Astra: Synchronicity Read Online Free PDF Page A

now."
    Faeun shifted her attention back to the
captain. "What if it follows us all the way to Chara?"
    "When we get back to AC space, I'll get in
touch with Admiral McKirin," she said. "As much as I loathe the
thought, this may end in a fight. I hope they're as curious about
us as we'll be of them. Please keep me posted if anything changes,
Ensign."
    The news had the potential to strain already
tenuous relations between the American Federation and United
Europe. Never in history had the alliance been so torn by
capitalists and socialists—those who wanted to rape Astra and those
inspired to give it away. Since the American Federation governed
eighteen habitable worlds over most of the eastern rim, it had the
most say. Their conservative majority lauded their industrialized
society, but their lax justice system favored those who could buy
their innocence. Had it not been tempered by the civility of the
million citizens of United Europe, the Allied Confederacy would've
been run like the Wild West.
    But in all its ostentatious glory, the UE
succumbed to the same political mayhem plaguing the AF: infighting,
perpetual campaigning, posturing instead of compromising, and
all-around incompetence that prevented the most basic functions of
the allied government. The Allied Fleet represented their combined
military force, and as such, the military was bound to any rule
they handed down.
    Most of the Allied Council supported the
isolationism of Astra, which was a large part of the reason the
Allied Fleet didn't explore the galaxy beyond. In fact, going to
Gamma Pavonis in the first place would catch her some grief;
however, with the possible encroachment of aliens on Astra's
doorstep, her decision would be commended.
    All they could do now was wonder and wait.
This would be the longest day of her life.
     
    ***
     
    Commander Rashad Mundammi took a deep breath
as he stared up into the clear sky and waited with his executive
officer outside their ship. Sirius cut across the heavens with
azure radiance, bestowing an ethereal sparkle on the snow-covered
Imperial City on Kashtivone. Bare trees cast towering shadows over
the landing zone. He removed a hashish cigarette from his pocket
and lit it. He'd forgotten the last time he saw snow covering the
ground even if this was a damn Asian world and pulled his thick
coat around him to keep out the chill.
    The squalor of the capital's slums hung
around them. Ill-conceived shanties made of tin, wood, and
cardboard leaned at unsustainable angles in a dirty rainbow of
colors. The grime-covered streets smelled of excrement, yet hoards
of people toddled through the slush on their way to the market a
few blocks away. Once the morning rush subsided, the area would be
empty. Everyone old enough to reproduce worked here: in mines, in
factories, and in the fields. Such was the life of peasants in the
Pan-Asian Union.
    The gold-tipped domes of the Imperial Palace
loomed over the reinforced bulwark surrounding the forbidden
sanctuary. The fortified parapet was visible from every location in
the slums. Triumphal spires flanked by dragons broke the monotony
of its features at regular intervals along its length. Men in
dun-colored uniforms watched the throngs scurrying below, each with
a B90 combat shotgun at the ready in the event of a riot.
    No one paid much attention to the Allied
vessel nearby. Few probably realized the ship belonged to their
government's sworn enemy. Citizens, however, were the least of his
worries. Wild dogs roamed in packs, diving into piles of trash in
search of their next meal. He kept his right hand near his
disruptor in case any strayed too close.
    Lieutenant-Commander Carmen Martinez stood
next to him shivering, her hands searching the pockets of her coat.
She pulled out a bottle of fruit juice and attempted to open it,
but her cold hands couldn't get enough grip on the slick glass.
    Rashad held out his hand, but she ignored his
offer of assistance. She'd always been too damn proud