by David Beers
That was the point of his life, after all.
At the end of two days, the fevers of both children broke. Adrian let the friend sleep, but he went to Romulus’ bed.
The boy’s bedroom was simple: no holos, one desk, and a single blanket. Adrian had already removed the medical equipment and replaced it in its hiding place.
“How’s Triam?” Romulus asked as his father entered the room. He hadn’t seen his friend during the fever.
Adrian thought it a good first question. “He’s fine.” He moved to the bottom of the bed and placed his hands behind his back. “You almost died. You both did. If I had not been there, Romulus, you would have died.”
His son opened his mouth to speak but quickly realized it was not his place right now.
“Good,” Adrian said. “Listen instead, since you have barely made it back to life.”
Romulus nodded and remained silent.
“Do you remember what happened?” Adrian asked.
His son closed his eyes and thought, probably trying to recover his memories. Adrian had to hope he remembered because the lesson needed to be his, not his father’s. Adrian could diagram how it had happened and explain it, but in the end, it wouldn’t hold the same weight.
Finally, Romulus opened his eyes and nodded. “I think I remember, yes. Triam made a noise? I think it was a stick or something, but he spooked the rapcors. They turned on him and I moved in, but they spotted me too.”
He paused, his face growing stern and his eyes vacant as he thought back. “There were too many.” He nodded to himself. “Yes, too many.”
Adrian controlled his breathing, trying to master his anger. He loved his son, but sometimes the boy was foolish. He didn’t think critically enough about what had happened and what he could have done differently to change the outcome.
“No, boy.” His father was barely able to keep his anger at bay. “There weren’t too many. The two of you would have been able to wipe them out easily if you’d used the brains the gods gave you both.”
Adrian gripped the footboard until his knuckles were white and looked at them, forcing himself to calm down. The anger came from love, from his deep desire for his son to make something of himself and be greater than the father. He knew he was betraying his mandate by showing emotion.
Without looking up, he spoke. “Romulus, my time with you is running short. That’s not what I want since I’ve enjoyed having you as my son, but that is the way of life. You are mine for a short time, and then you are the Solar System’s. If you do not learn the lessons I seek to teach you, you won’t survive out there. Someone stronger, faster, and smarter will take your life from you, as well as everything you’ve tried to build.”
He took a deep breath and slowly let it out, then placed his hands behind his back. His countenance returned to stillness.
“Think, Romulus. Tell me what went wrong. There weren’t too many. What happened?”
His son’s eyes closed for longer this time. He was going deep, trying to figure out what had happened, which was what Adrian wanted.
He didn’t open his eyes as he spoke. “I went in too quickly. I rushed, thinking Triam needed my help. If I’d waited…” He opened his eyes and found his father. “If I’d waited a little longer, they would have been focused on Triam. I could have cut them down with one stroke.”
Adrian didn’t smile though he wanted to. He’d let his son nearly die for him to learn this lesson. It was a proud moment that could not be shared. “That’s correct. You didn’t let your enemy expose themselves. You forced yourself into a fight when it wasn’t necessary. If you wait, your enemy will show their vulnerability. They will undo themselves. Let them, and when you see their underbelly, cut it wide open.”
Part II
Chapter Ten
“The universal language isn’t math, it’s money, my dear.”
—Jeeves, Artificial Intelligence Entity
It took them five days to make it to the planet. The pod, given its higher speed, made it much sooner, though Jeeves couldn't calculate its exact time of arrival. The AI had made the necessary arrangements with the planetary government to okay their landing.
He'd also connected Alistair with the Terram, translating their guttural language for the Earthborn. The conversation hadn't been an easy one; he had to tell them the refugees would need to stay there longer. He let them know they wouldn't return for some time and had given the names of the refugees who’d take leadership positions until their return.
The only good news he had for them was that the Commonwealth and the Myrmidons were no longer over their planet. The enemies had left.
In the end, the Terram acquiesced, though they used very colorful language. They were good people, and Alistair understood he owed them a debt. When he could pay it, he would.
The ship was in its final descent, rushing through the planet's atmosphere. Jeeves was controlling the speed to avoid damage to the outer panels. They had no idea how many jumps they might have to make in this ship, and limiting the damage over time was important. Faitrin was on the lookout for other ships they might be able to purchase or acquire by less legal means, as long as they could transfer Jeeves into their new vessel.
Alistair had become a fan of the AI. It had a man's voice that spoke in a strange dialect, and over the five days, he made Jeeves tell him it was from England, before the Ascendant's rise. Such an accent no longer existed because of deliberate extermination by the Commonwealth. Getting rid of nationalities was important, the need for “One People. One Purpose” all-encompassing.
Alistair sat in his chair as Jeeves spoke. "You're going to feel a large change in speed very shortly. This is because we've finished the initial part of our descent and have to slow to land on the planet."
Faitrin was in the pilot's chair. She'd given Jeeves permission to update the crew, probably because she was tired of it. Alistair didn't care and didn't ask. He trusted her to make the right decisions.
"You okay up there, brothess?" Relm asked Faitrin.
"Would be doin' better if you’d let me concentrate on my job," she called to him.
Relm smiled and leaned his head back against the chair.
Just as Jeeves had said, the ship entered a hard slowdown phase. Alistair glanced at Faitrin as his body pressed against the restraints. She was pushing against hers too, though her eyes remained gray and her face was focused on whatever her mind saw.
The panels in front of them cleared, and Alistair turned to look at the planet.
"The gods themselves made this," Servia whispered from the back.
Alistair could think of no argument against what she said. This place made Earth and every other planet inside its Solar System look like apes or their direct descendants had built it, and they were only staring at a small portion of this massive planet.
From what Alistair could see, the world was one huge city. The buildings went on and on, seeming to have no end. He had known to expect this from his studies on the way, but seeing it was different.
The ship slowed further, and Alistair leaned back in his seat.
Jeeves spoke again. "I've arranged sleeping quarters and meals. I've told authorities the duration of our stay is one week and that I would let them know if we need to extend it. This planet, due to its size and obvious commerce, is fairly liberal about allowing people in and out as long as their credentials are in order, which I've made sure yours are."
"Very good, Jeeves," Alistair replied.
The dock was a landing pad. Faitrin guided the ship to it carefully for a gentle landing. What Alistair wanted was a shower and a bed, but he didn't know when those would be possible, despite Jeeves’ assurances of rooms being available. Alistair had a meeting first.
Rather, he hoped to get a meeting. Without it, much of what they wanted to do here would be hopeless.
Now that they were on the world, Jeeves’ voice came over the comm once again. "Our credentials have been taken care of. Once we exit the ship,
androids will come and take it to a storage facility. I will alert Faitrin if something untoward happens to the ship. One thing you’ll notice is the increased gravity due to the planet’s size. In day to day interaction, you’ll feel it, though your suits should mitigate it. Does anyone have any questions?"
"I think we're good, Jeeves," Alistair said. The AI had given them a thorough overview of the planet, government structures, law enforcement, and most importantly, the underworld. It was a laissez-faire place as long as violence didn't break out. When that happened, the powers that be came down with an iron fist. Violence wasn't good for business.
Alistair turned his chair around and looked at his crew. Faitrin was on his right, Servia and Relm directly in front of him, and the AllMother in the back. Obs lay beside the chair, his eyes closed. The small ship had a toilet but no shower. The group had to smell worse than anyone on this planet, and Alistair reassessed the need to clean himself.
"Okay, AllMother, I'd like you to remain relatively quiet and unnoticed while we're here. That work for you?"
The woman gave him a soft smile. "As you wish."
Alistair didn't like giving her orders, but she allowed him little choice in the matter. The old woman refused to make any decisions. "Faitrin," he continued, "how far will your connection with Jeeves work? Are you able to connect with him anywhere on this planet?"
The pilot's eyes were clear since she had disharmonized from the ship. "We allowed ourselves to harmonize deeper than usual for this trip. I should be able to utilize it at relatively large distances, though neither of us is sure how far that is."
"Better than nothing," Alistair said. "Servia, I want you to remain with the AllMother. Relm and Faitrin, we're going to clean up as best we can, then go find the underworld connection Jeeves has set up. We'll keep our comms on us at all times, even when we sleep. Any questions?"
Relm and Servia shook their heads. Obs looked up and gave a small bark.
"You're with the AllMother, Obs. If Jeeves is to be believed, you won't be the only drathe on these streets, but I don't think they'll let you in where we're going. No chasing females or starting pissing contests with males while I'm away, understand?"
Obs sighed as if those actions were too beneath him to be worthy of a bark. The animal stood up and stretched his front legs, then his back. He was ready to go.
"All right. We wash up, then we go find this underworld god."
By any measurement, Jeeves had done an amazing job setting everything up. Exactly what he said would happen happened. Within an hour of deplaning, Alistair was clean and had a room to return to if he survived what came next. Jeeves had been able to use the AllMother's credits to purchase clothes for the group without telling them about it.
The damn thing had even made sure the clothes Alistair wore had a place for his Whip. The overcoat had a pocket perfectly tailored to fit his weapon so he could take it with him wherever he went as long as he wasn't patted down or scanned.
The group met outside their building. The street was busy, with people walking instead of using flying transportation. It was a whirlwind of movement, both next to and above them. Alistair received some looks from passersby, most likely due to his size and the red in his eyes, but for the most part, they were ignored.
No one said anything as they started walking. They'd discussed everything before coming outside, and now they were heading to meet the man who could introduce them to the nameless underworld boss. Even Jeeves hadn't been able to find his identity.
"You're sure he exists?" Alistair had asked.
"I am sure," Jeeves said. "His name is guarded. It's not a common practice on this planet, but this man is different."
Alistair certainly hoped everyone on the damned planet didn't hide their name.
He'd been briefed on what to expect during the first meeting. Jeeves had managed to set up the introduction using a large sum of credits, though it wasn't with the nameless one. This was with an underling, and it was up to Alistair to convince him of the necessity of meeting the person who could help them.
Their hotel was close to the restaurant where they would meet the first man. It didn't take them long to reach it. Faitrin walked on Alistair's right and Relm on his left. Each was wearing the common clothing of long overcoats since light snow was falling on the busy city. Snow often fell, which was lucky since it allowed for more layers and more weapons underneath.
The restaurant was upscale, something Luna might have picked but Alistair never would have. He always felt uncomfortable in these types of places, as if there were a secret code of behavior he hadn't been taught but everyone else in the restaurant knew about.
Allie, his wife's voice asked in his mind, are you here to order food or to try to get back to me?
"Let's go," he told the group with a little smirk on his face. He missed his wife horribly, and it was nice to hear her sarcasm. Regardless of what she’d said on that video, he held hope that his version of her was closer to the truth.
Faitrin lightly grabbed his wrist before he could pull the door open. "Let me do the talking until we sit down. I imagine my manners are going to be better than either of you two animals."
Relm shrugged. "Momma raised me with a StarBeam, not a silver spoon. Lead the way, brothess."
Alistair pulled the door open and let the other two enter first, then he followed. This planet didn't have a lot of mutants, but they weren't discriminated against like they were on Earth. Eating in restaurants was fine, as was visiting shops. The Ascendant didn't rule this far out, and if mutants brought commerce, this planet accepted them.
Even with that, the girl standing inside the door stared at Alistair for a second longer than everyone else. Faitrin was about to say something when the woman finally smiled at the pilot. "Sir Nevo is waiting for you. If you'll follow me, I'll be happy to take you to him."
Faitrin wasn't fazed. "Of course. Thank you."
Neither Alistair nor Relm knew what to expect, and they walked behind Faitrin with their eyes searching for danger. The patrons were eating, and most minded their own business. The clientele in here was wealthier than those Alistair had seen on the street. Every table had some sort of alcohol on it, and he thought he was looking at actual bottles of wine, not the cloned type.
None of these people had any hardness to them. If they tried to murder Alistair and his group, they'd be cut down like the soft rich folks they were. The danger would most likely come, but these people wouldn’t be part of it.
The woman led them into a private room, where double doors kept their business private from the outside world.
The hostess said nothing as they entered. She held the door open, and as soon as the three had passed inside, she left.
A man sat at the back of a circular table with a glass of dark liquor and a plate of food Alistair didn't recognize. It looked like cheese if cheese was slimy. He couldn't imagine putting it in his mouth.
"Please, sit." The man gestured at the three chairs in front of him. Jeeves hadn't said how many people would be at this meeting, saying no one had asked. This person knew a lot.
Faitrin took a step back and let Alistair move forward as their leader. He sat in the middle chair, and the other two took the seats at his sides.
The man in front of them was bald, his eyebrows fair, and his face stark. His eyes were set deep in his face, and his clothing covering everything but his neck, head, and hands. His skin was pale, almost shockingly so, as if stepping into the sunlight might set him on fire.
There was no alcohol nor food in front of their three seats, which said only one thing; this man was all about business.
"You paid a lot of credits to be here, but you don't get a lot of time. Tell me what it is you want." The man lifted the brown drink to his mouth and took a short sip.
"I need to meet with your boss," Alistair stated.
The man slowly lowered the glass back to the table as a smile crossed his lips. "Do you now? I'm not sure I've had anyone say th
at to me before because people on this planet realize how preposterous it is, what you said. Why don't you start by telling me why you need my boss?"
Alistair wished Luna was here. This type of back and forth was what she was trained in. Her parents had made sure she knew how to use words to get what she desired. Alistair had been trained very differently. He couldn't let Faitrin drive this either; his leadership had been established with this man, and to switch now would show weakness.
He remained calm. "I need to find someone on this planet. The population is too great for me to do it on my own. I need his resources, and I'm willing to pay whatever is necessary."
"Who do you want to find?" the man asked.
"A friend of mine. Of ours."
The man leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. His face showed only disapproval. "You come to this meeting wanting to see a man whose power is greater than anything you'll ever accumulate, even if you had ten lifetimes. You ask to see him in order to find a friend, giving me no other information, and you offer only credits? As if he doesn't have enough. You are a foolish man, and these people next to you are foolish for following you." He leaned forward again, shaking his head. "You will not see him, and I recommend you leave this restaurant now. Those weapons beneath your coats will do you no good here. There will be bloodshed only on your side, I assure you."
Relm moved to pull his beam from his coat, but Alistair's hand was quicker. He placed it on Relm's elbow and shook his head slightly. "We appreciate the meeting." His eyes remained on the stranger. "I'm sure you know how to contact us if you or your boss change your minds."
Alistair stood, and the others did as well. Relm's hand was still, but his face showed hatred toward the man who disrespected his leader so blatantly.
Alistair turned and walked to the door. A different woman was on the other side, and she pulled it open as he reached it, allowing him to exit. Within seconds, they found themselves back on the busy street. Alistair immediately used the comm to talk to Servia.
