April 19th, 649

Joel

Joel woke before the alarm on the nightstand went off - he'd slept uncomfortably, as he'd assumed he would've - Espee snored away gently as he extricated himself from the bed and got dressed. Though the sun was barely up over the horizon, he knew he'd have to drag himself to the workshop - notoriously on-time Billy would probably already be there. Can't fault the guy for his effort, Joel thought as he waited for the drip coffee to finish brewing. He couldn't survive long without coffee, and though he hated the caffeine addiction, it was just one of the many vices he couldn't live without.

The roads were empty on the way north to the shop, and as expected, Billy was leaning against the trunk of his car waiting as he pulled up.

"Hey, Joel," Billy said, more awake than Joel could ever deem acceptable for this early in the day. "You're lookin' bright-eyed and ready to go, huh?"

Joel grunted and Billy just laughed.

"I feel ya, bud. I get it. Don't forget though, we've gotta get that one part all squared away before that guy from HQ shows up. You said he was comin' down here today, right?"

"Right," Joel said. He felt the feeble dregs of his energy sap away at once. It was no small wonder that Sephie had been so heavy on his mind when her father was coming down to Cygnus to visit. It had totally slipped his mind, and he didn't want to let on to Billy that he was nervous to see Victor again. It had been about six months since his last visit - coming in from Noctavia required a trip on an airship from the capital, then a long drive from Velus's capital, Cape Hale. Joel had met him halfway at his home in Teliander a few times, but even that was a substantial distance away. He'd made love in secret to Sephie in that house more than a few times on those visits when her father was away on business.

Until he installed those cameras, Joel mused, looking up at the security camera at the entrance as he unlocked the door. Billy set right to work as Joel went into the office. He milled about, sorting through some paperwork, and checking his messages on the computer - nothing worthwhile, really. There were some pending requests regarding projects that were upcoming, but the ones he was keeping his eyes peeled for had not yet come through.

Victor would be stopping in sometime around lunch. Joel knew that even with Shandi helping out, it would be cutting it close to have the part ready for Victor's evaluation by then.

Shandi came in about a half hour later and Joel could hear him and Billy laughing about something. He stepped out of the office, and Shandi waved.

"Hey, good morning! What we got goin' on today, aya?" Shandi had grown up in Saiph Haven but couldn't shake the Solstromi accent and tics.

"Big boss is comin' in from up north, remember?" Billy said before Joel could answer. "We gotta get this damn thing ready before he shows up. Dude gives me the creeps."

"Careful," Joel cautioned, motioning at the cameras. "Don't forget who pays our bills, alright?" The men nodded at Joel. "I think we can get through this before he shows up. If not, I'll distract him long enough to give you some more time."

"Pretty sure if he was listening, he heard that," Billy joked, and Joel just shook his head.

"He's probably on an airship right now. Must be nice."

Airships were restricted to VIPs across Terrah - those of nobility, such as Espee's mother, or those in government, such as Victor, were entitled to travel via air. As the Pulse power requirements for airships were much higher than those of cars or other road vehicles, there had been severe lines drawn around who could access them. Joel didn't mind much - the one time he had been on an airship, he threw up over the side. Espee, who had traveled much on them as a child, had laughed at him before letting him sleep in her lap for the rest of the trip.

"Psh, gimme a boat," Shandi smiled, "I'd rather be out at sea than in the air. Can't fish up there, mm."

"Ha! Yeah, I'll take that any day, too," Billy said. Joel wasn't much for boats, either.

"I think I'll just lay down in the forest somewhere," Joel added, and the other men laughed.

"I mean, there's fish in the woods, too," Shandi nodded. "I hear there's some good camping in the Aquilas, mm. Maybe when my boy's a little older we'll get out there. Joel, you're from there, right? How is it?"

"I miss it," Joel said without skipping a beat. "But this place is pretty alright, too."

"Nice to have a change of scenery once in a while," Billy said. "Speaking of, the sooner we get this thing done, the better. Lots to do comin' down the pipeline."

The next few hours crept by laced with the dread of Victor's impending arrival. Joel didn't hate the man, but found it hard to look into his cold, beady eyes. He knew what the Empire was all about, and even though Victor was cordial and business-like with him, he knew that could change at any moment. Besides, if he was that close to Emperor Ignatius, who knew what he was truly capable of?

And yet he has so many reasons to kill you, Joel thought. If Victor ever found out about his affair with Sephie, that would be it for him. He'd probably vanish off to the rumored gulag on Lili Borea, near Terracius' northern pole. He put those thoughts aside as he helped Shandi put the finishing touches on the part. Most of the parts that had come through in previous weeks seemed to be for the mining job that Victor'd dangled information about, but there was no rhyme or reason or order to any of it - just disparate parts.

Shandi and Billy went out back towards town for lunch, as they did the last time Victor came to the shop. In pursuit of secrecy, he demanded that only Joel be present for their meetings - the other two didn't even know what he looked like. A large utility vehicle pulled into the space next to Joel's truck, and Dr. Victor Mataeus stepped out.

He was shorter than Joel by a few inches, but his stocky build and clean cut look gave him an air of intimidation. Just by looking at him, one would know that he was the wrong person to cross. Victor checked his SGNL device as Joel looked through the blinds at him. He smoothed his short black hair back and adjusted his wire-framed glasses, then adjusted his tie before he walked up to the garage door of the workshop. Joel was already waiting at the entrance.

"So," Victor said, his voice deep and clear, "ahead of schedule, I take it? You do have the part ready for today, don't you?"

"Always," Joel said, hoping that the confidence he was trying to project would be seen. Victor looked him over coolly before nodding.

"Good. The Emperor would be unhappy with the both of us if you didn't have that ready to go. We have put a lot of faith in you to be able to handle the rigors of this project, and so far you have been doing quite well."

"Rare praise," Joel said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm just the messenger, old friend," Victor smiled, which always made Joel feel uneasy. He knew he trusted the man, at least on some level. Just how much was the real question. Their pact to work together had always seemed a tenuous thing, and images of Sephie played in shadow in the back of his mind. Victor inspected the completed piece.

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

"Looks good. New guy's really got the art down, doesn't he?" Victor asked, and Joel smiled. Shandi was a good, hard worker.

"I'd say."

Victor was silent as he rounded the part to come side by side with Joel. He studied Joel's face carefully and Joel hoped his nervousness wasn't too apparent.

"So. About what we talked about the other day," Victor started, dropping his voice low. "Should we step into your office, or are those two going to be away a while?"

"We can talk here. A little stuffy in the office. Been meaning to change the air filters in the shop, but things are hectic, as you know."

Victor smiled. "Don't mind if I smoke then, do you?"

"Outside," Joel said, and Victor shrugged, putting the pack back in his pocket.

"Suppose I can wait. I would've liked you to have been sitting down for this, but I wanted to let you know that the Velusian government has agreed to allow for the annexation of the town of Cygnus to Noctavia."

Joel turned to the man and tried to keep his jaw from dropping. "You're joking."

"Would I come all this way to make jokes, Leonart?"

"Why, though? What's even here that anyone would want aside from some dead fields and tumbleweeds?" Joel said. He needed to hear it from Victor's mouth.

"This place used to be a sizable mining operation back in the day. From what little I can divulge; they didn't quite finish what they'd started then."

"When does it start?"

"Indeterminate. Sometime in May. Maybe midmonth or the end, depending on how it goes."

"That's like four weeks away," Joel said, trying to veil his surprise at the news. "What's going to happen between now and then?"

"You may have already noticed the Drones flying around, correct? You should anticipate seeing more of those - ol' Martine is chomping at the bit to get an eye on the lay of the land with the data we've been getting from them. You know how he can get when there's money to be made."

Hegemon Council member Martine Erebus - the Emperor's Minister of Commerce and Prosperity - was a man Joel had never seen in the flesh but had heard extensively about from Victor. Pale, almost sickly looking, Hegemon Erebus was well-known across Terrah for his shrewd nature and cunning. He was the youngest member of the Emperor's inner circle, and there had been buzzing throughout the Empire that he was the heir apparent as the Emperor had no children of his own.

"Money. That's what it's always about, isn't it?"

"You know it."

"So you said it's minerals or something?" Joel asked, and Victor nodded, closing his eyes. When he opened them, he looked towards the camera on the ceiling.

"Just between us, I haven't had those things on in days," Victor said with a wry smile. "Needed to make sure none of what we've been talking about gets captured, you know. Sensitive data."

"Of course."

He cleared his throat. "As you were asking - it's not just any minerals, but it's rare minerals, actually. I'm only telling you any of this because I trust you, Joel - but what we think we've found here... it could change the world. More than Pulse power did, even."

"Go on."

He laughed and shook his head. "Look, Joel. I know you hate it when I'm ambiguous like this, but you'll just have to wait and see. We've been studying this for years - it took until the new administration came into Cape Hale for us to even gain a modicum of traction on it - and I'm surprised they bit for it."

"What is Velus getting from it? Do you know?"

"Money."

"Of course. So what's going to happen to us, here? Honorary Noctavian citizens? You know that the people here aren't going to take too kindly to that. Will the Empire do what they do in their other 'towns' and decide the government owns everything, too?"

"Perhaps. The Emperor seems to want to keep his hands off this directly. Said that this is more a job for myself and Hegemon Erebus."

"Anyone else?" Joel said, stifling a smirk.

"If you mean her, then yes, she will be here as well. Ciara will be in charge of public relations, as she usually is. That woman could talk herself out of a Minervan prison cell."

"How do you feel about her being here?"

Victor paused for several moments, laughed, and shook his head. "I feel like you should've let me have a smoke, Joel."

"Not in the office. Outside."

Victor scowled and took the cigarette from its pack, lighting it and drawing in a long breath.

"Remember who pays the bills, Joel." Victor laughed and gestured to Joel to follow him as he spoke. "Hate these damned things, but Cybele knows they're keeping me relaxed enough to have to deal with her."

"Is it that bad these days?"

"She's talking about wanting to get back together. We're... trying it."

"Ah, well, that explains things."

He stepped out onto the pavement outside the workshop and took another long drag. Joel stood in the doorway of the workshop.

"So if Ciara's here, and Martine's here... must be a big deal, huh?"

"You could say that. I mean, I'm not saying that, but you could."

"Anyone else coming? Denny Nox? The Emperor himself?"

"The Emperor will be in Valdena, at least for the bulk of the time. Hegemon Nox may make an appearance, but I would assume the people of Cygnus would see his presence as being part of an invasion, not of a gentle annexation. He has a bit of a reputation. I trust that you're already familiar with that?"

The Slaughter of Morren during the second Elegian War, Joel remembered. He'd been a child then, but it had been world news - one of the many skirmishes between the Empire and Elegir had escalated beyond the normal tiff into a full-fledged invasion of Morren in eastern Elegir. It took the combined forces of Velus and Alaeris to get Hegemon Dennard Nox's troops to stand down and retreat, but over ten thousand people had died in the two week long attack.

"Hard to forget," Joel said. Victor took another puff on his cigarette.

"Oh, I almost forgot. There will be others coming," Victor said, and Joel's ears perked up. "General Hawkridge has been selected as the mission's peacekeeping officer in the stead of Hegemon Nox - she is an... interesting woman, but from all appearances seems to know how to keep people in line. A bit of a hardass, but anyone's better than Nox." He laughed, and Joel felt the creep of unease in his stomach once more.

"So all of this in just about a month's time? What'll even happen? Will the Empire roll in with tanks or what?"

"I'll have more details for you as they're relevant. For now, that's about all I can say." Joel grimaced and Victor just shrugged. "Look, Joel. If I didn't want to help you, why would I tell you any of this at all? We need to stay ahead of the curve with all that's to come, and I need you to trust me, okay?"

Joel stared Victor down, and the stocky man just smiled widely.

"I understand where you're coming from, Joel, but you'll just need to bear with me on this. Oh - one thing I do know is that the Empire is planning on adding some high-paying jobs when they arrive," Victor said. "Might ought to ask your boy there to come help out at the shop. They'll be opening a clinic where the Noctavian troops will be stationed, too. Perhaps Ceres would like to work somewhere like that?"

"She's planning on the Technica Academy," Joel said, and Victor's eyes glinted.

"Ah, so much like my Persephone then, huh? You've got a smart girl, Joel. And speaking of - we'll be back here sometime next week. Persephone's finished her licensing process with Noctavia, and we were planning on heading to Costa Sintra to soak up some sun for a few days."

"Oh?" Joel asked, trying not to sound too surprised. "Well, that's fantastic. Pass along my congratulations for me, please."

"Of course. When is Ceres' graduation, again?"

"About three or four weeks out," Joel said. "Right before all of this... whatever... going down."

"Good. We'll probably stop in then if you don't mind? Been a long time since I've seen Ceres or Lucas."

"Not since we first found the boy, if I remember correctly?"

"That sounds about right. It's strange how time flies, Joel. Speaking of time flying, I ought to get going. Keep up the good work and all of that. I'll stop by the workshop again while I'm in Costa Sintra - it might only be brief though; Ciara is coming with us."

"Sounds... fun?" Joel asked, and Victor raised an eyebrow.

"If we're making a run at being even slightly together again, we've got to start somewhere, yes? Anyway, I see your workers' truck in the distance. We'll talk again soon, alright?"

"Of course, Victor. Thank you."

"You can thank me when we're at Samsara and free of this horrible nowhere town."

Joel and Victor shared a knowing look as Victor departed into the afternoon.

Samsara. The former home of Renaissance, gutted by fire in the waning days of the rebellion. Slowly, carefully rebuilt over time by Joel, Victor, and some of Joel's closest confidantes. Was it almost time to return?

The second wave of the conversation knocked Joel from his footing. Sephie, here? His stomach became a black hole as cosmic butterflies flit about within it. Seeing her again would be quite anxiety-inducing, yet he still welcomed the idea of it. How much has she changed? Is she seeing someone? Joel thought, alarmed at his main concerns being her relationship status and appearance. She doesn't belong to you anymore. Did she ever, though?

Shandi and Billy entered the workshop carrying big bags from one of the local burger places, and Billy tossed a foil-wrapped burger to Joel.

"Eat up, boss," Shandi laughed as the two men set back to work. "Gonna need all your energy this week, aya."

"Thanks," Joel smiled. Some things, at least, weren't panic inducing.