“These chairs are the strongest I’ve ever seen. No normal human would break them,” Duke Shreft said just loud enough to reach the end of the table, a sly smile on his face as he looked at Mark and Ava.
Mark looked back at the man, noncommittally sighing. “If you’ve got something to say about me, say it to my face.” His brown eyes changed to electric blue and the shoulders of his suit turned to nanites swarming through the chair. Gasps and scared looks came from around the room. Serouti waved his men back as Mark’s arms returned back to the suit; his eyes returned to normal as he put his full weight in the chair.
“I’m just finding it odd that you—something that is not even human—has been allowed to corrupt even the high king’s family, changing his daughter into a soulless…thing.”
“No more soulless than you.” Mark grinned. “I have also heard the saying it is better to be mindful of your elders, young duke. Please do so. I may not be mostly human but that is because I hope to give our race a fighting chance at surviving the Maraukians.”
“Mark,” Ava said in a warning tone.
“Don’t worry. I did the same to your chair.” He grinned.
“Jackass.”
“I see you’re picking up more Earth words too.”
She sighed and hid a smile behind a goblet of wine.
“Now that’s all done with,” Hael gave the duke a significant look, “I heard you were in the workshops for the last few days?”
“Yes. There were some issues with the equipment placed there. So we fixed it, and made the remaining suits.”
“You made all of them?” The man asked, across from Mark and down the table, wore more workable and comfortable clothes that made more sense than the frills and other designs that Mark saw the other attendees wearing.
“All of the ones needed for those I brought with me.”
“How? I had all of the highest morphers I could working on that, up to even a level five.”
“Our lowest morph level in our ranks is eight. Ava, what’s yours again?”
“Thirteen, I believe.”
“That’s higher than anyone recorded.” The man, aghast, looked at Ava with new eyes.
“We need it, though, as our suits use a huge amount of nanites.” Mark shrugged as food came to the table.
“Just incredible. Also, I thank you for the work you did on the systems—they were in need of repair. Also, the lessons you gave to the people in the workshops have spread like wildfire, so they should know how to deal with the problems in the future.”
“That’s the hope,” Mark said, getting back into his meal.
“What is Earth like?” the high queen asked.
Mark felt a mix of emotions pass through him as he put down his fork. “Highly populated,” he settled on saying, breathing before he looked up.
“How so?”
“The population of Earth is ninety billion.”
“I’m new to this counting system of yours, sorry. I don’t truly understand it.”
“Oh, no one can truly accept that number. As humans, we just can’t, but to put it in perspective, Crisidium has seven hundred thousand people. Correct?”
“Yes.”
“If you were to have two Crisidiums, it would mean you’d have one point four million people.” Mark used his internal holoprojector on the middle of the table, garnering gasps as a circle of stick-like humans filled it.
“Take this as the population of Earth.” He pulled a single figure from the hundreds.
“This is the population of two Crisidiums in comparison.”
A single figure’s feet barely circled in red as Mark placed it back among the others. The red was less than a pinprick against it all.
“That’s impossible,” the duke who had commented about Mark’s weight said with the air of authority.
“This is Earth.” A planet filled the center of the hall; conversations stopped completely as they stared at the pollution-filled planet. Towers dominated the landscape more than the natural mountains. Around the planet, space stations floated, the moving dots the massive transports that supplied Earth—the smallest being a kilometer long and the longest being a pair that were forty kilometers long. Shipyards buzzed with the same electric activity as ships buzzed around continuously.
“You were right—there is no way I can imagine that number of people, even when seeing this,” the high queen said in wonder.
“When did the legion save them from the Maraukians?” Prince Julieus Desialias asked, Ava’s oldest brother under her.
“Earth has never known of the Maraukian threat fully. The legion came from Earth two and a half thousand years ago, seven hundred years ago they came into contact with a number of EMFC’s Earth wanted to claim the system and enslave the people.
They never said anything of this to the people within Earth and Her Colonies. The EMF got comfortable with the Roma people as their leaders started to construct a plan to subjugate them, the Maraukians erupted out from their caves and hidden warrens across Roma.
The leaders tried to flee but the EMF troopers fought back, they were now friends with the Roma people.
The mutiny worked and Earth lost contact while the Legion and the EMF fought to push back the Maraukians and survive.”
“The legion comes from Roma, though?” His brother Cronus turned the statement into a question.
“The legion came originally from a place called Rome in Greece.” Mark rotated the Earth to highlight the area. “The Roman was one of the most successful Empires, only beaten later in strength by the British Empire and then the Unilateral Worlds Union, which currently rules Earth and Her Colonies. The current Legion absorbed the EMF personnel that turned against their commanders and leaders, forming the Legion we know today. Which still continues to recruit people from the EMF, offering them freedom from the Colonies and gaining a stream of highly trained and combat tested fighters.”
“Does Earth also join the legion?”
“No. Earth doesn’t even know the Ninth exists, or of the legion.”
“Why not?”
“It’s complicated. The largest problem is the UWN is corrupt, trying to do everything to garner wealth for the companies that bureaucrats are bought by.”
“Bought by?”
“On Earth and in her colonies, there are companies that make everything from ships, to knives and forks. They make profits, like any vendor. Their profits are massive, sometimes meaning a company uses an entire world to produce certain items and sell these throughout Earth’s domain. Sometimes there are issues such as people having less equality to others. Thus, the companies support an up-and-coming candidate with huge sums of money.
“These people get into office and then turn around and help the company by changing the laws so the company can continue to operate as it wishes, now making a larger profit.”
“That sounds ridiculous!”
“It does, but it happens.”
“Then, Mark, if Earth knows nothing of the legion, how come you—an Earth born—are part of it?” the high king asked.
“Well, I don’t really remember how I got here. I was drunk and I guess I stumbled into a supply shuttle. They didn’t pick me up. As we left Earth, I boarded a transport and then jumped to Tricticus’s system. I awoke as the shuttle was coming through the atmosphere. Not the best place to have a hangover, let me tell you.” He shook his head at a few grins and smiles around the table.
“Ava tells us you’ll be going to Roma soon. When will you return?” the high queen asked.
“No idea. Might be a year—might be a century.”
“A century?” She gasped.
“A century isn’t that big of a deal any more, Mother. With the technology Roma gave us, people can expect to live four hundred years quite easily,” Ava said.
“An entire century, though! Why would you be gone for that long?”
“It all depends on what’s happening,” Mark said. “We have recently found some very disturbing thi
ngs out which may mean we will see action faster than normal. Currently, the Phantoms are the only unit who could possibly go toe-to-toe with the Maraukians and we’ll need that if we have to take back planets from them and hold others.”
“Still, when we die, she’ll be queen of Crisidium.” Hael looked at Mark and Ava meaningfully.
“I would actually like to talk about that,” Ava said. Now the conversation died down at the table as everyone listened closer.
Ava commed her family something; they nodded in agreement.
“Mark, we’ve also been meaning to pay you back but it doesn’t seem fair,” the high king began as conversation around the table restarted.
“Just doing what I can to help.”
“You pulled us from actually being in debt with the legion to having enough credits to buy directly from Roma, Luetia, and Rublein—our closest planets. Also, your satellites have helped us map our world and find resources of our own.”
“It’s just a kick start. What you do with it is up to you.”
“We propose to give you a stipend of our profits, half a percent a year.”
“Sir, I don’t need the money.”
“Certainly everyone needs money.”
“As long as I have my suit and I’m in the legion, not really. I can live in the suit, eat, breathe, and stay alive. And the legion gives me things to do and places to be. I’m a soldier. It’s what I’m good at. I can teach some and I have a few masters under my belt but soldiering is what keeps others alive and I’ll happily do that.”
“A few masters from these universities the legion talks about?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“I got bored—what can I say, Ava?”
“Which universities?”
“Roma’s.”
“Link?” Ava’s hands moved through the air as she looked at her interface, invisible to everyone else, opening it.
“It’s good to educate yourself. The more I know about the universe, the better I can use it.”
“I didn’t really think of it that way but it’s true,” Hael agreed.
“I had some ideas about a helium refinement system for the river so you can supply the reactor and the supply ships and when you get into space, for them too.”
“I heard what happened with the reactor,” the man from the workshops said with a grim look.
“Me too.” The high king shared a nod with the man. “But us into space?”
“Quite easily. Within fifty years, on the outside, you could probably be building infrastructure in space. I have some satellites I’ll be sending into space to look at the system. So far, they look good except for the fourth planet—Erotus, I believe you call it. It’s in the middle of an asteroid belt. The atmosphere is highly acidic and has a massive amount of lightning storms and constantly active volcanoes.”
“That sounds decidedly bad,” the high king said with a smile, his eyes glistening with the possibilities for the future.
“Just a bit, sir.” Mark grinned and raised his cup to the king in salute as he took a drink.
“So what about these plans for a helium processing facility?”
Mark spent the rest of the dinner working through an outline of possible facilities Crisidium could make. He found out the man was the manager of the workshops, who duly forgot about dinner as he wrote down things on his interface; Mark sent him information as needed. The royal family asked questions every so often as Ava sat back and ate dinner, a smile on her face as she looked at Mark capturing all of their attention.
“All right, enough of that, gentlemen. Now time for dancing.” The queen gave her husband and the others a glare that quelled any complaints.
The servants pulled out the chairs for everyone to rise. Mark grabbed it, about to do it himself when a servant came to him.
“Sir, I can do that for you.” He grabbed it and pulled it until veins appeared on his neck.
Mark cleared his throat as the man moved away and lifted it himself. “Sorry. I changed the chair. It weighs quite a bit more. Ava.” He pulled out Ava’s for her; her servant eyed it warily.
“Yes, about three hundred pounds heavier.” She raised her voice to reach Duke Shreft, who looked at the two chairs Ava and Mark had sat in, now platinum and osmium with some gold instead of the gold leafing of the rest.
“They are rather fine chairs now,” the high king said approvingly.
“We’ll keep them for you and any other Elves who might visit. For now, let us move to the ballroom.” His wife put her hand on his arm, as the rest followed. Ava did the same, guiding Mark behind them to the chatter going on around them.
“Do they know we can hear them perfectly?”
“Probably not. We’re going to be the biggest scandal in Crisidium yet.”
“Wait—what?”
“Well, I’ve never had a boyfriend, so I’m thinking that me having my arm on another man has already probably made it to Gtrul.”
“Great. Why did I agree to this again?”
“If you didn’t, I’d take you to the dojo and throw you off the walls.”
“Like to see you try.”
“You do, hey? Oh, can you dance?”
“Nope, but I believe Sarah can take over for me.” He grinned; Ava reciprocated.
“All right, let’s match so that we can.”
They’d found out how to link each other’s NIAIs together, thus making a group of people work in perfect synchronicity, moving their legs and letting the user worry about targets, positions, and the thousand and one things which made up the battlefield.
Mark felt Sarah and Kela complete the handshake protocol as they figured out what their users were doing and had it ready as the high king and queen took the first dance. Couples of high-born nobles started to do the same as Ava pulled Mark into the fray. Their feet moved perfectly as they began to walk and twirl around the room.
“Faster—let’s show them how Phantoms do it.” Ava had a mischievous glint in her eyes as they moved faster around the room.
Mark added in throws and dives with the music from Earth dances. The others in the room were forgotten as they smiled at each other, twirling and moving perfectly in synch, alive from the exertion and control upon their bodies yet oddly above it as they enjoyed the freeing movements. They ended, Mark supporting her as she stretched like a cat. A smile on both of their faces, Mark pulled her up and spun her into his other arm. She stayed there, clapping; Mark retrieved his arm around her waist to do the same as he walked from the floor, having his arm snatched back by a grinning Ava.
“Don’t think you’re getting away that easily.” She winked just as he was about to complain. Sarah had a mind of her own as she and Kela took over Mark and Ava’s speeding up as the band started the next faster song. So they danced for three more songs, finally making their way from the dance floor. Ava apologetically turned down dances, giving the appropriate excuses as they made it to where the high king and the queen were smiling at each other.
“Ava, Mark—didn’t see you there,” the king said. “Thought you’d still be dancing. Looked like you two were having quite a ball.”
“It was more interesting than I expected, I’ll admit.” Mark smiled; Ava did the same. Her mother ushered her away, casting looks at Mark. He shrugged and turned to Hael.
“Come with me.” The king said as he rose.
Mark followed him out to a massive balcony cut right from the mountain, looking over Crisidium with the armorite shell above them. The city was open to reveal the stars of the nighttime sky. White light still emanated from workshops, with materials coming in and goods traveling out and across closed areas where armorite but not shutters had been placed.
“I’m thankful my daughter owes you a life debt.” The king lit a pipe of some kind and rested against the balcony’s railing.
“Why would that be, sir?”
“You’re a respectful man with a good head on his shoulders. You’re not a mon
ster.”
“I’m a hair from it.” Mark grunted, turning to stare at the palace, and leaned gently on the railing.
“You don’t seem like you’d be one to go over the edge.”
“I have already—twice,” Mark barely whispered, looking at the high king.
He recoiled from the look in Mark’s eyes.
“Many died. The only reason I didn’t finish it the second time was to make it appear I was dead. So later I could finish what they started.”
“What happened?”
“The first time, me and my people were about to die for some assholes wanting a producing planet and another asshole wanting to kill everyone to ‘free’ them from the system. The second time, they killed my brother.” Mark spat the words. His eyes changed from brown to red as he crushed the railing in his hands. Anger radiated from him like heat.
“I’ve killed my ways through star systems for all of my adult life.” A grin that would make a wolf piss itself spread across Mark’s face. “Me—not a monster? I must be hiding it too well. You want to know why I really made the Phantoms? Why I told your daughter about me? The universe needed insurance from me. If I was the only one with a suit capable of what mine is, coupled with the abilities I have, it would not be good.”
King Desialias knew in his bones what Mark was saying was the truth and he was suddenly afraid of the knowledge this man knew offhand.
He was feeling that it might be a bad idea putting so much trust and power in this man’s hands.
“I do promise this. I will never hurt my own people unless they warrant it. The Phantoms are my brothers and sisters. They’re the closest thing I have to a kind of family—Pullo, too. I will do anything for them and I will make anyone who harms them wish they never saw me.”
Hael’s thoughts slowed to a crawl, he could understand the sentiments behind Mark’s words, looking at it from another perspective, if he had been in those same extreme circumstances, Hael didn’t know if he would have it together as well as Mark did. He knew that he would be the same, asking for nothing less than the deaths of those that attacked those that he cared for.
The Tenth Awakens (Maraukian War Book 1) Page 23
