Floyd Looney's Sci-Fi
Science Fiction short stories and chapters by author Floyd Looney.
Saturday, February 10, 2018
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Finally
With work and everything getting in the way, I am finally writing the final battle of Second Front (Book One). Okay, whether or not a book two is ever written is up in the air, but I really want to write it too.
Saturday, February 18, 2017
House of Halik - parts four and five
IV
Young Master Avnar and other male
members of House Avnar with powers gathered around the old table that
had been used to plan things for generations.
“Why are we still here?”
One of the men asked. Burk Avnar was a barbarian of a man and looked
the part with his wild beard and large frame. “The action is on
Brevick and we're here in neutral territory where nothing is being
done!”
Master Avnar sighed. “I would give
anything to be able to knock down a couple of houses near here and
get it all over with. But we know doing such a thing would be the end
of the great houses and the whole system that's been built up since
the colonies landed.”
A dapper, slim figure wearing all black
leaned forward and said “The patriarch of the family must stay
here, by the law, but the rest of us can be sent to Brevick or any
other colony. We have many properties and business dealings on
Brevick that need to be protected.”
“We were told that Marlton and the
others were invincible, that the other houses had no powerful enough
members to stop them.” said one chubby man in a suit, Gan. “We
even breathed easier when we learned that the only two Halik
loyalists with power were killed. How have we lost Brevick?”
Others
assented to the question.
“We
haven't lost Brevick, yet. Marlton is still alive and the other
houses have not been strong enough to consolidate their base of
power. The situation is still in flux.” Young master Terk Avnar
told the others, and then he smiled. “As a matter of fact, Gannie,
I'm thinking of going myself.”
“But
that's not possible. When you accepted the mantle and title of your
father you became anchored to this world and even this wretched
little village.” The man in the suit responded, still chewing on
the food he had eaten.
“That
is why I am going to temporarily surrender the title to you.”
There
was shock in the room. Every one of the others were surprised.
Everyone tried to shout over everyone else.
“The
rest of us will go and restore order on Brevick.” Terk Avnar said,
“We will leave in two days time, everyone be prepared.”
After
they left the conference room Dostin had some questions.
“Do
you really trust your uncle Gan that much?” Dostin asked.
“Gan
has never been anything but scrupulous when it came to the finances
of House Avnar, I think I can trust him long enough to put Brevick to
rights.” Terk Avnar told his bodyguard. “Besides the others will
be with me, Gan will be nothing again once we return.”
V.
Jon Halik lay on his bed with his back
to the door, reading from a book when Seri knocked and pushed the
door open.
“Father?”
He responded with a hrmph sound, which
sounded like permission to enter to the girl. She approached the bed
and addressed her fathers back.
“There is something I need to tell
you, father.” She began and then searched for the words,
“Grandfather says it would cheer you up to know, but, I don't
know.”
The book closed and her father turned
to face her.
“My dear Seri, what are you trying to
say?” he asked, seeming amused.
“I have a power, father. I apologize
for not telling you sooner.” She told him and watched the changes
in his face, the surprise, the embarrassment, the pride, the worry
all making appearances. Finally, he looked at her again and nodded,
“I see. Thank you for telling me, Seri.”
It seemed that he thought this talk was
over.
“Aren't you curious as to what kind
of power?” She asked, “Or why I've decided to tell you now?”
He sighed, “I'm not someone who
thinks so slowly. I can guess that you've inherited one of your
grandparents powers and that you think you can do something on
Brevick. Which is impossible.”
“Grandfather says he doesn't
recollect anyone in the family having the power to freeze.” Seri
told him, causing him to rub his chin. “Also, I do think I should
go to Brevick.”
“Out of the question, Seri. You are
not to even think about trying to get involve in the fighting, you
are too young and untrained.” her father said, although she would
have bet that being trained would have made no difference in his
attitude.
“Good night, father.” She said as
she left. Seri had already decided that she would find a way to reach
Brevick before she reached her own chamber. The question was how to
do that without being caught. Each of the great houses had ships
docked at High Port, but there was no Halik working on the orbital
station at present.
There was a Benjamin Croce and they
were allies, presently. Seri would have to bring a Croce into her
trust and persuade them to give her clearance and transport to the
High Port without alerting her father or grandfather.
Early the next morning Seri was out and
about the township and wasn't surprised to find Mars Croce loading a
wagon at the Croce warehouse. She nodded to herself and walked right
up to the large young man.
“Hello Mars, it's been a while since
we've spoken,” Seri said in as friendly a voice she could muster in
the cold.
The young man looked surprised to be
addressed. “Oh, hello there Seri Halik, why are you here?”
She smiled, “I have a business
proposal for your father, Nehemiah Croce. I need to speak with him
about an urgent matter.”
The large man scratched his head and
looked around, “My father doesn't really want visitors, Seri, he
rarely ever leaves the house without bodyguards these days. What with
the troubles on some of the other worlds.”
“I'm sure you know all about that,
Mars. You are much more intelligent than your father gives you credit
for.” Seri told him, he was starting to blush a bit, “By the way,
where are these crates and barrels going?”
“Oh, these are going to High Port and
from there to Brevick.”
Not doing a good job of containing
herself she burst out, “That's perfect. Mars, maybe you can help me
instead of your father.”
He seemed confused, “Me? How could I
help you? With what?”
“I'll accompany you to the loading
port and I'll tell you my idea on the way.” She said taking a hold
of one of his thick arms.
…
“Go to Brevick?” Mars asked, “Are
you insane? This is just cargo, you can't sneak into the cargo hold
and survive the trip. The hold is filled with argon for the passage
through trans space.”
She hadn't known that.
“Your family owns the lift ship,
yes?” She asked, he nodded. “Your family also owns the transport
that will go to Brevick, right?”
He wiped his face, “Seri, are you
trying to get us both arrested or killed?”
“You are a Croce, those crewmen work
for you. You are their master.” She explained, “Certainly they
will follow your orders if you tell them to give me passage.”
He closed his eyes, “Then what? You
will have no documents on High Point, you won't be welcome there.”
“Your uncle Benjamin works on the
station, I'm sure he can figure out something. After all, our
families are allies are we not? Our families are taking back Brevick
together, correct?” Seri told him, she could tell he was falling
for her manipulations, “Who knows, maybe our fathers will decide to
arrange a marriage...”
The wallmen at the gate to the liftport
paid no attention to Seri, despite it being rare to see anyone
traveling with Mars Croce before.
“I expected some questions,” she
admitted.
“They are very loyal, my family
controls the liftport.” He told her, with a wink, “It drives the
House Avnar batty though.”
Her first sight of the liftship came as
the wagon turned the corner. It wasn't as large as she had expected,
there was no way anyone could stowaway on the thing without being
noticed. It looked like a big round snail's shell, but painted white
with a hatch and small windows at the front. A hatch opened on the
side and robotic arms lifted the crates and barrels to pack inside
the hold.
“It's not as I expected, Mars. Don't
you think you could figure a way to get me on that transport to
Brevick?” She asked, squeezing his arm and laying her head on his
broad shoulder.
“I'll be in so much trouble if I do,
I'd have to go with you.” Mars told her.
Seri was confused for a moment before
her expression brightened, “Does that mean you can do it? Will I
have time to get my things?”
He sighed, “You really mean this?
There's no time to get things, it's leaving very soon.”
She sighed and nodded, “Then let's
go. We will keep Brevick free!”
He shook his head, “I just want to
keep my hide intact.”
Monday, February 13, 2017
House of Halik - part two and three
House of Halik
part 2 and 3
II
The
consensus among the workers of High Port was that this small and beat
up ship could never have made the journey from Brevick, that this
would be some kind of miracle. Two space suited figures were sent out
to retrieve the ship as it drifted by the station. They carried two
small devices that would let the station's traffic controller move
the ship.
“There
is nothing sold at the chandlery that would make this wreck
space-worthy.” A dock hand named Smyth said to his teammate
Douglas. The ship wasn't much larger than a shuttle but was clearly
not built to land on a planet.
“You
know, I reckon this thing here was used as a tender, to ferry people
from ship to ship or from a ship to a station.” Douglas said as he
finally got his hands on the banged up outer hull. If he was right,
then that truly made its presence here a mystery.
Smyth
had found a porthole and was using the lights on his helmet to try
and look inside. “Looks a right mess, I say.”
“Just
attach the tuggers.” Douglas told him.
The
station had received one short message from the craft and nothing
more. As if the pilot had reached his destination and then fell
unconscious. Once the tuggers were attached the two space suited
figures looked into the cockpit to see a man strapped into the pilots
seat.
“It's
all yours traffic control, you might want to alert the medical team.”
Douglas reported in.
A
female voice returned to their ears, “Already done that, I'm taking
control of the ship, get clear guys.”
“Okay,
Belina. We're clear.” Douglas told her.
Belina
was the Acting Harbor Master. This would have been a great
achievement at her age had she not been assigned to the duty because
she belonged to the House of Avnar. The House boasted many members in
powerful positions as well as prestigious ones. The Harbor Master of
High Port was just a very useful one.
When
the small ragged ship was docked and boarded the Medical Team found
that the pilot was still alive but wounded. The damage on the ship,
besides the wear and tear of age, looked like it had been hit with
energy weapons at long distance. It was a miracle the thing managed
to limp into trans-space at all, which it was clearly not built to
do.
“It
is registered to the Orbital Port of Brevick, as one of their harbor
tenders.” Their resident researcher said after examining the plaque
in the cockpit wall. “I have no idea why anyone would try and get
this thing into trans space.”
“Desperate
to escape, I suppose.” said the guard posted at the dock. “We all
know there has been a power struggle on Brevick recently. Perhaps it
has finally come to violence. Although, you would think we might have
heard of something like that.”
After her shift was over Belina found
the man in charge of the investigation, Benjamin Croce and invited
him to her quarters for a drink. When he arrived she answered the
door wearing a thin slip that showed her figure almost as if it were
entirely transparent. It was close.
“Hello Benjamin.” She said in a
soft voice.
The investigator was a bit thrown off.
He had known her for months and this was out of character enough that
he wanted to laugh. She was not exactly the type. Then again, there
weren't that many women on board the station and one did not
jeopardize their chances.
“Hello Belina. You look nice.” He
told her. For a short and stout maiden. The way she walked when she
fetched him a glass of wine was more buffalo than graceful swan.
Obviously, she was not accustomed to trying to sweet talk someone
like this.
He sat on the couch, he was surprised
when she say next to him and leaned against him. “I've been here
for months, Benjamin. Everyone seems to want me, but I've been
waiting for you.”
He was thinking of just asking “What
do you want?”. Then again,
maybe she really did want him in her bed. You roll the dice and take
your chances in life.
“Benjamin,
have you identified the pilot yet?” she asked as she snuggled close
and forced his free arm to wrap around her shoulders. “This is
nice.”
Benjamin
Croce cleared his throat. “His name is Rodgers Blake. I believe he
was acting as a courier for someone. We found nothing on the ship,
not even a spare shirt. No doubt he has a message in his head to
deliver. He'll recover from his wounds I think.”
He
felt her hands snaking past the small of his back and his lap.
“Rodgers Blake, if he stole that ship just to deliver a message,
he's brave or insane.” She said in a voice that was barely audible.
She also thought “That message must be very important too.”
Benjamin
Croce was suddenly feeling a bit leery of the woman. His suspicions
finally outweighed his hormones and he was looking for a reason to
get away. Unfortunately she had gotten her arms around him and had
pushed him onto his side, with her on top and giggling. Benjamin
couldn't push her off, there must have been something in that wine.
Croce
remembered that he had been standoffish with this woman since she
arrived because she was with the House of Avnar. The House had used
its influence to get her appointed as Acting Harbor Master despite
her lack of experience. Now he lay there paralyzed while the giggling
witch undressed him.
III
Master
Avnar and Dostin waited in the field for their contact. This was
supposed to be a secret meeting but Dostin was sure they'd be better
off meeting in a crowded public house. Men meeting in a field were
bound to be seen as much more suspicious than men having ale
together.
There
was a pile of leaves in the corner near the treeline. The bored young
Avnar shot a fireball at it from his hands. Dostin frowned.
Pointlessly showing off that you had such a power was rude. Suddenly
the flames turned blue and froze.
“He's
here!” Young Master Avnar said loudly. Dostin looked toward the
path to make sure no traveller had heard that.
From
out of the woods walked a cloaked figure, a sword at their side.
“Finally,
do you know how long I waited?” The young man asked. Dostin shook
his head, they had been there less than five minutes.
The
figure reached up and pushed the cloak back. It was a girl. A rather
young girl. Seri Halik.
“Of
course I know exactly how long you have been here.” she answered.
“Don't bother pretending to have waited all day.”
That
would be exactly like young Master Avnar, too. His reputation for
being a rude and arrogant man was getting out.
“You
have asked me here because of what is happening on Brevick. Your
house is close to losing its power base there.” The girl said, “My
house would benefit, why should I help you?”
Dostin
smiled, she really got to the bottom of things quickly.
“That
is very straightforward. Right, then I'll tell you why.” Master
Avnar said, “Because your house will soon die out and you can marry
into a powerful house.”
Seri
smirked, “You are asking me to betray my father and grandfather and
marry you?”
Dostin
knew that a child produced between them would likely inherit the
power of one of the parents, possibly but rarely both. Such a child
could grow up powerful indeed.
“I
guess you could marry Dostin, then.” The young man shrugged.
The
girl smiled. “If that is supposed to be an insult you should
apologize to your man Dostin.”
The
young master smirked. “I guess that wasn't an insult then.”
“Besides,
my grandfather says things are about to change. You know his power.
He's always been correct.” Seri told them, she smiled and started
to turn, “I'm going to have to say no to marrying you, Terk, it
seems I'll be too busy real soon.”
She
walked into the woods and was gone. The frozen blue fire had melted
away, leaving the pile of leaves intact but wet.
“That
girl used my first name, you heard that, right?” Master Avnar
asked, getting angry. “She was rude to someone older than she is.
Has she no manners? Next time I find her father passed out on the
road, I'm taking a dump. Let's get out of here!”
Dostin
followed his master after a quick look back at where Seri Halik had
disappeared back into the woods.
“I
need to know the contents of the message that has been brought. If
the girl is telling the truth, it seems House of Halik is the
recipient of that message.” Young Master Avnar said, the gears in
his mind were turning. The last thing he wanted to see was a
resurgence of the competing house. Besides, even if it was able to
regain some wealth, without heirs they were doomed anyway.
Seri
discreetly watched them leave. She had been a bit thrilled to show
off her power for the first time but leave it to the jaded Terk Avnar
to not bat an eye. Of course, he would be accustomed to that sort of
thing. He had a large family where many of its members had powers.
The House of Avnar was extremely powerful and it wasn't only due to
their fortune.
If
things turned out bad, maybe she would reconsider his offer of
marriage. Terk might surprise her and actually become a mature adult
eventually. Stranger things have happened. Including Seri realizing
that she had a power, the first female in Halik family history as far
as anyone knew. There were two other great houses she could try and
marry into if things got too bleak, it's not like there was no
choice.
They
didn't know. She had kept it a secret from her father and
grandfather. Grandfather might not approve for one reason or another
and father because he had no power. It had skipped a generation and
her father felt like a failure and had become a drunk. Too bad
grandfather had not brought more sons into the world to keep the
family name from dying out.
Seri
put the cloak back over her head as she re-entered the village
through the eastern gate, the wallmen hardly even looked at her. At
one point she saw a large young man carrying a wine barrel and
putting it onto a wagon. He turned to look around and she turned her
back to him, pretending to look at the apples the old hag Vamira was
selling from a cart.
“It
was Mars Croce, his father must have sent him.” She thought to
herself. His father was Nehemiah Croce who wielded the power of
psionics, who also boasted two powerful sons. The man never boasted
about Mars, who had no power, even though he was big, strong and
intelligent. Mars, though, would rather read a book than practice
fighting.
As
Mars trundled away with the hand cart and the barrels and other goods
from the merchant, Seri turned to the old hag and asked, “These
apples aren't poisoned, right?”
The
old hag Vamira fumed. “Of course not, horrible child.”
Seri
purchased two apples and headed home, the message from Brevick could
be received without any notice and she wanted to be there when it
came. Whatever it was had grandfather quite excited, he had a twinkle
in his good eye again.
When
she reached grandfathers bedchamber he was sitting up and her father,
looking sober, was seated in a chair next to the bed. They barely
acknowledged her when she entered because they seemed to be deep in
thought. Perhaps grandfather was seeing something with his mind
again.
“The
messenger is still aboard High Port.” Her father said, “But he
has recovered enough to wake up and we will soon be able to receive
the message.”
When
Seri approached her grandfathers bed she passed through something she
could not see from the other side, and turned to see the holographic
video screen floating in the center of the room. A man with wounds
and burns on his face, glossy with medi-gel, appeared there.
“My
name is Rodgers Blake. I was a Lieutenant for your cousin, Will
Halik, before he died back in the war. I continued to work for the
Halik family until the end, even after. We allied with the forces
loyal to the Croce family and finally, after all this time, we
managed to depose the tyrant Governor of Brevick.” The man told
them.
“You
have done well.” Grandfather said.
“Thank
you. With Marlton out of power, a Republic restored, the old
properties revert back to the Halik family. Of course, we have to be
able to hold on to this victory. Our grip on Brevick is loose and
tenuous, which might still be an overstatement.” Rodgers Blake
said, “We've lost the only two people with powers we had through
assassinations, now... I don't know what is going to happen.”
“Are
the Croce forces led by someone with powers?” Seri's father asked.
“Yes,
but if we have nothing to show for this, I think the Croce family
will be able to push anything to do with Halik right out of the
picture.” The man said, “If we can't even be good junior partners
in this effort, we'll likely soon be no partner at all.”
“Sounds
hopeful but grim.” Grandfather said, “A strange combination.”
“Or
grim but hopeful.” Seri muttered mostly to herself.
“Unless
you have army you aren't using that you can send...” Rodgers Blake
said, “I'm not sure what the future holds, but at least we had
something to call a victory. If that tyrant regains office, probably
with the Avnar faction, then I am sure his vengeance will be swift.”
“I
am heartened that there were some who stayed loyal even after the
House of Halik fell onto hard times. I will do what I can to make
some alliance with the Croce family, if that will help. Or find some
other route if I am able.” Grandfather said, before coughing
several times.
“I
am ever your servant, sir. Blake out.” The man said and the
connection was cut. The holoscreen faded out like a cloud breaking up
in the sky.
“Father.”
Seri's father said, “We have nothing. There is nothing we can do to
send help to these people on Brevick.”
“We'll
do something, Jon.” the patriarch said, clearing his throat, “We
cannot abandon Brevick.”
“I
don't even know how long we can even feed ourselves.” Her father
said as he stood up and left the room.
Seri
moved her seat closer to the bed. It was time to tell him the truth.
It was time for her grandfather to know.
“Grandfather.
What we need is someone who has power, who can rally those who side
with us, or sympathize with our side, correct?” She asked.
“Yes,
Seri child. We don't really need to send an army to another star
system, such an undertaking would be far beyond our ability.” He
answered her, “If only your father had been given a power at birth,
things would be so much different.”
She
leaned over to get close to her grandfather and whispered “I have a
power.”
His
eyes widened. “Is this true?”
Seri
nodded. “I didn't want to tell anyone because it might make father
more sad than he already is.”
Her
grandfather chuckled. “No. I'm the old fashion one. Your father
would be overjoyed, he would feel less like a failure if he knew his
own daughter had a power.”
Seri
was surprised. Is this true? Had she been thinking wrong on this the
whole time?
“Send
me, Grandfather. Send me to Brevick.” She told him.
He
shook his head and weakly waved a hand. “I cannot do that. You are
too young and...” he saw the look on her face, “Yes, and because
you are a girl. Girls are precious to the human race, such as it is,
it is truly biologically necessary for girls to be protected.”
“There
are far more females around than necessary to propagate the human
race, Grandfather. The House of Halik needs me to go to Brevick.”
She told him, “Oh, and where would I have inherited the freezing
power anyway?”
“Freezing?”
Her grandfather, his thick eyebrows arching. asked. “Your maternal
grandmother, I suppose. She was a cold one.”
“Send
me to Brevick.” She said.
“You
aren't a soldier, Seri.” Her grandfather said, “Besides, your
father would have to approve.”
Seri
stood up and crossed her arms. “He'll let me, it is the only way.”
Sunday, February 12, 2017
House of Halik - part one
House of Halik -
part one
I
A young man and his large, muscular
friend exited the Public House laughing at a joke only they had
heard. The young man wore a short, trimmed beard but his hair had
been allowed to go a bit wild. The larger fellow, his hair was
trimmed and his beard was taken care of but longer, denoting his age.
After exiting the establishment they
found another man lying on the curb, obviously too intoxicated to
even get up and go home.
“Would you lookee here, Dostin. If
mine eyes are right, I spy Jon Halik, lying on the ground
insensible.” He said, then gave a loud laugh.
“He does resemble Mister Halik, sir.”
The large man said. “Perhaps we should help him go home before it
gets too late.”
“No.” The young man said, “If'n
he wants to sleep out under the stars and get pissed on, then he has
that right, Dostin.”
Dostin closed his eyes in resignation
as the younger man began unfastening the buttons on the front of his
pants. “The House of Halik has fallen on hard times, let us not
deprive them of the full experience of this poverty.”
Dostin looked away, disgusted. His hand
dropped to the hilt of the sword at his waist as he scanned for any
enemy that might attack his master. But it was dark outside and most
everyone was already at home sleeping.
“The bum doesn't even react.” The
young man, rearing a leg back and delivering a kick to the prone
man's stomach, eliciting a groan. “That's better. The Halik lives,
Dostin, you are my witness.”
“Master Avnar, let us get back to the
House before the brawgs show up.” Dostin said, the pack of wild
brawgs would likely attack anyone caught outside.
“Jon Halik will be fine, the brawgs
won't attack one of their own kind.” Master Avnar said, laughing at
his own wit. The old boast by a younger Jon Halik that he could fight
like a brawg was just bragging, besides he lost more fights than he
had ever won.
“We shouldn't leave him here.”
Dostin said, but the public house was closing.
Master Avnar waved a hand in the air
and sighed. “Look, we'll just get the wallman Diggs to fetch him
home.”
“Very good, master.” The big man
said as they walked toward the middle of the walled village where a
tower stood at the intersection of the four great houses. The wallman
came out and looked down at them from his perch.
“What are you doing out here?
Do not you know what time it be?”
The stout older man with a gray-streaked beard to the top of his
stomach called to them.
“It
is I, Dostin, man of his Master Avnar of House Avnar.” Dostin
responded. “Jon Halik lays inebriated in front of the public house
near the east wall. You would be a credit to the order of the wall if
you would fetch him home.”
As
annoyed as wallman Diggs was, it was his job. He had his post at the
center of the village specifically to guard and assist the great
houses. Halik was no longer quite so great but it had been in recent
memory. Diggs climbed down from the tower and proceeded to do as
told.
“If
the brawgs come over the wall while I am carrying him, I will let
them have him and escape.” The old man told himself with a laugh.
When he found the drunken Jon Halik, he adjusted the strap on his
weapon, slinging it to his back. Then he picked up Halik as if he
weighed what a small child would.
“You
smell like a latrine.” The wallman told the unconscious form as he
carried him. “What is your father going to think about this? You
have a child, man. You aren't a young prawn any longer. Pull it
together.”
Diggs
found the formerly majestic front gate of the House of Halik where
only one torch was burning instead of the customary eight of the old
days. Once upon a time this House would have fielded its own army of
guards, now the gate was unguarded.
Diggs
lowered the man to the ground and then pulled the cord that would
ring a bell inside. He waited for any kind of sign that they had
heard. He was only going to do this one more time, and then get back
to his tower. He reached his hand toward the cord for another yank
when one side of the great double-door opened.
“What
is it?” A feminine voice inquired.
“Jon
Halik, he's passed out and all.” Diggs said. The gate opened a bit
more and a small girl rushed to the man on the ground. Her hair was
in a long tail behind her and she was wearing a thick white bed gown
to her ankles. Diggs didn't remember her name.
“Father!”
She said, “Spending all day getting drunk again, I see.”
“Shall
I ferry him to his bed?” Diggs asked.
“No.”
The girl answered, “We'll handle it from here.”
Diggs
turned to leave but stopped and looked back. “Just get him inside
before any brawgs show up.”
“Yes.”
The girl said. Diggs slowly shook his head and walked back to his
watch tower. One upon a time Jon Halik looked like a sure thing to
become a Baron. Winning that title would have saved his family from
their present misfortune. Now they lived in a large house, full of
history and grandeur that the people alive there could not live up
to.
After
returning to his tower he pulled his weapon and checked the settings.
Yes, if the brawgs somehow got past the outer wall and showed up he
could get some of them. His energy weapon was good for a couple
hundred yards, and it had a quarter charge.
Halik,
he still had some respect for the name after all.
The
girl ran through the dark corridors of House Halik after hearing the
voice of her grandfather, and found him sitting up in bed. He was
looking far older than his years and his silver beard was unkempt.
“Where
is my son?” The old man demanded.
“He
is sleeping, he was not feeling well, grandfather.” The girl said,
meekly.
“My
son needs to be at my side when word from Brevick has been received.”
The man said with some finality.
“Yes,
grandfather. But there are no ships from Brevick waiting for port.”
the girl said.
“There
will be. The message will come soon enough.” The Halik patriarch
boomed, “I will need my son here with me.”
Seri
was a filial granddaughter. It was impossible for her to argue with
the men of the house, even her own father. She mentally kicked
herself for thinking like that. With everyone else looking down on
him and thinking him a failure, she very well should not.
“Yes,
grandfather.” She responded. “He shall.”
With
that she took her leave. Outside of the door she leaned against a
wall and took deep breaths, it had gone better than expected. It was
thought that grandfather Halik was senile and that he did not truly
understand the present misfortunes of House Halik. That he was still
living the glory days of years past.
If
grandfather said there would be a message from Brevick, then there
would be. Possibly he had the timing misjudged but that message would
arrive eventually. He had the sight. His visions had been more
precise and timely when he was younger, but always he had the sight.
Seri's
father had not inherited the sight. This had been quite shocking to
grandfather. As shocking as losing two other sons in their infancy
had been. The House Halik was hanging by a thread and there were no
sons of Jon Halik to make things right. Her father had tried to
produce a son, he had spread his seed to no avail. Seri had quite a
few half-sisters out there somewhere.
“What
could possibly be so important from Brevick?” She muttered as she
navigated the tight, dark labyrinth of the House. Why was grandfather
so worked up over it? If he had told them anything more they wouldn't
be so anxious about it.
Once
upon a time House Halik had owned properties on Brevick, but those
had been lost along with everything else. Instead of a great House
receiving treasure and goods from other worlds, today they could
hardly afford enough torches for the night. Instead of a small army
of guards and their own starships, they had fallen to this. Seri kept
a blade strapped to her leg in her own house.
Upon
entering her suite she locked the door and threw off the bedclothes
she wore. It was itchy and stifling hot. Seri would rather it be
winter where she could at least be comfortable under a pile of
blankets. The House once had a cooling system but hadn't worked since
Seri could remember, the house was two centuries old after all.
It
was nearly noon before Master Avnar woke up, washed up and gone
downstairs for his first meal of the day. Dostin was waiting in the
corridor outside the bedroom and followed him as a loyal bodygiard
should.
“Good
morning Master Avnar.” Dostin said pleasantly.
The
young man stopped and looked at his servant with an appalled look on
his face. “Can you say that again without the sunny disposition? It
was so sweet I won't need honey in my tea.”
Dostin
nodded and in a deep growl, as if grief would overtake him he said,
“Good morning, Master Avnar.”
“Appropriately
funereal.” The younger man said, satisfied, as they started their
quest for the dining room once more. “The worst part of it, is that
it's not noon yet. I hate mornings.”
“Yes
sir.” Dostin said, in a deep gravelly voice to play along.
Finally
they found the kitchen empty. The young man crossed his arms. “Who
is going to make breakfast since the cook seems to have gone
missing?”
“Shall
I?” Dostin offered.
Again
the young man waved a hand. “No, no. I shall do this myself.”
Dostin
feigned shock.
Master
Avnar sliced two pieces of bread and laid them on a metal platter.
Then he laid three strips of raw bacon nearby, finally he cracked an
egg right in the center. He picked up the platter and carried it to
the table as Dostin followed, rolling his eyes.
When
the metal platter hit the table, the bread was toasted, the egg was
fried and the bacon was cooked nicely. Master Avnar liked to show off
his power like this, even if Dostin was the only audience.
“I
forgot the coffee.” Master Avnar said, and quickly there was water
and crushed coffee beans in front of him. Dostin had seen this
coming. It was a regular routine for his master after all.
“Have
you eaten, Dostin?” Master Avnar asked absently as he spooned some
eggs into his mouth.
“Hours
ago, sir.”
“Any
news? Please tell me that it's no longer morning.”
“A
few minutes of morning still remain, sir.” Dostin informed him. “As
for news, there was a crippled ship that made port this morning.
Seems as if most of its systems were out and there were signs of
battle damage.”
“Battle
damage?” Mater Avnar asked, perking up. “Where did this ship
originate?”
“Brevick,
sir.”
Avnar
nodded. “I shall have to inquire of this further.”
“Yes
sir.”
Monday, January 23, 2017
Untitled Draft - chap 1, Arrival in Baggle
Chapter One
Arrival in Baggle
Anpor was a beacon of hope for people
around the world, and lately, this was especially true for the
residents of Carn Isla. They were coming over by the boatload to
Baggle, the biggest city, in Anpor where they would be second-class
citizens, toiling away at the most menial of jobs.
But that there were jobs at all made it
leaps and bounds better than staying and starving on the ancestral
island. Certainly you'd scrimp and save in Anpor, but you had no real
chance back home. There was plentiful food in Anpor, expensive, but
there was often nothing to buy back in Carn Isla.
Katerin Smalley wrote back to her kin
that Anpor was the greatest nation on Earth, even while living in the
tenement slums of the poorest district of Baggle. Most others who had
come to Anpor before the Carn Islans looked down on them, mistreated
them and were continually surprised by how patriotic these newcomers
were.
Two weeks in the bowels of the steadily
rocking ship, Yeoman, had left Yalan sick to his stomach. He would be
vomiting a lot if he had eaten enough to purge. All he had was a
ratty old mattress in the crowded storeroom with more stains than he
cared to count, interestingly of many different colors.
The sound of the bells from above got
everyones attention. The furry wolfish female in the cot next to his
growled and snapped at him when he perked up. This Perkin was
ancient, she should know by now that Carn Islaners had no interest in
her species. They were completely incompatible.
Yalan might be small enough to make a
good thief, when healthy, but those crowded into the hold with him
were as poor as he was. He had a hidden pocket in his trousers where
he had a small, shiny coin of melulin. It would be enough to keep the
immigration inspectors from declaring him a vagrant and sending him
back across that heaving and hateful ocean.
Baggle was home to many species, they
mixed but they never matched. They all lived in the same crowded city
and got along, more or less, by ignoring everyone else. The politics
of Baggle was controlled by bosses, most of them were of the Prosters
or Poshists persuasion. Elections there were often fought with fists
and sticks or bricks.
It didn't matter. It was still better
than starving to death in Carn Isla. At least in a city like Baggle
one had the chance to work and survive. When he was invited by his
cousin Dandru Lin, he accepted without having to think about it. He
had thought about crossing for years before the invitation and Yalan
was as ready as ever.
It tooks months of begging all of his
kin and backbreaking work to scrounge up the resources to get a
passage scrip on a ship and the coin. He hadn't eaten much on the
voyage, finding the tossing and rocking of the vessel made him ill.
He drank water and ate enough gruel, in his estimation, to not die.
The bells. The dark hold was lit up as
someone opened a hatch, Yalan joined everyone else in getting up and
moving toward the exits. A shout went up. The spires and towers of
Baggle were seen in the distance, after weeks of merely existing,
excitement was bubbling forth. The land of opportunity was within a
days reach, and Yalan found himself being shoved aside by all of the
larger species crushing to get a glimpse.
Through the hatch and up the
stairwells, Yalan found a railing to stand on, keeping stable by
wrapping his toes around it. In the distance, just a shadow loomed
through some fog. Towers and spires could be made out, larger than
any constructed back in his home nation. Yalans' mind hardly
conceived how such a thing were possible, such wealth.
They say Baggle never stands still.
Commerce moves at a rapid pace and this is where the opportunity was
created. For while the currency of Carn Isla was usually hoarded
jealously, here it was spent or invested in new things. There was no
opportunity for the truly poor back home, some escaped through the
work houses, hiring out to serve the wealthy or doing things not
talked about in polite company.
Here, though... Yalan grinned at the
thought, “here”, he was definitely here. Here the poor had a
chance in a bustling crowded city where commerce was king. A poor
girl might sell hot corn in the Autumn and sweep the street in winter
to make enough coin to live another day, poor boys could sell news
sheets and do manual labor.
Dandru Lin had written about her
experiences, good and bad. How she finally rented a tenement in the
Middle Points District, took in sewing, did laundry, sold corn and
many other things. Somehow she had survived and met a fellow Carn
Islan emigre named Isra, whom she bonded.
Just before the star dipped below the
horizon Yalan was able to see the city of Baggle close up, it was a
marvel. It seemed to be larger than all of Carn Isla, and as tall as
the clouds. There were many other ships coming and going, churning
steam while some used windsails. The city might not physically move
but the commerce never stopped, he could feel the vibrancy of the
place just from the shipping alone. No sleepy burg was this.
The ship was ported the next morning as
soon as the star gave its light. Gangplanks were erected and the
passengers were quick to walk down and touch the land of Anpor. They
were divided between species and then by male and female to different
points of the immigration process. It seemed that Carn Islans made up
almost half of this batch.
Yalan found himself lined up with other
Carn Islans waiting in a long snaking line into a large, wide brick
building. Soon they were prodded and poked through a healths screen.
The medic attendant declared him healthy “besides seasickness”
and he was graduated to the next table.
The little furry official with round
bifocals looked at Yalan and asked, “Have you any family in Anpor?
Who is your contact? Guarantor?”
“My cousin, Dandru Lin... “ He
answered while digging through his small bag for the official
invitation document, “Here it is.”
The official looked closely at the
piece of paper and then stamped it. Then he looked at Yalan again,
“Are you going to be a burden on society? How will you support
yourself?”
“I have worked cutting wood, as a
cobbler, I have worked on farms too. I have a strong work ethic and I
would..” Yalan paused, maybe he misunderstood, “Are you asking if
I'm broke?”
“Yes, sorry about that,” the
creature answered with a grin.
Yalan reached into his trousers, which
caused some alarm, but he pulled out the coin.
After examining the coin and weighing
it to make sure it was real melulin, which weighed more than almost
anything else of the same size, he was satisfied.
“That's worth about 12 pops at the
present M price, so you aren't indigent according to the law. Fill
out this information card and then wait over there until you get your
official paper. After that, welcome to Anpor, you are a free
citizen.”
“That's it?” Yalan asked.
“The free immigration period ends in
a few years, maybe it won't be renewed next time. For now, though,
yes that is all.” The official waved him through.
As he waited for his official document
he watched the street outside. It was busy, so many people and so
many species walking one way or the other, wagons, handcarts and
trolleys in the street moving as if they had to get somewhere
important.
You could get an idea of the social
ladder by seeing how they were dressed. A young Carn Islan boy in
rags was selling newsheets and a passing Poshist purchased one. The
Poshist was wearing a fine, clean gray suit and read the headlines
for a moment before another poor Carn Isla boy offered to black his
boots for him. This made Yalan a bit shamed of the patched rags he
wore.
His cousin had described all of this to
him in her letters, Yalan marveled at her accuracy.
Yalan was free. With his official
papers and ID card, he was walking. The sidewalks were wide, the
buildings were tall and there were so many storefronts. A hulkish
Walan hawking tomatoes from a pushcart said “Good day, sir” as he
passed.
Yalan never expected to see so many of
different species getting along. The walking and the freedom made him
feel better, no more seasickness. Instead his stomach was rumbling
and demanding food while his brain was trying to figure out the way
to find his cousins home.
Yalan didn't want to spend the coin but
after eating so little on the voyage, the hunger was real and
insistent. He found a Carn Isla woman selling bread loaves on the
street.
“Two pence!” She stated the price.
“I only have this coin, I don't
suppose you could...”
She looked disappointed, “Do you
really think a poor woman like me is going to be able to change that,
sir?”
“I'm sorry. Are you from Shiredun?”
He asked.
“Yes, I guess I still have my accent.
I'm Arvi-aya from the Aya clan, kind sir.” She informed him.
“Good fortune to find someone who was
a neighbor back home in the old country! I am Yalan, of the Iva
clan.” Yalan exclaimed, “Miss Arvi, could you tell me where I can
make change for this coin? Therefor allowing me to purchase bread
loaves from you?”
After being told that a bank was
nearby, Yalan returned with a pocket full of smaller denomination
coins to purchase bread.
“Do you happen to know the best way
to reach the Middle Points neighborhood? I am due at the home of my
cousin in the Fourteen Dorchester building,” Yalan said, finishing
off the first bread loaf.
The woman shook her head, “You really
are fresh off the boat, ain't ya? I live right by there, I know it
well.”
Yalan followed her instructions, but
wondered if it was correct as the buildings got smaller, more squat
and everything became dirtier and more squalid. Then he found a
street sign, Dorchester and followed it to building number 14.
It was a four-story building and looked
to have several tiny apartments on each floor. Once inside he climbed
the steps to the third floor, loosening his collar as the air was
warm and unfresh. Finally he found the right door, with the broken 32
and knocked.
Monday, December 26, 2016
Lonely Space - Chapter Nine
Chapter Eight
Chapter
Nine
Encounter with a Titan
As they climbed down
an access ladder, because there were no lifts in evidence, it
occurred to Tamita that the darkened corridor also had a higher
ceiling than the rest of the ship she had seen. It was like they had
simply welded another ship to the front of the Salutem Novis.
She meant to bring this up to Jay Johnson but they were both climbing
silently.
Finally they reached
the next lower deck. Here she was certain the ceiling was higher.
Much higher.
“Jay, the
ceiling.” she said. He looked up and nodded “Yeah, I noticed that
too.”
The main computer
spoke to them “I had registered larger spaces through a radar scan
but it was not nearly detailed enough to see how large it was
exactly.”
They began walking
but stopped. There was no corridor here. Instead there was a huge
door hatch, and Jay did not see any device that would open it. “I
don't know what is going on here, but something is definitely going
on.”
Tamita nodded. “I'm
not sure I really want to meet what uses this door.”
“Good point.”
Jay agreed. “Computer, maybe it would safer to get back to where we
belong.”
The main computer
answered “I leave this up to you, as the human crew. If you feel it
is too dangerous to continue, then by all means return. A hatch that
measures 3 meters wide and 8 meters tall is quite a mystery.”
“Everything here
looks like part of a different ship.” Jay said “This hatch looks
like it might not even be a human one.”
“It's cold here
too.” Tamita said “Quite a bit colder, actually.”
Jay nodded, it
hadn't registered yet with him but she was right. “What could be
the purpose of all this? You don't think it's some kind of protective
buffer?”
The main computer
“Negative. That possibility is quite remote.”
Tamita was shivering
and tapping a foot “I don't want to stay here any more. Can we just
leave?”
Jay put an arm
around her and started back toward the access ladder. “After we
reprogram the Rovers I could come back with a few of them and I can
be armed. Then maybe we could find a way to see what is on the other
side of that.”
Jay Johnson took off
the wrist device and laid it on the floor, facing the hatch. Then he
and Tamita climbed back up the ladder past where the ceiling was.
“Why did you do
that?” she asked him looking down at him, noticing that he stopped
climbing.
“Just a hunch.”
he answered “Okay, lets go.”
So they climbed back
the way they came and walked back to where they had left Gopher.
“If we go down a
couple of decks we should be where that chamber is but on the other
side.” he told her as they moved “I have a feeling there is a
wall and not a hatch. There are probably not many routes into the
dark part of the ship.”
“Okay, so why
would they attach another vessel to the front of this one?” Tamita
stopped and asked “That doesn't make any sense”.
Jay walked back to
her and put an arm around her shoulder, again and walked again. Keep
moving, he was trying to say without words. “Maybe the project
chiefs didn't know about it. The world was falling into chaos, after
all, maybe someone chose that time to make a secret addition.”
“You think there
are stowaways?” she asked stopping again.
“Could be!” he
said “Just keep walking.”
She looked back into
the darker corridor. “There may be other people on this ship with
us?”
“Come on” Jay
said, this time holding her hand “Gopher is waiting for us.”
The little robot was
watching them as they approached. “Gopher, I'm not going down there
again without a plasma laser rifle and an army of droids.”
“Droids? Isn't
that a fictional designation for robots?” Gopher asked
Tamita said “Don't
listen to him. He missed you.”
Gopher moved in
front of them and faced him as he walked. “You have formed an
emotional attachment to Gopher, shall we hug?” It asked holding its
arms wide and stopping. Jay walked right into it “Stop it, this
isn't funny.” he said pushing Gophers closing arms away.
Tamita was laughing
though.
“Listen, this is
serious. I want to find out what is on this ship with us.” he told
them “Then I want to know what we can do about it.”
With incomplete
information there was no answer to these questions, the computer
knew. If indeed there was a presence of other persons or things
aboard, then it needed to be assessed whether they might be hostile
or non-violent. They seemed to be hiding, this would suggest they did
not want to be found and possibly not be offensively hostile. The
best course of action in that instance would be to leave them alone.
Something had
reprogrammed the rovers and the service modules though and left no
real sign of how or why they had done it. That, the computer thought,
had been a very hostile act.
“Options,
computer, let's hear them.” Jay Johnson said as they entered the
room that had become their main room. The two humans sat at the small
round table and Gopher hovered nearby.
“If there are
indeed others aboard they might possibly be non-violent, preferring
to stay hidden. If these persons were responsible for the
programming faults of the rovers and service modules, then I would
have to classify them as malevolent.” the computer said “The
options are, assuming again that they exist and that they are
hostile, to completely blockade the few access corridors available.
Or, your suggestion, send you in with arms and rovers programmed to
defend you. Or I could place you both back into cryogenic suspension
to protect you from harm.”
The humans looked a
bit stunned by the last suggestion.
“If those things
are hostile and responsible for damaging the ship, you can't afford
not to have humans around.” Jay Johnson said.
“Affirmative.”
“It would feel
kind of strange to wall the area off without knowing for sure what is
there.” Tamita said looking at the table top. “Not that I would
mind feeling weird.”
Jay nodded “Have
you manufactured the new rover computer cores?”
The main computer
answered “Yes, Jay. They are available whenever you are prepared to
install them.”
“If something in
that part of the ship tampered with them before, they could do it
again.” Tamita said “Going down there with an army of rovers that
might turn against you seems really stupid.”
After some silence,
during which the computer noted that Tamita took Jay Johnson's hands
into her own as they stared into each others eyes. “I can design
and produce what is called an interrupt function, or as you might
say, a dead-mans' switch. One that would allow you to shut down the
rovers with the touch of a button.”
“I guess I have to
do it.” Jay said quietly to Tamita before adding loudly and looking
at the terminal on the wall “But I'm going to be armed, okay?”
The switch would be
on his belt. He would wear a multi-functional wristband this time as
well as carry a plasma pulse laser rifle slung over his shoulder.
Before this, though, he would make a space walk outside of the bridge
dome and put new cores into 6 of the tiger-like rovers. While there
were more rovers locked into a storage shelter, it was decided that
these rovers would be the ones to use.
Jay Johnson wasn't
exactly sure how they were picked but it happened. Each of them,
after being reprogrammed, would have certain attachments to make them
into his army. One of them would carry a scanner and jamming system,
while another would carry a grenade launcher. Just as a for instance.
“Okay, recruits,
fall into line.” he ordered them and they complied. They followed
him into the airlock and then out into the corridor. Tamita backed
up, she was still afraid of them. Jay smiled and took off his helmet.
“I'll get the suit off and then I'll be right back.”
Soon enough they
were back into their main room. The computer had something to report
to them using the holographic monitor there. The six rovers were
waiting patiently outside in the corridor.
“Using the
scanning device that Jay Johnson left outside of the hatch in the
dark area of the ship I was able to determine that something was
moving inside.” the computer said “It is very sketchy but there
is most certainly movement.”
An ink blot would
have more detail than the images they were being shown.
“I see you do not
understand. Let me superimpose the hatch.”
Then the same
static-type movement was shown overlaying an image of the enormous
hatch, whatever was moving in there was very large.
“That is not a
human.” Tamita said “That thing must be at least eighteen feet
tall.”
Jay Johnson suddenly
felt like his gun was not big enough. “Computer do you have
emergency hatch doors if this thing suddenly pulled free from the
rest of the ship?”
After a second it
answered “Assuming it did so without causing structural damage,
yes. I do not understand how the question is germane. Do you have
reason to believe that this entity has the ability to separate from
the rest of the ship?”
“No.” he
admitted “It's just a feeling.”
Then after another
moment he asked. “Do you have a way to check how that section is
actually physically connected? If you do, check to see if it was
added with explosive bolts. If not, I would feel better about all
this.”
The computer
answered “Yes. I can send nanites into the ship to find out the
answer to this query.”
“Nanites?”
Tamita asked “You mean you have some of those microscopic robots on
board?”
The computer
answered “Affirmative. They are invaluable for any number of roles.
They repair micro-circuitry, they clean the interior of the ship and
other things.”
Jay Johnson stood up
and checked the way the gun sling hung from his shoulder “All
right. I guess we should get this show on the road.”
“If it gets too
dangerous...” Tamita told him “Just get out of there.”
He nodded.
“Hopefully it's not hostile. It might not have been it or he or
whatever, that sabotage the robots before. We just do not know.”
Tamita walked up to
him and kissed him “You better come back.”
“Oh, I will! I'm
not that brave.” he told her “The rovers can do the real
fighting.”
“Then hurry up.”
she told him.
She watched him and
the six rovers leave and turn down a corridor. “Okay Gopher, we
have some work to do too.”
…
When Jay and the
rovers reached the access ladder he suddenly wondered if these rovers
could climb, then he remembered how agile they were. They had no
problem climbing the ladder to the deck with the enormous hatch.
“Signals.” he
called number six, the one with the scanner and jammer “Can you
open that hatch? I mean, I order you to open the hatch.”
The robot pointed
itself at the hatch and Jay could hear it send radio frequencies
going from low to high and back again. Then hatch clicked.
“Attention!” he
said and all the robots were suddenly prepared to do combat. The
hatch had unlocked but it did not open automatically “Number One,
open the hatch”. The rover put its back legs against the frame of
pushed the huge hatch open several feet and then walked back to its
position.
Jay Johnson expected
something to burst out of the doors but it was quiet. He took a
sensor ball from his pocket, another device manufactured by the ship
and threw it into the opening in the hatch. He looked at a small
screen on his wrist device.
It was dark inside.
He saw some shadows, that looked like boxes and crates or furniture.
Of course everything he saw was much larger than it should have been.
Whatever that huge thing was it was hiding in the shadows. So instead
of it being the one to charge Jay, he and the rovers would have to do
the charging.
“Okay, go in and
spread out, spotlights on.” he told the rovers and they immediately
jumped to follow his commands and he followed them in, with his
weapon at the ready. He climbed into the hatch and dropped to one
knee once he was inside, he scanned back and forth with the gun. The
spotlights of the rovers were not as bright or as effective as he had
hoped.
“This place really
is huge.” he said, knowing the computer had probably already
started scanning and mapping it. One of the rovers made a noise and
the others all turned in the same direction, so Jay followed them
through the gun sight.
Suddenly something
in the shadows rose up and up. It was probably even taller than they
had first thought, and it was most definitely some type of robot. The
lights showed its legs, its torso, some of the long arms and large
claw-hands.
Finally the lights
of the rovers illuminated the top. Jay fell onto his butt and began
backing up toward the hatch door. Up at the place where some sort of
robot head should be was the body of a man, it was connected to the
huge metal frame through where its arms, legs and the top of his head
should be.
Jay felt like he
would throw up. His legs wouldn't work right, he was trying to stand
up so he could get out of there. He was in the doorway of the hatch
when he heard a cackle.
“Run, frightened
mouse, run” its metallic voice said “I am the titan who shall
inherit the Earth, not you puny pathetic humans!”
“Rovers, attack!”
Jay yelled, but he was a bit behind the times. He hadn't seen that
this titan had his own robotic army closing in on them. The rovers
launched their grenades and fired their guns but the other robots
also attacked. A nearby explosion threw Jay completely out of the
chamber and past the open hatch.
“Don't think I'm
not grateful you've let me out of my prison. I'll reward you with a
quick death!” the voice reverberated. Jay told himself this guy or
thing had seen way too many bad movies, but seems to have forgotten
that the bad guys don't win. Usually.
Another explosion at
the hatch as he was climbing the ladder got his attention. The hatch
swung open from the blast and pieces of rovers littered the floor
between him and the hatch. Finally two rovers backed out of the
hatchway firing laser blasts into the chamber. Jay couldn't see much
but he returned some fire too.
Jay began to climb
frantically. Let the rovers slow them down a bit if they could.
“Computer, if
there is a way to separate this part from the rest of the ship, it
would be a great idea to do it now.” he said as he reached the top
of the ladder and began running up the corridor as fast as he could.
“Not possible.”
the computer answered.
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