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

by DC Bastien

  "You take a hit? Or... someone die?"

  "You know what happened."

  Vadim did.

  "Don't get me wrong," the Enforcer continued. "I want to help people. I want to save lives. I want to make a difference... it keeps me going. It's a calling. A purpose. But... what else am I, but my job?"

  "You're plenty, Ithon."

  "Am I, Kip? Am I? You said it yourself: I'm an Ur-Enforcer. It's all I am. I once was a son, I once was a brother, and now I am just Ithon Avery. When I die, I'll be another line in an electronic record, read by no one. Who remembers that I saved their mother, their father?"

  "They might not remember your name, but they remember you did it."

  "Do they? Does that even matter? I've got nothing, Kip. Nothing. I just keep doing it because to stop and think about it would be to scream at the void in terror. I'm... I'm just a man. That's all."

  "That's all anyone is, you know."

  "Do you remember the name of Alexander the Great? Or... Fai Stirling? Or Isaac Newton? Or..."

  "Ithon, stop."

  "I mean it."

  "So do I! So you know their names. You know why they are famous, too. But they are still dead. Some of them had children, and their children had children, and they don't even know that three hundred generations ago, their progenitor discovered an alloy that revolutionised the Human world."

  "If you're trying to make me feel better, then you're not." Avery rolled over onto his side, head propped on one hand, the other toying with the bed spread he'd not even bothered to pull down.

  "What do you want me to say, Ith? You want me to say that if we work out what's going on, we save the Ur-court, that it makes your life worthwhile? That you'll be written in stone inside the First Ur-Court? That your likeness will be in books the new recruits read? Great. But how will that be any better than if you saved people, ordinary people?"

  "No one will come to my funeral, Kip. I could die. I could die, tomorrow, and no one would mourn me."

  "If I didn't die right alongside you, I would."

  Avery's eyes narrowed.

  "I mean it, you dick. You're not the reason I left."

  "You didn't stay."

  "I couldn't."

  "Why not?"

  "I couldn't. I... I couldn't put that uniform on, not any more. It was wrong. I still believe in everything we did, but... I had to go. I had to find... peace."

  "Did you?"

  "Find peace?" Vadim asked.

  Avery nodded.

  "No. Not... peace. But friends. I found friends. And there's still days I hear screaming, or smell burning, but... other days? Other days I hear quarrelling twins. I smell burnt toast. It's... it's easier."

  Silence. Avery nodded. "I understand."

  A pause. A long one. "You could join us, you know? Hand in your pips. Could use a good right-hand man to my left."

  "I'd drive you insane within a week."

  "You would."

  "I don't think... I don't think I can."

  Vadim shrugged. He wanted to pretend it didn't hurt. He did. "Figured."

  Ithon wriggled a little closer on the bed, and after a pause... he dropped his head onto Vadim's shoulder. The Captain slung an arm loosely around him, feeling the heat of him pressed full-length.

  "Maybe one day, when I retire," he said, his breathing falling into line with Vadim's.

  "Maybe one day, then."

  ***

  [Sianor: Don't!]

  [Ashroe: Oh. You want to--]

  [Sianor: You made me ship the thing.]

  [Ashroe: Uhm. Sorry?]

  [Sianor: GAH.]

  [Ashroe: We could change it, or tone it down?]

  [Sianor: Don't you DARE break my precious babies up! I'm melting from love here.]

  [Ashroe: :)]

  [Sianor: Damnit. I have something in my throat.]

  [Ashroe: Swallow.]

  [Sianor: Bitch.]

  ***

  Chapter Fifteen - Mission: Ingestion

  "Our priority has to be working out what the hell happened to the Judge, and to the rest of the Ur-Judges and Enforcers in the Lineon-sector," Kre insisted.

  "What about Judge Peters himself?" Biann asked.

  "If he was indeed replaced, then we don't know what happened to the original Judge," Kre answered. "He may have been terminated, and if he was not, then freeing him will likely be incredibly difficult. We already did one open assault on the Ur-court, they would be prepared for a second."

  "Agreed," Avery said, idly tossing his gun and catching it again, much to everyone but Vadim's disapproval. "Plus, you don't have a working badge this time."

  "You mean you don't have fake ones lying around?" Vadim asked.

  "I do, but not that I would trust to stand up to doubled security checks. Afraid the court is out of bounds for now."

  "We'll save him just as soon as we can," the Captain assured her.

  "Okay." Biann slumped. She really didn't like the thought of abandoning him. He was a good guy. He was one of them.

  "You two get anywhere with the sensor-data?" Vadim asked Biann and Kre.

  "From all the logs, I can't see a single mistake in the biometrics. As far as Messenger was concerned, he was Judge Peters. I don't know how, but it had her fooled." Biann looked sheepish, as though the ship's error somehow reflected poorly on her.

  "If there is a way to trick sensor-data, then we're going to need to be careful who we trust," Saidhe said, and then shifted. "Uhm. How do we know we're all... us?"

  "I can assure you that your Captain is who he says he is," Avery said. "And unfortunately, he's the only one who can vouch for me. So I'm hoping that at least one other person will say he is who he is, thus validating me, too."

  "So far, I can tell you for certain that the annoying dick's himself," Vadim said, with a little half-glance at the Enforcer. "And as we caught the 'Judge' out on acting way out of character, I want y'all to be on the lookout for anything... weird."

  "There is also the possibility that they can only pass as Human and Hleen," Kre said, with a little murr. "The Hleen were the ones who were suspected by the people on the Adquem, and we know they managed to duplicate the Judge. Either they can't pass as Sianar, Roq or Kior-Dhalia, or they didn't have a need to. But as there's just as many Sianar Enforcers as Hleen, and more than there are Human ones, I suspect it could be more than just a co-incidence."

  "We also have to consider their motives," Avery mused. "They aren't simply taking control, or we'd never notice anything. There's been an increase in crime and unrest in that area, and it seems that the judgements pronounced have favoured the Hleen even if they are not part of the Ur."

  "Why would they do that, though?" Biann spluttered. "How does that benefit anyone? They'll get caught out!"

  "I suspect their motivation is more complicated than mere species-bias towards the Hleen, Biann." Avery holstered his gun once more. "You need to ask: cui bono?"

  "That's an old Human legal term," Vadim supplied at the confused faces. "It means 'who benefits'. And on the surface, it looks like the Hleen benefit from the judgements, but as you said, B, they'll get caught. So either they're dumb, or they're playing a longer game. Making people hate the Hleen."

  "That's even worse," she hissed.

  "Worse, but likely true," Saidhe pointed out, pulling her sister in to her side. "Well, if the Hleen turn out hated, then what? The Ur-court would just send more Enforcers?"

  "In the short term, yes," Vadim answered. "But in the long term... it could well lead to rioting and civil unrest. Could even lead to outright war."

  "War?" Loap looked alarmed. "There is a treaty!"

  "There is," Kre said, licking her lips. "But if there was enough inter-species distrust, then the whole of the Ur-law would fail. No one would accept the judgements of another race. It would revert to species-only law, and - at best - trade arrangements. There would be segregation and fear."

  "Who in all the stars would benefit from that?"

&
nbsp; "Well... I don't know. I can't see the Hleen pushing for it, unless it's a counter-group, some anarchists, within." Avery dragged fingers through his hair, messing it up. "No species I know wants disunity. Even the Sianar are pushing for greater connections - even with the Roq. So. We need to find one of these bastards and... interrogate them again. Only... without the explosion this time."

  "And you think that interrogation is the moral way to find this information out?" Kre took two steps towards Avery.

  "Whoa, hold on. I'm not saying torture," the Enforcer said, hands up. "I'm saying persuasive talking. And yes, I do think it is. They're not going to let us know over a few drinks at the bar. And if a few knuckles are bruised, isn't that better than a potentially bloody inter-species war?"

  "Much as I hate to agree with him, Ithon's right," Vadim said, and watched as Kre deferred to his judgement and stepped back. "We find another one, and we go a bit more gently-gently. We work out who they are, and why they want to kick the hornet's nest. Then we... work out how to stop them."

  "It seems like a lot to ask such a small group," Loap said, sounding resigned.

  "We have an ace in the hole."

  The Roq looked to the Enforcer. "Oh?"

  "When it's time. Right now... the fewer people who could have it tortured out of them, the better."

  "...it sounds as if I do not wish to know at all," Loap grumbled.

  "Good man."

  ***

  [Ashroe: Don't forget we need to do the paranoia-thing.]

  [Sianor: I had a great idea for that.]

  [Ashroe: You gonna share?]

  [Sianor: I think we should both start putting bits in without telling the other. I mean, in the scenes we write. So we kind of un-nerve one another.]

  [Ashroe: That's so meta I had a meta-gasm.]

  [Sianor: I thought you'd appreciate the thought.]

  [Ashroe: I'm going to have to think about that one on my drive to this away day tomorrow.]

  [Sianor: Oh no, am I going to get a lonely day again?]

  [Ashroe: I'll email you when I have breaks, but sorry, yeah :(]

  [Sianor: You better email me. I get lonely without you.]

  [Ashroe: Me too :)]

  [Sianor: Go to bed then. I don't want to be responsible for you dying behind the wheel.]

  [Ashroe: Yes, ma'am!]

  ***

  She didn't even know she was doing it, really. It was such a long-forgotten memory, something so bound up with her childhood, with the warm and innocent past that it felt natural to tap out the song her father would, when he prepared food. Her toe-claws drummed the sound, underneath the chop of knife through meat.

  It was just as instinctual to turn with the knife in hand, when there was a sudden brush against the back of her ankles. Teeth bared, claws out, she looked to see what the threat was.

  Biann was there, bending to snatch Xaix back. "Don't!"

  "Biann, what are you doing?!"

  "I... I was just letting Xaix play a bit. He's not used to this place. Have to teach him where's good and not."

  Kre put the knife back on the kitchen counter, her flight or fight response slowly dampening down. "You should not sneak up on armed Sianar."

  "I know, I know. I'm sorry. I didn't think."

  Xaix, meanwhile, leapt up onto the side of the counter. Clearly he thought he could steal some food. Kre scruffed the little Ru, and put him on her shoulder. "This isn't for you, small one. I'll save some of the fat for you," she said.

  The Ru didn't seem to understand, and tried climbing down her arm, using his long tail for leverage. Kre whuffed in amusement, and took him back into the living room, with Biann following shortly after.

  "He's a good baby," Biann insisted, pulling him onto her lap. Xaix chirped at her, struggled for a moment, then gave up and allowed himself to be stroked.

  "He is well behaved, from what I understand of pet-species. It is not something my people are interested in."

  "I guess not." A finger under his chin, and Biann had Xaix rolling over, displaying his paler underbelly for more attention.

  "Some would say we treated the Roq as pets. But I think a closer analogy would be the ancient trade of slave craft."

  "You... you don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to," Biann said, not sure where to look. "I mean, it used to happen with the Hleen. I think I read the Humans did it too. I guess the Roq didn't, just because they didn't have the chance to."

  "People have always wanted to make others do the horrible tasks for them, Biann-Tho."

  Kre did not use verbal honorifics as often as Loap did, even though they came from the same language-structure. Biann rarely heard Kre use any sort of linguistic artefact, and it struck her as unusual, even if Xaix hadn't reacted negatively around the Sianar. She bit her lip, wondering. "I guess. I don't... I don't judge you, you know? Everyone makes their own decisions. Like... just because a Human tried to... well. Tried to take advantage of me. I don't see all Humans like that."

  "Of course you should not." Kre looked thoughtful for a moment. "I will finish the preparation I was doing for the evening meat-meal, and then may I join you?"

  "I'd like that."

  Biann waited until she was alone in the room before she started to tickle Xaix in earnest. The small beast pawed at her fingers, wriggling around in pleasure. He was a simple creature, but he had gut reactions to people. He'd bitten Vadim the first time they'd met - though not since - and he was quiet, but not hostile around Loap. He was, of course, closest to Biann and then Saidhe (no matter how much she insisted he was Saidhe's pet), but the Ru had a soft spot for the Judge because he'd given him treats when he thought no one was looking.

  "Here, baby, it's okay," she murmured to him, rubbing under an armpit, then brushing his fur up the wrong way to see the blue-green skin below. "You'll be lonely if you stay on the ship. You're better out here with us. Just make sure you don't upset the Enforcer, and you'll do fine, sugar."

  "Do you think he understands?" Kre asked, finally coming back into the room. She walked onto one of the chairs, sitting on the back of it, her tail curled around her knees. It was often more comfortable for her to sit like that in chairs that were multipurpose simply because of the length of her legs.

  "I think he understands a lot. Not everything, but a lot. He can sure understand commands or offers, and he knows names."

  "It is strange to consider that he would understand speech and not generate his own."

  "Yeah, but he still talks. Like, you can tell when he's angry because his tail goes stiff. And you know when he's hungry because he mewls at a higher pitch. It isn't words, but it's still... speech, I guess."

  "I wonder if it is difficult for him to understand us, because we all have such varying body-language?"

  Biann smiled. This sounded like the Kre she knew. "Possibly. I mean, he was raised on a Hleen planet, bred as a pet for us, so that's what he got most used to, to begin with. But he seems okay enough around everyone else. Might be why he prefers me and Saidhe, though."

  "Also because you are the primary food- and care-giver. We all bond with the source of safety and comfort."

  "Yeah, but it's more than that. I've seen... I've seen people be cold with their pets. They don't harm 'em, or mistreat 'em, they just... don't act friendly, you know? And they react to that."

  "Interesting. I wonder if they can sense the intent and emotion, or if it's linked to something else, like some pitch or timbre of voice?"

  "Maybe. You should do a study on it," the Hleen suggested.

  "Perhaps after we have 'saved the universe' as the Captain thinks we must."

  "You don't think it's a big deal?"

  "I do. I just am unsure how such a small, under-funded group as we are, with no connections, could possibly have an impact."

  "It's small folks as get in the gaps," Biann said, letting Xaix stretch out and lope off. "No one's expecting us. So we just slide in and fix it all."

  "I see. I just... I sometimes
wish I could bring my family's power to bear when I am out spreading my teachings. I wonder would more listen to me, if they knew who I was?"

  "If they would, would you want 'em to? I mean, don't you think it should be what's said that matters, not who is saying it?"

  Kre rumbled in pleasure, her ears twisting backwards. "Biann, you know that you have a way of making any situation positive. It is a great gift, you know."

  She beamed. "Thanks. But maybe you're a bit right, too. I mean, if you could convince people high enough up to support you, and the revolution of peace and science, you could really make the world a brighter place."