Duty

by P. S. Power

  The Ancients didn’t have High Servants, either. So, untruths all around. Then again, if it left everyone feeling better while they saved the women who had been taken, he could suffer being made fun of. It was about all he could manage at the moment. It wouldn’t be the first time in his life, either, so he was able to take it.

  Thomson bowed in his direction, as a bright orange light descended from the sky. They glowed brightly enough to be easily seen. In fact, he could also tell that the sky was still filled with smoke. It was impressive looking, he had to admit. They were on the edge of a large field. One that had been turned to ash most of a week before. Five days, at least. Well before they’d set up there.

  Now it meant that the ship, a vast thing, was coming down in a space that wasn’t filled with anything at all. The people had been moved in time and everything. Everyone there just stood in place, as a door opened on the side and bodies, men and women, tall and short, light skinned and dark, ran from the thing. They moved into a line. A long one, showing that there were at least several hundred of them there.

  To help.

  A tall woman looked around, saw where they were standing and jogged over.

  “Captain Merick, of the Morning Star. Reporting as ordered.” The woman went straight, her long face seeming tight. Almost angry.

  Albert forced himself to bow, his back hurting enough to make it difficult. Even if it was mainly from standing for too long.

  “Albert Benoist. This is Clemance Thomson and Alison Peterson. She’s in charge of this investigation for the Kingdom of Noram.”

  The tall woman shifted then, looking at the woman in their group. As was appropriate.

  “Ma’am.”

  Then they started going over what would be needed. It didn’t sound easy, or fun. Especially since they had to start their search in the dark. They weren’t just going to be flying around calling out for the women, either. They deployed several smaller craft, and organized their search. Not that they could see anything on the ground, in the dark.

  It was also only going after the people in the wagon. Alison and the Captain got an interview with the one witness they had to hand, the woman that had been dropped when Albert got in the way of the tall criminal. That meant the two women and the six criminals were just going to be allowed to vanish.

  Except that couldn’t be allowed to happen. The problem there was that they had limited resources and there were thousands, possibly tens of thousands of destinations sites, once they’d gone into the transport hut.

  Though, odds were that the tall people, the criminals, were of Noram noble blood. That meant they probably weren’t going to go off to Mars or the distant fleet. It would be clever of them to set up in that kind of a place, but Albert was from Second City. That meant he’d learned a few things about people in strange new places.

  Some left and went to a specific place, but almost no one moved from one zone to another very easily. He could have run to the Moon and survived there on the fly. Even in Harmony, where things were a little different. It wasn’t hard to do or anything, but he understood how it was done there and wouldn’t stand out when he did it.

  A group of people from Earth that had to ask where the food was and how to get a shield would stand out. The same was really true about going to any other land on Earth. People from Noram couldn’t make it in Tellerand or Afrak, without help. The people there would do it, of course. If strangers showed up, almost anywhere, they’d be taught the new rules they needed. It was just really hard to manage that with hostages in tow.

  Blinking, standing alone again, since everyone else had moved off to actually work, or do something useful, like sleep, Al nodded. Then he, slowly, pulled his handheld again and tapped a name. one in his list of people that he called, on occasion.

  When Comp’s face showed, he nodded. She looked as fresh and well rested as always. Even if she didn’t sleep, being made of magic and thought like she was.

  “Hey. Um… Kidnapped women. Two of them. With six bad people… I don’t have pictures.” Except that people from Second City had been there. A good portion of them were originally from Austra. When anything interesting happened, or even things that weren’t important at all, that sort got pictures of it. Moving ones if it was possible.

  Then they uploaded things to the news services, if any of them would have it.

  “From Thomson? Did anything go up on the Austran services?”

  She looked off to the side, then smiled. It was dark and a bit evil seeming.

  “It did. We have a lot of information on that. Let me… Here. I have all the faces. I’ll put them up, everywhere. These monsters won’t be able to go anywhere, in any world, without being noticed. I should have done it already, but I didn't think of it. And… That’s up on a loop, everywhere that I have screen access. Let me see if the Austran and Fleet nets will accept it…” She didn’t speak for a long time. Enough that Albert was able to move to the food devices, and sit down. His back to one of the things.

  After a while, a long time, probably, Comp spoke to him.

  “Albert? You should get up now. It’s nearly morning there.”

  He blinked, not wanting to open his eyes. He was still exhausted, but able to stand and, he realized, think.

  “Yeah. Thanks. I left this line open all night? Sorry.”

  Comp waved, showing that her image had hands, even if they were normally down.

  “No one has reported seeing the subjects yet. We have alerts out to the police, guards and watchers in every place that has them. Even Afrak has people out, physically searching for them, just in case they went there. The remote fleet lit up every screen they have, so everyone there is on the lookout. Even knowing that it’s not likely for criminals from here to try and do that kind of thing. The biggest area of non-coverage is actually there, on Earth. Noram doesn’t have a lot of screens. Still, we could put something out to everyone that has a handheld? I need clearance to do that, naturally.”

  That reminded him that he was supposed to get a vast load of magical communications devices from Tellerand. So far Albert had been so busy that he hadn’t even tried to ask anyone for that kind of thing. It would have to be his next call, he decided.

  It meant hurrying, since, when light came, people would be up and expecting food, before they headed off, toward home.

  “I don’t suppose you could force that kind of thing through based on my high-level position as um… me, could you?” He smirked, trying to work out who had that kind of authority for real. In the time he’d been on the Moon, that had only happened twice. Each time it had been Comp’s face that had shown on his device. Once had been when a little girl had gone missing. The other time had been an air breach, in Harmony. That didn't tell him who he had to get with, in order to make it happen.

  Comp shrugged.

  “No? I don’t think so, anyway. It would take a leader of a place, or one of the Ancients. Otherwise people would put out announcements every time they were holding a party or wanted a date.” She paused, looking over his shoulder.

  That meant he turned and looked, getting to his feet. There was a woman there, who was freshly showered, but wearing soot covered clothing. That probably meant a local. After all, anyone from the Moon or Mars would have magical outfits on. Those would be clean, after being removed to take a shower.

  “Sir? I don’t know when we’ll be breaking fast. There are others who…” She looked ashamed. As if his job wasn’t to make certain they had food that day.

  That or as if she were begging, instead of simply getting a small portion of her payment for her hard efforts.

  He smiled, able to do that again.

  “It will be a few minutes, but I’ll start in on that soon. I have to… Find an Ancient to do some work for me, on a different topic, first. That sounds nice and sane, doesn’t it?”

  Al was being bizarre, but the woman smiled back, bowing a bit, which was returned.

  “Oh, sure it does. All kinds of normal. I…
Should I tell people half an hour?”

  He shook his head.

  “Fifteen minutes. If I need to, I can work and talk at the same time. Thanks. I’ll be right on that.”

  Glancing at his hand, he nodded.

  “Let me see if anyone is awake at all. I need… Really, I need Tiera, if she can come. Like in Ross… People lost things here and we’ll need to replace that, if we can. It’s worse here, too. I bet she’ll love being asked to come and work for three weeks out of her busy schedule.” Someone had to guard the Makers. He understood that.

  If someone stole one of the food devices, they were out the use of the magic. If a Maker was taken, all of the places that used gold or jewels could be negatively impacted when such things flooded the market. It meant they had to take that kind of thing seriously.

  The pretty, magical, girl in his hand winked at him.

  “Tell her that I’ll be waiting for her to get in touch with me, to force that message out?”

  “Yep. Hopefully it won’t take long.”

  The call didn’t, having been in touch with her before. As odd as it sounded, the woman was on his list of people who had actually been in touch with him, in recent days. Because, clearly, that made any kind of sense.

  When he tried to reach her, she answered, clearly having been asleep, no more than seconds before.

  “Eh… Is there an emergency?”

  Albert pretended she’d know who he was, on sight. At least if she could open her eyes, which she hadn’t yet.

  “We need a message put out to all handhelds. We have pictures of the kidnappers that took people from County Thomson. Comp has that, but needs authorization from a leader or ancient. After that, we need to set up Makers, large food units and guards for them, for four towns or cities. One of those at least is pretty big, compared to the one in Ross. How do you want that handled?”

  Albert yawned, needing more drugs, if he wasn’t going to crawl away to a dark room, to sleep or get drunk. The idea took him for a moment, but he didn’t bother with it. People actually needed help and for some strange reason, were looking to him for parts of it. Even if it was little stuff, like making sure they had food that morning.

  The sleepy looking former Queen of the Moon forced her eyes open.

  “Right. I’ll get a crew together who can be trusted for that. Clemance Thomson…”

  “No.” He sounded shockingly firm on the topic, which got her to scowl.

  “You don’t like him for it?”

  “He’s already working on the investigation, trying to get those kidnap victims back. We shouldn’t remove him from that, since it’s a top priority. There are at least twelve missing right now. So, no, you can’t have him. Alison Peterson, either, in case she’s on your short list for things like this. Which, apparently she should be, in the future. From what I can tell she’s doing far better than average work. She’s running the whole thing for Noram. We have some help, from Space Fleet, for that part of things, thankfully. That won’t keep people fed once winter comes. If we can’t pull out a miracle here, a lot of these people are going to die when it gets too cold.”

  Instead of snapping at him for being abrupt, which her face was saying she was about to do, she simply nodded.

  “That… Actually, makes sense. Both of them are solid. Intelligent, too. I’ll find other people then, somehow. Is Countess Thomson in on that as well?”

  Albert shook his head.

  “Terlee? No. In fact, I should get her out here to help me set up the morning meal. We have about three thousand people here, to be fed. Hopefully the two High Servants we have haven’t escaped yet. You want me to make sure she’s up on the thing with the Makers?”

  The words got a soft chuckle.

  “You’re on a first name basis with my older sister already? That’s a catch, isn’t it? I’d bully you and tell you to back off, but she really could do worse, if she needs an extra boyfriend. To answer the question though, yes, ask if she’ll help with that. I know that I can trust her, which is the biggest issue here. We need people that can’t be tempted to do the wrong thing. That’s rare, really.”

  It was, no doubt. Most people from the Moon were generally safe that way. They had everything they needed. Except for the fact that even those people, good ones that had enough, might be tempted to secretly get a little bit more. If they could get away with it.

  “I can see that. Still, I don’t care if someone gets an extra coat or statue for their front room. We just have to prevent them from making things that will rip the economy apart. Gold, jewels and… food really. At least if people are back to buying things.” He hadn’t even been thinking of that one.

  The woman, her face wrinkled on the left, from her pillow, looked away from the screen.

  “I know. It’s hard, when a real emergency happens. We have to give them enough to keep going, without messing up and letting them have vast riches. We can more or less replace what they had. Maybe a little more. Just enough to help make up for all that’s been lost. It’s dangerous. Here, in Harmony, it’s easier that way. If someone lost everything, we could just give them pretty much anything they wanted. The physical goods and magics, anyway. We can’t afford to do that there. Not because we can’t do it, or don’t want to. Just because it would end up hurting people there, if we did.”

  It was too much for him to think about, in the moment.

  “I need to get things started, breakfast wise, here. I’ll expect you and your hand-picked crew of workers in… Four hours?” Given he didn't know where to send them yet, that made sense. They were going to need to have things rebuilt as well.

  Before they had the focus stone builders of the military come in. That was for one small town though. Almost a village. Doing three of those and a small city was very different. If nothing else it was going to take a lot longer. In his worry over the women that had been taken, he’d forgotten about all of that. The little things that needed to be done.

  There was just so much of it.

  The former Queen stood up, stretching. The thin shift she had on showing that she didn't bother wearing anything underneath it at night. Smiling a bit, she looked back at him.

  “I’ll try for that. Where’s the meeting location?”

  He gave her the name of the transport huts they had at the moment. There were only three of them set up, but they could be taken to different spots, so that people could come and go to do the needed work, while staying at home at night, where it would be more comfortable.

  Then he hit himself in the face, getting her to stare at him. It was a good, solid slap. The kind he apparently deserved.

  “Fu… I almost forgot! Get with Comp and tell her that she should force out a message to all the handhelds in regards to the kidnappers from here? She has all the pictures and knows what’s needed. I can’t believe I almost missed that one. Reminding you, I mean. Sorry. I even slept and everything.”

  As soon as she was done talking to him, she ended things. That was followed, less than thirty seconds later, with a loud sound from his handheld, followed by the emergency message he and Comp had chatted about. Most of the people there didn't have that kind of thing, communications devices still being kind of rare. Everyone that did have one was going to be awake though. Informed too, since the message was replayed in almost every language possible. It played three times before the thing could be shut off.

  Which gave him five minutes to start making food, running things himself, for the first hour. It was hard work, since he had to make food, pass it out and also keep the three machines filled with dirt and rocks, constantly. That ended when the Countess came out, followed by two rather disgruntled looking High Servants. The same ones that had been there the whole time.

  People got their own food, not expecting servants to wait on them hand and foot, which was a great plan on their part. After another hour, everyone that wanted something to eat had something, which meant that they were able to do the same. It was just bread and cheese, whic
h they ate standing, since they couldn’t leave their posts.

  Between bites, Albert closed his eyes and waved at Terlee.

  “Oh! I was on with Tiera earlier. She’s bringing in some of her Makers, and hopefully some large food units. People to guard the devices as well. For the towns here that were destroyed? I need to get with… Honestly, I don’t really know. King Richard, probably. To beg the use of his military focus stone builders, to help us rebuild. We’ll need more housing, as well. I don’t have enough for that many locations. Tor does the magical houses, right?” That was her brother, so it seemed sensible for her to know things like that.

  For some reason the tiny lady moved over and hugged him.

  “Thank you! I was dreading that part of things… How to get food and enough to keep those people from starving in the coming winter. That you would think of helping with that at all is... Wonderful.” She cried then, smiling the whole time.

  Over to the side, Erie looked upset, for some reason. Carissa did as well. It was the second, less wholesome, High Servant that spoke.

  “Should we do anything for them? It was their own poor choices that got them into trouble in the first place. If we fix everything for them, they’ll never learn to improve. Living off in a forest that can catch fire is foolish.”

  The Countess narrowed her eyes, seeming ready to defend her people from such slander. Possibly with violence. Which, if it happened, Albert figured she’d win at, over the mouthy High Servant. Especially since at least ten people had heard her and stood up, seeming ready to take action of their own.

  He just laughed and shook his head.

  “That’s ridiculous. Everyplace has dangers. If you live by the ocean, the storms come. If you’re by the river, it will eventually flood. Even on the Moon, the air can leak out. No, this wasn’t about people making poor choices. This is a good place to live. Better than most, even. Criminals set these fires, so we should see to fixing what we can for those that were victimized by the evil people. Besides, as a High Servant, it’s your job to aid others. Even the ones that you think don’t deserve it.” He took a deep breath, then shook his head at her, sadly. “In the future I expect you to reflect on that first, before speaking on such topics? If you have time to say that others aren’t worthy of your help, then you have time to ask what more you could be doing to aid them. That’s what you swore an oath to, isn’t it? To give aid to those that need it? Even if it wasn’t, that’s simply what a good person would do, when an emergency comes. Think on that.”