A New Frontier

Chapter Three

Even with the technology that The Rising Phoenix had, the absolute best engines that had ever existed, the journey back to Earth took a few months. Even before the Fall this journey had taken years. Back then the fastest unmanned ship had made it in a bit over two years. When they landed at Diluculum, one of the few cities to have been build since the collapse of the Empire, Violet walked out of the ship with her armour packed inside a large black suitcase and took a few minutes just to enjoy being back on land. And back on Earth.

According to old history books this part of the planet had once been a country known as the United States of America. That was before the Empire, when nations still existed. After there was only the Empire. All traces of national identity, culture and sovereignty were stamped out. It had been so long now that those things were now permanently lost. Before nations there had been tribes.

Now they were essentially back to that.

And many people wanted to keep things that way.

Violet looked at the city around her. The enormous towers of glass and steel, the automated factories producing the best technology in the galaxy, the large parks with plenty of greenery and cars and pedestrians. In most places in the galaxy you didn't see so many people. So many people wearing a wide variety of clothes in a wide variety of colours and living peaceful lives. And the insurgents refused to be a part of this. Violet couldn't understand it. When she walked past fellow soldiers of The Rising Phoenix they saluted her. In their territories they were the law. And you could call their commander an Emperor. But they weren't the Empire.

"Did you just get back?" One of the soldiers asked.

"Yes." Violet said. "It's good to be back. How are things?"

"Good miss." One of them said. "Just the usual minor crimes to deal with. Nothing that we can't easily handle."

No city, no matter how good its law enforcement was, was free from crime.

"Good work soldier." Violet said.

The soldiers saluted again.

Violet ordered a self driving taxi controlled by an AI to get home. She lived on the top floor of a large apartment building. An apartment building for soldiers. A shiny silver bulky humanoid robot with a red V on its chest greeted her. And many cameras turned towards her.

"Welcome back miss Walker." The robot said.

"Take this to the guys in the lab." Violet said. "I was hit with an EMP and it's been in enemy hands. I'd like to not find any nasty surprises the next time that I put it on."

"Yes miss." The robot said and left with the suitcase.

Violet took the elevator to the top floor and walked past the armed robots, that ignored her completely, to her apartment. Her apartment was of moderate size, white and minimally furnished. Violet grabbed a handgun from her armoury and strapped it to her waist. She wasn't expecting to need it but it wasn't impossible. Even somewhere as safe as Diluculum sometimes things happened. And while she wasn't currently on duty she was still, unlike civilians, allowed to carry a gun. The consequences of illegally carrying one around here near Venator's robots would be unpleasant. Some people were actually that dumb.

Violet took the elevator back down and walked out of the building. The security robots were still ignoring her. They weren't programmed with socialising skills and gaining their attention wasn't a good thing. Outside the streets were patrolled by human soldiers. Only a few places had robotic security. Many AI controlled cars passed by as Violet looked around her, taking in the city she hadn't seen for a while. She'd been away on missions for a long time.

There was so much work to do out there.

Civilians walked past her without recognising her. Without her suit she wasn't someone special worth paying attention to. But she noticed everything around her. Violet noticed a man who did not have the look of a soldier who was carrying a gun that was not military issue. The handgun was hidden under his shirt. She also noticed a tattoo of a golden eagle on a black sun on his arm briefly. The symbol of the Empire. Violet had only seen it in books.

Why would anyone want to display allegiance to the Empire so long after its fall? It made about as much sense as declaring yourself a servant of a nation that hadn't existed for hundreds of years. She discretely followed the man. As unlikely as she considered it the possibility existed that this would be imperialist was part of a larger group. Maybe descendants of imperialists that had somehow escaped the purge? No one had exactly had an opportunity to keep records during the Fall. Maybe a few loyalists had gotten away.

It was absurd but worth checking out.

Unfortunately her target seemed to have noticed her as he suddenly turned around and pulled out his gun. Damn, Violet thought. She was faster and put him down with two bullets to his heart. With the sound of gunshots ringing in her ears Violet lowered her gun and looked at the body. Why? Then she turned her attention to the panicked civilians.

"Everything's fine." Violet said. "I'm a soldier. He was illegally carrying a gun."

Violet's gaze moved past the body to the other body.

"Fuck." She said. "Shit."

She'd killed a civilian. Violet dropped her gun. Not long after she was surrounded by her comrades. They hadn't pulled out their guns and were looking at her as if they were waiting for orders.

"You know what you're supposed to do." Violet said. "Do your jobs."

"But..."

"No." Violet said. "There is nothing to discuss here. Do what you're supposed to do."

She put her hands forward and reluctantly a pair of handcuffs was put on them. The people had to see the law being enforced. Otherwise all that they had build would be lost. Violet was taken away in handcuffs by her comrades while the civilians around her looked at her with silent contempt. They were clearly restraining themselves. No one wanted to do anything that could be described as a riot. And just as the thought occurred to her a stone was thrown from somewhere and hit one of the soldiers.