As Alex drifted back into consciousness he felt weak and nauseous, but at least he was laid out on something soft. Then he became aware of the vast and impressive tableau of discomfort that was his body. A strange numb pain radiated from his neck in all directions, head to toe, muscles agonizingly slow to react when they did. Fallout from being stunned. Warm fingers gripped his head, thumbs keeping his eyelids closed. This was overshadowed by someone who had their knee jammed into his groin in a most uncomfortable way.
He assumed it was the same someone who was now rifling through his memories. The other presence was familiar and strange at the same time. The family resemblance was still strong. Eleya felt a little bit like Carbon in his mind and they both liked to ransack his brain while he was unconscious. At least Carbon had done it because she wanted to know if he was still alive. This felt more like the violation that she had been concerned about.
All of this thinking drew Eleya’s attention. Her presence was smooth and glassy, impenetrable. She regarded him for a moment, giving him the impression that she was considering how to deal with him.
Her presence extended a sense of calm, though it was stiff - this was not someone used to smoothing things over in this fashion. She lacked the ease of emotions that Carbon had when she’d linked with him in the past. “Ante seruvi.”
Alex didn’t know what that meant. It sure as shit felt like somebody telling him to calm down while they poked around in his mind to sate their own curiosity. He focused as tightly as he could, the way that Carbon had enjoyed, a spotlight of attention purely on Eleya’s presence on his mind. “Go fuck yourself.” Alex tried to include a shove with that, but his arms barely came up and it was more of a feeble slap at the bed.
He was sure she didn’t know what that meant but could infer plenty from how he said it, and the anger that came with it. From what he had learned, he really didn’t have the ability to stop her except for physical distance, and his body was not playing nice right now. He was willing to give interference a shot. Alex started thinking about unimportant things. Playing tag as a kid, watching movies he didn’t like, filling out paperwork. He breathed through his mouth. A bunch of noise in the signal to make it more difficult for Eleya to find what she was looking for.
She seemed surprised at this turn of events. Perhaps she wasn’t expecting him to be able to mount any sort of defense, or had expected immediate capitulation. The Eleya-part’s smooth surface radiated an annoyed geometry before settling back down. She tried again. A snippit of memory, the feeling of comfort, followed by the concept of allies.
“Try asking first.” Alex wasn’t sure how to do that little bits of memory thing, and he really didn’t have the composure to figure it out right now. He was pretty sure the only memory he could muster would be him telling her to go fuck herself a minute ago anyway. He went back to thinking about paperwork, this time with an angry rendition of the only show tune he knew.
Elaya set aside her patience for him, a distinct chill between them as her presence shifted away to dig up a memory, thrusting it down into his mind. The curious sensation of the skin of the eyelid as it gave way under her claw, the sudden heat of blood as her thumb plunged into the eye of someone else who had resisted her. The screaming. There was fury in her heart and she hated it. Hated that it had come to this, mauling one of her own people, despite what he’d been involved with. But it was something that had to be done to find the path forward.
His stomach twisted, shocked at the memory as it played out.
There was no fury in her now, but she still needed to find the path forward. The thumbs holding his eyelids closed shifted as sharp claws caressed the delicate skin beneath them.
He got the message.
She went back to rummaging. The experience was surreal, and not as cut and dried as he had imagined it to be. He kept that laser focus on her as she worked, enticing his subconscious into thinking about Carbon with a gentle, fond recollection of her. Eleya’s own memories used to bait a wandering mind to focus on something specific.
The real interesting thing he picked up was that this bait had a raw honesty to it. He felt her love for Carbon, recognizing the way he felt about his own nephew within it. So much promise in a young life. Though this was framed with vigilance, and a grand crimson smear of regret stained it. There was more, despite Eleya’s best efforts to keep everything neatly contained. There was no hiding here, this experience was still a two-way street. Her feelings were shot through with spicules of anxiety.
Eleya perused their interrupted dinner with Ed at Noonan’s, Alex’s introspection about this quiet enough to not draw her ire further. Carbon had said you can’t fake things in this space. It’d be obvious, incomplete. The handful of glimpses of Eleya that he had gotten from Carbon did not fit with what he was experiencing here - mostly. The eye thing being the exception.
The memories she dragged up were more of a slideshow, everything slightly jumbled up and semi-linear. Words, sight, and thoughts mostly aligned, nothing like the intentional sharing of a memory. Eleya relived him biting back sharp comments during the most recent memory of her, from the flight back to the carrier. Not his most proud moment, but it could have been worse. That was all she needed, apparently, fading away from his mind a moment after the memory was done.
Alex blinked in the light after she released his head, the ceiling a web of jeweled lights. He was on her bed - no big surprise, there were not a lot of soft objects large enough for him in there that he had seen. At least they hadn’t dumped him on the floor.
Eleya flipped her antennae back and leaned down, whispering. “Now we share a secret.” She kissed his forehead and sat up, straddling his leg, knee thankfully removed from his groin. “It was not my intent to disturb you, I am sorry.”
“Well, it’s way too late for that.” Strange, his Amp should have shut off when he lost consciousness. He’d check the documentation later, maybe it was standard in the Mk. IV. Not having to wait for it to boot and restart the translator was nice.
“You are correct. This was a necessity, if not a distasteful one. You do not yet know our ways and I did not yet know you.” She climbed off his leg and sat next to him on the bed, legs folded under her. “I normally prefer a more leisurely method of getting to know a person, but we are operating under time constraints right now.”
“That’s really stupendous. Maybe you could just try to explain things first next time?” Alex willed his traitorous limbs into motion, weak arms slowly pulling back to help him push his body up, still tingling with pinpricks of heat from the stun. It took a minute, but he did manage to sit himself up, face to face with her again. He spotted his external translator nearby on the bed, still powered on and close enough to be connected with wireless. He wasn’t sure what she’d seen when rooting around in there, exactly, or if they’d performed any sort of medical scan while he was out. He’d continue to keep the internal under wraps for now anyway.
“There is no need. I have learned what I sought from you.”
“Okay. So do I just leave now? Or are there some other fucked up things you want to do to me?” As his head cleared, he was becoming more irate and her non-answers did not help.
She smirked at that with a clipped laugh and turned away, sliding towards the end of the bed. The tips of her antenna glowed, forked beads of metal wrapped around the shaft and resting on the fluffy part. Must be how she was translating. She set her hand down on his ankle as she stood and may have given it a squeeze. He wasn’t sure if she had or just put pressure on it to use as leverage, but it definitely made him feel awkward. Eleya smoothed her jacket and strolled over to a small cabinet and poured herself a drink. “I do not think there are many more terrible things in your future, Alex. I intend to do a few things for you... and perhaps there are things you will do for me.”
Her phrasing left him uneasy, unsure if that was how she meant it to be or if it was just the translation. “That’s creepy, but I’m feeling like I don’t have a lot of options here.”
She sipped the amber liquid and shook her head with a smile. “Do not worry. You will not find the tasks I set before you distasteful. I suspect you may actually enjoy most of them.”
He was starting to understand Carbon’s resignation before he came in here. There were a lot of answers coming from her, but they were all empty. “You really aren’t used to giving away information, are you?”
“You cannot know how refreshing you are, so free of guile.” She laughed and seemed, for a moment, legitimately happy. “A rare quality here, I am afraid. It does make my dear neice’s interest in you much more clear.”
“Thanks.” He laid the sarcasm on thick, even though it felt like an honest compliment.
She nodded and set her glass to the side and picked up a tablet, using a claw to navigate through it. “I am glad that she is not just chasing a nice pair of ankles or sweetened tea. I do not think she would be taken in by such things, but she had led a taxing life and stress makes people act strangely. I understand it is the same way for your kind.”
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“Yeah, accurate.” Was she implying something about his relationship with Carbon there? They had been very up front with the possibility that the stress of what happened on the Kshlav’o had been what drove them together. While the last few weeks have not exactly been a vacation, things have still been going smoothly. Until now.
“I must admit I did expect someone with a bit more face. Though, yours does have good symmetry.”
“Uh, that’s... Good to know.” He wasn’t sure where the hell she was going now. The lack of clear direction was disarming, never letting him get a head of steam going.
“Yes, it is.” She continued her work on the tablet, whatever she was looking at was apparently more important than the conversation that Alex had expected to continue.
“So, while I’m still sitting here, maybe you can tell me a little bit more about what’s going on? I’m sure this means nothing to you but I haven’t seen my family in almost a year, and I’m thinking I’d kind of like to get back to that.”
“Oh? Almost a year? You know, I have not seen-” Eleya’s facade had slipped just a touch, ears and antenna lowered as she stopped and glanced over the tablet at him. There was disapproval in her glare, lips pulled into a thin grimace before she went back to scrolling through it. “Yes, now is a good time. In the wake of the disaster on Schoen, our relationship with Humanity has grown at a rate much faster than it has before. Much faster than we would normally be comfortable with.”
Alex nodded and scooted forward to sit on the edge of the bed. Fucking finally. This was more like what he was looking for. “Yes, I have been made aware of that.”
“Have you? Good. This has met with resistance in certain circles. We have been an isolated people for a very long time and they do not want this to change. When it was just trade treaties, they would grumble and complain. Now that we have given up one of our most advanced technologies on a gamble to find more planets, they do much more.”
He already did not like where this was going. “Such as?”
“There have been a few assassinations and they are attempting to foment an insurrection to overthrow the monarchy. This is not in my best interest. It is not in Carbon’s or yours, either. Until now, they have kept their sights set on loyal members of the government. Understandable, and it fits in with their goals. Several weeks ago one of our spies found a few Human names added to a list of potential targets. Most of them high ranking military.”
Eleya had stopped looking at her tablet, drink in hand once again and looking into the swirling liquid within. “But that last one, Alex Sorenson. A pilot. I hope you will forgive me for saying this - a person of no importance. While we consider the source to be a credible threat, we did not believe you to have any actual value as a target.”
He swallowed. Today was turning out to be a big day. Meeting the Tsla’o Empress, getting stunned, having his mind plundered, and finding out that he was targeted for assassination. “Why would they care about me? I haven’t had anything to do with... anything.”
“You were directly involved with the Kshlav’o expedition, a plan that many are afraid is just an attempt to have us deliver our most advanced technologies to the Confederation out of desperation. Yours is the one Human name that made it to our news, to the public. Hand-picked by the respected Shipmaster Tshalen - as you now know, a member of the royal family.”
“When you put it like that, I guess I can understand why I ended up on a kill list.” A sentence Alex had never imagined he’d say. “They’re not - they can’t be serious, right?”
She looked up at him, dumbfounded. “They have already killed. They are very serious.”
“Wait, were you not going to tell me? Before Carbon came back?”
“No. Why would I? You were in barely-charted space when it came to light, so we passed it along to your government with all the other names. I am to understand they were more confused about your inclusion than we were.” She gave him a curious look, not clear on why he thought that would warrant a personal meeting when he was just some pilot. “We had assumed you would continue on the expedition for the full two years. If your Confederation was honest, we would have accumulated no small amount of proof of that honesty during that time. We developed a contingency to help make you a disagreeable target - having this spill out into a war between us is undesirable - but that was before Carbon returned to the hearth with her heart in your hands.”
“Ok, as long as the Confed was notified.” Alex was certain he would have remembered this sort of conversation had it popped up before now, which means it hadn’t. Which agency had been informed? Did they even know he was back in Sol? Had they taken it seriously? He’d probably get better answers going through the Admiral... “I don’t think anyone wants a war.”
“You would be surprised. I took it upon myself to speak with you because news of you becoming... more than friendly with a high ranking, beloved member of the Royal family will eventually break out of its current confines.” Eleya didn’t seem particularly bothered by this, though her tone was tightly controlled. “I cannot truly predict how this will be taken by the populace. I do not expect that my people will begin throwing themselves into relationships with Humans, but the fact that a commoner lived up to her standards will be a net positive. Do you see my concern?”
“I think I’m picking it up. As a pilot, I’m just some guy. But since I’m in a relationship with the...” He had already forgotten her title. “Carbon, that makes me a symbol. One you believe will make your people less apprehensive about Humans and the assistance we offer.”
“A highly visible symbol. In turn that will make you both a more attractive target. You in particular would remain fresh in their minds, never allowed to slip off that list.” She returned her attention to her tablet, “it is our way that Royals should lead, and she has never shied away from that.”
“Yeah, she never told me about the royalty stuff, until uh- you saw it.” Suppose that was an upside to having her go take a look at his mind, shitty as it was.
“I did. Your restraint is admirable.” Eleya tipped her head in approval of his actions, though she did not look up from what she was researching.
He sighed slowly, rubbing his eyes as feeling returned to his hands. “So, what can I do about this?”
“There is little you could do at this point, save perhaps sequestering yourself on Earth. I can already tell you will find that distasteful.” She procured a silver pen from the liquor cabinet, carvings glittering in the light as she sat down in a chair and started writing. “Time and distance will make you less enticing. Both of those are going to be in short supply in the near future. We were invited to bring a ship like this to Sol because we are again working with your Confederation on this artifact you two have found. We will remain for some time, and your oh enn eye will force your involvement because of your previous experience.”
Carbon knew that he was working for the ONI now, presumably Eleya did as well. She’d probably seen the whole thing with Gladwell, given Carbon had been there. They had learned there were some Tsla’o in Confederation space now, but not many. “Hang on, back that up. This ship is the main source of Tsla’o in Sol, are you telling me you think you brought some of these insurrectionists with you?”
She closed her eyes and nodded. “We have over seventeen thousand people aboard. Even a percent of a percent would mean there are several who are sympathetic. We screen as best we can, but I cannot compel every single person to undergo invasive links.”
“Just me, huh?”
“You are a unique case, worthy of such inspection.” There was a hint of pride in there, as though getting your mind invaded by the Empress was a big deal to aspire to. “So, yes. Any attempts on your life would likely be launched from my ship. It brings me no joy to say as much, and it is part of why I have personally intervened. Your life is important to my niece, as hers is to me. I cannot stand by and let you be killed.”
“Getting killed is kind of low on my list of things to do.” He’d done a good job avoiding that with the Eohm. What’s dodging death from one more alien race? This felt far more personal, though. He likely couldn’t rely on being a good pilot if he wasn’t in a ship, or even running something less capable than a scoutship. “I can lay low for a while.”
She looked over at him with a smile tugging up one corner of her mouth, blue eyes squinting with amusement. “Is it so, Pilot? Will you shed your wings until we have left Sol for a reprieve? Would you cast aside my dear niece for your own safety, knowing it will not bring her any?”
Alex bristled at that, an attempt to stand finding that his legs were not quite back in working order yet, leaving him stuck sitting with a finger leveled at her. Suddenly popping up like that probably wasn’t the best idea with an unknown number of cloaked guards in here, anyway. “Maybe... maybe the first one. But no, I wouldn’t abandon Carbon like that.”
“As I said, distasteful.” Eleya drained her glass and went back to writing. “Sadly, it removes an option for you.”
“Look, I work for an intelligence agency. I can get them involved.” ONI seemed like a perfectly capable group most of the time. They at least knew what organization would be able to handle something like this.
She laughed. A single, sharp sound. “They already know. Do not think because I have not met a Human before that your expressions are too alien to read. I saw your reaction when I first told you that, I know what it looks like when someone realizes their government has forgotten them. I have seen it too often of late.”
“Alright, alright! So what the fuck am I supposed to do? If you’ve got answers, let me hear them.” He threw his hands up in the air, something finally working right.
She set the tablet down in her lap, directing her full attention at him. Her chin was up a little, blue eyes looking down her muzzle at him in a way that gave her an air of superiority. “I offer you the protection of the Tsla’o Empire.”
“Great. I accept. Thank you.” He did, but was still annoyed. She could have just said that to start and skipped over all the bullshit. He really didn’t feel like there were any other options at the moment, except hoping that some part of the Confed took this as seriously as she did. “I appreciate that.”
“As you should.” She looked over at the wall again, addressing the space in front of it. “Send her in.”
“Do you need me to do anything? Are your people just going to take care of it?” He wasn’t exactly sure how they’d be protecting him. Maybe the formal offer - and his acceptance - meant she could allocate more resources to it. Make it more official. Alex had no idea how things ran in the Tsla’o government. It seemed like she was the ultimate power, but maybe even that was tempered by the circumstance they were in.
She tapped the tablet a few more times and scribbled one last thing before setting it down on the table as the doors swung open. She had that smirk again as she shook her head. “No, dear nephew. Our people will take care of it.”
Carbon stopped short, stunned. When she spoke, her voice was laced with venom. “What have you done?”