by Jeremy Dwyer
Klemens turned to Perikles and whispered: “Smile at her. At least once.”
Perikles smiled in Fotini’s direction, but it was less than authentic. She smiled back, thinking it to be real.
“Klemens, can you detect the thoughts of the Jeshirinko commanders?” Nikon asked.
“Yes,” Klemens said.
“How about Xiomara?” Nikon asked.
“No. Not yet,” Klemens said.
“Perikles, give a visor to Fotini. She will need to see the attack bridge clearly in order to navigate when we arrive,” Nikon said.
Nikon took another pair of diamonds from his coat pocket and altered their low-level structure. When they had the necessary optical properties to view the displaced structure, he handed them to Fotini. She smiled brightly and said “Thank you, Perikles” and then placed the altered diamonds in her visor as filters over top of the solar shading lenses it already had.
~~~
The Azure Solar Acolyte was anchored along a pier extending from the southern coast of Nataloridivu. Dockworkers and carpenters hung over the sides by ropes, inspecting the repairs to the hull. Captain Porfirio walked around the edges of the deck and supervised them.
Duchess Uliana stood on the deck of the ship, flanked by the Torches of Majesty: Blazer Endrit, Blazer Luken and Blazer Darakizar. Nehexalor was also there. They all faced the attractive woman who stood before them.
“Tell them what you told me, Xiomara,” Duchess Uliana said.
“The Jeshirinko invading army will appear to be twelve (12) miles to the west of this point, but they will actually be arriving here. The constructor was modified to make special use of the Lujladia Ocean waters to assemble crystal bridges. The light distortion from the constituent water crystals will cause a displacement effect, the same effect that causes navigational error when sailing that ocean. The illusion is large enough to make entire mountains appear in the wrong position, so it can easily make a five (5) mile long, two (2) mile wide platform appear a few miles in either direction,” the attractive woman – Xiomara – said.
“You could easily be giving us misinformation. Why should we believe you?” Duchess Uliana asked.
“If I wanted you defeated, all I had to do was not show up. But I did show up to warn you, because I have no love for the Jeshirinko warlords, and I have nothing but hatred for the central bank that controls them,” Xiomara said.
“Who do you work for? Or who did you work for?” Duchess Uliana asked.
“I used to work for the central bank. They have special agents all over the world who manipulate their enemies with telepathy and every other power. That’s how they stay rich: by sabotaging, bankrupting or attacking everyone who competes with them. They counterfeit currency, bribe or threaten labor unions and conduct secret wars. I don’t even have to like you to hate them, and I have no grudge against you,” Xiomara said.
“Why did you work for the central bank at all?” Duchess Uliana asked.
“To break the central bank from the inside. I know some of their worst secrets. I have detailed records of what they’ve done, hidden all over. If anything happens to me – if the central bank manages to kill me – I have friends who know the same secrets,” Xiomara said.
“You seem particularly fierce, even ready to give your life, on this mission of yours. What did they do to you, personally? I’ll trust you more if you can tell me,” Duchess Uliana asked.
“I grew up in the Solkidian Trail, in a family of rice and barley farmers. When I was nineteen (19), the central bank’s agents moved in, destroyed and confiscated ninety-five (95) percent of our farmland – just like they did to other families – to grow their own crops and trees. We went from poor to dead broke. The land that was left had bad soil, and my brother was the only Gradaken drinker in the family. They conscripted him at sword point and forced him to work their fields. We had nothing left. My parents died hungry, too poor to buy imported food or pay for transport out of there,” Xiomara said.
“How did you escape?” Duchess Uliana asked.
Xiomara eased her powers over light and removed the illusion of beauty around her.
Duchess Uliana winced at the sight of the disfigured woman, covered in bruises and scars and missing her right forearm.
“Not by looking like this. I did things I don’t want to talk about. Let’s just say that I learned how to fight along the way, but I made a few mistakes at first, and they cost me. Now, I have to play the game differently. This is the real me: the look I’m ashamed of. You think I want to show you this? You think I can have a relationship with a man looking like this? I’m fifty-two (52) and even if my life had been easy, my best years are behind me. After all the damage that’s been done to my body, there’s no chance for me to find any kind of life partner or lover. Not if he sees the real me. I live a lie because the truth hurts too much. I have to wear a mask of illusions to get by. But I want to unmask the central bank, and show the ugly truth of what those bastards do,” Xiomara said.
“You’re convincing…mostly; but we don’t have a telepath to verify your statements. This could all be an elaborate deception by a gifted actor. You know how to manipulate appearances, obviously. Yet, we can’t be sure we’re seeing the real you,” Duchess Uliana said.
“When the Jeshirinko warlords come here, under the command of the central bank, you had better be ready. Do not let them take your land without paying some kind of heavy price. They richer they get, the stronger they will get, and the more they will do this to everyone else. They’ve bankrupted empires for eons. I have proof of what I’m saying, and it’s written all over. I’ve spent the last thirty-three (33) years spying on them and documenting it,” Xiomara said.
“If the proof is so convincing, why not just release it and turn everyone against the central bank? By delaying the disclosure, you’re just giving them more opportunities to commit all the corrupt acts you’re accusing them of. Can you explain that?” Duchess Uliana asked.
“The central bank is too powerful to confront directly. You have no idea how capable they are, because they’ve hidden it so well. Their agents are everywhere, manipulating every line of business, across every continent, across every land bridge, across every ocean, and on the most valuable islands. They have weapons from the first age, but they’re keeping them secret until they need to show their strength. The only way to deal with the central bank is to stage your own covert operations and make them think you’re playing along. If you fight, you need to make it look like you’re fighting someone else, or for a different cause. You need to game the system,” Xiomara said.
“You don’t know the extent of our power, Xiomara. Blazer Endrit, show her what we do to our enemies,” Duchess Uliana said.
Blazer Endrit drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from his vial and was energized with the power to listen to the sounds of the stars and to turn water into fire. He held out his hands and exerted his powers, drawing up a stream of water from the Lujladia Ocean below and igniting it to form a fireball.
“If you’re lying – if this report you gave is really a covert operation against us – Blazer Endrit will burn you alive and make you wish you still looked as good as you do right now. Do you understand me, Xiomara?” Duchess Uliana asked.
“Yeah, I understand. Now, tell me, can they all do that?” Xiomara asked.
Blazer Luken and Blazer Darakizar each drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from their own respective vials and were similarly energized. They drew up streams of water from the Lujladia Ocean below and ignited them, forming their own fireballs.
“Good. Now save it for the attack ships. They’ve got three hundred eighty-four (384) frigates, including their command ship, the Coherent. General Tiglath and Admiral Erisinni will be on board. Send your heat in their direction and you might just have a chance,” Xiomara said.
“You’re insistent on this matter, girl. You may still be a well-trained liar. However, do not take me for a fool. I need proof, not
passion,” Duchess Uliana said.
“If they come to attack, that’s proof enough for me,” Blazer Endrit said.
“I’ll be listening for their arrival,” Nehexalor said. He drank anew of the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean from his vial to be energized with the powers of sound and music. He concentrated and listened for the sounds of approaching ships.
~~~
The Greatest Future sailed quickly and moved in front of the Jeshirinko fleet, but was cloaked such that they could not be seen by the warships in the fleet.
“I see the Jeshirinko fleet. We passed them,” Fotini said.
“Good, Fotini. Keep slightly ahead of them at all times,” Perikles said.
“I’m going to help you every step of the way, Perikles. You can depend on me,” Fotini said. She continued steering the Greatest Future and maintaining a slight lead over the warships in the Jeshirinko fleet.
“If the enemy attacks, we will be the first to suffer damage,” Nikon said.
“Have you forgotten the details of my plan already? This ship is cloaked with crystals for light distortion and sound dampening. We discussed this before. I am not worried about our safety. You need to trust in my crystal manipulation expertise,” Perikles said.
“Your plan is quite bold, Perikles. We may be hidden from view, but you are putting us all on the frontlines of the battle. We are not shielded from fire or arrows or cannons,” Nikon said.
“I trust you, Perikles,” Fotini said.
Klemens probed Fotini’s thoughts and knew that her trust actually meant love. He wasn’t sure if he absolutely trusted Perikles’ overall strategy or his design, however. Klemens probed the thoughts of Perikles to see if the man was truly comprehensive in his plan, and if there were any doubts, but he found none. “You have no fear of failure, Perikles,” he said.
“I plan for success. I achieve it by paying attention to even the low-level structural details, designing them correctly and adjusting as necessary,” Perikles said.
~~~
Admiral Erisinni sailed the Coherent to the predetermined point five (5) miles south of the southern coast of the continent of Nataloridivu. There, he pulled levers to bring the ship to a full stop in the Lujladia Ocean. The other three hundred eighty-three (383) ships in the fleet stopped beside him.
“This is the full stop point, General Tiglath,” Admiral Erisinni said.
“I’ll take it from here, Admiral,” General Tiglath said. He exited the wheelhouse and went out on deck. Erlend was there, alongside Lieutenant Skender and Lieutenant Delfina.
General Tiglath drank anew of the waters of the Medathero Ocean from his vial to be energized with the power of calm, rational thought. He observed the formation of the ships around the Coherent and determined that they were not precisely positioned according to his earlier instructions. “Lieutenant Skender, contact the captains of the other ships. Prepare to relay my instructions to them. Their formation is incorrect,” he said.
“Yes, sir,” Lieutenant Skender said. He drank anew of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean from his vial to be energized with the powers of telepathy and empathy.
“Note the ships to which I am pointing, Lieutenant Skender. Inform their captains to move forward or backward, according to where I indicate,” General Tiglath said. He began pointing to several of the ships, then gesturing which directions he needed them to move, whether forward or backward.
Lieutenant Skender telepathically signaled the captains of the other ships in the fleet, and relayed to them the orders to move their vessels into position.
General Tiglath looked out toward the other ships in the fleet and calculated which were correctly positioned. When they were all in formation according to his design he said: “The ship formation is now correct, Lieutenant Skender. No more movements.”
“Yes, sir,” Lieutenant Skender said.
“Is the constructor ready, Erlend?” General Tiglath asked.
“Yes, General,” Erlend said.
“Good, Erlend. Now, activate the constructor to assemble the attack bridge. Lieutenant Skender, monitor his thoughts to be sure he cooperates,” General Tiglath said.
Lieutenant Skender probed the thoughts of Erlend, and found that the architect intended to cooperate and not attempt any sabotage, if only to preserve his own life and wellbeing.
“Lieutenant Delfina, record all that you see. I want a precise record of the execution of this attack, for training and analysis,” General Tiglath said.
“Yes, sir,” Lieutenant Delfina said. She drank anew of the waters of the Ursegan Ocean from her vial to be energized with the power to slow the passage of time. This would allow her to monitor the details of the attack no matter how quickly it proceeded. Also, this power would allow her to react quickly in case there was any threat to her personally from either a failure or a counterattack. Delfina was fearful that this operation might not be as successful as General Tiglath expected, and she needed to be ready to escape. With Lieutenant Skender focused on Erlend’s thoughts, she hoped he wouldn’t notice her own fearful musings.
Erlend drank anew of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean from his vial to be energized with the power to manipulate crystal and stone. He held up the control sapphire and altered its low-level structure to release the control signal. A beam of blue light emanated from it toward the sapphires at the tips of the thirty-four (34) constructor pillars, one (1) of which stood on the deck of the Coherent and one (1) pillar stood on each of the thirty-three (33) nearest ships in the fleet around it, which were sailing in careful formation.
Those thirty-four (34) sapphires atop the constructor pillars all lit up and then each of them emanated a beam of blue light toward the others, forming all five hundred twenty-seven (527) geometric diagonals. The beams began to rotate and then the mists of the Lujladia Ocean were drawn up into the air and began swirling around. The mists took the form of the attack bridge, measuring five (5) miles from south to north and two (2) miles from east to west. The entire crystal bridge glimmered blue in the distance, twelve (12) miles west of the fleet.
~~~
Inside the wheelhouse of the Greatest Future, Fotini, Nikon, Perikles and Klemens all observed through their visors to see the Jeshirinko warships line up in formation. They then watched as the architect, Erlend, operated the constructor to assemble the glimmering blue crystal attack bridge.
“Your design worked, Perikles! The bridge is extending from the ship, out over the ocean,” Fotini said. She smiled at him, and wanted him to feel her appreciation and admiration for his cleverness.
“Yes, the attack bridge appears to be structurally correct. Remember that we can see it, but only through these visors. With unassisted vision, it would appear to be twelve (12) miles to the west. Lift your visors for a moment and observe,” Perikles said.
Fotini, Klemens, Nikon and Perikles all lifted their visors from their eyes and watched as the attack bridge vanished.
“Good. Your visual displacement technique worked just as you demonstrated during the planning stages. Now, the next test is whether General Tiglath’s soldiers will be able to follow their orders and walk across an attack bridge they cannot see,” Nikon said.
“If Klemens has telepathically transmitted the orders correctly, they will,” Perikles said.
“When I sent the order to attack, I communicated the orders as you described them during the planning meeting,” Klemens said.
“I will trust your word. Now, look through your visors again to see what is truly there,” Perikles said. At this, they all lowered their visors over their eyes and the attack bridge reappeared.
~~~
On board the Coherent, General Tiglath issued his next order: “Lieutenant Skender, direct the ships to line up, side by side, according to my earlier instructions, twelve (12) ships side to side from west to east, in thirty-two (32) rows from south to north. They are to extend their boarding ramps toward the north, joining ship deck to ship deck.”
Lieutenant Skende
r telepathically transmitted the orders to the captains of all the warships, and they began to line up accordingly and extend their boarding ramps to join the decks of the ships.
General Tiglath watched the warships in his fleet move into the proper formation and connect their decks via their extended boarding ramps. This formation also included the Coherent.
“Now, Lieutenant Skender, order the troops to energize themselves with their Nabavodel waters. When they are combat ready, they are to march along the decks of the ships, proceed across the attack bridge and then onto the coast. They are to march directly forward. Remind them that they are not to believe their eyes: the bridge is truly there, physically strong, directly under their feet. It only appears to be far away, as part of an illusion designed to confuse our enemies,” General Tiglath said.
Lieutenant Skender telepathically transmitted the orders for the one hundred fifteen thousand (115000) soldiers to drink anew of their Nabavodel waters to be energized, then to march along the decks of the ships, directly ahead, onto the unseen attack bridge and then across the bridge to reach the coast. The soldiers energized themselves by drinking of their waters. Then, they began marching according to those orders.
General Tiglath watched the marching of his soldiers over the unseen attack bridge, looking for signs of doubt or distrust. He was pleased to see the leading troops find their footing and move forward with confidence, suspended by an invisible structure over the Lujladia Ocean water below.
~~~
Inside the wheelhouse of the Greatest Future, Nikon, Perikles, Klemens and Fotini all watched and waited as the soldiers marched across the attack bridge.
“The soldiers are marching across the bridge, and it’s holding them up,” Fotini said.
“They are trusting the correctness of the orders they were given, and not delaying in their compliance. That is a good example to follow,” Perikles said.