Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings (The Messenger Archive Book 1)

by DC Bastien

  "I think we need to take it easy for a while. You know. With Loap being hurt. He's gonna need a bit of rest. Now he's patched up, we don't need to go so far afield."

  The Sianar stared more closely at the Captain, scenting at the air. "I can assist with navigation duties if it would be of use. I am not quite the fine touch, but I have got some experience with it."

  "No, that's fine. I don't want him to think we're trying to get shot of him. You know how sensitive he can be... and when he's hurt he's going to be even more edgy than usual. We need to go..." both hands up, palms flat, gesturing slowly, "...softly-softly."

  Kre's whiskers twitched, and she stared down at the crate of food she was carrying. It was for the Hleen and Roq members of the crew, and if she thought about the contents for too long it would make her stomach churn. She didn't believe in the weak tone, but she also didn't know the Captain enough to push the matter. Humans were not her specialty, and she still worried that one day he'd decide she was more trouble than she was worth. "As you insist, Cap'n."

  "Besides. If that pain in my ass Avery wants us out of the sector, then there's obviously a reason to stay."

  "Is this because you wish to anger him?"

  "What? No. Well." Hands slung into pockets, a slow rock back and forth from heel to toe. He was not helping much with the loading, other than fussing over where each box went. "A bit. But mostly that if he's skulking around and pissing his claim, then I want to see why."

  "It is possible he is doing so as a deliberate ploy," Kre suggested. "He may be marking his territory in order to make you... stay."

  "You're crediting him with more intelligence than he has."

  "Am I? He seems to be good at his job. He picked up on those shipments, even though the paperwork was technically all above board."

  A slow smirk curled the Captain's lip. "He did. He was too busy looking at what we were shipping to look at the crates themselves. Finest Nabilian camphor."

  "Was it not illegal to ship the boxes?"

  "Nope. Absolutely not against any law. Not when they weren't actually the shipment. It's not usually used in crating, but there's never been an edict banning the application in question."

  "And he did not notice?"

  The last box put down, Vadim spread his arms wide: his long, grey coat flashing the soft blue lining like a bird's plumage. "Do I look like I've been arrested? Not that he even could. He didn't pick up on it, and it must be killing him to know he missed some trick."

  He hadn't really seemed disappointed that time, Kre thought. She wasn't entirely sure she had entirely deciphered their first meeting with the Ur-Enforcer yet, but she would need to spend more time around him to fully comprehend his motivation. "Why would he warn us away from this sector?" Kre asked. "We do not commit crimes. And if we did, he could arrest us, which would look good on his record. Is it because of your history with him?"

  "Honestly? Avery's a book-pushing shit. Being the highest ranked Human Ur-Enforcer's gone way to his head. He just likes to whack his tackle out on the table and-- sorry. Not fitting discourse for a lady like you."

  Kre snorted, jumping lithely two feet up in the air to perch on one of the boxes. "I am amused by your race's gender-distinctions. My people do not differentiate. Except when it comes to breeding and heat cycles."

  "Uhm, yeah. We used to be pretty bad at it, historically speaking. Same with different religions and ethnic backgrounds. Thankfully by the time the first Whale turned up, we'd sorted most of that out."

  "Most?"

  "You never eradicate all prejudice. It's just now Humanity gets to practice it on alien species, as well as one another. Not that I need to tell you how that goes."

  "Indeed." Kre lifted one leg, absently scratching behind her ear. It was a gesture she only did when she was comfortable in someone's presence. "I have been thinking about the attack. It seems to be far too pre-meditated for a small group to be acting on prejudice. There were trading requests, money transfers and so on. I have been open with my ministry where we travel, but I am surprised it has come to anyone's attention this soon."

  "Yeah, I was on the same page as you. It was all far too put-together for those morons we met. No offence, but the jump they did was pretty low-rent. And the operation to get us there? It felt... bigger. I guess it's how they could be sure we'd show."

  "And they had no way of knowing I would be present at the exchange."

  "You kinda have been helping out with all the muscle," Vadim said, nodding at the now-stocked hangar. "If they've been keeping tabs on us, they'd know a big, heavy shipment would make you more likely to poke your muzzle out of Mes' cargo bay doors."

  "I suppose you are correct. Has the Judge filed the paperwork about their transaction?"

  "He has. I didn't go the full hog of reporting them for assault and battery, because they felt like hired help to me. I did make sure they were put on a watch list, though. Possibly why Avery is in the region."

  "He would have had to be close by before that, to get caught by the same Whale as us, though."

  "...good point. Okay. I don't know why that slimy dick here. I just know I'm going to stay here for a bit, to see why he thinks I should go."

  "If you think that is wise, then we will all bow to your judgement, Captain," Kre replied, cautiously. There was old blood there, it was obvious for anyone to see. If nothing else, the Captain winced every time the other Human called him 'Kip'. "I will make contact with the major factions in the area. I can take local transportation to colonies if you will be remaining docked here for an extensive period."

  "Okay, but you don't go getting yourself killed in the name of science, understand? The underlying rules of the universe will still be there, whether or not you sell it to folks."

  "I understand that, Captain. It is precisely that timeless, eternal element which I wish to impress upon people."

  "Each to their own. I'm going to go to the nearest juice joint, see if I can't catch any gossip."

  "You Humans and your fascination with 'gossip'. I never did understand why an establishment selling refreshments would be a good place to look for information."

  "That, my furry friend, is because you do not partake of the good grape and grain. If you did, you'd see."

  "I have no desire to artificially affect my mood, Captain. I will leave the communication channel open, in case you encounter more... resistance."

  "That was one time, and they were ganging up on me!"

  "Even so. Take care, Captain."

  "You too, Kre," he said, offering a sloppy salute and leaving the Sianar to her new nest.

  ***

  Chapter Five - Mission: Adjudication

  "Son, I only came to offer my support."

  The small group of Roq, Sianar and Humans in the courtroom's foyer were muttering to one another as the Judge tried his best to convince the official with his battered, faded scales who was sitting behind the main desk.

  "Sure you did. Just like the rest of your kind."

  "I assure you, I am only here to offer the impartial ear of a trained member of the Judiciary. Not to bring down the letter of the Ur-council's law, but to help mediate any local disagreements that would benefit from an unbiased judgement."

  "Your type aren't impartial, even if you're Human. You're probably here because your blue-eyed masters want to pretend they ain't interfering."

  Peters took a half-step back. It was unusual to hear a Roq be so derogatory against the (very much Hyacinth-eyed) Hleen: they normally saved their vitriol for their old racial enemies the Sianar. "All Judges are meant to be fully impartial, Chief. If you have a complaint to levy against one of my colleagues..."

  "Try all of 'em! Damn Hleen." He spit a wad of gummed-up saliva and paralysing agent into the waste bin to the side. "Always judging in favour of their own kin. Not reckoning on the harm they do us."

  "Do you have names, dates, judgements that I can investigate?" Peters pushed, not liking these accusations at all.

&n
bsp; "Nope. No point. Anything you do will just come back on us."

  "Why don't you try me?"

  "Listen. I gots all those people out there to see. And you're just getting in the way of due process. So if you'd..." he flicked at his wrist, dismissing the lawman back towards the double doors at the front of the court.

  "Alright. I will take my leave. If you change your mind, and wish to discuss this when you have less of a queue, you may always hail my ship."

  "Yeah. Sure. Will do."

  Judge Peters tugged on the heavy, gold-embroidered red-satin cuffs around his wrists and turned. Although it did not show on his face, his embarrassment at being turned away from the makeshift courtroom was intense.

  He could not remember ever being rejected so thoroughly. Yes, a place like this would be wary of some officials - usually the Enforcers - but a Judge offering an unbiased, off-book method of settling disputes was normally snapped up. Until they landed on a planet, or reached a space station which kept to the interplanetary law, he was at a loose end.

  And then there was the whole racial element: it was well known that the race with the most representation as Ur-officials were Hleen. Roqs did regularly serve, but they preferred to work in Administration rather than be faced with the Sianar. Sianar were not normally of the temperament to become Judges, and they preferred to work in Enforcement. The short-lived Kior-Dhalias who did venture from their home-world preferred to work in entertainment and the arts, but a few had made Judge over the years. Humans were the newcomers, and were making headway in all aspects of the Ur-service, but the most widespread were still the Hleen.

  The Hleen, who were the second-oldest species known to use Whale travel, and who were generally well-liked. They were less warlike than the Sianar and Humans, less insular than the Roq, and less whimsical than the Kior-Dhalias. The only species more widely liked (or at least, not disliked) were the Bankers: the oldest sentient explorers, and the only species which dedicated itself wholly to the acquisition and re-distribution of goods and credit. Even Humanity had taken well to the Hleen, but that was probably because they were the most visually similar, and only their skin-pigment, iris-colour and lack of hair really differentiated the two species on the surface.

  Judge Peters went back to his little office on the port-side of the Messenger to start writing up a report and request for information.

  He did not like this. He did not like it one bit.

  ***

  [Ashroe: I'm glad you picked up on that about the Hleen.]

  [Sianor: You mean the 'exotic alien that it's okay to want to bang' vibe?]

  [Ashroe: Yep. Of course people would rather see a Human bang a slightly alien chick than something a foot taller or shorter, or with fur, or a different number of appendages or eyes.]

  [Sianor: Plus there's the whole production cost thing. It's why we don't see the Kior-Dhalias often, I bet. They must cost a fortune to animate those wings.]

  [Ashroe: Yes, true. And the Munts, though they were kind of a one-hit wonder.]

  [Sianor: I'm not feeling all that good today, mind if we just chill for a bit?]

  [Ashroe: Of course! I'm not a slavedriver. You want to talk about it, or want me to distract you?]

  [Sianor: Distraction would be nice. I took some pain meds, but they'll take a while to kick in, and then I won't even be able to spell my own name.]

  [Ashroe: It's okay, I won't know the difference.]

  [Sianor: Rude!]

  [Ashroe: No! I meant: I don't know it, so you could say you were called Quetzalcoatl and I would say 'cool'. Though I imagine if you were called that, you wouldn't need to take all that many meds to make it hard to spell.]

  [Sianor: Ohhh, sorry! I thought you were saying I typo a lot.]

  [Ashroe: Nope, you really don't. I mean everyone does, but you actually know how to spell, which is a godsend.]

  [Sianor: I'm Mandy, by the way. But I don't mind what you call me. :)]

  [Ashroe: Nice to meet you, Mandy. I guess it would be rude of me not to reciprocate, huh?]

  [Sianor: Nah, I figure you like being all weirdly withheld and mysterious, lol.]

  [Ashroe: Oh god, no. It's just I don't... it's weird. I don't feel the need to know the gender, age, location, looks of anyone I talk to online. They're the name, and the personality to me. Does that sound bizarre?]

  [Sianor: Only a bit.]

  [Ashroe: I bet you don't even remember the early days when as soon as you got online you were asked a/s/l?]

  [Sianor: Well I've come across it, but not often! Now everyone just asks for your social media accounts. And then there's the random dudes who just message you if you haven't got new people blocked and demand to see your private bits without even working out if they're the right kind of bits first.]

  [Ashroe: And I guess you can work out their age by which they ask for, right? I mean, which social media... not which bits.]

  [Sianor: Haha, yeah, okay. I'll confess something.]

  [Ashroe: Oh, is it juicy?]

  [Sianor: More embarrassing than anything else. Uh. I didn't really know if I should approach you because of how... well. Private you were. You post such interesting meta and fic, but you never really talk about your life, and I sort of saw you like... I dunno. Like you were this uber fan and I was just some bratty newcomer.]

  [Ashroe: Oh god. Am I really BNF?]

  [Sianor: WTF?]

  [Ashroe: Big Name Fan. No, honey, don't. I'm just the same as everyone else. Maybe a bit shyer because I got burned in the past, but that's it.]

  [Sianor: Aw, I'm sorry. You wanna talk about it?]

  [Ashroe: It's no secret. I was in and out of some fandoms, and I was pretty into them, and then I got flamed a bit because I didn't write for the fandom favourite OTPs. And there was some bad blood because I posted some critical analysis of one of the show woobies, and how dare I etc. etc. etc.]

  [Sianor: Ugh, no wonder you don't like to wade in too much. Don't worry, I'm pretty laid back. I don't mind what anyone wants to think, even if it's twincest. It doesn't do it for me, but I don't mind people doing it, you know?]

  [Ashroe: Yeah, I know. Biann/Saidhe can happen... somewhere I'm not looking, lol. I'm Kay, by the by. I don't mind you knowing.]

  [Sianor: Nice to meet you, Kay :) It's an unusual name. Should I call you that, or Ashroe, still?]

  [Ashroe: Kay, K, Ash, Ashroe... s'all good. It's shortened, because I hate the full version, but I do like Kay.]

  [Sianor: Bit Men In Black isn't it?]

  [Ashroe: Haha, kind of. I went by Kay before it came out, though, but it did make me chuckle when I saw the film. God. I just realised you would have been too young to see the first one in the cinema.]

  [Sianor: Oh, you call it the cinema! That's so cute.]

  [Ashroe: Why, what do you say? Theatre?]

  [Sianor: Mostly we say we're going to the movies. And no, I didn't see it at the 'cinema', but I still saw it.]

  [Ashroe: You make me feel so old some days!]

  [Sianor: You're not old! Plus, being mature and responsible and intelligent is all kinds of sexy.]

  [Ashroe: You take the good pain pills?]

  [Sianor: Always.... is it showing?]

  [Ashroe: You just called someone you know by name alone 'sexy', so yes.]

  [Sianor: I'm sapiosexual. I find intelligence appealing, more than bits.]

  [Ashroe: So I should use long words with you? Do you like circumlocution and sesquipedalian loquaciousness?]

  [Sianor: Stop it! Stop turning me on!]

  [Ashroe: I want whatever you are having.]

  [Sianor: You can have it if you keep stroking my mental ladyparts with those lovely words.]

  [Ashroe: Oh, if you insist. How would you like some local dialect words?]

  [Sianor: Asdfghjkl.]

  [Ashroe: I hope that was deliberate and not you passing out. Okay, how about 'mithered', or 'ginnel' or 'kecks'.]

  [Sianor: You're making those up.]

  [Ashroe: I am not! Go
ogle them.]

  [Sianor: Wow, you weren't. Okay, give me some more.]

  [Ashroe: Bairn. Tosh. Ket. Owt and nowt. Butty. Tara. Toodles.]

  [Sianor: Oh god these are all wonderful. You'll have to voice chat me some time so I can hear them.]

  [Ashroe: Maybe... I am shy!]

  [Sianor: I bet your voice is lovely and shiny. Oh. I think I should maybe go for a lie down.]

  [Ashroe: Aye, pet. Go rest yourself. Make sure you have water and that you lie on your side, and I'll catch up with you when you're feeling better.]

  [Sianor: Thanks... you are far too nice. I'm sorry I ever thought you were all... thingy. X)]

  [Ashroe: I forgive you, now go lie down, Mandy. The story and I will be here when you're ready for us. Our adoring public can wait.]

  [Sianor: Byeeee.....]

  ***

  Saidhe had her sack over one shoulder as she walked through the busy market place. It didn't register at first that she was being given a wide berth, but she became increasingly self-conscious about the bubble around her, or the way that the speaking lulled down to a muted, tense rumble as she passed.

  Everything about this said danger. Everything around her was wrong. She didn't want to draw further attention to herself, so she walked up to the nearest vendor, who was hawking food for every palate.