates prepared for you,” Taelis said.

  Wil faltered. He does? “So why are you the one telling me now?”

  “Because he’s foolishly insisted on leaving you alone to work on design specs for a fleet. Since even that sole focus wasn’t enough to make the designs work, it’s time to reprioritize.”

  I work around the clock to practically rewrite the accepted laws of space travel, and it’s still not enough to satisfy him. “That kind of thinking isn’t going to get you the IT-1s any faster.”

  “Let Laecy deal with that.”

  “While she’s perfectly capable of making the engineering revisions, I don’t think she has remotely the right connections to double the TSS’ access to ateron cores.”

  The High Commander’s eyes narrowed behind his tinted glasses. “What for?”

  “To make any of this new tech work properly! You claim I’ve been wasting my time, but I’d like to see you make any of this function. Most of what I’ve been doing is just sourcing materials for construction. All of the resources are tapped out. I’ve had to go through three or more design iterations on most of the processing components in every new ship design just to accommodate alternate materials since production can’t keep up with the demand for the standard parts. The IT-1 prototype might not be perfect, but at least it exists.”

  Taelis took in Wil’s words before replying, “One of the most important traits of leadership is effective delegation. Pick your officers. The rest will follow.”

  Oh... So this isn’t about any one issue. He doesn’t want to me to get caught up in the details and lose sight of the bigger picture. Realizing what Taelis was doing, Wil let down his defense. “I may not have overseen battles like you, but I know what’s at stake.”

  The High Commander nodded, giving the hint of a smile. “Good. So you know why I have to be tough on you.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Taelis took a deep breath. “Given the current circumstances, I think perhaps it’s best you focus on the rest of your preparations back home.”

  Wil was caught off-guard. “No longer visit here, you mean?”

  “I had hoped for you to become comfortable at H2, but I think maybe it’s more valuable for you to be able to step in with fresh eyes when the time comes,” Taelis explained. “I’m confident that the relationships you’ve forged so far with my officers will carry through until then.”

  It was possible the change was a demotion, but Wil couldn’t help but feel relieved. “If you think that’s best.”

  “I do.”

  Wil nodded. At least I’ll have Laecy keeping a lookout for me. “All right. I guess I’ll see you in a few years, then.”

  “Take care. We’ll be waiting for you.”

  CHAPTER 2

  There are so many strong candidates. How do I choose?

  Wil had spent the last several days since he had returned home from H2 scanning through thousands of prospective Trainee files. He needed to find twenty men to train as his officers under the Primus Elite designation—while there were plenty of qualified women like Saera, he couldn’t risk potential complications in the interpersonal dynamics from a mixed group.

  The decision of who to choose was all too daunting. The men needed to be bright and strong, but also ready to take direction. It was a delicate balance, and tough to find. He had narrowed the applications down to fifty candidates, but each cut was more difficult than the last.

  “How’s it going?” Saera gave Wil a hug from behind as he sat at the desk in his Agent quarters.

  “Making some progress, finally,” Wil replied.

  Saera adjusted her newly acquired tinted glasses. She had just completed her fourth year of training with the TSS and had remained at the top of her class even after moving up to Junior Agent. Any doubts about Wil’s recommendation to have her follow the Primus Command track had been long forgotten. “Do you have a short list?”

  Wil sighed. “More or less. The problem is, they’ve given me so many good options. Banks told me they intentionally held back a few prospective Trainees from previous application cycles so I’d have my pick of the best candidates from the last few years. The biggest challenge is figuring out the right distribution of skills—I need to make it a diverse group.”

  Saera rubbed his shoulders. “Well, come on. I grabbed us some dinner from the mess hall. Why don’t you take a break?”

  “All right, thanks.” Wil rose from the desk and joined Saera at the dining table in the living area.

  Saera had a well portioned plate of food waiting on the table for each of them.

  Wil immediately dug in. “Thank you,” he said after a few mouthfuls. “I didn’t even realize how late it’d gotten.”

  “That’s why you have me to look after you,” Saera replied with a smirk.

  I don’t know what I’d do without her. Wil ate a few more bites. “So, you have a short leave coming up.”

  Saera lit up. “Yes, I do! Finally.”

  Wil took a breath. “I thought it might be a good time to take you to Tararia.”

  The proposition seemed to catch Saera by surprise. She looked at Wil warily. “Why now?”

  “As my intended, you need to be properly presented to Tararian high society. It’s an
important part of the Advancement Act.”

  Saera looked down at her half-eaten dinner. “I thought it didn’t matter if I was formally accepted under the Act?”

  “It doesn’t to me, but it would protect you in the event anything happened to me.” She’s given me reason to live through what lies ahead, but there are no guarantees.

  Saera nodded. “Of course I’ll go with you, if that’s what you want.”

  Wil bent his head down to catch her eye. “Oh come on, you’re not even a little excited?” He gave her a wry grin.

  His playful response had the intended effect. Saera cracked a smile and straightened in her chair. “Okay, maybe a little,” she admitted. “It’s just… intimidating, I guess. I adore your parents, but they’ve made it sound like the rest of their families are different.”

  “They aren’t nearly as bad as my dad has made them out to be,” Wil assured her. “I really would love for you to go with me.”

  Saera relaxed. “I’m happy to.”

  “Excellent.” Besides, I have other reasons of my own.

  Saera gathered herself. “Now, can I help you out at all with the application reviews?”

  Wil smiled. “Yes, that would be great. I could really use a fresh perspective.”

  They finished eating and then went back to Wil’s work desk. He pulled up the files for his top fifty candidates and spread them out on the holographic display with their name, age, estimated telekinetic potential, and primary aptitudes displayed in front of each picture.

  Saera scanned over the group. “I can see why this is so difficult for you. I don’t see anyone here with an estimated CR potential below an 8.”

  Wil sighed. “And I know that telekinetic strength is just one part of the necessary skills, but it’s critical for so many things. I keep running through the scenarios for how I’ll need to use this team, and I keep coming back to precision strikes. I’ll need several pilots with the intelligence to quickly calculate inter-dimensional jumps in their heads, but who also have the telekinetic ability to be one with their craft and maneuver through seemingly impossible scenarios.”

  “So you’re looking for people just like you?” She cocked her head.

  I guess I am. “That’s my problem, isn’t it?”

  “You will never find others with your level of ability,” Saera reminded him. “The potential of some of these guys is astounding by most measures, but anyone will pale in comparison to you. However, even if others aren’t gifted in as many areas, you can still find individuals with specific areas of exceptional brilliance.”

  Wil thought for a moment. “So, I should look at it in terms of teams.”

  Saera nodded. “That’s certainly one approach. Several specialists can accomplish a lot when grouped together.”

  “Okay, let’s see.” Wil began sorting people on the display. “I need Pilots, Commanders and a handful of Seconds. The pilots need to be capable navigators—I don’t see a way around that. I can’t tie up resources by relying on a tandem craft with a pilot and navigator for each.”

  “That’s reasonable,” Saera said. “Look, these five here have CR potential marks around 8.5 for telekinesis and also have the highest marks for piloting aptitude.” She tapped on the pictures and slid them over into a group at the side of the display.

  “Yes, I’ve been eyeing those five for a while now.” At least some of the selections are easy.

  “But that’s still following the same basic approach. I think you need to take a bigger step back,” Saera urged. “When it comes down to it, couldn’t any one of these men do any of those functions if you trained them?”

  “Yes, I suppose they could.”

  “You’re so caught up on strengths and aptitudes that you’re not thinking about who you want to work with. You’re going to be with these guys almost constantly for years—you’ll be family. Maybe you should be paying more attention to personality?”

  She’s absolutely right. “People who I can trust. Friends.”

  Saera nodded.

  “But that’s so difficult to quantify.”

  “So don’t quantify it directly,” she said. “What specific traits do you find most difficult to work with? You have the complete psychological profiles for every candidate at your disposal.”

  Wil thought for a moment. “Arrogance. It leads to boastfulness and unhealthy competition.”

  “I totally agree. So let’s screen out anyone with narcissistic tendencies.” Saera made the adjustment on the computer. Twelve pictures dropped off the list. “What else?”

  “I can’t have anyone with a short temper,” Wil continued. “I need people who are calm and collected under pressure.”

  “Okay, screening out anyone with a volatile temperament,” Saera said as she made the adjustments. Another seven pictures faded from the display. “Any other deal-breakers?”

  I can’t have anyone who’ll second-guess what needs to be done. “Compassion. I hate to say it, but I can’t have anyone who would hesitate about taking a life if it came to it.”

  Saera swallowed. “You’re right. But it can’t be too far to the other end, either.” She adjusted several attributes on the computer to filter for individuals who fell into the middle ranges of the scales. Six more pictures were removed. “That leaves you with twenty-five.”

  Wil looked them over. “Just five more to go.” He felt some relief at getting the list down to a manageable number, but then apprehension about making a poor final selection started to set in.

  “Now, what do you absolutely need in everyone?” Saera asked him.

  He took several seconds to reflect. “They need to be inquisitive. They need to trust me, but also be willing to challenge me when necessary,” he responded at last.

  Saera looked pensive. “Hmm, I guess that comes down to high openness and mid-range agreeableness.” She made some adjustments. Four more pictures faded from the display.

  Wil’s heart sank. “How do I pick who gets cut now?” And what if I make the wrong choice?

  “I think it’s more a matter of who you want on your team,” Saera replied. “Whoever is last-picked just wasn’t meant to be.”

  “Well, those five prospective pilots made all the cuts, so they’re definitely in.” Wil moved them to the top of the screen. He studied the remaining sixteen faces. Who among you will be my greatest friends?

  “And you should probably keep these ten with the highest CR potential.” Saera paused. “Wait…” She was caught by one of the faces on the display. Her brow wrinkled as she wracked her memory. Then, there was a spark of recognition in her eyes.

  “What is it?” Wil asked.

  “I know him,” Saera said with bewilderment, pointing at one of the candidates.

  “Michael Andres?” Wil read his name aloud. He was 18-years-old, had medium-brown hair and light blue eyes, and his aptitude scores and CR potential were all unusually high. One of my top picks.

  “Yes. Wow, that really is him. Crazy.”

  “Who is he?”

  Saera shook her head with disbelief. “Remember, years ago, when I told you that there was only one guy in school who was ever genuinely good to me? Well, that’s him.”

  Wil let the statement settle for a moment. Never mind being a top pick! “Well, there’s our final cut.”

  Saera laughed. “No, quite the opposite.”

  “Pardon?” She can’t be okay with this. I’m certainly not.

  Saera took Wil’s hand. “Michael is brilliant, kind, and loyal. He’s the sort of guy who could be your second in command and you would never have to worry.”

  Wil was skeptical. “That wouldn’t be weird for you?” It’s weird for me.

  “No, that was so long ago,” Saera said with a dismissive flip of her wrist. “He may be a part of my past, but you’re my future.” Her gaze showed nothing by adoration for Wil.

  Can I really turn away someone with so much potential because of a fling from years ago? Wil took a deep breath. I trust her
opinion more than anything. If she says he’s a good choice, then he must be. “Okay.” Wil placed Michael at the top of his list.

  Saera looked him in the eye. “He’s the sort of person you need. I know it.”

  Wil nodded, hoping she was right.

  “It’s kind of crazy, though. Finding anyone with telekinetic ability on Earth is rare, let alone two in the same neighborhood.”

  “Too rare for coincidence,” Wil agreed. He brought up Michael’s detailed file and scanned through it. “Oh, right. That’s why I flagged him. His father was an Agent.”

  Saera’s jaw dropped. “No way!”

  “Retired about twenty years ago and decided to settle down on Earth.”

  She thought it over. “Mr. Andres… Huh. Come to think of it, I guess there was always something about him that seemed unusual.”

  “People with abilities do tend to be drawn to each other, but ending up in the same neighborhood is still…” Nothing is mere coincidence in my life.

  “Well, we need all the friends we can get, right?”

  “That’s true.” But sometimes it’s difficult to tell who are the right friends.

  Saera returned her focus to the display. “There’s still the matter of the final cut.”

  Wil let out a slow breath. “Yes.”

  “These six are the lowest on most measures,” Saera stated. “That is, if you can call a CR potential of 8.3 ‘low.’”

  Wil zoomed in on the six files on the holographic display, seeking any differentiating traits. He brought up the details and noticed that one of the men was raised on a freighter, but all of the others were from planets or moon colonies. “Him. He’s the last cut. I need men who have a sense of home—something tangible to fight for.” He removed the final candidate and arranged the twenty remaining profiles on the display.

  “So there’s your twenty.”

  Wil looked them over. “It’s a good group. I hope they’re up for the challenge.”

  * * *

  Banks read over the report from Taelis. “These delays to the IT-1s put the entire production schedule in jeopardy.” He eyed the other High Commander through the viewscreen.