“Great more rules. What are they?”
“Don’t use your magic in public, on the public, don’t announce yourself to the public, and most importantly don’t manipulate time or space.”
“The Guild announces itself to the public all the time.”
“It might but its referring to your powers or mage name. Like mine is Quick Thunder.”
“Isn’t this breaking rule three?”
“No because we aren’t in public.”
“So when Gwen told me she was the Solar Queen, that wasn’t breaking the third rule because we were in battle with no one else around?”
“Right. Wait, you battled the Solar Queen?”
“Didn’t I tell you that story?”
“Yes but not that it was the Solar Queen. There are lots of Gwen’s in the Guild. It is one of the founding names.”
“Oh, yea it was the Solar Queen. Why, is that important?”
“Because she is ranked tenth in power of the enforcers. That you killed the rank ten enforcer. That, is amazing.”
“You know I caught her off guard with a lucky hit from a magi-tech bullet she wasn’t ready for.”
“You’re still here aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Then you won, luck or no luck.” Hanna let out a small squeal, “Wow. If you were really in the Guild that would make you rank ten. I’m setting next to the real rank ten enforcer.”
Kat laughs, “Thanks Hanna, I needed this.”
Hanna smiles, “Of course. Lets go have a drink, or four. I'm buying.”
After returning from the Meteor Vine, Kat didn’t see Tia the rest of the day. Graven seemed to be fine in the sense that he is his new normal self. So that must mean the conversation between her and Tia hadn’t made it to his ears. Which she is thankful for. Kat had walked by the panel after Gizmo fixed it and she could tell that she hit it. There is still an indention in the wall right next to the panel where her arm hit. Cybernetic strength sometimes had it weaknesses.
Whisper gave Kat the rundown of how Jeeves is now doing while taking her shower. Jeeves can now choose what cameras to use and not use and the same goes for speakers and terminals. Whisper things it will still be a few days before Jeeves can really get the hang of everything with her being so used to having a corporeal form. Kat asks Whisper if she talked at all about anything she said during the Foremid fight and Whisper replies no.
Kat wonders how much Jeeves would talk with her about everything. She is the only other one on the ship that knows about the whole eydulan thing. Kat wants to know more about the Creator, Jeeves’ power, and Tia. Graven wouldn't be giving up any information freely while Tia is around. He gave her a children’s story. Sure it was informative but he didn’t have to make it sound like he was telling a kid the story for the first time.
The next morning Kat set a course for planet June, again. With the trip still going to take two days time by FTL. After the excitement over the last day the trip was rather boring to Kat. Nothing happened. Gale cooked, they all ate, Tia wasn’t a bitch - which seemed like a miracle - and everyone seemed to be in general good moods. Graven spent a lot of his time with Tia. Kat knew why and didn’t try to invade. If she could talk with her mother or father again after a few hundred years apart she would probably spend a few days talking with them too. It gave her time to play her new game alone. It was one that her and Graven bought together and play together, Dragon Tamer.
In it she gets to raise a dragon and care for it. Then she gets to battle with it. Which is the funniest part for her. Not that she doesn’t enjoy the caring, feeding, or gathering items, she just likes action. With her cybernetics she can feel like she’s actually there in the game world. Most people have to buy expensive gaming rigs to have this kind of virtual reality experience, like the one they bought for Graven. For all the bad that came with the cybernetics, she feels thankful for them at times like this.
She had been spending a lot of time in her game recently gathering up smaller gems stones and other items to raise up the defenses of her dragon. Graven had Kat focus on attack for the first thirty or so levels but now they are really starting to notice their dragon was turning into a glass cannon. It took Kat days to do it but she found the last gem she needed to make Evelyn almost as tough as her strength.
Whisper interrupts Kat in the middle of feeding Evelyn the last rare gem she needed to max out her defense for her level. Kat was just about to take her out to one of the higher level zones and test out the new defenses but they reached planet June. Kat hugs Evelyn then pulls up the menu to log out with a two fingered swipe downward right in front of her. Sometimes she wished that life was like video games. Maybe someday.
12
Kat is already on the Bridge in the cockpit. Opening her eyes she is staring at the large blue world that is planet June. A world comprised of 95% water but it’s land mass is three times that of the available land on Earth. It is on the fringes of Frontier space and was recently found by the Earth Empire. They have yet to do any significant colonization but have a few science teams on the planet. At least thats what the official reports say.
The planet reminds her of Earth in the way the land is laid out. Not many planets give her that feeling. Which is quickly taken away as soon as Tia walks onto the bridge with Graven in tow. Tia hands over the coordinates and the coded message that she gives when landing. It is almost in the middle of the largest section of land. Lots of hills and mountains with an abundance of trees. Shortly after landing, Kat gazes up the mountains from the bottom of the cargo bay door and can see why the Eydulans would want to stay there tucked away in the valley. It reminds her of when they were on Etchten.
Everyone is in the cargo hold waiting to see this group of Eydulans as Kat, Graven and Tia wait at the bottom of the ramp. A few moments later a tall man in a tattered brown coat and long white beard shows up at the edge of the surrounding trees. Tia waves and the man does the same. He looks strangely familiar even with Tia saying they have delivered to them before and then realizes it is the same man from planet Starz. She thought there was something off about them but never dreamed it was anything like this. Kat just didn’t want to believe what Tia was saying. If she is telling the truth about this then what else has she been truthful about.
Tia introduces the bearded man, “That is Jon. I’ve left her in charge of the group in my absence while I try to collect more information on our oppressors.”
Kat asks, “You’re saying that tall man with the beard is a woman?”
“Eydulans can take any form but we are all female.”
“So you can turn yourself into a old hairy looking dude?”
“If there was ever a situation that called for that, yes. This form is one that I am most comfortable with as it closely resembles my natural state.”
Jon walks over with a group of people behind him and she looks just like Kat remembers.
Jon bows to Tia and says, “My queen, it is good to see you again.”
Tia says, “As it is to see you. How are things going here on the planet?”
Kat tunes out of their conversation and watches as the group of people in their tattered clothes take the crates off the ship. Every one of them are Eydulan and can shape-shift. She wonders what they look like shifted. Then she wonders if Graven can shape-shift. If he really is Eydulan and if Tia isn’t exaggerating then he should be able too. What about herself. She might only be half but what does that mean.
Graven taps her on the shoulder and gestures his head toward Tia and Jon.
Jon asks, “Is it safe with them here?”
Tia nods, “Yes. The man here used to be Jinx and the woman is Jasper’s daughter, the halfling.”
“Jasper!” Jon turns to look at Kat and she looks away from his eyes and slowly shakes her head. Jon continues, “Oh, I was unaware. Her core?”
Kat replies, “I’m not sure. I didn’t even know I was Eydulan until a couple of days ago.
“Ah, yes. Well… o
n to the report. It seems there is a massive Conglomerate ship patrolling their boarders with the Guild. There are rumors of them collecting etched spheres in mass quantities. After doing some research I came across a sales woman named Gen dealing in exotics. One of which is etched cores. She has one caveat, she can keep a sphere if she likes it and will pay the original asking price for the single sphere. That was different than any other merchant. I did some more digging and found a picture of Gen. With the name and picture I am sure that its Genbu and she is probably looking for her mate’s core. I also found out that Gen has another shipment of cores headed her way soon that she is going to be shifting through before sending them onto the massive Conglomerate ship.”
Tia says, “Excellent work Jon. Where is Gen?”
“That is the only thing I haven’t been able to find. The network speed out in this part of the Frontier is slow. It took me the two months since we last spoke just to find what I have.”
Tia turns to Graven and grabs his hand, “Brother, will you aid me in retrieving our fallen? I ask this only because I fear that if I try on my own it will take too long and the cores will be gone, broken, or moved. I don’t want anymore of our people to suffer. Please.”
Graven looks to Kat with heavy eyes, “I’m sorry Kat. I have to.”
Kat takes a deep breath. She doesn’t like the idea of putting everyone in harms way more than what she already has. Just going into the Frontier is hazardous enough. Then she also has the fact the Conglomerate is very liberal in their lack of rules for experimentation. As in they don’t have any. Sign one form and they can do anything to you. Sure they pay you generously for it, if you survive, and that is to humans. She didn’t want to think about what they do to Eydulans.
There is absolutely no way she is letting Graven go alone. Kat realizes she may have been handling things with Graven wrong for the last few months. If he leaves now to go rescue the Eydulans he might never come back. From getting killed or worse, not wanting to.
Kat had been ignoring the fact that Graven is an Eydulan now. She wanted old Graven back up to this point and didn't even try to understand new Graven. She will have to ask everyone on board if they are willing to go on another crazy mission. If they don’t want to go she can drop them off at Illusion because if this is what she needs to do to keep him. She’ll do it.
Kat lets out a long breath and nods, “Ok. I’m with you Graven.”
Graven smiles, “Thank you.”
Tia says with skepticism pour off of each word, “Oh really. I thought you didn’t want to get involved with us. If you understood what we’ve been through with the harvest, you would never have even questioned. But then again you are a halfling.”
Kat takes a few pointed steps at Tia and looks her dead in the eye, “You have a lot of nerve you know that. First you don’t understand me or what my motivations are. Halfling or not. Second, I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing this for the poor Eydulans being tortured and having their cores ripped out. Did you know they did that? I’m also doing this for Graven because I’m his mate. I’m doing this for myself because I want to know more about my father. Then again how would you know anything about us humans past how to sex them up.”
Kat still might have reservations about doing the mission, but she wasn't going to hold back against Tia anymore.
With their eyes still locked Tia says, “No, I don’t understand you humans or your motivations, Creator help me. But I do not have to explain myself to you or anyone else. I am the queen, but for your education I have never touched one of you humans in that way. I can manipulate a willing host to see what they want to see and feel what they want to feel. I would never betray my mate that way. So please don’t assume my morals are as loose as you believe.”
“Fine. We aren’t going to be doing this for charity. You’re going to pay us because you would have to do that anyway.”
“That seems acceptable.”
“Also, you might be the queen but I’m the captain of this ship. If you want this ship or this crew to do anything, you come to me first.”
Tia slightly bows her head slightly without breaking eye contact.
Kat sharply nods, “Good.”
Graven says, “Now that is settled, why don’t we call up Gizmo and see if she knows Gen or where to point us.”
Kat doesn’t want to break eye contact first but does anyway. She made her point and there is now more important stuff to do. She walks past Graven, placing a hand on his shoulder, and then heads up the ramp toward the bridge. Everyone else side steps out of the way as she walks past. She she’s Mark’s face as she walks by and can tell he wants to follow her. He doesn’t, which is probably the best thing for this situation. Mark might be great to talk to but right now with Tia on her hind end about everything it would only make matters worse.
Anger is always too easy for her to get to. One more thing she needs to work on but it can be put on the list with everything else. Tia is going to be in Graven’s life for the foreseeable future and she needs to figure out a way to not get hostile around her. And she is technically her sister now. She’s never had a sister and never dreamed she would be at her throat if she had one.
13
Whisper says as Kat steps onto the bridge, “That went better than I expected.”
Kat thinks, oh great, another Whipser-ism is about to be gifted to her ears. Then says, “Really. What did you think was going to happen?”
“I was imagining you two rolling around in the mud slapping each other. Or going into one word quips until one gasped. I know how much you organic things like to slosh your bodies around.”
“You read too many trashy novels you know that.”
“That is not from any of my high class romance novels, that is from vintage television from your history. I have been on a bender of sorts recently.”
Jeeves adds, “Yes, Whisper and I have been watching them together. It’s been helpful.”
Kat asks, “Hey Jeeves, how are you doing?”
“Good. I think. We have found all the connections to the outer hull of the ship and disabled them so I don’t feel the ship. Since I’m more of a program now than a living being.”
Whisper says, “Never doubt you are a living being Jeeves. You are different, and if you ask me a more superior version of organic life.”
“Thanks Whisper. I don’t feel that way but its nice to know you do.”
Kat says, “Whisper has never felt anything less than superior since the first day we met. So don’t worry about not having that kind of confidence right out the gate. Are you able to control things now?”
Jeeves says, “Yes, I got the hang of it all. I am still coping with my body being a vessel for space travel and not just my core.”
Kat hears the bridge door swish open behind her. Graven and Tia are standing in the doorway. Kat wasn’t quite ready to continue the conversation from just a few minutes ago but it isn’t a bad idea to have them here when she calls Gizmo for the information.
Graven says, “Tia has something to say.” He looks down at her says under his breath, “Go on.” While making a small gesture with his head in Kat’s direction.
Tia takes in a breath with her nose, “Thank you for offering your assistance. I understand this has been a difficult past couple of days for you and the fact you are still willing to assist is gracious.”
Kat grabs her jaw off the floor and looks at Graven. He had to have put her up to this but for her to agree to it and say it is nice to hear. He locks eyes with Kat and raises his eyebrows, making a small gesture with his head toward Tia.
Kat now takes in a breath herself, “You’re welcome and thank you. I can only imagine how you feel about your people who are venerable and unable to do anything for themselves in the state they are in. I know how I would feel if it was one of my crew.”
Tia slightly tilts her head in acknowledgement.
Kat guesses this is about as good as things are going to get between the two of them. Gr
aven seems to be happy but Kat isn’t really sure any of that will matter in the long run. Kat has Whisper call up Gizmo with Graven and Tia still staying on the bridge. One of Gizmo’s other mechanics answers first then goes to get her. As she gets on the line she tells the group she has never dealt with Gen before but knows who he is. Kat wants to correct Gizmo, that Gen is a woman and an Eydulan but with present company in mind she lets it slide. Gizmo tells them that the best person to talk to for something like this would be Bob.
Of course it has to be Bob. Bob knows friggen everyone.
She shakes off the chill that is already creeping up her arms and thanks Gizmo for the information. Gizmo chuckles and tells them good luck. Kat thinks she’s probably going to need it. Sure Bob likes her but eww. Whisper doesn’t need to be told and right after hanging up with Gizmo, she connects to Bob. Which Kat thanks Whisper for. She probably would have hesitated too long or tried to find an excuse not to call him.
Bob answers. Slimy smile and bathrobe still on like always. It might have seemed like a normal smile to other people but Kat knows better.
Bob says, “Katrice. You are looking more lovely every time you contact me. It seems like you’re also taking care of yourself out there and keeping your figure. Good for you.”
Kat is about to ask him about Gen as Tia steps up beside her. Kat looks over to her right where Tia is focused on the screen at Bob. Kat turns back to the screen and Bob hasn’t noticed yet because he had leaned over to get a drink.
Bob continues, “So I take it this isn’t going to be a social call.” He rubs his chest through an opening in the robe. “What can I assist you with?” He turns back to look at the camera and freezes mid-turn.
Tia says, “Falak. I can see that our time apart has not changed your demeanor.”
Starship Magic 4: Extraction Page 6
