“Bibliopolis, Part One: the city of knowledge.”
Hmm…light skin, no blemishes, cheery face, small round nose, deep brown eyes, high cheek bones, and lips that almost seem to pout in their near-fullness. A petite body, small breasts, long and delicate fingers—perfect for working the innards of crafts and transports—and very short hair, kept functional and unobtrusive. Shana made sure to get Herut’s permission before drawing her portrait, and since she promised she’d be very quiet and wouldn’t be in the way, Herut saw no reason to deny her this tiny pleasure. The smallish maintenance and repair unit was just now starting to understand the heart and soul of an artist—she expressed herself in writing when she had the free time—and so she knew why Shana had the desire to create.
Later, Eve wandered by, cast her eyes to look at Shana, and settled in to assist Herut. Artificially-created humans like her were usually better at their jobs than their creators, but sometimes, rarely, somebody came along that exceeded their talents. Instead of feeling jealous, though, Herut considered Eve an invaluable asset and relied on her experience to guide her, even though their fields of expertise were different.
“I’m not interrupting, am I?” she asked the artist. Shana smiled sweetly and shook her head.
“I’m almost done. Want me to draw you?”
“Bah, no thanks. I appreciate the offer, though.” Shana giggled quietly to herself and concluded her little masterpiece. A lot of people onboard had a uniform opinion of Eve—that she was a snappy, biting, sarcastic, misanthropic loner who was too absorbed in her celebrity to associate with the human race—but she seemed pretty nice to Shana, and she definitely treated Herut like a friend. True, being elbow-deep in her environment soothed her nerves and gave her purpose and challenge, but Shana felt that as long as people were nice to Eve, she would return the favor.
“You’ve got talent,” she admitted as she saw the portrait. She had portrayed Herut well but had also included her own personal, loving touch. Shana already admired the young woman and more than likely decided to draw her in order to get close. It wasn’t particularly difficult making friends with Herut in spite of her obsessive work ethic: one merely had to be virtuous, patient, and fully in control of their emotions—in other words, the exact opposite of Chandra. But studying Herut and Eve also led Shana to study their work, and in no time at all, her puzzle-solving capabilities were flaring up.
“What are you doing?”
“Just looking around,” Eve said. Herut could tell her new friend wanted more information than that, and expanded.
“Well, the Dauntless is in peak condition; we’re really just seeing how it works. I’m unfamiliar with most of this technology, though, so our studies have been very slow.”
“Can I look?” Herut scooted over and Eve’s face darkened. Shana was harmless, though; her smile glowed and brought a fresh color to Kasberry’s cheeks. One of the panels had been opened to expose the circuitry, but as Herut said, it was unlike anything previously seen. It looked more like a cellular structure than wires or tubes, and it pulsed, radiated, and even moved with a strange life.
“Eve and I theorize that these cells receive electric signals unconsciously emitted by the brain. Do you know how emotions and reactions are made? By chemical responses or imbalances, and electric waves. These cells pick this up and react in kind, which explains how
the surrounding area always seems to know what it is you want to see. When I look, I see circuitry and gears functioning perfectly; when Eve looks…” She looked at her mentor, expecting an answer. Kasberry shrugged and mumbled humbly.
“Uh, robots, I guess.” But that’s not what I really want. Herut smiled.
“We can really make it anything we want, though. Have you visited Kyrie yet, or the Acheron sisters? They’re experiencing very unusual phenomenon as well.”
“How so?”
“Kay and Tee said it only took them five seconds to learn the controls, even though this ship is so alien,” Eve gestured. “And I overheard Kyrie yelling something about how this ship’s energy is practically self-perpetuating.”
“Factor in the accommodations we’ve all been given, which somehow mold themselves to the individual needs of the crew, and we have on our hands the perfect vessel.” Shana rubbed her eyes and felt herself go dizzy. It had taken her this long just to get used to everything and now she was ready to burst. What made things even worse was that, when she finally recovered and offered the two women a tired grin, Mink came by announcing that the Dauntless had reached its ultimate destination.
“You mean we’re already here?” Herut said, reasonably surprised.
“Yes. The planet we have been searching for is called Bibliopolis, located in the outermost rim of the Langfar system, sixth in distance from its star. We are currently suspended in space at a distance of five light-minutes, and the Acheron sisters estimate our arrival in one and a half hours.”
“That was quick!” Eve exclaimed. She cast a watery grin at her guests and stood up, supporting all her weight on her left leg. “But I guess we had to come here sooner or later. What’re our orders, Mink?”
“Dr. Miracle and Amy have requested that I instruct everyone to meet in the general assembly room. They will explain what they need us to do there.”
“So we’re going to see that thing again,” Shandra sighed. She wasn’t exactly terrified of Miracle, but she did fear that mysterious phantasm, and she was not the only one. Herut was not used to human interaction, but she felt it was necessary to comfort her new friend and support her as they joined the rest of the crew.
……
Everyone could hear Amy grunting as she hobbled into the room, supported by her crutches and not her cane. Despite Fuuka’s efforts, the pain in her right food must’ve been extraordinary—her face was covered in sweat and she struggled to breathe—and it was only through sheer force of will that she was able to move about at all. But at last the Dauntless had arrived at their destination—Bibliopolis, of all places!—and Dr. Miracle knew it was time for the crew to prove their worth. The spectral entity revealed itself as a tiny shining ice-crystal this time, dampening Kyrie’s hopes for a relationship and suppressing Naja’s urge to challenge them again.
“As you all know by now,” began the mousy woman, “we have arrived at our destination, and in less than an hour, we will make port. I apologize for not revealing our goal sooner, but now that we’re here, all your questions may be answered. Doctor, they are yours.”
“Bibliopolis is the planet of knowledge,” whispered the entity—a far cry from its megalomaniacal booming. “As the name entails, it is ‘a city of books’, where researchers can study any material or subject. There are no academies and very few living spaces; every surface has been devoted to libraries. You can therefore deduce that I have been after a book all this time, but I assure you, my dear ladies, this is no ordinary manuscript. Its value is so inestimable that only a select group of elitists are even permitted to glimpse at it. Most citizens are allowed to roam free and research at will, but there are some areas sanctioned off from the main populace, and the book I am searching for has the highest priority security possible. Your goal is to successfully bring this book to me, using any means necessary.”
“All right!” Naja giggled. “I knew you had a few redeemable qualities! So I don’t have to hold back, do I?”
“No,” Miracle answered, “the patrol is monitored by robot guards, much like the ones Eve Kasberry is familiar with.” The crew glanced at her; she turned red from so much attention.
“You must mean the Executioner-class battle androids. This must be a hot item if machines of that caliber are protecting it.”
“Yes. Because this fortress has such impressive defenses, my assistant and I have divided everyone into smaller groups based on your skills. We have selected leaders from each of these groups to assemble a team, mixing two crewmembers from each group to optimize a balanced party, and guide this team to the book. Amy and I strongly urge each of you to cooperate: you are NOT going to turn this into a competition. Everyone will be paid the same amount regardless of whether they reach the treasure or not.”
“What good is that?” Lil murmured to herself.
“It is the fairest bargain we could create. Now, we will reveal the teams we have created. Remember, this is based on your type of skill and nothing more.” Amy quietly walked over to a covered chalkboard that had been standing there and removed the sheet covering it. Written in clear, bold letters was the following:
Offensive team: Kate, Athena, Sharyn, Allegra, Lil, Naja
Infiltration team: Alala, Shana, Riene, Chandra, Vimmy, Yenae
Transport team: K+T, Herut, Eve, Kyrie, Rebecca, Amy
Support: Mink, Fuuka, Aseria, Lyara, Dr. Miracle, Valti
“This is about half the crew here,” she explained, then hobbled over to a second chalkboard and unveiled the names and positions of the second half. Several people were surprised to see where they were classified, but after some thought, they understood Miracle’s intentions. “We’ve narrowed it down to two major areas,” she continued. “As I explained on the first day, we’ve learned that only females are allowed to proceed past the initial defenses. The codes change every year, so next time, only males will be allowed any further. As it turned out, Miracle calculated that this year would be our best chance of infiltrating their fortress, and so that’s why my master only asked for women. Now, I’m going to announce the leaders and ask that they hand-pick two people from each group to comprise their team. Bear in mind that only one member may be taken from the group you as leader are in. As for support, you have a choice between Mink, Dr. Fujiwara, and Professor Brignor, since Dr. Miracle has stated that Aseria and Lyara would be better suited staying here.”
“What?! Now that really isn’t fair!”
“I think I know why,” Aseria said, staring right into Lillianne’s eyes. She didn’t calm down but she did listen. “Lyara is telepathic. I am a strategist. We would be of no use on the field. Is that what Dr. Miracle had in mind?”
“Exactly,” Amy chuckled. “We need you to direct all three teams to victory and maintain communications. My master will also remain here to monitor and direct both teams. Since only Dr. Miracle knows what we’re truly after, we will have to rely on their judgment. Now for our leaders. Naja Elapidae, you are going to represent the Offensive.”
“Of course!” she purred triumphantly, practically radiating with pride. “It’s the logical choice. You’ve got a discerning eye there, Ames.”
“As for representative of the Infiltrators, I’ve selected Yenae Marliir for her experience with outlaws and military forces.”
“You shouldn’t have,” she chuckled.
“I will lead the Transport team,” Amy said, trudging over to join them as they sized up their potential teammates. “Naja, Yenae, please select two people from the other teams and one from your own. We’ll flip a coin to decide who gets first choice; I’ll go last and take whoever remains. Naja, since your name comes first in the alphabet, you call it while it’s in the air.” Amy flipped the coin…
“Tails…” She caught it and announced the victor.
“Naja goes first.” The snake-woman celebrated her victory; Yenae just smiled mysteriously. She knew right away that Naja would take “the best” people available, leaving her with more strategic choices. Naja carefully weighed all her options and did indeed seem to favor those who had shown themselves to be exceptional in their field.
“Athena, you’re with me. I don’t like you, but you’re probably the toughest bitch out of everyone here. Shana, Vimmy, you’re with me as well. I’ll need someone with a good memory who can solve any problem we come across—and we all know how powerful money is. Eve, Acheron sisters, it’s a no-brainer. Not even my own people are as good as you. Mink, you’re coming with me. I heard you can do just about anything, and I’d like to see if it’s true.”
“All right,” she replied numbly. “It will be nice working with Master Vimmy.”
“And what a selection, Miss Elapidae, you truly have an eye for quality, why this team may be the best in all the galaxy, and I’m sure we’ll reach the treasure first, but are you sure it’s all right to take such worthy candidates while leaving everyone else behind, I mean, not that any of YOU are no good, I just mean we’re probably the best, and what will you do, I wonder, if—“
“All right, that’s enough!” Yenae barked. Naja sighed and thanked her. Sometimes, even a playful person like Yenae can have their patience tested. Okay, deep breath. Time to demonstrate how you work smarter, not harder. “Kate, I’m definitely taking you. I was really impressed with how you handled that incident on Sargasso. Allegra, I’m jonesing for a bronco-busting cowgirl. I’d also like to take Herut and Kyrie, if I may, and of course, my sweet little honey-buns.”
“I told you to stop calling me that!!” Alala screamed. Yenae laughed.
“But it’s such a cute name! All right, moving on: Fuuka, I’d be honored to have you. Won’t you join us?” Fuuka said she would indeed, but wished that Naja hadn’t separated her from Athena. Yenae’s choices might have seemed odd, but there was a subtle genius behind it that only a few people appreciated. She wanted to take Herut so she could be separated from Chandra, and even though she still didn’t trust Kyrie, she knew her inventor’s skills would be invaluable (how strange that enemies oftentimes make the best allies, and friends are the worst!). Taking Alala seemed like a whim until one realized how deeply Yenae respected and
admired her, and how useful she knew the feisty cat-girl would be. The others were obvious choices; Naja might have taken Fuuka herself if the doctor wasn’t so repulsed by her.
“I guess that means you all will be coming with me,” Amy said to Sharyn, Lil, Riene, Chandra, Rebecca, and Valti. They all groaned and looked offended, but it couldn’t be helped. Even a dream team has to have somebody picked last. “Now don’t look so glum,” she said, brightening their moods a little with her beaming face. “Just because you’re last, that doesn’t mean you’re not going to be important. Our chances of reaching the treasure are just as good as anyone else’s.”
“I doubt it,” Lil snorted. “You’ll slow us down with that gimpy leg!”
“You don’t need to worry about me,” Amy replied, her voice strong and crystal clear. Lil was taken aback for a moment, but regained her composure and asked what the next move was. After the second half of the crew got their teams organized, Miracle explained the next step, bringing up a scale model of the two major strongholds.
“Amy, Naja, Yenae, you will be entering Gutenberg City; Changera, Kacey, Daryll, you will be entering Jefferson City. There are three entrances to each city, so you will have to rely on your respective strategists to place you accordingly. From there, you are practically on your own. Even I do not know what sorts of trials you will have to go through, so remain alert and keep one another informed. One group will certainly come across the treasure, so when you do, please inform the others and exit the city immediately. Rendezvous at the ship and we will abandon the planet at once; you will then be paid and your services shall come to an end.”
“You make it sound so easy,” Eve sighed bitterly. “Look, even if we get past security, how the hell are we supposed to find your stupid book if we don’t even know what it looks like!?” Miracle answered by showing a visual image of the treasured manuscript, though in reality, it didn’t look different from any other book. It was bound in a humble hardback wrapping and had no discernable traits except for its bluish-green color. Eve snorted and said, “So? That doesn’t tell us anything.”
“It will most likely be protected by UCM Interceptors. Find them and you’ve found the book.”
“Oh, that makes things much easier!” she shouted angrily. Shana, who would be on Eve’s, pulled her arm.
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Let’s put it this way, kid,” she groaned: “unless one of us can pull a positron disruptor out of our asses, or rig an explosion that turns the whole city into a crater, or if they can rip apart quantum armor, I’m afraid we are royally screwed.”
“But you’re good with machines. Couldn’t you program them so they don’t attack us?”
“Sure,” she replied uneasily, “but that’s only if they decided to shut down for a few hours. I mean, I could do it in theory, but they’re so friggin’ advanced that it’d be quicker just to destroy them. And that won’t happen anytime soon.”
“Not with that attitude, at any rate,” Valti snickered. Eve snorted and held up her hand, indicating she was no longer interested in the argument.
“Say what you will, but I know what I’m talking about.” Naja placed a steely hand on Eve’s shoulder and squeezed firmly.
“You forget you’ve got the baddest mother-fucker in the galaxy leading this team! I don’t know about Athena, but they haven’t made a machine yet that can stand up to Naja!” She laughed out loud, so confident and vibrant that, even though it was probably all talk, it still boosted morale. Eve sighed and muttered something about ignorance being bliss; the rest of the
teams assembled in their respective transports and waited impatiently for their destination. Two groups, three teams in each group, and seven people in each team—plus fifteen crewmembers staying behind with Dr. Miracle to monitor the progress—with just one goal that would unite them all…
Or else spell their doom.
……
Descending to Bibliopolis signaled the beginning of the end of their journey. The world flourished beneath the Dauntless as a series of large domes, connected by tunnels and stretches of road, built to preserve their valuable libraries against the unusually harsh environment. The truth was that this planet was almost uninhabitable, so far removed from its star that only the toughest plants and fungi could scratch out a living here. None of the higher forms of life thrived in the natural world, except for a few fish that were accustomed to the cold, dark, dreary land, but because the atmosphere was breathable and there was an almost inexhaustible supply of water (like Helios 3, most of Bibliopolis contained this precious mineral), civilization had begun here. Scholars figured that an isolated, empty world like this would be perfect for storing the galaxy’s information, and so over the decades, the city of knowledge sprang up.
“So why is it called Gutenberg City?” Shana asked as her team drove to their destination. The ports immediately led to all the tunnels and sheltered highways that served to connect the domed cities, so the crew hit the road as soon as they left the ship and passed through customs. Quick farewells had to be made since the other two teams zoomed off in different directions, leaving Naja to care for her recruits.
“Hell if I know,” mumbled the leader.
“The city was most likely named after the Gaian inventor of moveable type,” Mink reported. “According to what I’ve read, all of Helios 3 was modernized once the written word became available for the masses. It’s a fitting name.”
“Oh. Say, can I have some opinions here? This world isn’t exactly pretty to look at, but I wanted to draw all the places we visited. See, I already have Trig 4, Strategos, the comet, and Sargasso.” She revealed her works of art to the team; their reception was positive but quick, since they all wanted to concentrate on the task at hand.
“Artists aren’t limited to beauty alone,” Teleah reminded her. “Picasso once depicted the city of Guernica under attack. Reuben portrayed women as they were. Dali and Escher explored the surreal. You must represent truth as well.”
“And you have to be consistent,” Kayleigh reminded her quietly. “If you’re going to draw all the places you visited, you can’t omit one world just because it doesn’t look nice.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” She shaded her paper with midnight blue and bleary green, dotting the sky with sickly clouds and giving the domes an eerie halogen glow. She had meant to make sketches of all the crew, but with so many women and so little time, Shana had to abandon this in order to concentrate on her original goal. And their journey had just started! It had barely been a week since they all blasted out of Strategos, and now they had arrived at their destination. If Shana had known the trip would be so short, she wouldn’t have signed up, regardless of pay.
The crew could keep driving to a certain point, but after that, they would be in restricted territory and would have to rely on their combined skills. This came sooner than expected: the Acheron sisters were forced to surrender their rental car when they came to a thick steel wall, protected by low-level robots and standard security fare—cameras and keypads, mainly. Nobody made a move for a long time, so Vimmy decided to vent her selfish frustrations.
“Isn’t this where we’re supposed to go, because we’ve reached a dead end and logic entails that our treasure is being heavily protected, so it must be in a restricted area, and this is where we are now, so why the delay, don’t you want to get paid, this is what we all came for, we can’t very well go back, I don’t see what the hold-up—“
“Shut up,” Naja spat, giving the petite chatterbox a little kick.
“I have to agree,” Athena said coldly. “If we’re going to get the treasure, let’s just go. Everyone here has promised total commitment.”
“That’s the thing,” Eve sighed as she studied the robots. They would be easy to destroy, but… “Once we cross that line, we’ll be thieves. I’m pissed off enough as it is, what with the UCM after my ass, so just think what might happen when we have the most powerful people in the galaxy after us.”
“Then we’d better do this right,” Tee said. She and her sister smiled and nodded as one.
“Dismantle security and break in. Aseria and Lyara will have to handle the rest.”
“Oh dear, I’m not comfortable putting my investment in the hands of two strange elves, are you sure we can do this, there’s bound to be dangers here that even we won’t be able to face, and—MINK, what in blazes do you think you’re doing, step away from them!!”
“Forgive me, Vimmy,” she said as she approached the keypad. The sentries sprang into action and attacked; Athena and Naja leaped into action; Eve pulled a rifle out and started firing; Shana screamed as she darted through the chaos and joined Mink. The keypad was so ridiculously simple to crack that the door was open before the battle itself ended. But soon everyone was caught up, the Acheron sisters took back the car, and they were racing through the forbidden corridors of Bibliopolis in search of the one item that had brought them all together.
……
Dr. Miracle had not been speaking frivolously when they emphasized the high security of the forbidden lairs. Kay and Tee were tested almost at once as spikes and nails poked up from beneath, shredding the car to chunks as it careened out of control. Guns emerged from hidden compartments and blared at the intruders; Eve was obliged to demonstrate her sniper’s skills, and if Allegra had been there, she would’ve turned blue with envy. Athena even jumped out of the vehicle and swung her sword, slicing the guns and cameras in half as the car limped its way across the road. Getting out and walking was out of the question, but they couldn’t drive like this forever; they had to find a way to keep moving.
The car died as several well-timed shots killed the engine. Vimmy was cowering behind the seats and screaming so quickly that even Mink was unable to hear what she said. All this time, the gray-skinned woman sat as calmly as she could, her hands folded and her face betraying no emotion, save a very faint look of concern. As the car ground to a halt, carved apart by the spikes, the guns were silenced and several sentries marched down the road, their feet padded and their weapons ready.
“Eve, I have an idea!” Shana shouted.
“I’m way ahead of you,” she replied. “Naja, Athena, hold them off for a few minutrs! I’m going to try and reprogram one. Maybe we can ride it across the street.”
“But aren’t you—“ Their concern was cut off as she jumped out of the car, darting around the hailstorm, and ducked underneath one of the guards. How she could run across that razor-sharp floor was a total mystery, but there were other things to worry about. Naja jumped into their ranks, ripping off heads and limbs with her bare hands, leapfrogging from one to another, always a breath away from the deadly surface. The Acheron sisters took Eve’s forgotten rifle and fired; Mink protected Vimmy and Shana. One of the robots suddenly turned on its comrades, blowing them apart and turning them all to scrap. Eve climbed up to its top, waved triumphantly, and steered it over to her team.
“Thanks, Shana!” she said. “And thank you, Naja. I may be the only one who can actually walk across this floor.”
“How’s that?” they wondered. Eve took off her shoes and lifted her grease-stained pants. Her left leg was completely mechanical, while her right leg was encased in metal from the knee down. “Oh,” Shana cooed, “that’s so cool!” The team climbed up and, with Eve at the helm, they passed across the spike floor. Occasionally, more teams of robot guards and guns stopped them, and their “ride” was usually the one that paid the biggest price. But there was always another fresh recruit for their purpose, and after about an hour of this wandering and fighting, they came to the end of the tunnel and were faced with another security door.
“Looks like it’s my turn again.” While Shana was hacking her way inside, Naja crossed her arms impatiently. She didn’t mind being a leader, even for a group of treasure-hunters, but she preferred being in command of real soldiers in a real battle. Sure this was exciting, and a good way to pass the time, but she really didn’t want to be stuck baby-sitting forever. Somehow she had to find a way to leave her home and her prison, and achieve her dream in spite of what her family thought. She also had what she called D-Day on her mind—the day when she removed her old skin and came out fresh and pink again—and the crushing loneliness that crowds afforded. What made it worse was that she was the only Elshyrin onboard, and though she respected a few of the women on the ship, none of them were up to her demanding standards. Even Kate had significant shortcomings.
“Done!” Shana chirped.
“Down!” Athena shouted. She threw her sword and disabled the Executioner-class android before it could raise its weapon. Everything happened so fast that even Vimmy was stunned.
“Oh dear, was that monstrosity waiting just for us, what a large machine it is, and it looks like it could wipe us all out, didn’t you say you had one, Eve, so why not bring it out, but wait, Miracle said there was something even worse out there, I wonder if Athena’s brilliant maneuver will save us in—“
“It’s getting up,” Mink warned her—and sure enough, the android was rising to its feet, Athena’s sword still embedded in its faceplate. Eve demanded her rifle back and took aim, but she couldn’t get a clean shot since the machine was already on the move.
“Naja, keep it pinned down! Athena, cut an opening in its rear!”
“Hey, I’m the leader of this outfit, and I’m the one who gives the orders!”
“Okay, but unless you know their weakness, you’d better listen!” Naja roared in irritation and squeezed the droid’s legs shut, rendering it temporarily immobile.
“Hurry, bunny-bitch!” she screamed. “This thing’s stronger than it looks.”
“Right.” Athena yanked Murisato out of the machine with blinding speed, vaulted over its shoulders, a whisker away from being perforated, and leaped down its back, swinging twice to open up its rear. Eve fired and blew a big hole in the exposed circuitry; the assassin fell to its knees and was silenced, giving everyone time to breathe.
“Thanks, Naja,” Eve murmured. “I couldn’t have done it without you. And Athena, I owe you as well.”
“Forget about it,” she said emptily. Naja just turned her head when Eve thanked her.
“Don’t get the wrong idea, human! The only reason I did what you told me was because I wanted to kill that thing as quickly as possible. And let me remind you that I was the one who chose you, precisely because I knew you’d come in handy! So as far as I’m concerned, you’re doing exactly what I want you to.”
“You’re welcome,” Eve muttered. Shana walked up to her and smiled cutely.
“You were really cool back then. I’m glad you’re on this team! I just wish I could do a bit more.”
“Uh, sure.” Eve scratched her neck and walked away, feeling awkward. Shana wasn’t disappointed, though: she knew Eve could open up to others once she was properly motivated. She just had to keep being nice to her, that’s all…
The trials were ceaseless. Shana took longer and longer to crack the codes, and the opposition grew tougher and tougher. Regrettably, Eve had been unable to bring her assassin droid with her, so they could only rely on their own skills. Vimmy complained about all the walking they were forced into, and Naja always chewed her out, reminding her how annoying and cowardly she was.
“You Norgrim sure are a big pain in the ass!” she spat. “If I had known it’d be this bad, I would’ve left you behind!”
“First of all, please don’t use my species’ name, or else you’ll be sued for all your worth, and secondly, may I remind you that you chose me for a specific purpose and—“
“And we haven’t run into anything in this city except machines, so what good will that checkbook of yours do us? Sheesh, I don’t have perfect foresight, you know.”
“I’m a businesswoman and an entrepreneur, my good Elshyrin, not a warrior, I use my wits and my influence to fight all my battles, and let you other folks handle the combat, oh, what a brutish thing it is t—“
“Okay, we get it. I’m sorry I forced you along!” Her sarcasm was venomous; it could’ve easily replaced the poison in her fangs, which were bared and nearly ready to strike. But Naja wouldn’t waste her toxins on Vimmy, not while there was still some potential use for her. If she played her cards right, in fact, Vimmy could prove to be her most valuable ally, provided she stopped talking long enough.
“We should be quiet,” Kay said suddenly.
“I heard someone!” her sister exclaimed. Naja groaned.
“Oh great, another robot. Maybe we can bribe this one.”
“Who’s there?” She raised her eyebrows in surprise as she heard a human voice. Three men were marching down the hallway, most likely a maintenance crew to keep the robots in good health, and flashed their lights and the guns at the seven travelers. One blew a whistle: “Intruder alert! Get down on the ground and put your hands on your head!”
“Ah, gentlemen!” Vimmy exclaimed, welcoming them with open arms. “What marvelous timing, do you know who you’ve run into, we’re the Nurogrim envoy—all rights reserved—here on special permission by His Supremacy, Vicegerent Dissha, given a once in a lifetime peek at that magnificent tome you have locked up, you know the one, the Vicegerent is very generous, don’t you agree, letting us see a treasure exclusively for his eyes only?!”
“Uhh…” The guards paused to process this information—and so did the others. Except for Mink, nobody knew what Vimmy was talking about at all, but they were sure it was a ploy of hers. She was trying desperately to show her talents, but whether or not it worked remained to be seen.
“Let’s see some ID,” they barked. Vimmy happily complied and ordered Mink to show them “the document”. She pulled a scroll from her purse and handed it to Mink, who presented it to the guards. The team was worried for a moment that Vimmy’s ruse would fall apart, but the expressions on the patrol’s face was enough to convince them that somehow, it had all worked out.
“It’s the genuine article,” they concluded: “signed and sealed by Vicegerent Dissha himself. Please excuse us for any trouble we may have caused you—we just didn’t think…”
“Yes, yes, I know, it’s perfectly all right, how were you to know, what with this being a private matter, now could you please escort us to the manuscript, and here’s some money for your troubles, don’t refuse it on my account, you’ve all done a great job, keep it up!” She handed them all a thick wad of bills, enough to clear any further doubts they might have had. The little purple businesswoman then cast a glance at Naja, grinned, and winked proudly.
“I’ll be damned,” she whispered in amazement. “That goblin’s more useful than I thought. But of course, right!? I mean, I did put her in my team!” The Acheron sisters were too curious to wait; they approached Vimmy and pulled her aside so the guards wouldn’t hear.
“How did you manage to pull that off? Is that document real? Do you honestly know this Dissha person?”
“We all have secrets, yes, so just trust in your dear friend Vimmy and all will be well, see, and I told you violence never solves anything, you ought to give diplomacy a chance now and then, eh, and of course, nothing wrong with waving your gold around, but oh, these guards are quick, say Mink, dear, will you please carry me, my feet are killing me!”
“Okay.” And so, thanks to Vimmy’s craftiness—whether or not that document was real seemed irrelevant now—they were given free reign of the prohibited areas, without a single obstacle to get in their way.
Preview of next chapter
Kyrie: All RIGHT! I finally get to show off my skills in action!
Alala: I gotta tell ya, I’m not very comfortable with her in the party.
Fuuka: Oh, why’s that?
Alala: Think about it! A pyromaniac in a giant library…
Fuuka: Ah, I see what you mean.
Kyrie: In the next part, the mystery of the treasure is finally revealed! But who will claim it first, and is this really the final chapter? Stay tuned for “Bibliopolis, Part Two: the Tome of Treasures”.
Yenae: No matter what, I’ll be with my sweet honey-buns, ready to tickle her at a moment’s notice.
Alala: I’m not comfortable with you, either!!
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