by Reiter
John C. Maxwell
(Rims Time: XII-4203.27)
Amosse Jilchild waved his hand over the reading plate of the wall console. The scanners read his print and verified his electro-magnetic signature before unlocking the door. He stepped into the foyer and snapped his fingers at the robot servants to fetch the parcels that had been stacked outside the front door. Standing aside, Amosse put his hands on his hips as the machines went about their duties.
It was a different life for the young man, and he smiled at the most recent improvements. “What a difference a few credits can make,” he thought. “The others talked about staying at an estate. But by the time I was recruited, JoJo had gone and beat up the crewman who rented the place! I swear, I will never understand that woman. Thank the gods I will never have to!”
Walking into the estate house, Amosse looked at all of the furnishings. The Jilchild’s were not a poor family, but it was also not an established House of the Garnet Barony either. Amosse’s father was a simple technician at a production plant. His mother worked at the same plant, in the kitchen, and it was a simple feat to imagine how the two had met and fell in love. Amosse was their first born and the only child to stay out of trouble, as far as his parents knew.
“You have a guest,” one of the robots noted, bringing Amosse from his reflections.
“Why are you just now telling me?!” Amosse snapped. “And why did you let them onto the property?”
“To be honest, it was not like the robot had a choice,” Isaiah said as he walked out of the parlor. “Being Governor of Black Gate has certain privileges.”
“I was not aware entering the property of another was one of them,” Amosse replied.
“It isn’t,” Isaiah confirmed, “… but exactly who do you call to report the Governor is breaking the law?”
“And… you should also make sure that the Governor is breaking the law,” Gundryss said as he held up an electronic key. “As the owner of this estate, I reserve the right to enter these premises.”
“Only when you have justifiable reason!” Amosse snapped.
“And here I thought you were a Castings Major,” Isaiah stated as he walked into the kitchen. J’Raldri walked to the doorway of the parlor, folded her arms, and leaned against the doorframe. Her eyes did not move from Amosse, and he quickly came to the realization that she was never going to give his eyes her back. Amosse sighed and walked into the kitchen.
“In keeping with the law,” Isaiah said, helping himself to a decanter of wine, “… I will officially state that I have just cause to enter this house at any time you are the tenant. Also, it was very nice of you to pay six months in advance. I appreciate that in a customer.” After pouring himself a very generous amount, Isaiah put down the bottle and then reached to his belt where he removed a small projector. He activated the playback feature and placed the projector down on the counter. “You should really monitor who you spend time with.” Images of Amosse meeting with Eleda, Ainille, and Mother were shown in crisp, clear three-dimensional review. “Now I know what you’re going to say… and with the days I’ve been having, I can’t say that I won’t just up and kill you to save myself a future headache. So let’s just take everything off record so we can be done with it and you can go back to your life, such as it is.
“I know you’re one of Mother’s boys,” Isaiah declared as he took a very slight sip of the wine. “I can’t say I know what she has in store for you, and to be honest, I’m not sure I care.” Acting as if he did not like the wine, the Governor put the glass down and wiped his hands clean. “You’re a little piece of Kot that had a peek at the sweet cake, and decided that the portion you were served was too small. So you lost your ride, which makes you the dumbest smart person I’ve dealt with in some time! Then you were given the death sentence with the smallest percentage for parole, and damn if the gods didn’t get you over the threshold. Next thing you know, you’re back in school with a fully restored student status. When do classes resume for you, by the way?”
“The end of Aprilis,” Amosse answered. “I’ve been granted special sessions.”
“Wow! You get that long a vacation, eh?” Isaiah asked rhetorically. “I’ll try not to hate.”
“I appreciate the effort,” Amosse fenced. He held his breath when Isaiah Gundryss lifted his brown eyes to look at the young student. He could see nothing of the stately Governor of Black Gate in the stare; nothing of the softness that Mother had claimed was the man’s core.
It was only at that moment that Amosse recalled the files he had read. Gundryss was a former high-ranking officer in the IA Magistrates. Isaiah He had joined the militia when he was fourteen, on waivers, and graduated from Basic Training one cycle early. He was placed in the Officer Academy when he was twenty-nine, a very old age, even with the life-expectancy of Terrans these days. He left the militia at the rank of Commander, and against the still-posted pleas of several high-ranking administrators, including a Fleet Admiral. Amosse just then recalled that he had thought that perhaps Mother had underestimated what sort of man it took to claw his way through the ranks from Sub-Private to Commander and still be breathing. Amosse swallowed hard and lowered his eyes. “I appreciate the effort, sir,” he said softly.
“Cusp,” Isaiah muttered as he leaned back against the pantry. “You’re a swirling mess, kid. But you’re on the cusp of a number of things. I know I can’t make you change course. You’ll primp and posture, because you’re smart enough to know the right things to say. But don’t think I can’t read those hungry eyes of yours. I know what it is to see power and want it, boy. I still have that in my own eyes every now and then. The difference is, the power I want doesn’t cross courses with JoJo Starblazer. Amosse, you’ve already lost, and the game hasn’t even started. You’re gifted, kid, but between you and me, that woman is a force of the cosmos!” Isaiah continued to look at Amosse as the young man straightened his shirt. “And I can see that I’m not going to make a dent in that armour. Well, I suppose that is the way of things. Fine. It’s not my fight.
“What is my fight happens to be the status and standing of Black Gate,” Isaiah said, coming away from the pantry. “After the incident that I know you know about, Mother is a wanted woman. On the record, you’ve been advised of her status. Any more of these viewings wind up on my desk, I’ll be exercising all my rights… maybe even a few lefts. Because, after all, this is Black Gate and we all know what the law is here.”
Isaiah walked out of the kitchen, but Amosse remained, contemplating his best next move. He thought for a moment and then turned to walk out of the kitchen and into his office. He sat down behind his desk and started drafting a letter addressed to the manager of a brothel in the Bowels. It was not a long document, taking only a few minutes to compose, detailing how he could have no further dealings with Mother on any level until the matter between her and the Governor could be resolved. He sent the letter and then quickly walked to gather his coat and his air-car keys.
“Right on time,” Wraayna said as she stepped out of the shadows. The Castigator looked in all directions while the Angel maintained her place in the shadows up against the closed salon. “I do like punctuality in my men.”
“It was the least I could do,” Amosse replied, “seeing as how I set the time and the place. By the way, I thank you for that.”
“Not at all,” Mother said as the two drew closer. “Your letter was everything you said it would be. So, Gundryss is on to you.”
“And eager to maintain his surveillance,” Amosse added. “I had to use a point-to-point teleporter on campus to slip my detail. Needless to say that won’t work wagain. We need to get creative, and do so quickly if we want to continue our communication.”
“I would agree,” Wraayna replied. “Ainille, Eleda, meet your new master!”
“What?!” three voices asked, and almost at the same time. Wraayna chuckled as she looked around at her people.
“Well, if it took all three of you in this manne
r, I think we can be assured that I’ve put forward a very creative resolve to our Governor problem. I will be logging your dismissals with the city record.”
“Mother, you can’t be serious!” Eleda said softly before looking at Amosse. “No offense to you, Amosse. You’ve impressed me from the beginning. But, Mother, if you put us both with him, who will protect you?”
“Let’s say that I’m making a change in how I do business,” Wraayna explained.
“I’m losing the Bowels!” she declared. “We’ve been hit several times, and our above-surface plays have all been fumbled in one manner or another since Gundryss took office. The Bowel Tide was the last big thing we did, and if we look at the numbers, we’ve never lost so many people while taking in so little… so it’s hard to call it a success. Bottom line: we’re in the middle of a war – the middle I say – and we don’t even know who we’re fighting! What point would you like me to press? My eyes are blind and my ears are deaf. I have two things left to me: my health and my investments. I’d like to hold on to both of those. I did not get to where I am without seeing a forthcoming fall. I will pad this fall, if I can.
“Do you serve me?” Wraayna asked, glaring down at Eleda who quickly nodded as her lips pressed tightly together. “Then who is your master until I say different?”
“Amosse Jilchild!” Eleda answered. “My life will insure his!”
“Ainille?” Wraayna asked, looking up at the quiet woman.
“It is the way it has always been, Mother: your word, our will!”
“Then Ainille will go back to the house and collect your things. Eleda, see Amosse back to his estate. Prepare him for his quest. See to his needs before he knows he has them. Don’t worry about funds; his accounts are about to swell! And if I should fall before we meet again, your word to me is maintained for two seasons. Then you may vote your heart.”
“What are you expecting?” Eleda asked, taking hold of Mother’s arm.
Wraayna sighed before she looked at her best enforcer. “Again, child, we don’t know. All of this is to protect all that I love and to keep my word to this man. Remember, he is your master, no exceptions or exclusions.”
“I will make it so,” Eleda promised before taking a step back from the woman who had taken the slave girl from what she considered to be the pits of Hell. Everything she possessed was due to the efforts of Wraayna Doroson. It had been a privilege to call her Mother, for that is what she had always been to Eleda. This was no time to forget all she had been taught, all that she had promised. She nodded at Mother, her eyes locked on the larger woman’s face. Wraayna matched her gesture and Eleda turned to face Amosse.
“We need to be moving along, Master.”
“We will proceed with what you think is best,” Amosse returned, gesturing for her to take the lead.
“After you, Master,” the woman said, ushering Amosse to walk in front of her. Ainille did not wait for instructions. In order for her to maintain her normal silence, she had to be away from her sister and her Mother.
Wraayna watched them walk, wearing a tearful smile of pride. When they were out of eyeshot, Wraayna gave it a few more moments and then she allowed her chin to drop to her chest. “I know we have never spoken. Can you tell me if we have ever met?”
“We have not,” a soft male voice whispered through the steamy night air to reach her ears, sounding as if he was in constant motion around her, even though she knew he was not.
“So this is not a matter of vengeance.”
“It is not,” the voice replied. “Just as you wish to see to your future, I must see to the future of another. That future is simpler if your existence is… discontinued.”
“Interesting phrasing,” Wraayna chuckled. “Will you leave my girls alone?”
“That remains to be seen. For the moment, their involvement in the future I protect is minimal at best. With your death, their interaction with that future is diminished even further.”
“So, you’re here to protect someone from the Bowels,” Wraayna concluded. “Some piss-pot from my own backyard is the reason why I’m going to die.”
“In case you were wondering, I fully expect you to fight. I would be more than disappointed should you refuse. All you have done simply sees to matters should you lose.” Footfalls sounded down the road and they were not made to echo. The voice also came from the same direction and the Pazibred female looked up to see a slender and small figure walking towards her. She strained her eyes, pushing her other senses to also sweep the area. “No, it’s just me,” Goldie said as he walked into the light.
“You’re just a kid!” Wraayna spat in disbelief.
“Careful, you’re forgetting what’s back there,” Goldie said, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder. “Disputes with your vendors… pack after pack of people you dispatched to teach those customers a much-needed lesson, all turning up dead… even two of your incredible daughters, slayed and fileted… your so-called masterpiece assassination attempt on the Governor… all of that was me. You might want to adjust from what you see, and consider what you have seen.”
“You’ve got something to do with that blue bastard, don’t you?”
“Come now, Mother,” Goldie said, folding his arms. “Who here doesn’t have something to do with him?!” Wraayna considered the question and quickly considered her brother, Ruukar. She lifted her brow as she nodded. “So, do you want to call them out, or are they here simply to watch you die?”
“You know about them, do you?” Wraayna asked, grinning. “I think if you had really known about them, you wouldn’t have come this close.”
Goldie shook his head as his fiery orange eyes flared with a bronze-hued light. It was not the light in his eyes but the sentiment coming from his body and stance that removed Wraayna’s smile. He looked like an old master disappointed in his foolish pupil.
“Take him!” Wraayna yelled. The door of the salon slid open and a woman in a heavy powered armour suit quickly stepped out as a shoulder-mounted launcher slapped into place. The woman turned and fired at Goldie.
“Rockets ride on air!” he said softly, extending his left arm. A sharp breeze blew across his face as his hand seemed to cup the approaching weapon, guiding it over his head. “Control the air enough and you can make the launcher come to task with what they launched!” The rocket hit the suit in the chest and the resulting explosion was bright and powerful, shattering all the glass in a thirty-meter radius. The suit was blown backwards down the street, flying fifty meters before it struck ground and rolled to a stop. As it rolled, it was clear that the pilot was dead, as bits of her flew out of the hole from the centrifugal force.
Two women in lighter powered armour came out of the alley behind Goldie. Neither of the women had drawn a weapon yet, but they had committed to their attack, sliding to a hasty stop when Wraayna held up her hand.
“Hold!” she commanded as she looked around the area. When she got back to the slender youth, she lowered he hand. “They were following my orders. Don’t punish them for that.”
“Fealty!” Goldie commanded. “They swear to a deed and all eight can walk out of here.
“Make that seven,” Goldie whispered, spinning to his right. A woman in power armour landed in the middle of the street, thrusting a large spear down into the ground where Goldie had been standing. The energy-assisted weapon passed through asphalt and the supporting beam underneath as she landed with one knee on the ground.
“Suthatti!” Wraayna cried as she watched Goldie spin to his left, recovering most of the ground he had lost in the dodge. When he stopped, his stance was low, looking as if he had made a powerful swing; one of the blades that had been on his back was now in hand, and the tip was bloody. The end of the power spear fell to the street, as did the plating of the armour just under the chin. Blood spurted twice as the woman fell to her back. “No!” Wraayna shouted.
“Yes,” Goldie said softly, twirling his blade fast enough to remove the blood.
“O
nly an entity can make that cut through armour!” Wraayna roared. “Who has called down an entity on me?!”
“Were I an entity bound to one who could summon me, I would be obliged to tell you right now,” Goldie said, giving Mother a soft grin. “Notice how I say nothing. I am not something that can be summoned!”
“By the gods of my fathers, I ask for your protection!” Wraayna cried out, looking up at the ceiling of the deck. “A wild entity is here and means to destroy me. You are free to act, free to demonstrate your power!” All of the power in the sector of the Bowels surrounding them failed, and Wraayna gasped in delight and surprise. Goldie folded his arms and waited.
“Your plea has not gone unheard, child of Doro,” an echoing voice spoke as the blackness was filled in with stars. The two of them were no longer in Black Gate; they had been taken from that place, and Goldie recognized where they had been brought. He smirked and stepped back from the woman who called herself Mother. “By the law that was given, a claim of an entity mixing itself with the happenings of mortals has been made. Your request is thereby given audience.
“Behold!” Vrolpaz said as he appeared in front of Wraayna. Seeing the thirty-meter tall giant, for whom her people were named, caused the woman to lose the strength in her legs and she fell to the floor… a glass floor, polished to mirror all that stood upon it. Under the young swordsman, all that could be seen was a massive cloud of swirling mists that blocked her view of him. At Vrolpaz’s feet was a reflection of him… standing over a hundred meters tall, looking at her with a cross look on his face. Wraayna screamed when she looked at her own reflection. Her skin was dark and covered with sores and boils. Her hair was thin, stringy, and clumped in patches on her balding head. She was weak and ugly. Wraayna could not keep her eyes on the image and looked up at Vrolpaz in confusion.
“What is this?” she asked. “What does this mean?”
“What am I?” Vrolpaz asked of her.
“You are Vrolpaz,” she stated, “father of Rolpazion, the one who brought order to our people.”