by P. S. Power
It was? Gerent didn't know what her plans were at the moment, but his were a lot simpler. He wanted to sit for a bit, chat with some people and then get Princess Veronica back to her Palace before anyone accused him of kidnapping the girl. They still had about three hours however, and even that would get them in early.
As Laurie worked to get Alice on the magical speaking device, Tiera seemed to count and looked at several people closely. There were a lot of them there, including some non-immortals, if that was what you had to be in order to make it into the space. Clearly not, since no one asked him to leave. Finally, about five minutes later they had a sleepy sounding Orange Ancient on the line. She growled a bit, but good naturedly.
Gerent knew her well enough to get that part of things, even if Laurie stiffened as if it were an insult. Rather than let the woman speak herself, he did it, calling out.
"Hey Alice. Put the claws away, Tiera has something she wants to say. This is... Everyone I think?" The device was pointed around the room, so that they could all be seen.
"So this is the first Summit?" Orange sounded more respectful suddenly. A lot more. "And we don't even have to do it all in person? Amazing. I tried to set that up for a thousand years before I realized it was never going to happen. With the old crew. Let's do this then. Are we doing it by volunteers?"
Gerent cleared his throat, knowing that he wasn't one of them, but also knowing that people that wanted to be in power almost never should be. He spoke, loudly enough that she could hear him, he hoped.
"Assignment. Everyone has to do their assigned task for, um..." He thought about it and then re-jiggered his assumptions. He nearly said a single year, but these people would all be around for a very long time, wouldn't they? "For no less than one hundred years, barring a real issue. No one gets to squirrel out or get lazy, or the rest of us will come and scold you until you get back in line."
That sounded enough like a punishment that no one seemed all that thrilled to hear about it. Then, should they? Tiera touched his back lightly, and looked at him, as if letting him know that it was his job to tell them what was happening. Nodding he very obviously stepped away and put his shield back on, so that no one could accidently kill him by mistake.
"We did the Earth first. Each land get's a caretaker, just like before. You can work out how you need to do it, to help the people there most, but it's the responsibility of, you know, the people with the job. Except... Um, everyone else has to help if asked. No getting out of it." That was the Lunar way, right? He looked at the others, and saw several of them nodding at least. It was a nice thing to see, since it would end up being a lot of work, he didn't doubt.
Gerent looked around and then shrugged.
"Right. Um, Tim, you have Austra already, they elected you, flat out. Misha over here is your helper. She has the food and magic distribution for that land too, so keep that in mind." Gerent pointed at the woman, so that Tim got it. He just smiled and waved at her, before standing up.
"That seems about as expected. Brown asked if I'd do it. I didn't really think that it would happen this soon. Are they truly good with it?" He spoke as if he knew the answer, which given who he was, that was going to be the case.
Giving him a shrug, Gerent shook his head.
"Yes. Everyone else gets the harder jobs, that way. They love you there."
He decided to go with the next easiest one after that, since that was the Antarctic. He waved to Blue Four, who was sitting at the back of the room, regarding him coolly. She had pale skin, and small breasts, with light brown hair. She liked to be called her, but Alice had explained to him that the girl actually had both parts. Male and female. She looked pretty enough that a lot of people wouldn't mind however. She was also a bit cold, as far as mannerisms went. Blank and still of face and body language. Nice anyway. He'd actually spent a lot of time talking with her, since she'd been living on the Ranford when he was there with Orange.
"Four, you have the Antarctic. Is that all right? We can get you an assistant, too."
The lady nodded to him and then stood herself, as Timon took his seat again.
"That is efficient. I know the systems there already and can collect the needed information and data. If we aren't doing that in secret at this point, it could increase the efficacy of the work being done. I could use aid, however. I cannot, as with most of these present, go to my place of assignment for some time." She looked around, and then nodded at Bonita, seeming to recognize her.
"Would you be willing to do such work? I know not what it will entail, at this point, but you've seemed sufficiently intelligent when we've met in the past." She paused and bowed a little, getting the move almost right. "I also have enjoyed your company."
Bonita blinked a few times and smiled.
"I think I can do that. Yes. It sounds important."
Blue regarded her without expression for a half moment, speaking quickly.
"It is."
That left people that he had no clue about, as far as their reactions. Looking at the nearly thirty individuals in the small space, he took a deep breath and then jumped in.
"Um... Tor? I... put you in charge of Vagus." He said it as if it had all been his idea, which, even if it were a joke at the time, it had been. He made a face for a few seconds, and then looked at Gerent rather sourly.
"You did? Why?" That got everyone else to look at him as if he were stupid. Tor that was. Kolb just snorted.
"You started a major building program there. See it through. If we're taking the whole world into this new line of advancement, that's the place that will be hardest to transform."
That got the muscular bald man glared at, as if Tor was being petty, but after a moment he sighed.
"Fine. I can do that."
Eto bowed to him, and smiled, getting one in return almost immediately. She moved over to him carefully, her red robe bright and clean, her face looking youthful and vibrant.
Then she started talking to him in Vagish, which to Gerent's amazement, was returned in kind. They chattered for a bit, and finally Tor nodded to her.
"Mage Eto has volunteered to be my aid there, until I can go myself." That didn't handle the new students, but this didn't seem like the time to discuss that portion of things.
"Um... Afrak. Farlo Ross?" He had to look around for her, having met the girl before, but only a few times and never to do more than exchange the briefest of words with. She stood and bowed to him, and then everyone else.
"Honored." She looked at Princess Abbey closely, her face closed off, but a bit scared around the edges, as if the woman was going to leap up and throttle her for taking the position.
Well, lying being habit forming, he shook his head.
"No, Abbey needs to focus on the living things. For all the worlds, and space ships. Well, the animals. I'll do the plants? We can work together on it?" It was a bit of a plush job, he realized, getting to play with that kind of thing all the time, but no one yelled at him for suggesting it. He liked plants, most of them could probably see that.
The dark skinned, nearly true black, woman stood, her tiny form upright and proud. Her hair was a sharp red and her eyes reminded him of the summer sky, they were such a light blue.
"That is an honor, Prince Gerent. A vast responsibility as well. Thank you. I look forward to working with you." She seemed more pleased, based on her smile, than her deep words had sounded like. She beamed at everyone then, and Alphonse seemed happy for her. He looked hopeful too, but Gerent shook his head.
"Sam Builder is responsible for Noram." The words came out quietly and instead of seeming upset, Alphonse, his sisters and Smyth all stood and turned to bow to the boy, who jumped up, yelped and returned the movement, going very low.
Gerent needed to get some air soon, before he got to the hard ones, but so far no one seemed to want to do that. There was a time schedule, after all.
"Princess Veronica? Would you be willing to act as his voice there?" Gerent tried to sound humble, and sinc
e he had a lifetime of experience doing that, it came out right. The girl, who had her little daughter on her lap again, not wanting to let her go, nodded.
"I can come here to get my assignments?" She looked over at him, not Sam. As if he were the one that needed to give her permission for it?
"That sounds like a plan. You should all do that, most likely. So... That's most of them, only the hard ones left. I... Please don't hit me. Thank you." He bowed low and held it for a while, and after a moment Tiera did the same, her eyes downcast. Since they weren't married it was pretty clear that she was saying that his decision in this was hers as well. Everyone got that, but Timon stiffened, his eyes going wide, which was rare for him. Unflappable was more like what Gerent expected from the boy.
"Oh... That's... I see." He probably did, but that didn't inform anyone else.
"Tellerand... It's a real problem area. We weren't able to deliver food magics to them. They chased us off, throwing rocks. They need the help, so it's going to take a lot of real work, starting as soon as possible. Terry? We're leaving that to you. If you need anyone else's help, any of us here, including Orange, then just ask, and it will be done."
The boy did not look at all happy to be put in charge. In fact he looked at Gerent as if it were a joke, but Tiera caught his eye before he could speak about it.
"This isn't a prank, Terry. You understand them as well as any of us, and have dealt with them more, in the last years. We'll help you, but... I think that you should decline."
That got a snort from the handheld speaking device as Alice made a few choice comments.
"That's not likely for him, is it? Terrence can do it. It's not the job for a boy, but in time he won't be one. Who else is going to do it? Kolb? That bunch of book thumpers would end up dead in that case. Me? The same thing would happen. I say you grab a few of your brothers and sisters and pull them in now too, but do the job." She didn't add anything else, but the old woman to his right did.
She spoke with a dreamy, drugged sounding, voice. It was pleasant to listen to, and not all that old sounding at all. Gentle, really.
"I fear I must agree, Terry. Of all of the people present that can do the task, only you have both the courage and patience to do this one correctly. Your siblings will have work to do as well." She gave the boy a bow, but he just nodded, and left the room.
He simply walked out the door, after unlocking it.
"I need to get started, then." He called back. That was all.
Gerent looked over at the older woman, and thought that he understood her plan. She was trying to make certain that all the other kids, the little ones, wouldn't be left out. That was very sweet of her. Except that he thought he had a better plan.
Then, didn't everyone always think their plan was the best?
Being daring, which had never been that much of a problem for him for some reason, he looked at Taman.
"Soam is going to Taman. That's the hardest one to fix and may take... Centuries or longer. Again, we'll all help. I can't do it, and honestly..." He nearly said he wasn't certain if it could be done at all. Only time may be enough, in the end, but the girl gave him a nod, and didn't stand up. Her parents didn't either, though Laurie looked a bit concerned.
So Gerent looked her straight in the eyes and prayed that this didn't end with him being kicked out of his new family.
"It's the most damaged land, so Abbey and I will be working with her. It will take a lot of education, for all of us, and time. She has that." It wasn't a very good reason, but how did you explain that you thought the seven year old girl was smarter than almost anyone else in the room? Tim looked over at him and then stood, his six and a half foot plus frame moving over to his little sister. Then he patted her on the shoulder.
"I have some anti-radiation plans. Nothing perfect yet, but we should get together and go over that. Soil cleaning and some other things." He looked over at Gerent, and nodded slowly, getting what had just been dumped onto the tiny shoulders in front of him.
Still, who could do more than her?
Since no one lynched him on the spot, or was even glaring, he moved on.
"Alice has Space Fleet, but we need to get her some jump ships for exploration. We need some of those space stations too, both here and other places. You have those Tim?"
The boy smiled and gave a big nod. It actually looked fairly happy.
"A hundred of them, all nearly big enough to hold fifty times the population we have here."
They were running out of young people to foist jobs on, he realized, but spied a tall thin man in the back who looked likely for it. Before Gerent could ask who was who, having forgotten the names, people started to nominate others.
It was decided that each of the three major space stations would have an overseer, being that they were nearly as large as some small lands. In internal space at least. After a few moments, pretending to think, as if he knew any of the people being put forward, he nodded.
"So, Sherri Bonner, Guide Eastgreen and Mark Sorenson. You'll probably need to get with Alice on that, since she'll know more about where to put them and all that kind of thing than any of us. Um... Tiera get's this place and Karina is responsible for Mars. Past that... Well, I think that if we go to another star system, that Alphonse should do that one. The colony there. He'd have to abdicate the throne of Noram first, but..." He said this in an offhand way, trying to be teasing, but several people, including the red headed giant Prince, seemed to think that sounded about right.
It would, Tor pointed out, be a while before that happened anyway and gave them someone solid to see to that remote of a duty, if the job ever came up.
That was all he had planned, and really, since he'd kind of figured on just dumping some Mages on Tor, it was a lot more than that. Dorgal stood near the far left side, and hadn't spoken at all, but as soon as Tiera announced that was all for the first meeting, he moved over to Douglas, which had about half the room doing the same thing.
He bowed, his black outfit still plain, compared to the rather fancy brown and green that Douglas wore. It was more merchant style than noble, with leather trousers and a soft silk shirt with a leather vest over that. There were tool marks too, showing the thing to be real, though that was silly. It had to be magical, since they were on the Moon and doing anything else would be a mistake. He really doubted that Douglas Baker made a lot of those.
He looked younger than Dorgal, but wasn't, and smiled when the boy stood up, and got to his own feet. He was shorter than the other man, but only by about four inches. Seeing them side by side he realized that they looked similar. Like they might be brothers. That was an illusion however, he realized, since the older man was far too advanced in years for that to work out.
"Uncle Douglas? It was suggested to me that I introduce myself if I ever got the chance. We actually met before, but I didn't get an opportunity to speak to you at length. At my wedding?" He seemed grim for a moment, since his wife was dead, and Douglas tightened his face in response. Then the man stuck out his hand and they both shook, clasping forearms. It was strange looking. It probably marked them as being assassins, or maybe just Sorvees.
"I didn't know that. I mean, when I heard the family name, I realized that you were one of us, but I didn't know you were Donald's boy. I saw him there, at the wedding. I wasn't supposed to let anyone know about things, back then. I guess that's changed now however. How is everyone?"
They spoke for a bit, as the rest of the Baker family worked into place. It was enlightening to see who knew what, however. Tenet and Tess both bowed, and spoke to the man in a friendly, but slightly distant fashion.
"Pleased to meet you, cousin-" Tenent, who was nine, Gerent thought, stopped then, so he filled in the rest.
"Dorgal. Dorgal Sorvee. Of the merchant house." He thought he had that much right and didn't add the rest of what Tim had mentioned to him. If they needed to know about assassins, then that was something they had to find out on their own.
It was st
range, but Taman just bowed, as if she already had the whole thing worked out, and Alphonse smirked a bit. Then shook his head, as if it all made sense suddenly.
Tor was the one that looked half ready to freak out. In fact his eyes went so wide it was nearly insulting. He did manage to get his face under control, going blank, a few moments later. There were a lot of people standing around after all. If he looked bad then, these people might well be around for a very long time to make fun of him over it.
"Cousin? I..." He looked about ready to become angry, when Dorgal bowed low, from the waist.
"I beg forgiveness. I was unkind and surly, treating you poorly when I should not have. I didn't know that we were related at the time, but this only compounds a grievous error-" The polite response would be to either let the man go on, or to take his shoulders and help him right himself, but Tor didn't really do either of those. He held out his right hand, and then sort of froze for a while.
"Um, yeah. Okay. I need time to adjust to this one. I... Dorgal Sorvee is family? That can't be right." He looked over at his father who shrugged, but it was Timon that spoke, his voice deep for a boy his age.
"Count Lairdgren sent mother into hiding with father to protect her. Da was a Sorvee back then, and... Well there's more to the story, but Lairdgren pretty much runs the Sorvee Merchant House, after a fashion. So, there was a name change, but your school bully turns out to be your cousin. I think that about sums it up." He looked at everyone else, as if expecting them to say he was correct.
Which, naturally, he was.
Gerent moved in and stood Dorgal up, since Tor had left him all bent over and that was rude. You could beat the person apologizing, at least in Noram, or you could let them off the hook. Sometimes you even got the right to kill them, but there were rules to that kind of thing.
Trice stared at him, her eyes big enough that Tor seemed to be in good company. She didn't stop doing it for a long time either, even after he looked away, paying attention to Tor, who seemed to be the one having trouble in the moment.
