“Mother, leave her alone.”
I sighed in resignation. I really had hoped I was going to finally be free of her mark, but it looked like that wasn't meant to be. I told the Winter Lady, “I thought I'd bring someone I actually liked instead.”
Rory hissed in alarm, but Mab just chuckled like this was all great fun. “I do so enjoy your brazen behavior Enforcer Shade.” But then the atmosphere inside my suit chilled at the sheer primal force of magic barely restrained in her gaze as she whispered a warning that had my fight or flight instinct cowering for cover, “But do not press your luck, or you may still face my wrath today... Human.”
I swallowed and squeaked out in self-preservation, “I apologize for my quip, you had just taken me by surprise.”
She patted my cheek then didn't say another word as we made our way through all of the blast doors on our trek to the flight control center in silence.
Chapter 3 – Contact
When we finally stepped through the innermost door into the massive flight control deck, our view was blocked by two more guards in Megolith-Suits, one other high ranking Brigade Enforcer, and two presidential guards. They were taking this briefing quite seriously.
The Commander, whose four hooves were held to the deck by the mag-boots of his SAs, just wiggled his fingers at us. I sighed and said as I showed my identification on my console again, “Shade, plus three. Table for four.”
The old, grizzled Centaur snapped out in a tone of authority which brokered no patience for levity, “Lieutenant. If you aren't taking your posting seriously, I'm sure we can find something more suited to your lack of proper decorum.”
I snapped to attention. “Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.”
“At ease.”
He snorted out a breath, sounding more like a horse than I cared to admit, then he simply inclined his head slightly, “Mab, it is good to see you.”
She inclined her head less shallowly, “Aremet. It has been far too long. We haven't broken bread since... well since I can't remember.”
He sidled, tail swishing, and said, “Amerith's fifth birthday party, just prior to Exodus.”
She nodded as if five thousand years was nothing to them. “Ah, that's right. What an engaging young filly. I trust she is well?”
He nodded and said, “Married with seven foals. All grown now.”
I was almost stunned watching the exchange as I just blinked dumbly, this was the first time I saw Mab acting like... well like a normal person. As she placed a hand on his flank while she nodded in reflection, her gaze was far away as she said, “Ah yes, time does march on.” Then she teased, “There's a lot of silver in your temples.”
He chuckled and touched his heavy sideburns absently.
Mab pointed past him. “I believe President Yang is expecting us. Well, maybe not me as our errant Lieutenant here failed to pass the invitation along.”
The man cocked an eyebrow at me in an accusatory manner. Just space me now.
Then we started to follow her as she just started to step past him, just to have the Megoliths raise their cannons to move in front of Rory, one demanding, “Identification.”
There was a blur in my vision as Mab moved almost too fast to follow, grabbing the two cannons, her fingers cracking the armor as if it were made of paper mache, and yanking the guards in their ten-foot-tall battle suits to their knees. She ignored their struggles as she looked over to the commander and asked in the icy threat of an apex predator, “Did your subordinates just point their weapons at my daughter, Aremet? Weapons powered by the magi-tech supplied to you by the Fae?”
The cracked armor shattered under her grip as she curled her hands into fists while she stared straight ahead, ignoring the protests from the drivers of the suits. The commander said quickly, “They were a little overzealous, my lady. I will see to it that they learn the error of their ways.”
She hissed out just barely above a whisper which had the sound of a viper preparing to strike, “See to it.” Then she just strode past them all, Rory hustling me along with her to catch up. I was still stunned as I swallowed hard. The Winter Lady had just shattered that armor, which was designed to take a meteoroid strike, with her bare hands... without using any magic... I know because I hadn't sensed any.
I hesitated a moment, pulling Aurora to a halt as I took in the huge holographic displays on the twenty level flight deck. And the center of the space was dominated by two giant projections that towered over us. One with a display of literally galactic proportions, mapping out our corner of the Milky Way, a red plot stretching from the Earth system of Sol to our current position in intergalactic space, the plot then continued on in blue to the Eridani Prime system.
The other display had all sorts of vector and velocity readings, as well as mass and dimensional data on the two vessels closing on us slowly from behind as they continued to decelerate. Time projections for zero-zero-zero intercept scrolled below the data streams.
I opened my mouth to say something, but a small voice beside my cheek took the words right out of my mouth. “Wow.” Graz was a lesser Fae, who I suspect is as old or older than the Leviathan, so she has to have seen so many wondrous things in her lifetime, but I didn't feel foolish now for the awe I experienced every time I was in this room if she was impressed too.
Rory tugged my arm as she seemed to examine my face. “Come on silly, they're all waiting for us.” That's when I noticed the group of people gathered below the mammoth displays at one of the navigation and astrophysics consoles.
At first blush, I recognized a few of them. President Yang, and three mayors from some of the largest towns in the stacks, including Mayor Rene Florentine of Irontown. I didn't vote for her as her platform didn't address some of the issues I felt would help the lower class people who struggled to make a living every day in my hometown. Though I did respect her for keeping her campaign promises. A person is only as good as their word.
I have to admit I felt a little proud that Irontown was being represented on such a historic occasion.
Introductions were made all around, Yang hanging on every word Mab said. It was the one chink in the career politician's armor, she was a hopeless Fae fangirl. I still maintain that a strong commanding woman shouldn't titter.
Does it bode ill for my career that she remembers me from our few brief dealings?
Graz buzzed off, exploring as the ship's Elvish Captain, Prince J'Verris, briefed us quickly on what was expected to be the first contact with the massive ships that were on approach.
I tried not to gasp as he enlarged the view of the vessels. They looked so archaic, with only a single rotating ring each, and their trunks rotated as well. They both looked as if they had been through a war, with burns marring their hulls and hundreds if not thousands of makeshift patches and repairs apparent. One even had a section of its ring missing, with jagged torn metal on the ends.
The damaged one seemed to have some sort of imbecile structure connecting a very porous looking asteroid to its trunk.
They reminded me of the Remnants stuck to the Skin of the world. Ancient wrecks that, by some miracle, have survived relatively intact, long past their designed duty lifetimes.
Captain J'Verris placed a ready squadron fighter and a Skin Jockey Tug next to the ships to give us a frame of reference for the scale of the monsters. Our vessels looked like child's toys compared to them. Their habitat rings were about the diameter of our D-Rings, and their mass was a little less than nine percent that of the Leviathan.
Then when he zoomed out and placed a ghost-like representation of the Leviathan above them, it made me appreciate our worldship for the amazing, and mind-boggling creation that she was. A proud sounding Mother chirped out in my head, “Thank you.”
I smiled because she dwarfed these gigantic ships.
The pretty Elf man, with the fluid movements, chiseled features, and severely pointed ears of his kind, pulled up a countdown clock below it all and then said
, “Alright everyone, it is just about time to attempt our first bidirectional communication with them.”
Zero-G chairs were offered to everyone, but only a couple of the group sat as we held our breath, watching the timer countdown to zero. The Captain offered a device to President Yang and inclined his head to her as he pointed at an engineer who flipped some virtual switches on a communications array control console and then pointed at Yang.
“Incoming vessels, this is President Kyoto Yang of the Worldship Leviathan. Do you read us? Please identify yourselves.” Then she added when the captain displayed something on his wrist console to her, “One way coms time delay one hundred and three seconds.”
After an almost four-minute pregnant semi-silence, with just the static hissing, caused by heavy interference, we all cheered when a voice responded. He had a deep baritone, in an accented amalgamation of Ship's Common and old English, laced with more of that hissing and popping static. “Leviathan, this is Captain Richter of the Cityship Redemption. We read you. One way coms time delay one hundred and three seconds, affirmative.”
I realized why they were confirming the time delay. It indicated the understanding that the lag between messages and responses would be approximately three and a half minutes round trip, that number shrinking the closer they got to us.
The President was all smiles as she responded, “We read you loud and clear, Captain Richter. This is an auspicious moment. It is such an amazing revelation that the people on Earth had the ingenuity to construct other interstellar, multi-generational vessels after the Exodus launch. We welcome you and your people in our shared journey. And we extend an offer of whatever assistance we can spare for you and your crew.”
Then she added when the captain prompted with his wrist console again, “How many souls are aboard the Redemption and her sister ship?”
The half-elf looked pointedly at the captain and said, “Would you like to do this, Captain?” She cocked an exquisitely sculpted brow and the man chuckled.
When the Redemption's response came, I noted we were all leaning toward the holographic projection of the ships, like it would help us hear better. “Thank you Leviathan, our supplies are low and critical systems have been on the brink of failure for the past century. We accept your gracious offer of help. The transmissions of welcome from your vessel over the past few months have been a morale booster here. It is good to finally be able to respond.”
Then the man added, “Between the Redemption's ship's complement and the Yammato's, we've fifty thousand souls.”
We listened for another three exchanges before Yang handed Captain Richter off to J'Verris to talk logistics, the Secretary of the Purser's Office interjecting when material and supply requests were relayed. I could tell it was going to be a tough balancing act lending aid while not severely impacting our own delicate supply ecosystem on the world.
Mab said from beside me, causing me to jump, “So, pet, has my daughter broken the compacts yet and snuck you in to see the source of Fae power?”
I growled back, “I'm not your pet. And what are you talking about?”
Her smile was almost manic as she looped an arm in mine and dragged me away from Rory, who came rushing after us as the Queen of the Unseelie almost sang out to the President, “We'll be right back Kyoto. I'm taking this one on a field trip.”
I was about to complain that I wanted to hear the conversation with what Captain Richter had called the Cityships. Then I realized, that no matter how exciting this historic event was, it was mind-numbing to listen to all the talk about fissionable materials, air scrubbers... food rations, and the like. So I reached out a hand and felt... complete, when Aurora took it, lacing our fingers.
Then I glanced around and whispered, “Mother? Where's Graz?”
She whispered back, “I lost track of her when she was tinkering with the multiphasic quantum locks to my core.”
Mab walked to the two Fae guards at the heavily magicked door which split the space in two. These were two of the four Fae who lived in the Trunk, and the Winter Lady said in a tone that invited no argument. “Move.” They moved, bowing low as I wondered if it was a high honor to guard this door, or if it was a punishment. No self-respecting Greater Fae would be caught dead this far down-ring, here in the Trunk. But two shifts of two guards were assigned permanent duty stations at this door.
I blinked in shock, which seemed to be my natural state today as I had witnessed wonder after wonder already. Was Mab really going to show me... Mother?
She laid a hand on the access pad, and similar to when Rory did it at the blast doors, traces of silvered magic traces and runes lit and raced along the walls and door. And it opened. I was going into the most secure room on the world?
Bracing myself as we started forward we paused when Graz buzzed out of a receiving hole in the wall for one of the dozens of locking bars that felt as if they were constructed of solid, coherent magic. She zipped in front of us, hands-on-hips in a petulant manner as she squeaked out, “Hey! I was halfway in. I could'a beat it in another thirty minutes!”
She froze at the look Mab was shooting her way, then she swallowed, bowed in mid-air, then zipped inside my helmet to hide. I could feel her shuddering in fear somewhere down by my collarbone. At least she had the common sense to fear the Winter Lady.
After the door sealed behind us and we stepped through a decontamination chamber, and into a room that made any computer center I have ever been to, look to be child's toys.
Laser traces were firing off everywhere into a glowing crystal matrix which pulsated with life. And I knew that we were watching the equivalent of synapses firing in a brain, only this was so... it... my voice was so breathy as I whispered the only word I could think of, “Beautiful.” I reached out to lightly run a finger along a sleek, almost sexy white console that seemed to organically grow from the floor like a delicate sculpture of Fae design.
Rory nodded then placed her head on my shoulder. Mother sounded almost embarrassed as she said in a whisper in my ear, trying to sound smug, “You only love me for my brain.”
I had no words and I felt my cheeks heat as I realized I was actually biting my lower lip while looking around as if I could catch a glance of the testy redhead in a smart business suit that I always pictured Mother as in my head. I countered, “Don't get full of yourself, lady.”
When I realized I had said that aloud and the two Fae women were looking at me expectantly, I blurted, “Not you. It's Mother, she...”
Mab exhaled loudly. “We can hear her. Our senses aren't as dull as you Humans.”
Rory whispered to me, “You have to share how you've gotten her to sound so... alive, Knith.”
I shook my head. Mortified that I kept letting Mother's true nature slip when she went through great pains to make sure the Fae, the ones she feared, didn't turn her off. I had to wonder though if she was even more... well, Human for lack of a better word, than she thought as she kept slipping up like this and allowing others to hear. A mere program would never slip as it would be impossible.
She almost pouted in my head. “I'm not a redhead, they're high maintenance.”
I almost snorted in disbelief as I assured her with a thought, “You ARE high maintenance, lady.”
Mab seemed frighteningly perceptive as she just shook her head, apparently aware I was somehow still speaking with the ship's AI without verbalizing. “If you two are through, are you ready to see into the heart of creation, Knith Shade of the Beta-Stack C-Ring?”
My eyes widened like saucers and I swear my heart actually stuttered, my Scatter Armor supporting me as my legs wavered when I realized what she was talking about. I moved on autopilot as she dragged me along to a room-sized sphere that seemed to be growing out of the larger blast sphere.
The entire sphere looked to have delicate gold and silver inlays covering every square inch of it. But to my eyes, they looked organic and alive as they pulsed, shimmered and... and moved along t
he surface of the construct, reforming and twisting, creating circles of power-infused with enough Fae magic I felt as if I were being slowly crushed. Oh... I wasn't breathing, maybe that had something to do with it.
I inhaled a shaky breath as I looked from a smug-looking Mab to Aurora who had a genuine encouraging smile on her face as she hugged my arm a little tighter to help support my weight in their personal gravity field.
The women looked at each other, and my mag boots activated on their own when they both inclined their heads at each other, in silent communications, released me, then placed their hands on the sphere. The delicately intricate spellwork seemed to grab them, as they both stiffened, then it flowed out across their skin, making them part of the spinning and reforming runes in an archaic Fae dialect.
It was as if the two of them were completing some elaborate circuit constructed of a magic so old, the weight of it made me struggle to keep on my feet. Just when I was about to gasp from the effort of merely standing, and give up to the pressure, the surface of the sphere seemed to spin and an iris-like circular opening grew, a blinding silverish-gold light spilled out of it, brighter than the Day-Lights in the Rings.
Then the women dropped their hands from the sphere and turned to me, their skin still glowing with fading runes of the residual magic, painting them like Gods. Rory said gently, “Valiant Sprite, you will have to remain here, the magical pressure inside would crush you in an instant.”
Graz buzzed out of my helmet, her eyes looking wider than mine felt, and she bowed deeply in the air, her face painted with the awe I was feeling for the women just then. And she did the last thing I would have thought of her as she squeaked out softly, “Yes, my lady.” Then she backed slowly in the air and sat on the console I had virtually caressed earlier. I realized when I saw her swallow, that mixed in with that awe of the Winter Lady and Maiden, was abject terror.
That... made me swallow as Mab offered a hand and said to me as if to a young one she was trying to assure something was safe, “Come child.” That was enough to snap me back to my senses since she was being... kind. That just struck me as patently absurd when dealing with Queen Mab.
Worldship Files: Cityships Page 3