The map of flat space rose back into view on the Commander’s Bridge . Cahyoor indicated as he spoke: “Two domains exist between this point and Gate 193 of Céïchu. They are the Bœrscorh Gamtécr (Gamtek Viscountdom) and the Febdash Barony . I strongly suggest we split the fleet with all haste in order to allow the lords and the gosuclach (servant corps) to evacuate, if possible.”
“Are we able to contact the Vorlash Countdom ? Perhaps by skirting around Gate 193 of Céïchu ?” he pondered, back to standing still.
“We ought to try it. Shall we use the Ftuné ?”
“I think the Ftuné might need to recuperate at the moment,” Tlife feared.
“No other ships can bear to take up this mission,” Cahyoor stated authoritatively.
“True...” Tlife nodded. “We need to carry on quickly. Let’s drive the Ftuné to the edge of exhaustion.”
“Yes, sir. We mustn’t, however, make those two accompany the ships there.”
“Of course not. Why do you always insist on pointing out the obvious? Arrange for a ship to transfer them to at once.”
“Understood.”
“Surgery complete. But you received great first aid.” The army medic , a genetic Lander, removed the creurpaucec (medical support machine) from Jinto’s shoulder. “So great we probably should’ve just left it as is. In any case, it’ll be awkward for a bit, but by the time you reach Lacmhacarh your tissues will’ve totally regenerated.” The medic bandaged Jinto’s left shoulder and made the dressing stiffen.
“Thanks.” Jinto stared at the shoulder. His new cast had hardened in place, running from his elbow up.
“Your clothes are here, by the way. Hope you like the design.” The medic proffered the jumpsuit . Its left sleeve came out at around the hips. The rest of the outfit above the hips was seamless. It was tailored to match Jinto’s present figure.
“I like it a lot,” he said, putting it on.
Then a linewing starpilot entered the infirmary with impeccable timing, as though they’d estimated Jinto’s surgery would be done at that moment.
“This half-fleet has been tasked with a new mission,” they stated. “We must have you depart the ship, Lonh .”
“What, already?” said Jinto, surprised.
“The Captain expresses her chagrin. She said she would’ve liked to ask you all about your adventures over a meal.”
“Please give her my regards.”
“Of course. Now, come with me, if you would.”
Jinto bade the army medic goodbye and exited the infirmary. The starpilot led him to the take-off deck .
“We’ll be having Lonh and Fïac transfer to the communications ship the Aicrul . Since it will be taking you to the imperial capital without stopping, you should be home in around three days.”
“I’ve never been to Lacmhacarh,” admitted Jinto.
“Is that so?” The starpilot looked a tad taken aback.
Upon embarking onto the boat , he found Lafier waiting inside.
She was wearing a military uniform without any rank insignia, and her hair had turned bluish-black once again. “Hey, look at that, it’s back to normal,” he said jocundly. Though her black hair and “one piece” look had a charm all its own, seeing her now convinced him that her true hair color and a military uniform suited her the best.
“Do you really think it’s back to normal?”
“Yeah, of course...” But Lafier’s eyes and tone rang alarm bells in his head, and he lost all conviction.
“Look carefully.” Lafier held some strands in hand. “It’s lost color.”
Now that she mentioned it, the color did look slightly lighter, closer to a primary shade of blue than before. “But this color’s pretty, too,” he said, trying to pacify her. He was about to defend himself, before realizing that there was no need.
The situation had demanded her hair be dyed. Besides, there was no reason she had to be in such a rush to remove the dye anyway. If more time had been spent analyzing it, it may even have proved possible to formulate a chemical capable of doing the job without damaging her hair.
“I’m not attacking you,” said Lafier. “I’m simply disappointed in your faulty memory.”
“C’mon, it’s not that different!”
While Lafier hadn’t been angry before, those words sealed his fate. The royal princess turned away pouting, and refused to speak until they sat down for breakfast the next day.
Chapter 11: The Imperial Capital of Lacmhacarh
It was the city without a map. The positions of structures that comprised it, unanchored by ground or land, rolled in a state of constant flux around the curves in space created by gravity. Only the Spodéc Bilr Arocr (Imperial Capital Transport Office) had a grasp of their positions at any given moment, yet the next moment they would be somewhere else entirely anyway. That was why the city was called the Birautec Cnaigena (Turbulent Capital).
Another of its names was the Sath Nocher (Root of the Dragon’s Heads), for the Gaftnochec on the crest of the Empire was also a metaphor for the Empire. The eight monarchies and the bill (routes) ran through them were often likened to the eight heads of the nochec (dragon). And no other place could be said to be where those heads were joined.
Yet another of the city’s monikers was the decidedly more straightforward Birautec Gasauder (Capital of Eight Gates). There were multiple star systems with more than one gate , but only one with as many as eight in human-inhabited space. In the distant past, a millennium ago by the city’s time, eight closed gates once scattered across the vast reaches of space were borne here by colossal starships, and summarily opened.
Further, it was dubbed the Gyrsauge Frybarer (Cradle of the Empire), for the greatest empire humankind had ever seen — an empire whose history would be tinged with blood and fire — traced its beginnings here.
It was through that ghastly history that they earned the name Daüatsariac (Those that Succumb Not). Many a time, the capital opened war with haughty arrogance, even in the face of likely defeat, and many a time, they watched the propelling flames of enemy ships as they sailed away. But in the end, those enemies didn’t undergo any infamous fall. Even the nations that made it all the way to invading the capital simply became the blood and bones of the empire, long-lived and triumphant.
Birautec Négr , another such sobriquet, meant “Capital of Love.” Opportunities for brushes with romance were few and far between for a race that spent their days aboard interstellar ships and in orbital estates , and who were thinly scattered across a whopping range. As such, it was customary to spend half of one’s life in this metropolis. In Lacmhacarh, open invitation banquets were always being held somewhere, and the Abh searched for a lover with whom the sparks reached supernova intensity.
Of course, more than a few simply referred to the city as Murrautec (Homespace). A majority of Abhs were the products of an explosive love triggered in the city. They were born here, scattered across the galaxy wide, and then one day returned.
The Turbulent Capital , and too, the Root of the Dragon’s Heads . The Capital of Eight Gates , and too, the Cradle of the Empire , and too, the Homespace of Those that Succumb Not . These all were Lacmhacarh, and Lacmhacarh was all these.
The name of the imperial capital ’s sun was Abliar. So too the city-ship their founding ancestors lived on, the surname of the emperor , and the star that illuminated their home were all called. When the group of people that birthed the Abh, (who could be called their indirect ancestors), lived off the land on their bow-shaped island chain, not yet having unraveled the secrets of the gene or the mysteries of the heavens above, the name of the sun goddess they worshiped, “Amaterasu,” shifted drastically over the ages, ending up as “Abliar.” This star system was therefore also known as the Dreuhynh Ablïarser (Abliar Countdom). Incidentally, the title of Dreuc Ablïarser (Count Abliar) was always held by the current emperor.
As for Abliar the sun, those who drew closer could view the globular “basket” encompassing it. The
spaces punctuating its trihexagonal tiling mesh were large, but the mesh itself was made of thin fibers. “Thin,” that is, in comparison to the star itself; more precisely, the band-like structures spanned 500 üésdagh in width. The sides of the bands facing the sun were solar batteries, and the opposite sides contained countless linear accelerators which produced antimatter fuel without pause. It constituted the largest antimatter fuel factory in not just the Empire , but the known universe.
The imperial capital measured 300 saidagh in diameter, was shaped much like a sickle, and orbited at a distance of six saidagh from Abliar. The Rüé-Béïc (Imperial Palace), the Royal Palaces , the garich arocr (orbital estates in the capital) of grandees , the bach (joined residences) of gentry and imperial citizens , the débh (space gardens), the ilébh (shopping halls), the Star Forces facilities, the locrh (warship construction sites)... It was a gathering of these kinds of artificial planetoids, and more. Innumerable transport ships , as well as interstellar ships coming from flat space , soared through the city. Each facility possessed a measure of maneuverability, and avoided collision automatically.
The eight gates were evenly spaced in orbit 100 saidagh out from Lacmhacarh, each accompanying a lonidec hoca (orbital fort), and revolving in the opposite direction relative to the capital . Emerging now from one of those eight, the Saudec Ilicr (Ilich Gate), the communications ship the Aicrul carried Lafier and Jinto into the Abliar Countdom .
Communications ships were different from connecting vessels in that they were constructed more like small-scale cargo passenger ships . Since they were meant to carry guests and messengers in addition to information, the ship contained twelve rooms furnished with sanitary facilities, as well as a common room of modest size.
Jinto, who was busy doing absolutely nothing in the living room, took a peek into the common room, to find Lafier there, much to his surprise. She was rarely there. “Hey-ya, report finished yet?”
“Yep.” Lafier looked over her shoulder, pointing at the big screen in front. “What’s your impression of Lacmhacarh?”
The Homespace was there to see. It was the first time Jinto had laid eyes on such a cluster of lights. Splendorous and manifold of color, the array almost literally dazzled. With the ship and Lacmhacarh’s orbits coplanar with each other, it struck him as though he were viewing a galaxy from the side.
“It’s even more amazing than I was expecting.”
“I see!” said the royal princess , with a smile of unvarnished delight.
Jinto grabbed himself some coffee and took the seat beside her. Regarding his first impressions of Lacmhacarh, Jinto certainly hadn’t lied. Yet a different emotion entirely was currently taking up his heart. Loneliness.
He’d taken quite the detour, but here at last he’d reached the imperial capital from the Vorlash Countdom . And now his journey was drawing to a close. This meant goodbye. He and Lafier would part, and there was no guarantee they’d ever see each other again.
On top of that, Lafier had holed herself up saying she needed to write the report, spending time with him almost only during meals. The feeling wasn’t pleasant.
“Did the Manoüass (Commander) inform you?” asked Lafier.
“Of what?”
“We are proceeding toward the Imperial Palace .”
“What, directly?” Jinto was surprised.
“Yep. It appears Her Majesty the Empress wishes to speak of many things.”
“Speak to you, you mean.”
“Not just me. She wishes also to speak to you, it would seem.”
“Whoa nelly,” Jinto tensed. “You’re laying that on me like it’s no big deal. Though I guess to you, she’s your grandma.”
“A year has passed since last I met Her Majesty.”
“Yeah? Must be tons you wanna talk to her about, then.”
“There is much to discuss, yes, but Her Majesty must be busy with all of her duties. In case you’ve forgotten, the Empire is currently at war.”
“I know, I know. Heard anything about how the war’s shaping up?”
“No, I’m out of the loop as well.” She leaned her head in. “Worried?”
“‘Course I am. Have you forgotten where my home planet is?”
Not far from the field of battle lay the Countdom of Hyde , whose residents continued to call Jinto “heir to the traitor.” The Ilich Monarchy was shaped like a ring, so contact wouldn’t be severed immediately, but if it ever got annexed like the Sfagnoff Marquessate did, well, even just thinking about it chilled the nerves. The people of his homeland would probably be far more amenable to an occupying army than the terrestrial citizens of Sfagnoff were. He kept picturing, despite himself, what sort of treatment his father, the Count of Hyde , might receive at their hands. Though they hadn’t met in years, and they’d never been very close, he was still his one and only blood relative.
“Ah. Right.” Lafier’s expression turned uncomfortable, embarrassed. “Forgive me my foolish question.”
“It’s all right. I myself forgot all about it while we were on Clasbule.”
“We were fairly occupied.”
“To say the least. You know, sometimes you really put things super mildly,” said Jinto, in admiration.
The lights of the capital approached, closer and closer, and the nearest structure came into focus. A set of spheres were stacked together, and they made a giant tube wriggle like a tentacle. It lent the appearance of a strange life form that had reached an evolutionary dead end.
“It’s the Locrh Baiturr (Baitur Warship Construction Site). The patrol ship Goslauth was born there,” said Lafier.
“Interesting.”
“See that?” Lafier pointed at the spheroid beyond the site. “That’s a sodmronh (baby nursery). There are a few of them around Homespace. Inside, it’s near weightless due to microgravity, the lining is soft, and foam stars are floating in the air. A while after birth, babies are given circlets and dropped there. That’s how they learn the law of action and reaction, and how to use their circlets. If an Abh doesn’t experience this during the developmental period, their brain’s rilbidoc navigational area will never form...”
As Jinto nodded and interjected to indicate to Lafier that he was listening as she began to describe the sites to see in the capital , he inwardly wondered whether she felt any sorrow over their imminent parting, and if she would express reluctance to leave him.
When they arrived at the imperial palace , chamberlains who were stern of feature pulled Jinto away from her. Due to his experience in the Febdash Barony , he grew apprehensive, but his fears proved groundless. He was led to a grand and extensive lavatory , in whose warming waters he stretched out. After a thorough cleanse, he exited the lavatory to find a change of clothes already prepared for him.
Just as the army medic had predicted, his shoulder had completely healed. The hole had closed up with new skin, and the bones were devoid of pain.
He donned a jumpsuit with the hems of its sleeves at the shoulders, as well as a long robe , as usual. A circlet identical to the one that had been stolen from him at the barony and a compuwatch to replace the one he’d borrowed from Seelnay also lay for the taking. After putting on the full attire of an Abh noble , Jinto gave the sign just as he’d been instructed.
“Please come with me,” said a chamberlain who’d arrived at his summons, standing at attention to guide his way.
A movable podium awaited him in the hallway. “You may get on.”
“Okay.” Jinto stepped up onto it, and the chamberlain got on after him to input orders into its console . “Uhh, where are we going?” asked Jinto timidly as the podium took off.
“To the waiting room of the audience chamber .”
“The audience chamber !? But I thought it’s only used for important events...”
“That is correct.”
“So, uhh, what’s on today?”
The chamberlain looked back, dark blue eyebrows raised. “Are you honestly unaware?”
“
Know what, forget I said anything.” He was happy so long as his astuteness level was deemed higher than a cyanobacterium’s.
“Quit your fidgeting, Jinto,” Lafier frowned. She’d arrived at the waiting room before him, and was sipping out of a glass.
“Sometimes you demand stuff that’s easier said than done,” said Jinto, whose nerves were not so readily dispelled. “I’ve got no idea what the proper protocol is. Are there, like, special manners to this, or...?”
“It’s not such a big deal. Just be at your most polite, as common sense dictates.”
“C’mon, I can’t have you forgetting that I’m not exactly an expert on Abh ‘common sense.’”
“Then do as I do. We shall walk up to the throne , make a deep bow, and wait until we’re greeted. It could hardly be simpler.”
“Does sound pretty simple,” Jinto admitted.
“Because it is.”
A chamberlain entered the room. “Thank you for waiting, Fïac , Lonh . All preparations have been made.”
“Yes.” Jinto made to walk over to the chamberlain.
“Not there. Over here.” Lafier pointed to the giant doors.
“Look at me, messing up before it’s even begun,” Jinto muttered.
“Walk alongside me, and match my pace.”
“Ah, right. Got it.”
“You ought to hold your head up high. You’re a hero, after all.”
“Well that’s the first I’ve heard of that.”
“You’re such an idiot .”
The big doors opened. The soft light of morning bathed the audience chamber . Basking directly in the rays of Abliar, it played across the room resplendent. A number of beams spanned the ceiling, but without a roof to support. Instead one could view the bright blue sky — for a chnobézsiac (scattering surface) splayed above them. From the beams hung crest banners , the flags of the grandees that made up the Empire . Jinto noticed the brand-new crest banner of the Countdom of Hyde all the way in front.
The Return to Strange Skies (JNC Edition) Page 16