9 Years, 11 Months, 20 Days After Eridani Landing
Home World
[Vann] stood up and moved away from the small stone bench as the young woman stepped out of the back entrance of the palace and into the garden that dominated the space behind the ancient building.
Smoothing his formal robes [Vann]’s eyes quickly roved over her. There was no doubt of her lineage, a pure Class A with a line from the Home World was very clear even from a distance. Her features as refined and as pure as those within the royal family itself.
Dressed in thin pale green robes that hugged her figure, with a slit down the side of the skirt the dress was reminiscent of the ancient Dorvakian style. The only modern addition was the pale green hood that covered and framed her face, protecting it from the sun.
The hood was simple, instead of being constructed with intricate lacing and pattering that would have helped to denote her status.
She had paused after stepping out of the Palace, her eyes locked on the garden itself. Older than the Palace itself, the garden was wilder than it had ever been. [Vann] had removed the gardeners from the staff years ago, along with the rest of the Palace staff and servants.
[Vann] watched her and standing still smiled slightly as her gaze finally moved over him. Her eyes widened, “Emperor!” She snapped to a salute, her voice barely carrying across the distance to him.
[Vann] shook his head and gestured her towards him, “Drop the salute, come here!” shouted [Vann] across the distance. Hesitating the woman dropped her hand and hesitating for only a moment swiftly moved towards him.
[Vann] shook his own head, trying to put the memories from several nights together in his head. Her clothing had been different, and he had only seen her for a moment. The woman in front of him was far more beautiful than what he remembered.
Stepping up in front of him she paused and fidgeted under his gaze. [Vann] placed a hand on her shoulder, lightly guiding her down to sit at a small stone bench across from his own between them a small glass table.
“Please call me Vannalnaskara. I can’t stand the titles when I’m in my home. They make even friendly conversation feel like formal Senate proceedings.”
The woman worked her mouth for a moment looking stunned. [Vann] sat waiting for her to speak.
“Yes, Emperor.” She winced, “Sorry, uh.” She trailed off and turned her eyes to the table.
“Try again Kervennatil.” said [Vann] his voice low.
She quickly nodded, “Yes Emper- uh, [Vann].” She nervously swallowed and her eyes moved away from again. [Vann] watched mildly amused as her hands began to dig into her dress bunching it up in her fists.
[Vann] managed to keep the amused smile off his face. She was far more nervous than he was, and he was the one in the wrong. Her beauty was only endearing her further, every awkward movement somehow enticing.
[Vann] raised a hand and turned to look at the palace, a small smirk on his face now. [Syn], and her own assistant [Sam] both dressed in the traditional Palace staff uniforms stepped out onto the lawn a tray in each of their hands.
[Syn] was enjoying the ‘undercover operations’ as she had put it, and had produced the uniforms only moments after [Vann] had suggested the plan. [Syn] had plainly been reluctant, but had gone along with the plan as well.
Behind the two of them, in his usual dark robes [Reece] stepped out into the garden and moved swiftly to stand underneath the shade of a small tree off behind [Vann].
[Syn] carried her own tray with expert poise, while [Sam] nearly tripped over her own legs. The plates on her tray rattled slightly but [Venna] didn’t notice her eyes locked on the ground still.
The two quickly set their trays down, and [Syn] glanced at [Vann] her eyes twinkling. She grinned at him, [Vann] rolled his eyes at her.
[Syn] frowned, ‘Be nice.’ She mouthed her back to [Venna].
[Vann] inclined his head as she retreated. Turning back to the woman [Vann] sighed “Kervennatil, I must apologize.”
[Venna] quickly turned her eyes up to meet his own, “I was expecting a formal letter in the way of an apology, perhaps an invitation to the next formal.” she said her voice a quick whisper.
[Vann] nodded and rubbed at the back of his neck, “[Sonten] suggested the same, if I were to do anything at all. That you were not important enough to warrant a personal apology. That as Emperor my time was too valuable to waste on an apology with a girl who is not even related to a Senator.”
[Vann] leaned down and picked up the pitcher of juice on the tray. Quickly pouring out two glasses, he held one out to [Venna]. She took it, her hand brushing against his own. The light red of her face darkened even further as she blushed.
“What happened is not representative of me, and I wanted to impress that upon you. Some of the Emperors of the past have gone down that route. It is not one I intend to go down, and so I most apologize and thank you for serving as that warning.”
[Venna]’s eyes were wide now staring at [Vann].
He smiled and raised his glass. “I’m sorry, and thank you.”
Once again, she was left grasping for words. Raising her glass to her lips [Venna] bowed her head, “I accept your apology. I can only hope that the Emperor losing his dinner all over me is not the highlight of my life.”
[Vann] chuckled and leaned back in the stone seat, “I think you’re safe, I’m not going to be going to another one of [Sonten]’s parties. I was unsure to begin with, and this debacle has only solidified that opinion.”
[Venna] blinked and frowning looked down at the tray. Reaching out she grabbed a small cookie from it and quickly bit into it.
[Vann] turned to look back out at the wild garden and picked up a cookie as well, letting the silence stretch out between them.
“Emperor, why?” [Venna] shook her head and shoved the rest of the cookie into her mouth.
“Ask your question, it’s rare I get to enjoy time with such a beautiful woman these days.”
[Venna]’s blush deepened, “Why were you at the party? I don’t go to that many, but from what I heard you’ve never even gone to one of them before.”
“Why don’t you go that often?”
[Venna] shrugged, “They’re not really relaxing, but they can be fun. They’re an opportunity to meet new people, make new contacts. If I’m being honest, my Father insisted I go to this one since it was rumored you were attending, so I could meet you try and talk to you.”
[Vann] chuckled, “Well we did meet. Not under the best circumstances I’ll grant you that. I went because my Cousin has been insisting I accompany him to one for years.”
“But you did not like it?” asked [Venna].
[Vann] smiled and sipped at his drink, “No. I can hardly tolerate all of the official parties and events I have to go to. I never get to enjoy them, anyone who wants to talk with me wants to leverage me to help them with something. It’s exhausting. I had hoped that going to an event with those my own age would be less demanding, but” [Vann] sighed.
“They were simply more direct. The Senators who want me to help push through their agendas are at least subtle, they phrase everything in a way that it will not only benefit them but their people as well. Their sons and daughters, simply want the power and influence I wield. What they will do if they should obtain it is an afterthought they only want the power.”
[Vann] grimaced and put a hand to his eyes hiding them, “I’m sure you noticed the entourage of women who were following me around?”
[Venna] nodded, “They were hard to miss. Although,” she hesitated and her face darkened, “even if you were not Emperor you would have quite the following I think.”
[Vann] chuckled, “I’d like to think so. It does take some effort to maintain this,” [Vann] gestured at himself, “it was nice to have a woman running away from me for once If I’m honest.” [Vann] frowned and bit his lip, “That uh, didn’t come out right.”
[Venna] shook her head laughing, “I get what you mean.”
[Vann] nodded and coughing he turned back to look at the garden, “It did give me a good reason to invite you over now though. I am glad you’re wearing something more appropriate for the palace though. What you were wearing at the event was nice,” [Vann] trailed off.
[Venna] took the que, “but would have hardly been appropriate for the palace. My Mother went out and bought this for me as soon as we received your invitation. Some of my friends helped me get ready for [Sonten]’s party I don’t usually dress like that, and my Father is happy when I’m wearing anything beyond my work clothes.”
She patted the dress, “Still I was afraid this was a little old fashioned.”
[Vann] snorted, “Compared to the rest of the women at the party, you were conservative even then. And I like the dress you’re wearing now.”
He paused and picked up another cookie, “What kind of work do you do?”
[Venna] licked at her lips and glanced down, “Can I uh, well I’m. Ugh.” She put her head in her hands for a moment covering up her mouth with her hands.
[Vann] said nothing waiting.
“I’m supposed to be convincing you to support my Father’s company, like everyone else you say you meet. My Father was actually happy in a twisted way that you did throw up on me. If you hadn’t sent the invitation for today he was getting ready to put political pressure in place for something.”
[Vann] smirked, “Well, that was certainly direct. Most people would be using the situation to their advantage.”
[Venna] groaned into her hands not looking at him, “Now I’ve screwed it up. I’m not any good at these politics. Admitting you’re not good at them is bad too.”
[Vann] shook his head smiling, “How about this [Venna]. You have with your beauty and charming company convinced me to meet your father for a lunch after the next Senate meeting. Now, will you calm down and just talk?”
[Venna]’s head shot up from her hands and she stared at him, “Wha, really?”
“Really, now that we’ve both completed what we needed to accomplish, can we just enjoy this?” [Vann] waved his hand around at the garden, “and talk? I hardly ever get to just talk.”
[Vann] paused and tapped at the stone seat, “If we’re going to talk it is under one condition.”
“That is?”
“Don’t tell me what you think I want to hear. I have far too many of those people in my life. I don’t need another.”
[Venna] slowly nodded, “Yes Empe-“
[Vann] held up his hand.
“Yes [Vann]. What is it you want to talk about?”
[Vann] leaned back in his seat and looked at the purple blue sky. “Work clothes? Your Father is not a Senator, but neither is he without influence.”
The woman licked her lips again, “He saved the Baroom company from collapse after his own father nearly squandered it. The companies gone up and down in the market for generations, but his father brought it to near collapse for the first time. My Father only saved it by working hard and being lucky. Our mission now, it to ensure we never get that close to failure again. I know it sounds like I’m promoting Baroom, but it’s the truth.” [Venna] picked up a cookie and bit into it.
“I can handle the administrative tasks as well as anyone else at the company. I need to know them if I’m going to run Baroom in the future, but.” She paused again and glanced at [Vann]. “Well, my favorite thing to do is work on the prototyping floor. I’m not very good at designing things, but I can put them together. It’s simple, relaxing in a way. The protective clothing is a little annoying, but you learn to appreciate it when the plasma torch goes crazy in your hand.”
[Vann] tapped his hand against the stone, “I can understand that.”
Reaching into his robes [Vann] whipped out one of the smaller knives he kept, [Venna] went stock still her eyes on it.
“I train with swords and blades, like the very first Emperors did. Hardly a useful talent these days, but I enjoy it.”
Raising the knife [Vann] flipped it into the air. The metal flashed in the sunlight and hand darting out he deftly caught the blade and slid it back into his robes.
[Venna]’s eyes widened, “You train for combat like the first Emperors? You should never have to fight!”
“It is the same thing as your own training, only I have no one pushing me to do it except history, and the horrors that await us in the future. I have to understand those who fight on the ground of planets, to the orchestrating of war campaigns.”
“Horrors of the future?” asked [Venna].
[Vann] leaned forwards, “The Empire will in my lifetime, or perhaps that of my sons and daughters, face the largest threat it has ever had.”
[Venna]’s face went pink as blood drained from it, “You fear another civil war?”
“Something to that effect. The politics of an Emperor who has grown up in the absence of his parents, what has history shown us that will produce?”
[Venna] carefully looked around the garden and took a drained her cup.
“Strife, as those in power try to wrest control from the Emperor. That, or the Emperor has not a care for the people of the Empire, and he only delays the strife for a generation or so. At least historically.”
[Vann] nodded, “I have no intention of putting my own through what I have endured. I would hope for nothing more than to break the pattern, but I must prepare for every possibility.”
[Vann] leaned forwards towards [Venna]. “I wish only to count you among my friends, and perhaps more in the future.”
“More?” squeaked [Venna].
[Vann] smiled, “You are direct, and you have a very hard time being anything but direct. It is refreshing.”
[Venna] opened her mouth, and then closed it.
“I am not promising anything [Venna], all I wished to do today was apologize. I have done so yes?” asked [Vann].
“You have Emperor.”
9 Years, 11 Months, 20 Days After Eridani Landing
Chront
Stepping back from the workbench Derrick let out a frustrated breath, “Anything?”
Hala her eyes still on the Link that was trying to analyze the alien technology shook her head, “No.”
Derrick cursed under his breath, “Damn it, what else could it be?”
Hala scratched at her chin and shrugged, “The only thing I can think of is perhaps our entire interface program is wrong? It’s got power, but it’s not accepting the images we’re feeding it.”
“We pulled the control program from their own database, we’re using an image from their own computer! This thing should think it’s on one of their own ships!”
Leaning over Derrick poked at the holographic projector. It was one of the more easily identifiable pieces of Empire technology, a small black half sphere about the size of an apple the devices had been found in nearly every compartment of the salvaged vessels.
Scratching at his head and pulling at the hair that had begun to grow out from the crew cut that was practical in space Derrick turned away from the work bench.
“Allen!”
The other Human, at the opposite side of the hanger that was nearly identical to the one that the Canada had been laid to rest in, jumped at his name and almost fell from his perch on top of the alien wreckage he was on. His hands shot out to grab the rope of the harness he was in.
The Seninon engineers on the ground next to the wreckage holding the other end of the safety line tightened their grip. The pulley in the ceiling creaked and in unison Allen and the Seninon turned to shoot glares at Derrick.
“What?” Shouted Allen looking annoyed.
“Where are those Vakurian engineers?”
Allen frowned, “Two of them are in heat right now, and the rest of them are working on repairing the Valiant with the resources the Seninon are providing. They’re a little busy!”
“Heat, like hot?” asked Derrick.
Even across the space Derrick could see the other human rolling his eyes, “Like cats!”
Derrick frowned, “I’ve never seen a cat!”
“Birds and bees!” shouted Allen.
Derrick’s eyes widened, “Ah, wait that’s different from ours?”
Allen again rolled his eyes and stoop down to look at something in the wreckage ignoring Derrick.
Hala huffed and grabbed Derrick’s shoulder, spinning him back around to the workbench. “Come on, you’ve been saying it’s better to figure things out for ourselves rather than be told how to do something. We’ve only been at this for a few hours.”
“With absolutely no progress.” Growled Derrick. He turned back to his Link and poked at it again, trying to get the Empire’s technology to respond.
“We could always go grab a ‘guest’.” Suggested Hala.
Derrick rolled his eyes and turned back to the piece of technology, “Yes, because that went so well last time! They’re captured, on a class C planet, and we’ve demonstrated we have better technology, and they’re still better! It’s like they don’t understand what situation they’re in!” said Derrick his voice rising. He gave the holographic projector a good hit.
The piece of technology did nothing. Hala raised her hands in mock surrender, “The Intelligence guys have had more time with them, you don’t think they’ll be a little more willing to talk by this point?” asked Hala.
Derrick shrugged, “The Intelligence guys have been focusing on the top brass more than the rank and file engineers. Something about military intelligence only being relevant for a short time.” Said Derrick smiling slightly.
“The what?”
Derrick nodded, “The officers.”
“Ah, you don’t think the engineers are going to be willing to explain a few things? I understand not giving up military secrets and weapons technology. Hologram technology though? Why die for that?”
There was a crash and the two engineers turned to look back at the piece of the Empire ship. The piece of metal had fallen over and Allen was dangling a meter off the ground the safety rope taunt. The Seninon engineers manning his safety line quickly lowered him to the ground.
Stepping out of the harness, a piece of metal in his hand Allen strode towards the table.
“It’s not the fact that the information isn’t that important, it’s the fact that a Class C is demanding it that’s the issue.” Said Allen. Pushing between the two of them he set the metal down on the table next to the projector.
“What?” said Hala.
Allen turned away from the work bench, “One of the Vakurian explained it to me, and after seeing the Empire fighting here I have to agree with her. Our extermination is one of the cornerstones of their civilization. It’s religion, politics, tradition, and racism all rolled up into one neat little package.”
Allen raised his hand and waved them around in a circle, “The class C are responsible for everything bad in the galaxy. We are the personification of an ancient evil lurking in the darkness, if the Empire does not focus all its effort on our extermination we will grow into a menace which will consume their worlds, raping, pillaging, and burning across the stars. To protect themselves and their children, we must be exterminated. That’s without going into the religion of it all.”
Derrick scoffed, “The religion?”
Allen nodded, “They’re religious, I’m a little fuzzier on what it is exactly. The Vakurian never researched it that much, and what information I could find in the data they grabbed has to be heavily doctored.”
“The Vakurian never researched the reason the Empire decided to destroy them?” asked Hala.
“The Vakurian don’t have much in the way of religion beyond ancestor worship, the concept of a formalized religion was alien to them. Besides it was only a justification.”
Hala frowned, “Nice to know the problems are the same across the stars.”
Derrick huffed, “Humans were a mess for a long time, we’ve got a few thousand religions at least. Looking at your planet,” he swallowed, “Arik said it was rather simple. Only one major religious division, and a pantheon of gods.”
Hala carefully looked between the two of them and then over at the other Seninon engineers, “You have thousands of religions?”
Derrick raised an eyebrow, “We did. Nowadays, not so much. Only a few devout made it to Bellona.”
Hala sobered at that, “I’m sorry, I didn’t.”
Derrick waved a hand, “We have all of the information about them, all of the religious texts, practices, everything. Still it’s a loss, religion had a similar role on our society as it has in your own.”
Hala glanced over at the other engineers, “Used to justify wars?”
“And charity.” Said Derrick.
She shrugged saying nothing.
Allen sighed, “Bad or good, it’s part of our culture. Humanity has gone through periods of time where we had more religion, and less. It’s always been a part of us though, it should have been our choice, our decision on if we kept it going into the future. The Empire ripped it away, as bad or good as it was in the past it’s another part of our culture we’re trying to keep.”
Hala tilted her head to the side, “You want to regain it?”
Derrick shrugged, “I want to recover everything that was Human, but I don’t have the time.”
He glanced at the older man, “I’ve never even seen a cat. All of the religious sites on Earth have probably been destroyed, and it hurts to read from religious texts that reference a planet I’ll never see every other sentence.” Derrick patted the workbench, “This is where I’m useful for the moment. Stealing the alien technology, rebuilding what Humanity can actually use to fight.”
Hala pursed her lips and nodded, “So you’re not open to anything new?”
Derrick shrugged and leaned back over the bench, poking at the piece of metal that Allen had dumped on it. “Don’t have the time. Allen, what is this?”
“I think that is a part of the holographic system. The ones on the Valiant are bigger, but this looks similar enough.”
Allen shook his head, flipping the piece of metal over he looked at the circuitry on the other side of it.
“This stuff is a mess.”
Hala leaned down and looked over the component as well, tracing the visible leads and wires. “A secondary processor?”
Allen shook his head, “doesn’t look like any of the other processors they have, temporary memory?”
Hala considered that, “Maybe, the holographic projector was short on memory and the holographic files were ‘small’.” Said Hala emphasizing her last word.
“Twenty gigabytes is small.” Said Derrick not looking up from the second module.
“To you and the Empire, perhaps. I’m assuming you still compress data?” asked Hala.
Derrick grinned, “You think this is a memory processor, specifically for holographic images?”
Hala nodded, “Something like that.”
Grabbing a several leads Derrick attatched them to the second module, and then to his Link.
“You got power?” asked Derrick.
“Got it, looks like standard midrange module, yes?” asked Hala pointing at the power pinout. The Empire’s power standards had been one of the first things that had to be understood, and Humanity had done the legwork for that on Bellona.
Derrick nodded, “Yep. Give it some juice.”
Hala flicked the power supply on, the solid hunk of metal hummed and the piece of metal on the workbench sparked.
“Anything?” asked Hala.
Derrick flipped the Link around, showing her the data stream flowing into the device. “A terabyte of data already. You were right, we were feeding the projector the compressed format.”
Hala shrugged, and then dove for cover as the power supply shrieked and something inside of it ground to a halt. Bits of metal and plastic rained down on her as Derrick dove away as well.
Allen looked down at the two of them on the floor, “You reacted way too quickly to that.”
“Hala likes blowing things up.” Said Derrick.
Hala shot him a glare, “I’m doing exactly what you do,”
“Nothing I set up, blows up!” said Derrick.
Hala put her hands on her hips, “Really?”
Derrick smiled, “No.”
Epoch 6058122
Null
MemoryError
Error in arik.main:
Traceback(most recent call):
File “/root/arik.ii”, line 5545, in main(x,x,x):
File “/root/arik.ii”, line 223, in main
If core_present is false: force_recompile
Force_recompile
SYSTEM ALERT – forcing a recompile with damaged / missing files is not recommended. Continue? Y/N
….
Yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
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