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  A lifetime of rage unleashed itself at once, flooding out of him like water from a mountain, and he lunged forward with everything he had.

  They clashed together, falling to the floor.

  Abel hit him in the arm, but it did nothing. He grabbed Cain’s neck and squeezed, pushing him away.

  Cain gagged, suddenly afraid. He gripped his brother’s wrist, clawing his skin, but Abel wouldn’t stop. He wouldn’t let go.

  I can’t breathe, Cain thought, trying to speak the words and failing. Let me go! Then, with the soldering pen in his hand, Cain jabbed his brother’s arm with the metal end, forcing him to let go.

  Abel screamed, quick and sharp, pulling back his hand as blood poured from his wound. With his other fist, he punched Cain across the cheek, sending him to the floor again.

  Before Cain could react, Abel got on top of him, his other palm on Cain’s neck.

  Cain wheezed in shock, not knowing what to do. His brother was going to kill him. After all this time, this is how it would end.

  Abel raised his bleeding hand, dripping blood onto Cain’s face and mouth, and prepared to strike again.

  But before the blow could come, and without another thought, Cain drove the metal pen deep into Abel’s neck and pulled it out, all in one fluid motion.

  Blood erupted from the wound, oozing down Abel’s neck and onto his chest. He gagged, staggering back on the floor, gripping his wound with his hand. “He-lp,” he managed to say.

  Cain’s eyes widened, and he watched in horror as his brother choked on his own blood. He reached for a nearby towel, then rushed to try and help. He covered the wound, but his hands kept shaking. “I’m sorry!” he said, desperately. “I didn’t mean to! I’m sorry!”

  Abel moved his lips like he wanted to speak, but nothing came. There was only the blood, pooling from his mouth, covering his tongue and lips. His eyes drifted slowly towards the ceiling, staring, at nothing in particular.

  Cain shook his head, tears filling his eyes. This all must be a dream. He’d wake up at any moment.

  Abel’s mouth stopped moving, and his eyes grew still and cold. A long, quiet sigh left him, forming bubbles of blood on his lips. All at once, he was empty.

  Everything in him was gone.

  Chapter 10

  A few hours into the new day, while most of the ship slept, Seth stood in one of the population bays, staring at the body of his brother.

  Abel lay on the floor, covered with a large white cloth. One of the engineers had found him here less than an hour ago, broken and crushed by a fallen crate.

  Chief Ridwan cleared his throat. “Another power outage occurred between 2100 and 2200 hours, killing the surveillance cameras. When maintenance came to investigate, they discovered the body, buried under a supply crate. Seems to have been an accident.”

  Seth crouched next to the body, staring into the white sheet. He touched Abel’s chest, picturing his face, wondering how something like this could happen. The metal box had crushed him, disfiguring his face and breaking half his bones. The crew had no idea who it was they’d found until they activated his communicator and checked his ID.

  “How long before Medical gets here?” asked Seth.

  “They’re on the way,” said the chief.

  The floor was covered with pieces of metal from where the crate had landed. Picking up one of the shards, Seth used it to lift the cloth covering the body. He barely raised the sheet before he saw the stains of blood on Abel’s sleeve. In an instant, he dropped the cloth and turned away.

  He could barely stomach the sight of it.

  When the medical team arrived, they placed the body in a sealed gray bag. Doctor Asari approached Seth with a concerned look on her face. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  He ignored the sentiment. “Will you perform an autopsy?”

  She nodded. “It’s standard practice.”

  “I’d like the results as soon as you have them,” he said.

  “Of course, but I don’t expect we’ll find anything.” She nodded at the crate, which had been moved to the edge of the bay. “Looks pretty clear what happened.”

  “Humor me,” said Seth.

  “Check back with me tomorrow. I’ll have it done by then.”

  Seth watched her leave with the body. He’d have to figure out a way to tell his family the news, if they didn’t already know. News traveled fast aboard the Eden. Lilith may have already told the family. Speaking of, he thought, then tapped the communicator on his wrist. “Lilith, are you there?”

  The screen flashed. “I’m here. Are you okay? I’ve been watching the cleanup.”

  “Have you told the captain yet?”

  “An alert went out. Several department heads have been notified. I delivered the news to your father personally a few minutes ago.”

  “So he knows it was Abel,” muttered Seth.

  She nodded. “Correct.”

  “What about Uriel?”

  “She was on the bridge when I told him. I would imagine your father shared the news.”

  “Thanks,” said Seth. “Do you have anything else for me?”

  “Adam wants you to report to the bridge as soon as you’re done here.”

  “Tell him I’m on my way.”

  Lilith nodded. “I’ll let him know.” She paused. “I’m so sorry, Seth.”

  The call ended, and Seth walked slowly to the hall, his eyes on the floor. After a moment, he stopped and leaned against the wall. He’d never been close with Abel, especially after he’d enrolled in military school. While Seth and Cain stayed home to help the family on their farm, Abel was half a world away preparing for the day he would follow in their father’s footsteps.

  When Adam brought them all together on the Eden, it was like a second chance to reconnect. An opportunity to get to know each other.

  Seth wished now that he’d taken it.

  “Sir?” asked Ridwan, startling him.

  Seth pushed himself off the wall and faced the chief. “Something wrong?”

  “You left without saying anything. I thought I should check on you.”

  “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”

  “It’s okay,” assured Ridwan. “Really.”

  Seth had to get ahold of himself. He was still the head of Security. He needed to act like it. “Chief, do you mind if I ask you some questions before I go?”

  “Of course,” he said.

  “Was there anything going on in this bay before the accident?” asked Seth.

  “What do you mean?” asked Ridwan.

  “I don’t know. A reason for Abel to be here. Maybe a joint assignment between Engineering and the bridge.”

  “Not that I’m aware of,” said Ridwan.

  “So there’s nothing scheduled? No special event?”

  “I can check, but I don’t think so. Do you think that’s why your brother was here?”

  “I don’t know,” said Seth. “Maybe.”

  “Well, as far as I know, he was here alone. No one saw it happen, and none of my people were in the area before the incident.”

  “Alright. Thanks, Chief,” said Seth. “That’s all I have.”

  “Okay, but if you think of anything else, come get me,” said Ridwan.

  “Will do,” said Seth.

  So strange, he thought. It wasn’t like his brother to randomly wander the ship. What was Abel doing here all by himself? Why did he come to a population bay on the other side of the ship? Maybe he came here to vent some anger last night, thought Seth. If only I’d sent him home, none of this would’ve happened.

  It’s all my fault.

  * * *

  Seth arrived at Adam’s office and found the old man standing near the back of the room, staring out the window. He didn’t seem to notice him. “Sir?” asked Seth, after a moment.

  Adam flinched, clearly startled. He must have been lost in thought. “Oh, Seth. Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.”

  “No problem.”

  “Please, u
h…” Adam paused, looking at the desk and chairs, his mouth ajar, as though the words had suddenly left him.

  Seth took the meaning and had a seat. Adam did the same. Neither said a word at first, as though the truth of today stood between them, choking the air from the room. “I examined the scene about an hour ago.”

  Adam blinked, his eyes on the desk, as though he’d been daydreaming. “Sorry, what?”

  “Population bay six. I can run you through the whole—”

  “God, Seth,” said Adam, suddenly. “I didn’t call you in here to give me a report.”

  Seth paused.

  “Your brother, he’s…” Adam’s voice trailed off, along with his eyes. His mind seemed to be in two places at once. Here and somewhere else. “Dead.”

  “I know. I didn’t mean to—”

  “It’s alright,” said Adam. “You’re doing your duty. You’re a fine officer, Seth.”

  “Thanks.”

  Nearly a minute passed before either spoke again. Seth had never seen his father so distraught before…even after the destruction of Fiore. Despite witnessing the deaths of billions, Adam never lost his composure. Never let his grief show. He was the man who always moved forward, and yet today he was different. Today he’d lost a son.

  Adam coughed. “You know, when Abel got commissioned and graduated the academy, I told myself to be ready. I’ve been in wars. I know the survival rate. The probability of death. I accepted it.” He thumbed the edge of his desk, scratching the wood with his nail, digging into it.

  Seth didn’t know what to say. His father never talked like this. Not to him or anyone else.

  Adam took a long and heavy breath. “You should go and see your mother soon.”

  “Okay,” said Seth.

  “I’ll be along shortly,” said Adam, getting to his feet. He walked around to the other side of the desk. “I have some work to do first. The mission, you know.”

  “Right,” said Seth, standing.

  Adam nodded, then embraced him, clutching his son in his arms and squeezing tightly. He didn’t let go for a long time.

  * * *

  Seth went to see his mother as soon as possible. As expected, she was devastated—a swollen red face full of tears and confusion. Uriel and Azura were there, too, trying to calm her down. From what he could tell, Azura seemed to be taking care of the other two. If she was grieving, herself, she didn’t show it. Maybe she simply didn’t have the time.

  Seth didn’t stay long. “I have some work to do, but I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he told his mother.

  “Can’t someone else do it?” she asked with bloodshot eyes and puffy cheeks.

  “There are only two security officers on the ship, and one of them is Uriel,” he explained.

  His mother paused, then nodded.

  “If you need anything, you can call me. I’ll come running as fast as I can. Do you understand? Anything at all,” said Seth.

  She hugged him again before letting him go. “If you see Cain, tell him I want to come by, won’t you?”

  “Of course,” he said, and left quickly. He could barely stand to be there with so much pain in the room. The heaviness of grief, choking them all. If he didn’t get out of there, he might break.

  But he’d told the truth. He really did have work to do. His investigation into the power outages was still ongoing. Somehow, they were all connected, he knew, and it was vital he discover how.

  Now more than ever.

  Chapter 11

  Seth awoke in his office, lying on the couch in the back corner. He had no memory of falling asleep, but no matter.

  He sat up and cracked his neck, yawning. Glancing at his wrist-com, he saw an alert—a missed call from Azura. She’d left him a message.

  He touched the pad and played it. “Seth, I wanted to check in and see how you were. Call me back when you can.”

  He glanced at the timestamp. That was six hours ago, he thought, getting to his feet. His back ached from the lumps in the couch. He sat behind his desk and touched his communicator again, but right as he was about to place the call, another alert came in.

  He answered immediately. Dr. Asari appeared on the screen, standing in the medical bay. “Hello?” she said, tilting her head. “Is this thing on?”

  “I hear you,” said Seth.

  “Oh, good. Lieutenant Kadmon, you asked to let you know when I received the autopsy results.”

  Oh, right, thought Seth. “Do you have them?”

  “I do. Would you like to come to Medical or do you want me to tell you over the com?”

  “Now is fine,” he said, still groggy.

  “Alright,” she said, glancing below the camera. “As expected, there were dozens of bone fractures all over the body. The impact of the crash was somewhat devastating. However, this was not the cause of death.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Seth. “Are you saying he died from something besides the crate?”

  “It certainly looks that way,” she admitted. “He was facing the floor when they found him, crushed beneath the object, yes?”

  Seth nodded. “That’s how it looked when I arrived.”

  “Right, well,” she paused. “We examined the body and found livor mortis on the subject’s lower back, despite the body’s position.”

  “Livor—what?” asked Seth.

  “Livor mortis, otherwise known as hypostasis. When a person dies, blood settles to the lower portion of the body, causing a dark coloring of the skin. This is usually purple and red.”

  “What’s that got to do with what happened?” asked Seth.

  “Let me put it this way: if you die with your face on the floor, your chest fills with blood and your skin darkens. If you die on your backside, the opposite occurs. The blood will settle beneath you, and your back gets discolored. Our victim was found on his chest, according to the reports, and yet the livor mortis appears to be on wrong side. Do you understand?”

  “I believe so,” answered Seth.

  “Good, because it indicates to me the victim was flipped, possibly even moved. He wasn’t killed the way we found him.”

  Seth paused, taking in the information. Did Abel died before the crate crushed him? Had he been murdered? “Doctor,” he began, slowly. “Do you know what you’re saying?”

  “I do, Lieutenant,” she said, “and I’m not done yet, I’m afraid. We found two wounds which don’t match any the others. One was in the arm, and the other in the neck. I believe this to be the true cause of death.”

  Seth stared at the woman on the screen. “What made these wounds?”

  “We don’t know,” Dr. Asari admitted. “Some kind of object. The neck wound was thin and precise. Perhaps a weapon.”

  “You mean he was stabbed?”

  Asari nodded. “Based on the angle of the wound, I’m inclined to think so. The real question was whether it was self-inflicted, accidental, or—”

  “By someone else,” muttered Seth.

  “Given the way the body was found, it certainly seems likely,” said the doctor.

  Seth bit the inside of his lip. If Asari was right, the implications were staggering, especially because—

  Dammit, thought Seth. If Abel actually followed through with his plan last night, then no doubt he spoke with Cain. If so, Cain might have been the last person to see him alive.

  A chill ran down Seth’s neck, and he twitched. It couldn’t be true. Not a chance. Not Cain. He couldn’t be responsible for—

  “That’s all the information we have,” said Asari.

  Seth blinked, a little dazed. “Oh, well, thanks for looking into it,” he managed to say. “Please keep me informed if you find anything else.”

  She nodded. “Of course.”

  The com turned off and Seth sat in silence, staring at the surface of his desk. He had to go talk to his brother. He might have answers to share. I need the details of that night. I need the truth.

  If Cain had talked to Abel right before his death, Se
th would have to take him in. Even with Lilith as an alibi, the evidence would be too much. It might be circumstantial, but the rest of the crew might not see it that way. He’d have to secure Cain while he kept investigating, if only to keep him safe. Seth had to move fast…before things got out of hand.

  But not alone. he loved his brother, but he didn’t know if he could trust him. This time, much as it pained him to do it, he’d bring along some backup.

  * * *

  Protocol required every member of the crew to train in at least one other secondary occupation, aside from their primary job. Seth, in addition to security, happened to be a pilot.

  Not that he enjoyed it. He only chose it to appease his father, who spent eighteen years piloting ships before receiving his first command.

  Seth preferred security, of course, but if there was ever a piloting emergency, he could probably handle it.

  As for Security, several crewmates had taken the necessary training and passed. This meant they knew how to handle a weapon, use self-defense, and had a decent grasp on basic detainment procedures. After talking briefly with Ariel in Engineering, Seth managed to get the names of three would-be security officers.

  First, there was Michael, an engineer Seth had known for several years. Michael passed the qualifying test only a few days ago, so he wouldn’t have the best experience, but having someone familiar around might come in handy. He’d follow whatever orders Seth gave him, which made him valuable.

  Up next was Paul Wisk, a rather large man who worked on Ariel’s team and came highly recommended. Seth didn’t know much about the man, but he could use the extra muscle, should anything happen.

  Then came Steven—smaller than the others, but one of the better hand-to-hand combatants on the ship. He could pin a man twice his own size on the floor in under two minutes. Steven also taught a self-defense class, which Seth had always meant to attend but never got around to visiting.

  In any case, each of the candidates was eager to join the team, especially once Seth explained the importance of his investigation. All three men expressed a desire to protect the crew. Given their choice to join Security, it was hardly surprising. No doubt, they’d been waiting around for a scenario very much like this one to come along. Add a little excitement to their lives. A bit of danger.