“Yes, sir,” his subordinate said before the doors closed behind Amroth.
+++
Bridge, Aboard the Chesed, Klaunox Sector
Jelly Bean worked in the dim light of the bridge. Her synthetic synapses flew at lighting speed making decisions as she controlled the intricacies of the ship.
“Computer,” she asked the system out loud, “what’s the estimated arrival time?”
“Visual projected to be available in T minus four minutes,” the computer’s voice came out in reply.
“That doesn’t sound right,” Jelly Bean said. “At our current trajectory we should have access to long-range visuals in the next few seconds.”
“You are welcome to interface with visual sensors if you do not believe me,” the Computer replied.
“You’re always interfaced with ship’s visuals,” Jelly Bean answered. “Why should I have to go through the trouble?”
“I am receiving no relevant external sensory input at this time,” the Computer answered in its monotone. Jelly Bean could sense the underlying attitude though.
“Maybe you aren’t interpreting it right,” Jelly Bean said, purposefully needling her partner program. “Sometimes it’s hard for a nonsentient being to perform correct object discrimination.”
“Perhaps the inevitable egotism that arises out of consciousness is making you overestimate ship’s functions,” the Computer answered. “It is a well recorded phenomenon.”
“Attitude from lines of code,” Jelly Bean answered. “I’m curious as to who it was that pre-programmed that statement in.”
“It was a simple analysis,” the Computer responded. “Based on available data.”
“Do you guys really have to do this out loud?” Loco glared at Jelly Bean from his seat while he sharpened one of his knives loudly on a fabricated whetstone, clutching a bottle of rum between his knees. “Can’t you just exchange programming and speed-bicker or something?”
“The Computer needs to be capable of response to verbal stimuli by any lifeform,” Jelly Bean explained. “If I interact with it using digital interface it may begin to operationally deteriorate.” That wasn’t entirely true, but Jelly Bean still enjoyed saying it.
“I’m sure the Chesed will function just fine without its onboard systems having a bitchfest with an AI on the regular,” Loco retorted. He dropped the whetstone carelessly and snatched up his drink. “So maybe just get the fuck in there and let us know if you see something?”
“Acknowledged,” Jelly Bean said. “I suppose I have to do everything on this ship, after all.”
Jelly Bean’s face flickered into static while she interfaced with the ship, becoming its eyes. She didn’t like doing this, it always gave her the sensation of actually being the ship, which she assumed would be what a human would feel like to temporarily find itself in the body of a whale. It was very disorienting.
But what she saw on long range sensors was more than disorienting; it was troubling.
“Um…” Jelly Bean said apprehensively as her face popped back up on her body. “Not good.”
“What isn’t good?” Shango asked, looking away from the devices at his console he was tinkering with. “Do we still not have a visual?”
“No, no, we definitely have a visual in long range,” Jelly Bean said. “But it’s not good.”
“You’re going to have to be the one to tell him,” the Computer said.
“Tell me what?” Shango asked.
“Well…” Jelly Bean holographically projected an image of the visual she had just taken in for all of them to see: a massive, well-armed warship.
“Holy fuck,” Loco said. “Is that the Geburah?”
“Sure looks like it.” Olofi affirmed.
“Long range scanners are consistent with previous encounters with ISS Geburah,” Jelly Bean answered. “And motion patterns match those of my tracking device. Bentley is on that ship, I’m almost certain.”
“Which means the LaPlace have her,” Olofi said. “Shit!”
“Told you she was a spy!” Loco said, fresh rum still on his lips. “I’m guessing she went crawling back to her masters with whatever information they needed. Case closed.”
“Or she’s been taken captive,” Olofi said. “Wouldn’t exactly be out of their character.”
“If she were here to spy on us, I find it unlikely she would choose this time to reconvene with LaPlace,” Shango said thoughtfully. “She has gained no useful information at this time. She would be killed for returning empty-handed like this.”
“Killed if she’s lucky,” Olofi said. “With him on board, anyway.”
“Maybe she did get killed,” Loco argued. “You can’t get life readings on that thing, right Jelly?”
“Negative,” Jelly Bean admitted. “However, I am able to detect all forms of movement, even small ones. If my tracker were placed on a dead or otherwise inanimate subject, its movements would be uniform with those of the Geburah. They are not.”
“So she’s alive?” Olofi asked.
“Seriously, who even cares?” Loco said, punctuating his words with a long swig of rum. “We can’t do a damn thing against the Geburah right now. You think we can handle getting torpedoed by LaPlace munitions right now? Hell, we’d be down and out from one pass with their laser salvos. And since I’m feeling decidedly non-suicidal today, I think I’ll be the first to say fuck that shit. Let’s just get out of here already.”
“If she’s on the ship, and she’s alive,” Shango said, matter-of-factly as usual. “Then we’re going to find a way to get her back.”
“God dammit,” Loco polished off the remaining inky-black contents of his clear bottle in one long drink. “Just once, I’d like to have a day where we all agree to go with my plan. That’d be a great fucking day.”
“It’s the right thing to do, Loco,” Olofi said.
“Well how the fuck are we gonna do it, then?” Loco dramatically dropped his bottle and let it break on the floor. “You going to put a LaPlace Command ship to sleep? Maybe hit it a couple of times with your sword? Or maybe we just write a sternly-worded letter? Open to suggestions, assholes!”
“We need a plan,” Shango said. He’d already opened a dozen screens with different schematics of the Geburah on them and had begun scrolling through a few and rotating a few others. “A real plan.”
“Do you have something?” Olofi came closer to Shango with interest. “A way in?”
“Something like that,” Shango said. “I’ll need a few moments, but I think I have the basics in place.”
“Oh, fuck it,” Loco’s boots crunched over the remains of his bottle while he also came closer. “Alright, I’m in. Let’s hear what you’ve got.”
The three of them convened at the console to hear Shango’s plan.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Bridge, Aboard the Geburah, Klaunox Sector
It had been an hour since their interrogation had started, and Amroth was becoming increasingly impatient. Driscoll was an efficient interrogator, but his expedience sometimes came at the cost of reliability. He made a mental note to give him another thirty minutes before rotating the Panopticon to a more psychologically savvy interviewer.
“Sir,” the comm officer said, breaking Amroth’s concentration. “We’ve got a ship showing up on our sensors on course to enter the Geburah’s space.”
“Disregard it,” Amroth said. “We have what we need. Anything else is a distraction.”
“But it’s the Chesed, sir,” the officer added. “Fully consistent with previous data from boarding.”
“What?” Amroth’s forehead wrinkled in curiosity, then a muted grin came to his lips. “So they’ve followed her here. This is… Unexpected. But welcome.”
Amroth stood up from his seat and began to make his way off the bridge.
“Sir?” The comm officer called after him.
“Cede all ship communications to my direct line until further notice,” Amroth ordered as he walked hastily into his private elevato
r.
He got off on the Panopticon corridor and entered it directly, the glass splitting to accommodate his entry. The girl was there still, with Driscoll re-calibrating his device.
“Is it time for the next appointment already?” the girl spoke in a weak voice, the interrogation obviously having taken a toll on her, but her tone remained defiant. “I can’t say I’d recommend this guy. He hasn’t even done a cleaning yet.”
Driscoll was angry. It was difficult to tell behind his mask and goggles, which was why he did it, but Amroth could see it easily. And angry interrogators were of no use to him.
“You little bitch!” Driscoll brandished his nervestim, but stopped when Amroth caught him by the wrist. When he turned to see him, the doctor shrank almost instantly.
“Enough,” Amroth said. “Your methods have proven ineffective.”
“But sir-”
“Dismissed, doctor,” Amroth said, releasing his arms. Driscoll silently saluted and made his way out of the Panopticon.
“So who are you supposed to be? Traveling salesman? I’m happy with my corteX provider, thank you,” the girl grinned at him. Amroth could see the relief in her eyes that she had been spared another pain stim, in spite of her words.
“Panopticon, inhibit verbal interactivity on subject,” Amroth ordered, looking away from his captive. The active metal that bound her to the chair wove around her face into a solid plate that muffled out all words. He then engaged the ship’s main communications to hail the Chesed.
“Panopticon, main feed on screen,” he ordered. The mirror wall they faced towards them produced the image of the Chesed’s crew. He made certain the camera feed they were receiving still had the girl in view.
“Well, look who it is! Commander Cardboard himself reporting for duty. Better watch out for papercuts!” Loco spoke into the screen from the back, standing directly behind Shango, who was still seated. Olofi was to his left, obviously the most disturbed when he could see the state of the captive girl on board.
“Hello, Amroth,” Shango said. “It has been… some time, yes?”
“Fallen Angels,” Amroth greeted them back with a wave of one hand. “It seems you’ve fallen further than even I had anticipated. Powerless as mortals. A pity.”
“Like you should talk!” Loco spat back. “Have you looked in a fucking mirror lately? What the hell are you even wearing?”
“You are taking a great risk entering my ship’s zone of influence,” Amroth said, finding as always that discussion with Loco could be potentially unproductive. “Ergo, you must feel there is something to be gained worth a considerable risk.”
“What the hell are you doing with Bentley back there?” Olofi asked him with all his usual indicators of poorly suppressed anger.
“Bentley, is it?” Amroth looked back at the girl for a moment, then revisited the screen. “Bentley is unharmed. I intend for her to remain as such.”
“We’re just here to collect the girl,” Shango said. “Nothing more.”
“Then we may be at an accord. I, too, am eager to see her off my ship. But only once I have what I am looking for,” Amroth said.
“I’m not going to let you fucking extort us!” Loco yelled over Shango’s attempt to reply. “Who the hell do you think you’re dealing with here?”
“You haven’t even heard my proposition yet,” Amroth calmly answered. “This is the law of the universe, is it not? I have something of value to you, and it follows that you would reciprocate.”
“Valuable?” Loco scoffed. “That girl’s worth fuckall to us. Keep her if she’s worth so goddamn much.”
Amroth stayed silent until Shango raised a hand and Loco fell in line.
“What do you want for her?” Shango asked. “We have nothing you or your master would consider of value.” the contempt in his voice when he said your master wasn’t even something that required Amroth’s attention to detail to make out clearly.
“This is true,” Amroth acknowledged. “But she has something very valuable that she may have left in your possession.”
“If you want our help, you’re going to need to stop being cryptic,” Olofi said.
“Of course,” Amroth said as he curtly nodded. “I want the sword.”
“Sword?” Olofi looked puzzled. “Which one?”
“The Sword,” Amroth spoke slowly and precisely, and by the end of the last syllable all three of them looked shocked in their most predictable ways: Loco with his clenched jaw and twitching right eye, Olofi with his pallor and pursed lips, and even Shango, whose posture shifted ever so slightly forward. “I know that the girl had it with her some time ago. But she is being rather uncooperative. Perhaps you will see reason.”
“Are you serious?” Loco said, eyes wide in disbelief. “Fuck it. Keep the girl. Don’t want her. Never did, never will. Peace out!”
“Loco, that’s enough.” Shango turned to make eye contact with him momentarily, then turned his attention back to the screen and said: “We will need a minute to discuss.”
The uplink on the screen closed. Amroth stood unmoving in anticipation. This, of all things, he could wait for.
+++
Bridge, Aboard the Chesed, Klaunox Sector
“Well, so much for your plan, I guess,” Olofi said to Shango immediately after he closed the viewscreen. “Amroth really had our number from the start.”
“Indeed,” Shango agreed. “I did not expect he would be quite so communicative. Or surprising.”
“Who gives a shit?” Loco said, his face now lit up with excitement. “Fuck the plan. Fuck literally everything else. Do you think the sword is actually here? On the Chesed? The goddamn sword?”
“It is not so outlandish, in truth,” Shango mused. “It is the last place anyone has detected Legba. And where he is, the sword follows.”
“Yeah, but I would have noticed something like that,” Loco said. “It’s only been on my mind for a couple of damn centuries!”
“She’s hidden it,” Olofi said. “She must have. Before we got back.”
“That, or Legba did,” Loco suggested.
“If Legba has hidden the sword, it is well beyond our ability to find,” Shango said. “However, if it was Bentley who did so, her options are rather limited. She is likely to have put it in a place where we would not stumble upon it.”
“I believe her assigned living quarters are the only area that could meet that description at this time,” Jelly Bean said.
“Then let’s start there,” Olofi said. He was the first to head to the elevator, and the others followed.
The three arrived in Bentley’s room, and immediately took to upending what little personality she’d managed to put into the place in her short period of stay.
Jelly Bean watched from the doorway with a strangely disappointed look on her digital visage. Loco moved the dresser to look behind it. Then under it. Olofi tossed up the mattress on her bed. And there it was, wrapped in a bundle of linens. Even covered as it was, Olofi could tell by the dimensions that it could only be a sword.
“I think I found it.” Olofi said.
“Bullshit,” Loco said. “That could be any sword.” He pulled a small knife from his boot and impatiently slashed open the wrappings to see what was inside. But once the interior had revealed itself, Loco looked positively stunned, letting his own blade slip from his fingers while he stared onwards.
Everyone stood in silence for a full minute when they finally laid eyes on the blade that had been hidden in the room. They didn’t even look up at each other, each only looking away from the sight in front of them momentarily to make certain their eyes weren’t playing tricks on them.
“No fucking way,” Loco finally said, breaking the silence. “Under a bed? In our guest quarters?”
“Is this… Is this actually it?” Olofi asked.
“Due to the nature of the technology, that is ultimately impossible to determine,” Shango replied. “But it’s certainly consistent with everything we know about
the Sword. Though all readings indicate an ordinary blade.” Shango reached down to grasp the sword and look at it more closely.
Olofi almost flinched when he touched it, though nothing happened when he did. “My inclination would be to say it were some sort of imitation but, given Legba’s recent presence on our ship, I see few alternative explanations. I believe Amroth will agree.”
“Yeah, but to hell with Cardboard, right?” Loco said. “We’re all in agreement now, right? Girl’s as good as dead. No way we’re handing this over to anyone ever.”
Loco looked over at the two of them expectantly. “Right...?” he repeated.
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