The grit in my mouth reminds me of the one trip to the Cotton Sea that we took to find infused fish for me to eat months ago. I search with eyes and limbs to try to understand my post-flung state to find that grit in my hands and mouth combined with the hard surface I am leaned against would lead to thinking I was thrown through some masonry.
I panic immediately as I realize I was flung through the bisecting door of lasers in a failed attempt at an aerial ambush. I feel for my appendages, despite knowing that my arms are intact to initiate said search. There’s a part of pain and surprise that supersede reason and leave you dumb in the aftermath. Plus, I’m still a kid, so get spaced doubters!
I search my area for other people and my important weapons and gear. As I look up, furthering my investigation of the floor, I find that two Herrat males are surprised at my continued existence as they stare at the door of dicing. Neither of them decide to test the door again, but both of them were curious enough to forget I can blink. I blink and kick their important bits through the door of dicing before I crawl back through to confirm my protection and rest.
At some point, perhaps an hour nap or two in a dim basement, I decide to search for the crystal brain that mother decided she needed to run the place. I don’t know what momma needs the brain for, but if she thought it was important enough to send a separate team to fetch it, then she must want it pretty bad. She did let me go along though, so I doubt she thought it would be this dangerous.
I close my eyes and send out low, but constant wind outward from my body to clear explosion dust and try to connect to the Exchange while I’m down here.
Direct communications with the Navy are impeded, but your aether-based connection with the local ansible is not.
My first message is to mom, she would be able to come get me immediately.
\The User you are trying to reach is not currently in a Matrix-covered area.\ What the hell does that even mean?!
The Empress an energy being as well as having extremely rare teleportation abilities. It is possible she is in a different plane of existence.
Oh yeah, she’s told me of her Mediator job. But why would she do that with a battle on? Nothing I can do I suppose. Send a message to Aunt Jenna, get her to tell the Navy that I’m still alive in here. I cut the aether flow to the wind and wait for it to settle before opening my eyes.
Okay, I thought that would help more than it does. I notice some eddies above my head and realize that some of the cables that were originally attached to the brain might have stayed attached after I careened into it. I start pulling gently on the cables until one snags in a pile of rubble. I dash over to start moving bits and pieces of the room and squeal with delight as I see a shimmer of light purple crystal.
I inspect it while using aether to dust the magitech device to find some denting in the tech portions, but it is otherwise in tact. Sweet! Momma is going to be so proud of me, but I am so mad at her! How could she just disappear after putting me in danger!
She specifically warned you about several of the situations you faced, and was emphatic you not be involved. You used several of her insecurities against her to get your way.
Are you, my AI-symbiote helper, guilt tripping me?
I am bothered by your recklessness, so I will not attempt to sympathize with a situation you find yourself in against expert advice.
Boo. I always thought you would be my partner in crime, not my conscience. I have a mother and aunts for that. Instead, I need to figure out how to get out of this concrete tomb by myself.
You have access to the Imperial accounts, Princess, perhaps a tunneling device could get us out of here?”
How dare . . . I expected you to say something snarky. That’s actually a phenomenal point. I should wait for a Navy response before I attempt to surface, in case there are any violent survivors. Imagine crawling out of a new tunnel just to have a big cat warrior play hack a mole. I start scrolling the Exchange to look for a piece of equipment to do the job that my AI and I can operate.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
***
/Titania, where’s my daughter?/
\A report came in from Consul Summers that she was contacted by Zia, who is currently stable in the server room beneath the corundum factory. We are not able to actively communicate through the shielding remnants in the rubble, but last received word she was purchasing a mining device after given an all-clear on the surface.\
A shiver of relief echoes through my body as the anxiety oozes out of me now that there’s some certainty to my daughter’s condition.
/Please alert the ship’s medical staff that we will be incoming shortly/ She chirps back in response.
I teleport to a point that would be right in front of where the pillar with the AI brain should have been. That is not the case when I arrive as I slip on rubble and flare my wings out to keep me stable. I see a stack of nearly perfect cubes being added to via teleportation and a child-sized rectangle cut out of the rubble leading upward. I’m not the largest person, so I can easily crawl into the space to hear the adorable cursing of my adolescent-sized daughter. I reach out to grab her and the device, suppress her blink and substitute it with a teleport to Titania’s medical station.
Zia is screaming when we arrive, but I don’t really care that I scared her, I just hold her tightly and suppress her continued attempts at escaping. She eventually realizes what happened and starts pounding on my shoulders, crying and yelling at me.
She must have been so scared down there alone and entombed. “It’s okay, baby. You survived. You did such a good job honey.” She continues to cry, but instead of hitting me, she hugs me fiercely as I whisper “I’ve got you.”
***
“Mom, can we go yet.” Zia is not a patient child, nor should she be expected to be after such an ordeal.
I smirk at her frustration. “No, honey. This is a nanite-level scan. It takes a while to analyze trillions of things, no matter how good the tech is.”
“But why do I have to do this at all! I’m okay!” Zia pouts, and she’s extra frustrated because it’s been more than an hour since I started blocking her blinks and it’s making her antsy. The best part for me though, is that she’s actually blinking and using her aether, I’m just teleporting her back in place faster than she can arrive anywhere. She tires herself out and I get my way. Win win.
“Because, as you said, I am a terrible mother for not having rescued you sooner. Now I’m going to be a careful overbearing mother and do possibly unnecessary exams until I’m satisfied that you’re a 100% healthy Blink Pixy.”
“I just want to go home,” she pouts. I almost give in and take her home, that lower lip quiver is devastating.
Twenty more minutes pass with her lying down in a full-body scanner before the machine beeps and Titania’s doc wanders over with a data pad.
“Looks like her swarm and symbiotes are all operating at near peak levels. Signs of prolonged stress, overexertion, and remnants of outside control signals on her swarm’s harmonics that are consistent with the environment she was in. Most of these signs will dissipate in a few days of rest, structured meals with aether in them, and a few thought provoking games or activities.”
“Did you just proscribe bedrest with snacks and video games to my daughter?” I accuse, gently.
Brief shock lights up the Doc’s expression before they gain control. “Not snacks, but otherwise yes. Less violent games like builders or Sims will help reinforce her swarm’s natural harmonics, so will a routine.”
“Okay. I was wondering if Zia’d messaged you with a bribe or something.” I smile and poke my kid.
“If it’s alright with you ma’am, I have some Sailors that need scans.”
“Yep, thanks for doing this for me. If you need to use any more advanced medicines from the time I took from your day, flag them for your Captain and tell him he can bill me directly.”
“Thanks Admiral.”
“Alright Zee, lets teleport to the shuttle bay and head home.”
She blinks off the table to a space in front of me with a little squeal of excitement that she can blink again. I grab her hand and giggle while I teleport us to the shuttle slash maintenance bay.
“Remember, the Doc said rest. Blinks to a minimum and we’re doing at least one meal a day on the lazy river.”
“Oooh, can I make ships to float with us? And can we go to that grille that you like tonight? I like how excited they get when we show up.”
Andromeda, do I love this little gremlin. I can’t help myself, so I scoop her up in another hug as I summon my shuttle for our return home.
I give Giuseppe a head’s up before we head over to his rooftop patio. He and his son make a comforting spectacle as I proffer a Cotton Sea monster flank for them to grille. His mother and wife come up with sides and aps and chat with us while they prep next to our table. Francesca and Jenna show up as we’re on our third round of appetizers and the meat’s just about finished, sauces and bits of seasoning flying about as the two men work over the coals of the specialty wood I also provided.
Once the meat is done, the shoppe’s whole family comes to join in on the meal as they chatter and shout at each in familial cheer. It hits me suddenly as thinks draw to a close for the evening: I want a family like this. I want a partner, and a litter of kids and friends with kids to have nights together like this one.
For me to have that, my worlds and government need stability, so as Empress, I guess it’s time to brutally enforce peace.