Imprint: Ghost Signal: Book 2 

By Eden Redd & Erik Weir

The empire erased a planet.
One crew is about to make sure the galaxy finds out.

Salvager Kade Mercer thought he was done running. But when evidence of the deadly Imprint virus surfaces, proof that entire worlds are being erased and covered up, Kade and his found family crew are pulled into a fight far bigger than survival.

With a synth ally who can crack any system, a feral protector who will not back down, and a crew bound by loyalty and desire, Kade faces an impossible choice. Disappear into the Rim or broadcast the truth and ignite a rebellion.

To expose the empire, they will have to pull off a reverse heist, breaking into the most sacred signal array in known space to send a ghost signal that could fracture the galaxy.

If they succeed, the empire falls.
If they fail, they become the next erased world.

Imprint: Ghost Signal is a high octane sci fi adventure packed with rebellion, found family, dangerous romance, and a crew willing to burn the stars to save free will.

Word Count: 36,551

One

A slipstream gate opened and a ship appeared in the starry edge of the Rim. It was long, with the silhouette of an ancient battleship, but with cannons stabbing out in all directions, like a metal black star. The bow pointed into the vast abyss as trained members of the dark ship began their work.

The crew checked sensors that could scan across nearby solar systems. They listened to the immense chatter across sections from the edge of the Milky Way. No one spoke as they listened and watched the incoming data intently, looking for any clue of their prey.

A faint communication tripped the ship’s AI. A discussion was being had about a murder from two security officials. They spoke of their target’s associate, killed at his station. The dead associate in question handed out jobs to local salvors to retrieve things from ships damaged or lost in the void. The six-person crew listened carefully, noting that the security officials spoke of a final communication to a salvor they could not contact, a Kade Mercer.

The commander nodded, as he stared at the screens around his seat.

The crew were dead silent as they primed the engines again and plotted a slipstream course.

A slipstream gate opened once again. The jagged ship moved to the faintly glowing circle before it flashed away from the cold, empty space on the edge of nowhere.

***

I rubbed the bridge of my nose as I closed my eyes. The vids continued to play, but I wasn’t sure I could watch anymore. As always, I could feel Vega sitting in one of the corridor seats behind me, waiting patiently as the sounds of laughter from each vid turned to wonder, and then terror.

I should start from where we left off. It’s been about two weeks since we landed on a salvage port. We had every intention to leave, after repairs from Fade’s mass getting shot up escaping the Ghost Orchid faction and the base where the Imprint virus was created on Theta-Nine. Time kind of slowed down as we worked and talked about what was to happen next.

Mira helped me remove the rod we used as a last resort weapon from our escape. After that, she helped me with repairing Fade’s thrusters and rear plates. The plates had dozens of scorched, melted metal from plasma burns. They needed to be switched out. We then worked on foldable plates that can cover Fade’s thrusters and engine ports should we get shot up again from behind. That was something I rather avoided at all costs, but I, we, knew things were changing. I doubted I could just go back to my old life. I wasn’t sure I wanted to.

Anyway, we had to make some internal changes inside Fade. Elya, the tech that helped us with finding and breaking into Theta-Nine, liked all of us, but wasn’t about to sleep in the same bed with us. We worked on the cargo hold. I had a lot of junk in there, so we sorted it out, getting rid of what we didn’t need, which broke my heart because I was a terrible hoarder. I mean, you never know when you might need something, right? We converted half the cargo space into a small bedroom for Elya. We found everything we needed for it, a bed, shelving, and small things to make it homey. We cleaned everything up, like it was brand new. The Gen 5 was very grateful, telling us this was only temporary, until we reached a planet where she could depart safely as she started her new life as a scrip billionaire.

We, as in the new crew of Fade, and my found family, did get our cut from our adventure. Having a few million scrips did make my heart pound like vibrations from a new engine core, but I knew we still had to be careful. The scrips were clean, but it didn’t mean there weren’t others who would be watching for certain influxes of spending. Let’s just say, we are still outlaws on the Rim, and we don’t know who is looking for us, if anyone is still looking. I mean, we did make a huge mess that caused the destruction of ships, a base, and scientific property, but we only did it half-on purpose.

While Mira was helping me with Fade, Seris was outside, making metal sculptures. The Gen 34 Seraphyne spent her time either tending to things inside Fade, like cleaning and organizing, or sleeping and making art. She left the technical stuff to us, as she amused herself, seemingly not bothered at all that she was on a no-name salvage port on the Rim.

Speaking of our life on the port, I paid off the port master, and they said we can stay as long as we like. He didn’t get many visitors, except for me, and didn’t mind the company. His station was a mile from us, and he only visited for a little while each day. I think he just liked having the company of several beautiful gens to talk to. Gus was harmless and smiled more than any of the times I used to visit for parts or dropping off salvage.

I opened my eyes a little, my gaze downward. I looked forward to sleeping. My bed was big enough for the three of us, sometimes four if Vega was included. The closeness and warmth felt nice. Our orbit felt good, and I craved it more with each passing cycle. Which makes this next part even harder to accept.

I looked up at the vids as they continued to play. Happy faces and smiles filled the screens. Laughter and music pulsed through the air. Everyone I watched, there was a sense of wonder and spark that touched the universe. I wanted to be happy as I enjoyed their smiling faces, but the same thing happened during every vid I watched. There was a curious gleam in their eyes as they turned and saw something fall from the sky. A thin mist flashed from the impact. It carried on the wind, infecting gens as their sense of wonder slowly turned to a hungry attraction. The vids played on as I watched as gens ran toward each other and embraced in artificial love and lust. Some groups were attracted to one person, and they charged at them. A sense of horror colored my thoughts, the vids showing groups murder and pull apart the center of their attraction, not allowing anyone else to have them. They kept pieces of arms, legs, organs, or a heart; blood painting their bodies and faces, their attraction turning into obsession, not allowing anyone else to have them. The Imprint virus tested on Velos 7 caused chaos throughout the streets of a city. It rippled out to surrounding cities, and then across the planet. Somnex gas filled the sky as ships hovered high above. Bodies fell, recording devices, or security feeds catching the moments as the entire population on the planet fell like inanimate dolls. The vids cut off after that, most likely from Dominion and Trinova by accessing the power grid for the planet, and EMP strikes to disable any other devices.

I sat in the cockpit seat, watching the last vid as it played on in silence, before it went black. I leaned back as I stared at a blank screen.

“I compiled the vids I could find scattered across the Rim. From what I could gather, some of these vids are being shared across planets and settlements not sworn to the Gene Dominion,” Vega said with a soft voice.

“They’re not being seen on Dominion sworn systems,” I added as I turned my chair to face the beautiful synth.

Vega nodded, her eyes filled with a solemn gleam.

“Kade, from the core to the mid systems of the empire, they are not seeing anything of what happened on Velos 7,” she said.

I let out a small exhale as I leaned my cheek against my fist, elbow on the armrest.

“You know as well as I do, it has always been like this. The core, inner, and mid systems of the empire are heavily controlled. I’m sure many who were on Velos 7 came there from many different systems, deeper into the empire. The Dominion most likely gave the families softcore stories on why their loved ones have gone missing, if at all,” I said, my heart heavy.

Vega looked at me, her gaze connecting with mine.

My eyes widened before I stood up. I pointed a finger at her as I backed away.

“No. No! You can’t be serious?” I said as I lowered my hand, my back to the corridor wall.

Vega stood up and walked toward me, her eyes filled with a faint, golden glow.

“Kade, you said we needed to inform everyone about the Imprint virus. This is how we can do it,” she said cryptically.

I shook my head as I slid away and slowly walked backwards down the corridor.

“We were just talking. There is no realistic way we can stand up to Trinova, or the Dominion. Just the five of us, no glitching way,” I said with a crazed smile.

Vega followed me slowly, her hips moving with deliberate attention. Why couldn’t I look away?

“You know it’s only a matter of time before one, or many, come looking for us,” she said, with an unblinking gaze.

I slowed to a stop. Vega stood before me, a foot away. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. Her beauty was hypnotic. I’m sure she was designed that way, not that I was complaining. But what she was implying was going to throw us further into the reactor of danger we were already in. I just wanted a moon of my own to retire on. This rebel stuff was the stuff of fiction. If we give the Dominion a black eye, they will cut us to pieces.

There was another part of me, filled with a flame of doing the right thing. I felt it before when I helped Mira, Seris, Vega, and Elya. I knew I couldn’t stand back as such heinous acts continued. Trinova and the Dominion will test the Imprint virus on another planet on the Rim. Out here, the Rim systems were the trash of the empire. They cared little of our existence, and even shattered the core of Velos 7, murdering billions of gens. I always knew the corpos and most of the empire only chased what the inner belts wanted, normalcy in a chaotic universe. If the inner belts knew what was happening out here, the empire could fracture.

Vega pressed her forehead to mine. She put her hand on my shoulders and gave them a loving squeeze.

“You know what all of this means. If we run, they will eventually find us. If we fight,” she let the sentence hang.

“We have a chance to put the spotlight on the empire, and show them something they may never recover from,” I finished.

We stood silent, the dim hum of the ship’s systems filling the background.

“I’ve run simulations of our chances. The longer we run, the greater the chance one, or all of us will be killed. I will be taken, dismantled, and my data core infused with a new system, so they run the data I accumulated. If the empire can control everyone’s loyalty, there will be no rebellions. Freewill will be a thing of the past.”

I closed my eyes as I held her to me. She melted into our embrace, the two of us becoming one.

“I never liked bullies, but if we do this, it will put us, and the empire on an even playing field,” I smiled.

Vega nodded. “If we present this information to a minimum of forty-seven percent, there will be notable shifts and fractures within the empire. Our list of allies will grow. Our chances of success will also increase. The empire will spend more time trying to seal the cracks as our cause triples.”

I pulled my head back at her and looked at her, “Forty-seven percent? I thought it would be more like ten percent?”

“If it was a single planet, ten percent would be enough, but for an empire, we need to ensure it is seen by much more,” she said plainly.

I let out a weird chuckle. This wasn’t going to be an easy job. Convincing nearly half the systems out there that the Dominion is trying to use a virus to make them love the empire? Yeah, we were out of our depth. The Gene Dominion always prized control and obedience, but even I thought they would never go this low. We had to strike back in some way, or our little family was going to see worse cycles before we saw anything better.

“Alright, let’s get the Melee Mercers together,” I grinned.

“We haven’t picked a name yet,” Vega corrected me.

She was correct. We threw all sorts of names out there for our little band of rebels. Seris came up with Melee Mercers, and it grew on me, well, because my family name was in it. Maybe it was too much on target, but we must start somewhere, so we knew what side we were bringing to the galactic table.

“Alright, let’s gather the crew. I’m sure they will be star struck from our plans and ready to take on the empire,” I said, not believing it myself.

Two

We all sat in the tiny galley. It was barely a few counters, a Food Preparation Unit, a cabinet with food-cubes (when you put them in the FPU, the cubes become full meals,) a small table, and five chairs that barely fit around it. Yes, the chairs are mis-matched. We had to find more chairs because Elya complained that the way I lived on my ship was barbaric. She was right, but I didn’t have to acknowledge it.

“Should I get us something to munch on before we have our meeting,” Seris grinned from pointy ear to point ear.

“Yes,” Elya said.

Vega was silent.

“No,” Mira said with a hard tone. When we looked at her, she shrugged. “I ate before. I’m not hungry.”

“Yes,” I said, and for some reason, Mira gave me a look.

“What?” I mouthed without sound.

Mira pointed at me and herself while mouthing the word, “Dinner.”

Oh, right, she and I are to go out later and have a private walk and maybe sit down somewhere and eat something. There was nowhere to go on this salvage port, so we would bring something to munch on. It’s only been over a week since we landed here, and my love life has already gotten complicated.

“I won’t eat,” I mouthed, still knowing everyone at the table knew exactly what was going on, and made no attempt to stop us. I think they were having a bit of fun with it.

“Okay,” Mira mouthed back silently and looked at me with her killer smirk.

Seris pulled a cube from the cabinet, put it on a plate within the FPU, hit a button. The unit dinged three seconds later. She pulled out triangle chips, covered in cheese. She placed them down in the middle of the table before she sat in her chair. I reached for them, so did Elya, Seris, and Mira. I glanced at Mira. She gave me a feral smile as she put the chip in her mouth and chewed it without regret. I think she’s trying to confuse me.

As much as I wanted to challenge the beautiful beastborn, we had work to discuss.

“Alright everyone, let’s start from the beginning,” I said as Vega and I took turns telling everyone at the table the situation.

I could see the three ladies taking in what we were discussing, but as we continued, emotions began to stir. Elya looked away. Mira’s brow creased as her body tensed. Seris looked down with sorrow in her oval eyes. When Vega and I were finished, there was a small silence.

Elya broke the silence.

“To broadcast that kind of vid, we need a powerful antenna array.”

“Will a vid convince the inner systems of what is happening?” Seris asked.

Mira was silent, her hand now a fist on the table.

“If enough gens see it, yes, it will have an effect,” Vega answered Seris.

Elya looked at me. “We are thinking of the same place, aren’t we,” the Gen 5 Ferris said with a knowing look.

I nodded. There is only one array along the Rim powerful enough to send out a signal to the inner worlds. It’s old. The gens there serve generation after generation to ensure the Array continues to function. So many systems are tied to it, and so much information is brokered through it, no other faction or system world would dare try to control it. If they did, they would cut one of the few lines of information that reached all the way out here. Never mind the countless organizations, corporations, pirates, raiders, military factions and systems out here on the Rim. Some would consider the Array a holy relic, a means to communicate with their gods. Not me. It’s a powerful tool we could use to inform the inner worlds.

Elya’s sudden understanding darkened as she knew the consequences of what we wanted to accomplish.

Everyone else looked at us.

Elya shook her head. “It’s impossible.”

“Improbable,” Vega corrected.

“Elya is right,” Mira said with hard eyes.

I watched her as her anger bubbled away into concern.

“I don’t understand why we need to do this,” Seris said truthfully.

I looked at the beautiful seraphyne, “Vega and I discussed this earlier. If we try to run, the greater the chances we will be caught by someone, imprisoned, or killed. Vega’s data core will be pulled, and her body mostly recycled.”

Eyes widened across the table.

“I never said I would be recycled,” Vega said with blank eyes.

“Come on, we were both thinking it,” I said as I patted her hand.

Vega’s eyes glowed dim. “You’re impossible sometimes.”

“Improbable,” I snickered.

“Can we get back to the matter at hand,” Elya said with a no-nonsense tone.

“Alright,” I said as I pulled a holo-pad from my belt and put it on the center of the table. Holographic light glowed above the table, showing a planet and a star. “The star system is Heliarch Reach. The lone planet in the system is called Relay. This system is perfect for the Array because there is nothing in the way to disrupt the signal. The sun also helps to amplify and boost the connection, making it a perfect place to send and receive signals, information, and media.

“The Array itself is called the Heliarch Array, but everyone else calls it either the Spire, the Reach, or the Voice. Under the Array is a multi-level base that covers half the planet. It has so many redundant systems and power generators that the only way to stop the signal is to shatter the core of the planet.”

Seris’ eyes widened a little.

“We’re not shattering the planet core,” I said with an amused tone.

Seris let out a relieved sigh.

I continued, “The people who manage and maintain the Array are called the ‘Custodians.’ They are a mixed group of gens who dedicate their whole lives to it. For some, the Array is a holy item. Many people in the region have different beliefs, but they all agree their god erected the Array by divine intervention. The only reason why I am telling you this is because it is near impossible to infiltrate it. These gens are fanatics in every sense of the word.”

Mira looked at me as she spoke up, “So, we are going to infiltrate it.”

Vega and I nodded at the same time.

Vega spoke, “I can create not only a vid, but coded information within it, verifying its authenticity. It will have dates, and snippets of the Imprint virus so scientists can verify the truth, but not enough to replicate it.”

“We can’t be sure others won’t figure it out,” Elya mentioned.

Vega gave Elya a warm smile. “That is why there is a kill code within it. The moment it is verified, the partial formulas and nano-engineering will degrade. The code cannot be copied, only viewed. The Dominion will not have to copy it because they already have the files. There is a low probability another can make a copy and work it with the rest of the formula.”

“So, it’s possible?” Elya said.

“Improbable,” I said with a wry grin. Trying to keep this as light as possible. After all, we are thinking of breaking into a fortress to broadcast the crimes of the Dominion and Trinova.

“It’s a risk, much like any venture,” Vega added.

There was another silence. I could see everyone working out in their heads the idea of what needed to be done.

I tapped the holo-pad, and the outside image zoomed to the base of the massive Array. It showed landing pads, generators, and green domes.

“Let’s not talk about the how, but what we are going to do,” I said, trying to take charge. “Let’s say we get in, navigate their security personnel, and sneak past their people, we need to plug in our dear Vega. Once she is connected, she can do the rest lightning fast.

“With the signal sent, we evacuate and have some drinks, quietly celebrating our victory,” I said with a drop of enthusiasm.

Elya fidgeted before she spoke, “I don’t feel comfortable about this. I already attached the scrip drive to the system here. I’m a billionaire. The only thing left between us is for you to drop me off, and I fund what you four need to fight the Dominion.

“This is putting our lives in danger for something that may not convince anyone.”

“Elya, you don’t have to do this,” I said, trying to be understanding. “We can still drop you off somewhere. If we survive, we’ll contact you.”

Elya looked at me with surprised eyes. She then looked away. I could tell she was fighting an inner war. I don’t blame her. If I had billions of scrips, I would second guess putting myself in danger ever again.

The Gen 5 took a deep inhale. Mira looked at her with blank eyes. Seris was biting her nails, trapped in the suspense.

“I must join you on this. If you run into any tech problems, and Vega is busy, you’ll need a backup. Also, despite the custodian’s dedication, their tech is a little behind the times. I might be able to break, or hack their systems,” Elya said with a serious tone.

“Of course,” I smiled. “We know you don’t have to be here, but I can say I’m glad you’re with us.”

“I’m in!” Seris said with a giddy tone.

I lifted my palm out to her. She slapped it against mine before we put our arms down.

Mira leaned forward, her elbows on the table and fingers laced together. She looked at me with a wicked and amused gleam.

“You’re not going anywhere without me,” she said with such a tone, I was a little turned on.

Vega nodded.

“Great,” I said as I tapped the holo-pad. The holographic image shrank down to only a few inches. It would allow us to talk without it in our faces.

“Now that we are all in, we will have to work out the details. Let’s take a break, so we can think it over some more. After dinner, we can discuss,” I said.

“Why not now?” Elya asked.

I stood up, my gaze on Mira. “I am taking a walk.”

Mira stood up, her gaze meeting mine. “Yes, I need a walk as well.”

Seris laughed.

Vega was silent.

Elya groaned.

“Fine, Vega, can you assist me with some research?” Elya asked.

“Of course,” the beautiful synth stood up.

Mira and I left the table. We held hands as the ramp lowered from the main corridor. I grabbed a small pack hanging on the wall, and Patchframe as well. I put on my long coat with a metal spine and bones along the back. We made our way down the ramp and onto the landing pad.

Around the pad was nothing more than large piles of metal parts and half-destroyed equipment. There were paths through them. We walked past Seris’ metal sculpture of three gens holding hands. It was rough, but I could see her vision. She was new to using a welding torch, but after I gave her a few lessons, she really took to it.

We walked past the metal sculpture and walked down a path between mountains of twisted metal parts. The sky was crystal clear. Mira wrapped her arm around my arm and leaned her head on my shoulder as we walked. Something primal between us took hold, the need for touch and close contact filling our bodies. When we reached an archaic bench, we sat down, side by side.

The world around us was silent. She was close, her head on my shoulder again.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked, meaning the conversation we had with everyone on the ship.

“Not about that,” she said softly as she rubbed her cheek against my arm.

I waited and listened.

Mira slowed her rubbing and looked up at me with feral eyes.

“My family knew I was going to Velos 7. They don’t know if I am dead, or alive. I know I can’t contact them to tell them anything without jeopardizing what we are trying to do, but I must ask a question, just so we are clear with each other.”

I waited with bated breath.

“When this is all over, do you want to meet them?” she asked with unblinking eyes.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it wasn’t that. I let out a small chuckle as Mira smiled.

“That’s a big step,” I grinned.

Mira nodded.

“I know we belong to each other, but I also know, they will love to meet you,” she said softly.

I looked at her warmly. “Yeah, we’re synced.”

Mira mashed her cheek to my arm as she held onto the same arm like a warm vice.

I had no idea when this rebellion would end. Right now, it was just us. Things could change with time, especially after we send out our ghost signal to the known systems. It could fracture everything, but if we didn’t, there would be no one to oppose the empire, and what they are trying to do. It’s only a matter of time before they test their virus again. There could be another Velos 7. There are a dozen party worlds along the Rim, but what if they dropped their virus bomb on a settlement, or a fully populated system planet? Vega told me the virus can easily be altered to what they wanted.

I looked down on Mira, she simply held my arm in silence, enjoying our private time. If we did nothing, all of us would become obedient glow heads for the empire. Mira’s family would become like that, and countless others.

I had some ideas to get us in the Array, dangerous ones. It means we’re putting ourselves on the line, but what great rebellion started on the couch? None.

“I brought us some Xill juice,” I whispered.

Mira lifted her head and rested her chin on my shoulder.

“Want some? If not, I can drink them both,” I smirked.

“I would love some, bolt brain,” she whispered.

Xill juice is hard to come by, and a bit exotic. I saved a bottle for a proper celebration. Well, this was proper. She asked me to meet her family. That was enough.

I poured into fold-up cups. I gave her one as I lifted mine. We toasted, knowing in our hearts what we wanted for ourselves, and the known systems.

We drank down our juice and looked up at the stars glimmering in the dark sky.

This would be our last night here, before we launched into the Night’s arms once again. I dwelled in the moment, knowing this was only the calm before the storm.