The Matsumoto Trilogy: Omnibus Edition

by Sarah K. L. Wilson

  That’s sounds annoying.

  You have no idea.

  “Understood, Planetary Protocol. Ambassador Matsumoto out.”

  I tapped the screen to end the connection and looked at the communications officer. She had the packet uploaded and displayed on her largest screen.

  I heard a collective sigh as the crew noted the visitor’s list. I hadn’t realized they were all watching until that moment. Roman and I were the only ones on it. It looked like they’d all be stuck on ship until the assignment was over. I was surprised by their relief. I would have thought that going planetside would be a welcome relief from the everyday routines of ship-board life. Apparently they were willing to make an exception for Capricornia. I wondered how much of the situation they knew and how much of it was just their desire to be away from me. I passed my hand-held unit to the communications officer.

  “Please upload the packet onto this for me,” I said. There was no way I was going to mess with her terminal without her permission. I turned to the Captain, “I’m afraid I’ll have to stick to these protocols, Captain, but I will keep you informed as to our progress.”

  “Of course Ambassador. How soon would you like me to order a shuttle to the planet for you?”

  “As soon as possible, Captain.”

  “Thank you Ms. Matsumoto. Please accept my best wishes for your mission.”

  I gave him a nod of gratitude, which he returned awkwardly, shooting me another one of his sideways glances. He was still uncertain about how to treat a teenage murderer.

  I went with the yeoman to oversee the transfer of our gear to the shuttle. Once we were loaded the pilots began the launch sequence as Roman and I strapped ourselves in.

  The shuttle ride was identical to the one we took just a few days before with only one marked difference. This time Roman didn’t ignore me from his perch beside the doors.

  Ready, Vera?

  As I’ll ever be.

  You’re good at this, you know. If you hadn’t been forced into this situation you’d be on the fast track to becoming the top Ambassador in Blackwatch.

  I couldn’t fully disguise the wave of regret that I let through the channel as I responded, No doubt.

  We waited in a heavy silence and I couldn’t shake the thought that Denise had been in this exact same position just a few weeks ago. She had sat in a shuttle hurtling towards Capricornia, probably reading the same planetary protocols list. I pursed my lips and tried not to think too hard about what it would mean if I couldn’t find her.

  I opened the itinerary with dread. There really were two full weeks of scheduled events listed here, although the river cruise in the first week and surfing demonstrations were not the sort of protocols I remembered seeing on any other ambassadorial trip. The itinerary read more like a debutante’s vacation than a cultural requirement.

  The Matsumoto’s position is to respect all planetary protocols that we can. This was not going to work for me. I had two weeks total, and I had already lost three days in transit. That left me with just eleven more days to find Denise and send word to the Emperor before he brought all hell down on this rogue planet.

  What boring diplomatic party do they have planned for tonight? Roman asked, breaking the monotony of my thoughts.

  Looks like an introduction to the Planetary Overseer and welcome party on the Cajun Sea, South Camry Beach.

  There was a mental chuckle – a quick flash of gold and then Roman said, Doesn’t sound like the usual diplomatic fare.

  No, but don’t get your hopes up. You won’t have time to be looking at the bikini-clad babes, you’ll be too busy guarding my butt.

  Which is exactly what I prefer. His grin added a different meaning to that statement, but I ignored him. After a moment he piped up again. Bikini clad, hmmm?

  Are your ears full of wax?

  Certainly not. I’m just enjoying the thought.

  His cinnamon eyes twinkled at me and I shot him a look full of disapproval. This was not the time for joking.

  I had chosen my outfit carefully, not wanting to look anything but professional, but not wanting to seem too grim when first meeting the head of their government. In deference to the planetary climate I chose a white leather jacket with an orange linen top to go with blue jeans – that’s one tradition Blackwatch has never lost. Whoever invented blue jeans should have been given the Blackwatch Star.

  The outfit was comfortable and utilitarian, but still formal enough for my position. I double checked it carefully, making sure I was put together enough for our first meeting. Any problem with my appearance could reflect badly on me and I needed every scrap of respect I could get if I was going to find a way to cut those planetary protocols short.

  I sighed and pulled my long hair into a ponytail, glancing over Roman’s clothing. Now was our last chance to make any changes. Roman was dressed very simply, as I had come to realize was his style. He wore dark wash jeans, a light shirt and a sharply tailored, army-style jacket. Since the day I’d met him I’d never seen him without the jacket. It was serviceable, and at least he didn’t look homeless, but that was the best I could say about it. After a moment’s consideration I decided not to comment. He was only my bodyguard and he would have to do as he was.

  THE EX-PACIFIST: 19

  ONCE WE BROKE ATMOSPHERE I kept my eyes glued on the green orb of the planet. I’ve seen my share of planets, but this one took the cake as far as green went. It was every shade of green from emerald to sage. I had read up on Capricornia. It was a planet with a very moderate climate and a tendency toward high rain falls. It was predominantly jungle, and that’s what it looked like from above.

  When we finally landed, I could see that the jungle might not be as welcoming here on the surface. A crew of workers and maintenance machines were laboring beside the landing pad to clear excess plant foliage. A small stubbly vine had overtaken two of the pad’s corners

  It felt strange to land on a simple pad. Usually, when we landed on planet it was at a huge spaceport with hundreds of shuttles. Long halls usually led to various shipping lines and passengers and cargo lined the port and blocked the way at every turn.

  Here on Capricornia, we had landed on a simple pad with a small tower to one side and a few land vehicles parked along the side of the tower. I was taken aback. Was Capricornia really so unfriendly that they saw this little outside traffic? The Protocols Officer had been unfriendly, sure, but I hadn’t expected their extreme security to limit interplanetary visitors. With a start I realized there were armed guards surrounding the tower.

  Roman peered out the shuttle door, too. When he saw the guards he slid easily in front of me, as if his body could protect me from them.

  Maybe this is why the crew didn’t want to come planetside.

  You caught that, too? I asked.

  It was a bit obvious.

  We started down the stairs and the humidity hit me hard, clogging my breath with clingy heat. We were greeted immediately by a sharply dressed young man and his entourage. It looked like we were getting the official greeting. A tall guy about two years older than me pushed himself forward.

  “Ambassador Matsumoto,” he greeted me in a rich, cultured voice, “Welcome to Capricornia, the universe’s bounty to us. I am the Planetary Overseer’s son and chief advisor, Ian McIsaac, and I will be liaising with you throughout your stay here. I hope you enjoy Capricornia as much as all of her citizens do.”

  I was surprised by Ian. He was fit and tall, with unusually light coloring. Most people are the brown-skinned, brown-eyed mix of many races combining over hundreds of years, but Ian’s skin was light and his hair had a reddish color that was very uncommon. The coloring made him exotic looking and only added to his muscular build and perfect features. My first reaction to him was attraction and I tried my best to keep any hint of that from entering my thoughts. The last thing I needed was for Roman to catch wind of that.

  Nice, monkey boy matches you perfectly. No one told me there was a dress co
de.

  Until Roman mentioned it I hadn’t noticed that Ian was dressed almost identically to me, except with a more masculine cut to his white jacket and orange shirt.

  Monkey boy?

  His ears stick out.

  If they did, it was barely noticeable. I frowned mentally, and tried to make my mental voice biting.

  Thanks, Roman, your comments are very helpful.

  “Thank you Mr. Mc Isaac. I am grateful that the Capricornian government has made me such a priority as to send you personally. I’m sure your planet will prove delightful, but this is not a pleasure cruise for me.”

  “Of course not, Ms. Matsumoto,” Ian smiled warmly, “But I’m afraid that our culture demands certain things of visiting dignitaries, and I’m sure you will comply for the sake of tradition.”

  That guy needs to get out more. More helpful comments from Roman.

  Shut up and keep your eye on the perimeter, Aldrin.

  Don’t worry, Vera, I can do my job. Don’t forget yours.

  Roman was much more distracting than Edward had ever been. I rallied, though, and answered Ian McIsaac with an appropriately diplomatic tone.

  “Let me assure you that we do not wish to insult your culture or your traditions, Mr. McIsaac, but my cousin is missing and I must make her recovery my top priority.”

  “You’re concerns are not lost on me, Ms. Matsumoto. We have investigative teams looking for your cousin as we speak. As this is their home planet, they will be far better equipped to find her. Besides, Denise Matsumoto followed our planetary protocols to the letter until the night she disappeared. You will, in fact, be following the path she took. You would want to do that anyways, wouldn’t you?”

  “Thank you Mr. McIsaac. I will be happy to follow the same path my cousin took.”

  I guess we aren’t getting off the hook that easily, I said to Roman.

  Good. Bikinis, here we come.

  “Excellent, then please allow me to convey you to our summer palace where you will be staying while in the capitol.” The grin Ian flashed me was a bit contagious and I found myself joining him in his cheerfulness. After all, I would have had to re-trace Denise’s steps anyway, right?

  Our gear was loaded into a dark aircar with ease and precision, but when I went to enter it, Ian took my arm gently and steered me towards a luxury aircar parked behind the first.

  “Ambassador, you must ride with me,” he smiled, his eyes flashing with charm. “Unless of course, you don’t like driving with the top down?”

  I examined the aircar. It had sleek lines and a smooth platinum finish that glinted in the sun. Perfect. Summer palace. Sports car. I thought this was supposed to be punishment.

  She’s beautiful. Designed off of an old earth Viper. He must have sold the farm to purchase this pretty lady.

  Apparently Roman was an aircar aficionado.

  He owns the planet, or did you forget?

  Is that what all that Overseer nonsense meant? It looks like Planetary Owner Ian is our driver.

  I looked up, startled to see that the rest of the entourage had left with our luggage. Ian was holding the door open and smiling like a real gentleman. I took the seat offered.

  “Are you driving us yourself?” I asked, surprised.

  “On Capricornia we like to provide a personal touch,” Ian said, slipping into the driver’s seat. Roman settled himself in the backseat with a scowl. I guess he didn’t like being an afterthought.

  “Tell me, Ian, do you live at the summer palace?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then we’ll see a lot of you on our visit?”

  He leaned in as if this were an intimate moment and spoke in a velvet voice, “Actually, Ambassador, I am your guide for the entire trip. I will never leave your side.” I almost expected him to kiss my hand.

  Oh great.

  I blinked. Roman and I had expressed the exact same thought at the exact same second. I shot him an annoyed glance, but he looked like he was close to laughter. If Edward was like a father to me, then Roman was like an annoying brother.

  I heard that. You have to be more careful what you let slip, sis.

  That was strange. I’d never had this much leak-through with Edward. He had never heard any of my thoughts except what I expressly put into the channel for him.

  “Did you provide that kind of service for Denise?” I asked.

  “Unfortunately, no. One of our protocol officers was in charge of her hospitality. He is in custody on charges of neglect until this whole woeful situation is resolved. But please, enough of such painful talk. Are you truly royalty, Vera? I’ve never met a princess before.” He smiled winningly.

  “I’m not a princess, I’m a Matsumoto.”

  “Well, your beauty treatments on Blackwatch must be extraordinary. You don’t look more than sixteen,” he said. I should have found it insulting, but the intimate way his eyes traced my face made it sound like a compliment. Taken aback, I could only blurt out the truth.

  “I am sixteen.”

  “Really?” he seemed pleased, “I thought I was the only one to have so much responsibility so young. I just turned eighteen.”

  He flashed me a smile that showed a row of perfect white teeth and then turned to focus on a particularly tricky piece of road.

  We had landed along the coast of one of their oceans- the Cajun Sea, no doubt- and our route followed the winding coastline. On one side of me was gorgeously groomed jungle and on the other side was perfect blue water. You could actually feel the oxygen hitting your lungs. After a few days on a starcraft breathing recycled air, it was intoxicating. I felt more alive than I had in days.

  Ian drove masterfully, with the same assurance that he had in everything. Just a moment I allowed myself to enjoy the ride with the wind flowing through my hair, and the beautiful planet scrolling out before me. Roman saw to it that the moment faded quickly.

  He’s a real piece of work.

  Just to be contrary I countered him.

  I think I’m starting to like him.

  You would.

  What was that supposed to mean?

  “Mr. McIsaac…”

  “Call me Ian,” he interrupted with a warm smile.

  “Ian, where are we headed tonight?”

  “Camry Beach. My father would like to meet you. He is very careful to get to know all our planetary visitors in person.”

  “How can he meet all of them? You must have visitors coming here all the time. This planet is beautiful.”

  Ian smiled, as if he had personally made the planet beautiful and turned his attention fully to me.

  “Capricornia is a closed planet. Only our citizens and our approved guests are permitted here. When the planet was settled by the Capricornia Science and Ecological Harmony Cooperative, we set out to make a world where humans could enjoy the beauty of the planet without harming the ecology in any way. Not everyone shares our vision, so we have to be careful who we invite here.” He said it all with a perfect smile, like he’d said it a thousand times. “Don’t worry, Vera. One of the reasons I am here is to keep you from causing any harm while you are enjoying yourself. Maybe you will fit in here so well that we’ll invite you to become a citizen.”

  “What about me?” Roman asked. I realized it was the first thing he’d said to Ian.

  Ian didn’t respond, turning back to the road, and I wondered if he had even heard Roman.

  My sixth sense was screaming at me that something was wrong, but no matter how hard I tried to think of what it could be, nothing seemed to be obvious.

  THE EX-PACIFIST: 20

  THEY PULLED OUT ALL THE stops for this shindig. Roman couldn’t hide his awe. And I didn’t blame him. The party was incredible. Camry Beach was miles long and packed with people. Even in evening dress they seemed bent on making this the party of a lifetime. As we stepped out onto the beach the fireworks were already starting.

  “Are we late?” I asked Ian, who was escorting me up the long flower-strewn pat
h to the dais beyond. “They’ve already started the fireworks.”

  I’d changed into evening wear at the summer palace. My slinky red dress was short enough to be appropriate for the beach, but sophisticated enough for an Ambassador. Roman was still in his standard jeans and army jacket combo. He looked terrible beside Ian’s debonair linen suit

  “Not at all,” Ian said with a grin, “Those fireworks are to welcome you. It’s not every day that we entertain foreign royalty on Capricornia. A Matsumoto in our midst is a true honor.”

  Suck up.

  I ignored Roman. He was still bitter at having to walk behind us ‘like a guard dog trailing behind his master’ was how he’d phrased it.

  I wondered if they’d had this same party for Denise. She would have loved it. After all her whining about boring diplomatic parties, it would have been great to see the look of shock on her face at this one.

  “I am honored, Ian,” I said, surprised by the gesture. After being a pariah, I had forgotten all about my celebrity status. It was refreshing to realize that these people had no idea about exactly what sort of position I was in now.

  He’s right, you are royalty. You deserve an appropriate welcome.

  I had no idea where that was coming from. I risked a glance back, but Roman’s face remained impassive. I only knew he was setting the stage for a joke when I felt the ripples of gold come through the channel.

  And he’s getting ready to give you just that.

  I’m sure Ian is a perfect gentleman.

  Ian, is it? What happened to Mr. McIsaac?

  He’s being perfectly civil to me, I feel it’s only right to return the favor.

  What business was it of his anyways?

  And I’m sure he’ll remain civil - right up until the minute he’s not.

  His tone came through as ironic. It was a silly thing to say, like one of those stupid chicken-or-the-egg statements. I ignored it, focusing on the party instead.

  Food was everywhere, decorated into beautiful patterns and pictures. Thousands of people were eating and laughing, or dancing on the glittering dance floors set up all along the beach. It was dusk already, but between the tiny lights hovering around the perimeter, the huge bonfires, and the holo-art glowing on perfectly placed platforms, it was more than bright enough to see everything.