by Reiter
“No!” Xaythra screamed as she watched her people die once more. “Nooooo!”
“Do you see?!” Tarranos cried out as Xaythra appeared in the asteroid field that was Tau Upsilon. “Do you see how it was you who destroyed the home of your followers?! You do not even know what Freund was going to say to you!
“There is not a power you possess that can bring them back to you, Xaythra!
“But not all of your kind perished in the attack,” Tarranos said in a softer tone. “Your precious Baron survived and even now he toils to win your favor. Your favor! And for what purpose? So that you can destroy them all again once they begin to flourish?”
Xaythra felt it all over again; the instant of death. How the planet died… how the moons died… how her followers died! How they had called for her, screamed for her… how their KaA surged as they believed she would deliver them from their fate… when it was Xaythra herself who had brought that fate upon them.
“NO!!!!” she cried as the images of what had been Tau Upsilon faded from sight. Giving only a slight bend of the knees, Xaythra flew away with enough force to destroy Tarranos’ gardens. Three layers of coherent light kept the plants and the grounds from following behind Xaythra, though only one was necessary. The fledgling goddess screamed in rage, pain, and horror as she took her leave of his pantheon.
“That was completely unexpected,” Tarranos remarked.
“Not completely,” Freund inserted. “You would be the last I should have to tell how simple it is to insert suggestions into a traumatized mind. But it was a lovely sight, thank you for your eyes, Aleesha,” he said, caressing her shoulder. The woman tried her best to look comfortable with the thought of having someone inside her head, looking through her eyes.
“I know I’m bringing up the rear here, being all mortal.” Reginald said as he took a few steps toward Freund. “But it looks like we just helped the enemy. Am I not seeing big enough here?”
“If you aren’t, consider yourself in good company,” Aleesha added.
“Tell me, Aleesha, before today, where were the followers of Xaythra?” the old blind one turned to almost face Aleesha as he spoke. He waited for a moment, tilting his head as the woman stammered. “Indeed, that is exactly where they were; stuck between ‘I don’t know’ and ‘all over the place’! I have seen the changes that have been put into play by the eager Baron Zoll and the rededicated Xaythra. There will be a great migration. We will be able to track said migration and know not only where they are going to be, but where they were as well. We will see what they have been doing with themselves over the years. We will be shown the new recruits as well as the old guard. And all of this will be happening while she is recovering from her grief and nursing her growing hatred of the Legerian.
“And you know it’s growing because you made it grow?” Aleesha asked.
Freund only smiled at the woman before turning to face the leader of his latest acquirement. “How is that for a big enough picture, Reginald?”
“Sweet,” the young man replied. “Very sweet!”
“Thank you for allowing me to impersonate you, my good friend,” Freund said, turning to face Tarranos. He smiled as he bowed.
“I should be thanking you, blind one,” Tarranos said as he turned to take his leave. “As always, it is most entertaining when you play god. I look forward to your next performance.” He was gone in a flash of light.
“Just how are we each not going to become a devout of Tarranos after seeing that sort of thing?” Dina asked.
“Did you see how Freund played that so-called goddess?!” Javier fired back. “I’m with what Freund said about that Legerian dude: why kneel at their altar when I can make one of my own!”
“It is a rather intriguing point, isn’t it?” Freund asked. “And to answer that forming question, Megan, no, I was not lying when I spoke of how the Legerian came to be. He has survived a great many things to become one of the many mysteries of the Rims.”
“Have you ever met him, Freund?” Specs inquired.
“That is a very good question, young man, and the most honest answer I can give you is, I don’t know, but I am sure he does.”
“Whoa!” Specs responded, taking a step back. “That’s ugly deep.”
“That is the Legerian!” Freund stressed before taking a moment to think. “I suppose if I were to make an invitation he might be curious enough to attend a function or another.”
“So, make the invite!” Reginald pressed.
“I have no need to meet with him,” Freund replied.
“That you know of,” Shanvah added.
“Quite right, my dear. But I do have pressing needs in other areas.” With a wave of his hand they were in his castle scattered amongst the furniture near the fireplace.
“Was that a spell?” Reginald questioned.
“Well, one should never allow oneself to get rusty! Now, you all were allowed to view that because as you are, for all intents and purposes, dead, and if it were known you were still alive, you’d be the target of an entity. By the laws that govern entities and deities, that makes you all entities! Though, needless to say, you are incredibly weak ones. That said, in light of your newly-acquired status, I am within my right to make you… oh, shall we say, not so incredibly weak.”
“Right, the pawn plan,” Jacob commented. “But a pawn is the weakest player on the board.”
“A pawn can become any piece on the chessboard it wants to,” Freund commented. “It simply has to reach the back line. I do hope you fully comprehend the symbolism, because it is unlikely that a pawn will reach the back line; that is built into the design of the game. It really all depends on the player and their approach. However, in this game, each piece can sustain itself despite the capability of the player manipulating them. Just because another piece moves to take the pawn, it does not mean the pawn dies. So, with that said… let me show you all how to move!”
“Let’s do it,” Reginald said, clapping his hands together. “This is war after all!”
“Yes, my son… indeed it is!”
Every doorway, every intersection has a story.
Katherine Dunn
(Rims Time: XII-4202.22)
The outer hull of the Xara-Mansura was reformatted at the Captain’s request. Dungias had made an observation deck, as per her instructions, taking one of the many unused storage rooms and converting it to fit Jocasta’s specifications. After a gear and weapons inspection, everyone was ordered to report to the deck. Jocasta was the last to arrive. She was wearing her long coat and walking with the use of her cane. There was an extra special shine to her silver blaster and a sharp gleam in her eye.
“The Captain looks like Christmas!” Marlene whispered.
“More like New Year’s Eve with only ten seconds left,” Siekor suggested.
“It may not be for us, but I will say to you now, good evening,” the Captain began. “On the second clock display on your brace-coms, you may wish to input the time nineteen twenty-five hours, because that is what time it is locally. Black Gate is on a twenty-five hour clock so they do not have a noon at thirteen hundred hours. They have what they call midblock, and it runs for approximately sixty minutes starting at the last tick of twelve hundred and fifty nine hours. Sixty minutes goes by and the clock starts again at thirteen hundred hours. Yes, I know, that makes twenty-six hours and for the life of me, I don’t know why they do it. What I can tell you is that it is not uncommon to miss midblock, and I mean miss it altogether. You can be in the middle of a sentence and wake up in a place you don’t remember going! To minimize the fright factor, most people stop doing what they’re doing at midblock. Some read, others meditate, others fornicate and so on. It’s okay to be awake… just not a bright idea to be in a transit form requiring anything other than automated steering.
“All that is good to know, yes, but it’s not why I asked you all up to Z’s brand new observation deck.” Some of the people started looking around, wondering what they could
observe from the large circular floor they stood upon, or the high wall behind Jocasta.
“We need to get a few official matters out of the way before we can continue. Agatha Tulrey, Marlene Kirkpatrick, and Willis Dereek Siekor, please step forward.” Jocasta waited as they came forward and Dungias came to stand behind her, holding a canvas bag. “After a few days under a new commander, I want to formally ask you of your intentions.”
“Captain,” Agatha spoke up. “If you will have us, we’d like to stay on with the Xara-Mansura.”
“And you are fully aware that this is a pirate vessel?” Jocasta asked.
“Among other things, yes, Captain.”
“First Mate, Chief Engineer, and best hand of the boat, do you have any objections?”
“To the contrary,” Dungias replied. “Each of these applicants has my recommendation and my highest hopes.”
“Cutter, do you have any reason why these hopefuls should not pass to the position of crew?”
“I have no reasons, Captain,” Annsura replied. Jocasta decided not to make any mention of how her response sounded less than genuine. Perhaps it was a matter best left to a more private conversation.
“So be it,” Jocasta said with an eager smile. “Z, please address Agatha.” Dungias approached Agatha, placing a brace-com on her, a weapons belt, which had a sword and a blaster on it, around her waist, and a knife on her leg. “Welcome aboard, Murder.”
“Thank you, Captain!” Agatha replied before stepping back. Dungias then approached Marlene, giving her the same gear, along with an energy rifle which came with a back-holster. She was given the name Mayhem. Siekor was given the same equipment as Agatha, except there was a rod where the sword should have been. Dungias then presented a pair of short swords to the young man who smiled brightly at the variation. Like Llaz, he was allowed to keep his name and he very much appreciated that.
“We had some fun, and definitely collected a few stories on our stop in the Gulmar System,” Jocasta said as she began to pace back and forth in front of the crew. “To say that all of it was necessary is arguable. The important point is that as far as the Bricks are concerned we did not start anything.”
“I’d say we finished it though!” Mel added as everyone cheered and laughed.
“That we did, Tank,” Jocasta agreed. “But bear in mind, people, that was Gulmar. This is Black Gate. There are no Constables here… there are no peacekeepers per se. The only thing resembling law enforcement, aside from the volunteer groups that are affectionately referred to as Spartans, will be the entourages which those in power will have traveling along with them. They are as good as the credits lining their pockets, and at Black Gate credits flow like the waters of a raging river.”
“How many times have you been to Black Gate, Captain?” Siekor asked.
“This will be my second stop,” she revealed. “… and I can still remember the gunshot wound and slashes that were on my body when I was on the medical shuttle headed back toward the ship after my first.”
“Whoa!” Olkin spoke loudly as he stepped forward. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. You were wounded, yes?”
“Yes.”
“They put you in an ambulatory shuttle?”
“Yep.”
“Just to take you back to your ship?!”
“Welcome to the grim reality,” Jocasta said with a slight grin. “I didn’t have insurance and I certainly didn’t have the medical facility minimum. I was able to just barely barter for the shuttle ride. That was all the result of an argument I wasn’t even in!” she stressed. “I was just a cadet on review, looking at the sights like a damn goober when asshole A shot at asshole B and missed. I didn’t even get a chance to draw my weapon; the bullet went through my arm and into some pimp’s property. Next thing you know blades were a-swingin’, guns were a-blazin’, and I got tatted up and down! Fortunately, the ship had a damn fine medical officer, which, FYI, we are on the serious lookout for! We could also stand a cook and few more spacecraft-able hands. I swear to the blade, if you bring me raw talent, they had better come with wings or an extra set of arms with a skill for never missing!” A soft tone punctuated the point and Jocasta looked up for a moment.
“And now, the real moment you were all assembled to this deck for. Satithe, if you please, my love.”
The wall behind Jocasta was nothing of the sort. It was a shutter and it parted, revealing a spectacular view of the station they were approaching. Suddenly, the crew of the Xara-Mansura was treated to a bird’s-eye view of Black Gate. Jocasta found the seam in-between people as they rushed to the glass. She smiled at Dungias who folded his arms and waited for Jocasta to make her approach. There was plenty of room for everyone to see the station unobstructed, but Jocasta decided to lean against the edge of the window.
“This was… unexpected,” Dungias thought, taking a moment to enjoy his first visit to this region of space. He had heard much about it, but considered the likelihood of running into the wrong sort of element not worth the curiosity. He now believed that conclusion had been made in error.
The area of space seemed to have a multi-chromatic sheen to it, causing it to look one color before changing to the next, and it never changed to the primary colors; red was never seen, but sparkling crimson could easily be spotted. That, along with azure, heliotrope, citrine, and emerald fluctuated around the prodigious construct. It was easy to see how it had come to earn its chromatic name; every centimeter of the outer hull of the station was covered in a black matte color. Thousands of antennae and service poles, covered in millions of lights, gave Black Gate its form. Built wide near the top, and not exactly round, it crudely resembled a child’s spinning top floating freely in multi-colored space. Dungias could hardly wait to get back to his lab and start analyzing the scans that Satithe was running.
“Is this how the region came to be called?” he pondered.
“Look at that,” Llaz said softly, shaking his head.
“It’s ginormous!” Mel added.
“It’s fifty-five, forty-five, thirty-five,” Jocasta smiled, placing her hand against the glass.
“Captain?” Annsura looked away from the glass and to her Captain.
“Fifty-five kilometers, east to west,” she replied. “… at its widest point, of course. Forty-five kilometers north to south, and thirty-five kilometers top to bottom. Last time I was here, they were still adding on to it.”
“Warning!” Satithe called out. “We have just been advised that we are about to–”
“Enter the Baronial Spatial Zone,” Jocasta finished, smiling more brightly. “Here’s something for you to remember, inside the BSZ, everything is property of the Prism Baronies.
“Say you’re on the run from the Imperials,” Jocasta suggested.
“Yeah, because that would be a stretch!” Nulaki inserted. Jocasta smiled while many chuckled and giggled.
“You cross over into the BSZ just as you come into firing range of the hounding Imps. What happens if they fire on your vessel?”
“Uh, are we talking shields or no shields?” Mel asked.
“No shields.”
“Then you’re just blasted and on your way to the Maker!”
“Wrong,” Jocasta replied. “You are fired upon, but there’s a better than average chance that shields will form around you before the Imps can fire. Take a look at these satellites, kiddies,” Jocasta pointed out and they numbered in the hundreds. “Each one of those bad boys is a relay station for whatever energy Black Gate chooses to funnel through them. That includes projected force shields and high-yield blaster cannons!”
“You sound like you’ve seen them at work,” Pristacia noted.
“Oh yes! One blast, split fifteen times, took out a squadron of raider fighters that were eating us alive! Twenty fighters in all… each one of them exploded at the same time!”
“Split fifteen times makes only sixteen lasers,” Agatha said.
“I know,” Jocasta said with a light flashing across her eyes as
she relived the moment. “Pretty damn awesome, right?”
“At least!” Marlene replied.
Jocasta nodded her agreement as she looked at her brace-com. “Satithe, what is our ETA to Black Gate?”
“One hour, forty-two minutes, Captain.”
“Well, you better start transmitting our requests to place the Xara-Mansura in orbit of Black Gate,” Jocasta directed.
“Surely they’ve got something that can handle us, Captain,” Pristacia voiced her hopes.
“You want to pay that docking fee, Princess?!” Nulaki returned sharply.
“Not if I don’t have to,” she smiled her response.
“All right then,” Nulaki huffed, giving a slight grin. “… an orbit it is.”
“How many times for you, Conadier?” Jocasta inquired.
“My seventh,” he replied. “But this is the first time I’ve had this view. Thank you, Captain.” His gratitude was quickly echoed through the ranks and Jocasta chuckled.
“My pleasure, people. Z, how long can we give them?”
“Given our arrival time, and assuming we will be allowed to immediately depart from our ship, they may continue to ogle at the station another thirty-five minutes.”
“Satithe, start the countdown from one-half hour, please.”
“Aye, Captain.”
Though she was new to the job, Annsura liked keeping inventory of the ship’s stores. She knew it was not a burden to Dungias, but one less thing he had taking up his time, the more he could be in Fabrications or in any one of his other laboratories.