The Obsidian Precepts Chapter 1

...

The drink swirled around in a clockwise pattern, the vibrant colours blending in intricate spirals as Kane stared down into it. His vision focused ahead of him on the blonde woman seated across the low coffee table, her eyes equally transfixed on her glass, both of them alert as they observed the contents gradually envelop the melting ice cubes. The room was filled with the faint buzz of the large living room monitor in the background, the glow lighting their faces in soft, flickering hues.

"Ha!" he exclaimed, a triumphant grin breaking across his features as he watched the last remnants of ice vanish in his drink. "Told ya Gordon's faster!" He chuckled, the victorious sound echoing lightly in the otherwise calm atmosphere, earning him a pair of rolled eyes from Ellie. With a playful defiance, she swiftly gulped down her own drink, the glass clinking against the table as she set it down with a gentle thud. 

"Congratulations," Ellie replied, her tone utterly deadpan as she shook her head, strands of her blonde hair cascading over her shoulders like a golden waterfall. "You're the champion of melting ice cubes, you must be so proud." 

Kane nodded solemnly, his expression feigning gravity as he met her gaze. "It’s my greatest achievement. Of course, I am." The mock seriousness of his reply only deepened the humour of the situation, and Ellie couldn't resist a soft laugh despite her attempt to maintain her composure. The corners of her mouth curled slightly upward, and Kane's stoic facade crumbled, leaving him chuckling warmly. 

"Ah. I've missed these." He relaxed into the plush cushions of the sofa, his body sinking slightly, his gaze drifting toward the monitor displaying a live video feed of Officer Seven Five One from the Seventh Precinct. The brief moment of levity faded as surprise flickered across his features; the stream had settled on an unfamiliar figure that made his heart race. An actor? Seven Five One had been making waves lately, and Kane couldn’t help but mentally tally the twelfth incident this month. That seemed absurd, especially for a rookie officer just stepping into the precinct’s chaotic landscape.

Turning back to Ellie, he found her eyebrows arched in questioning anticipation, mirroring his own confusion. As they exchanged looks, her attention snapped to the monitor, and she too quickly realised what was unfolding.

"Oh, for..." Ellie began, only to let out a long sigh, rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration. The gesture seemed almost theatrical, capturing the weight of her exasperation. "I swear, it's like they're just trying to get under heat again." She lowered her hand slowly, the air thickening with her irritation. "It hasn't even been three months since they got caught funding a vigilante of all things!" Her voice was laced with disbelief as she shook her head, each motion punctuating her growing frustration.

Kane couldn't help but smirk at her dramatics, the tension transforming the room into a spectacle of exasperation mingled with absurdity. "...So you get why I am worried, right?" he joked, his voice teasingly light. "What do you think they're setting this one up for?" He leaned in, fervently watching the monitor as a 'criminal' element surged into view- the stark reality of the situation struck him as absurd when he realised they were debating whether to pursue an arrest for... jaywalking. He let out another sigh when he noticed the registered votes against the move blitzing across the screen like a digital scoreboard.

Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of votes seemed resolutely against the arrest. Caleb found himself pondering the bizarre reality of it all, the absurdity of such trivial matters leading to public outcry. He hoped the PCP wouldn’t transform this minor infraction into another debacle, the state was still grappling with the fallout from their last misstep- a disaster involving a vigilante attempting to apprehend a drug dealer by hogtying him to a lamppost.

"Hopefully, it won't end in riots again," Ellie sighed heavily, leaning back with an exaggerated sense of defeat. "I don't think I can afford to repair my car again." The memory of her vehicle's battered façade caused Kane to snicker, knowing she was dealing with far bigger issues than just a car.

Her anger management issues had become local lore, especially after her ingenious yet destructive handiwork on a rogue drone that involved little more than a wheel and some duct tape. The image flashed in his mind and he couldn't resist teasing her. 

"...Why do I have the distinct feeling to lob this drink at you?"

"How's your anger management training going anyway?" he prodded knowingly, a playful grin tugging at his lips.

Ellie twitched at the jab, the humour not lost on her as she reached for the bottle in the centre of the table. With a swift motion, she took a generous swig, the action punctuated by an unabashed burp. "Well." The sound echoed, a surprisingly loud note amidst their banter.

"Clearly," Kane deadpanned, extending his hand toward the bottle in an exaggeratedly polite request. "Might as well share the wealth, right?"

The atmosphere shifted as the monitor’s channel flickered to another, his watch having pinged on an associated word used in the news segment that took over. Their attention was quickly drawn away from their playful back-and-forth. The telecast filled the room with an unfamiliar solemnity, its voice resonating like a faraway choir. “-recent innovations have allowed the Decentralization of Mars to jump through hoops of advancement much faster than expected. What has officially been classified as the Decenters now holds more sway than those among the first to travel to the Second World-”

Kane tuned out the details, the excitement of the news overshadowed by his own thoughts. While it was certainly wonderful to hear about progress being made, he’d already been aware of these developments a few weeks back. Still, with the world embroiled in the PCP's frequent disasters, he often welcomed positive news as a beacon of hope amid the chaos. But for now, it didn’t demand his complete attention.

Ellie, however, was practically glued to the monitor, her features illuminating with a flicker of realisation as she absorbed the information. He watched her intently, taking in the momentary lapse of disbelief and relief that washed over her face, and he felt a wistful flutter at the sight.

"Hm," she murmured, the thought puncturing the surrounding silence. "It's clever, at least."

"Clever?" Kane echoed, bemusement written across his features as he raised an eyebrow. They had very different definitions of cleverness.

Ellie shook her head, her hair tumbling forward momentarily as she worked to untangle a knot. "Don't mind me," she said with a casual wave. "Just thinking out loud." That simple admission set off alarm bells in Kane’s mind; he had expected her to celebrate the news, to share in the tenacity of their efforts.

A frown tugged at his lips as he noted the peculiar ghost of disappointment shadowing her gaze. The strange mood kept him on edge, and just as he was about to inquire further into her thoughts, a sudden realization struck him.

“Oh,” he breathed, the weight of memory crashing over him like a tidal wave. His eyes widened, silently pleading for acknowledgement of the thought that had snuck upon him. “It’s been a year, hasn’t it?” He slowly covered his face with one palm, annoyance at his own forgetfulness edging into his voice. “Ugh, I am an idiot. I completely forgot it’s been a year since…”

Ellie turned her attention back to him, the raised eyebrow and sudden stillness of her demeanour prompting him to reconsider what he had said. “A year? Since what-” she began, her question trailing off as the reality of the date settled in, leaving the weight of unspoken memories lingering between them, palpable like an echo in the quiet room.

"Your separation..?" He remarked, peering through the gap between his fingers, his right eye narrowing in curiosity.

She hummed thoughtfully, a distant look in her gaze as if lost in memories. "Well, I suppose it has... I mean, it’s also been three months since he ran off to Mars, which takes a little precedence, but yes, it has indeed been a year since my separation."

He blinked rapidly, processing the statement as his palm dropped to his side, astonishment washing over his features. "What?" His voice rose in confusion. "Jack's in Mars?"

"With the kids." The woman answered flatly, taking another deep swig from her drink, the amber liquid catching the light like a tiny star. "The little anchors finally found themselves out there in space."

He took a moment, letting her words hang thick in the air, before responding. "Okay..." He remarked calmly, but the tension in the creases of his forehead betrayed his thoughts. "There’s a lot to process there-" He reached for his glass, amber liquid swishing with a slight clink against the polished surface as he took a sip, returning it to the table with deliberate slowness. "First of all, why didn’t you tell me he went to Mars!?" The effort to keep his voice steady nearly shattered.

The woman shrugged, her indifference irritating him more than he expected. "Didn’t think it mattered. It’s not like it changes the separation itself- there’s just a lot more space between us now." A heavy silence fell, and he felt a twitch of frustration ripple through him, causing her to snort, amusement bubbling up through her stoicism.

"Yeah, right. Just more space, right?” He waited for a moment at the ridiculous thought. “It’s only a hundred and forty million freaking miles more!" He gestured emphatically, his hands slicing through the air to try and push how serious it really was.

"...At least I got to keep the house." Her deadpan delivery was laced with dry humour, her lips curling slightly at the corners, which only further pushed his annoyance.

"Ellie..." He sighed, feeling the weight of his own emotions fraying at the edges.

"What? What was I supposed to do, not convince him to go to Mars? While I am co-pilot to you? The poster boy for going to Mars? What do you always say? If life isn’t working out on Earth, there’s no shame in kickstarting another in the Second World?" Her eyes sparkled with a challenge.

"I- I mean- usually it’s for families as a whole-" He stammered, searching for solid ground in her rapid-fire logic.

"He took the kids, didn’t he?" She shot back, her voice cutting through his hesitance like a knife.

"Ellie, the fact you don’t see anything wrong with this is the issue."

"I’m pretty sure it’s also why the kids went with him. The little shits." Her lips twisted slightly, rolling her eyes as if trying to dismiss the hurt that hid beneath her words. "I mean seriously, you carry them for nine months and they choose the cheating bastard over me?"

He paused, grappling with the emotional minefield they were navigating. "...I don’t think calling them little shits is going to help anyone- but I mean..." He searched her face, hoping to find a glimmer of understanding. "...Ellie, are you okay?"

"Sure," she replied too quickly, shrugging off the gravity of his concern. Her eyes were guarded, a haze of emotions swirling beneath the surface. "It’s not like it changes anything, whether they live here with me or there with him." Her gaze dropped to the bottle before her, the liquid sloshing reflectively. "Either way, I don’t really get to see them."

"If you want time off-"

"You’d find yourself in a capsizing ship in space if I took five minutes off." Her tone was lighter, but her words held a sharp edge that cut against his intentions.

"That’s still-"

"Look, it’s fine. I wasn’t there for them, just like my father wasn’t there for me, and you practically worship the ground he walked on so... by all accounts, I’m living up to my name." 

A heavy silence hung between them, thick with unspoken pain. He knew this pattern all too well, the cyclical dance of hurt she seemed to embrace. He should say something, anything,  to break the cycle, but every attempt felt like an uphill battle. "Are you at least still seeing your psychologist?"

"I am drinking, ain’t I?" The smirk she attempted was a fragile shield against the vulnerability creeping in.

"Ellie..." He sighed, exasperation barely masking concern.

"Better I copy my dad than yours, right?" Her rapid switch of tactics stung as she knew exactly where to strike.

"Okay, that’s just not fair." He shot back, irritation flaring within him. "Yours was a hero to the masses; mine advocated for the One Percent."

"Did he, huh?" She snorted, crossing her arms defensively. "I had no idea." The dry humour of her tone seemed to encase her hurt, creating a distance he wished to bridge.

He rolled his eyes, surrendering to the familiar banter. "...Eh, Jack's loss anyway. That man couldn't tell up from sideways, let alone figure out he’d hit a jackpot."

"Thanks." Her expression was flat, but there was a hint of playfulness beneath the surface. "It’s every girl’s dream to have a numerical value attached to her name and not her brains."

"Well, I mean your intelligence is nice too." He grinned, the levity of the moment pressing against the heavy weight of their conversation. "But really, it’s the name that got you on board." He inhaled, theatrically sniffing the air as if savouring the irony. "Why you’re the best of both worlds! A true revolutionary for the misinformed!"

"I can’t tell if you’re serious or not." Her brow furrowed, her guard visibly wavering.

"Of course not..." He remarked carefully, anxiety creeping back into his chest as he attempted to maintain levity. 

"And if following someone’s coattails makes you a revolutionary, then half the world would qualify as one." Her tone shifted back, sarcasm reasserting its stake in their dialogue. A beat of silence lingered before she added with a scoff, "Fucking Gen-Gammas."

He sighed, biting back a smirk at the jab aimed at the generational quirks they both shared, his relief found in the normalcy of their banter. Regardless of the emotional landscape they navigated, Ellie was a landmine waiting to explode, and he would always tread carefully.

"Well, I mean, you don’t just follow my coattails, you know. That’s not why I keep you around. You’re also really scary when you want to be." The words slipped out before he could contain them, immediate regret surfacing like a rogue wave.

She shot him a hard stare, one that made his insides knot with uncertainty. They had been friends too long for this kind of tension, yet with Ellie, there were still threads of ambiguity where clarity should be. "Oh, get your head out of the clouds, not everything’s about you." She finally retorted, a hint of amusement in her eyes breaking the tension.

"Besides," she added, her voice adopting a playful, mock seriousness, "if it were, I’d be the one in the spotlight, right? The brilliant one somehow tethered to the paperweight of a poster boy." The chase of humour danced around her expression, but there was a deeper vulnerability buried within her words that he wished he could help unearth.

He couldn’t help but chuckle softly, the tension easing just a fraction. "You say that like being the witty one is a bad thing."

"Isn’t it?" she challenged, her gaze fixing intently on him. "Every time I try to peddle my charm, it’s overshadowed by your golden-boy narrative."

He struggled to maintain a level demeanour, shifting slightly in his seat. "It’s not a competition."

"Isn’t it though?" she replied, the corners of her lips twitching upwards. "The world loves a good underdog, and what better way to spin that than with a pretty face and a penchant for bad decisions?"

"Now you’re just dragging yourself down," he pointed out gently, trying to peel away the layers of self-deprecation that she often cloaked herself in. "You’ve made your own mark."

"Sure." She huffed, tapping a finger against her chin as if contemplating the weight of her own words. "But at what cost? Sometimes it feels like I’m still battling my own shadows."

His expression softened, nodding as the gravity of her admission settled like a heavy cloak between them. "But you’re still standing. And all fights leave scars, Ellie."

"Scars, huh?" she mused, her mood flickering like the candlelight on their table. "More like evidence of being an idiot in various degrees of severity."

"Smart, stubborn, and slightly self-destructive," he countered, trying to lighten the mood again. "Classic Ellie."

"Classic idiot," she replied, allowing a smile to break through her defences as if a weight was lifted, even if only temporarily. "Let’s be real, given half the choices I’ve made, I should be winning awards for problematic life decisions."

"At least you can write a book about it," he chimed in, warmth lacing his voice. "A bestseller called ‘How to Ruin Your Life and Still Look Good Doing It.’"

"That title is so you," she laughed, the sound brightening the sombre atmosphere like a ray of sunlight piercing through clouds. "Just wait until mark-up time. Gotta pay the bills, you know," she teased, that flicker of hope dancing back in her eyes.

He laughed at that softly, raising his glass in a mock toast, knowing that laughter might be fleeting, but for now, it was enough for them both.

...

As the moment of levity drifted into the background, Kane leaned back, a contemplative weight settling over the room. He swirled the remnants of his drink, his thoughts shifting toward the task that loomed ahead. The vibrant colours in his glass seemed to dim, echoing the seriousness of the impending mission weighing on his mind.

“Ellie,” he began, his tone more measured, “this… this is likely the last night we’ll have to relax like this for a while.” He glanced at her, searching her eyes for understanding amidst the humour that had just filled the space.

She sighed softly, setting her glass down more deliberately this time. “Yeah. The Goliath Corporator…it’s really happening.” She paused for a moment as the reality of it flickered across her face. “I still can’t shake the feeling that we're jumping too quickly.”

Kane furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

“The destruction of Jupiter for one, Kane. Proving it works- proving it's possible using that tech is practically dooming Jupiter down the line,” she said, her voice tinged with unease. “We're really prepared to sacrifice an entire planet for the sake of reaching PCB? 

He leaned forward, drawing in a breath as he tried to articulate the rationale that had been troubling them both. “I get it, Ellie. I do. But think about what it means for humanity. This is our chance to push beyond the limits of our worlds. Yes, it’s likely devastating for Jupiter, but the sheer potential of what we could discover out there, the knowledge we could gain…it isn’t just for us. It’s for future generations.”

Ellie shook her head, a frown deepening on her features. “Is it worth the cost, though? Thirty years of travel just to reach another rock? And at the potential expense of something as big as Jupiter?”

Kane felt a pang of frustration mingled with sympathy for her perspective. “It’s not just about the trip itself. PCB could be another home. A place where humanity can thrive again without the fear of limited resources or environmental collapse. But we can’t get there without sacrifice. It’s our only option.” 

The tension hung thick in the air as they both contemplated the gravity of their situation. He continued, “I know it seems harsh, but if we don’t take this leap, the human race could be left to collapse. We’re already feeling the effects of overpopulation, pollution, and climate change both here and in Mars. We need to reach out. If we don’t try…”

“But it's not just about us, Kane,” she replied, her voice earnest. “What if there’s life out there? We’re so focused on reaching PCB that we’re not even considering the consequences of our actions- what if we step on the toes of another civilization?” 

Kane leaned forward, frowning slightly. “But Jupiter isn’t exactly a haven for life. It’s a gas giant. We’re not losing much at all by using it as a resource.” The thought felt practical to him, the answer coming easily. “We’d be trading a massive swirling storm for the potential of a new frontier.” The silence that followed their exchange was thick with reflection, the buzz of the monitor in the background fading to a dull whisper. Kane could feel the weight of impending responsibility pressing down on them both. “I just don’t think we can afford to be sentimental at this stage, Ellie.”

She met his gaze, a mixture of determination and sorrow reflecting in her eyes. “You're missing my point, Kane. The moment we prove it works is the moment I am afraid of... what's to stop us from treating every Jupiter we come across from then on the same way?” She paused to take in a deep breath as Kane leaned back in surprise at the sheer vitriol she spoke with. "...Maybe that ruthless pragmatism will doom us in the end,” she argued, her eyes reflecting a sincere concern. “If we can justify destroying celestial bodies just because they offer no immediate benefit, what does that say about us as a species? Extra-terrestrial life is proving more and more of a fact ever since our first rovers reached PCB and I am concerned about what we'll find out there. Concerned about how they'll treat us for our actions." She finished, a heavy breath coming out.

Kane took a deep breath, sensing her passionate conviction. “I’m not dismissing the possibility,” he replied, more serious now. “But this is about survival, Ellie. We have to focus on moving forward with what we know. You have to admit that much- Mars is already colonized and we don't have another in this system..." 

“Mars, yeah,” she replied, her tone reflective yet still with an edge of caution. “The past said the same thing before we first ever stepped into that planet- that it'd solve all of our problems… that we’d never need to worry about running out of resources or space ever again... that all it cost, would be a single country’s worth of resources...” She locked eyes with him, a heavy look to her expression, one that took him by surprise. "And here we are, decades later doing the same thing, with the same justification, only this time we're fine dooming a planet and we're not even hiding that fact anymore."

Kane, despite his challenging upbringing and his father's notorious legacy, felt a palpable discomfort as he processed her words. 

Ellie was right in that history was repeating itself but it wasn't a country effectively being doomed this time, it was an uninhabited planet- a gas giant that would've never held any standard of life. Yes, she had a point that if they were to run into life other than their own, there was an ever so small possibility achieving it through these means and adopting them further might come back to bite them but that's all it was, a minute chance.

He furrowed his brow. “... Theoretical ethics have no place in survival, Ellie, even if our race runs into a problem like that... If we don't do it over theory, we risk not having a future at all and you know this."

To his surprise, Ellie regarded him thoughtfully before breaking into a soft chuckle. “The apple really does fall far from the tree with you, doesn’t it?”

He found himself confused by the comparison, even if it was a compliment.

...

Kane let out a sigh, easing the tension that had built between them. “You know, the whole reason I even brought up the timeline was to point out that we’re looking at decades before we even reach PCB, let alone get back. I was hoping it'd lighten the mood.”

Ellie raised an eyebrow in response. “Lightening the mood by discussing potential conflict with alien civilizations and our role in renovating the Solar System for greed and ego? That’s an interesting strategy.”

“Hey, I’ve got layers,” Kane replied with a slight grin. But then, he turned serious again, his tone softening. “But on a more personal note… how are you really handling this? I mean, your kids. They’re going to be without you for such a long time. That can’t be easy to dwell on.”

The question hung in the air, and to Kane’s shock, Ellie shrugged as if it were an inconsequential detail. “Oh, you know. It is what it is.” 

He blinked, taken aback. “What do you mean ‘it is what it is’? Ellie, we’re talking about being away for thirty years!”

Her expression remained cool, indifference washing over her. “They chose Jack over me, remember? I can hardly say I am devastated about it. They’ve got a good life with him. I don’t have anything to lose by taking this mission. This is my opportunity to make a mark, to pursue something bigger than myself even if I don't... Or I suppose definitely because I am wary over it. It’s easier- safer, even- to leave it all behind.”

Kane felt a storm of emotions surge within him, disbelief mixed with empathy. “But they’re your kids. How can you just dismiss that?” 

She raised an eyebrow again, her voice steady yet frustrated. “Because they chose Jack, Kane. They chose him. I’m not going to sit here and cry over it." She let out a sigh. "I’m a soldier and… honesty their decision made this choice easier for me. I can focus on the task at hand without wondering if I should be back home, doing the mom thing.”

“Ellie…” he started, not quite sure how to articulate his feelings. “You deserve to feel something about that, something genuine. It’s okay to worry.”

“I’m not worried,” she said, her tone sharp but lacking any real conviction behind it. “I’m free. They’ve been fine since the split. This life for me, right now, is about exploring the universe, not about playing house. My priorities have shifted, and so should my emotional investments.”

Kane stared at her, grappling with the enormity of her indifference. “I didn’t know you felt this way. You’re saying this so easily, but I can’t help but feel there’s more to it.” A part of him felt like there had to be.

“Oh, there always is,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “But I've got a psychologist for those feelings." She joked, or at least he certainly hoped so from the look in her eyes. "No point in getting attached to ghosts from the past. I’m looking ahead, Kane. And my gaze is firmly set on the stars.”

He took a moment to absorb her words, an uncomfortable tension filling the space between them. “Fair enough I suppose, but just remember I’m here if you ever want to talk about it,” he offered. 

Ellie nodded, her demeanour softening slightly. “Thanks, but I think I’ll be okay. Let’s focus on our mission for now. There's plenty of time for feelings down the line when the Goliath is in flight.”

With that, the conversation shifted once more, but Kane couldn’t shake the weight of it all as easily as she did.

...