Book I of the GREEN RUINS & SHALLOW BLUES Series
(C) 2022 Kyrinn S. Eis All Rights Reserved Worldwide
Aboard the AI-governed ship, Lord Carthy; or as they knew Him: Taggart/Carthy: SURT, marvelled at the even more advanced and grand ship than the one in which Hepheryn had travelled.
The Anthros crew, here, aboard a ship from a possible future. They each looked on at Him in His finery. Xesha stepped forward, still dressed out in her Red Sister synthleathers.
"Carthy."
He couldn't feel anything, but forced Himself to look down, to convey an attempt at reconciliation. He knew that Xesha held Him responsible for some slight or miscommunication, but Lord Carthy had no idea when to scan for in His vast and detailed recollection.
Carthy raised His arms, --
Xesha ran to fill them.
"I'm sorry, -- I'm so sorry that I couldn't defeat the protein. This is all my fault."
Something Ancient and Cold in the Dragon Lord cracked, like an armoured scale, defeated.
A trail of gold-flecked tear went its way down His right cheek. Lord Carthy; Carthy, closed His embrace, smothered His face in her naturally streaked hair, and breathed-in her perfumed scent.
"No. Don't ever say, -- don't ever think that again, beloved Xesha."
Marcher looked uncomfortable, worked his tongue about his mouth, and then interrupted the reunion.
"Scout, we've got a debrief to conduct."
Lord Carthy looked up, a smouldering ember of rage at misaddress shimmered in his left eye, and Anthony thought, for a moment, he saw orange smoke fume from it, but realised it was a steamer of Xesha's hair; still the corridor did begin to smell of smoke...
"Why yes, of course, Major Marcher. Atlantis Initiative, Code Red."
Carthy almost pushed Xesha away, but merely disentangled Himself from Their embrace and stepped in front of her.
Taylor gulped and left in a hurry away from the argument which gave all the precursor behavioural cues she'd seen in innumerable bar fights and back alley stabbings. Cotton looked as Hoyt grabbed his hand and also backed away. Doc began to speak, but was interrupted.
"As a favour to Xesha, and even Overlieutenant Sabit Irehn, I have brought MY crew through space and time and dimension to fetch you, SURT. This may not be a Type 5 in Scout Service logs, but it is a Naval vessel in this operation. Comply, or we'll have started down a very dark path...
Marcher continued to speak, but Lord Carthy ignored this version of him as He looked down multiplying windows; His smile grew from a sensation to a smirk, until Doc also cleared out as a sardonic smile graced their former shipmate's face, but now marked by uncharacteristically dead calm eyes. Eyes to which the Navy veteran had grown accustomed, and although he knew what Carthy -- Dragon Lord Carthy the flackin' First was capable, Anthony pressed the point aloud, while he
[M] "Don't do it, son. Stewart is prepared to nuke us over your precious city and kill your witch and your dragon babe in her womb. Flackin' Code Red in-deed."
Carthy saw hundreds of windows collapse. The remainder plunged the galaxy into an Age of barbarism. Lord Carthy was wroth at letting Marcher think that his brinksmanship was the cause of His backing down.
Anthony saw black light shine in Taggart's throat;
[M] "I love you, Xesha."
Searing pain tore through the Dragon Lord's hidden Hornung as the Silver exited His chest an inch under His heart.
"Shall I end this?" Carthy heard Xesha speak with Sabit's tone; two decades of companionship had taught her all the power of a war witch, but with different implements.
Lord Carthy raised His hands in surrender.
"No. I -- accept the limits of My authority here."
Anthony, terrified and shocked, stammered, "wa-What authority, S-s-SURT?"
Carthy smelled His flesh sear, the molten gold turned vapour in the steam of his blood. He couldn't bring Himself to capitulate to an unworthy foe--
"Let me help You Lord Carthy. Please."
Xesha pushed the Agent, and her fist around it, into His chest cavity, and aimed the implement up, towards His head.
Carthy saw one window in which He blasted away Xesha's skin and muscle, but from her blackened bones, she was still alive with the Silver.
"Sister Xesha, I acknowledge Your authority, and by extension, that of Major Marcher's, on His Ship."
Lord Carthy could almost kneel, but even the thought of it tightened the Coil around Him.
The Silver flared up again, but it seared closed its exit wound as She withdrew the Agent, but moved it to the base of His skull.
"I'm certain We All have an understanding, Dragon Lord Carthy, yes?"
The Coil tightened, but Carthy still managed to laugh in as unthreatening a manner as He found possible.
"...YES..."
Stewart spoke up then,
"Thank You, Dragon Lord Carthy the First; I am glad that I didn't need to detonate and take so many lives."
Taggart smiled, and could feel the Draconic rise again, but forced Himself to -- ...behave.
*
Carthy sat in an extremely comfortable swivel chair attached to the floor. A man he didn't recognise, but knew was, Hoyt, looked at him with curious eyes.
"A question, friend?"
Hoyt smiled with an arrogance which disturbed Carthy; it seemed hollow, unbacked by any power to enforce its pretense.
"You're a tough son, I'll give you that, Lord. But, what exactly makes you a Dragon?"
"Hoyt!"
Cotton looked furious with fear.
"Shut the flack up. Don't poke the badger."
Hoyt's smug smile was accented by the rise of his right eye brow. The fact that there had been no reprisal had emboldened the bravo.
Xesha swung around Carthy's seat. She still grasped the Agent like an electric torch, ready to flay Him open. She slowly shook Her head.
"Privacy zone, please, Stewart."
Marcher sat down as the AI brought up a sound-deadening forcefield in a cone around the three of Them.
Xesha took her seat; still aimed the Agent at Carthy; He felt duly Honoured.
"This is being recorded for review by the Terran Navy, Scout SURT, Taggart/Carthy, is that understood?"
"Yes, Major Marcher; Taggart/Carthy Scout serving as SURT aboard the Anthros, a Type 5 starship before the events which have--"
"I'll ask for the details in time, son. Now, please account for the Astralan Ranger compliment on Sutter's Mill / Nerensheren."
Lord Carthy fought to answer.
"Unknown, save that former Lance Corporal Pwieph, now a Draconic Humanoid, has returned to serve His Dame, former Overlieutenant Sabit Irehn."
"Is it safe to assume that in the timespace which Terran forces can reach the planet, the remaining ten Rangers could be found?"
"Yes, perhaps not all ten, but likely more than six of them still survive at present; operating out of the same complex."
"Thank you. How is it that you have come to possess such sophisticated psionic talents since the beginning of this mission?"
Marcher looked into His eyes.
Xesha, with a sad look upon Her face, nodded.
"Overlieutenant Sabit Irehn initiated unsolicited Level 2 psychic contact with Captain -- Major Marcher and My mind, Sir. We were unwittingly brought into a psychic Gestalt, known internally as the, 'Polyentity', wherein the three of Us, were able to speak securely regarding the archeological findings on the planet: Nerensheren in Astralanti, or Sutter's Mill in Terran.
Marcher motioned for Carthy to continue
"These findings indicated an Ancient Human settlement founded perhaps as far back as twenty eight thousand years prior--"
Marcher interrupted, "Was that date older when first spoken by Overlieutenant Sabit?"
Lord Carthy sighed, loosened His neck in a circular motion in both directions, balled and unclenched His fists, and began again, "Yes; as originally quoted, it was estimated to be between thirty-five and forty-five thousand Terran years. I was later able to reduce its age to a much more probable twenty eight thousand, give or take."
"We appreciate the strain that these proceedings are putting upon your -- nervous system, Taggart; I am assured by Dr. Michigan that you are not under any medical duress and are capable of proceeding, would YOU agree?"
Xesha shot Anthony a look of angry urging; They had Their own Polyentity network, sprouted off from the one of His Dame's creation. Carthy smiled wickedly.
"Yes. I am in perfect physical health, but I also do acknowledge that by current Terran standards, I no longer possess a purely Human psychology; this stems from an altered brain, and that from an alien pathogen: a prion like substance derived from reptilian or, Draconic, source."
*
"Stewart, uh, can you be on the lookout for any activity around us?"
"Yes, of course, Anbel. Is there anything in particular I should be looking for?"
"Nope. Just, everything, anything at all."
"Understood."
Hoyt and Cotton were argued quietly nearby and Taylor couldn't help but listen in -- it was at least Human nature and not whatever that was, going on in the next room.
"Don't worry, Anbel, Marcher has this under control."
Doc leaned against the astrogation seat.
Taylor turned her head to face him, "No, Doc, I don't think anyone knows how to control what used to be Carthy, except maybe, that alien girl."
She looked at where the pool of blood had been prior to its clean up; how it had shimmered with particles of gold.
Doc frowned at the memory of his own othering of Xesha.
"She's perfectly human, just -- a product of eugenics and very complex post-natal chemical conditioning."
Anbel's, 'Duh!', expression did seem to negate his previous statement; Tanver tightened his mouth and looked at the three in the strangely silent adjoining compartment.
"I'm asking you to, for once, -- you peacock, to please just shut up. Don't antagonise him."
Everett looked into Hoyt's eyes only inches away.
Hoyt couldn't help but stare at Carthy, who looked up at precisely that moment and smiled invitingly. Aroused, Hoyt half-turned to kiss Cotton, who realised his boyfriend was trying to enrage Carthy. Everett pushed away from the other, and stormed off. Hoyt's eyes found Carthy's again, and the smile which the Dragon Lord gave him was not at all one the man ever desired to see aimed at him.
*
"Hello? Taggart, are we losing your cooperation here?"
Marcher looked to see Hoyt white as a ghost and wiped clean of his typical smugness.
"You two aren't really that--"
Lord Carthy turned in his seat to face the Navy man; the subdued wickedness of His smile spoke volumes.
"No, not at all, Major, please continue. You were saying that I bear responsibility for current conditions below us as a result of this infection. I, of course, acknowledge such responsibility as Dragon Lord of that civilisation in the complex.
"May I, in return, ask you to please disclose your involvement in open hostilities with Wetlander forces, leading Astralani Rangers, -- in your timeline -- and to what end?"
Anthony almost entered the Polyentity, but knew that the gap in the audio record would become its own headache, if not end his trusted status with the Terran Authorities.
"I was under the impression that, you, Xesha, and Sabit were possibly Wetlander captives. In retrospect, it was a completely irrational leap of ... unreason, and to my amazement, the Astralani Rangers leadership were willing to participate--"
"and what did this precipitous misadventure net you and these alien humans?"
Xesha spoke up as she plainly aimed the Agent at His head.
"As I was with You and Sabit, I feel I have something to offer the record. We were in the current, 'timeline' in which We find ourselves, and we made our way back to the complex below us at time of this recording. Where was Major Marcher at that time, relative to us?"
Lord Carthy, some part of Him, wished that He could rewind time, to loosen the Coil, to undo the series of events which led Them to this level of antagonism, and in that same heartbeat-span, realised how much He was like Hoyt: a narcissist, out of touch with the reality of others' emotions and the peaceful interaction which His Draconic drive forced.
"Major Marcher, Captain of the Anthros, Type 5 Scout ship, separated from His ship and the rest of His crew; was in the main timeline segment concurrent with what I must presume is the same as that shared by those who will be viewing and listening to this debrief. His commanding officers in Naval Intelligence, TeSCA, and the volunteer personnel of the hoary and illustrious Scout Services."
Carthy's eyes were as soft as He could manage, and almost found a mote of non-Dominance-based emotion peek through His Ego-armour.
"Dragon Lord Carthy, do you still count yourself a Scout, do You even consider yourself still Human?"
Tears streaked Anthony's face as he attempted to maintain eye contact with the person on his crew whom he best knew, and yet, no longer knew at all.
Carthy turned to Xesha.
"My feelings are irrelevant, Sir. I believe only Doc Michigan and Red Sister Xesha Irehnlen's medical examination of Dame Sabit, and our son, could resolve that to the satisfaction of the indicated authorities, Sir."
"Do we have Your permission to conduct that interaction, Lord Carthy?"
Marcher mopped his tears with his sleeve.
"I invite You all."
*
[M] "Dame Sabit, do we have permission to visit Your realm?
[--]
[S] "Anthony? Capt-- Major Marcher, of course. We shall make ready for Your arrival."
*
"Hoyt, I'm not asking, I'm ordering you to stay here. You are wired to get a rise out of people you find a challenge, which seem so be a great number of people and ... creatures in this place. We can't afford to start a retroactive war with a starfaring culture when our ancestors hadn't yet emerged from the last Ice Age."
Hoyt was distracted and didn't see Michigan administer him a sedative.
"Wretch! You'll be sorry when..."
Hoyt then collapsed into Doc's arms, who dragged him off to his and Cotton's quarters.
Marcher looked at the weather, and, conduit drift plots provided by Stewart.
"So, we have about 25 Standard Hours, Our Mark, to return within the safety margin for travel back through to 'standard' timespace?"
"As you tend to round down, yes, Captain Marcher."
"Alright. Do you think it wise to maintain contact with me given the Polyentity and ... so forth?"
"No, Captain. But I will send a physical tracking drone with you to better focus my TK capabilities further into the complex. I also understand that your safety is secondary to the safe delivery of the debrief record within the allotted time."
Marcher smiled, "Please keep Hoyt from doing anything stupid."
"It will be my pleasure to accommodate Mr. Hoyt while you are away, Captain."
*
Doc made certain to refresh everyone's boosters and to administer what he thought would give them the best chance against an introduced prion; this consisted of a 'live-culture' of nanobots to boost their immune system.
"Those, and Metatr--"
"Spare us, Doc. Let's just call it good old Terran Luck."
Cotton interrupted.
Michigan kept silent.
Anbel gave him a friendly side-hug, "Cheer-up, Doc, he's got boy problems, and you know how they can be."
The older man smiled outwardly.
The lot of them, including Lord Carthy were set down on the obsidian dock.
Awaiting them were Szerzhbakh, Stoney Drake, a compliment of Dragon Guard and Acolytes, Courtiers, and the Dame Herself.
Lord Carthy took the lead and strode confidently towards Their People.
"Beloved Dame, it is My Honour to return Our Red Sister, Xesha, into Our presence. Captain Marcher and his Scouts have also accompanied Us."
Anthony snorted a laugh, but smiled as Xesha squeezed his hand.
"--"
He nodded.
Dame Sabit sat astride Zhyph Qibzhen on a red leather saddle stitched in gold thread. Her dress open below her waist displayed black leather breaches and boots stitched in red. Her coiffure was an elaborate collection of braids draped in rows on either side of Her head. Around Her dark eyes, She wore red powder which shimmered, while Her lips were stained a similar shade. At sight of Xesha, even before, at mere presence within the complex, Sabit was ... nervous, eagerly anxious, giddy. It took some effort for Her to suppress it, but now, She let that control fall away.
"Zhyph Qibzhen, take in the scent of this Red Sister, She is to be implicitly trusted."
~!"My Dame!"!~
In the cavern, the Stoney Drake's voice boomed like a landslide of shale.
Xesha approached the Great Beast without hint of hesitation, Her right hand extended, ungloved.
"What a lovely creature You are; how magnificent are Your wings."
With that Zhyph Qibzhen bore them out to their fullest reach, articulated Her digits, and then slowly drew them back to two tented peaks to better frame Her Dame's image.
Szerzhbakh sniffed at the air, and after the Stoney Drake's display, slithered to Xesha who wore a look of confusion and hints of grief at His appearance.
~sS"Worry not, Red Sister, the Lord and Dame have not slain me over Your exalted safety; perhaps We shall never experience that great Tragedy."Ss~
Xesha touched His warmish coppery and verdigris coloured scales as He thrummed as He had for Carthy.
"Let Us welcome Our guests with a Royal Banquet in the Great Hall."
Dame Sabit bade Zhyph Qibzhen rise, which moved great clouds of black sand until They were nearly at the cavern's ceiling. Szerzhbakh waited for Lord Carthy to seat, and then strode before the group. Xesha looked up at Sabit, who made continuous eye contact, before She and the Stoney Drake flew off for the sunlit exit. Dragon Guard, led by Ihdel and Bykrezh, smiled as they ushered the visitors, with Basth and Syil and Runtshal bringing up the rear guard.
*
As they went, not far from the cavern, Xesha felt the spilled lifeblood of those they had slain in their attempt to remain free from the Priest's terrible control. Anthony placed his hand upon Her shoulder as they passed the barracks in which the group had sheltered; the spirits of the dead lingered there in sad attendance of their Lord and killers.
The slow pace gave Her time to consider the weight of remaining in this time to care for Her bondlover during the full term of Her pregnancy. Although these surroundings were ultimately very similar to those of the Priory Psion on Qandeshar V, Xesha felt the oppressive weight of the overhead rock and the ancience of the site.
~"You are never out of reach of My love, Daughter."~
Xesha smiled sadly and then after a meditative breath, smiled more deeply.
Marcher noted the change in Her demeanor, and beside Her, smiled in Her view. Xesha bumped shoulders with him.
~$"This is the Dame's great love?"$~
Basth asked Runtshal and Syil via the arcane network.
~$"Quiet. We do not wish to offend the Red Sister, much less our Dame.$"~
Runtshal replied with some measure of anger in his voice.
The dead faded again.
No comments:
Post a Comment