The Matsumoto Trilogy: Omnibus Edition
Page 21
I was being moved on something, a rolling table, or a gurney or something. They must be trying to get me to medical. There were explosions in the back ground, loud eruptions, bangs of metal crashing into metal, the scream of metal tearing, and then the echoes of boot falls on the hard floor. My breathing was so slow now that I couldn’t even cry. I sighed. Acceptance. Here I go. Where’s the bright light?
One set of foot falls seemed closer, and then there were screams and the gurney or whatever it was jarred to a halt.
“Bring the medical team!” It sounded like Roman. His voice sounded high, like he was panicking about something.
I felt warm hands on my skin. They blazed like fire. Was it really so cold in here? I felt someone pull me up into a strong set of arms.
“Vera, it’s okay.” His voice was so gentle. I felt a gentle kiss on my forehead and then another in my hair. “I thought you were dead! When I couldn’t find you through the link I thought you were dead.”
I thought I felt hot tears on my face. That was funny. I’d stopped crying.
“This is all my fault. I’m so sorry Vera. I’ll never let you out of my sight again. I swear on my life.”
Someone else was in the room now. A second set of hands was running over me. They felt professional.
“We need to get her back to the medical bay immediately. Help me lift her.”
Medical. I couldn’t remember why that word gave me the creeps.
I felt motion and then something soft under my back. There was a brief pinch in my arm, and then everything finally did go black.
THE EX-PACIFIST: 36
I AWOKE TO THE SOUND of breathing. The steady in and out of was soothing. I lay very still and just let the sound of it wash over me. My head was throbbing. My mind felt fuzzy like someone had given me strong medication. I tried to move my head, but I was as weak as a newborn kitten and my attempt did nothing. It took tremendous effort to open my eyes. The bright light that flooded in when I did brought with it a sickening sense of déjà vu. Panicked, I fought to pull myself up, only to lose my purchase and thud back down again, my head heavy like a lead ball on the end of my neck.
My jostling had disturbed the heavy breather and I heard a long inhale. Then a smell like the outdoors and trees and metal mixed with the light musk of sweat came closer and I struggled to bring my head around to see.
“Who...?” I managed.
“It’s me,” Roman’s voice was soft beside me. I felt a gentle hand stroke the top of my arm. “You need to rest.”
“I’ll rest when I’m dead.” I spoke the cliché far more weakly than I’d meant to.
“You nearly are dead, or at least you were two days ago.”
“Two days ago?” My voice was pitched too high, even to me. “We only have two more days. We have to rescue her!”
“Rescue who?”
“Denise.”
“Not right now, little woman. You need to rest.”
“No I can’t rest. I have to save her. She was there, Roman, she was on the orbital.” I sounded so weak.
“Easy, girl. Do you want a drink?”
I was so thirsty. I hadn’t noticed until he asked.
“Yes,” I said. I heard the sound of water being poured.
“You are the only one we found on Veritas III. Denise, if she’s still alive, is somewhere else.” His hand reached under my head to support it as he raised the glass to my lips.
“With Eads McIsaac on his ship,” I croaked, struggling to sip the water. It tasted so sweet and cold.
“She’s with him?” Roman sounded startled. I tried to nod, realized my head wasn’t moving and whispered instead.
“Yes. Why am I so weak?”
“You were...badly damaged.” I thought I heard his voice crack over the word. He put down the glass and lowered me back onto the bed. “They had to put you under and pump you full of cellular rejuvenators. Your broken bones are mostly knit and your wounds are healing nicely, but you’ll be weak for days. That sort of healing acceleration takes its toll.”
So that was why I felt so fuzzy and had lost two days. It made sense. I had been a mess. I was lucky to be alive.
“You are lucky to be alive.” He echoed my thoughts. His face inches above mine. He must have been sprawled over the hospital bed beside me because I could see he was propped up on one elbow, his breath gentle against my face. It wasn’t minty fresh, but it was still pleasant. The familiar lines across his face were comforting.
“Where were you?” I asked, curious rather than accusing.
“I didn’t realize you were gone at first,” he said, not meeting my eyes. “I crashed into one of the staterooms so angry at you, and I just tried to block you out. I was only planning to be in there a few hours, but I fell asleep, and then when I woke up I went to replace Ian at the helm. I found him unconscious. He claimed he had no idea whether someone had hit him or if he’d been attacked. He’d been there all night. I was trying so hard to ignore you that I never noticed our link was severed until that moment. And then I thought...well, I thought you were dead.” He looked up at me finally and his eyes looked hollow. “I searched for you frantically, but I couldn’t find you and I thought that whatever happened to Denise and her protector happened to you too. I hadn’t heard anything, and Ian claimed he didn’t hear anything, but you were just missing. I called the Grey Pelican and I convinced the marines to help me rescue you.” He blushed here. “I told them we were going to rescue you, but Vera, God’s honest truth - I was sure you were dead. I brought them for revenge.
“When I found you there...shattered, but still alive. I went crazy. I had to save you. I can’t believe I let this happen to you. I shouldn’t be your guardian. I’ll give it over to someone more qualified the first chance I get, I swear.” His final words came out in a rush.
“Stop.” I glared at him. “We are in this together, Roman Aldrin. You are stuck with me, and you are my guardian. I’m the one who broke the connection. I knew it was stupid. I’m the one who was too blind to see what was all around me.” How could he go on like this when I was so clearly at fault?
“You can’t just forgive me like nothing happened,” Roman said, rubbing his forehead into his hand.
“Shut up, you idiot.” I said weakly, “Do you want me to find another guardian?”
“No.” He bit his lip.
“Then stop talking about leaving me. I was so worried about you while I was there. I was worried about what would happen to you if I didn’t come back.”
“You’re not the one who is supposed to be worried,” he said.
“Well, I was, so stay alive, so I don’t have to go through that again.”
I was blinking back tears, but our eyes were locked and shining. With a hiss of emotion I embraced him, and then fell back onto the pillows, exhausted by the effort. Roman swallowed.
“When I thought you were dead it broke me inside. You have to know that.”
I looked away, not able to take the intensity of his gaze.
“You’re my very best friend,” I said, my lips trembling. I knew it wasn’t enough, but wished it was.
He nodded, as if that was all he needed to hear, but I couldn’t help but wonder if he was hoping for more. I tried to change the subject back to things I could handle.
“Where are we?” I asked, making my tone as brisk as I could in my foggy state.
“On the Grey Pelican. We have a total of three ships in orbit here, two were sent by the Emperor as an advance team. The rest of their fleet will be here in two days unless we can settle things before then.”
“And where is Overseer Eads Mc Isaac?”
“He escaped in the commotion on Veritas III. We were hell-bent on finding you. We chose not to split our resources to pursue, but we did track his ship as far as our sensors could reach. He is not far from the planet Veritas III was orbiting.”
“Where are we?”
“Around Capricornia,” Roman’s voice sounded grim. “There has been
some political upheaval there, but it still had better medical facilities than we were equipped with. I thought it would be best to keep us nearby just in case.”
I must have been closer to death than I had realized.
“We need to go after Eads and find Denise. Today.” Tick Tock, I thought.
“Yes, and we will, but there is something else you might need to deal with first.”
“And what is that?”
Roman hesitated. “He wants to speak to you.”
“Eads?” I asked. What could he possibly say to make this right?
“No.” Roman’s mouth twisted into a sour expression. “Ian.”
I nodded, trying to process what he wasn’t saying. If there was political upheaval and Eads was nowhere to be found, then it was conceivable that his son was wielding some authority over Capricornia. If so, then I would need to speak to him as Ambassador Matsumoto, not as Vera. It was impossible for me to believe that he had no idea what his father was doing out in the darkness of space.
“Help me up, Roman. I need to dress and you need to arrange a meeting with Ian Mc Isaac.”
* * *
I rechecked my clothes carefully. Dark slacks and my own army-style jacket with a simple white seamless top beneath it. Roman had pulled them out of my bags, seemingly at random, but they were clothes and I wasn’t going to complain. They were better than a satin evening dress. I would never feel the same about turquoise again.
I had taken over the captain’s stateroom. It was tiny, like everything else on the ship, but it was the largest available room on the Grey Pelican and I needed to make this as impressive as I could. It was surprising how good Captain Travers had been about it. His was still awkward around me, but the entire crew seemed happier to see me than I would have expected. Apparently they were on my side in this battle, even if they’d thought of me as a traitor in the past.
The stateroom was both office and reception room, but it had never seen the eye of an interior decorator. I situated myself in the chair behind the desk and Roman stood at my right shoulder.
Ian had been frantically trying to communicate with the ship, and by the time Roman gave him permission to meet with me he had already boarded a shuttle and was on his way to meet us in orbit. I’d had barely twenty minutes to clean up and dress.
It was not easy with my many injuries, but they were more stiff and sore than anything. Roman had been right, the drugs that kept me out for so long had healed the worst of my wounds already. I could move my broken hand, although the movements were still stiff and painful, and there were fine lines on my cheek where the skin had split and been stitched. They looked weeks old rather than days. Modern medicine. I shivered at that thought, and suddenly a visual image of rows upon rows of deformed babies in yellow gel flooded into my mind.
Three Imperial Marines were stationed in the room with us. I saw one put his finger to his ear and then look in my direction. The marines on the other side of the door must be telling him Ian had arrived. I nodded at him and the door slid open.
Ian strode in looking as nervous as a dog before a thunderstorm. His hair was in disarray and he hadn’t taken his usual care in dressing. He stopped in the center of the small room and looked at me. I saw his throat move as he swallowed. I waited, letting the tension build, forcing him to break it.
“Ambassador Matsumoto,” he started and then cleared his throat. “I represent the new planetary government of Capricornia. As the new Overseer of Capricornia, I wish to convey our sincerest apologies for the treatment you suffered under the former regime.”
“Apologies?” I made my voice cold and hard. Ian looked terrified. There must be something in my face I didn’t know was there. “I am Vera Matsumoto, the Voice of the Emperor of the Blackwatch Empire. As his Voice I have the power to declare war on any government that raises itself up against the Empire.”
I did have that right, although whether Nigel would honour it would be a sticky subject. Most likely he would – not for my sake, but for the sake of every other Matsumoto. We can’t allow governments to think they can treat our Ambassadors this way.
Ian swallowed, his eyes glued to my face, like he couldn’t look away. “I’m so glad that you’re ok. I was so worried. Vera, the…”
“Enough, Ian,” I said coolly. “Our situation has changed now.”
He nodded, and I saw disappointment flash across his eyes. I knew what he was thinking - that things could never be the same. No more stolen kisses or talk about running away together for us. Our positions made that impossible now. I felt pity begin to form for him, but first I had to know.
“Did you know what your father was doing on the orbital, Ian?” I asked quietly.
“I swear I didn’t,” he said, deflating.
I nodded to him with sadness and compassion in my eyes. I believed him, but I had to keep going. This wasn’t just about us, it was about both our governments, and some things just had to be done.
“Do you think that the actions of your Government could be construed as an act of war?” I asked quietly.
He hesitated. Obviously honesty was warring with the desire to save his planet. After all, I may be a single tiny woman far from home, but Capricornia was a single solitary planet and Blackwatch was an Empire composed of seven planets. When the Emperor sneezed, a little planet like this trembled.
“Ambassador, Capricornia has risen up against those who have mistreated you. Their death warrants are already signed by the Supreme Court.” His face was pale as he spoke. No wonder. The worst of those who ‘mistreated’ me was his father. This was not a happy time for Ian.
“Good,” I said. He let out a breath. “But not good enough.” A look of alarm returned to his face. “As the Voice of the Emperor of the Blackwatch Empire I hereby demand the surrender of your planet, Capricornia. Our terms of surrender are this: you will swear fealty to the throne of the Blackwatch Empire and your planet will be absorbed into the Empire with all the loyalties, strictures and privileges that entails. If you do not accept our terms, the full force of our military power will be brought to bear against your citizenry.”
Ian was visibly shaken. He had just been raised to the highest position in his country only to discover that things were even worse than he’d feared.
“Listen to me, Ian,” I said, with steel in my voice. “That day at the Weeping Falls in front of the monument you pushed me into making a vow. Do you remember?”
He nodded.
“So do I, and this is me keeping it.”
“I…” he seemed afraid to go on, but then he let out a long breath, as if steeling himself and then sank gracefully to his knees. “As Overseer of the Planet of Capricornia, head of her government and father to her people, I offer you, the Empire of Blackwatch, our full surrender, relinquishing the sovereignty of our planet to his Imperial Highness Nigel Matsumoto and claiming the full rights and benefits to citizenship under his reign. By my own honour and the honour of Capricornia, I so swear it.”
It wasn’t the official form, but it would do. It had been caught on the security cameras, and with Roman and the marines in the room to serve as witness it was legally binding.
I answered with the official words, “Enter into our Empire with the blessing of the Matsumotos. We will defend you and yours in so far as law and justice allows. We will keep you and yours in the manner of all our citizens. Our laws shall bind you. Our military protect you. You shall be our vassal, but also our son. By the true honour and the seal of our word we bind you to us today. Welcome.”
I sat down. I was too exhausted to stand anymore anyhow. Two teenagers had just made a bargain that was going to change the shape of a world.
Ian looked uncertain, still kneeling on the ground.
“Oh get up, Ian,” I said. His confusion was obvious as he pulled himself to his feet. “Pull up a chair. You might not realize it yet, but we’ve just saved your planet.”
“How is that possible?” he asked, taking the chair.
He nodded appreciatively.
“Now that the formalities are over I want to hear everything that happened here. From the beginning.” My face was still stern, but my tone had relaxed. He had to know I meant business, but he was still Ian.
“The council had been concerned for some time over some of my father’s…activities.” Ian began, settling himself awkwardly into the chair. “They were willing to turn a blind eye, but then both you and Denise Matsumoto went missing. When you disappeared I was concerned. My father had placed you in my care. My reputation was on the line.” He had the grace to blush before continuing. “The council called me in for a full report. By that time your guard here,” he said, nodding at Roman, “was already causing a disruption, insisting that a police investigation was not enough. He threatened war if we did not return you.”
Roman nodded in the back ground. I felt a surge of pride. That was brilliant. Roman didn’t have the power to make good on that, but seeing as our ships were days away it would have looked like he did. He must have thought there was a chance I was still alive, even though he was so sure that I had to be dead.
“We insisted that he return to your ship and that they leave planetary orbit. We thought he was taken care of when he complied. We were so busy searching for my father that we did not notice that they were lingering near Elflora. It was only when the Grey Pelican’s marines boarded the orbital that the council realized we were on the brink of war. We didn’t even realize you had been rescued until a day ago, when the Captain of your ship pulled into orbit and demanded that we put our medical facilities on alert. We were horrified by what he told us. If you were dead...” His eyes told the story. He was right. Disgraced Matsumoto or not, Nigel would have razed this planet in reprisal if they had killed me, just like he was planning to do for Denise. Matsumotos are implacable enemies. While we Ambassadors are sworn to personal pacifism, the Emperor has the right to execute or kill anyone he pleases – even entire planets. “The council had already been arguing over a new head of government. With the threat of war before us, a quorum managed to agree for long enough to choose me as successor. They raised me to Overseer and sent me to meet you with the authority to do what was needed to make peace.”