Lucas smiled. This was the first time he had been this close to a latent psi-witch without killing or shackling her. The woman was quite potent as well. He had felt the electrical sensation running through his skin from the moment the door had opened. Not that the others in the room would have felt it since he very much doubted any of them would have a Vertigo secondary epidermis implant. However, the fact that someone like her had evaded the screenings, spoke volumes of the decline of this new world. Although there was always the chance that the current rulers might have had accepted the views of the Kōng Cathedral.

“I need to call you something.” He turned to the AI in his native language.

“My designation is Sigma 37-4H-ZET/064987KLOP…” The AI began to recite its entire manufacturing code, which could take hours.

“That’s quite enough. Zeti it is.” He simply had to stop it.

“Understood, I will update my call sign accordingly when connecting with your local AI.”

“Send the following message to Chief Donovan, use my call sign as before. Do not do anything stupid.” Lucas then turned to Zoë, somewhat enjoying the confusion on her face.

“Miss Kurtz, what is the current stance on psionics?” He as her calmly and smiled at her.

“Psionics are outlawed and deemed too dangerous to be allowed to roam freely. Once located individuals with such powers are to be stripped of their citizenship and taken to either Batha II or Prosper Prime.” The way she answered his question was an example of base-level indoctrination.

“Why do you ask?” She added once the trigger had faded from her consciousness.

“I see that the screen around the door is missing.” Lucas shrugged away.

If not for the warning from Zeti, he would have noticed the witch too late. He was sure his training would have kicked in and he would have killed her. That would be disastrous to any plan he had made. He was glad that at least the leader of this United Republics had some common sense to keep psionics far away from pure humans. By the looks of it, this was going to be the most he would get from the girl. He needed a more reliable source of information.

Lucas’s eyes stopped on the group of doctors. They looked as children caught doing something they shouldn’t have. He did not need to be Command like Virgil to figure out that they had heard his question. It could only mean they now suspected him of being one. Especially the physician. The man might think his face was emotionless, but there was a twitch under his human eye and sweat had formed on the side of his head that was not augmented by that ridiculous mess of sensors.

“Miss Kurtz, you know the people the Knight spoke of, right?” He asked without looking at the girl.

“Yes…” Her voice sounded deflated; she had figured out why he had posed the question.

“Would you be so kind as to ask Felix to get a fix on their positions? I need to have a word with the good doctor over there.” Lucas said as he made his way between the empty banks.

He had made it halfway when Zeti forced a real-time video feed to his lens. It showed the girl staring at his rifle, still hidden under the cables next to the chair. Helix was sure it was only curiosity that had made her do it. So far, the girl had shown signs of forming an attachment to him faster than he had expected. After all, the Demons had that effect on natural humans, just like the Shayatin evoked fear when looked upon and the Daeva inspired fury and lust for battle. But that took weeks at best, not hours. No matter how many times he had asked the priest-doctors at Osiris, they had always given the same answer.

“You are Demons, such was the will of His Holiness. You are the manifestations of sin and excessive virtue, both corrupt the soul, disguised as good intentions at first.”

Only Virgil had known the truth, but he had taken an oath to never speak of it. The only thing Lucas had managed to get out of him was that there was more to the Codex of Hell than met the eye. That was why they had been indoctrinated to never believe in the sacred scriptures contained within it. As much as Helix wanted to ponder this topic, the girl’s curiosity was not something he could ignore at the moment. As Hector had once told him; curiosity leads to temptation and temptation leads to people getting stupid ideas in their head.

“Oh, and Zoë, please remember I am not the only one watching you in here.” He turned to look at her blushing face. “Now be a good girl and do as I told you.”

“I’m not your pet.” He heard her murmur as she walked towards the comms operator.

“Now, Dr Saiko, right? Why don’t we have a chat and let’s skip the part where you pretend to not know what I want to talk about.” Lucas returned to his more natural serious expression and tone.

“Very well.” The physician dropped his shoulders in defeat, yet managed to keep an air of confidence. “Are you psionically gifted?”

“Hiroshi!” Dr Werner exclaimed next to him and pressed her hand to her mouth.

“It is good to find someone who understands how an honest and open conversation should be done.” Helix offered the man a warm smile. “And no. I am not. By Imperial decree, witches are forbidden from serving in the Holy Army.”

“What?” The old man with a greying circle beard on his face asked.

“I am sorry, but I do not think we’ve been properly introduced.” Lucas gave the man a stern look, stopping him from asking further questions.

“Ah, yes. I am Dr Anton Kruger, a specialise in…” The man extended his hand for a greeting.

“Perhaps another time we will have time to talk Dr Kruger. Right now, I will be the one asking questions, since I am pressed for time.” Lucas said ignoring the offered hand and returned his attention to the physician.

“Why is there no psi-screen at the door?” He asked.

“I can answer that.” Dr Werner interrupted before Dr Saiko could answer. “This facility was constructed by the Third Empire. They made extensive use of psionically gifted individuals to keep control over the masses and suppress free will. Because of that many facilities lack any scanning equipment.”

“How do you find them then?” Commodore Neverok had surely made a huge mess of things after her rebellion.

“There are mandatory check-ups, which each individual needs to attend every two years. A Gupta test is performed and psi-active individual as marked for the authorities to deal with.” This time it was the physician who responded.

“What about latent psi-witches? Surely there are Tharson Waves sensors in place for detecting them.” Screening the populace in this manner was the most ineffective way he had ever heard of.

He did not have an idea on what it was, but It left so many gaps for awakened witches to slip through that it was not funny. Additionally, it meant that dealing with those that were found would be a damned awful and costly task.

“Detection of dormant psionic individuals is only theoretical. No practical method of identification has been found to date.” Dr Saiko shook his head. “Almost all of the knowledge on this subject has been lost during the reign of the Third Terran Empire. As such, I have no knowledge of what Tharson Waves are.”

“Zeti, explain and make it fast.” Lucas took a deep breath to keep himself calm. This was beyond making a mess of things, this was a borderline disastrous state of ignorance.

“Tharson Waves, named after High Priest Dr Li Tharson, founder of the Kōng Cathedral and First Black Confessor. They represent the constant release of psi-energy generated by the human brain on a scale from 1 to 12. Every individual who scores between 1 and 3 on the scale is considered a crippled psi-witch unable to achieve awakening…” The AI droned in a monotone voice.

“That is enough.” Judging by the raptured expressions of the scientist, the impending conversation would never end if he did not interrupt it. “I see that further questions will be pointless.”

He turned to walk away and join Zoë. He did it partially to hide the smile that had manifested on his face. His foot had barely finished the first step when Dr Saiko asked the inevitable question. True, the man used a few more words, but the core of it was pretty much what Lucas knew was coming.

“Field-medic Helix, you can identify those waves, which means you have detected a latent psionic, haven’t you?”

That was interesting. The physician had come very close to a correct assumption and was trying to get as much information as he could from Lucas, trying to disguise it as an innocent comment.

“Very perceptive of you Doctor.” He turned to smile at the man, a warning smile. “However, you are incorrect.” He could see worry and fear written on the face of all three scientists.

“To answer your question, yes. I was surprised to find that Miss von Eisstahl was a latent psi-witch and allowed to not only roam freely but to also reach a position of power.” This he said loud enough for everyone in the room to hear him clearly.

Helix saw the exact moment all expression disappeared from the faces of the doctors. This was not something they had expected to hear. With a single statement, he had practically guaranteed the loyalty of everyone present. He might not be one of the faithful, but he knew the animalistic fear the psi-witches evoked in normal humans. Calmly he walked back to his rifle and picked it up before turning to the dazed Zoë.

“Come on Miss Kurtz, we have a job to do. After all, the Knight is the new commander of the station.”

“Why?” Zoë finally managed to ask after putting some order to the turmoil in her mind.

The two of them had reached section 19, by the looks of it. She had no memory of how that had happened. Though she knew they had stopped near the barracks because Helix had changed back to his amour, the entire trek was simply absent and she felt as if she had been sleepwalking the entire time.

“I thought you understood that Miss Kurtz. I need to have the new commander of this station on my side.” His voice was calm and it only made her feel worse.

“No. Why do you have to destroy everything I believe in?” She stopped and wiped the tears from her eyes.

Zoë knew she was reaching the limit of how much she could take before breaking. And what was about to happen was surely going to push her over it. To her surprise all, except Jackson and Dougherty, who were back in town for a day off, were located in the stripped docking bay 9-7 in section 19. Why the were not following their patrol paths, she did not want to know. If she was honest, she did not want to know anything more. But most all, she did not want to see that cursed smile or those amber eyes ever again. Looking at the purple reflective crystal that was the faceplate of the helmet was enough to help her think of Helix as a proper monster once again.

“I am sorry Miss Kurtz, but I don’t understand what you are asking.” He did not even bother to stop and look at her.

“In eight hours, you made me a traitor. In eight bloody hours, you ruined the hero that inspired me to join the Academy. In eight damned hours, you destroyed my life.” She almost screamed at him.

This time he stopped and turned to face her. Through clenched teeth, she managed to ask again. “Why?”

“Because I am a Demon and you were my enemy.” He did not move a muscle, just stood there like a statute. “And because you were the only one around.”

“You don’t get it.” She shook her head. More to hide the tears than anything else. “You don’t know what it feels to lose everything…”

“Zoë Kurtz!” Before she could react, he had crossed the distance between them and was towering over her. “Have you lost everyone you’ve ever cared about? Have you been ripped from your world and shoved in a place that is a ruined shadow of everything you’ve ever known? Have you woken up one day to be told that every sacrifice you’ve made, everything you’ve bled for, was gone and destroyed? You are yet to learn what loss means.”

The anger in his voice froze her in place. She felt true fear at this moment. She had pushed too far and she realised she was not ready to give up on life. Not yet, not ever, if she had anything to do about it. Zoë remembered the wounds she had seen on his body. This man had waged war with the Xith. He had seen and experienced horrors she could only imagine. Helix was a man, who was not supposed to believe because he was from an age long gone. Of course, he knew what it was lose something one held dear. This was, perhaps, the stupidest question she could have asked. But what was she supposed to do? It was her world that was crumbling around her and he was the main reason for this.

“How… How I am supposed to deal with this?” She looked at him hoping he would give her something, anything to cling to. “How do you do it?”

“You are a human, so you accept what has happened. You adapt and you move on.” The anger was gone, replaced by a calm, soothing tone.

“You say this as if you are not one.” Zoë had to keep her mind occupied, less her emotions took over her again and he had given her something to ponder on.

“I am a Demon.” He stressed the word as if it was supposed to mean something to her. “I was never allowed to be one of your kind. From the moment I exited the growth vats, I was given a weapon and told I had to earn that right.”

“I don’t get it?” Her mind was trying to piece all she knew about him into something that made sense. “What is all that supposed to mean? What are you?”

“I am not obliged to tell you that.” He took a step back before her hand could reach his. “In time, when you’ve earned my trust, I might share this information with you.”

Zoë felt close to him and at the same time, she saw there was an abyss separating them. She had been an outcast among the other guards and he was alone. That was what connected them, though she knew there was more to it. She had to find out what it was, she had to find why he separated himself from the rest of humanity. Well, he is your age and good looking… That terrible voice in her had emerged again. It was because of the stress; she was sure of it, at least she hoped that was the cause.

“Now officer Kurtz, are you coming with me or not.” Zoë saw his finger gently resting on the trigger of his rifle.

This was it. The choice she had been avoiding to make for so long. It seemed Helix was also getting tired of her indecision. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. It didn’t really help and her thoughts were still a mess, so she did the next best thing. She stopped thinking and hoped her luck was going to turn.

“Yes. I am with you.” The confidence in her words amazed her. Zoë actually believed it.

“Good.” He turned his back to her and continued to walk along the corridor. “What is the targets’ position.”

She consulted the map on the data slate that Felix had given her. Before Helix had made his awful revelation, the tech had informed her that the five guards were securing some personal cargo for the Chief. The way he had said, left her wondering if it was contraband or stolen goods prepared to smuggled when the next scheduled transport arrived.

“They are still at the dock. Left at the T-section and three hundred meters to the bulkhead after that.” Zoë said in the best professional voice she could muster.

Now that she had accepted her new reality she felt as if a boulder had been lifted from her chest. It did not mean she was better, it only lessened some of the torment.

“Good. You can take cover at the door. I will deal with the rest.” Helix increased his speed.

Within a couple of minutes, the two of them were standing in front of the five-meter-thick door that separated the station from the docking station. She noted that he took several deep breaths before placing the butt of his rifle to his shoulder and nodded to her to open it. The fact he was using her as a guide and nothing else, helped a little with accepting what was about to happen.

Zoë pressed her palm against the lock and the man-sized hydraulic arms groaned as they moved the large slabs of titanium alloy into their sockets inside walls. It took about ten seconds for the gap to become large enough for the young man to pass through it. He bolted inside the docking station. Her curiosity took over her common sense and she popped her head to see what was happening.

She could see Samantha and Hagar keeping watch, well more like idling around as the others wrapped a holding mesh around several ore cargo crates on top of a lift cart. A rust-bucket of a shuttle was placed at the end of the mooring clamps of one of the three bays with its hold doors wide open. None of them was prepared for how fast Helix moved.

A slug caught Hagar in the chest and splattered his insides through the railing of the bay and onto the gurney bellow. Two more booms followed as Samantha reached for her pistol. First, the cybernetic arm of the stocky woman was blown to pieces, before the second slug hit her in the stomach, separating her in two. Zoë could see the woman’s mouth move to form words or a scream as her legs collapsed next to her and hid her face.

Lorenzo and Yo had the common sense to jump from the lift cart and used it as an improvised shield. On the other hand, Kamenski had fired a shot at Helix. The demon had anticipated something like this because he dropped to the ground and used his momentum slid to the crates, while the gun was aimed at him. The slug from Gregory’s gun detonated against the floor missing its target by a second. The scene that followed was horrific. The Ripper riffle discharged its deadly payload at point-blank range, obliterating the poor man’s pelvis. Kamenski was gone from the pain and shock before he could bleed to death. Zoë wanted to scream, and perhaps she did for all she knew. But it changed nothing, she could not tear her eyes from the carnage unfolding before her.

From where she stood, she saw the mistake Lorenzo and Yo had made. The lift cart used a gravity cushion, which meant it floated half a meter above the ground. It had left their legs exposed. That was all the advantage Helix needed from his position on the ground. The flash of a plasma round illuminated the underside of the cart and was followed by a deathly scream as Yo collapsed to the ground. The barrel-chested man’s leg was a ruin of melted flesh. Zoë did not know what lunacy possessed Lorenzo to drop to his side and aim his gun, all she saw was the result. A second plasma round turned the slender man’s head into goo. Thankfully, he did not have the time to scream.

Only Yo Hue’s screams disturbed the macabre tableau as the man crawled in an attempt to reach the shuttle. Calmly Helix stood up and walked to the wretch. The monster pulled a combat knife from its sheath at the back of his belt and pressed his knee at Yo’s spine. The gruesome instrument was a dark red, almost black, made more ominous by the fact it did not reflect any of the light from the illuminators bathing the docking station. Helix grabbed the screaming man’s head with one arm and slid the blade across his throat. The sharp edge nearly sliced Hue’s head off.

Zoë stood by the open door, numb and detached. She saw the Demon walk back to her; his helmet held in his hand. The half-smile was there on his lips, but his eyes were burning with satisfaction from what he had just done. He gently wrapped his fingers over her shoulder and lightly shook it.

“See, it wasn’t that bad, was it? Now we have only two more to deal with.” He looked directly into her eyes, his gaze tearing her soul.

She was way past her breaking point. Zoë bent over and threw up in his feet.