Awakening

by Ell Leigh Clarke

  “That sounds pretty dangerous,” Bentley observed.

  “Yeah,” Loco said. “Very. That’s the fun part.”

  “Okay, but you didn’t get captured this time,” Bentley said.

  “Sure.”

  “And nobody needed to lower the shields.”

  “Well, maybe not.”

  “So how is this the same thing?” Bentley looked at him quizzically.

  “See?” Olofi said triumphantly. “See? That’s what I was telling him!”

  “It was a modified Alamo, okay?” Loco looked defensively at everyone in the room. “Hey, it worked, didn’t it? She fought her way out. Almost got out with the sword too, if boss-man over there wasn’t so rusty he couldn’t deal with Cardboard in time.”

  “That’s not fair,” Bentley said, coming to Shango’s defense. “The way they both fought, seems like that could have gone on for days.”

  “Years,” Shango corrected her, as though this were a demonstrated fact.

  “But what I don’t get is how you knew I’d be able to do all that,” Bentley said. “Hell, I didn’t even know I could do all of that.”

  “Well, you had as much of an idea as we did,” Olofi said. “Jelly was telling us about your time playing with Shango’s sword.”

  “So that’s why you…” she looked over at Shango, who had a knowing smile.

  “Caeruleum,” Shango said.

  “Huh?” Bentley looked puzzled at the word.

  “The sword. That’s her name. It signifies both the power of steel and the blue of the sky,” Shango said. “Versatile and lethal, adaptable to many unorthodox combat maneuvers. Not a typical choice.”

  “It’s also a fucking flower,” Loco added. “I swear, he’s this close to buying some floofy rapier and naming it pansy one of these days.”

  “Well, on that note…” Bentley stood up and grabbed some fresh cutlery, then began to add helpings from each dish to a new plate.

  “You’re going already?” Olofi said. “Something we said?”

  “No,” Bentley shook her head. “I’m bringing some food up to Jade.”

  “Who?” Loco asked. “Did we get a dog or something too? Nobody tells me shit around here.”

  “Jade,” Bentley repeated. “You know, the girl you guys kidnapped and left locked up in a room with no way out while you went galivanting off into battle? Did you seriously not even learn her name?”

  “Shit!” Olofi also stood up at this. He looked just as embarrassed as he was panicked while he watched Bentley walk away with the food.

  “Hey, don’t look at me,” Loco said to Bentley, nodding over to Olofi. “The hostage was officially designated this guy’s problem.”

  “I must admit, it slipped my mind as well,” Shango said.

  “I’d better go let her out.” Olofi turned for the door, going after Bentley. “Probably should give her free run of the ship now that things are a bit more peaceful.”

  “Yeah, and maybe figure out what we’re doing with her while you’re at it!” Loco called down the hall before fully turning his attention to his tequila.

  +++

  While the rest of the crew had begun to relax, Olofi was still stressed. They’d avoided a great deal of danger, managed to save a life, and even Loco seemed like he’d be in a cheerful mood for the next few days. But this was because, in the shadow of the Geburah’s threat, everyone had forgotten the other predicament they were in.

  Olofi didn’t want to spoil the mood, and had resolved to deal with these issues privately so everyone else could enjoy their victory for the time being.

  And that was why Olofi was making a corteX call to the House, rerouting to Max. It was dangerous, considering their last encounter, but he was at least confident that his call couldn’t be traced. He hoped Max was in a better mood this time.

  When the call was answered, Olofi got something he did not expect: Max was looking at him, smiling with those thin, pursed lips, almost like he was happy to hear from him.

  “Olo!” Max greeted him. “About time you gave me a call. I was starting to worry. Kept hearing some troubling talk from my sources about all of you pissing off a LaPlacian Command vessel. Crazy shit, huh?”

  “Yeah, real crazy,” Olofi said, affecting a chuckle. “Which sources said that?”

  “Well they’d be pretty fucking lousy sources if I kept tossing their names around, wouldn’t they?”

  “Sure. Listen, Max. About this whole job-”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Max abruptly interrupted him. “Job’s over. All wrapped up in a neat little bow.”

  “Huh?” Olofi looked skeptical. “How do you figure that?”

  “Problem just went and solved itself!” Max sounded elated at this part. “I know, right? How often in this business does that happen?”

  “What do you mean it solved itself?”

  “I mean the target.” Max took a finger and drew it across his throat dramatically. “So the client won’t be getting his volts back any time soon. Sucks for them.”

  “Doesn’t sound so wrapped up, then,” Olofi said.

  “For me? For you? Fuck. Yes, it is!” Max replied, looking like he was trying not to grin too widely. “See, the client dealt with him using their own resources. Maybe they wanted it to go down that way, maybe they didn’t. Don’t know, don’t care. Endgame for us is we kept our side of the contract and didn’t deviate from it.”

  “I’m pretty sure we did,” Olofi said. “Deviate, I mean.”

  “Not in a way the client can prove,” Max answered cheerily. “They had to give us the full payout. Even threw in a bonus for some hush-money.”

  “Hush money?” Olofi sounded concerned. “Just who was the client this time?”

  “See? If they hadn’t given me that money, maybe I’d be answering that question right now. Smart move on their part,” Max said, giving Olofi a wink. He was beginning to suspect Max had been doing some celebrating of his own.

  “What about the girl?” Olofi was glad he remembered this time. “What do we do with her now?”

  “Don’t care, really. Kill her, drop her off somewhere, keep her as a pet. Not my problem anymore. She’s old news.”

  “So… We’re good, then?” Olofi was unsure how to handle Max in such a good mood.

  “Oh hell yes we are!” Max said. “And since we all completed our contractual obligations without any deviation from terms, like we’ve agreed, you’re going to get full payment for your mission, too. I’ll have the volts set up in your usual account in the next couple of hours.”

  “You were waiting to make sure we weren’t dead before sending it, weren’t you?” Olofi asked, only somewhat accusingly.

  “Well, sure,” Max shrugged innocently. “No point sending encrypted volt transfers to a dead guy. Not like I can transfer them back after.”

  “Well thanks, I guess,” Olofi sighed in an odd mix of relief and frustration. “The others will be happy to hear this.”

  “They should be!” Max responded. “This is good news all around. You have no idea how much of a clusterfuck this whole thing almost was.”

  Olofi raised one eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure I got that memo when you tried to have us shot up.”

  Max’s smile didn’t fade, but became decidedly more nervous at this. “Yeah, uh… Sorry things got a bit heated there. Just business. You get it, right?”

  “Sort of,” Olofi said dubiously.

  “Awesome. Listen, I’ve got to take a few more calls now, but I might have another job lined up for you guys soon. I’ll touch base with you in a couple of days. Give you some time to enjoy your money,” Max looked away from the visual display and looked down at a few sheets of paper. “You’ll like this next one, I’m sure.”

  “Bye, Max,” Olofi said, already feeling exhausted by this exchange. He signed off before he could get a response.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Bentley’s Quarters, Aboard the Chesed

  Bentley lay on her bed, trying to r
elax from the series of traumatic experiences. The way she’d handled the torture on that ship had even surprised her, and when she reflected on it, it brought questions to her mind about exactly who she was. She pressed down on the mattress and felt a pang of loss to know her sword was no longer tucked underneath it.

  Her sword.

  That was how she thought of it. It had been taken from her, and for whatever reason the others seemed to want it as well. But she knew that no matter where it ended up in the system, she would never be able to shake this feeling that it belonged to her.

  The door to her room sprung open, derailing Bentley’s train of thought. Jelly Bean was there, letting herself in.

  “Don’t you ever knock?” she scowled.

  “That’s an archaic custom ill-suited to life on this ship,” Jelly Bean replied. “But if you would like me to announce my arrival before entry, I can certainly do that.”

  “Yeah, that’d be nice,” Bentley said. “How’s Jade holding up?”

  “As one would expect after finding out that one’s lover and sole benefactor has been killed, leaving you alone in a cold and unforgiving galaxy,” Jelly Bean told her. “Or at least I would assume so. I have no previous frame of reference for such a thing.”

  “Really sucks,” Bentley said. “I mean, the guy was obviously a total douche, but that doesn’t mean she deserves this.”

  The sound of Jade’s sobbing could be heard from the other room through the Chesed’s ventilation systems.

  Bentley sighed. “I really hope I don’t have to fall asleep listening to that.”

  Jelly stepped further into the room. “I could play some ambient music designed to mask the specific noise pattern.”

  She shook her head. “I think I’d rather she start feeling better.”

  “Oh. Well then, I believe the only solution is to wait. I’m sure she will settle down once she’s had time to process.”

  “I guess so,” Bentley agreed. “So, I heard you guys talking about me joining the crew here?”

  Jelly Bean sat down stiffly on the bed next to Bentley. “It was an idea endorsed by Shango,” she explained. “Is that something you’re interested in doing?”

  “I mean, sure,” Bentley said. “Not like I have any other options in front of me. But if it’s going to be like that, I’m not going to sit back and keep letting those three treat me like a kid anymore. If I’m on the team, I’m on the team. Same as them.”

  “I’m sure that they will accord you all the respect and courtesy they give to one another,” Jelly Bean agreed.

  “Shit, you’re right,” Bentley said. “Not a whole lot better… but hell, maybe I can be a civilizing presence.”

  “That would certainly be nice,” Jelly Bean agreed. “If they would listen.”

  “Hey, maybe they would,” Bentley said. “I still have no fucking clue who I am. Maybe I was their boss before I lost my memories.”

  “That does not seem possible,” Jelly Bean said. “But I do understand the principle you’re expressing about infinite possibilities, and I agree with the sentiment.”

  Bentley caught on the way her android companion had said that. “Why’s it impossible?”

  “It simply is,” Jelly Bean said guardedly. “There are a great many things that are not possible.”

  Bentley sat up, pressing Jelly Bean for more information. “Yeah, but you definitely sounded like there was a reason that wasn’t possible. Is there something weird about their boss? Who do these guys work for, anyway?”

  “That is a rather complicated question,” Jelly Bean told her. “I’m happy to answer it, but it’s a very long story that requires context to be meaningful.”

  “Maybe you could teach me what I need to know?” Bentley suggested. “If you can get me back on the ship’s computer, I can be a quick study for whatever data you need me to look at.”

  “I certainly can help with that,” Jelly Bean said.

  “Great!” Bentley hopped off her bed and gave the android a friendly pat on the back. “Let’s get to it.”

  +++

  Mess Hall, Aboard the Chesed, Klaunox Sector

  Olofi had come back to the mess hall with a bottle of wine he’d been saving for a time just like this. After he’d announced the good news about their botched mission turned resounding success, he finally felt that celebratory mood he’d been unable to accept before.

  Loco had downed his glass rather quickly and had moved back to the tequila which he made very clear he had no intention of sharing.

  “All’s well that ends well, I guess,” Olofi said, raising his glass up.

  “Sure,” Loco said. “Another day not getting blown up. Here’s to a million more, I guess.”

  “I thought you were in a good mood,” Olofi said. “What happened?”

  “Don’t get me wrong, today was pretty fun,” Loco said. “But fuck… I just can’t stop thinking about that sword. When it lit up, I just…”

  “Saw home,” Shango said, finishing Loco’s sentence. He bobbed his head, his face dropping as if he withdrew inside himself. “I felt it, too.”

  “Even the best day on this side can’t compare,” Loco said. “I’d almost forgotten what it felt like, it’s been so fucking long…” He swigged back some more tequila as though trying to drown out pain.

  Olofi said nothing. His eyes remained pensive.

  “I mean, seriously…” Loco’s words slurred now. “Is this just what we are now? Is this what we’ve become? We used to matter. Like, really matter. And not in the bullshit way mortals think they can matter. Money, power, booze…” He glanced at the tequila bottle with an odd contempt before sipping down some more. “End of the day, it’s all made of the same damned stuff. And none of that stuff means a fucking thing.”

  Shango piped up again. “I am concerned that we are becoming less than we were,”

  “We’ve already been as less as possible for a few centuries,” Loco said. “I don’t think you can get past the rock bottom of being a fucking mortal.”

  “No, there is a deeper failing,” Shango told him, a haunted tone to his voice now. “Amroth’s words worry me. I fear he may have a point about the depths to which we’ve fallen.”

  “Thinking Cardboard could be right about anything is probably the lowest you can get, Shango,” Loco said. “I don’t even think going home could fix that miserable son of a bitch.”

  “But what he implied was true,” Shango insisted. “The things we do now… Like kidnapping girls. There’s a time we would be the ones punishing behavior like that.”

  “But we don’t have the power to do that anymore,” Olofi said. “We’re too weak to stand in judgment against things like that.”

  “We are mortals, yes,” Shango conceded. “But mortals are fully capable of virtue, and they manage it with infinitely less time and experience than we. Our current state is no excuse.”

  “I think you just caught a whiff of home and now you’re trying to pretend we can all just go back to the way things were,” Loco said, unsteadily getting to his feet and still holding his tequila bottle. “Fact is, that’s never happening. We’re here, and it sucks. My solution is way better than yours.” Loco raised up his bottle to Shango. “At least it accepts that nothing’s gonna change. You find one that isn’t just condescending bullshit, you can go ahead and let me know. Loco began to stumble out of the mess hall, saying as he left: “Til then, I’ll be in my quarters, restin’ with my meidicin’. Doctor’s orders.”

  Olofi and Shango silently looked at each other while their companion wandered out, zig zagging as he went.

  “Do you think he’s going to be okay?” Olofi asked after several minutes had passed.

  “Absolutely,” Shango said. “He’s going to drink until he passes out, and then he’s going to wake up to good news.”

  “Good news?” Olofi asked. “For Loco? Right now?”

  “Yes. Our new mission. We’re going to find out if that sword really is what we believe it to be.
And, once we’ve gathered the requisite intelligence, we are going to retrieve it.”

  “Damn,” Olofi was surprised at the brazenness of this, having barely escaped with their lives aboard the Geburah before. “Do you really think we’ll be able to?”

  “Little else matters at this point. Wouldn’t you agree?” Shango eyed Olofi questioningly.

  Olofi simply nodded in acknowledgment. “What about Bentley though? We can’t exactly ask her to join in on another suicide mission.”