by Ren Garcia
"You gladly offer your life in defense of one who needs no defending. That is why we cherish you. That is why Sisters from all around clamor to come to the Seeker and observe you, if only for a little while. You are a living reminder of why we are here, of what our purpose is. You give of yourself freely, without hesitation. You spring to the aid of a Grand Abbess, or a lowly junior crewman … or a Black Hat with a bow in her hair."
A tear rolled down her face.
"It is I who am humbled, Captain. If only I had had your courage, once …"
They embraced.
"I am sorry for this, for all of this," she said. "In the type of battle we fight against the Xaphans, a battle of the mind, there would be none of us left, no Sisterhood, no Black Hats, if we did not agree to certain ground rules. We would all be dead. And she will do as she says—the Seeker will be attacked on all sides by the Xaphans."
"Then let them come. Fighting the Xaphans is my duty. I will face them. I will sink them in a fair fight."
"Captain, Sygillis of Metatron is, even amongst the Black Hat ranks, notorious for her power and rancor. She is about as bad as they can get."
"Then there is hope for us, for, with relatively little effort, I have turned her. The Black Abbess said it herself. All she knows is evil. I have created a seed of good in her. I have broken the darkness around her. Will you stand with me?"
"Need you ask such a question, Captain?"
* * * * *
The evening bell sounded. The night crew headed dutifully to their posts while those coming off shift wearily made their way to their quarters. Davage excused himself from the bridge. He was tired from a long day.
As he headed for his quarters, he recalled Sygillis asking if he might be by to have dinner with her. It was a little late for dinner, but he wanted to check up on her—see how she was doing. It had to be boring for her, sitting in her tiny quarters all day, nothing to see, nothing to read, listening to the pipes clank. He planned to go to the Sisters soon and insist they allow her a bit of roam under his charge and responsibility.
So here he was, heading to her door, again. He found he couldn't help himself. He found he wanted to see her.
He was, after all, going to war for her.
They were going to be lovers she said …
Impossible!
She had seen the future. Black Hats were known to do that.
In a haze of Shadow tech, that's all. Look what it almost did to her.
She brought it up, over and over again … lovers.
So, what was he doing here? Why not just leave her be?
She was so beautiful …
She was so flattering …
To change the mistakes he made with Hath … To see her smile. To make her happy.
He had failed Hath.
He will not fail Sygillis, Hath's identical twin.
He made his way down to Deck 13 and wound through the corridors, meeting few people along the way. He came to her door. All seemed quiet, though he knew there were Sisters all around, monitoring her every move.
He knocked on the door.
A few moments later, he heard the bumping about of footsteps on the other side, and finally, it opened. Sygillis stood there, still in her pajamas. Her bare feet were starting to look much better. Her hair was messy, like she had been asleep.
She rubbed her eyes and smiled. "Captain Davage," she said.
"Evening, Sygillis, well met. I am sorry I couldn't make dinner as you had requested. The tasks a captain must perform are rather timeconsuming. I simply wanted to stop by and wish you good night. I am sorry for the hour. I should have let you sleep."
Sygillis stepped back from the door. "No, no—I was hoping you were going to come. You've walked all this way, please delight me and come in for a moment."
He had hoped she wanted him to come in. Ki had mentioned she thought Sygillis was fascinated with him. She hadn't detected his similar thoughts for her.
All of Hath's beauty and none of her stogy Blueness. He felt something ache deep inside.
"I should allow you to get your rest, and I really need to turn in."
"Please, for a moment only."
Davage stepped into her darkened room. She brought the lights up and poured two glasses of water from her small table. Davage noticed her bed clothes were undone—she had been asleep. Her quarters were so tiny.
"I missed you this evening … for dinner," she said handing him a glass of water.
"I was indisposed."
She smiled. "I was feeling very sad at your absence. Well, I suppose I can forgive you, though I was very disappointed. I do so enjoy chatting with you. I understand that a captain has—"
She stopped suddenly. She took several short whiffs. She then began sniffing Davage intently, her eyes growing wide.
"I realize that my uniform might be a bit stuffy."
"The Black Abbess," she said quickly. "You have been in close contact with the Black Abbess. I can smell her fire on you!" She dropped her glass. "What were you doing in close contact with the Black Abbess?" Her eyes grew wider and wider—approaching hysteria, glinting with green fury.
"Indeed, I had an unusual meeting today with a spectral woman calling herself the Black Abbess."
"What did she say—what did she say?"
"She said a series of things, none of which were pleasant."
"WHAT DID SHE SAY!" Sygillis screamed, her lips starting to foam.
Davage was beginning to feel a bit apprehensive. Sygillis appeared terrified to the point of madness.
"She said, if you must know, that I am to hand you over to her at once or kill you. She …"
A seething black rope of Shadow tech shot out her hand and wrapped itself around Davage's neck. Instantly he was lifted into the air. She picked up her glass and broke it on the table edge. She then jammed the sharp end into her leg. The moment she did, the Shadow tech developed a cold, crawling air about it. It was unbearable against his flesh.
"So!" she said shouting. "You hand me clean to the Black Abbess and send me to my death. How cruel. HOW CRUEL—YOU WOKE THIS BLACK HEART, GAVE IT HOPE, ONLY TO SEND IT BEATING INTO THE FIERY MOUTH!!"
"Syg …" Davage croaked, "if you … will … allow me to … finish …"
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
Tears leaked out of her eyes. "For this cruelty I'll kill you!" she said, mouth drawn back.
She threw him down, lifted him up, and slammed him back down again.
"Syg … listen … to me!"
"NO MORE LIES … DAMN YOU, NO MORE LIES!"
The door to her room opened, and a Marine came running in. "Captain!" he yelled, drawing his weapon.
With a sweep of her arm, the Marine was dashed senseless into the wall, Stenned hard. His SK clattered to the floor.
Davage could feel her Shadow tech working its way into his mind, clawing for information. Beyond his control, the events of his meeting with the Black Abbess began flashing across his head—she was accessing his thoughts, and she was not being gentle about it.
"Kill her … or give her to me …"
"Let them come, let them be sunk."
"You are fully in the gaze of the Black Abbess."
"Asylum …"
A moment later, he could feel the Shadow tech slacken around his throat. She set him down, eyes wide, a look of infinite anguish on her face.
"What have I done?" she said.
Future's end.
She gasped in a racking spasm. "Davage!" she cried. "What have I done! Forgive me!"
The door opened again. A squadron of Marines and four angry Sisters came into the room. They seized Sygillis by the mind and began the slow, wrenching process of killing her.
Mouth open, eyes glassy, she grabbed her head and screamed silently. She slumped to her knees.
The Sisters closed in, not saying a word, their mind-lock a killing cacophony.
Davage recovered. "Sisters," he croaked, "please stop this. T'was a misunderstanding, is all. But it is
all right now!"
They ignored him.
Holding her head, Sygillis looked at Davage one last time and closed her eyes.
"F … forgive …" she said.
Davage ran to Sygillis, knocked her to the floor, and flopped on top of her tiny, convulsing body. He could feel the chaos of raw thought pouring into her.
"Sisters, stop!"
They continued. "Away, Captain! This … be … her end!" they said.
"Stop!" he shouted.
The cascade of thought was killing him too.
"Captain," a Marine yelled, his eyes averted. "Get away from her and let the Sisters do their work!"
"Stop!"
"Captain!"
14
A HEART SET TO BEAT
In her nightmare, she was a tormenting beast. She hovered and cajoled, sharp knives in her hands.
She tormented a man, a tall, handsome man with dark blue hair.
She wanted to stop; she did not wish to hurt the man. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt the man.
But she hurt him she did, on and on without end, and his pain was exquisite.
Stop …
Knives flashing. The man screamed.
Stop!
Her arm rose and fell … and he died in agony.
Stop!
Sygillis rose in bed. She was lying in a strange place … not her quarters. It was a small room or office with two beds arrayed against the wall. There were computerized monitors and terminals here and there blinking and clicking. She guessed she was in the ship's medical center.
Why was she alive?
Her head was a sopping mass of pain. Every inch of it hurt. It hurt to think. What had happened?
She remembered with painful dread. The Black Abbess—her smell was all over Davage. She panicked, suspected Davage of treachery.
Betrayed, betrayed … Her heart broke. Davage broke it. His betrayal broke it.
And she attacked him. She was going to kill him for betraying her, for breaking her heart.
Had she given him time to explain … to say his piece?
No, she hadn't. Her temper came up.
She roped him and threw him to the ground and galled him with enraged Shadow tech. She dug into his mind. She ripped the thoughts out and she saw the Black Abbess.
And she saw Davage. She saw him defending her. She saw him standing up to the Black Abbess.
Asylum … he lied to the Abbess and said she had asked for asylum.
He defended her. He was true.
She had betrayed him. She had failed him.
Tears came to her eyes. "Dav …" she sobbed.
Future's end …
She heard something to her right. She looked, her head in a painridden cloud.
Davage sat in a chair nearby. He sat back, his head propped up against the wall, his hat down over his eyes. His CARG glinted copper at his belt. He was asleep.
Full of longing and shame, she stared at him. She stared at him for an unknown length of time. He had saved her, and she had tried to kill him over it. How could he ever forgive her?
How could he ever trust her again?
His was the Light in the Dark. Here he sits.
Future's end …
She seethed with frustration.
They were going to be lovers! He was going to show her things she had never known before—wondrous things. The experiences they were going to share—he was going to be her guide, she was going to be standing at his side. She couldn't wait for it …
The things they will create together…
It was set in the future, needing only the passage of time to bring it to pass.
She had loved to tease him about it, to chide him and watch him blush. Annoying him was an easy way of getting his full attention, which she craved.
For the first time in her long, dark existence, life meant something. She was looking ahead to each new day, to something that was just around the corner.
His were the eyes in the dark—she knew it, she knew it!
Future's end.
He was going to be her lover.
Future's end …
More than that, they were going to fall in love. This tall, handsome Fleet captain was going to be the center of her universe. She was going to be his Countess, and he was going to be her Lord. She'd seen that too, but had never mentioned it. That shock might have been too much for him. She hadn't wanted to scare him off, to prolong the coming of the future.
Ruined, ruined …
The adventures they were going to experience …
All done, all finished …
The children they will have … the heirs she will give to him. Wife and mother …
Gone, gone, all gone …
Why was she still alive? Why? She'd rather be dead. All the things she wanted were dead and gone … and she along with it.
She watched him sleep, and she found she dreaded his waking. She dreaded it more than she had ever dreaded anything. Even the Black Abbess … His power over her exceeded anything she had ever known before.
She was afraid.
She was terrified.
She dreaded facing him. Black Hats were fearless—so why was she afraid? She had never felt such raw fear.
After a while, her head pounding, Davage awoke.
She said nothing … she just stared at him.
"Sygillis," he said sleepily. "You seem no worse for your adventures …"
"Why am I still alive?" she managed to say, her voice trembling.
"The Sisters—I stopped them killing you. In near the nick of time too. You must have a searing headache. I certainly do."
"Why did you save me?"
"Because I didn't think it necessary to kill you over a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding? Dav … I was going to kill you."
"Why?"
"Because I was sure you'd given me up. Betrayed me to the Black Abbess."
"Are you still wanting to kill me?"
"No!"
"Why not?"
"Because I looked into your mind. I saw that you protected me, defended me. Lied for me … You lied to the Black Abbess … for me."
"Indeed."
"I didn't give you the opportunity to describe your encounter with her. I assumed the worst; I assumed that you had betrayed me. Nobody stands before the Black Abbess. Nobody denies the Black Abbess."
"You panicked, you're saying."
"Yes, and I deserve to be dead for what I did to you. It is better than this … shame."
Davage leaned forward. "You feel poorly over this incident, do you?"
She looked at him. "Yes, of course …"
"Why? You are a Black Hat, are you not?"
Sygillis cringed at the name. "Yes, I was …"
"Is the goal of a Black Hat not to create as much mayhem and chaos as possible?"
"Yes."
"And in killing me, a Fleet captain, and an annoying one at that, you, in death, achieve a great victory."
Sygillis began to cry. "I don't want to kill you, Dav. Not anymore."
"Why?"
"Because you set my heart to beat. What do your stories say … that Black Hats hearts don't beat, that they rot in our chests—a useless piece of flesh. You freed it."
"And how did I do that? I did nothing but offer you a bit of courtesy."
"Maybe that was enough. Maybe all it took was one brave man and one woman—who had a second thought after all."
Sygillis began sobbing into her hands. "Please, Dav, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Davage stood up and watched her cry for a moment. He reached out and softly stroked her hair. "That's all I wanted to hear, Sygillis. You pass my test."
"Dav …" she said sitting up and taking his hand. She had a sorrowful, pleading look, her red hair a twisted mess. "Can you forgive me?" she asked breathlessly. "I'm begging you to forgive me!"
He stopped and regarded her for a moment.