by P. S. Power
That turned out to be the case, though presentation did vary. When Sam tried it, everything looked a bit like it had come from the dining hall. When Karen did the same dishes, they came out with garnishes and the finest placement possible. Sara and Tiera did fine and Kurt was a disaster all the way around. Part of that was probably down to the fact that he ate really bizarre things, when he could. When they were done Tiera held the bag under the hopper, near the bottom and tapped the release sigil, which filled the sack again. Most of the material was still there even. She just didn't want to mess up her floor. After running out to empty it, dumping some food along with other things, behind her dorm, she came in and tapped the three lines on the tile. It wasn't great looking, being kind of plain, that way, but the magic worked. She felt relieved, to tell the truth.
She hadn't really believed it would work at all, but it was a decent build. Maybe even better than that.
Sara tossed an arm over her shoulder.
"So, Countess Baker, I don't suppose you need a girlfriend do you? Maybe one that you could set up with a few of these?" She winked. "Just kidding. Though if you're looking to sell them, we could probably get more for each than... Call it ten thousand gold? The only reason it would be that low is because no one could afford more than that right now."
She shook her head.
"No. I'm giving them away. I can only make so many, and even if the Lairdgren Group does too, well, yeah. Things are too tense to charge for them. People need food and will for long time."
That got a nod from Sam, who held a hand out for one of the tiles. He got ten though. Without hesitation, Kurt tried too, only to receive one. Sara did too. Karen didn't try for one herself, but got tossed a tile anyway.
"For your sister, the Countess? Tell her it's from us."
That got Sara to perk up.
"I... missed that. I don't think we've met? I mean last night, but I'd remember the face."
Tiera furrowed her brow, acting like she didn't get why Sara would miss who the incredible looking short haired woman was.
"Karen Derring? Didn't you know she really looked like this? Put your disguise on Karen." She had to dig through her things, but after a minute was the much plainer and almost manly girl again. She took the thing off and set it aside though.
Sara blinked. "Okay, I did not see that one coming. You probably thought I was acting strange all night then, didn't you?"
"A bit." Karen winked at the other girl. "But I was wondering how long it would take you to figure it out. I'll pass this to Heidi." She hefted the tile, as if it had weight and then tucked it into a pocket.
Tiera set aside a nice stack of the things and took a few with her, then loaded the slightly dirty sack from earlier with the rest.
"For the Space Fleet. Well, a few are for the new colony." Standing she headed for the door, knowing that she was going to be walking the whole way, or suspecting it. Except, while she didn't have a Fast Craft, and Karen didn't offer hers, they all had flying gear. Kurt had old style copper, showing it was early Tor work, but the rest had the newer stuff that Tim had made. Even going slow for the blond boy, they were there in a few minutes. It was only about five miles away, if you flew.
They had to land outside the wall. Or, more to the point, Tiera didn't know if that was the case, but didn't want to accidently be taken out of the air by a craft suddenly taking off. They went decently slow for that, but it only took one pilot behind schedule to make her day a little less fun. That meant walking in past guards, who, after looking at them, didn't particularly want to let them in. One man seemed to be from Vagus, but wasn't the same one she'd seen before. He spoke better Noram standard however.
The other one was...
Tiera didn't really know. She was a little taller than a regular commoner, and had pale skin, like she did and almost the same color hair. She also had a cross on, outside her clothing. That was just the regulation black jumpsuit, with teal stripes for both of them, which was nearly the lowest rank, Tiera thought.
They were going to be blocked totally it looked like, until her older friend that had taken her up a few days before, noticed her and waved, then came over.
"Ah, my Noram friend! I heard from Captain Peterson that you actually did it? A space drop at night? Have you come to do it again? It's a bit early right now, but later... A lot of people are interested in seeing it done. Most of the Elite Noram fliers haven't gotten a chance to try it yet."
She shook her head then stopped.
"Well, I could lead them through it if, they want? I was just bringing in some new food units? I mentioned that to you, I think? Here, let me show you how to use them, and then you can pass them out." They did it outside the gate, which still had a lot of people running over to see. Then to sample things. It was, she thought, a hit.
Walter, which turned out to be her new friend's name, gave her a very funny look.
"You can turn dust into food? Amazing. Simply... I can get these around to everyone. You said you wanted some for the lunar base? Harmony?"
She nodded. "Is that the name? It's pretty. Yes, to answer the question. I have more to go up, but I can send those in a few weeks. This is just so that people will have some fresh food without too much trouble. The High Servants think of everyone else first after all, and they're doing most of the work." That was the line on them at least, though most knew it was a little less smooth and pure hearted than that already.
They didn't get to see Orange, since she was in orbit herself, but they were treated, if that was the word, to a meeting with Count Lairdgren. He didn't even come from space, simply walking up behind them and helping himself to a nice looking cookie that he didn't use a plate to get. Taking a bite he nodded. Blandly. He did a lot of things that way.
"This is excellent, Tiera. Very efficient too. It can heat and cool in space?"
She'd worked that one out, since it was a system she'd worked with before.
"On any standard craft we have right now. It will take heat from the waste first, then the environment, if needed. If it needs to cool it will do it into the air until the temperature reaches seventy degrees, then will put it out in space. It isn't perfect, but it should work, if we don't have ten or twenty of the things running non-stop all the time on each ship. On the ground or, hopefully, the moon, that will be simpler."
The man seemed unreasonably happy about it. So much so he gave her a little hug, not even frowning at her.
"Very nice. I know this is an off day for you at school, but I was wondering if I could speak with you and Conserina Derring in private? I'm afraid this will take some time, Sara. Kurt." He started to turn away, but stopped, looked closely at Sam and waved for him to follow along as well. "Sam Builder? If you would join us as well? Perhaps a trip into space could be arranged for our friends here?" This was directed to a man in the back, who looked Austran to her, if that could be told without hearing him speak. He waved to Sara and Kurt however, as if it were going to happen. Because, short or not, he was the Count after all.
It was his County even.
He also knew who both Sara Debri and her little brother were, by name? That didn't seem likely, did it? They were from a long way away and while Sara had attended his school, as far as Tiera knew, the Count hadn't for years, so that he could avoid Tor. Or something like that. It was strange.
If she were Tim, it probably would have been enough for her to work out seven levels of complex thought and planning about it all, but she scrambled to work out what he was going to berate them for. Not that he ever really yelled. He'd faked it a few times with her, but that wasn't the same thing. Karen didn't have her regular version disguise on either, and he'd known it was her, and that it was real no doubt, which meant he'd worked out that Ancients were being made? Because...
It was his County, he owned the school, and both Kolb and Alice knew about them already? Would they have told? Or more to the point, would they care enough to?
Tiera looked around, and then walked off, b
ack toward the school. It was a place to go, and no Fast Craft came out, so he wasn't planning on taking them all away instantly. The others followed, but she didn't speak for a bit. Neither did anyone else.
When she did, she went with a Timon style thing, putting something out to see how the man reacted.
"So, who do you want made immortal, before Timon stops doing it? He's planning no more than twenty. Most of those are already done, or at least planned. If you want a lot more than that, well, the world is good for a few thousand or more. Ten thousand, with the Moon base, but..." She let it draw out and the good looking Count looked over at her with her older brother's face. It was creepy. Not the face, just the likeness.
"I don't have anyone I'd saddle with it, myself. This is about something different." Then, maddeningly, he went silent. While looking at her, as if she were supposed to figure it all out. Had he given clues? Well, he'd actually seemed pleased with the new food units for space, and that was out of the norm for him. What did it mean though?
Why would they need to go to space for so long they'd need food that wouldn't run out? In general, of course... Except that Austra was coming under an attack soon, wasn't it? If Tor was right. The Count would know about that, she figured.
Which meant...
It was right there, but like always it felt like there was something in the way. Finally she got it, however.
"Gerent?"
"Exactly. The others have voted on it. In three months, perhaps sooner, we will ask Gerent Lairdgren, or if he is one of us by that time, another person, to unleash the fatal magical plague of Timon Baker on the world, which will kill all with the Ancient patterns. If I was told correctly, and I checked to make certain of it, for better than a decade the earth will be barred to us. After that however, we may return. Even before then, it should be possible for us to pass items and information with others, as long as we avoid close contact with the planet. I've come to beg you all to consider coming with us. At first we may have to live on one of the ships. It isn't perfect, but living is better than dying, or so I've been told."
Tiera nodded.
"I'm in then. It's a good plan. If it wasn't for this thing with Tor I would have suggested it before. I've been thinking about it for a while now. Since I heard that the device to do it existed. Off and on at least." Not that much, but enough to count really. She was prepared. "Timon is building some huge space stations? I don't know when those will be ready, but not too much longer, if they work. His food devices make water and air too. So do my little ones, just in case it ever comes up. We can do this."
There was a somber nod from Green, a slightly subdued one from Sam and a hard look from Karen. She wasn't a wimp after all. Leaving her home wasn't going to scare her away from surviving.
The woman took a deep breath. "Will it work? Can't they find some counter magic or dig into a deep hole, and protect themselves that way?"
Lairdgren gave her a tolerant look, but softened after a few seconds into something nearly kind. "It's unlikely that most will discover grand magics in that time. If Tor is not with them then, that is most likely removed from the table. They do know it can be done, but as of yet, have not managed to learn the process for themselves. It's hard to change greatly when you're very old, and even the youthful clones have the minds of elders in place. It is a possibility however, and a thing to watch for. As for digging in, Timon apparently saw to that one. His fields will seek out those with the correct structures and remove them. What we will need to do is prepare ourselves and loved ones, then seek those of the older ones that may not be party to the destruction of the world. The offer of safety and rescue should be made, if nothing else."
That made some sense. Not that she cared a lot for those others, but they could be asked. Even some of the people on the evil side might be good enough to go, if they weren't spies. Or saboteurs.
For a long time they simply walked, and not all that quickly. Finally the man next to them shrugged and stopped.
"We can't become complacent either. Three months is more than enough time for them to kill us all, and if we fail, or succumb to trickery, have no doubt that Gerent Lairdgren will kill every Ancient on the planet, even if it means ending his own life to do so. He is a man of great internal strength. Some people miss that about him, seeing only the outside. Those that do will be very surprised if he is ever truly tested, I think." The words seemed wise, but dark too. Everything did for a moment, but Tiera thought about it and realized that ten years wasn't that long really. There was no saying they couldn't take their friends or anything. She'd probably lose her County, but that wasn't some huge deal. She'd originally planned to let that go anyway, eventually. In two or three years, not inside six months, but things had changed.
They always did.
She turned to the man and shrugged, which was a thing he always did, so it seemed fitting.
"I have a good man lined up to take over my County, what do you have planned? Leading in absentia?" She might be able to pull that off, for a while. She just didn't want to.
Karen looked scared then, for some reason, as if the idea that Tiera already had something in place was strange.
"No. I have no direct heir that will be able to stay, and no one selected. I was thinking that I might pass it to Kyle Hardgrove, if that isn't the same man you planned to use?"
"Nope, Lawrence Morris. He's running things already, so should be able to manage it well enough. I guess I should go and see about that soon? Waiting until the last minute will let them know when we're going to act a bit too nicely."
There was a nod, but Sam snorted.
"You're just giving away Counties now? I mean it doesn't mean that much to me, since I'm going to go to the Moon, and build Samville, but that's a lot to just let go of, isn't it?"
Was it? Tiera couldn't tell anymore. She wanted her people to do well, but some extra magic and survival, long term was about what she could do for them, wasn't it?
Besides, even though no one had gotten the idea yet, she didn't need anything now, or wouldn't soon.
"I... In a few weeks, we'll be able to make anything we need. Like with the food units? Gold, jewels, shoes. Hats. All that useful stuff. If we don't just want to use magic for it, which is probably better for a lot of things. All I need are the right people with me, and things will be perfect. Better than Earth, with riches for all. Until we start fighting over silly things and destroy it, I mean." She tried to smile, but the fake one on Burks Lairdgren's face distracted her.
"Wisdom from the mouths of babes." He practically whispered the words, but both she and Sam heard him. Karen shook herself bodily, several times and then took several deep breaths.
When she spoke her voice sounded perfect though, like she was speaking to a lover, not voicing a concern.
"It's the plan, and will work, so we have to try. I'm nervous though. What if I hate it in space?"
The orphan next to her took her hand, and moved close, "then you hate it for ten years and move back. I doubt it will be that bad. Tiera is right, we have good people with us. It will be enough."
That hadn't been what she said at all, but she could hang in for a while longer, to make certain her family survived and thrived. It was her job. All of it, or it would be, after she finished things with her County. That part would be hard, she knew. The King was using her duty as a way to keep himself alive, she thought. It wasn't completely wrong, but she had to get out of things, for her subjects now. She never thought of them in that way, but it was what they were, she knew.
It was going to take some work, if she didn't want to end up in a giant fight. Really, how was that going to work?
She decided to just go and see about it all. If she simply did it, and didn't make a fuss... No, that wouldn't work, would it? Of course, ultimately she had one card that she could play, that even the King had to listen to. If he didn't let her pass the reins of power along, she could... Simply do it anyway, and let the County fall to whoever wanted to take it by
force. She couldn't love the idea, but it was something that pretty much had to work. If she simply left, then... Well, she'd be gone.
Once off the planet, King meant about the same as farmer. Except that a farmer might eventually work out how to grow some potted plants or something. In Noram he was important. Above them... Well, no one really knew, but she was willing to fight the idea pretty hard.
She walked, but not in silence, as that might seem rude. Everyone with them had just discovered that they were about to lose all they knew. Yes, it might be a grand adventure, and only last ten years, but Sam was only fourteen, like she was. The Green man had just come and found them, and then said he had to go into exile for what had to seem like a good portion of the time he'd already lived. Some of the others might not take the news half as well either. Or they might. Timon didn't actually pick any stupid people for his little changes, had he?
Even someone like Judy Kerry, who wasn't exactly Tiera's best friend, had enough resolve to get past a little mild discomfort. So, instead of being a total downer, she suggested they all get off to the Capital later. That got Green to finally produce a tear drop shaped Fast Craft, that was all in his color, naturally. It looked ridiculous, of course. Not the color, which was actually fine, but the fact that he used it for everything he could.
The man winked at Karen, possibly understanding how good looking she was now, if he could care about anything like that. He was also going to be stuck with her for a while, so it might pay to be friendly, if he had the will for it. Sam saw that and sighed, moving closer to her, protectively.
Not wanting to lose her already.
Tiera just moved toward the vehicle, and reached out, almost by accident, to touch it with her mind. It was complex. Nearly as much as the unit that she'd made for food. Or, she realized, more so. It was just a little better organized. That got her to blink, since the feeling of age that came off of it was intense. Clearly it was Green's own work, and not Tor's at all.
"So... You made a Space Ship?" She let the words come out sounding low and a bit impressed, even though she was trying to sound jaded and bored. It wasn't working however. After a second, she understood that this was the original version and that what Tor had made was the copy of it. "Not... bad. It needs to be faster."
