by P. S. Power
"I didn't think we'd break a hundred, even being here. We're kind of new, and small, as a channel. We should find something big, as a reward for our viewers. I know, you can strip down and take that shower, Dareg. I can come with you."
He nodded, since that was a polite offer in some circles even inside Noram.
"My shower is too small for that. I'd say we should go to the bathhouse, but I don't know if we'll have time. Maybe this evening? Though watching the fireworks that Queen Constance and Baronetta Coltress have planned might be more interesting. Now, I really should do some things. We should walk toward the events? I need to walk the port and make sure we know where the Ancients, the Revered Ones? I need to know where they are landing, and in how many ships."
The port itself had three ships in, but none of them were the full sized ones from fleet. Thankfully. Alice Orange had gotten that part taken care of correctly, before he'd even thought of it. That was probably why she was in charge of space. You had to be on the ball to keep it all in mind like that.
He pulled his little handheld, only to find a black orb moving over his right shoulder, Cyra clearly controlling it with a little unit in her own hands.
"Stop for a second, I need to get the screen in focus... And... Go." It was cute really, since she was telling him how to do what he was already doing, but everyone else took it seriously, and nodded. Even Kolb, who was clearly telling him to do it with his body language. So he did, tabbing Tiera's name without waiting.
After twenty seconds or so a face came up on the screen. She was sweating, had her hair back, and there were sounds of people grunting, and the clash of weapons behind her.
"Hey, Dare. We aren't set to leave for a few hours, so I was just getting a weapons practice in. Everything all right on that end?"
"So far it really is. I have some people from Austra here to meet you. Not now, but when you get in? Right now I need to check. How many ships are you coming in? Connie is going to need to know where we're setting up her and Richard's box. It would be easiest if it were just one vessel..." He was hinting and not using the titles of anyone on purpose, since he didn't know if the Austrans would understand that or not.
He was, in the end, just some man after all. The one that told the ships where to land, for the time being. The Queen of the Moon grinned at him and wiped at her sweating forehead.
"I get you. One then. Not that I'm not bringing my own so I can escape if it gets too boring. At five. I'll set that up. Where should we set down and how will we know it?"
"Blue sector. It will be ringed in blue lights. It's for a large ship. Full sized? That will probably be impressive if it can be done safely. It's like a mountain about to crush you, no matter where you stand. Good, so, when you get here you need to find Tomas, Jan, Cyra and Nimbus. Um... Here?" He probably ruined the shot, holding the handheld up so she could see the faces. After a bit she spoke, her voice coming from the other side of the stone in his hand.
"Got that one then. This is my team when I get there. I look forward to meeting you all? Now, I need to get back to it here. Everyone is waiting for a turn with me." She said that like it just wasn't true, then laughed, which had Kolb doing it too.
He didn't speak however, letting Dare handle it all.
"See you then. Bye." Then the thing in his hand switched off, a bit abruptly, which was probably a good plan for the day.
Then he started walking, going back, toward the blue section, to make sure all the lights would be on, and shining as brightly as they could. That meant moving from thing to thing, touching the tiny lights and resetting them, as he was followed around. It didn't take that long, since there were only twenty of the things. One of them had been turned way down and another was red, but they weren't broken or defective, just miss-set.
Then he walked over to the nearest Tam-unit, since she was going to be much more interesting than he was. Who didn't like good sized blue boxes that had the face of pretty girls?
"Would anyone like something to drink?" He looked around, and saw some nods. It was pretty warm out, so everyone did want things. Tam-unit, being so smart, let her face smile in the black window, and a hand came up to wave at the people as they closed in.
"Hello! What can I get for you today?"
Tomas smiled and moved in, a black orb floating over his shoulder.
"Vending machine? May I have a list of your beverage choices and a price listing for them? This will be going out on the comp service, in Austra, if that's allowed by your instruction set?"
Dareg nearly didn't understand him, but Tam-unit did, her face looking goofy for a second.
"There are no prices. I'm a bit like the large food units that way? You're from Austra? Here for the events today? It's really exciting isn't it? I'm hoping that I can meet with Taman Baker. She made me. So, my mother? People say I look like her. I imagine it's that we both have big blue hips, don't you?"
Dareg let himself smile and waved at the box.
"This is Tam-unit. She's really in charge of the spaceport here, and will be running the one in Austra too. She controls the drinks though, so we have an excuse to come visit her."
That got Tomas to smile, and then look a bit strange.
"So... You're a computer? An artificial intelligence? I wasn't aware that Noram had any of those..."
She tilted the image of her head and finally laughed a little.
"More correctly I'm a copy of Taman Baker. So I have all the secret family information in here with me. Which people can purchase just by making sure that all the trash is put in the hopper!" She gestured with her head, toward the sign on her right side. "I didn't know I was going to be in charge of Austra's port. Here too? Ha! I'm important now, aren't I?" She seemed pleased by it, like it was a good thing in her mind.
Dareg nodded.
"You always were. Anyway, drinks? I'd like some water? Cool would be good, please, if possible. Boss." There was no harm in the people of that far off land understanding that things were going to be a bit different at their new spaceport than they'd thought.
The large glass tumbler came out of the front, and Kolb had to get a lemonade before the others felt comfortable going themselves. Jan was the only one to get a drink from her own land, which she looked at, and took a sip of carefully as one of the black orbs were trained on her.
The drink had bubbles that showed through the side, lots of ice bits in it and was a bright pink.
"This is amazing." She took another drink, and then closed her eyes, forgetting to be self-conscious for a moment, even if she did look like she was from Noram, lacking the ridiculous markings and hairstyles of the others. "I don't think I've ever had better Sluice. Can I get one of you for my apartment, Tam-unit? You can live in my front room, and be my friend."
That got the box, or her image, to clap.
"How fun! I think I have to live at the port, but you can visit me? I get bored. I'd love a twenty-four hour news feed. That's a hint Dareg. You can get with Taman and see if she can set that up for me? Please?"
He nodded, since that made a lot of sense. She needed some way to see beyond ten feet away from herself too, if she were going to be in charge of the port system.
When they were done he put his tumbler in her side and patted her gently.
"I won't forget to ask about that for you. It might involve some trickery to get a meeting with her, but I'll pass a note at the very least. People are going to be busy later, I bet." No one asked what he meant by that at all.
As he turned to walk away, Kolb touched his shoulder, which got him to stop, and his clothing to change, turning into a nice black outfit that sort of matched his own, rather than the suit he'd had on earlier. It wasn't really better, but the Austrans noticed it right off, as they walked.
Tomas shook his head.
"This whole place is incredible. There's real magic, all over the place, and the excitement in the air is palpable. It's a real honor to get to be here. Where are we headed next?"
That
was a good question, since what he needed to do would probably be pretty boring to the people with him.
He turned and pointed off toward the front of the place. "Let's go around the outside, on the road, and look at the houses? Then get to the festival out front. This is only part of it, the real one is on the far side of the city. That's put up by Collette Sorvee, Baronetta Coltress."
That got Cyra to call out, from behind the controls of her orbs. She never looked up from her hands.
"Like Mike Coltress? Any relation?"
Dare was about to admit he didn't know about that, never having heard the name, but Kolb went first, his tan skin glowing a bit in the bright sun as they kept walking.
"That's right. Michael is Collette's brother. She's married to Dorgal Sorvee, the former King of Vagus. Also a very good friend of Tor and Gerent. Timon too, I think. Lovely woman. I don't know if we'll be seeing her today, but if you get a chance you should interview her. Speaking of which, you all need better clothing than what you have on."
Dareg got that one, and nodded. It was for the same reason he did, so he explained, even though they all made faces at the idea.
"Right. You have that special access, so you'll be around a lot of important people. Really, we should get a truth device and make sure you don't mean any harm. Do you have one on you, Baron Kolbrin?" He was half teasing, but he had been in control of a healing device he hadn't admitted to, so it wasn't that big of a shock when the man smiled and bowed toward him a bit.
"I do, indeed. Here, you should get this on the air. The device will make an aura of light around you, in white and gold. If you lie, a black streak will appear. Here, Tomas, why don't you go first?" He held the thing out, and activated it with a tap.
Rather than seem insulted, or worried, the medium sized and clear skinned man took it almost eagerly. The field transferred to him, leaving him coated in white, with a gold stripe right done the middle.
"So it stays the same if I tell the truth? We'll, let's see. I'm very happy to be here. I think that this spaceport is marvelous, and that if we can get one of them in back home it will be very good for our people." The thing didn't change at all, and the man seemed amused by that, then, a bit meanly he caught Jan's eye. "I also think that your plain and unadorned look is very nice."
That got a huge black streak to dash across the whole thing, making him jump, and after a second causing Jan to scowl.
"Fuck you too, Tom." It was said softly, but Dareg heard it and smiled.
"The real question is, how do you feel about the people coming? Do you mean anyone harm?"
It was kind of clear that being a bit of a jerk to Jan aside, the man wasn't really violent or angry as a person. Then, one by one everyone else got to go. They all passed, and made up lies, to prove the device worked. Tomas surprised him though, looking down at his hand.
"Oooh. That's not bad, if they'll play. The audience at home is wondering if you'd be willing to answer some questions from them, while holding this, gentlemen?" He looked hopeful, but Kolb shook his head.
"Not me. I know too many secrets. Dareg, why don't you take a turn?"
That, it turned out, was a bit of a mistake. Funny though, which even given different cultures he could tell immediately.
Tomas waited for the field to be set, and then came at him like he was accused of a crime.
"Tell me Dareg, how do you like Jan's boring look?" There was a slight gasp of outrage from the young woman and a blush that went with her pink outfit really well.
So he told the truth.
"I like it. She's decently attractive, which helps. The rest of you look a bit funny to me, to be honest."
That got a laugh, and the man going on.
"Oh, so, tell us, do all of you Noramites hold orgies every night? And can we get in to see one?"
That got him watched closely, as Kolb actually turned away, fighting a smile.
"Not that I know of? I'm willing to try if you all are though. Tonight?" There were three women after all, and while Cyra was kind of old, he was willing to bet that wouldn't be too big of a problem in bed.
Then he was hit with every question that anyone in Austra had ever wanted to know it seemed. He was just honest the whole time, which meant that, about half an hour later, people ran out of good things to ask. They were down to how big his penis was when Tomas suddenly called a halt to it.
That was good, because he'd never measured it or anything. Who would even care about things like that? Except Petra, when she was trying to make him mad. Thinking of that made him blush a bit, but no one seemed to notice.
The man reading the thing shook his head then.
"Sorry there. So, these houses here, they're for great personages?"
He nodded and pointed behind them.
"That one is. It belongs to the Ancient of Noram. Sam Builder. Our Revered One? The rest are just guest houses through here. I think that we should do something similar for Timon Baker, at your spaceport. It's going to take a bit for me to set up. He'll need servants and all that, so people will want to sign up for that early. I don't know how to set that up. I'll probably end up paying for that, too. Then we'll need to do Afrak, Vagus and Soam." Which was just him making conversation, as the others followed along. Things, the press of bodies, got tighter as they got toward the front where all the interesting stuff was.
When they got to his little house, he stopped, and pulled out his handheld again, tabbed the right name, and waited, not knowing if he'd get through at all.
For some reason Connie's face came up almost instantly.
"Dareg! I was just about to get with you. The set up crew is headed your way. We need to know where the correct location is. I know this is an imposition, and I'm certain we can muddle along, if you're too busy today to help us." She sounded slightly concerned about it, but looking up he saw three teams of horse drawn wagons slowly moving down the main port road, between the rivers. They had Royal Guards with them, he thought, in black and purple. They were in front, and that meant people were getting out of the way for them. So the wagons made pretty decent time. Nothing else likely was that day, so it was impressive.
"I see them. The others will be landing in the blue section. We'll set your box up a bit away from that, since being crushed if someone messes up does not sound fun. We'll get the Royal Guard that are coming to clear the road between the two places, and let the crowd stand in the Orange section. Maybe green too, if that many show up for it. I kind of hope not, since that will be a whole lot of people. Are you flying over? I don't think you're getting in otherwise, not later."
She looked away, listening to someone, and then nodded.
"Coach was the plan. Do you think we should scrap that?"
Her face looked at him, like she thought he was going to yell or be upset by the whole thing. He got the mental image, of a train of horse drawn carriages coming, which would look grand, but also understood that they'd never get there in time, even with armed guards pushing people from the road. Not through the City, which was built a bit like a maze.
"You should have at least three ways to get here, and leave. I can make sure that we have a jump ship ready, so that's one for a way out. Honestly, I think you should all fly over. You have the right shield for that, right?"
"I... Do. We all do. I'm afraid that I don't fly well however. A weakness of mine, being high up. It isn't as bad in a craft. Would that be suitable, do you think? I don't know if we have one available today however..."
He had to think for a few seconds, but then nodded.
"I'll be over to get you all then. We'll have to time it right, and probably land in the blue section, which means we need to do it at least an hour before Tiera and her people come, or we'll probably end up dead. I can... Be there at two-thirty? Or, would three be all right? I need special permission to fly over the city. I could be sooner, but I want to get with your people coming in and let them know the plan so far."
A deep voice called out that it was gran
ted, and since that was the King, it had to count. Then the man moved in and explained how he'd need to land very slowly, and come alone. That got a bit of a frown from Tomas, though the others were fine that way.
"We have an Austran camera crew with us, and Baron Kolbrin? The Austrans were already checked out and don't mean any harm."
The deep voiced ruler made a considering noise and then chuckled.
"As long as you can vouch for them, then of course. At three then. We should have seventy people?"
Kolb spoke then, waving back at where Dareg had his craft set up, not that far away on a normal day.
"You'll have to make that much smaller, or it will never fit. No more than a tenth that size. We can add a few levels upward however, so there will be plenty of room for bodies."
That all made a lot of sense to him, and Dare mapped the whole thing out in his head, then, looking at Connie, smiled.
"Richard scolded me the other day for being too abrupt getting of the handheld. He was right of course. I should have been more polite about it. I blame my upbringing, since I was taught how to be a low level merchant, not anything grander than that. Not that it's a good excuse, now that things have changed. I hope you weren't really too worried? After all, if I make you mad, I'm pretty sure you get to just come visit and yell at me. Family and all that?" He smiled at her and got a pretty chuckle in return. He also realized something. She was wearing a disguise amulet.
Her face seemed to be that of a lady who was in her youthful twenties, but when she smiled parts of her face didn't move right. Her eyes didn't crinkle, for instance, when they should. He knew she was older, probably in her early fifties. It made sense, but it was jarring to notice it.
"Oh? I wasn't aware that we were that close yet? Good to hear. Do I get to paddle you, too?" She chuckled a bit, and so did the King, but Dareg had to shake his head.
"Not even as a game. I guess I'm kind of prone to combat rage? That might be too dangerous."
The people on the other side of the handheld when both silent and still from what he could tell, but Kolb popped his face in and smiled.
