As soon as I spoke my first word, the boy's fear vanished and I could even see a hint of a smile on his face, "I'm Neil, I work for Count Mondragon. You must be a Hybrid."
The boy hesitated to respond, as if recalling something, then said, "I, I have no name, my last Master never gave me one. Some would laugh at me and call me 'Devil Eyes' but I never knew why until today.
Never had I felt emotion towards a Hybrid, as I had always remained objective in my business dealings. But there was something about this child that created a sense of peace to the point that I had forgotten about my headache from before.
Nearly feeling too much concern for the Hybrid child, I stopped myself and tried to remain professional, responding, "Once you are feeling better, I would like you to work for me. It won't be easy, but our Hybrids are treated better than most slaves here in the Gamma Sector." The boy eagerly nodded yes and for some reason seemed even more at ease. Still, I was surprised by his reactions as we had only just met.
Months later, once the Hybrid's wounds were healed and he had adjusted to his blindness, I frequently took him with me on Mondragon trade ships. It was there I discovered that the boy had the ability to affect other Hybrids with a sense of calm as they were being transported. In time, he honed his abilities, and could put entire shipments of slaves at ease, which made for a better product. The boy had proven to me that he would be a valuable asset, thus he would remain at Mondragon Industries and would not be sold to any other Master.
New Ireland -Day 352- Mark Driver
I was enjoying my first time to New Ireland. It was much different than my home planet of Aegir. The world I had grown up on had developed all of the little land mass it possessed, into sprawling metropolises. All of our agriculture was ocean based; Aegir had the highest export of seafood in the Iota Sector. Stepping out of the airlock to the smell of rain and grass was much different than the briny air of home.
I was looking forward to the possibility of finding new books here, with New Ireland's focus on doing things the old ways... they should have some of the more hard to find volumes. I had to admit that the slower, more laid back pace of life offered here would have been a strong draw to the man I had been back on Aegir.
The buildings were a hodgepodge of white washed stone with living roofs, cob with slate, what appeared to be homes built directly into the sides of the rolling hills, and one large stone castle that stood next to the spaceport. All together it had a feeling of a children's storybook setting, the space ships struck a jarring note as if someone had jumped from the middle of one book to another.
From my research of the planet I knew that the castle’s grand hall was used mostly as a gathering place for the people to hold celebrations at harvest time, which was fast approaching here. The rest of the year the smaller chambers were the offices of the planetary police, courts and customs officials. All ships were required to check in at the castle before making any deliveries to other parts of the world. Because of their agricultural based economy it was imperative that they kept all invasive species off of their world.
Our check in was as tourists, so our ship and cargo did not require a search. The other crew members paired off for the most part, while I was quite content to explore on my own. The first shop that caught my attention was a pub, but I decided to save that stop for later. Having been told that the supplies I needed could be obtained in the large feed store on the far side of town, I decided to walk. It enabled me to see what else the town had to offer on the way. The feed store would most likely be able to deliver the supplies which were ordered directly to the ship.
After I passed a butcher shop and a bakery next to each other I wondered if I would soon see a candlestick maker like in that old nursery rhyme. Next, I spotted a cobbler that I would have to pay a visit to on my trip back. Still, I hadn't come across any book stores by the time I reached the feed store.
Fortunately, I was able to purchase all of the shelving supplies at the feed store. The shelves would have a more rustic look than anything else in the ship but it would serve to make our library feel homier. Once the clerk took down the delivery information, I inquired if there was a book store in the town. He informed me, "You will have to be travelin’ to the next village south of the port if you’re wantin’ to be buyin’ any books." He had a thick accent that I was starting to associate with the people here.
"Thanks for all of your help." I told him in parting.
After I had stopped in at the cobbler to order new shoes, I spotted Gabriel heading into the pub. No doubt, he would be trying out the local fare to expand his repertoire. Joining up with him seemed to be a good idea; after all it wouldn't hurt to give my opinion on what we would be eating on board soon. He had just sat down at a table when I came in. "Have room for one more?" I asked him.
"For you I will happily give up some of my solitude." He gave me a broad smile. It looked as though the stop at New Ireland was agreeing with our cook.
"Where did Aria get off to? She was with you when you left the ship." I was wondering if she was going to get into some mischief here.
"We parted ways when she decided she wanted to get something commissioned at the smithy. She should be safe enough as long as the blacksmith doesn't let her try her hand at smithing." He gave a soft indulgent smile while he talked about the possible destruction that she could cause. "I hope you are hungry. I would like to sample as many of the items as possible."
"Yes, I figured you would. Let’s see if we can find a new favorite meal for our crew." I encouraged.
During the many courses of food, I let Gabriel know that I would be traveling south the next day to shop for books. He offered to accompany me, as he had some books he wanted to get as well. After we had shared all of the items on the menu and Gabriel made notes of our favorites, we settled our bill. We headed back to the ship at a much slower pace than normal; I realized the very filling food would have to be for an evening meal. The supplies I had ordered were moved on board the Waylay by our very efficient dock bots. However, organizing the supplies would have to wait for another day. All I wanted to do was sleep. I turned into my bunk early, hoping that tomorrow would be as pleasant as today had been.
The next morning Gabriel and I started off early. We split the fare of a carriage ride to the village of Ashford. It took a good hour and a half to make the trip but the carriage was fairly comfortable and the countryside was peaceful. The farther away from the spaceport that we got, the more of the houses built directly into the hills we would see. I wondered about them. Never had I seen that done before, but it was easy to surmise that it would provide excellent insulation from the chilly weather. The people here also tended to favor round doors and windows. I imagined it fit better with the aesthetic of the rolling hills than square or rectangular ones would have. Also, from an engineering point of view, round shapes tend to withstand compressive pressures more effectively.
When the village came into view, I was once again reminded of a scene from a storybook. I could imagine any number of magical tales taking place there. Our driver took us directly to our destination of the bookstore.
It was one of the largest buildings in the village, located off of the village square where the largest tree I had ever seen stood front and center. Trees were a rarity in general, but one that didn't appear to be a food source was almost unheard of.
Walking into the bookstore, we were greeted by an old woman at a desk near the door. "What is it that you fine lads would be lookin’ for?" She asked in the musical accent of this world.
"To start with I would like to look at any books that you have on your local cuisine." Gabriel told her.
"Go on through that archway there." She said, gesturing to the right. "What you want should be ‘bout halfway down the t’ird row, and what is it dat you be lookin’ to find?" She finished by addressing me.
"I will want to know where your novels are, but first can you tell me if you have any books on the hill houses you have here. I've never
even heard of anything like them before." I inquired.
She got a good chuckle from my inquiry, and then she said, "We do be havin’ a book ‘round here somewhere dat tells you a bit of our history, but if you be likin’ novels and have never heard of them afore you would do better to read Tolkien. He wasn’t an Irishman by birth, back on Old Earth, but it was evident dat he shared our great respect of nature, so our founders made him an honorary Irishman of New Ireland. It's where we got the idea for our hillside houses in the first place." She was still chuckling as she pointed me to the back of the building. "The authors be in alphabetical order. You shouldn't have trouble findin’ him."
"Thank you for your help ma'am," I told her as I headed to the back.
The sheer number of books that she had collected was impressive. Some of the stacks would be difficult for Gabriel to turn around in. I found the T's near the back. She had multiple copies of the few books written by Tolkien. They were obviously different printings from different eras. I chose a book at random and there on its cover was a picture of the same type of home that I had been seeing here. After I read the synopsis and found that it was an epic fantasy, I decided to get one of each of Tolkien's books. I continued browsing and picking up whatever else struck my fancy.
Once I had as many books as I could carry without dropping any, I headed back to the front. Gabriel was already taking a large, wheelbarrow full of books out the door. I would have to ask what he had gotten later.
Upon seeing the load of books that I was carrying, after all of the ones Gabriel had bought from her, she let out a long whistle and asked, "The two of you don't have any women folk on that ship you came down on, do yah?"
"We do have ladies on board but neither Gabriel nor I are attached at the moment." I told her, seeing no harm in sharing some harmless gossip.
"Tis a sad t’ing dat is." She replied, with a tone full of sorrow but a twinkle in her eyes.
"What is?" I asked knowing that she was setting me up for something.
"Dat you two handsome laddies be flyin’ ‘bout on a boat full of blind women. It just speaks to your character that you’d care for ones in such straits as they must find themselves be in." She said making herself cackle with mirth.
I chuckled along with her as she counted up the price for my purchase. She had started to load up a burlap sack with my books when Gabriel came back in to check if I was ready to go and return her wheelbarrow. We discussed some of our finds on the leisurely trip back to the spaceport.
New Ireland -Day 352 -Aria Forge
Shore leave on New Ireland was a special treat. I always enjoy the less tech centered worlds. There are so are many things that remind me of home.
Gabriel and I spent most of our time together first at the butchers, as he needed to do some restocking for the ship; and then we got to sample the goods at the bakery. We parted ways when I spotted the blacksmith though, he still had to select produce, and there was only so much food I could look at when I wasn't hungry.
I was getting some pieces for my latest contraption made by a blacksmith here. Watching metal forged was something I always enjoyed. As I watched now, I thought of my father. He was an inventor back home. I think my fascination with fire and sparks started with watching him. It was amazing that something could be destructive and creative, dangerous and beautiful all at the same time.
I wanted to be like him, creating new things that would be useful. He was so proud when I was accepted to the Academy Mechanica, saying that we'd be in business together before I knew it. It wasn't to be though. I was always too impulsive, getting carried away with one too many of my contraptions. The results weren't that bad, compared to what could have happened, but they were bad enough. I was expelled from the Academy and banned from inventing on Anastasis. I was even added to the dangerous inventor’s watchlist in the Theta Sector. If I had remained it would have been to hand tools to others as they created things, never to see my own visions come into being.
I watched as the blacksmith heated, hammered, pulled and shaped the metal into my ordered parts. Perhaps, people can be molded like metal. Trials by fire, being pulled and pushed until you become what you are. Having to leave my family was a definite trial by fire. But I was determined to push back. I refused to become bitter.
Sometimes I know I go overboard in being upbeat, but it's better than allowing myself to fall apart. That had been a little harder these last few days. So much had been changing on the Waylay. It felt more like a home and family with Ell being married to the captain, Willow with baby Echo, and now the library. What if I messed up again?
Ell knew I had once thought of seeking an emotional inhibitor implant to control my impulsiveness. It was one of the times I couldn't stay positive. My sister, the closest to my age, had just gotten married. She and I used to plan our weddings as little girls. She always said she wouldn't get married without me as a bridesmaid. Sadly, because I had chosen to become Outcast instead staying in the position that was designated for me, I wasn’t allowed to return to the planet of Anastasis even for that special event. And all because I couldn't stop being impulsive!
I should have known Ell wasn't a normal AI. AI's don't express emotions. But Ell was actually outraged that I would even consider such a drastic measure like the inhibitor. She had been adamant that I shouldn't think of modifying myself in such an unnecessary way. Those were saved for criminals, ones who were still too dangerous, even after being locked away. Again, I was being impulsive. But, with a baby on board, if I posed a threat would Ell reconsider? Would I be told to leave again? Would I lose another family?
The blacksmith was quenching one of the pieces, to harden it and make it keep its shape. I suddenly decided I wasn't going to allow myself to harden. I was going to keep being positive. Ell was disgusted by the idea of an implant, and wasn't going to suddenly love the idea, especially considering the things that had been done to her. Willow seemed glad of my company and encouraged me to hold and play with Echo. I really didn't have to worry. Everyone on the Waylay was facing changes, not just me. I could either allow this experience to mold and shape me into someone more beautiful and useful, or I could fight the change and become brittle and useless like a poor quality metal that just wouldn't be forged. The blacksmith brought me my finished parts. While I admired his workmanship, it felt like I was embarking on a new adventure.
I had a day with Ell and Willow planned for tomorrow. I had never had girls that had been my friends other than my sister. They would be the sisters of my choosing. Tomorrow was another day for me to keep moving forward. I had to learn from my past: not let it drag me backwards.
New Ireland -Day 352- Willow Linn
New Ireland was beautiful. The green rolling hills a vast contrast to the arid desert of Talia. Echo was enthralled by the vista before us. I wanted her to experience as much as possible off of the ship, before she would have to return to it for the next undetermined amount of time.
Peter offered to accompany us on our outings. I was flattered by his attention but didn't wish to encourage him too much before I had a chance to really get to know him. I was striving to strike a balance between kind and friendly but not flirtatious. With the close quarters of living on a ship, the last thing I wanted was a failed relationship. I agreed to have him come with us the first day but made definite plans with the other women for the following day.
I enjoyed watching Peter interacting with Echo. She was blossoming so much now that we were out of isolation. We spent almost a full hour just sitting on the lush landscape letting her play with the blades of grass. When she finally tired of her new surroundings, we made our way to the shops. She was growing so much; I wanted to find things in more than just her current size.
I went along with Peter to the apothecary. He needed to stock the med suite with baby items. All his supplies were intended for adults. The apothecary carried all of the standard pharmaceuticals but also had a number of herbal remedies as well. Father felt strongly that the n
atural way of treating a patient should be the first step. Peter was doubtful that they would have much effect but said that as long as they weren't harmful it was worth trying, much like the tests he was running to find a solution to my vaccination issues. I was able to find a large selection of essential oils as well.
One store had an assortment of toys that would be perfect for Echo as she got older. In that same shop I found a beautiful pair of butterfly knives in a display case with some of the other more valuable items. Mother had taught me how to use them years ago, but father had asked her to get rid of them and she had acquiesced. They were the one expensive thing that I chose to splurge on for myself. Peter, to his credit, acted as if buying baby toys and weaponry together was a normal occurrence.
We made our way back to the ship earlier than most of the others. After I put Echo down for her nap, Peter surprised me by bringing a meal to my quarters.
As we sat and talked I realized that I was going to have a difficult time trying to keep my emotions in check while dealing with him. I needed to be clear headed and objective, not let my heart blind me to pitfalls that could be ahead.
I told him that I was going to make an early night of it. He then offered to stay with Echo the next day while Ell, Aria and I were in town. My first instinct was to say no, but I knew that it wasn't healthy for her or me to be totally dependent on each other, so I thanked him and accepted.
It was harder than I had thought to leave the ship without Echo. I knew that she was in good hands, but she wasn't in mine. I told myself that this was a sign that I needed to do this now. The longer I waited the harder it was going to be for the both of us.
Aria and Ell made an interesting pair. Aria was wearing a variation of what she always seemed to have on, leather, frills, goggles, and weapons. The sun kissed color of her skin glowed warmly and her shoulder length copper waves bobbed along with her energetic stride. Ell on the other hand was dressed vastly different from what I had seen her in up to this point. She had been wearing plain short sleeve shirts with work pants and boots; but now she had on a long sleeve dress made out of a thick, clinging fabric that flared out past its high waist. Her skin was no longer blue, it had returned to a milky white almost as pale as Echo's; but her black, curls had retained a bright blue stain running throughout them. She was as reserved as Aria was open.
Alpha Dawn: Book one of the Teragene Chronicles Page 10