Fan Fic Collab

M Carmel is the author of the Arkavian Intelligence Services series. Earlier this year we agreed to collaborate by producing a piece of fan fiction based in each other’s fictional worlds. J M would write a story set in the world of The Changeling King, focusing on Det. Karen Rainbow’s catholic roots, and I would set out to write an episode set during her novel, Contrivance. You can go read J M’s short story The First Investigation here.

J M’s series spans a number of novels, worlds and time periods, but what captured my imagination was a preview she shared with me of her novel Contrivance (you can read it here). I decided for my fan fic I would invent a new character, Si-On, formerly Simon, an Augment with a specialism of infiltration. In his past, Si-On has done some horrible things that still haunt him, and he feels that he needs to do a penance. When his unit infilitrate the Ark 4 ship heading out to the distant world of Palaemon, Si-On volunteers to remain awake and watch over his unit as they sleep in cryochambers. This gives him a lot of time to reflect on his past deeds and the purpose of his creation. To help pass the time, he likes to haunt the crew of the Ark 4 and try to learn from them what it means to be human.

The Ghost of Ark 4

Si-On moved quietly amongst the caskets of his sleeping brethren. All around him were the bodies and faces of the men and women that he had served with. They looked peaceful and calm in their suspended state. He had seen the same faces twisted with rage and fear, covered in blood and grime, but rarely peaceful. Each face was a memory of a past that he would happily wipe from his memory.

When the Augments had learned that humanity was leaving the planet in giant Ark ships, they knew that their own survival depended on infiltrating them. Si-on wasn’t sure how many of them had managed to get on board the Arks, but he and his unit had found a berth on Ark Four by replacing people, mostly scientists that would have likely contributed their skills and knowledge to the future colony of Palaemon, with their own. Si-On had been part of the grab and snatch teams that had disappeared the scientists in question. He hoped that his Earth-side brothers and sisters had spared them, but he was not optimistic about that likelihood.

The Augments had been designed for specialisations. Si-On’s team were an infiltration unit, augmented to be able to alter their appearances, their voices and rapidly learn new languages and skills. This had made them ideal for their current mission. Twenty of them had infiltrated the International Space Consortium’s space station and gained entry to Ark Four. They underwent the onboarding processes like all the other passengers, including submitting their gametes samples to the database. Soon, their unique genetic markers would be mixed with those of the regular humans and then their children would join the others in their own cryochambers. Perhaps one day they would pass as humans without having to hide. Si-On hoped so. Si-On had a lot of hopes, but he was a pragmatic man and dealt with realities instead.

Si-On peered through the viewing window at its occupant. The face was Mediterranean, olive skinned, long brown hair, a long nose, wide mouth and prominent cheekbones. Juliana. They had been close back on Earth, sometimes even lovers. She had been the closest thing to feeling human for Si-On. His mind flashed to memories of smooth skin drawn taut over toned muscles, soft sighs, red mist and scented oil. He blinked the image away and checked the stasis data on the computer and then moved onto the next one.

Stefan. He had been their commander. His wide jaw, large nose and thick eyebrows gave him a distinctively militaristic look. However, he was supremely intelligent and just as quick at picking up information as any of them. He remembered vividly their last conversation.

‘Are you sure, Simon? Once the Ark Four launches there will be no way for you to back out of this assignment. Even with our slower aging, you will most likely not make it to see the new world.’

‘I’m sure, Stefan,’ Si-On replied through his bandaged face. He had undergone some minor surgery to ensure he could pass unnoticed amongst the South Korean crew of the Ark Four. ‘I have thought this through. I want to do it. I will be the keeper of the unit. I will make sure you all make it to Palaemon.’

Si-On, or Simon as he had been originally designated, ran the diagnostics on his commander’s chamber and then moved on to the next. Staying awake had not been a difficult decision for him, despite Stefan’s concerns. He knew that he didn’t deserve to see Palaemon.

At first, during Operation Turning Point, the humans had been full of praise for the way Augments had efficiently conducted themselves in minimising human casualties and environmental damage. Then, just a few years later, the humans started to organise against them. When the Round-up and Extermination Policies were instituted, the Augments were forced to take matters into their own hands. Si-On’s unit had been instrumental in Operation Shelly. He had been involved in various coups.. The optics were that the coups had been bloodless, but he knew that wasn’t true. He had personally killed at least five world leaders and a number of their aides and guards. The face of one particular European prime minister haunted him more than others. Newly elected, charismatic and beautiful. Si-On had killed her in her bed. His hands wrapped around her throat. She had looked him in the eyes, silently questioning him why. Si-On didn’t have any answers for her. He had been given a command and he had fulfilled it. As he left he walked passed an open bedroom door. A small child slept peacefully in a bed, its tiny form barely breaking the straight lines of the duvet with its body. The prime ministers screams would have brought the child running. She must have thought him a monster. But the child slept and so there was no reason for Si-On to linger.

It was memories like that that had driven him to search for peace amongst the emptiness of space. He haunted the galleys and passages of the starship like a living ghost, passing unseen amongst the crew. None of them had seen him yet, but he was certain that his disguise and new face would allow him to pass unchallenged. At times he had joined the crew in the ship’s chapel. The chapel was not a large space, and at best would hold thirty people standing side by side. Towards the front there was a simple wooden cross. Towards the back of the room there was a screen that indicated the direction towards Earth and Mecca. Sometimes he would stand behind the Christians and listen to them sing their hymns. But more often, he would join in the prayers of the few Muslim crewmembers, enjoying the physical movements of their standing, bowing and prostrating. He wondered what Stefan and the other augments would think of his affinity for religion. The augments had been made by humans in labs, and yet he wondered instead about the hand that had shaped the humans, the sun, the seas and the vast expanse of space. He also wondered at the audacity of the humans to try and play God by creating the augments. Their own hubris and lack of care for their creation had led in no small part to the Augments’ uprising.

Si-On also liked to watch the waking more than the sleepers. The sleepers only brought up bad memories, the awake offered him a glimpse of lives full of possibilities and hope. He particularly liked watching Noë Soo-min, listening to her stories about the sleepers. Sometimes he would shadow her as she made her own rounds along the rows of the hibernation chambers. He watched with great interest as her body changed with the little life that was developing inside of her. She had a habit of caressing her little bump. The babies were both healthy. Si-On knew this because he kept track of Soo-min’s bio data. One of the babies carried genetic markers from an Augment.

Si-On heard a soft footfall and slid behind one of the hibernation chambers. It was Chin-mae. He seemed to be spending more and more time with Soo-Min. Si-On wasn’t sure about Chin-mae, but Soo-Min seemed to enjoy his company. Soo-Min only heard him when the man was just a few steps away from her. Her face lit up with happiness at the sight of him. Si-On tried to recall if Julianna had ever looked at him in the same way. But now that Chin-mae was here, the storytelling would commence.

‘This woman is a great artist,’ said Chi-mae as Soo-Min wiped condensation from the viewing glass. ‘She was known worldwide for her passionate paintings.’

‘Last week she was a handmaiden to the premiere of Seoul,’ said Soo-Min with a roll of her eyes.

‘This woman is an artist. You can tell from the way her right hand seems to be reaching for a brush. Red is her favourite colour. The muscles in her arm indicate that she paints with great vigour on joint canvases.’

‘She was in love with the distinguished gardener, whom we met yesterday’, teased Soo-Min.

‘No, no. Her love story was much more inspired. She fell in love with the premiere of Seoul when he came to see one of her art performances. She had danced on stage to rousing orchestral music, her feet moving in rhythm with her wild and passionate strokes of her brush, turning a blank canvas into a riot of movement, colour and emotions. The premiere brought flowers to her dressing room after the performance. He spoke to her at length about what her art had evoked in him. He talked of his dreams of a future in which humanity could live in peace with each other amongst the stars. A future in which she still lived to paint and dance and laugh and love.’

‘And did he join her in this new future,’ asked Soo-Min.

‘No. His duty to his country and to his family meant that he would be unable to join her.’ A shadow passed over Chi-mae’s face. Si-On wondered if Chin-mae and Soo-Min had left people behind on Earth, or whether he and his fellows and perhaps replaced them onboard the Ark Four.

‘Suddenly, I feel tired,’ said Soo-Min. ‘Would you escort me back to my cabin?’

Chi-mae face changed again and with a gracious bow, he took Soo-Min by the arm and led her back down the corridor. As they passed the spot where Si-On hid, he almost reached out to touch Soo-Min’s shoulder. He wanted to call out to her and Chi-mae, to tell them to stay and tell him another story. But the moment passed and with it the words died on his lips unspoken.

Si-On waited a few moments before sliding out from his hiding place and watched as his unwitting companions disappeared around the curve of the galley. He would remain a solitary ghost, unknown and unheard. The weight of his task sat so heavy in his chest that he considered running to an airlock and spacing himself. He gripped at his throat to muffle the scream of loneliness that threatened to overcome him. Then he turned his eyes to the deck where his companions lay asleep. He had a duty to them, much like the premiere in Chi-mae’s story. He would abide for them. He would maintain his vigil until he became an actual ghost tangled amongst the wire looms and piping of the ship.

Thanking you for your time. Make sure to head over to J M Carmel’s Substack and read her prequel story The First Investigation.

You can follow her on Goodreads too.