Ostro

by HC_Leung

Can you hear it, the sound of the universe? It is like music, joyful and harmonious.

The mysterious female voice tapered off before Inspector Ludovico could locate its source. He looked around - whoever was hailing him had already slithered into oblivion. It was a soft, gentle whisper that sounded both near and distant. It was not an illusion.

But only he had heard it. The three Marines from Earth apparently did not. They presented him with stern faces, patiently waiting for Ludovico to get a move on.

"Pardon me." He wiped the cold sweat off his face and kept walking.

The space station's central command module was up ahead. Ludovico keyed in a special police code on the security panel. When the lock was disabled, the cumbersome hatch door began to shift and roll. It was slow.

The Marines raised their carbines. Fingers on triggers, rifled chambers pointing forward. They expected a threat looming in the corner. Ludovico stuck out his palm and urged calm. "Easy, gents. We're in a highly-pressurized environment. Any of you jarheads take a shot, your five-five-seven armor-piercing rounds will puncture the structure hull and this whole place will go kaboom."

"Step aside," said the sergeant. "The suspect might be armed."

"No, this is my case, and we're going to do it my way." Ludovico pointed at the ground. "So either you lower your guns or we leave now without making an arrest. Is that clear?"

The sergeant weighed his options and compromised. His privates did the same as well. "If anything happens in there, I'll hold you accountable."

"Trust me, nothing's going to happen," Ludovico assured with a sneer. "I've done this like a hundred times before."

The female voice returned, sending a chill down his spine.

It is also like water, and whoever drinks it will never thirst.

Okay, maybe his mind was really playing tricks on him. Deep space travel can do that to people, and Ludovico was getting old. He was a seasoned police officer who tracked criminals across the settled worlds. But after Bella, his wife, died of a rare genetic disorder, loneliness and stress began to take a toll on him. His last psychiatric eval came back with damning results. The doctor said it was time to bow out.

In other words, retire. He would then become eligible for the ultimate reward - the Elixir.

Strangely enough, it was what brought him here.

For hundreds of years, the Principality of Sol had been gifting the Elixir to retired citizens. The white pill would alter their genetic make-up and grant them forever life. But not all retirees were eligible. They also had to be patriotic and morally upright. So generations of people obeyed the law and worked hard toward that singular goal. As a result, the galaxy enjoyed peace while the population grew.

A minority of people questioned this tradition. Perhaps it was inevitable. To them, immortality brought more angst and suffering. So they rejected the Elixir and embraced death as part of the life cycle.

Protests broke out in the border worlds. In return, the Principality conducted orbital bombardment on their people. But the wheels of revolution had already been set in motion. Planets after planets flared up in open rebellion. After a long, hard battle, Judea IV became the first to secede from the human empire.

Like cancer, the movement spread to the inner worlds. A group of scientists began searching for God's heaven by conducting illegal space-time warping experiments. If life after death could be proven, then the Elixir program would become worthless. The Principality would no longer be able to control its population.

And it ruffled feathers at the top. It became Ludovico's job to defend their interests.

The rebel scientists operated in remote, hard-to-find places and used aliases. It took the Inspector three years to track down Dr. Wesley Young, aka Levante, Dr. Gemma Asherton, aka Libeccio, and Dr. Parval Ishwani, aka Sirocco.

Last but not the least, Dr. Ann-Zenora Kohn, aka Ostro, was awaiting her fate behind that door.

Finally, the group gained entry into the command room. The galaxy's fourth most wanted criminal was seated on a high throne.

Ann-Zenora's eyes were closed. Her skin was pale like pebble stones. Black cables protruded from her scape and ran in countless directions. She had become one with the space station, which was itself an inter-dimensional portal. She was not dead - at least not yet.

"What's this?" asked the sergeant. The two privates stood still, their mouths agape in horror.

"Playing with fire," Ludovico answered. He swept the rest of the room with a pen flashlight. No one else was around.

The manipulation of the gravitational field was prohibited by law. A wormhole could potentially be stretched open, exposing people to strange phenomena beyond comprehension. We, the public, were not meant to trespass into another dimension. Instead, we were supposed to stay put and enjoy the Elixir as upright citizens.

Yet this was exactly what Ann-Zenora had hoped to do. By embedding her flesh into the station's large hadron collider, she was going to tear a hole through space-time and find her so-called God. Well, good thing the Inspector got here in time. Individuals who put their interests above public safety must answer to the law.

It was not difficult to remove Ann-Zenora from her throne. All Ludovico had to do was pull the red lever at the end of the room. The cables rescinded and clanked in mid-air. The suspect fell to the floor and regained consciousness.

She looked up to her unexpected visitors. Her breathing was weak and shallow.

Ludovico produced his badge. The golden shield and spear stood for Stellaris Police, Ministry of Public Security. The galaxy on a field of red, white, and blue formed the flag of the Principality.

"Dr. Kohn, you are under arrest for crimes against humanity. You have the right to remain silent, but anything you say could be used against you in the people's court of law. The gentlemen behind me are from Earth. Their job is to make sure your transportation to the Paris courthouse is safe and well-monitored."

Can't you hear, Ludovico?

The Inspector felt numb from face down. But not his mouth.

Can't you hear?

"Who are you?" he shouted. The Marines were startled and looked at him with puzzled looks.

Just shut up and listen! We are all calling out to you!

The next thing he knew was a white blaze blanketing his eyes. Ten, twenty heartbeats later, he emerged as an invisible observer standing outside his body. Time in the room seemed frozen.

"What the hell's going on?" asked Ludovico. "Why am I looking at myself?"

"You're in our world," said the mysterious female voice. "It was the only way to get your attention."

"Who are you?"

"Can't you tell? I'm Ann-Zenora in her afterlife. You may call me Ostro. It has become my name in the cosmos."

Ludovico was able to move about. Everything was still, including the Marines and his former self. He felt exceptionally peaceful and calm. The stress and tiredness that had plagued him for years now seemed distant. He was a new being.

There was so much clarity in his perception. He studied Ann-Zenora - her dark hair, brown eyes, every strand of her facial muscle, and all of her skin pores. He felt her dreams and struggles. She was full of conviction, willing to weather through the ups and downs in the name of a greater cause.

"Afterlife, huh?" asked Ludovico. "You died?"

"No, she died," replied Ostro. "I was her, but I'm a separate being from her. Like old and new."

"Okay, I think I understand. How did she die?"

After you arrested Ann-Zenora, the Marines took her to a black site on Earth. They tortured her for a week and then executed her. The same thing befell the other three scientists. The Principality kept you out of it."

"Had I known," said Ludovico, fiery and calm at the same time. "Did she get to hear it? The sound you kept telling me about?"

"Yes, Ann-Zenora heard it. Right before you budged in."

"What does it sound like?"

"You can ask Bella."

The space station slipped away before his eyes. A hospital bed appeared next. A younger Ludovico was holding Bella's hand, wailing and watching her surrendering to her illness. Despite advances in medical science, God still took her away. The same God who asked her to have faith and told her everything was going to be okay.

And Ludovico was destroyed. All that time he invested in hope, turned out it was just a cruel joke. He left his house which was once a home and signed up for dangerous police work in remote places. His friends and families no longer heard from him.

"I miss you, Bella. I really do. I don't understand why you had to go."

"Because she belongs here," said Ostro. "So are you. One day you two will meet again. But first, you must do something for us. And for her."

"Tell me," said Ludovico. "What is it?"

"More people need to know about the afterlife. Ann-Zenora is the only person who can open a portal through space-time and lead mankind to us. Help her escape, Ludovico, and bring her to somewhere safe. Protect her from the Principality for the rest of your life. After death do you apart, we will all be reunited."

Before Ludovico could utter a word, the hospital bed vanished and became a world of strings - infinitely fine and endlessly long strings, vibrating in different frequencies as harmonious music. There was no pain nor tears within the melodies. It was a kingdom that had been delivered, a promise that had been fulfilled.

It was the world Bella prayed for. And Ludovico finally saw it in person.

There was no longer any doubt. The only thing that remained in his rinsed heart was conviction. A single will to give up everything and drive forward.

Back to the space module. The sergeant asked, "Inspector, are you going to arrest her or not?"

Ludovico did not respond. Instead, he was considering the soldiers' body weight, the atmospheric pressure, and the small caliber of his Glock-27 pistol. The risk of it puncturing the structural hull was minimal.

So he drew a long breath to bring his pulse and adrenaline level under control. When there was clarity in a great cause, killing became acceptable.

It took a mere second for Ludovico to draw his pistol. He fired two shots into the first private's chest, and then another two in the second. Both privates were double-tapped and dropped in an instant. The sergeant's eyes widened, his shock preventing him from raising his weapon.

"No, please, no!"

The last gunshot could be heard throughout the station. The sergeant fell with a hole in his forehead, his fading mind still wondering what had just happened. By then, three Marines were flat on the ground, accompanied by a pool of crimson blood.

Ludovico carried Ann-Zenora on his shoulders. He brought her back to his Laredo-class police corvette, which was docked outside, and buckled her up on a reclined seat. He tucked her hair under her shoulders and straightened up her collars. "You and I are going to rely on each other from now on. I hope we get along."

He hopped into the cockpit and started the engine. From this moment on, the Principality's entire law enforcement will come down hard on them. He must find a safe haven. Somewhere beyond reach.

"Computer, set course for Judea IV. Full speed ahead."

Affirmative. Plotting course and initiating pre-flight checking program. Progress: 10%, 20%, 25%...

The corvette released its clamps and pulled away from the space station. It adjusted its bearings with vector nozzles while the calculation was still going on. Soon, a green light appeared on the flight instrument board. Process complete. All systems are ready.

Go. Ludovico stepped on the throttle. The corvette's pulse engine threw deep blue flames into the absolute dark, propelling the wanted fugitives forward.