Revel had dressed according to local practice. Light flowing robe, catching the air slowly in the light gravity. She had worn heels, simply to add a little height. She reckoned she looked like a child to these people, so time to use her outside voice. Steeling herself for drama, she nodded to her waiting escort, “Good of you to come, eventually. I was beginning to wonder what kind of world this was. Do you realise I had to fly myself here? Ridiculous. Take me to your leader.”
Her escort was rendered silent. He had literally been waiting at her door and the humans had prefered to use their own shuttle, intending it to bring supplies. Perhaps there had been a misunderstanding. “Forgive me, we meant no offense. I will bring you to our Apex immediately!”
Revel looked up at him, regarding him as she would a drunken idiot. “ Are you mad? Is this what passes for hospitality in this world? Is this how you treat your nobility? No wonder you wish to join the civilised peoples of the Galaxy! Bring me to my accommodation, that I may prepare. I will see the Apex tomorrow. I assume you have provided sufficient servants for the occasion. Really.”
At that she swept forward, towards what she hoped was the right vehicle. Right now bullshit was better than brawn and she had brought a big shovel. Years of growing up in the ‘right’ circle, amongst her father's highly-placed friends, had given her a good idea of how to make the right impression. Right now, they needed to be trying to make her happy, not asking awkward questions.
Her escort, a relatively experienced Chancellor, recognised the road he was on. His low birth had left him patiently dealing with Nobility, with its grudges, demands and insanities for years. His optimism that exposure to the wider universe would diminish that was unfortunately, it seemed, misplaced. Just more entitled idiots ruling the world. He called the Apex secretary and informed him the Human was unavailable to meet the Apex today, but would meet him tomorrow. He could feel the frost across the screen. No-one cancelled on the Apex. Ever. He would take offence at the Humans' behavior, unless he was truly concerned with the health of the Prince-Envoy. Unlikely, given that he had been given the job of mingling with these outsiders, hardly a prestigious assignment. The meeting should be interesting.
Revel was driven quickly to the Kingdom's primary hospital. Without any useful information available, she was guessing that this was to be her base until the project was complete. To her eyes, it looked ridiculously tall and thin. A sharp wind on earth would bring the whole thing down. Perhaps they knew more than they showed. It could be made of some as-yet unknown material that would revolutionize space itself. Or it was just local concrete and light gravity. For her, she reckoned that living here would drive her mad, constantly expecting the buildings to fall over. She just told herself ‘Ten days. I can do this in ten days.’
Apex Cidri ‘Tall amongst the Mountains, Ruler of All, Beloved of the Many’, was quietly amused as his Court tried to figure out if he was offended or not. In fact, he was impressed that they had sent an Envoy that understood the game and could still build the hospital. His intelligence on Human Engineers had been keen to point out that they represented their species unofficially, although with full access to their own diplomatic corps, if necessary. A useful compromise, he felt. He decided to be ‘Officially’ unhappy. Time to see how the game would play out. He could smell change in the air, like someone had opened a window in a musty room. He just hoped he had the budget to cover it.
Revel was met with a line of servants at the door to her suite. She had no idea of what they did, so she did her best to sweep in and simply said ‘ Thank you. Carry on.’ One of the servants hurried forward, “ I will bring you to your rooms, Engineer. Perhaps you wish to dine?” Revel didn’t slow down, simply nodding, until she reached the door and turned,“That would be acceptable. Bring my luggage.” The room was huge, stretching six meters up to the vaulted roof. Vast windows illuminated the painted walls, the beautiful wood carvings. If this was Aristocracy, maybe they had a point. Then she looked a little closer. There were no power points. There was no AI, no screens, no...civilisation. She was thankful she had packed herself, otherwise this was going to be banging rocks together to make fire. Her luggage arrived. She synced with it and ordered it to deploy. From the boxes swarmed the assembly bots, installing power and screens, food and hygiene facilities. It was still basically camping, but at least she wasn’t living in a museum. Thankfully she had included her grav generator. It was one thing using a wearable one, but she needed a room where she didn’t feel like she was about to fly into the ceiling.
Her staff, bemused by being appointed to serve such a tiny creature, were debating on how much food to send up. Did she eat more or less than them? They only had stories, myths about the heavy worlders to go on. So they decided to send everything. A vast feast was wheeled up to Revels apartments, everyone marching straight into gravity many times stronger than their own. It ended poorly. Luckily Revel had been paying attention as she heard the crashing of dishes and screams from outside her door. She quickly turned off the gravity builder and opened the door to the immense mess. People and food littered the corridor, moaning and cursing filling the air. No-one seemed truly hurt, more shocked and surprised. Revel decided to stay in character, “ What the hell is this noise? Is this supposed to be for me? Clean it up immediately, before you are dismissed.” In a softer voice she said, “ I require no further interruptions. You may tell your Apex that I enjoyed the meal.”
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At that she closed the door. She guessed at least half of the ‘servants’ were security services of some type. ‘ I wonder what they made of that,’ she mused. When it had gone quiet, she turned the gravity back on. That made it slightly surprising when someone knocked at the door. She called out,“ Come in.” assuming one of the crew had followed her down. No doubt a complaint from the Captain. Instead, a Carpus native appeared, wearing what appeared to be a backpack entered.
“ Forgive me, Engineer, I am here to discuss your meeting tomorrow. My apologies for earlier, we were unaware that such technology existed. Or simply uninformed of it. The Nobility doesn’t always remember that we are not permitted to go offworld.” She suddenly recognised him as the escort she had given such a difficult time too. His manner though, made her think perhaps he would be more useful as an ally. She could do with one. “ Please, come in. Is that equipment of some importance to you? It looks uncomfortable.”
“Yes, but I’m afraid it allows me to endure your gravity. It is unpleasant but necessary. We have much to discuss. Privately, if possible. I am here at the request of the Apex.”
Revel recognised a creature pushed to its limits. For all the soft voice, the straight back, this was a punishing environment for a Carpus native. This was a test for her, a test of her compassion or politics, some clever ploy to reveal her nature. Idiots, setting traps for children. “ I don’t believe I know your name, or position, before we discuss anything. Your credentials please.” As she spoke, she dialled down the gravity, almost as an afterthought. She was sitting at her console and didn't really require Ship normal right now anyway.
As the Escort walked towards the console, he felt the weight peel away from his shoulders. His face barely registered the change as he handed his security card to the Human, although silently he rejoiced in the comfort.
She took the security card and stuck it into her console. It beeped, made whirring sounds, stuttered and spat it back out. The console ignored most of the data on the card, almost certainly false or irrelevant, instead measuring the Escorts reaction. Every sound, every light was aimed at creating a reaction. Revel got the report quietly in her ear, ‘ Subject believes this to be a true document. He was unhappy with certain descriptors. Emotional profile indicates a profound dislike of Aristocracy. Ninety-eight percent accurate result.’ Revel had suspected as much. “ Well Chancellor Cpex, welcome. Please, sit down. It would make it much easier to talk. I’m afraid I’m not the tallest human, and you are certainly not the shortest person I have met.”
The Chancellor sat, grateful to rest a little. He was getting too old for this. Revel saw it in his large, heavily lined face. She had a sudden impulse. She opened a bag, rummaging for something. “ Here. It’s set for your gravity, regardless of where you are. Consider it a gift from a grateful guest.” She held out a bracelet to Cpex . He accepted it gracefully, placing it on his wrist.” Such technology is, sadly, unknown to me. I am grateful for such a gift.”
Revel smiled, then turned the gravity up to full human. Much of the apartment began falling down, dragged into the new field. Cpex watched in horror, as the bed collapsed, as pictures fell from the walls, as the very walls themselves began to bend. He felt nothing, lifting his arms with ease.. Revel turned the gravity back to Ship normal. “ Sorry about that, I accidently set it to Home. Perhaps I better clean up.”
At that, her nanites replaced all the broken objects, repaired the bed and some structural damage. No doubt alarms were ringing somewhere. Cpex was impressed, that was probably one of the best demonstrations of power he had ever seen, and he had seen armies march into the sea. Perhaps things could change. All that needed to be decided was which side these Humans were on. Against them, he and his were lost. Generations of subdued resistance, outlived every time by Nobility, would not stand against such technology. Cpex watched as the room was rebuilt, “ So that is your normal gravity. How odd. No doubt one of our nobles will offer to marry you, if only that his heir wins tests of strength.” His face carried the humour, even as his voice remained calm. Revel laughed, “ Please, tell them I have a mate, sworn for life. I am here for ten days, little more. I’m sure they can put up with me that long. No child of mine will be born into the purple.”.
Cpex rebooted his translator. The only available translation was ‘No offspring of mine will be nobility’. He had to ask, “Forgive me Engineer, some fault in our software, no doubt, are you children not already destined for Nobility?” Revel laughed, “ Not unless they can use a screwdriver, under fire, while the Captain is hiding under a table. Sorry, your idea of nobility is not the same as ours. My apologies if I gave you the wrong impression. It was necessary. Please, keep it to yourself. I am here to build a Medbay, let us begin to plan for that…”
Some hours later, Cpex left the human. Revel. He was dwelling on all the unsaid, all that was implied. He knew Humans, in general, were regarded as peaceful. Useful, even. That is why, alone of the Xeno races, they had been allowed to descend. They were truly alien. He had seen, shrouded in unknown concepts, unvoiced certainties, concepts of access and obligation, of care and community that he didn’t understand. It was like seeing a reflection in a broken mirror and realising he was looking from the wrong side. For the Humans, nobility was earned, not inherited. How extraordinary, that they lived in the stars while his people could only look up in hope.
The room was surveilled, of course. Revel had carefully left the crude devices untouched. Apex Cidri watched and listened. His face was stone when he turned to his court, “ The Human is to be left untouched. Anyone seeking her destruction will be destroyed, I will cast them from the clan and burn their Crest in the fires of my Palace, never to be recovered. By my blood and yours, you will not speak to it without my leave, nor harm it without my permission. In ten days, we will have what we need. Until then, I will descend with the wrath of the Gods themselves on any who cross me. You will treat her as the highest of this Court until she leaves. I will personally crush you if you give reason for insult. This is decreed.”