“It was a generous offer. I appreciate your understanding.”
Anailu had a sense she was being watched, but with an intensity she'd never experienced. The count stepped closer to her – too close. Anailu stepped back and found her back pressed against the bulkhead.
“We still have the rest of today cooped up in these ships. Won't you at least join me for a while? I'm sure that if you spent more time with me that you'd appreciate my strengths.”
Before the first trip, Mrs. Torrell had warned Anailu that some powerful people thought their position, power, or wealth gave them the right to take what they wanted. Mrs. Torrell had bluntly stated that in those cases, Anailu's best option was to be prepared to stop that person if they wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Anailu had been a little surprised when Mrs. Torrell, of all people, had suggested she buy a concealable 3L pistol. The “3L” stood for Lethal and Less Lethal, because it gave the bearer both non-lethal and lethal options. Mrs. Torrell definitely wasn't messing around, because the design she suggested had only one trigger. You would pull it to a first stop to trigger an electric stun charge, then continue pulling the trigger through heavier resistance to fire a lethal shot. Anailu had trained with it until she was able to choose lethal or non-lethal with precision, even in intense training scenarios.
She'd never actually shot anyone, though, and she had no desire to. As Anailu reached into her pocket for the 3L, the count pressed her back against the wall. With a strange look in his eyes, he spoke quietly, but with more intensity.
“I can tell you really want it, and you're right to. I am going to give you more pleasure than you've ever experienced.”
Anailu suddenly tasted something sour and bitter, intense and strange. Forcefully, she shouted, “I'm not interested. Back off!”
For a moment, the count was confused and taken aback. The strange look came back into his eyes. “Then I will show you the pleasure I can give you.” He put his hand between her legs and touched her.
The next moment, he was on the floor groaning, stunned by Anailu's 3L. Anailu gave him another stun blast, just in case.
Her pistol was equipped with a “panic button” link that sent an alert to the Torrells' security center when it was fired. Also, the Queen had internal sensors that would pick up a blast, and those were linked to the Torrells' security, too. Regardless, Anailu called Mr. Torrell directly. She tagged it as an emergency call, so he picked up almost immediately.
“Are you OK, Anailu?”
“Obin, I just had to shoot the count.”
“What?”
“I mean, I stunned him. I had to, he tried to hurt me.”
“Are you injured?”
“I guess I'm OK. I can't believe....”
“OK, Anailu, don't go anywhere. My guys are on the way.”
Anailu looked down at the unconscious body at her feet. The way he was sprawled didn't look very comfortable. She was OK with that.
I actually shot someone. OK, it was just a stun shot, but still.
Then she realized what he had said, what he had tried to do.
I can't deal with that right now, I have to hold it together. Security will be here, and I'll have to talk to them. Anyway, I stopped him.
The first guard arrived. “Ma'am, are you OK?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“That's good. Would you mind putting your pistol on 'Safe' and handing it to me?” She nodded and did as he had asked. She hadn't even realized she still was holding it.
More guards arrived, then the doctor, who checked both the unconscious count and Anailu. When he was done, Security went about gathering physical evidence from Anailu and the unconscious count. Then the doctor took the count to the medical bay, while they asked Anailu to accompany them to their Security center, over on the Torrells' ship.
Once they had interviewed her, Mrs. Torrell came in, accompanied by the Countess Forvallete.
The two ladies reviewed the video recording of the events, and while Mrs. Torrell was visibly shocked, Countess Forvallete looked more disgusted and disappointed than surprised.
When they were finished watching, the countess sighed and turned to Mrs. Torrell. “There's really no question, is there?”
Mrs. Torrell shook her head. “It's very clear, I'm afraid.”
“Then I shall go see to my husband. I await your decision.” With that, the countess left the room.
Mrs. Torrell came over to Anailu and hugged her. “I'm so glad you're alright. And I'm so very sorry we couldn't stop him before he tried to hurt you. To think that that someone like the count would try something, especially here on the ship, where everything's monitored!”
“That's OK, Mrs. Torrell, I don't think anyone could have expected it. Besides, I did stop him.”
Mrs. Torrell hugged her again. “Yes, and you got him but good!”
Mrs. Torrell's expression became serious again. “I hate to bring this up right now, but you have to make a decision right now. You do have a right to press charges against the count, and I have no doubt that he would be found guilty in a court. That might not be wise for you, though. He has friends that will be displeased if he is embarrassed publicly, even though it is his fault. If you press charges against him, they will make life difficult for you, even out here on the Rim.”
“Are you suggesting that he should go free?”
“No, my dear. If you agree, there is an alternative. The count will still be tried, but quietly. He will be judged, and punished, by the Honor College. They act as a court for judging the wrongdoing of nobles while remaining discreet. I have no doubt they will punish him, but they will also require you to never discuss what he did to you. Also, if you accept this, then the College will block him or his friends from seeking revenge on you.”
Anailu slumped. She knew this outcome was pretty much inevitable. Rim spacers said, “Don't do business directly with a noble.” As long as you dealt with a non-noble servant, you could still get some sort of justice from the courts. The servant would always take the legal blame for any wrongdoing, to protect their master, but at least it was something. She knew that getting the count into court would be bad for her, no matter what happened to him.
Mrs. Torrell continued. “I know it's not what you might have hoped for, but it's as much justice as a citizen can get when dealing with a noble.”
Finally, Anailu nodded. “I understand. I can accept this 'Honor College' dealing with him.”
“I'm glad. There's one thing you must do to start the process. You will formally ask the countess to refer the matter to the Honor College, since she is the most senior noble present – aside from the count, of course. It's also more polite to ask her, rather than forcing her to beg you for it.”
Once the doctor had determined that the count was OK, the countess came and sat down with Anailu and Mrs. Torrell. The countess was very apologetic. “Captain, Mrs. Torrell, I apologize both for the my husband's actions and his rudeness to both you, Anailu, and to you, Mrs. Torrell, as our hostess.”
Anailu replied as Mrs. Torrell had instructed. “I accept your apology, Countess. I ask you to bring Count Forvallete's actions to the attention of the Honor College.”
The countess was visibly relieved. “On my personal honor, I will ensure the College will handle this matter promptly. I hope you will visit me when you are next in the Capitol, so I may thank you for your generosity. Among other things, I wish to introduce you to some of my friends who would be very pleased to make the acquaintance of a lady with such discretion.”
Anailu agreed to the countess' request, though she didn't expect to fulfill it any time soon.
The count's personal shuttle soon arrived at the camp, and the Forvalletes left immediately with their servants and luggage, even though the storm was still raging. Publicly, the reason was a “family emergency.”
Before they left, Anailu and Mrs. Torrell did see the count and countess for a few moments, where he formally apologized for his actions and his rudeness
and drunkenness. Anailu didn't recall him as being at all drunk, but mostly she was was still angry at him. She really wanted to hit him with another stun blast, but instead, she formally accepted his apology. No handshake was required, so Anailu did not give him one. With that final ordeal completed, the Forvallete group left, crossing through the storm to board their shuttle.
Since Count Forvallete had been the center of the whole group, the party was a little more subdued that evening.
Chapter 26: The Boss
The countess kept up a civilized appearance until she was alone with the count in their private cabin aboard their shuttle.
“You fool! Thinking with your cock, again! You are lucky that little captain was willing to be reasonable and ask for the Honor College. It's bad enough that your stupid, selfish attempt failed, but to attempt an Adjustment in a monitored space? Our master will not be pleased.”
“But she should have been easy to manipulate. There would have been nothing to see. I Probed her earlier, and she didn't show any signs of resistance.”
“Oh, yes, and we know how skillful you are with your Probes. Have you even been doing your daily exercises, since we left home?”
The count looked abashed. “As often as I can. You know I've been very busy.”
The countess sighed. “When you started learning to control the Aether, you were quite dedicated to your studies. We both know that only lasted until you achieved a level of power that let you reach your very small goals. If only the master had seen that before assigning me to marry you.
“Tell me, did you even consider what would happen if you had succeeded? That woman flies her own ship. It would be a fine thing if she suddenly became incapable, immediately after an assignation with you. You know that's exactly the sort of failure our master hates most – one that risks exposing us, without even a gain to offset it. Be glad you failed so miserably. At least this way you are just a fool and a failure, not a threat to us. It also means that when I report your actions, I should be able to convince him to let you live. Unlike our master, I believe your little project here may be important enough to excuse.”
The count finally understood the trouble he was in, so he managed a quiet, “Thank you, dear.”
“Good. Now here's what's going to happen. You're going to stay here on Doran and take charge of the project personally. I will ensure the Honor College requires nothing more of you than to maintain your exile here on Doran, while visiting no revenge on that woman. I am serious about that – if I hear that anything bad happens to her, I will assume it is your doing, even if the College does not.”
“But what if she gets herself into trouble? It might not be my fault at all!”
“You should hope she lives a quiet, safe life, then, shouldn't you? And you will avoid even attempting to Adjust anyone that might be noticed. I don't want our children to grow up fatherless.”
Chapter 27: Boom
Soon after that trip, Anailu was approached by government agents who required her to swear never to discuss her contract with Untsala, or anything she had done as part of it. They also supervised the wiping of all her logs of the flights and any records of the work she'd done under the contract.
At about the same time, the entire plateau above Arch Falls was declared an Imperial Security Zone for something called “Project Anchor.” Count Forvallete was announced as the head of the project, and he was staying on Doran to supervise in person. Anailu didn't think that was much of a punishment, but she couldn't do anything about it.
The plateau was now restricted to personnel who were part of the project, which disrupted things for the Torrells. The day on the plateau had been a popular part of their safaris. They were still permitted to use the campsite below the falls, but it wasn't the same. Each time they visited, Anailu could see more construction at the Project Anchor camp out in the middle of the plateau. She could also see a new residential compound planted smack dab in the middle of the old campsite in the mountains beside the falls. That quiet mountain meadow was totally gone.
The Project Anchor site had its own restricted-use landing field that grew into a full service port with a few Navy ships based there as security. As operations there grew, lots of Doran airships got contracts to carry personnel, food, raw materials, and other locally sourced supplies. Anailu tried for those contracts, but for some reason, she just couldn't win one. She wondered if that was because of the count; but if it was, there wasn't much she could do about it.
It was mildly annoying, but it wasn't a big concern. First, she had saved a lot of the money she'd earned working for Untsala. Second, she was still making money doing trips for the Torrells. Though they didn't have access to the plateau, they had more safaris. Technicians, scientists, administrators, and military personnel were coming to Doran for the project, and some of them wanted to experience “The Wonders of Doran.” Third, Anailu was able to get work carrying cargo and passengers elsewhere on Doran. “Project Anchor” was creating an economic boom, and transport was suddenly in demand. It seemed like every commercial pilot on Doran was busy and being well paid.
With the University project finally out of the way, she took the time to really look for her parts. She visited every hardware store, pawnshop, junkyard, or thrift store she could find on Doran. She even talked to a number of seedy characters of the sort that probably did not acquire their inventory legally. None of it paid off. She had no parts and no leads. Anailu was starting to feel like she was stuck at the bottom of the gravity well.
She had come up with another backup plan. After the end of the year-long contract with the Torrells, and after the trip she was planning to take to Telan, she might have enough money to buy a crappy little cargo ship. It would have to be cheaper than the one she had originally intended to buy, but it would still be a ship, and just possibly, she wouldn't have to sell the Queen to afford it. In that case, she might even be able to rent out the Silver Queen to the Torrells. She hadn't mentioned her idea to them, but they had already expressed interest in picking her contract back up if her big trip didn't pan out.
Even with the work and the searching, she had plenty of spare time, and she spent it playing StellaTactics. It was fun, and at least she could pretend to be out in space. Snow spent more time than Anailu in StellaTactics, and they became regular companions. Anailu was constantly amazed at her skill.
Chapter 28: Choosing
With about a month left on the contract, she got a surprising request from Snow: she wanted Anailu to come and visit her.
Many players shared personal details, but Snow hadn't shared anything. Many players who lived near the City came to faction meet-ups, but not Snow. The investigators hired by the faction knew details about all the players, but they didn't share the results of their investigation beyond a pass or a fail on the player's trustworthiness. The Bear Claws had a Rules Enforcement Committee that knew more about each player. For example, they did require their players to be the same sex as their in-game character. They were also very strict about stopping harassment of any kind. In rare cases when it happened, it was never an issue for long. The Rules Enforcement Committee also kept their knowledge about players confidential, so to Anailu, Snow was still quite a mystery.
But now, Snow wanted to meet Anailu, and she wanted to do it today, and she said it was urgent. Anailu was suspicious. She considered Snow a friend, but they'd never actually met. She decided to go, but she was going to take more than just the little 3L pistol. She also latched on the big pistols she'd gotten from Dodato. They were expensively stylish, but also expensively tough, accurate, and powerful. On Doran, carrying lethal arms wasn't necessary most of the time, but it was legal, and they were close enough to the Rim that it wasn't unusual to see spacers walking around armed. Anyway, the noodle shop where Snow wanted to meet was near an entertainment district with a bad reputation. Even in mid-morning, Anailu was more comfortable being openly armed in that neighborhood. The downside to the pistols was the flashy feather-styled holste
rs she would have to use. Dodato had used the same design as his insane 'uniform,' but in black rather than silver. That made them wearable, but Anailu still found herself wishing she'd taken the time to buy plain holsters.
At least they matched the uniform, and Anailu had already found that wearing the black uniform and some makeup helped her give off a “don't mess with me” vibe better than just being a nondescript grey girl in a nondescript shipsuit.
One thing it didn't help with was blending in on the street, especially with the lack of traffic at this hour. Anailu slowed down as she approached the noodle shop.
She could see the streetcorner shop was basically a row of stools at a counter, open to the outside. Right now, the only people in the place were the proprietor and a robed figure on a stool at each end of the counter. Was one of them Snow? From behind, she couldn't tell anything about them beyond their humanoid forms.
Anailu approached the nearer robed figure. “Snow?”
The figure turned and looked at her. It was an unkempt woman, her yellow jumpsuit dirty and unkempt, and noodles hanging from her mouth to the bowl as she stared back at Anailu.
The strange woman seemed familiar to Anailu somehow. More importantly, she was pretty sure this wasn't Snow. “Sorry, I'm looking for –”
The woman in yellow interrupted loudly, spewing half-chewed bits of noodle as she spoke. “You are looking when you should be listening. Only if you listen will you see your path as it narrows. If you lose your path, you will fall into...the noodles.” She paused, finally noticing the noodles in her mouth. She looked like she was tasting them for the first time. A look of shock came over her. “Oh, I'm drowning in the noodles! I've got to get to high ground!” The strange woman hopped off her stool and ran away down the street, leaving her unfinished meal behind.
The proprietor came over, glancing at Anailu as he wiped up the noodles. “Sorry about that. Don't pay any attention to what Mad Clara says. She's harmless. Usually, she just ignores most people, but I guess she's just having a bad day. Poor thing.” He shook his head and turned his attention to the mess.
The Sculpted Ship Page 18