Allison was hanging off her bed. It wasn’t noise that had roused her from her deep sleep, it was the smell of bacon cooking. Not the factory grown stuff. The smell was different and distinct. She pushed herself up and peeked out of her room. She could hear Eyre talking and several other voices. She looked in the mirror. She looked like she’d twisted her hair into knots purposely. She groaned, a shower would be a good idea, but real, actual bacon. Her tummy won out and she left her room. Her mother was sitting at the breakfast bar drinking a coffee. Eyre was cooking and wearing Enid’s old apron. Olga and Aryna were sitting on either side of her mother. Helen was present and staring out the window at New Amazon. Allison could hear Oozie’s pleading meow-barks. Ever the junkyard nargle begging for meat. It was a strong will that could resist those big blue eyes. Eyre seemed to be faring fine with the impossible task. Eyre was relating a story about Africa from World War Two. Apiyo was listening with rapt attention.
“Romel was furious. The poor Gefreiter was a Soldat before he could get out of the jeep. I suppose it was a small price to pay to save a village.”
Eyre’s eyes drifted to Allison.
“Good morning, Allison.”
All eyes except Helen’s turned to Allison. Oozie did not lunge towards her chosen human. She was still pleading for a piece of meat. Eyre looked down at the nargle.
“That look has never worked for my dogs, why do you think it will work for you?”
Allison rubbed her eyes and sat down at the breakfast bar. Eyre held up a coffee pot.
“Coffee?”
Allison shook her head. Eyre put the coffee pot down and motioned to Oozie.
“I see why you’re so adamant about getting the special food for this one. I suspect it has hypnotic eyes.”
Eyre looked down at Oozie.
“They don’t work on vampires, silly furball.”
Oozie wagged her tail. Eyre huffed and went back to cooking breakfast. Apiyo looked at Allison.
“Special food?”
Allison looked at Aryna, who decided to stay out of this particular conversation. Allison bit her lower lip.
“Well, you see mom, nargles are… uh, well they need this special food to grow to full size. And umm, well it was all destroyed with the Qual’sa home world, so uh, I asked erm, Auntie Eyre to call her friend at BMC. They’re going to synthesize the compound and make food for Oozie. It’s just going to take a bit of time and money.”
Apiyo narrowed her eyes.
“How much money?”
Allison looked down at the counter and mumbled her answer. Making sure to muffle the million part. So, it came out sounding like: Seven hundred mumbled gibberish credits. Apiyo looked annoyed.
“Seven hundred credits for food? What is it? Made with gold flecks?”
Eyre started plating the food. She put a plate down for each of the guests, except Helen, whom she put a bottle of Synth-O down for, and Olga. She turned to Allison.
“You didn’t tell your mom, or clear it with her first?”
Apiyo looked between the two. Eyre tsked.
“The part our little she-devil here mumbled was the million part.”
Apiyo blinked a few times.
“Seven million credits? That is ludicrous.”
Eyre shook her head.
“No, Apiyo, Seven hundred million credits. Apparently, the enzyme is difficult to create and requires materials from the Andromeda Galaxy, specifically from League Armageddon seed vaults. They also need to sequence Oozie’s DNA. All of these things cost money. She’s basically funding the creation of a new drug. And if she weren’t… weren’t who she is the price would be in the billions.”
Allison blushed and let her bangs cover her face as she munched on the first piece of bacon. Apiyo was speechless.
“And what will this enzyme do for Oozie? Make her fur shinier?”
Allison finished her bacon. She eyed another piece. Eyre tapped the black marble bar top in front of Allison.
“You weren’t going to tell her? Oh, you are… a sixteen-year-old girl. That is for sure.”
Eyre frowned.
“Tell her exactly what it is for, or I will happily cut the funding.”
Allison sighed.
“Oozie should live to be a few thousand years old, but because she can’t get the enzyme she’ll die soon. She’s smart, and telepathic… and my friend. I want to make sure she can live her best life.”
Eyre tapped the marble again.
“Continue.”
Allison rolled her eyes.
“And to reach full size, which is about up past my waist.”
Apiyo blinked a few times then looked at Eyre.
“And you signed off on this?”
Eyre nodded.
“Because I thought she had discussed it with you. If not the money, the fact Oozie wasn’t fully grown yet.”
Apiyo sighed and looked down at Oozie who looked up at her with her adorable big blue eyes.
“So, she’s still a puppy… that is why she’s so adorable. But Allison, seven hundred million credits! You can’t possibly think it is okay to spend that on a pet.”
Allison shrugged, she was in full on pout mode now. Eyre sighed.
“In truth, it isn’t even one percent of her net worth. It wasn’t the money I was concerned about, it was the fact these things were used as royal bodyguards for a species that can tear ships in half with their minds.”
Apiyo held up her hands.
“They are used as guard dogs?”
Aryna shook her head.
“No, they were companions and a last line of defense for the royal family. They could sense ill intentions and warn us. They’re quite tame, unless the one they’re bound to is in danger.”
Apiyo shook her head.
“Just how much money does Allison really have?”
Eyre tapped her fingers across the kitchen counter as she did some math.
“By the time she has access to the funds, her inheritance will be worth… eighty trillion, give or take, more than the gross yearly production of Earth.”
Apiyo had seen the numbers already, but to hear it said out loud.
“It is all hers when she turns fifty? No limitations?”
Eyre nodded.
“As was stipulated in her biological parent’s will. I knew them well and her spending seven hundred million on a telepathic guard dog that can sense ill intentions before she can, they’d call it a bargain.”
Apiyo absently ate a piece of bacon.
“How could anyone be worth that much?’
Eyre shrugged.
“Everyone in this room knows who her biological mothers were. That is how she is worth so much. The money is insignificant. It’s about one percent of a weeks’ worth of interest. What is not acceptable is not telling your mother about this. Allison. I’m disappointed.”
Apiyo nodded in agreement.
“Your Auntie Eyre is right, but, I am not going to punish Oozie because you were a little sneak, so, whatever she breaks is on you. I wash my hands of it.”
Eyre nodded.
“I assure you, Apiyo, when she is here on Earth, I will keep an eye on her, and the next time she asks for something, you’ll be the first to know.”
Allison shrunk further onto her stool. She was feeling just a little bit persecuted, this feeling was made worse because she was at fault for the whole situation.
“You are just like an Auntie. I am feeling more comfortable about Allison coming here already.”
When everyone had finished breakfast Allison took care of the dishes. Mostly because it let her calm down after being dragged through the mud by her Auntie Eyre and her mother. Oozie was getting underfoot trying to comfort her. She found it more frustrating than endearing, she didn’t say anything. Such an utterance would have risked ruining the mood for everyone else and she wasn’t one to spread her own misery about. Eyre received a call and left the room. When she returned, she had a smile plastered on her face. Allison recognized the smile, because she often wore it when she had terrible news but was trying to put a good spin on it.
“Aryna, Apiyo and Allison, I have great news. You’re all going for a shopping spree, on the System’s Alliance diplomatic corps credit chit.”
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Allison narrowed her eyes. She knew from her time in the military already that the government of the System’s Alliance was frugal to the point of miserliness. Something was up. Without thinking she spoke up.
“Say what now?”
It was the kind of tone that would get her a smack on the back of the head by an Auntie, her mother, or pretty much any adult woman from Eden Prime’s capital city if she used it to address anyone of any repute. Thus, Apiyo shot her a warning glance. Eyre seemed immune to such things and kept on smiling.
“The budget is substantial. I have made some calls, it’s all arranged. Apiyo, you’ll be happy to know that Colony Affairs has extended your vacation time to accommodate this.”
Apiyo smiled broadly. Truly her presence on the colony was not entirely necessary at this point. She had a deputy governor and with the Alliance Net she was a holo-call away if needed. She had not had a real vacation in ages.
“To make up for the inconvenience you’re all, including Oozie, going to be gifted an all-expenses paid three-day trip to Pleasure Dome 3 on Titan as VIP’s. The diplomatic corp are eager for Aryna to see the brighter side of life in the System’s Alliance.”
Allison groaned at the mention of Titan. It was a moon she could avoid for the rest of her life and be happy. Apiyo’s eyes snapped back to her daughter.
“Do you know how expensive that place is? And you groan?”
Eyre gave Allison a knowing look.
“Allison, while she was here last time, had a top-secret military assignment in the corporate dome there. It was a bad experience. I can say with confidence however that everyone who has access to the information was highly impressed by her skill, and confidence in navigating a complicated situation with grace and dignity. You’ll be going to Pleasure Dome 3 though, and you’ll be nowhere near the corporate dome.”
Apiyo’s eyes narrowed at the pair once again.
“I am just hearing this now? A pilgrimage to Sauroid prime! Such deception!”
Allison sighed; Eyre spoke up before Allison could say anything.
“Apiyo, it was the official cover story for her mission. As a military specialist she is often asked to go and do things she cannot talk about. In each case she is provided with evidence and a cover story to back it up. In this case, she was engaged by the Vampire Council and Governing board to rescue my sister. Because of the nature of the operation, we could not let the people holding her know who was behind it, so Allison was undercover and imbedded in a mercenary team who were not aware of our collusion. She did go to Sauroid Prime as that was the location she was to drop my sister off at, our sister. Where, with the intelligence Helen provided, she was able to make contact with our mother.”
Allison frowned towards Aryna. She was the only other soul who knew what she’d seen in the vision. Aryna nodded to Allison slightly. Allison sighed. If she knew anything from the link with Aryna that the pair often partook in, she knew her sister from another mother would have a good reason for it. The Queen, unlike Allison, was meticulous with her words and actions. Apiyo was just blinking at Eyre in disbelief at this point, finally she spoke.
“Your mother, the Dark Mother. The goddess?”
Eyre shook her head.
“No, she was no Goddess. Just a very powerful vampire.”
Apiyo thought on that for a moment.
“You said, was… how did she speak to Allison.”
Eyre sighed.
“It is complicated. My mother… didn’t experience time like we do. She could move about the timeline however she wanted; She pulled Allison to… a moment just before the creation of the universe. A fact we were able to verify from her armor. There were particles on it that shouldn’t exist. What our mother said to her, well, if she wants to share it, that is up to her. It confirmed what we thought. To… fix things that were broken she needed to reorder everything from the beginning, thus sacrificing herself. Now we know she is gone and why.”
Apiyo now looked towards Allison who looked around at everyone from the kitchen. She had no idea what to say, so she shrugged.
“Yea, that’s about what happened.”
Allison turned back to her work on the dishes. Apiyo was once again annoyed at her daughter’s reaction to what was a momentous occasion.
“Allison, you met the Dark Mother. How are you so calm about it?”
Allison sighed and turned back to her mother.
“It was nothing. I just touched a wall and got a headache. She was glowy and short. Looked like Auntie Eyre.”
Allison rolled her eyes and went back to drying a cast iron skillet with the equivalent of a thirtieth century paper towel. Apiyo just blinked at her daughter in disbelief, she motioned towards Allison and looked at Eyre.
“Tell me, vampire, what do I do with this?”
Eyre sighed.
“I am sorry, Apiyo, I have no idea. Some of us are just born different.”
Allison put the skillet she’d been oiling away.
“What I would really like to know is: Why are we going shopping on a government credit chit?”
Eyre put that smile on again. Allison’s heart sank. She barely knew her half-sister, but she knew enough that this was going to be anything but enjoyable for her or someone else. Eyre confirmed Allison’s suspicion when she pulled out a golden card and read it.
“Her Royal Highness, Empress Velda, of the Ratoan, cordially invites, Her Highness, Duchess Allison Wanjala, her sister, Her Highness, Tearyna Qualistori, and the rest of her household to a grand ball on Ratoa, which will be held in the honor of Duchess Wanjala.”
Aryna and Apiyo looked quite excited. Allison on the other hand was anything but excited. She crossed her arms and shook her head.
“No. Not going to happen. I rescued them, that is enough Ratoan Royal family interactions for one lifetime.”
Eyre kept that smile on her lips and waved the card in her hand.
“Your grandfather thought it was important enough he sent an escort carrier along with a pair of destroyers to have it hand delivered to your apartment. The governing board and vampire council would really appreciate your attending it… and if our appreciation isn’t enough, as an active reservist we could make it an order. Is that really the image you want to portray to our leadership? A spoiled teenage girl?”
Allison narrowed her eyes, stormed up to Eyre and snatched the invitation out of her half-sister’s fingers. She had a half a mind to rip it in half.
“I can still quit you know. I have my own personal starfighter, I don’t need the military to fly it!”
She shook the invitation at Eyre. She was so angry her hands were shaking. She wasn’t even sure why her reaction to this was so visceral. It didn’t matter. A hard smack on the back of her head snapped her out of her teenage temper tantrum.
“Allison Maliaka Wanjala! You know better than to be so rude to adults. Especially aunties! Apologize for your behavior this instant! We’re going, and there will be no further debate! This is a dictatorship run by your parents, not a democracy!”
Allison, who’d been slouching, stood up straighter and looked at Eyre.
“I’m sorry for my behavior, Auntie Eyre. We will be happy to attend on behalf of the board and the council.”
Eyre smiled.
“Thank you, Allison. You will be assigned an appropriate security team, led by a council representative. You are familiar with her, Widow.”
Allison blinked a few times.
“She’s just a bartender.”
Eyre nodded.
“She is also an honored warrior of the wolf-born tribes, and a member of the reserves, like yourself. She is likely to accompany you on your shopping trip, I was hoping Tearyna could assist in selecting proper outfits for the occasion. I suspect my experience with the royal court of Middle Ages England will fall short of the task. There is no rush so if nothing suits your needs, we can have it made, it is a rare occasion all three of you are together on Earth so I thought it best we get the shopping out of the way. I have holo-data for Tearyna to review for Ratoan styles.”
Aryna nodded as Eyre swept a data package towards her and her holo-tablet and contacts allowed her to access it. She had become quite adept with human technology in the short time she’d been living on Eden Prime. She wondered off with a smile on her face.
“Well, you just made her very happy. She just loves dealing with this stuff.”
Eyre nodded. Allison sighed.
“And our vacation to Pleasure Dome 3? When do I get my orders about that?”
Eyre laughed and waved her hand dismissively. Allison saw something in Eyre’s facial expression that didn’t match her body language.
“That is exactly what it seems. Three days of warm sands, beautiful oceans and drinking on the beach. Or bonfires, or whatever your heart desires.”
Allison was skeptical now.
“That sounds just a little too good to be true.”
Eyre shrugged.
“Nothing is expected of you there, besides to show up. I assure you.”
Allison mumbled under her breath: Show up for what? Eyre looked at her.
“What was that?”
Allison smiled, it was the same smile Eyre had used on her.
“Nothing, Auntie Eyre. Just remembered something I need to check.”
Their eyes met. Allison knew Eyre heard her perfectly. Eyre knew Allison wasn’t happy about any of this by a long shot. The more time Allison spent with Eyre, the more she realized they were alike. Allison left the apartment proper and entered her hanger.
In truth she wasn’t sure what to do with herself, she felt like she should be training. Instead, she sent the command to liquify Bit’s armor and directed it to a storage barrel. She traced her way through the conduits one by one. For each she pulled out the interlink and scanned it for wear and tear. Few parts on the fighter were likely to wear out the interlinks were the thirtieth century version of fuses. She actually carried a full rack of replacements with her. The energy requirements involved in generating a wormhole, powering particle beams, shields and numerous other systems were immense. The interlinks were the last line of defense in case of a catastrophic overload that would fry Bit’s processing core, the cockpit occupant and the rest of the systems.
Her work was more difficult than she expected because the liquid metal on the fighter had contained a lattice of strange wires. She wasn’t sure what they were for, it was almost like a faraday cage. Her scanners indicated the material was an energy super absorber. She’d have to remember to ask Bit about it. She moved on with a shrug. Thankfully the lattice had an opening for the interlink port and various other parts. She sighed. The main weapon interlink was on its last legs. She pondered how much the interlinks would cost. She tapped the command on her AR HUD to release the interlink. She saw the clamps retract and she pulled it out. She looked it over. She could see black on it. She put it aside. Her shield interlink was in worse condition. She pulled that one too.
She heard someone enter but she didn’t turn around. She wasn’t really in the mood. She was still trying to figure out why the thought of going to the ball was making her so angry. Eyre cleared her throat.
“I know you’re angry, but be angry with me, not your mother and Tearyna.”
Allison pulled a graviton funnel out from behind the graviton core and looked it over for wear. She didn’t look at Eyre.
“I’m fine, okay, you can go back to whatever. I’m just trying to make sure when I turn my shields on, they actually turn on. Standard maintenance after a battle. I didn’t have a chance on Silwra.”
Allison replaced the graviton funnel and walked around to the spare interlink storage container. Eyre walked up beside her.
“Fine? No, something is bothering you about the Ratoan. What is it?”
Allison pulled the two interlinks she needed out and moved to return to the interlink panel but Eyre blocked her way.
“Allison, keeping things bottled inside will not help you in the long run. You’re a lot like our mother. She refused to talk about things for almost two thousand years. It almost destroyed her.”
Allison sighed.
“Auntie Eyre, it has worked for me so far.”
Allison rolled her eyes.
“Can I please replace these, they’re heavy.”
Eyre reached out and took the two interlinks. She placed them in the open storage compartment. She then wrapped her hands around Allison’s upper arms.
“No. Talk first.”
Allison let out a low frustrated growl.
“I’m not her. I’m not you either. I’m fine.”
Eyre shook her head.
“You know the only person our mother ever lied to was herself. She was fine too. Now, why is this Ratoan ball bothering you so much. Most teenage girls I know, given the chance to shop for a dress are ecstatic. Like you were for that dress we bought you for the Embassy Gala.”
Allison glared at Eyre. She made it a habit of avoiding feeling, feelings and Eyre was doing something to her, and she was feeling things she didn’t want too. She snapped at Eyre and raised her voice.
“Why won’t you just drop it? It’s not important. I said I’ll go, I’ll go!”
Allison’s hands went to her mouth when her fangs came out. It was like the councilor’s office at school already. Eyre didn’t seem phased by Allison’s vamping out, why would she, she was after all an ancient vampire.
“I’m so sorry, Auntie Eyre, I don’t know where that came from.”
Eyre crossed her arms. Allison didn’t have to look up or down to meet Eyre’s gaze. She and Eyre were almost exactly the same height. Eyre put a hand on Allison’s cheek.
“You cannot bottle your feelings inside. We… vampires, and dhampirs, can be very… emotional. Especially dhampirs. Something is really bothering you and if you do not deal with it, you will hurt someone. Trust me, I know.”
Allison felt tears welling up in her eyes.
“I don’t know why! Okay. The prince was cute, I was crushing hard and then… I felt icky. I just don’t want to see him again. I don’t want to go to the ball. Celebration Gala’s don’t go well for me. You know what happened at the embassy.”
Eyre nodded.
“That is precisely why Widow is coming with you, with two other wolf-born. Along with Olga. You will not come to harm.”
Allison sniffled, tears were dripping down her cheeks now.
“I’m not worried about me. Last time… last time it cost me…”
Eyre nodded.
“The boy who shot you?”
Allison sniffled and wiped away her tears.
“How do you know?”
Eyre smiled.
“My dear, sister, I know everything. Do you think perhaps you’re still feeling guilty for defending yourself?”
Allison’s lower lip began to quiver. Eyre pulled Allison close and held her tightly. She let her cry it out.