“We also have his rash actions during the battle that completely violated their engagement protocols. He sent ships on a suicide run out of Nexus range, and rammed another vessel with his collector ship.
“My best read is when he has time to think things through the Novi commander defaults to following their rules. However in the heat of the moment, he’s more pragmatic and resorts to doing whatever it takes to get the job done.”
Goron paused to consider what his conclusions about the Novi commander meant to the mission. “I’d say he’s prone to rash action at times, even though they usually have favorable results. It’s not much of a weakness, but it’s one I can work with I think.”
“If you say so, personally I prefer stupidity as a weakness in my adversaries,” Elohim added.
Goron relaxed his posture a bit as he became satisfied he had a good read of the situation. “The Novi commander has had time to consider his actions. He is protecting this culture from contamination according to his directives. Therefore he’ll not release any others from the Nexus. At most we are dealing with the standard five man crew of a collector class ship.”
Satisfied with his conclusion Goron strutted up the two steps, brushed off his Leader’s chair and took his seat. For the first time since landing on the planet he felt worthy to sit in the command chair again.
Chapter 26: That Statement Deserves an Audience
Valnor’s eye caught the sudden movement from the tent flap being thrown open. To the great surprise of everyone in the room, Mosa stepped into the tent with her arms full of aloe leaves.
Valnor didn't know many words of the Sigma language, but he knew enough to get his point across. “Woman leave. Never to return.” He uttered.
To emphasize the extreme displeasure of her presence in the tent, Gallono and Tonwen rose from their bed rolls in an aggressive motion to stand next to Valnor.
“Death soon,” Gallono said forcefully.
Hastelloy was still too weak from the wounds sustained at the hands of Tomal to join the others in their show of force. He simply lay face down on the ground and endured the pain emanating from the countless lacerations on his back. The relief the aloe leaves would bring was tempting, but knowing whom he’d have to thank for them was beyond consideration.
Rather than backing down from the three men standing in her way, Mosa defiantly stepped forward into the tent. She stared individually at each man blocking her path. Then Mosa turned her gaze to Hastelloy lying on the ground. The shockwave of the next moment hit the four men like a fusion bomb detonation. In perfect Novan dialect she spoke, “Tomal knows nothing of my visit. I’m here to care for Hastelloy on my own accord.”
The three crewmen stood their ground, dumbfounded. Hastelloy, for his part, had to shake his head to make sure his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him. Without wasting another instant, he pushed the pain aside and shifted himself back into command mode.
“A statement like that deserves an audience I should think,” Hastelloy said through gritted teeth. He would have liked to sit up and greet the suddenly very interesting guest, but movement at this stage of his recovery was simply not an option. “Let her in.”
Mosa didn’t wait for the others to acknowledge their orders; she immediately sidestepped their obstructive wall and gracefully floated to where Hastelloy lay. Her composure visibly collapsed when she finally saw the full extent of Hastelloy’s injuries. His entire back looked like raw meat with pus and blood oozing out dozens of lacerations.
“You’ll of course excuse me if I don’t get up. Your master was very thorough in his work,” Hastelloy stated bitterly. “Normally I wouldn’t be so abrupt, but would you mind explaining why we’re having this conversation in my language? We’ve only known you a few months.”
Mosa stopped at Hastelloy’s left side and descended to her knees, laying the aloe leaves next to her. Mosa surveyed his back and looked as if she didn’t even know where to begin. Finally she tore the long thick aloe leaves down the middle and laid the strips, gel side down, across Hastelloy’s back.
“Tomal is not the only one who can learn languages easily,” she said softly. “I asked him to teach me a few phrases so I could greet his friends. That gave me a basic vocabulary, and the building blocks to begin understanding your dinner conversations. I’ve been speaking with Tomal in this tongue as practice for some time now. It is a lovely language.”
Hastelloy had to admit her story was not out of the realm of possibility. After all, Tomal managed to learn the Sigma language in just as short a time frame. There were other more likely scenarios though.
Tomal may have taught her the language so she could inform him of any plans of retaliation. Worse yet, the Alpha may have taught her the language for the very same purpose. The story was extremely suspect, but the soothing and disinfecting effect of the aloe on his back was tipping the scales in her favor at the moment. He decided to play along for now and take her down any path she liked so long as it got nowhere near the truth of their purpose.
Hastelloy turned his head to the side so he could just barely see past his shoulder and view Mosa at work. “When we first met you, it took me all of five seconds to see through that submissive façade you put forward. I’m impressed, and that doesn’t happen often.”
Gallono didn’t like where the conversation was going and took it upon himself to intervene. He sat down at Hastelloy’s right side to come face to face with Mosa. “Pardon me for asking an obvious question, but won’t Tomal be missing his pleasure toy? This is just a little too convenient for my taste.”
Mosa showed no visible signs of offense from the allegation. Without looking up from her nursing work, she said almost as an uninteresting afterthought, “Tomal has found something else to occupy his mind; a new object for his obsessions.”
“Yah, it doesn’t take me long to get bored with my toys either. Out with the old, in with the new right?” Gallono taunted. “It’s strange though. You don’t seem very broken up about losing your provider’s favor.”
Gallono’s last statement must have struck an exposed nerve. Mosa stopped everything she was doing and slowly raised her head to look Gallono straight on. Her usual pleasant and disarming expression now replaced by a vicious scowl. “Anything worth having in my life I already lost by the time I was given to Tomal. There’s nothing to miss about being that man’s property. Why would I miss being forced to yield to his every wish and desire to avoid punishment?”
Hastelloy picked up on her hint; she had a history and she wanted to share it. Mosa was trying to be coy about it, which made him certain it would be a jumble of lies. Perhaps forcing Mosa to jump directly into the story may cause her to falter and reveal something unintended. Hastelloy changed the course of the discussion abruptly. “Tell me then, what valuables have you lost? Who took them, and when?”
Mosa turned her gaze back to Hastelloy and allowed her omnipresent glow to return. As she continued applying the aloe leaves she began her tale. “Before my brother’s gods appeared, I was a princess among my people. I labored all day like everyone else, but I was respected, even revered as a leader. So was my sister. Now we’re just trophies for Pharaoh to pass around to his closest advisors for a job well done.”
“Nofru and the Pharaoh are your siblings?” Hastelloy asked in mild surprise.
“Yes, and they pass us around like a community drinking vase. They’ve gone too far. It must end.”
“And that is why you’re here?” Hastelloy asked with disdain. “You want help getting back at your brothers and Tomal? Perhaps you want me to kill them in their sleep?”
Hastelloy turned his head away from Mosa as though he could no longer stand the sight of her. “I’m afraid my wounds aren’t severe enough for me to consider anything like that. You need to be careful Mosa. Your disloyalty to your leaders will carry no favor with me. Nothing is more noble and honorable than sacrificing ones personal well being for the benefit of the greater good.”
“Good?”
Mosa repeated. “Enslaving thousands of people is not good. Waging wars to acquire more slaves is not good. There is no greater good to be gained here. Not for me or my tribe.”
“Ah, but you’re wrong. These slaves were starving and struggling to survive before coming here. Now look at them. They have food, clothing, and shelter for their families. It’s all made available to them in exchange for some sweat, and yes even a little blood on occasion,” Hastelloy said as he glanced back at his wounds. “All in all, what more could anybody ask for these days?”
“Open your eyes. You only choose to see the pretty side of this work camp,” Mosa said while looking down at Hastelloy with pity. “The next time you’re up and about, look beyond the immediate scenery and witness the ugly darkness lurking in the shadows. This slavery is pure evil, and it can’t continue.”
Hastelloy rolled his eyes and lay his head back down on his hands. “I think it’s you who needs to take another look around. You now have an abundance of food to sustain your people and any others who wish to join. Your armies are numerous and powerful. The people are working together as never before to accomplish a great task. This is the beginning of a golden age for this society, and your tribe is driving it all forward. You should be proud to play your part, not trying to assassinate the architect of this movement.”
Mosa’s eyes grew focused on the back of Hastelloy’s head. “It’s interesting you didn’t say our people just now. You and your friends may be from some foreign land, but you’re still just like the rest of us. The only ones I don’t count as our people are those two enormous jackals.”
“Those are your gods,” Hastelloy mocked. “Shouldn’t you feel honored to simply be in their presence? Earlier today I saw a massive crowd risk harm from the army, let alone the gods themselves, just to get a glimpse.”
Frustration snuck into Mosa’s voice. “Do gods run from their people like scared children? Do gods get injured from running down the side of a monument they designed and forced others to build? I saw the taller one limping away from the pyramid - they can be hurt.
“Those two are no more gods than you or I. What’s more, they despise us, especially the shorter one. These creatures will use our people until they get what they want, and then God only knows what they’ll do with us next.”
“God knows?” Gallono puffed. “Pun intended I presume.”
“Indeed, but perhaps I should ask you what they’ll do with us next. It’s obvious you know these creatures. Remember, I saw you climbing out of the chamber. The crowds weren’t about seeing the gods. They were about covering your actions. You know what they’re up to don’t you?”
“I was wondering when you’d get to that,” Hastelloy said with a sigh. “What can I say, I slipped and fell in. I was just lucky Gallono was there to pull me out. To my great disappointment though, I missed my chance to see the gods for myself.”
“You lie,” Mosa challenged. “When he pulled you out of the chamber, you weren’t looking around to see the gods. You were checking to see if anyone saw you. It wasn’t a look of disappointment I saw on your face; it was a look of sheer panic.”
Hastelloy’s body felt as if every nerve ending was on fire, his concentration and patience was slipping. He conceded internally that the course of the conversation was quickly falling away from his control. Mosa’s story was not cracking, but his own cover was getting torn to shreds. It was time to change the focus off of him and back onto her.
“Thank you for the leaf treatment, my back is feeling much better already,” Hastelloy stated. “Even in this condition, I am no fool. You came into this tent wanting something from me. Are you going to spend all night dancing with your hand on my ass or are you going to finally make your move?”
Hastelloy rubbed his temples with his two index fingers, as if he was trying to turn back time and pull the last sentence back into his lungs.
“How eloquently put,” Mosa said, clearly disappointed at hearing the crude words. “I do have something I want, but now is not the time to discuss it. For now, all I ask is for you to take a closer look at this slave camp and see the truth that lies in the shadows. I’ll come back in a week’s time so we can discuss my request.”
“Very well, until we meet again then.” Hastelloy uttered, jumping on the chance to terminate the conversation. He turned his head to face Gallono, “Please show our guest to the door.”
Hastelloy was unable to watch her depart the tent from his horizontal position. He had to make do observing silhouettes move across the floor. He watched Gallono’s elongated shadow reach up with its arm to guide Mosa to the exit. Another figure threw open the flap and a blinding ray of light from the rising sun burst in through the opening. He heard light footsteps grow faint, and suddenly the light turned to darkness again as the flap drew closed.
“Your thoughts, gentlemen?” Hastelloy encouraged.
“I think she speaks very good Novan,” Gallono responded coolly.
She did indeed, and the fact that Hastelloy lost the verbal wrestling match with her in his own native language was definitely cause for concern. Was he slipping, or was she that good?
Valnor must have seen the introspective concern from his commanding officer and tried to cheer him up. “She can sure turn a phrase. I wouldn’t let it get you down though, sir. It’s amazing you’re even able to think straight, let alone form a coherent sentence with your wounds so fresh.”
“I’m on the ground fighting to stay conscious, ensign, how much more down can I get?” Hastelloy snapped. He didn’t need some snot nosed rookie fresh from the academy to pacify his ego. “What do you three think of her story?”
“I don’t view her as a direct threat for now,” Gallono stated. “She has the Pharaoh’s ear, she could have all of us killed or imprisoned anytime she wants. Besides, she’s off our backs for a week. You should be back in operable condition by then.”
“What bothers me is the fact that she wants something, and with the leverage she has over you it is going to be near impossible to tell her no.” Tonwen added.
“One obstacle at a time,” Hastelloy coughed. “For now, I need to get some rest, and the three of you need to go move some stones into place. We can’t do anything else until the pyramid is near completion and the control unit is installed in the main chamber. Until then, we simply wait and try to keep a low profile.”
“What about Tomal,” Gallono asked with searing hatred hanging from every letter of the vile name. “If I so much as hear he’s anywhere on the work site, I . . .”
“Stop,” Hastelloy interrupted. “Tomal is not to be touched. Killing him will just send the traitor back to the Nexus and into another body away from our influence. I am not sure what to do with him yet, but my temper and hasty actions directly led to my condition. I’m not about to act rashly again and make matters worse for the mission. He’s not to be touched, under any circumstance. Is that clear?”
Tonwen and Valnor submitted their affirmative replies, but Gallono stood silent.
“I will have your obedience on this order, Gallono. Nothing will be gained going after him without a plan. Don’t worry; his day of reckoning will come.”
“If I have your word that I will personally be allowed to deal with his treachery in the future, then you have my word he will not be touched by me until you give the order.”
Hastelloy nodded his head in agreement. “Now get to work you three. You’ve got better things to do than to lay around on the floor all day.”
**********
Dr. Holmes stopped writing in his notes and tapped the end of his pen against his teeth. For the first time since he started working with the patient, Hastelloy revealed mistakes he made and openly admitted to weaknesses and insecurities. The fact that these revelations corresponded with this Mosa character entering his story was not a coincidence. Could Hastelloy’s delusions be as simple as his mind setting up a mental defense over a woman?
“This Mosa woman sure sounds intriguing. It looks like s
he figured you out right away,” Dr. Holmes prodded. “She saw through to the real you. She even related to you in your own language. In a way I guess we all have our own language that needs translating by someone.”
Hastelloy looked down at the floor with the playful look of a toddler caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “She was a remarkable woman, though we haven’t been very kind to her memory. She deserved better than she got.”
Now we’re getting somewhere Dr. Holmes thought to himself as Hastelloy continued telling his tale.
Chapter 27: Rage
Hastelloy gingerly stepped out of his tent for the first time in five days. His legs were stiff and the scabs across his back pulled a bit, but it felt good to step into the evening air. It was just past sunset, and the temperature of the desert was plummeting quickly. He grabbed a blanket off the top of a pile recently delivered by the soldiers and gingerly draped it over his shoulders for warmth.
He looked to his left and saw the line to the food distribution center was growing shorter. Off to his right he heard music playing and people laughing in the distance. Hastelloy did an about face to tie down the flap to his tent. As he worked the strings together he thought: food, clothing, shelter, laughter and music in the background. What more could these people want from their lives. Mosa was wrong.
He walked to his left, identified the shortest food line and took his place at the back. He gave a courteous nod to the man in front of him who in turn regarded him with a look of pity. Hastelloy and his men were already fairly well known by their neighbors as the ones who spoke a funny language and could not speak their own. Now he had the added distinction of being the beating victim. He was not the only slave to be whipped that day, but the severity of it made the gossip circuit rather quickly.
The man cocked his head to the side, pointed with his hands to his own back and then opened his arms out wide palms up and shrugged his shoulders. Hastelloy took the display as the man asking how his back felt. Hastelloy gave a shallow smile and two thumbs pointed up. The man nodded and turned around to face frontward again.
Origins Page 18