Deep Hydra

by Michael Formichelli

  “Interesting,” Meia said when they entered. She spent some time staring at each of the statues.

  “Do you think so? It’s an old design,” he responded.

  “An oldie but goodie.” She smiled. “I mean, it’s a bit dark, but I like the bold statements the statues make.”

  “You think statues of naked, forgotten gods make a bold statement?” He raised his eyebrows.

  A crooked smile appeared on her face. “Yeah, I do. They’ve got nothing to hide behind, and the display of skin isn’t a shout to ‘look at me’ but a symbol of confidence and power. Look at that guy over there. He’s got his chest puffed out and that tree-trunk of an arm pointed up at the sky. Every muscle on his body screams his magnificence.”

  Cylus turned and took in the statue for himself. “You think so?”

  “Yeah, I do.” She nodded over at a goddess statue on her left. “And look at this one here. She’s got one hip thrust forward and she’s turning her waist around it. Her hands are behind her back but she’s not being submissive. The pose thrusts her chest forward, and she’s got that smirk on her face that says she knows what she’s doing. You’re going to fall into her power whether you like it or not. Damn, look at that hair, too.”

  Cylus ran his eyes over the goddess’ body, then followed the mane of her hair from her scalp to her heels.

  “You don’t find that at all… indecent?”

  Meia burst out laughing. “No.”

  “Of course not…” He blushed.

  Her expression softened. “Don’t judge a woman who can chew you up and spit you out with her eyes. It won’t go well for you.”

  “Point taken.” He could see she was right. The goddess was an expression of a kind of power, and there was nothing indecent in expressing power.

  Power makes its own rules, Lina’s voice said in his thoughts.

  It was a week and a half since Meia returned from her investigative errand just as she said she would. She told him, unasked, what happened and how she found the secret entrance to the Palace in the city. It likely led into the Siren factory, and she was lucky no one was there so she hadn’t tipped off their enemies that she knew. The thought of it made his heart beat fast, but she said she was going to lie low for a while and make sure things calmed down. She was true to her word and hadn’t left his side since.

  He found himself wanting her to give up her quest. Of course, he knew she couldn’t. She was saving him from his nightmares just as he was saving the Confederation. Their goals complimented each other.

  “You’re a woman who could chew a man up and spit him out.” His eyes widened. He had no idea why he said that.

  “Do you think I’d do that to you?”

  “I think you could.” He blushed again.

  She stifled a laugh, leaned forward, and tapped him on the nose. He could smell flowers. She must have her scent glands set to emit perfume today.

  “That’s unusual,” he said.

  “What is?”

  “You activated your perfume glands. I don’t think you’ve ever done that before.”

  “Don’t like it?” She gave him a sidelong look.

  “No, I like it very much. I’m just surprised.”

  “Good.” She winked at him and studied his face. “Nervous?”

  He nodded. “Zalor called the Barony to session after I refused to go with Solus. He’s forced me to try Dorsky.”

  “Is that such a bad thing? It seems a bit soon, but at least you’ll be rid of him.”

  “Will I? With Zalor in his corner, Dorsky could turn this around. He could be restored as Premier and then all of our efforts… No, I won’t say it.” He sighed. “I can’t allow this. I’m sure Zalor’s coming at me, but Ben couldn’t find out how. What if—?”

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t help. Whatever it is, he’s keeping it close to the vest. Getting into his system has proven much harder than expected, but whatever happens we’ll beat him.”

  “I know. I may have lost the Cronus’ support, but Zalor won’t have them either. Ben tells me we have the support of Groombridge and Xa’aal. Sophi will support me for now of course, and Shiragawa’s vote still counts for a lot. Helena’s ETMC vote will undercut her cousin too, and by that route support me.” He took a deep breath. “Still, I wish I knew what he was going to do.”

  “Well, here’s what you’re going to do; you’re going to put Dorsky on a penal colony for the rest of his life. That’ll be one enemy gone at least.”

  “And a hundred more made no doubt.” He smiled up at her. “I wish I had your confidence.”

  She shrugged. “It’ll come. If you look like a strong leader, a competent one, you’ll win people over.”

  “I wish—”

  “You will,” she said.

  He saw the iron in her eyes. She was sure that it would work.

  The console in his desk beeped. He saw who it was at his door and frowned. Meia looked down and shared the expression. When she moved to stand beside him he pressed the ‘open’ button.

  The door slid aside and Sophi marched in. Standing in the hallway behind her was her assistant, an Isinari with a tall head crest. He couldn’t quite recall niur name. Sophi stopped within a meter of his desk and flicked her pale eyes over Meia before settling on him.

  “I was just stopping by to wish you luck today. I’m going to make a plea to your more rational side now. You should dump this trollop,” she indicated Meia with a long fingernail, “because if you don’t you won’t know how I’m going to vote today. Maybe I think Dorsky is getting a raw deal.”

  “And maybe now is the time to have you arrested for conspiracy to commit murder against a baron—two, actually,” he said.

  “Nippy today, are we? Well, just remember my father is back. Your position is no longer secure. Too bad you don’t know what I do, eh?”

  “Sophi, are you here solely to taunt me?” he asked.

  She smiled.

  “Then get out, and remember what I have on you.” He sighed. In another lifetime he might have been scared, but he had her dead to rights. One word from him and she would join Dorsky on the Barony floor.

  “Good luck, Cy. You’ll need it.”

  He made a shooing motion and Sophi mock-bowed before leaving.

  “That was fun,” Meia said.

  “Watch out for her.” Sophi was viciously dangerous, and they had her cornered.

  “For her and the Praetors, and Zalor, and whoever else—I’ll be all right, and so will you.”

  He was glad for it, but hoped it was true. He glanced at the chronometer in his UI.

  “Time to head up.”

  “Lead the way,” she said.

  He inhaled and girded his mental loins before moving out into the hallways of the Barony. It took far too short a time to go from the Premier’s suite to the Barony floor.

  Helena and her assistant, a thin, raven-haired woman his implant identified as “Ms. Bahu,” were standing before the ivory and gold doors. It was the first time Cylus had ever stood before them like this. They were twice as tall as he was, and if their design was meant to make those passing through them feel small, then they were doing their job. His heart pounded in his chest and he felt a slick coating of sweat form on his palms.

  “You can do this Cy, don’t worry about it,” Meia whispered to him. She gave Ms. Bahu an odd look.

  Ms. Bahu was dressed in a black business jumpsuit with matching jacket, she had a gleam in her dark eyes and a knowing smile above her pointed chin that shook him inside.

  “Good morning Premier,” Helena said brushing a pale lock of hair from her narrow face. “How are you this fine day.”

  “Good morning. How are you dealing with losing your position as Speaker?”

  “Well, actually. I can honestly say I am wonderful. It is going to be a great day. In just a scant few moments we will both be rid of an enemy. How can it not be a good day? I’m not going to let my cousin ruin it.” A grin spread across her scarlet lips.
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  He nodded, feeling increasingly unnerved.

  “Indeed, it is a good day.” He put as much confidence into the gravel of his voice as he could. “I vow not to let your cousin ruin it either.”

  “Don’t let him ruin anything. As I told you before, I have you covered.” She moved to turn to the doors, then turned back. “Is this your first?”

  “My first what?” He asked, wishing he could trust what she said. It would be nice to believe she was turning on Zalor, but he doubted it.

  “Trial at the Barony?”

  He thought for a moment and nodded.

  “Well, you have the easiest job of all. After Zalor introduces you come out and say a few words—you have something prepared, yes?”

  “Of course. You know, Helena, I’m not a simpleton.”

  “That’s good.” She looked amused. “After your speech take your seat in the Premier’s box and the rest will take its course. I know you’ve been ignoring Cousin Zalor, but Dorsky failed him in spectacular fashion. He won’t let that go. Dorsky is at his end, and your star is about to rise.”

  “My star? I somehow doubt that. Your cousin won’t let what I did go either.” He chewed his lip.

  “No, but aside from taking the reins himself there really is no alternative to you. You’re safe… For now—from him at least.” Her eyes flickered to Meia. “I don’t think I can say the same for Sophiathena, though. I was just starting to think that you were getting the knack for this. Perhaps I’m wrong. Time will tell.”

  “I guess so,” he said with his blood boiling. They were all so desperate to separate him from Meia. He wouldn’t let that happen.

  “It will be interesting in either case.” She turned on her heel and walked right at the Barony doors. Ms. Bahu gave him an amused look and followed.

  A blast of brine-laced air washed over him when the doors swung open. Beyond the threshold was the flat disk of the Barony floor with the single spire of the Speaker’s Podium at its center. He got a brief glance of the rings of seats rising above it on the far side before the doors swung shut. The smell brought back the memory of the last time he was here with Sable.

  He sighed. How long ago that seemed. It was like another universe, another him.

  I shall complete our work, my friend, he thought. It’s not just Lina I shall avenge, but you and your people as well.

  “Barons and Baronesses, we stand at the dawn of a new age…” The words came over the Barony’s speaker system. The voice sent a chill down his spine despite all his resolve. It was thick with the royal honey of a narcissist who wanted everyone to be full of him too; Zalor relished his role as Speaker.

  He prattled on for a time while Cylus stood exchanging worried glances with Meia.

  “And it is with great pleasure that I give to you your Acting Premier of the Confederation of Sovereign Systems, Cylus Keltan!”

  The doors swung open at his enemy’s words and he found himself awash in the crackle of five-hundred pairs of applauding appendages. His eyes widened and he stood slack jawed at the sight. It took Meia shoving him forward before his legs would obey the command to move.

  It felt weird to walk out directly into the floor toward the Speaker’s podium. Zalor Revenant waited beside it in a black and silver suit. Cylus stepped under the gazes of the hundreds of beings that comprised the Confederation’s economic elite. They rose around him in concentric rings, each barony with its own set of seats cordoned off by railings. The most important ones were on the floor level, and as the risers climbed towards the glass ceiling, political importance diminished.

  His eyes strayed to his old box. The seats for his House sandwiched between those of Cronus and Mitsugawa. As they promised, the Cronus sisters were gone. The sight of their empty seats saddened him more than he thought it should.

  The only thing he could hear was the unintelligible tumult of a thousand voices talking over each other. The deeper into the chamber he moved the worse it got. The feeling of exposure was like claws scratching on his back. He supposed he looked impressive dressed in his finest clothes, the white seven-pointed star embroidered on the back of his frock coat, yet he could not contain the tumult of nerves churning in his gut.

  He looked to House Mitsugawa out of reflex. It was a mistake. Sophi smiled down at him like she knew something he didn’t. He hardly noticed her Isinari on one side and Captain Fukui on the other. The look chilled him to the bone. Sable was gone, killed by the Brogh. It hit him like a splash of cold water. It was up to him to finish the work Mitsugawa Yoji began. The entire Confederation rested on his shoulders.

  Numb feet brought him to the podium where Zalor nodded and stood aside. Stunned by it all, he glanced to House Revenant’s box on his right and found Helena and Ms. Bahu there watching with raptor’s eyes. What a strange thing it was to think he might actually obtain some support from them.

  Domed drones circled overhead, broadcasting the proceedings across the Cyberweb and the entire Confederation.

  He cleared his throat.

  “Barons and Baronesses, my friends…” He paused to turn in place, sure that his gaze met all baronies of the Confederation. Behind him, in AgroWorld Corp’s box sitting with her back ramrod straight, Baroness Altair stared out at him with cold, blue eyes. The breath caught in his throat. She must have returned with Zalor.

  Cold fear seized his gut.

  “Um…” he turned back to the podium. “Barons and Baronesses, my friends, ah, it is an honor to stand before you. Yes, an honor…”

  Get yourself together, Cy! He heard Lina’s voice in his head. You idiot! You’re blowing it!

  “Ahm, ah, I mean—” he took a deep breath. “I wish I were here under better circumstances, but sadly one of our own has committed treason against you, and the people of our great nation—” Shit! I’ve skipped ahead! he thought. It was too late now. He had to plow forward. “Conspiring with Gaian terrorists to kill our own, including Baron Olivaar and Baron Vargas—”

  There was a grumble at that.

  “Former Premier Caspian Dorsky is guilty, and this body will prove to them—ah—prove to you that this is the truth, pure and simple.” His throat tensed, popping bad enough that it tripped off a coughing fit. He turned from the podium and rubbed his chest.

  Zalor stepped in beside him.

  “Stop fucking this up,” he half-growled, then turned to the crowd. “Forgive our Premier, he is overcome with the audacious horror of this situation. To have one so high in our trust betray us all is overwhelming.”

  He turned to him and produced a small glass of water. Cylus accepted with a nod of thanks and let it rise half-way to his lips before remembering how Zalor killed Yoji. His hand shook so bad the water spilled over his knuckles. He gasped at the cold, wet sensation. Was he infected now?

  He dropped the glass and it shattered on the ground while he rubbed his hand over his fine clothes.

  He heard Zalor snort.

  “Yes, forgive me,” he said raising his eyes to the assembled crowd up the invisible line that marked the divide between the Solan baronies and those of the Isinari. Though they were incorporated into the Confederation soon after their liberation from the Cleebians, they had precious few baronies to represent them. Their section formed a narrow strip separating the Solans from the Cleebian baronies. The latter numbered nearly half of those in the Confederation. They once supported Mitsugawa Yoji, would they support him?

  His hand burned. Was he infected? Should he ask Meia for the cure now?

  He cleared his throat, backtracking the notes scrolling down the left side of his UI.

  “Speaker Revenant said we stand at the dawn of a new age, and we do. I have restored trade in the capital. I have funded the treasury and assured that our mighty armed forces will have what they need to finally and at last bring the war with the Brogh to a close.”

  A round of applause erupted.

  “That glorious day is not far off, but first we must purge the rot from within our glorious Confe
deration. Only then can we move forward and finally end the war.”

  He took a deep breath. The next lines of text were highlighted in gold. This was the critical part; the part he couldn’t afford to screw up. Ben was very specific about that.

  “Former Premier Dorsky would have seen the war continue. The instability in the Confederation would allow him and his cronies to take greater and greater control until we would find ourselves in an unrecognizable dictatorship.”

  Boos filled the air.

  “It is only through the diligent efforts of the Abyssian Praetors that this plot was foiled. They uncovered the conspiracy between the Gaians and Dorsky, a plot he made with them knowing that his time as Premier was at a close. They promised him continued power, and he promised them he would help to undermine and destroy the Daewonist Church that has served as a comfort to so many. Had he succeeded, the Confederation might never have recovered.”

  He paused to clear his throat. Many in the crowd took that to be a pause for applause and the sporadic sound of their approval went around the chamber.

  He took a deep breath and looked toward the doorway on his left. There Meia stood, her drone, Iapetus, now behind her in the hall. She gave him a thumbs up.

  Behind them four DS-109s were walking toward the Barony floor. Between them strode their mistress, Praetor Prime Augusta, and beside her was a man in chains. The thick beard on his face and the unkempt hair on his head made him a stranger to Cylus’ eyes. It took a moment before he recognized the accused, Caspian Dorsky.

  Finish the speech, Lina’s voice said in his head.

  He nodded.

  “We owe the Praetors a debt of gratitude, but their job is done. It is time for us to do ours. On your consoles you will find files detailing the evidence against the accused as gathered and presented by our great protector, Daedalus. I invite you to review those files now.”