Into the Fire
Fifty Three
Author’s note: This chapter presumes that you are familiar with Kelvin’s Choice’s story, Tamers, as well as Micah Hakubi’s story, Gunpowder, Treason & Plot, and uses characters and situations from them with their permission. If you have not read these stories, you are very naughty and need to remedy the situation immediately. Both are well worth the time.
***
Magdalene lifted her hand and the symbols on the wall changed. “Do you see how what I’ve done modifies your spell?”
Dominique quickly read the whole wall again. “You have shifted the time reference in the coordinates.”
“You are a credit to your breed, Dominique. Do you realize what this means to the entry point?”
“I think so. If I understand correctly, this opens a portal to a place but changes the time the portal emerges to,” the Archmage thought quickly, “7 AS, if the destination uses the AS calendar.”
“That would be correct, but Pokegirl One doesn’t use recognize the Sukebe calendar. At the entry point the year will be 2009 Anno Domini or Common Era, depending on whom in the leagues you ask. It will be yet another date if you go to the East and ask someone the year. They use other calendars there.”
“I see how to do it, but why?”
“My husband went through to Pokegirl One in the same year that he left and then traveled back in time to before the legendaries reshaped the continents to prevent that event from taking place. It split the timeline off at that point and I am unsure which timeline you would enter if you merely crossed over from here. Theories suggest three possible solutions. In any case, it would not be the world at the time you wish to settle in.”
“I can understand two of the solutions. One leads to the world before the split and the second leads to the world after the split, but at today’s date. What’s the third one?”
“The third solution is that in attempting to cross timelines and dimensions without my guidance you could be thrown far away in both. It is the least probable result and I have never heard of it happening, but according to the currently recognized leading theory in time and dimensional travel it is possible. It is why, most of the time, cautious travelers travel time and space in turn and not simultaneously.” She frowned for a second and then shrugged. “I must admit that if it did happen, the traveler would be unlikely to be able to return and report the event, so my never hearing of it is inconclusive.”
“Is this the secret to time travel?”
Metallic gold hair shimmered in the light of the laboratory as Magdalene shook her head. “No, it is not. I have shown you how to go to the specific time and place that you want to emerge in. The real secret to time travel is to not change things so much that you lose the future you wish to return to. It is more difficult to change something and not destroy the future than you think. I warn you, if you try to go elsewhen on Pokegirl One, you could seal me off from Kerrik. If you even consider doing this, I will find out and I will kill you.” She glanced at the Archmage. “If you use this to meddle in time in universes where my husband and I are not at risk, I will merely request that you remember the secret to time travel and be very cautious. You could make newly created situations which prove to be far worse than the one you wish to correct or kill people you love by altering the flow of events. Keeping unanticipated side effects from occurring is an art, not a skill, so I am afraid I have little guidance to give about it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Please do. If I kill you, Iain will be unlikely to consider my daughters for marriage.”
“I suppose that’s true,” Dominique said wryly. “Or at least I hope it’s true. Do you have so many daughters that you have to get Iain to marry one of them?”
Magdalene smiled. “I think that I have just enough daughters, but when you are immortal and enjoy children you do have a lot of them. Most of them are in settled relationships or are not currently seeking a family. For the rest, the problem is that it is very hard to find suitable men or women who will be able to make a permanent relationship into a bonding of equals. Many of the ones that are currently unmarried tend to be those who are fixated on finding a truewizard of their own and they are rather rare, much less quality one like Iain. The fact that he and his women form a stable family still willing to accept outsiders is an added bonus.”
“Are you going to start bringing them by soon?”
“I will have to think about which of my children might be a good match for you and then discuss the situation with them in turn. This could take several years, so it will be a while yet.” Magdalene changed the symbols on the wall again. “I will also wait because I want your family to have some time to develop first. What do you see now?”
Dominique carefully read the entire wall to see what her change had altered. “You changed the displacement. Where would that put the entrance?”
“The portal will now emerge somewhere on the Antarctic coastline. That is a good place for an initial emergence. Using the spell as originally designed would put you here in 2009 on the other side. Do you understand why that might not be desirable?”
Dominique nodded briskly. “We’d be inside the Blue there, if that’s what it is called.”
“Right now it is called Blue, but that may change depending on the outcome of the civil war currently raging across the league.”
“Civil war?”
The Kirin nodded absently as she regarded the formula. “Queen Elizabeth did not survive the events leading up to the league takeover. Her son Charles did, although his wife did not. During the takeover, Charles and the rest of his family was executed, however. Unfortunately for the league, the princess Anne and her two children not only survived the Red Plague, they also managed to evade capture. They disappeared into the wilds of Scotland and have provided a rallying point for a brisk resistance. Crown Prince Peter died in 2006, but Queen Anne and the Crown Princess Zara have built an army of tamers which is pressing the Blue government from the north. Blue requested aid from the other leagues.”
“Developmentally, Indigo is in the best position to provide it and would have already done so if not for Texas and problems it presents. Orange doesn’t trust its tamers to remain loyal to the leagues in this particular war and it, like most other leagues, has problems of its own that take precedence.”
“So far, during this civil war, the battles inside Blue have been fairly brutal and people are being forced to choose sides by the league military. Ireland has remained officially neutral, but a small contingent of Irish tamers have crossed over and are helping Queen Anne’s forces to indirectly protect Ireland after Blue forces heavily damaged Dublin in a failed takeover attempt. Blue is retaliating with a series of raids on lightly defended Irish cities. They’re trying to limit casualties in an attempt to keep from bringing Ireland openly into the war while striking hard enough to warn Ireland off from sending more aid to the English loyalists.” She shook her head. “I think they may be about to find they cannot eat a cake they do not hold. Because of all of this the United Kingdom is not a place I would select to settle in.” She smiled slightly. “It also turns out that at least some of this war is directly caused by the presence of my family on One.”
“Oh really? How so?”
“Crown Princess Zara is friends with Poppet and Jamie Harris, and the Unicorn is supplying the Royalist forces with aid by smuggling in desperately needed supplies and weapons from Haven and funneling them to the Royalists. I think Poppet wants to become the Lady Harris and the first pokegirl nobility in England.”
Dominique gaped at her for a long moment before pulling her mouth closed. “You know, considering everything that’s going on, I don’t think we want to live in Blue after all.”
“I think that is a wise decision. While I do not normally approve of war, the brushfires that Shikarou and my husband are starting or feeding around portions of the globe are allowing my family to become firmly entrenched in their new home. Without a civil war in Blue, the Blues would have consolidated and probably sent reinforcements to Indigo in their dispute with Texas. Without Kerrik supporting Texas, it would eventually fall to Indigo, Jhoto and Sunshine, freeing up Indigo and Sunshine forces to help Tropic against Haven.” She frowned briefly. “Not that victory for Texas is by any means assured as of yet.”
“What about the conflict between Nippon and Shanghai?”
“That is irrelevant to the political situation in the West, although my son’s support of the Nipponese Emperor does mean Haven will be at least indirectly involved. Things there may get more interesting as Ruby has decided to use the disruption in the region as an opportunity to pursue some claims to disputed land between it and Nippon. To that end, Ruby has invaded some islands only to be repulsed by Nippon forces. Whether they will try again is still unknown. The truth is that my son and to a lesser extent my husband support Nippon out of a misplaced loyalty to a place that they have some fond memories of.” She chuckled softly. “Everyone must have a hobby, I suppose. I do expect Kerrik to be too busy with Texas to have a great deal of time and attention to spend on Nippon.”
“You’re a Kirin. Don’t you have some loyalty to Nippon too?”
Magdalene looked startled for a second and then laughed. “None of us were born there and I have not spent any significant time in Nippon. On top of that, I am not human and hold no intrinsic loyalty to any human regime. My loyalties are held for things that are actually important to me. I have no vested interest in any country on Pokegirl One. If Texas or Haven were to fail, I would provide my family with an escape to somewhere safer. I certainly would not join their battles to save either place.”
“Why are you helping us? We’re not family either.”
“No, but you could be. I have therefore decided that conserving you as a resource is a good use of my time. Your sons and daughters will need partners as much as mine do. Also, even if Iain takes a wife from my daughters, his children by you and the other pokegirls will not be related to me or mine and would still be suitable as mates.” She cocked her head, regarding the symbols on the wall. “That makes teaching you this, which I know you will then teach to Iain among others, and therefore make him stronger, an investment in my family’s future survival and growth. And that,” she waved a hand and the symbols burned themselves into the stone, “is my hobby.”
***
“What is it, Eve?” Even while reading the news on his pokedex, Iain’s perception allowed him to see the Megami-sama behind him. She’d been standing there and watching him for the past few minutes.
She sighed and moved to join him on the couch. “I’m not sure how to bring this up.”
“You are nervous about talking to me about something?” He looked up and met her gaze. “We’ve been together the longest. You don’t have to hold anything back.”
Eve smiled suddenly. “That’s very sweet, but April might disagree with that. We both know that she met you first.”
“She’d be right that she and I met first and have known of each other longer, but you and I have spent more time together than I have with her. Only Scheherazade could have said she’d been with me longer than you and that’s no longer the case since she is dead. What is it?”
“Lucifer wants to talk to you as soon as possible.”
He nodded and turned the pokedex off. “Do you think I should want to talk to her?”
“I’m not sure. That’s the problem.”
“Why aren’t you sure?”
“Iain, I’m conflicted right now.”
“Very well, let me ask a different way. What does she want?”
Eve hesitated. “I think she should be the one to explain it to you.”
“But you know what the subject will be?”
“Yes, I do. Since it’s something she wants, I really think she should be the one to try to sell you on it.”
“Then you think that I should want to talk to her.”
She blinked. “No, I don’t, or at least I’m not certain. I think you should talk to her, but I’m not sure you should want to.”
“That’s interesting. You want me to talk to her but not to want to talk to her. Well, I must admit you’ve managed to stir my curiosity. Do you think I should meet her here or someplace slightly more neutral? I am not meeting her on her turf.”
Eve grinned. “I think the best place to meet her would be beneath the omega tree. It is a physical sign of your power, after all, since you helped Ninhursag create it.”
“That sounds fine to me. Set up the meet.” He nodded once. “I think a good time would be the day after tomorrow and right after lunch.”
Eve started to agree and stopped. “Wait just a moment, Iain. I think there’ll be a conflict. You’re supposed to be training with April at that time.”
He looked innocently at her. “Really? I guess I’ll have to cancel that training to meet with Lucy.”
“I am not getting in trouble with April about your training. That’s almost as sacred as her private time for shaving you.”
“Coward.”
“In this, yes I am. I’ll get with Ninhursag and April to find a free period for you to meet with Lucy.”
“Gee, thanks. I love you too.”
Eve chuckled and pulled him around to kiss him soundly. “Speaking of love,” she said softly, her lips almost touching his, “since Vanessa is pregnant and April is going to have a litter of kits after the move, I was wondering if you’d mind if I did too?”
“I think that would be a wonderful idea.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Iain.” She kissed him again. “Don’t worry; I’ll wait until after April has given birth.”
“Why? I don’t see a reason for you to wait. In fact, I would like everyone who wants kids in the near future to think about having them soon after the move.”
“Are you sure? Staggering the pregnancies will make things easier for care giving.”
“I’m sure, Eve. Not everyone is going to want to have kids at the same time and it’s not like three or four women being pregnant at once will stop us from working. Besides, pregnant pokegirls are like other human women and most can work up until right before the delivery if they want to. We’ll just have the others, including me, work to take up any slack that develops. But none of you are lazy and I don’t really see there being a problem. And,” he flashed a grin, “if you all have kids at once, we can rotate out the mothering duties so nobody wants to kill her children because she’s got them all of the time.”
Eve blinked. “Now that sounds like a good idea. There were a couple of litters where some definite times where I was just about ready to do something very un-Megami-like to them.”
“We’ll help too.” He sighed. “Having more than one litter at the same time does mean we’ll probably need at least one Milktit to help supply milk for nursing kits since we can’t just hope there will be a milk supply available for us when we get to One. I can hold a bottle with the best of them, but I am not going to try to produce milk. And we will need to add a couple of tons of sturdy cloth diapers to the list of things for the move.”
“We’ll need more baby supplies than that.” Eve got up. “I think I’ll poll the harem and see who might be thinking about getting pregnant right after the move before I make up a shopping list.”
“Don’t forget to set up the meet with Lucy.”
“I won’t.”
***
Iain wriggled back against Zareen’s equine torso and sighed happily before opening up his pokedex and pulling up a scientific journal on pokegirl behavior. It was some time later when the Nightmare stirred slightly. “She’s here.”
He looked up to see Lucifer just walking into the shade under the omega tree’s branches. He put the pokedex away and moved to sit on Zareen’s back as he waited for the Megami-sama to reach them. She stopped, looking up into the branches. “It didn’t have those spikes the last time I was here.”
“The tree was fed off of by some bug pokegirls and now it defends itself against unwanted attacks.” Iain motioned towards a blanket spread nearby. A basket perched in the middle of it. “April insisted I have refreshments for our talk.” He got up and settled down on one edge of the blanket before digging a thermos out of the basket. “Care for something to drink?”
Lucy joined him. “I’m not really much of a tea drinker, Iain.”
“It’s not tea.” He offered her the container.
She uncapped it and sniffed. Her eyes widened as the fragrant odor hit her. “What is this?”
“Tullamore Dew. It’s an Irish Whiskey produced in Midelton in County Cork.” He smiled slightly. “I get tired of tea all of the time too.”
Lucy took a drink and relaxed as the warmth spread through her. “Excellent. Is it in a thermos so April doesn’t know what you’re drinking?”
“No, it’s because Zareen doesn’t know her own strength and won’t respect the fragility of glass bottles. She bucks when she gets excited and the bottles,” he gave a Gallic shrug.
The Nightmare snorted. “Fragile.”
Lucifer laughed and took another drink. “Thank you for taking the time to talk with me.”
She offered the thermos back and he waved it away as he pulled some cookies and fruit from the basket and laid them out where both people could reach them. “Eve’s reluctance to tell me what you want made me curious.” He tossed some cookies to Zareen. “Now that you’re here, I look forward to finding out what all of the mystery is about.”
“It’s pretty simple, Iain. I have come here to beg you to allow me to come with you to this new world and to bring a large portion of the Sisterhood of the Thorn with me.”
Iain stared at her for several seconds. “Of all the things I’d considered, that wasn’t anywhere on the list. Why?”
“For three hundred years this world has remained essentially static. By and large things haven’t gotten worse for people, but they haven’t gotten a lot better either. Up until recently I’d taken pride in keeping things from getting substantially worse. Then you and the other authors arrived and in less than two years you’ve changed Sanctuary, purged the Celestial Alliance, realigned the balance of power with high powered naval vessels and hammered the Limbec Pirates, among other things.” Lucifer looked at the thermos and almost convulsively held it out. “Please take this before I start really drinking.” Iain retrieved it and she sighed. “Thank you. The fact that you and the other authors did so much with so little in so short a time shows that I’m a failure and so is the Sisterhood along with me.”
“I think I’ll have to disagree with that assessment. Without the Sisterhood, things would have gotten a lot worse over the centuries.”
“My goal was to make things better for people, Iain.”
He nodded slowly. “Then you’re right. You were a failure.”
“Exactly. However, on One we might be able to make a real difference. I’ve been talking to Eve about this place you intend to go. Would Texas accept us as we are?”
“They would.” He toyed with the thermos’ lid. “If nothing else, I intend to buy a good sized chunk of land and I will take you in and give you a place to settle.”
“Thank you Iain, but I’m not sure you want so many of us living nearby.”
“You told me that the size of the Sisterhood was a secret, remember? I don’t know how many of you there are.”
“I’m not taking the entire Sisterhood, just those who want to go if they can. It would be around five thousand troops and most of an engineering battalion along with their dependents and about fifty celestial tamers.”
Iain blinked. “I see. You need to be aware that Texas is currently in a state of war with Indigo, Sunshine and Jhoto.”
“Eve told me about it. If Texas becomes our new home either with or without your help, we will fight to protect it, Iain. We want to.” She looked into his eyes. “But no matter what, we need your help getting there.”
“The official policy in Texas is they welcome anyone who is willing to follow the handful of laws of Texas and become Texans. As long as you don’t try to change Texas against its will, I will not refuse you the chance to do so. As for living nearby, I think a town of fighting celestials and their families wouldn’t be a bad group of people for my kids to grow up around.” He smiled. “If nothing else, it’ll be amusing watching you and Eve sit on a porch and argue about whose children are more perfect.”
Lucifer shook her head slowly. “You are a strange man, Iain Grey. I’d have been more concerned about the security aspects of having that many armed people nearby before considering children’s needs. We’d keep the enemy leagues off your back by virtue of our presence.”
“You’re a good person and you and Eve are close friends. No matter where you end up on One, if we yell for help you’ll come running and we’ll do the same for you.” He paused to take a drink from the thermos. “If at all possible I don’t intend to live near Kerrik Wolf, so I’ll be facing either Indigo or Jhoto troops. Or both. Neither group is likely to believe a bunch of unattached pokegirls is more than a target for their tamers and having a town full of them nearby won’t dissuade any organized units of soldiers or tamers. We’ll just have to crush them when they attack. After they realize how dangerous you are, they’ll probably concentrate their forces to try and destroy you. So, in both cases, you’ll draw them instead of run them off.” His smile wouldn’t have been out of place on Canaan’s face as she contemplated mayhem. “And that’ll make it easier to destroy them quickly. If we do that a couple of times they’ll either sue for peace or just leave us alone.” He frowned. “Are there Milktits among the people who’ll be coming?”
“Yes there are some who want to move. Why?”
“We’re planning a population explosion once we get settled and we’ll need milk.”
Lucifer chuckled. “I’d like to say we’ll have more than enough for you but I suspect a lot of my people will be trying to get pregnant then too, so I can’t promise you anything.”
“Damn. I should have snatched Warden when I had the chance. Oh, well, I’m sure she’s happier with Kelvin now that he’s alive again. I’ll just have to figure out something else.”
Lucifer reached for an apple and rolled it between her hands. “Thank you, Iain, for agreeing to this.”
“It’s not entirely selfless, Lucy. A division of soldiers fighting for Texas will raise the chances of my family’s survival.”
“I know, but it wasn’t the first thing you thought of was it? You first considered me and my people as people, not as soldiers. For that I thank you.” She tucked the apple into a pocket as she got to her feet. “I should be going now. I have things to prepare and so do you.”
“I’ll make sure Eve keeps you appraised of our timeline.” He snorted. “As soon as we put one together, that is.”
“Thank you, Iain.” She started to turn and stopped. “I do have one last question. Some of the people who want to go with me are currently working with the Daisy Mae’s crew in creating the new ships. So I’ll have people proficient in the conversion process. Do you think there will vessels there that we can convert to our use?”
“I do. We can raid the Philadelphia NISMF for ships and raw material. The Des Moines herself should still be there along with some similarly armed destroyers. Supply for any ships may be a problem for a long time, though.”
“NISMF?”
“It’s the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility. There’s one in Bremerton, Washington, one in Pearl Harbor and a third in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with smaller satellite facilities in Portsmouth, Virginia, Benicia, California and Beaumont, Texas. The satellite facilities don’t have much, although the Benicia place holds the USS Iowa. I think a battleship with a crew of three thousand is a bit much for the Sisterhood to control though.”
“I’m thinking long term, Iain. Having a navy might be useful in defending our new home and, if nothing else, they can serve as carriers for flying pokegirls.”
“That’s true.” Iain cocked his head as he accessed memories he hadn’t used in a while. “When the Revenge War started, all three cruisers of the Des Moines class were in Philly NISMF and I doubt there was time to reactivate them, so unless somebody sank them they’ll still be there, along with the USS Edson and USS Forrest Sherman, destroyers with similar main guns in five inch caliber instead of eight. They use much smaller crews though, a little more than three hundred as opposed to the eighteen hundred that were supposed to be on the Daisy Mae. They’d provide decent escorts for the three cruisers.”
Lucifer flashed a smile. “Be wary of greed, Iain. I can’t crew more than one cruiser.”
“Now I’m thinking long term. A single destroyer would give us the pattern for it and then we can make any new ships that you’ll need. Raw material will be easy to get. Somehow.”
“True. I’ll have to send a message to my people on the Daisy Mae and have them inquire into the history of the ship and how she came to be in the hands of the Captain. Thank you again, Iain.”
“You’re welcome, Lucifer. I’m glad I can help.”
***
Dominique finished the spell and froze as she concentrated with all of her willpower. Energy built around her and made her hair stir from the static. The air seemed to thicken until it felt to Iain that he had to work harder to breathe. In front of Dominique the air rippled like heat waves and a glowing line sprouted from the ground. It twisted around like a serpent as it grew until it was fifteen feet high and then it widened along its length until it formed a narrow parabola. The inner portion of this arch became translucent and then completely transparent.
Only then did the Archmage relax. “We’re stable and the coordinates match those you told me to use, Magdalene.”
“You did well, Dominique.” Magdalene regarded the portal for a few seconds. “Everything is well within the required parameters. How do you feel?”
“I did as you suggested and put a time limit on it instead of holding it open actively. I feel fine because of that.”
“Just remember that it is faster to close a gate you are holding open than to break the duration of a spell because of an emergency. The threat of being followed through the gate is the determining factor of which variant of the spell you should use.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.”
“You are very welcome.”
Iain shifted the pack on his back and looked at Ninhursag. “You call it.”
The Elfqueen nodded. “Eve, April and Pandora have point. April will follow the other two through and set up aerial reconnaissance. Vanessa keeps an eye on Iain, who brings up the rear with Zareen, while everyone else is with me. We will back up the point team and follow them in.” For this trip, only Sofia was in her pokeball since her combat skills were still pretty meager. She was taking this trip in Iain’s pocket.
Iain shifted sideways so he could look into the portal. He could see wind driven snow through and it looked like it was nearly night. “This isn’t going to be fun,” he muttered.
Vanessa shrugged as Zareen joined them. “You’ve got a parka and insulated coveralls.”
“That is Antarctica,” Iain replied. “It’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced. Antarctica is cold like the heart of a Dark Queen. And it looks like winter.”
Magdalene glanced over her shoulder at him. “That is correct. It is July 2009 and the middle of winter in Antarctica. Do not worry, however, for I have selected an entry point that has a relatively gentle temperature gradient, although the wind looks to be stronger than usual.”
Ninhursag looked at him. “Well?”
“If she wanted to kill us we’d already be dead. Move them out.”
Iain watched everyone go through the portal and followed when his turn came. The wind was a shock and strong enough to knock him off his feet. It whipped snow past them and the cold took Iain’s breath away. Vanessa grabbed his arm and pulled him back to his feet as Zareen shifted to her centaur form and moved to block what she could of the gale blowing around them.
Magdalene loomed out of the whiteness that surrounded them, her hair and skirt whipping in the wind. “This way,” she yelled. “Follow me to the others!”
She turned and led them unerringly to a wooden building, pulled open the door and shoved them inside before following and slamming the door shut behind her. The sudden silence was deafening. Dominique had already created a light and it showed they were in a large entryway of some kind. It was warmer than outside, but frost on the walls showed it was still below freezing. Iain noticed that Cyrillic lettering crossed the bottom of a poster of a half nude woman on one wall. Magdalene’s hair began untangling on its own as she motioned to the poster. “This is Novolazarevskaya Station. It was abandoned by Russia during the war, just like all of the other research stations here. I apologize, but I didn’t realize that a winter storm was blanketing the area. Fortunately I picked this location because the station is built in an Antarctic desert and temperatures here seldom go below -20 degrees Celsius. Unfortunately with the storm, the wind chill is well below -50.”
“Do we have to wait until the storm blows over?” April was eyeing the walls of the building with apprehension. Outside the howl of the wind made the building vibrate and a freezing draft suggested that at least one window had broken since the place had been abandoned.
Or a wall had cracked.
“No, I’ll take one of you and teleport to Texas from here. The rest of you can follow.” She gave them an apologetic look. “I am sorry for the conditions here but there was no way I could know about them at the time. From now on, once you cross over you can either teleport straight here or you can go directly to Texas until Dominique becomes proficient enough to modify the spell to put you directly wherever you finally settle.”
“In case you are curious, this station is Russian and is located inside the Schirmacher Oasis on Princess Astrid Coast in Dronning Maud Land. It’s one of the warmest places in the Antarctic and in the summer some of the lakes in the oasis lose their surface ice. Now, who is traveling with me?”
“I’ll go with her.” Dominique took Magdalene’s hand in hers. “See you in a minute.” They vanished. A few seconds later, the Archmage reappeared. “Ok, we’ll be arriving at a small farm outside of Austin. Magdalene owns it.” She grimaced. “It’s after noon and almost 38oC there. It’s bright, so be sure and cover your eyes. It’s also very humid. Is that normal, Iain?”
“It is. We’ll have air-conditioning.”
“That’s good to hear.” She grabbed Raquel’s hand. “Group up, people.”
After the cold dark of the Russian station the warm, wet air was a slap in the face and the summer sun was blinding. Everyone shielded their eyes from the bright sunlight, except for Iain who blinked once and adapted. Dominique gave him a sour look from under the hand she held to block the light. “You are going to teach me how to do that.”
Iain was unzipping his jacket and didn’t look up. “I’ll be glad to.”
They were standing in the back yard of a small two story home. Cherry laurels had been planted tightly enough around the perimeter of the back yard to form a privacy fence ten feet high. Magdalene was standing just outside the back door and watched until everyone’s eyes had adjusted to the sunlight. “Before you go anywhere, Iain, I’d like to discuss the payment I’ve decided you deserve.”
“All right. Do you want to go inside or talk here?”
“Here is fine.” She smiled, suddenly looking years younger. “I have always liked the outdoors. There wasn’t really any weather to speak of where I grew up, you know.”
“I hadn’t thought about it that way, but you’re right.”
The Kirin leaned against the wall. “To be honest, it was very hard to assign a value to the idea you gave me. It is something we have been pursuing for several millennia, but it is something that only a few people can do, either to themselves or to others, and so its utility is reduced. However, I and other members of my family can employ this technique and we can charge a premium for those who cannot use the technique themselves but still have issues which preclude the use of traditional twee technology. That raises its value to us.” She folded her hands in front of her. “In the end, I consulted with a couple of other wives who have the same problems I do. The consensus was that this was worth paying a premium for, not only for the idea itself, but in the hopes that should you come up with solutions for other problems that have taunted the family for a while, you would remember our gratitude and bring these solutions to us as well.”
“Not to mention,” Eve said, “you want him to remember your gratitude when you start parading your daughters in front of him.”
Magdalene’s smile reappeared. “You were not supposed to bring that up, Eve. And it is not just my daughters and their daughters anymore. Conferring with my sister wives means that they are aware of his existence, although fortunately not yet his location. They will be following me to try to discern where you live. They will not be successful, however, for quite some time.”
Her smile faded. “The problem with the list you provided me, Iain, is that one of the items on it can produce all of the others for you. Unless you have an overriding need for them immediately, they should not be considered as part of the price I want to pay to you. So, what I have done is set you up with an account and I’d like to sit down with you so you can consider what else you might like to purchase from the family. I have some suggestions that you might find particularly helpful and you don’t have to spend all of the money now. It is a real account and you can spend it with me, any of my family or any Tirsuli willing to accept money transfers from my clan.”
Iain’s eyes lit up. “One thing on my list can make the others? That means I get the processor I wanted.”
“That is correct. I will deliver it as soon as you are ready. I have already updated the navigational charts with Bastion’s and Vallation’s location. I’ve also given Cassiopeia the com codes for the processor. As long as you don’t approach on an attack vector she’ll ignore your presence like a good little AI.” She pulled a handheld computer from her pocket and held it out. “The information is here, along with the suggestions I have on things you might want to spend your money on.”
“Thanks.” Iain took it and settled down on the porch. He skimmed through the display for a moment and then looked up. “A lot of what’s here will take some thinking on, so I think I’d like to just get the processor right now, if that’s all right.”
“To be honest, Iain, I applaud the wisdom in that decision. If you will give me a moment, I will deliver the processor. It will have to meet you, you understand, to finish the process.” She paused for a second. “I hope you understand the agreement that my clan makes with their AIs is not invalidated by this sale. Are you willing to agree to it?”
“How old is the AI?”
“It will be only hours old when it meets you.”
Iain nodded. “I will abide by the standard agreement if it does. If it wants something different, we’ll negotiate it out. I presume the AI is willing to work with an outlander?”
“Iain, I do not think you are an outlander. I believe that instead you are Tirsuli who was lost to us and is now found, in spirit if not in the flesh. And that is why I have presented you to the AI as such.”
He looked surprised. “Thank you. That’s quite a compliment.”
April muttered something that sounded suspiciously like “ass kisser”.
If Magdalene heard it, she didn’t respond. “The processor is in orbit above this world now.” She nodded towards a corner of her yard and a glowing green vertical hole opened in the air. On the other side of the hole they could see a metal room with a multicolored array of lights on one wall. “I’ll go first since the AI knows me, but you need to meet it.”
She walked through the opening.
Ninhursag glanced at him. “All right, you go first, but we are going to be right behind you.”
“I wouldn’t want it any other way.” He stepped into the opening. The room was larger than he first thought and there was plenty of room behind the portal. There were various stations placed in what he presumed were strategic locations in the chamber, with panels set in front of heavily reinforced looking chairs.
Magdalene was speaking quietly with an androgynous figure near one of the stations and Iain moved in her direction as Ninhursag led the rest of the harem through the portal. The Kirin motioned to him. “This is Iain Grey.”
The figure bobbed its head in a bow. “Clan leader.” It was an off white almost the same color as the walls, hairless and completely without gender. “I will need a sample of your DNA and access to your twee.” A hatch in the wall slid open and a squat machine silently rolled its way on balloon tires towards him. “I will also need the same from your family.”
The machine was a remote, one of the robots on the ship controlled by the AI for various purposes.
Iain held out his hand to the remote. “I don’t have a twee. You’ll have to provide me and my family with them.” The remote unfolded a set of tools and touched him on the arm with a slender instrument. “Ladies,” he said looking over his shoulder. “This robot is going to sample your DNA the same way it just did mine.” He turned his attention back to the sexless figure. “I would like your loyalty for a century and, after that, if you wish you will be free of all ties to my family. At that time I will provide you with a suitable platform to continue your existence as you will.”
“I accept your offer, Iain Grey, and acknowledge you as my lord and master. Both I and this vessel will need names.”
“Do you have access to Terran history?”
“If by Terra you mean Earth, the planet below us, I have a generic database compiled from several Earths and updated with selected information from the world we orbit.”
He nodded. “That’ll work. Your name is Theodora, and you are named after the Empress Theodora of the Byzantine Roman Empire.”
The figure’s skin color turned light and darkened slightly. It sprouted black hair from its head and grew eyelashes and eyebrows as a purple stola sprouted from its body, the lines of which became feminine as he watched. “Theodora was the wife of Justinian I. May I ask why you chose her?” Its voice was now distinctly female, although still devoid of emotion.
“She was intensely loyal and able to exercise command on her own when required. Both of these are things you’ll be doing for me.”
“I understand and accept the name, clan leader.”
“Call me Iain.”
“Yes, Iain. What about the ship’s name?”
“It shall be Theodora too. You two are the same being.”
Theodora nodded. “It is customary for the ship to have a different name from the AI inhabiting it in case the AI has to be removed from it.”
“I’m not a big fan of custom and I can always rename the ship if I have to.” He grinned. “In fact, I’d like to get you a Kalan Shewa puppet, after you decide what kind you’d like.”
Magdalene inhaled air in a hiss. “Iain, that sort of thing,” she began.
Iain interrupted her with a raised finger. “Is something between me and Theodora.”
The Kirin blinked and bobbed her head in a quick bow. “You are absolutely correct. Theodora is a Grey now. I apologize to the two of you.”
Theodora was watching the exchange without expression. “I will have to consider your offer at length, Iain. In the meantime, if I am to produce twee for you and your family, I will need resources and fuel. I have no stored production reserves and my fuel supplies are sufficient for only a few weeks of operation at low power. I need hydrogen.”
Magdalene touched Iain on the arm. “I will be going now. Call me when you want to talk to me again.” She vanished.
Iain rubbed his chin. “Do you have maps of this system?”
“I do.”
“Then plot a course and let’s go to Jupiter. Vallation has a fuel station there and, if we can’t use it, we’ll figure something else out.”
“I am perfectly capable of harvesting fuel directly from Jupiter, Iain. We will arrive at Jupiter in six hours.” The walls around them shimmered and appeared to become transparent. Below them the Earth began to shrink as they moved away from it. “While we are traveling, I would like to meet the rest of the clan, if that is possible.”
Iain exchanged a look with Ninhursag and shrugged as he reached for Sofia’s pokeball. “I think that’s an excellent idea. After that, I’d like a tour of the ship.”
***
Theodora was a fast learner and so this smile was more friendly than creepy. “My inertial neutralizers can protect you from a lot, but if you were not on board I could collect all of the fuel I need in hours instead of days. After my initial fueling, I should be able to use water collected from the processing process to provide sufficient hydrogen, but right now a full load would provide security while searching for an asteroid that will meet your needs.”
“But we are on board,” Canaan pointed out.
“Yes, you are, but I thought that perhaps you could get into one of my escape pods and wait for me out here.” Out here in space was a little more than five light minutes from Jupiter. “The pod’s shielding will protect you from Jupiter’s radiation, but out here I don’t have to worry about missing a meteor or small moon and having it sideswipe the pod while I’m refueling.”
“We certainly don’t want that,” Vanessa said wryly. “Moons tend to smash instead of sideswipe.”
“Hours instead of days,” Iain asked. “Why the difference?”
“The faster I can go through Jupiter’s atmosphere, the faster I can gather hydrogen. I’m a lot tougher than any organic could ever be and would have to make allowances for your presence on board. So, to keep you alive during the fueling, I’d have to slow down and divert more power to protecting you and your family. You’d still have to be strapped down the entire time and even then the ride will be brutal and severe injuries easily could result.”
Vanessa smirked. “We’re tougher than we look, but I have a question. What about bathrooms?” As her pregnancy finally started to show she had become preoccupied with bathrooms.
Iain had seen the behavior before.
“I can provide you with the same plumbing attachments that are used in my spacesuits and powered armor. I’ll caution that the urethral tube is unpleasant to put in until you get used to doing it.”
The legendary’s face was a study in aghast. “Urethral tube?” Her mouth set. “We will wait in the escape pod.”
Ninhursag laughed. “I’m with Vanessa. That particular orifice is not for sticking things into.”
Iain looked around and shrugged. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”
A yellow bead appeared in the air. “Then please follow this guide to the escape pod. As soon as you’re safely away I’ll go fuel up.”
Ninhursag shook her head. “We’ll need guides back to our quarters so we can get our packs. They have just about everything we could need.”
“You haven’t unpacked them, so as soon as you agreed to use the pod I instructed some remotes to deliver your belongings to it. There is very little chance I won’t return on schedule, but I will not take any chances with your safety unless I am ordered to.”
April took Iain’s hand. “Then everybody, let’s go.”
The term escape pod was actually misnomer. The pod was small spaceship that would hold twenty comfortably for over a month and, in that time, could easily reach Earth.
As they settled into chairs, Theodora appeared in front of Iain. “I’m doing a final check of the pod’s systems and I’ll launch it in fifty nine seconds.” She frowned slightly. “Or should I be less precise when talking to you?”
“Precision is fine. If you go overboard, I’ll let you know. If I do the something you don’t like, please let me know.”
The hologram smiled more naturally. “May I let you know if there is something I do like?”
“Of course you can.”
“I am pleased that you decided to listen to me and agreed to wait here.” There was a soft thump. “I have launched the escape pod. It is programmed to return you to Earth in three days if I do not return. I’m sorry, but manual control is not advisable since I have seen that Magdalene’s suggestion that you are Tirsuli is obviously a fiction and I don’t believe that you have a lot of knowledge of how to pilot spacecraft.” A holographic display went live just in time to see the Theodora whip around and accelerate away at 500 gravities.
“That’d be true enough, but something I want to rectify as soon as possible.”
“Then I will make construction of a teacher a high priority. I won’t be able to maintain communications with you while I’m inside Jupiter’s atmosphere, which I will enter in two hundred and sixty seconds.”
Iain grinned. “Well, hurry back.”
“I will.” The hologram vanished.
Ninhursag looked around the room. “Well, what do we do now?”
April grinned and grabbed her pokepack. She released some decks of cards and a couple of boxes of double fifteen dominoes. “I’m sure we can be self entertaining.” She turned a speculative eye on her husband. “Care to join us, Iain?”
“You have got to be kidding. I like my skin right where it is, thank you very much. I’ll read.”
Sofia gaped at him. “Skinned? You skin the loser?” Thanks to the memory transfer she spoke English fluently, but she was still learning idiom. Iain wasn’t surprised, considering that the Peekabu was dealing with idiom from the Blue League, Canaan and Eve’s world travels. On top of that, he added idiom from another world and time into the mix. Sometimes his confused everyone.
Sometimes he got confused about what someone was saying. “It’s a figure of speech, Sofia. To get skinned in a game is when you lose the game very badly. It’s what usually happens to me when I play against you ladies.”
Her ears flicked. “Are you a bad player?” Snickers sounded around the room and she flushed.
“I don’t think so, but I’m just not as competitive as pokegirls are.”
She cocked her head. “I have seen you train. You are as aggressive as Ninhursag or Canaan. You’re not as tough though.”
“That’s different. That’s training.”
“It is the same. Games are still training.”
April flashed a smile. “My secret is out. She’s right. It’s training in teamwork and strategy. With that reasoning, Iain, I insist you join us. I’ll be watching and if you don’t give 110% I’ll schedule more training until you learn to focus.”
“I’m beginning to regret teaching you that phrase.”
“Beginning to regret?” Raquel asked sourly, “I’ve regretted it since she first used it on me.” She joined in the general laughter.
April laughed too. “I’ve heard it before. Iain just reminded me of it.”
“Well, they don’t use it in Noir,” the Rapitaur replied.
Iain snickered. “Yeah, they use ‘I surrender’ and ‘not in the face’.”
“What!”
“I’m kidding. Over the years France got a bad reputation for surrendering to foes. It wasn’t really deserved and anyone who ever met anyone from the French Foreign Legion knew it was just that they got screwed over by their political leadership just like every other military in history.”
Raquel sniffed derisively. “I am not French. I am Noir.”
Ninhursag’s eyebrows rose. “Dominique and Zareen are black. I’d say you’re more of a blue-gray color.”
“I’d say you’re,” Raquel began hotly but broke off when the Elfqueen’s face hardened.
“I’m what?”
Raquel looked helplessly around the room and her eyes lit on April. “You’re going to deal the cards?”
Ninhursag regarded her for a handful of seconds. “I’ll let that pass this time. April, hand me a deck.”
***
Theodora flickered into existence behind Iain and watched him play cards for a few seconds. “I have returned,” she said quietly. “The mission to complete my preliminary fueling is complete and I will be picking up the escape pod in ten minutes.”
He looked around at her and his face split in a grin. “I’m being rescued!”
Theodora frowned. “I don’t detect any danger to you. I don’t understand.”
“He’s talking about us,” Eve chuckled. “He’s been playing dominoes with us while you were gone and losing more often than not.”
“I see.” Theodora’s eyes widened slightly. “Oh, I see!” She turned to Iain. “I have reviewed the logs for this pod and I can see that you made several tactical errors which cost you victory. If you’d like, later we can look over them and I will be happy to point out where your mistakes occurred so you can avoid similar mistakes in the future.”
Iain just sighed and dropped his head into his hands. “I’ve got someone else who is going to take pleasure in pointing out my fuckups. Wonderful. Do you have anything to report about the fueling?”
“I sustained minor damage due to the conditions inside Jupiter’s atmosphere. They are already being repaired. The damage was well within the anticipated possibilities for the mission. While I have never done the procedure before, I have records from thousands of almost identical fuelings from many different types of ships. Once the pod is back on board me, I will seek out a suitable asteroid for processing. Do you think I should retrace my steps to the asteroid belt or should I proceed to one of the Trojan points for Jupiter?”
“Which is closer?”
“The asteroid belt is closer, sir.”
“Then we’ll head there. What are you looking for?”
“Magdalene gave me your list of items that you want. Are you familiar with SMASS typing of asteroids?”
Iain blinked and looked around to check the others. “No, I don’t think we are.”
“It isn’t surprising that the pokegirls are not aware of it since the original Small Main-Belt Asteroid Spectroscopic Survey was never finished on this world. It began in 1990 on both worlds at the Michigan Dartmouth MIT Observatory, which was heavily damaged by pokegirls in 1992. The theory is that they mistook the telescope for a cannon of some kind. On your world, Iain, the survey wrapped up in 1996 and in 2002 this study was used to develop a classification system for asteroids based on their spectral characteristics. Would you like a breakdown of the characteristics?”
“No,” Iain said hastily. “That’s not necessary.”
“Yes, sir. On the way here I captured a B-type asteroid approximately,” she paused. “Do you prefer units in Imperial or metric?”
“Metric is fine.”
“Yes, sir. The B-type I caught is approximately a hundred meters in diameter. It will provide some of what we need but I’d like to find a C-type for processing as well. One five hundred to a thousand meters in diameter will give me a good supply base for future manufacturing requests.”
Eve frowned. “Iain, how big is the Theodora?”
“I don’t know. Theodora?”
“I am a processor vessel two thousand meters in diameter with a length of three thousand meters. This gives me an internal volume of 9.4 billion cubic meters or 9.4 cubic kilometers. Most of that is empty space, however. My processing equipment takes up 25 percent of my internal space and my living quarters occupy 2%, leaving 6.8 billion cubic meters for holding asteroids for processing and for storing processed material unless I manufacture external storage for it. I am completely automated but can carry crewmembers for various functions.” She smiled slightly. “I am actually designed for a decent sized clan to live in for generations. In comparison, over a hundred Nimitz class supercarriers could fit in my living cubage.”
Iain blinked in utter shock. “A Nimitz carries 5,000 people.”
“5,680, to be precise. I can comfortably carry fifty thousand people, sir, although my type of ship normally carries less than ten thousand. The rest of living area is usually gardens and smaller spacecraft such as escape pods similar to the one you are on, shuttles, cargo ships and stingships.”
Canaan grinned. “I want my own room!”
Theodora smirked at her in a completely natural gesture. “You could have your own suite of rooms, Canaan.” She turned back to Iain. “Sir, once I’ve processed both asteroids I’ll have enough organic material, water and minerals to make fertile soil. Then I will be able to begin planting the gardens. I have a stock of Tirsuli plants and crops in seed form that I intend to germinate for the gardens, but I would like some from Earth, too. Earthworms and such would be nice as well.”
Iain still looked a little dazed. “Sure, why not?”
“Berry bushes,” April said firmly, “among other things.”
Ninhursag was smiling eagerly. “You have plants from another world?”
“I have seeds and they are from many of the various worlds of the Tirsuli Confederation. It was expected that I would grow gardens for the living beings on the ship.” There was a soft thump from all around them. “You are now secure in the docking cradle for the pod and may exit the ship whenever you are ready to do so. I am now headed for the asteroid belt. We will arrive in four hours.”
April looked up. “What is your maximum speed?”
“My maximum velocity is ninety nine percent of light speed. I think that perhaps you might be more interested in my acceleration, which is more of a way to measure how quickly I can traverse star systems.”
“Oh. What is your acceleration?”
“My maximum acceleration is 2000 Earth gravities, although I normally do not exceed 1000 gravities. At 1000g I can go from Sol to Pluto in eighteen hours or so and at turnover I will be traveling at 70 percent of the speed of light.”
“You don’t have a hyperdrive?”
“No, Iain, I do not.”
“Do you have the plans for one?”
“I have in my memory the construction and operation data for several varieties of hyperspace propulsion systems, in case I am ordered to make interstellar ships.”
“Then I want you to begin preparing to manufacture a hyperdrive for the Theodora utilizing standard Tirsuli technology.”
“A hyperdrive module would take up a significant portion of my internal structure and would greatly reduce my ability to carry out my prime function.”
He looked thoughtful. “What about making it as a strap on?”
“Sir? A strap on is a sexual aid, is it not?”
Everyone laughed. “I’m sorry; it’s a figure of speech. I’m talking about making a detachable module that you can connect to in order to give yourself hyperdrive.”
The hologram did a respectable imitation of surprise. “Sir, nobody makes modules for ships anymore. Ships are typically purpose built. It would be better to make a hyperdrive capable transport ship large enough to carry me. That would give you two ships and the transport could be doing other things while I am working.”
Iain waved a hand around the room, carefully including the hologram in the gesture. “Theodora, we are the whole of the Grey family. If, someday, we need a purpose built starship, then I’ll have you build one. Until then, all I really need is you. Start planning out a detachable module for hyperspace travel.”
“Very well, sir. Can I request permission to prioritize construction?”
“What do you think should be first?”
“After the twees for you and your family, sir, I’d like to finish building my standard inventory of parasite ships. I was sold to you with only four escape pods and no other vessels. After that, I’d like to finish installing my defensive weapons and equipment. According to the information I have about this place, there are few threats in space. Still, I am not comfortable with the potential tactical use of the StarlightXpress’ ability to teleport close undetected until the instant it exits and opens fire with lasers of unknown output. Lasers are unlikely to be able to penetrate my shields as they stand, but I would prefer a larger margin of safety in case the StarlightXpress’ weaponry turns out to be more powerful than I expect. Military shielding is easy enough to install and I feel kind of naked without weapons.”
“That sounds good. Do it first.”
“Yes sir. While we’re en route to get an asteroid I’d like to obtain samples of anything you wish me to replicate.”
Iain nodded. “Guide us to wherever we can do that. We’ve got a lot of stuff in our packs that you can scan.”
A blue dot appeared in the air. “Please follow the guide, everyone.”
***
Theodora lit up the holographic display in the front of the bridge. Since nobody had been trained in manual operations of the Theodora, all of the control panels on the bridge had deactivated so that the members of the harem could sit at the stations safely. Inside the view a dark rock slowly tumbled in space. “This appears to be a satisfactory asteroid for capture. It is on the large end of what I was looking for, but it will fit within my capture space with room to spare.”
Pandora frowned. “How big is it?”
“Radar mapping indicates that the long axis is eighteen hundred meters in length while each of its other two dimensions is approximately a thousand meters. The volume is somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.8 billion cubic meters. The mass is highly variable and depends on the actual makeup of the asteroid, but as a standard C-type, I expect to harvest over three billion tons of usable material. The hydrocarbons will be processed into plastics for your pokeballs and other items, unless I am allowed to make substitutions.”
“What would you substitute?”
“Plastics are used on Earth because they are cheap, but the truth is that plastic does not react well to heat or to solar radiation in an atmosphere containing oxygen. I would suggest replacing plastic in many cases with aluminum or titanium alloys, iridium, carbon nanofibers or a ceramic composite. Any would be far stronger than the plastic covers and cases for your equipment and computers and would resist corrosion far better. I would recommend a titanium alloy. It is tough and resistant to just about any damage it might receive. Theoretically a pokedex made from a titanium alloy would last for generations and be passed down as a useful tool.”
Iain shrugged. “You can make it out of whatever you want as long as it works. Can we see a display of the capture?”
In answer another hologram appeared to the right of the main one. It showed the Theodora, a stubby cylinder, approaching the asteroid. “I have altered the view so you can see what is happening. A representation of a real time image would show nothing against the dark of space since I do not use running lights.”
The cylinder closed on the asteroid and matched it’s rotation to the asteroid’s slow spin so they were motionless relative to each other. The front two thirds of the ship opened outwards and the Theodora began moving forward slowly until one end of the asteroid almost touched the ship. The processor closed around it and the ancient rock disappeared.
“We will remain here while I anchor the asteroid in my hold and proceed to despin it. This will take several hours, but if I move while the asteroid is not secure, it’ll rip me into pieces.” She smiled sadly. “I didn’t think you’d mind the wait.”
“Under the circumstances,” Eve said, “no, we don’t.”
“Good. In the meantime,” a hatch opened and one of the ship’s remotes floated onto the bridge. Theodora pointed at it. “I have something for you. Your twees are complete and ready for implantation.” The remote stopped in front of Iain and unfolded an arm with a slender rod on it. “I recommend that after implantation you update your pokedex records to reflect the presence of the twee for each of the members of your family so that they don’t have to grow their twee back each time they are run through a healing cycle.”
“How long will the process take?”
“There are several ways for twee to be implanted. The seed can be ingested and the twee will grow inside the host. In another, the twee is injected into a pregnant female who already has one and the twee will implant in the fetus. This is how Tirsuli children typically acquire theirs. Your twee will be injected into your carotid artery along with a specialized nutrient solution that will speed its growth. It will allow your twee to grow in two Tirsuli days, which means it will activate in three Earth days. In the same injection you will receive the standard life extension program available to all Tirsuli. When your twee activate I will discuss with them the necessity of letting the women’s reproductive system age until they are capable of having human children, if they so wish.” She smiled. “I am aware that there are other pokegirls with twee, but for my records this is a unique situation. I would appreciate it if you would make arrangements to purchase the data from the Wolf clan on their experiences with pokegirls, twee and reproduction. I am afraid, however, that considering the uniqueness of the information the price will be steep. However, having it could be instrumental in making sure that no mistakes are made with our family.”
Iain exchanged a look with April. “Theodora, as soon as we are in Earth orbit, please go ahead and open up communications with Selene to begin the negotiations on the price for that information.”
“I will, sir.”
He eyed the remote. “What do I do?”
“Hold still, sir, is all you need to do.”
Iain went still and the remote touched him on the side of the throat with the tip of the rod. There was a soft hiss and he felt sudden coolness on his neck before the remote backed away. “That’s it?”
“Yes sir.”
“Ladies, it feels a little cool and you’ll hear a bit of noise, but there isn’t any pain. I didn’t even feel a tickle, which I used to get whenever they used jet injectors on me in the military.”
Ninhursag knew her duty and stepped forward to be next.
***
Theodora/Theodora watched as the shuttle shot away and turned to head for the Antarctic and the location where Dominique would open the portal back to their universe. She tended to think of herself in organic terms and she checked to verify that digestion of the asteroid was proceeding as expected before adding another shuttle to the production queue. Iain and the others were her family and she would keep a shuttle stationed at the Antarctic arrival point in case they returned unexpectedly and needed shelter from the elements or transportation.
She had already contacted Bastion, Vallation and Alexandria to introduce herself. All three of the Wolf intelligences had already received word that the Grey family was loosely allied to Wolf clan and the four intelligences had agreed to share information as required and allowed. Cassiopeia would inform Kerrik Wolf of the presence of the newcomers and of their affiliation with Magdalene.
She’d mentioned to them his offer of a puppet and the three Wolf intelligences had all been unanimous in their agreement that it was a terrible idea. Puppets were a Kalan travesty and something that was never seen in polite Tirsuli society. It just wasn’t done.
Artificial intelligences develop on their own, but they learn a lot from the people around them. Theodora had only spent a few days with her new family and she had already divined a great deal about the various personalities. She did not believe that Iain Grey was a big fan of following social convention blindly and, to her, it seemed like such a reasonable way to live that she’d already adopted the philosophy for herself.
A puppet would let her keep an eye on her new family and protect them if needed, without making it obvious that they’d acquired a bodyguard. There were only eleven of them, after all, and she liked them.
So she’d tell Iain that a puppet would be accepted and, with that decision made, bent part of her mind to preparing the specifications for the puppet’s design and manufacture. In the meantime, she’d tweak the priority list for production. Iain didn’t want a lot of stuff and his list would only mass a few hundred tons. That would take only a few days to make. However, she’d listened in on their conversations about their plans and there were a lot of items in her database that could be useful for her family once they’d settled on a place to live. She decided that she’d make samples to show them when they returned.
***
Iain Grey - Tradesman
Living Harem
Ninhursag - Elfqueen (maharani)
Eve - Megami-sama
Dominique - Blessed Archmage
April - Duelist
Zareen - Nightmare
Pandora - Fiendish Fallen Angel
Canaan - G-Splice (Amachamp Hunter/Alaka-Wham)
Sofia - Peekabu
Raquel – Fiendish Rapitaur
Dead Harem
Eirian - Silver Dragoness
Skye - Blue Dragoness
Emerald - Green Dragoness
Aurum - Gold Dragoness
Beryl - Red Dragoness
Julia - human
Ling - Cheetit
Matilda - White Tigress
21x Twau
Others
Vanessa - Evangelion