“The Galactic Alliance: deus ex machina”
“All right, everyone, we’re coming up on Epitaph. The weather report’s calling for clear skies and good landing conditions. We’re trying to find a good port to dock in right now, but we might have some difficulties since it seems the one we used last time is at maximum capacity. Looks like we might be staying here a few days.”
“We’ve definitely become full-fledged pilots now,” Teleah muttered as she rolled her eyes at her sister. Kayleigh made a face before resuming her transmission.
“I know we’re all tired, and we’ve got cabin fever, so the layover will do a lot of good. Wait— I’ve been given clearance to land. Yes, it looks like we’ll have to do some traveling to reach the Suing house. Dr. Fujiwara, please retrieve the Venusian medicine at this time.” Teleah suddenly reached over and rudely shut the transmission off.
“You’re a real comedian, you know that?”
“Hey, I’m sick of being cooped up in here, too. It’s about time we stretch our legs.”
“Oh, whatever. Like I have a choice. You could’ve just said something like ‘we’re here’; you don’t have to be theatrical about it.”
“And you don’t have to be such a bitch. God, I wish we didn’t have to share the same body like this all the time.”
“You won’t find me arguing.”
“We argue all the time!” A knock came at the door; both sisters snapped at once: “WHAT?!”
“Sorry.” Amy squeaked defenselessly as she poked her head through. “Didn’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted to say that I’m not feeling well, so I’ll probably be staying here. But you all go and have fun.”
“Really? Are you sure?” The twins couldn’t help but feel sympathetic towards Miracle; it was impossible not to like her. Their feelings melted away as her smile brightened the small room.
“Go on, I’m positive. Rachel will take care of me.”
“You know, you’re starting to become pale. And it’s not healthy for you to stay locked in here, either.”
“I know. How about we all find a nice resort to go to once we’re through here?”
“That sounds fun,” Kayleigh smiled. “We haven’t been swimming in a long time.”
“Then I guess we have our next destination. Run along, now: I’ll look after things here.”
“You’re positive? I mean, it wouldn’t take but a second for Fuuka to patch you up.”
“I’m sure. I’m getting dizzy just standing here. I promise I’ll go swimming with you all later.” Amy was set in her decision; the twins couldn’t persuade her. In a matter of minutes, the rest of the crew had departed, although they felt a little bad for leaving their most beloved member alone.
“I just hope she doesn’t bail out the next time,” Naja said lazily. “And she’d better be wearing a bikini!!”
……
Emperor Valorien Tolan of Alfheim and Supreme Commander of the Sindarin Special Defense Forces was just one of the prominent members of the galactic alliance— a sort of council of important and influential leaders of all the major enterprises in the Milky Way. It had formed thousands of years ago, when the first explorers came to the realization that there were many powers in the world, and there needed to be a union of those who represented these powers so that a sense of general harmony and understanding could be reached. In order that the alliance not become too bloated, the number of representatives swayed between fifty and eighty; one person could therefore speak for millions, perhaps billions. Emperor Tolan could certainly handle that weight, and so could the Director of the United Military, Clarissa Astor.
“Your Highness,” she said, kissing his knuckles.
“Director Astor,” he replied, shaking her hand. “And wife,” he added, shaking Clarissa’s green-skinned accomplice. Iona was here as representative of her people, a species added relatively recently to the alliance’s catalogue. The two women might have worked and lived together, but they both had every right to attend. Naturally, Lord Maoska Demise of Demise Industries made an appearance, escorted by a small but strong shock force. He greeted everyone stiffly, wielding an exquisite staff or cane in his hand, the symbol of his family’s power.
“The three of you seem to be in good health,” he observed dryly. He nodded to the Norgrim Vicegerent, a large purplish blob who boasted seventeen wives and at least eighty children (not to mention a bank account large enough to buy several star systems); Clarissa welcomed the next guest with much more warmth, first embracing then kissing him.
“Admiral von Schwarzburg, welcome back,” she beamed. “I’m sorry to pull you away from your vacation so suddenly.”
“A soldier’s duty is to always be prepared,” he replied soundly, before standing straight in a salute. “My life and skills are always at your disposal, ma’am, regardless of where I might be.”
“At ease, Klaus,” she grinned. “We’ve known each other too long to suffer each other formalities. How is your mother?”
“Sadly, she is not in the best health, and she is growing worse. Her will is strong, but her body may not last. Aunt Leona is already beginning to make…arrangements.”
“Goodness, I had no idea that Isana was that far gone. She seemed well enough when I saw her last. I mean, I know she is getting older…”
“That is the fate of us all, Director Astor,” he answered grimly. “But she sends her best, and she believes she will recover. Alas that her great generation is fading.”
“I suppose people like us will have to pick up the slack. …Speaking of your family, I’ve also invited your Aunt Chastity to this meeting.”
“That’s…very pleasant news,” he said, stunned though he was, “but I didn’t think she would have anything to contribute. Uh— forgive me, I speak out of place; I merely meant that I wouldn’t know what she might be able to say that you or I could not.”
“Dr. Meritz speaks for the planet Earth, Klaus, while you and I are the voice of the military. Here she is!” Admiral Schwarzburg removed his hat and embraced his aunt warmly, kissing her forehead. Chastity smiled at them both as she brandished a rolled-up piece of paper.
“Sorry I’m late. Leona wouldn’t let me go until the very end. Sometimes I wish she would let Isana just rest. The poor woman worries so much that she’s getting wrinkles.”
“And there are enough on my brow as it is,” the Admiral coughed. He glanced around to see Lord Demise chatting with Emperor Tolan and the Vicegerent, and frowned heavily. “Ladies, my opinion might matter little out on that floor, but if I may be allowed to speak candidly, it is my belief that not a one of those men can be trusted with what you might have in mind to announce, Director.”
“They are all vital members of the alliance,” Iona said, her voice so sweet and melodic and thoughtful that another word might’ve lulled them all into a stupor. She kept her thoughts brief. “And what we have to speak of concerns them as well. Valorien is at least one who pursues goodness.”
“Supposing we get this meeting underway,” Chastity said after a pause. Everyone agreed and the stragglers were summoned to converge. Lord Demise noted with an air of disapproval that none of the other usual representatives were in attendance.
“Begging your pardon, Lady Director, and distinguished colleagues, but am I to understand this is all who felt obliged to arrive? Normal circumstances entail a more significant crowd.”
“Yes, indeed,” the Vicegerent announced in a sonorous, sweeping prose, “I’ve not seen the Admiral Kluor Elapidae and Senior Diplomat Aashirin, not once, nor could I find guild master Hovus, no, the master of professional bounty hunters is not here, I know we’re a prestigious group, but he’s a prestigious man, yes, I’m also disappointed that council leader Hhrunffll is out, don’t these meetings normally require his approval, or at least his presence, hmm?”
“They are all coming,” Clarissa assured them, “and many more. We must show patience. For now, I would like to open the floor with some discussion concerning increased hostile activity along fringe territories, and the expansion of transportation lines in these areas.”
“This is an archaic issue and a matter of little importance,” Demise answered dismissively. “I recall not long ago an envoy from one of the commercial companies pleading this very same case. I was led to believe the two of you spoke, Director, and that a resolution was met. Was my information misleading?”
“The military made no official movement to resolve the issue,” she replied coldly. “I advised Ms. Ozmund to investigate the matter further, and to await development.”
“Speaking for the merchants of the galaxy, lord knows they number in the billions, I would assume the military would show more responsibility concerning this matter, especially since our survival depends on those highways being opened and cleared of dangers, quite true, and your livelihoods depend on our successes, hmm, you really told her that, did you?”
“There were too many unknown variables. I have invited the Chairman of the Ozmund Company here today to offer a report and a testimonial in regards to the results of this investigation.” The group started muttering in disapproval, which didn’t surprise Astor in the least. If there was one thing they could all agree on, it was the exclusion of outsiders. Despite their babbling, Kyle Ozmund was allowed to enter, and with him came Admiral Elapidae, and guild master Hovus, and the great leader Hhrunffll, a Loxodont (or Elephant-person).
“We…are not too…late, are we?” Hhrunffll wheezed, his immense trunk rising with each syllable.
“No, your grace; it seems the rest of us are merely early.” Iona smiled faintly and gave her wife a questioning glance. Perhaps Clarissa had this delayed appearance planned; the council always did quiet down whenever their chancellor arrived. The revered Loxodont lumbered onto a large recliner built specifically for his size and weight, and dishes of food and drink were brought for everyone, though only he and the Norgrim ate.
“Your grace,” Lord Demise announced, “might I ask why an outsider has been permitted to witness this meeting? I understand he wields some importance, but it has long been agreed that those who wish to enter these chambers must be more than a mere…serviceman.” He chose that last comment with pretentious care, remaining as stoic as a rock. Kyle raised his eyebrow and crossed his arms, but said nothing.
“It was…Director Astor’s request…that he approach…the podium, and speak…regarding the issue. I found nothing…objectionable, Lord Demise.”
“If it was your will, then so be it.” Demise sat back down, and gestured for Ozmund to do what he came here for. Kyle frowned deeply.
“Well, there was the whole pirate issue— I mean, the trade lines between established worlds and those lying out on fringe territory are under duress as we speak, exalted members of the galactic council…”
“Your friend seems a touch nervous,” Admiral Schwarzburg whispered.
“Kyle’s just not comfortable talking in front of people like Demise and Tolan, and he never saw a Norgrim he liked. He thinks he has to put on airs.”
“Poor lad,” he grumbled. “I wish they’d give him a chance to tell it in his own words.”
“Raids by pirates, bandits, and creatures we’ve never encountered before are increasing,” Kyle resumed, albeit stiffly. “But despite your opinions, this is not the issue at large. Regardless of what the military thinks or what the Norgr— what your race, or even what merchants in the whole think, Vicegerent, there’s something even more pressing that we must focus our attention towards.”
“And what pray might that be, young man?” Emperor Tolan demanded. Kyle Ozmund might have been uncomfortable around people like him, but he certainly wasn’t intimidated.
“The attacks are a great setback, your highness, but we can survive through them, as we have survived for centuries against the like. But what we’re facing now is a new threat, a more encompassing threat— a more important danger that we are all obliged to face.”
“Preposterous!” Admiral Elapidae snorted. “First of all, boy, you have the gall to come here at the behest of Director Astor and our esteemed Chancellor, when you are barely old enough to father and not nearly weighed down by the experiences and the gravity of those in our position. You are, as Lord Demise stated, little more than a layman, who only knows what the propagandists tell him. Secondly, you have the audacity to stand there and decide what we must and must not consider important— and third, if I might be allowed to continue…!”
Elapidae trailed off suggestively, glancing at Hhrunffll, expecting his input. The wise old Loxodont had nearly fallen asleep, as he was known to do in these meetings— it wasn’t his fault, he was just as bored as Ozmund was— but a quick ahem from the Elshyrin woke him.
“If I might be allowed to continue,” he said gruffly, “if this young man continues to waste our time with meaningless speeches and no results or evidence— ”
“I think…you have spoken…enough for all of us, young master…Kluor,” the Elephant gasped. “Let the boy…say what he will…if he might be allowed…to continue.” The Elshyrin frowned darkly and sat without another word.
“Thank you, um, sir,” Kyle said uneasily. “You’ll have to forgive me: usually I don’t speak to anyone higher up on the food chain than my parents. Well, Clarissa seems to tolerate— I mean, the Director…”
“Get to the point, son!” Schwarzburg urged. Kylze smiled awkwardly and adjusted his tie.
“Right, thank you sir. The point that I am trying to make is that through several encounters with the bandits I mentioned— interrogations and the like— my sister and I have come to believe a vast majority of them are being controlled somehow to specifically target these shipping lines.”
“What evidence do you base this on, Ozmund?” Hovus said.
“I’m just good at interviewing people,” he said flatly. “I have strong reason to believe they’re telling the truth, sir. In any case, I couldn’t come up with many names— I’m assuming they’re not being told who’s controlling them for fear of an information leak— but I did find one. Mainly, Origin.” There came a predictable silence, but not one as grim as Kyle once anticipated. There was confusion, mostly, in the group.
“Do you know what this means?”
“I’m sorry, Dr. Meritz, but I don’t. The man I interrogated, a Pyrosian, killed himself shortly after. My sister and I have trying to get to the bottom of everything ever since, but we’ve not had much luck.”
“And what, pray tell, might this Origin, or whatever is commanding your assailants, hope to accomplish by frustrating your expansionist efforts?”
“I’m not sure, Lord Demise. My sister has hypothesized that whatever is controlling them wants our organization under their wing as well, and is merely hoping to gain our trust and our friendship. I can’t prove this, of course, but I trust Keiko.”
“And therefore, once they have transportation monopolized, they would have freer range throughout our worlds, would they not, or are you merely drawing conspiracy theories, do you really think so many people are out to ‘get’ you, young man, are you so suspicious, and honestly, even if it were true, what could they accomplish with your company in their pockets?”
“Faster travel, for one,” Admiral Schwarzburg answered. “As well as access to roads and paths that are restricted from casual travel. Young man, could you possibly tell us what else you obtained from those you captured? Perhaps there is something you’ve overlooked.”
“They told me they were after certain artifacts. Most of them were nondescript relics you could find anywhere, but a few of them were rare items. Why, Vicegerent, they even claimed to know of treasures buried on your home world— and Mrs. Astor, they were particularly interested in acquiring items related to your species.”
“Preposterous, all the treasures on Nurogrim, all rights reserved by his Excellency, the high Vicegerent— presently myself— all of the treasures have been looted long ago— ”
“Let him continue…Vicegerent,” Hhrunffll said. The Norgrim snorted but was silent.
“One of them mentioned knowledge of the Tome of Treasures,” Kyle said. “I found this rather surprising, since as we’re all aware, the Tome was stolen from Bibliopolis several months ago, possibly in possession of the crew of the independent exploration vessel Dauntless. It is therefore my opinion that there exists a second copy out there, most likely in the possession of Origin or whatever has masterminded our foes.”
“This is the work of farce and fiction!” shouted Admiral Elapidae, slamming his fist on a table. “Books of treasures…enigmatic overlords commanding lowborn thugs and criminals to stymie the growth of trade and transport…conspiracies and hypotheses… Control your foolish ape-fantasies while you are still master of your dignity!”
“Let the young man…speak, Kluor,” said Hhrunffll, slightly angrier. The Elshyrin hissed and sat down hotly. Kyle cleared his throat.
“You might be right, Admiral. I have nothing else to go on other than conjecture and the word of criminals and outlaws. I may very well be grasping at straws. But there is something dangerous afoot, I can tell. If there’s even a sliver of truth behind what my people are uncovering, the slightest chance that it could be real…then we may face a danger the likes of which could threaten all our lives.”
“And just how might these criminals and their conquests be of any threat?” demanded Aashirin Elapidae. “The avaricious will always look for treasure. It is their nature. They do not have the means to mount any serious offensive, or to defend themselves should one of our number bear down on them. The reason the military has not offered its assistance is because the threats which you cower from are as insignificant as flies!”
“We take every threat seriously, madam diplomat,” Schwarzburg grumbled defensively. “Would you rather us burn our fingers extinguishing a lighted match, or lose a life fighting the fire caused from the match?”
“You raise a good point, Admiral, but can you specify any further, young man?”
“I am afraid not, guild master Hovus. I merely came here begging for aid. As Admiral Schwarzburg stated, I would rather confront this now, while there is still a chance to stop it.”
“We cannot confront that which we know nothing about,” Lord Demise replied carelessly. “For the time being, young man, you must present us with more concrete evidence. Then— if the council at large deems this threat of yours urgent enough— and if we bear the proper resources and the means to confront it— then, and only then, shall we loan you our aid. But I do not expect that to happen soon.”
“He creates…a valid presentation, young man,” Hhrunffll pointed out. “As passionate…as you are, we unfortunately…cannot act, unless there is…need for it.”
“I understand,” Kyle said thickly. “I will do what I can to learn more. I hope my efforts don’t go to waste.”
“It is…the wish of this council that…they do not. Please be seated…young man, and we will move…to the next matter…at hand.” The wizened sage Elephant seemed to gaze at young Ozmund with understanding and sympathy; Admiral Schwarzburg touched his shoulder encouragingly.
“Don’t let them get to you, boy. They wouldn’t lift a finger to fight a fire if it was right in front of their eyes. They’re only concerned with personal interests. Not that you can really blame them, though. We’re all out for number one here.”
“Bah, I didn’t expect them to rally or anything. But I did warn them, at least, for what it’s worth.”
“Hmm. Aunt Chastity, if you would? It’s time for the people of Earth to raise their voice.”
“Shucks,” she sighed. “And here I was hoping they could forget about us for a moment.”
……
The day’s business lasted well into the evening. Of the matters addressed, Clarissa remembered very little, save that her wife reported the condition of her people, and that their cooperation with the Gaeans was still going smoothly. Guild master Hovus spoke of a woman calling herself the New Angel of Death, a fair-haired and reasonably pretty young thing no more dangerous-looking than anyone else her age. The number of people she had killed— admittedly, only those close to perishing anyway— was now reaching into the hundreds, thanks to a raid on a disabled cargo ship that left only one survivor to tell the tale. Clarissa’s blood turned hot and she sat up in excitement: so, her friend’s daughter had been found after all these years. Wendy would be overjoyed.
But the rest of the meeting was bland and wearying. Not even Dr. Meritz could provide anything noteworthy; she merely gave announcements concerning Gaea’s condition and made several small deals with Lord Demise regarding Gigantes production. By the time they all parted, whether professionally or warmly, the hour of twilight was upon them, and night was on its heels. But Director Astor could not sleep, and implored her life-partner to go to bed without her. Iona adamantly refused and stayed by Clarissa’s side until slumber overcame her, and she rested her emerald face upon the woman’s lap.
Being Director of the galaxy’s military forces wasn’t just a title: Astor was privy to bits of information no other person had knowledge of. For one, she knew there had been two copies of the Tome of Treasures, and knew that the man who compiled them owned the second (having “donated” it to Bibliopolis some years back in an effort to remove attention from his actions); this man was most likely controlling Kyle’s enemies from a distance, and— with a bit of imagination and some reasoning— probably the same people who held her hostage aboard the space station. He definitely had a hand in the Space Race debacle, though she could prove nothing with the only certain co-conspirator in the grave, and more than likely helped fund Professor Hill’s genetic research, which ultimately led to his tragic undoing. The theory that this shadowy person lusted after the Ozmund Company’s resources, and was therefore interested in quietly squirming his way inside in order to achieve control, was not so farfetched: he probably controlled Demise Industries and the Norgrim merchants, among others. It was safe to say that with economics, industry, and travel in his hands, there would be no stopping this mysterious person once his full scheme was revealed.
It was this that kept the Director wakeful, with knitted brow, in the small cold hours of that evening when the others had left her. There was little doubt in her mind that the enemy was gathering those treasures for a specific reason, and if they found them all, or found the ones necessary for their plan, they would certainly unleash something terribly destructive— of this knowledge she was privy at least. A junction would be effected between two kinds of power which would then determine the fate of many worlds— perhaps many galaxies— perhaps everything. Doubtless that had been the will of the dark forces for centuries. The sciences, good and innocent in themselves, had already, even in the dawn of Earth’s foray into space, begun to be warped, had been subtly maneuvered in a certain direction. Everything was drawing to a point; in ancient times, goodness and evil was so blurred that almost no distinction between the two could be made. Eat, or be eaten; survive, or perish. But now goodness was getting better and evil was getting worse. Before, in times long ago, there had always been something to prevent the evil from becoming fully realized. Now Clarissa Astor was doubting if it could be managed again.
When her grandmother was a young woman, the Earth was overrun by war between two great powers, the Mimirian Empire and Blue Flower, a rebel group that had gained significant power. Gigantes were used for battle back then, and brothers thought nothing of slaughtering one another for domination. The very last Empress had gone so far into the darkness that she experienced dementia at the end, and was assassinated. Yet those bleak times had ended well enough: Earth was at peace and all was as many generations had been praying for. The conflict before her was no doubt infinitely worse.
Studying directly under her grandmother, Admiral Ellen Astor, and her right-hand officer Shiho Tsukei, enabled Clarissa special knowledge regarding Earth’s history. She considered it no small coincidence that many significant battles between the good and the evil happened on her own world; it was as if the very planet was silent in its position, and that one battle could easily sway it in either direction. Astor remembered hearing about a time when all the world nearly fell under the hypnotic spell of one woman, who sought domination by means of forcibly pacifying every living creature. Hathoway, Clarissa believed, was her name— the headmaster of some obscure women’s school. She had the ability to stop fighting, but it would rob people of their will, and cloud their sense of morality. Peace had to be earned and fought for; Hathoway sadly perished before she could come to her senses, or so the stories went. The conflict facing the Director now was not so different; its scale was just that much larger, now that so much more was at stake.
She also recalled hearing about the rise and fall of a powerful criminal empire on Earth, and how it had narrowly brought ruination and disaster to a world still recovering from war. However, they had been defeated and brought to justice by a small group of police officers, unlikely as it seemed. There were also the Intelligence Wars, of which one of Tsukei’s distant ancestors, a woman she had been named after, took some part in. Clarissa remembered how a man known only as Mastermind had nearly caused global chaos and disarray by threatening to expose universal corruption and deceit— but once again had been stopped by a small, determined group of individuals, whose names had been lost to history. Astor even remember hearing about a so-called Harbinger of Death born and bred on a world at the farthest edge of the galaxy, so distant that it almost remained hidden forever in the depths of space— a world where magic thrived and the seasons were literally frozen in time. This Harbinger, it was said, wielded enormous godlike powers, and was the root cause of suffering on two different worlds. But even this paled in comparison to what laid before her: indeed, if everything fit together as she feared, it would be worse than a million Harbingers of Death.
Despite all the horrors unleashed upon the different worlds and different times, there was one last comfort they all shared: all of them were secluded to just one planet, or to an area far removed from society at large. Even if all these evils had been unleashed at once, they could not spread very far, what with limitations of time and space safely keeping the rest of the galaxy quarantined. But this new threat was different: it could master the boundaries that once kept evil in check and could surmount them as easily as it once surmounted borders on a map. Never mind the advent of faster-than-light transportation: the beings behind all this existed on a plane where movement was irrelevant. They were as far beyond the concepts of time and space as the heavenly deities the ancients worshipped and feared, and were likely as powerful. They could not yet move on their own, though, and that was the only advantage goodness still had. The Hideous Strength still needed to rely upon creatures who lived in real time, and real space, to carry out their work.
Still, it was only a matter of time. Clarissa was reminded of a passage in a book she had read that mirrored this very same situation with foreboding similarity:
“Perhaps few or none of the people…knew what was happening, but once it happened, they would be like straw in fire. What should they find incredible, since they believed no longer in a rational universe? What should they regard as too obscene, since they held that all morality was a mere subjective byproduct of the physical and economic situations of men? The time was ripe. From the point of view which is accepted in Hell, the whole history of the universe had led up to this moment. There was now at last a real chance for fallen Man to shake off that limitation of his powers which mercy had imposed upon him as a protection from the full results of his fall. If this succeeded, Hell would be at last incarnate. Bad men, while still in the body, still crawling on this little globe, would enter that state which, heretofore, they had entered only after death, would have the diuturnity and power of evil spirits. Nature…would become their slave; and of that dominion no end, before the end of time itself, could be certainly foreseen.”
……
Shana Suing felt oddly fulfilled, though this was the third time she was leaving her home world behind. It wasn’t just Fuuka’s promises of her brother’s recovery: now it felt like nothing could weigh her down, and she could enter into the future with promise, not dread— hope, and not anxiety. She beamed at everyone she met and vowed to start painting worlds again— not because she hoped to find anything better than Venus, but simply because there were so many places yet to see, and so many stories yet to tell.
“I hope the doc and her pal have been all right this whole time,” Valti said. The crew took separate transports to the docking station, ready to board their ship and find a nice resort to stay at. Some of them were already making plans; Riene swore she would use this down time to get closer to Rebecca, maybe even come clean with her feelings. When they came to the pit where they had left their ship, however, they only saw the Pendragon, who had quietly stayed behind and was left out of all thought and action, until now, when he greeted the women with a concerning wave.
“What happened?!” Alala demanded loudly.
“They are gone,” Oris said ominously.
“Did they leave us behind?” Herut wondered.
“No,” he said firmly. “They are gone.”
The end of Volume Nine, “Middle of Nowhere”
To be continued in Volume Ten, “Demise of the Dauntless”
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