Page 129 of Trove’s Purpose

So, really, he was only listening as Hyde talked. He was curious as to what the strange person would be offering them, but at the end of the day, it didn’t really matter to him. It was up to Tanin what they were going to do.

“I have a goal,” Hyde started simply. “I have my own ambitions. Separate from my title as High Imperium. I am honored to serve in this role, but it is confining. I command armies, but they cannot move for me as I desire. I am kept in check by my brethren. If I begin selfishly using Coalition resources for something they consider pointless and wasteful, I will be removed from my position. And I have many things I still want to do in it, so it would be a great loss to me.

“The funds I have gathered, however, my personal resources are another story. I can use those as I please and they can think it wasteful all they like, but they cannot stop me from doing so.”

Trove couldn’t stop himself from looking surprised. It was the first time he had heard the Imperium speak of other vitulli. Theoretically, he knew there had to be others. They were replaced at times, and they couldn’t be immortal. There had to be other vitulli.

But the Imperium had never confirmed that before. They spoke of their people as a concept, not as real, living beings with thoughts and opinions. It was strange to hear.

“Another thing that limits me, however, is myself. I cannot simply go wherever I want. I cannot do the things needed to accomplish my personal goals. I am bound to my position. In ways you perhaps would understand very well. But I won’t bother you with the explanations. You only need to know that I have the power to make others move, but not the power to move myself.

“And that is where you come in. I need you to work for me as Hyde, not as the High Imperium. I need you to become my hands. I will not ask you to die for me, though I will ask you to put yourself at risk. I will not demand you do something if you absolutely refuse, but I will ask you to do things that are very difficult.

“I will also compensate you greatly. I will pay for all of your expenses while you are working for me. I will clean up any messes you make – within reason. But I trust you not to become wild and out of control. You have proven your self-control to me, so I know you will not do something you can avoid. But if you cannot, you don’t need to fear the end of your free life.”

Trove shared a look with Sway. Both of them were trying to keep their expressions blank, but he understood exactly what Sway was thinking, just as he knew he understood what he thought as well. It was obvious to both of them.

Because Hyde was saying a lot of good things. But he hadn’t given them details yet. Which meant he wanted them hooked and interested enough to not refuse when it came to what all that would cost.

“What do you want, Hyde?” Tanin asked bluntly.

“Three things. First: I need you to fetch something from a forbidden part of space where no one is allowed to travel, take nothing else from that area, and tell no one the things you see there.

“Second: I need you to bring something to the head of an organization of assassins that I do believe you, especially Sorbet and Tebros, are very familiar with.

“And finally: I need you to infiltrate and destroy Rik-Vane.”

The entire group froze.

Trove stared at the black cowl of the High Imperium and tried to think of something to say.

Destroy Rik-Vane?

“These are not easy tasks, I know. But I will compensate each completed assignment greatly. You can negotiate all the credz you want. Enough to let you all retire for the rest of your lives if you want. But that’s not enough to move you, I know. For each job, I will give you a different prize.”

“For the first job: I will give you your identities. I will make it so that the names you use now are the only ones that exist. No further hiding. No further worries. The peacekeepers, no matter how hard they look or dig, will never find your original identities. It will be like they never existed.”

That was no small prize. The false identities they purchased were good ones. They were great ones, in fact. Captain Ikvar of the peacekeepers needed quite a bit of time and resources to look through them to the real people beyond.

But they were still fakes. Except for Tanin, all of them were at risk. If someone who wasn’t as merciful as Ikvar or Hyde figured out their identities, their lives could be forfeit. They wouldn’t be able to be licensed to do anything, buy homes, or live simple, easy lives. Being the crew of a starship was really their only option because it was the only lifestyle that didn’t come with identity investigations.

He was giving them options. Opportunities. An open future. Like their pasts had been completely wiped clean and they had anything they wanted ahead of them.

“For the second job: I will give you the resources and supplies that you need in order to build Alred his body.”

Once again, they all froze.

How much did Hyde know?

Alred was an AI now. But before his brain and consciousness had been transplanted into code, he had been a real, living person. His species had long gone extinct. Those that remained were all like Alred – technological people. They were all content with that life. Alred had been content with that life for thousands of years.

Until their females came into their lives.

When Garnet and Goldie arrived, the two of them brought a great many changes. Including a new dissatisfaction to Alred’s existence.

Because he might have more power and ability than he could ever imagine as a computer. But he couldn’t hold his female. He couldn’t mate her. He couldn’t please her.

And having recently discovered how incredible that was, Trove understood much more now just how desperate he was to make that happen.