The firm wind pushed on Damien’s glider. He flew over a wide river which bisected the capitol of the 11th kingdom in two. Him and Matrioshka would land on one side, Rhea and Makoe on the other. PesKal’s path led him away and farther outside the city, within a suburb of sorts, encircled by numerous farms. He would land the nearest to the Atomic Press. The winds picked up as the gliders descended, they could do little steering now.
The capitol was vast. It encompassed much of the internal fertile valley across the 11th kingdom’s island. Its population numbered around 150 000, most were well off financially. But PesKal had scanned a significant number of servant-class Miriani. The city was darker than human standard, the Mirani used their superior senses for navigation during night-time.
Damien was struck by a down-pressure which hastened his landing. He would be the first to do so.
“Looks like I’m being forced down. Landing imminent.” he announced.
“No fair. You got Oliver’s World.” said Makoe. “It was my turn.”
Matrioshka smiled: “I promise you get the honor next time, Officer Rue.”
Damien, focused on his landing, aimed to avoid a blooming tree. “What?” he asked. “Oh, sorry. I unfortunately do not control the wind.”
Makoe inspected the surrounding area around Damien in the virtual: “Careful, you are approaching dangerously close to the ground now. You might get spotted.”
“I see. Thank you.” Damien replied just as he barely glided over a thick stone wall. He disassembled the glider, and fell soundlessly to the ground. A black mass of nanites which held a cube, Damien’s lattice, and a spherical shell of solidified nanites from the re-entry.
Damien’s nanites surged into a drill and excavated a large hole. After he dug a sufficiently deep area, he placed the lattice and the useless nanite shell into it, and covered it over. The nanites returned the topmost layer to its previous configuration - grass and all. The hole is undetectable to Miriani senses.
Damien’s liquid form flowed across the ground and into a nearby bush. He took note of his surroundings.
He was hiding in a courtyard of a large ornate building. The walls were made of stone, white with a distinct yellow tint, and the roof was made of wood - dense and heavy. Three above-ground and four subterran floors. Its top levels were filled with classrooms, currently in session. Adolescent Miriani paid varying amounts of attention to the singular older Miriani at the front of the class.
The students were in uniform, a white-red shirt and black pants. The professors were uniformed as well, though their shirts were pure red.
“Damien has landed within the premises of a school of sorts.” Matrioshka reported to the rest of the crew. “He is currently hiding in a bush.”
Makoe snorted while trying to contain her laughter.
“Very funny.” Damien replied dryly.
Rhea was next. She was forced down onto a wide and empty rooftop by the winds. It cracked as she landed, struggling to bear the weight of Rhea’s nanites and lattice. Immediately she heard footsteps from below, followed by yelling in the yet untranslated Miriani language.
She saw a group of Miriani through the floor; they had ganged up on a single man, and four of them ran towards the windows.
“Dammit.” Rhea cursed.
A metal hook line grabbed at the roof’s edge; a sturdy rope tied to its end. It was thrown by one of the Miriani from the window below. The rope strained as the Miriani began to climb with higher-than-expected speed. The three other Miriani threw hooks too.
Rhea scanned her surroundings; she would be too slow pulling her lattice and dead nanites. She needed to stash them both and formed a box around both. It wouldn’t appear out of place, next to the three empty barrels and stacks of wooden planks. One of the Miriani grabbed the edge of the roof and heaved onto it.
Rhea considered the 30 different female Miriani within her sensor range. She combined their appearance to create a median Miriani body. Her nanites formed two long arms, a head with two eyes, and Rhea choose a silver coating of fur. She decided on a random outfit she scanned on one of the nearby Miriani.
A red furred Miriani landed with a thump. He looked at Rhea and froze.
Even without a translational interface, Rhea knew the Miriani looked confused.
“Estimated time of completion, Officer PesKal?” asked Rhea.
“For the language pack? At least 3 minutes.” PesKal replied calmly, unaware of Rhea’s situation.
“I need it now.” Rhea said just as the red Miriani began a series of loud instructions. Three more Miriani climbed onto the roof. Rhea saw the remaining four listen in from the floor below. One of the Miriani, a tall female, was in the centre while the other three guarded her protectively.
The last Miriani, a man they had encircled, used this opportunity to flee. He was already halfway down the street, running as fast as his legs allowed him.
“My advice is to stall, Officer Lavigne.” Matrioshka said, fully entertained with Rhea’s predicament.
“Dammit.” Rhea cursed again as Red produced a small blade, still yelling. She considered the Miriani, and the three others behind her back.
Rhea ran.
She bolted towards the other end of the roof, taking great care to not exceed the maximum reasonable running speed of the Miriani. The Miriani on the roof exclaimed something, likely profanities, and took off after Rhea.
She reached the end of the roof and jumped onto the next, taller one. Rhea landed on the wooden panelling with a thump. She turned and saw the four Miriani who gave chase stare – their fox-like ears vibrating. They recovered quickly, and threw their hooks onto Rhea’s roof.
One of the Miriani failed the throw and had to pull his hook back. Red’s hook landed and caught onto a small wooden protrusion. Rhea quirked an eyebrow at it, looked at Red, and smirked.
He stopped pulling at the hook and looked at Rhea.
She walked leisurely to the hook and unlatched it.
She threw it back down.
The four Miriani realised they were at an impasse. Red barked an order and one of the others, a smaller brown female, ran back to the lower floor. Red looked at Rhea, who was still smirking. She knew how of course; smiling was instinctual to simulated DNA - both human, Ankrahi, and Miriani.
Brown ran down to the four Miriani who remained behind. They exchanged words, brown ran outside and the other four used hooks to climb onto the roof as well. The female guarded by the others, was older and white-furred. She seemed to radiate confidence, the other Miriani’s posture showed respect and subservience.
White took her sweet time walking up to the roof’s edge. The others were at her back, keeping watch. White began talking. Gently, without rush.
“The language pack, PesKal?” Rhea asked.
“30 seconds.” PesKal replied.
White stopped talking. Seemingly waiting for Rhea to reply.
Rhea felt awkward. Matrioshka felt it through the connection. But she had no other choice. Rhea’s body remained stoic, she no longer smirked. She held White’s gaze.
They looked at each other for an uncomfortable half minute.
Red was beginning to get antsy, he looked at the other guards around White in a very human what-is-going-on kind of way.
Brown was on the streets now, running towards the unseen side of Rhea’s building. White was a distraction then, so Brown could sneak up on Rhea. They failed to consider the nanite sensors, which showed in full detail everything that happened within 60 meters of Rhea.
Brown managed to climb onto the roof behind Rhea, and sneak into her blind spot. Rhea was still facing White, appearing ignorant of Brown’s advances.
White began talking again, in a more hurried tone - heightening the distraction factor. Brown stepped closer.
Silence followed.
Then Brown pounced, blade in hand, aiming for a swift grab and takedown.
Rhea twisted, grasped Brown’s hand, blade still held firmly in it, and gently maneuverer her into a unyielding choke-hold. The smaller Miriani was now in front of Rhea, her own blade pointed at her throat.
“Officer Lavigne?” asked Matrioshka.
“I will not harm the girl. I’m just stalling - as you suggested.”
Matrioshka believed her. Even as White began to speak heatedly, Rhea was focused on Brown. She scanned her bodily functions, characterised her DNA, and detected a small cancer within her abdomen.
“May I, captain?” Rhea asked.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Well, no way that won’t be considered a hostile action. Matrioshka considered the cancerous growth. If left unchecked it would grow and spread. The girl would not live long.
“You may. Sterilize the blade first.”
Rhea smiled and replied: “Naturally.”
The nanites within Rhea’s eyes vibrated, forming a gamma laser – sacrificing 5% of Rhea’s nanites. Invisible from the outside, Rhea’s eyes could now emit extreme doses of radiation. She snatched the knife away from Brown and held it above her head.
“Do be aware; they will most likely think you are harming the girl for no reason.” Matrioshka warned.
“I care little for their thoughts. This girl is sick. I will cure her.”
Brown was saying something in hushed pleading tone, and struggled against Rhea’s immovable hands.
Rhea stared at the knife, as if she was inspecting it. In truth she was delivering sterilizing amounts of radiation. White shouted something, and Rhea brought down the knife towards Brown’s abdomen.
Brown cried out, gasped, and hit Rhea many times - wherever she could. Rhea repeated the strike three more times, each time avoiding any important organs or blood vessels. On the last thrust, Rhea yanked out a small fleshy mass. It fell softly onto the roof.
Brown had stilled and fell to her knees; she was holding her wounded stomach. Rhea scanned her, and was satisfied the operation was a success. Brown would lose at most 130ml of blood, and would be back to full health within 2 weeks.
White was furious, she was shouting and pointing at Rhea. The rest of her thugs had their bladed weapons out, loudly growling.
“Here you go everyone!” PesKal happily exclaimed, streaming data.
Rhea grabbed at it, and saw it was the language pack. She promptly installed it.
Miriani words passed through PesKal’s matrices of translation, context became easy, sentences rich with meaning. White was cursing; “…swear on the Stars. I will have your head! You dare attack one of my own!? A child!?” Rhea travelled into her recorded memories, back when White first spoke to Rhea;
“Congratulations are in order. You found our storehouse. I trust you employer paid you well, because you will need all the money of this world to escape us. You have made a very powerful enemy today miss…?” White said.
When Rhea didn’t respond, White continued: “No matter. You name is not important. You followed us from the meet have you not? Your clothes do blend well with the streets of Tyebrook.” Tyebrook – must be the district in which Rhea landed.
Now that she checked the data pack, Matrioshka found the capitol’s name was Erdon, and the 11th kingdom was called something like Highest-crown-royal. Matrioshka found mention of at least 34 additional Miriani languages, thought only the language spoken in Highcrown was translated fully.
“We might show you leniency if you tell us who hired you. I promise at least your life will be spared.” White said just before Brown pounced on Rhea.
White’s face bloomed with worry when Brown was captured and Rhea pointed the knife at her. White pleaded then: “Alright. Alright! We will not come after you if you release Memri. It was my command that made her attack you.”
Rhea held the knife up.
White lost her composure. “Please no. Don’t. We will give up our territory. Let her go!”
Rhea stabbed Memri. Repeatedly.
Then the Miriani swore - a lot.
When the procedure completed and Memri fell to her knees, White shouted again;
“You’re a monster! Barbaric! Why stab her so many times? Why not a clean death!? I swear on the Stars. I will have your head! You dare attack one of my own!? A child!?”
Rhea returned to the present, not a second passed from the outside perspective.
“Plan of action, Officer Lavigne?” Matrioshka asked.
“I will fake ignorance. I will say I am a decorated physician. I noticed Memri was sick when I walked next to her on the street earlier. Decided to follow her, but was surprised to find Memri engaged in shady business. Curiosity got the best of me. I doubt they are very intelligent; they will accept my narrative.” Rhea replied over her channel to Matrioshka.
“You may proceed.”
Rhea grabbed the tumour from the floor and yelled: “Apologies. I noticed the child had a malignant tumour. The operation was a success - she will live.” She threw the tumour at Red, who fumbled but managed to catch it. “Have a physician examine it. I am right.”
White gazed dubiously at the supposed tumour and back at Rhea. “What in the Star’s Names…? Why were you on the roof then?”
Rhea imitated a Miriani shrug. “Followed the kid. Found her here with the rest of you. Heard some things I shouldn’t have. Got spooked when Red here came at me.”
Red scoffed; “Came at you? I asked why you were here. I was surprised is all. You’re the one who acted suspiciously. How in the Giant’s good grace did you manage to jump this distance?” He said while gesturing at the 7 meters of air between the two roof tops.
“I exercise regularly.” Rhea replied.
“I am… loosing blood.” Brown, true name Memri, said - still on her knees.
“You will be fine. Minimal blood loss over the next 1.2 days. 2 hours if you cover the wound with a clean cloth.” Rhea replied.
“Gah...” Memri clutched harder at her wound. “Are you a doctor, or something?”
“I am.”
White was having none of it: “Lies. Why would a doctor dress as a common whore!?” she said, gesturing at Rhea’s attire.
With the added context of the language pack, Rhea’s clothes now seemed a dash provocative - the loose white gown in particular.
“I am at a rough patch in my life.” Rhea replied, slightly embarrassed.
A few moments of silence.
White acquitted: “I can understand that. But I mean what I said about finding you wherever you go. You threatened one of my own. I do not care if it was with a supposed good reason.”
White was telling the truth. Using the sensors, and at this close distance, Rhea was able to identify hormones excreted by the Miriani brains when they spoke falsehoods. None were present in White.
Red quietly whispered to White, too low to be heard by the average Miriani: “Omrica, we could use an indentured doctor. The business has been trouble lately, with the crackdown and everything…”
White, whose name was evidently Omrica, whispered back: “I don’t trust her one bit. Something is seriously off about her. Look at her eyes.”
Rhea didn’t think there was anything wrong with them, they were accurate down to the millimetre.
Red continued: “I feel ya, boss. But what better way to learn more about the doctor than have her close to us.”
“Alright Uric.” Omrica whispered back to Red, now Uric, and to Rhea she said:
“I am willing to forget today’s events if you work as our doctor for a year. The Family will provide you with shelter, food, and water. You say you fell on hard times? We will care for you, if you care for us. Starting with Memri.”
Matrioshka advised: “Accept their proposal. Hiding in plain sight is hiding after all.”
Rhea clasped her hands gently, a Miriani gesture of acceptance. And knelt to check on Memri. Rhea knew Memri was fine, her sensors told her as much, but now she had to keep up appearances.
“I will bring Memri over. We can talk inside.” Rhea said, gesturing at the building she originally landed on.
Rhea went to pick Memri up, who yelled: “As if you will carry me. I am not a baby! Gah!” She pressed her wound again, trying to rise to her feet.
“Do not struggle little one. You will only harm yourself further.” Rhea told in what she though was a placating tone.
“Little one!? Giant’s grace you are condescending.”
Matrioshka laughed, and Rhea whispered over their connection: “Shut up.”
To Memri she said: “I have little patience for the antics of children. I can put you to sleep if you wish, and carry you while unconscious. Walking on your own will only hurt you.”
Memri stilled, and looked up at Rhea. “What? Alright. Wow… You don’t have to put me to sleep. You can carry me...”
Rhea grasped the smaller Miriani and rose.
Well… that was exciting. Matrioshka thought as she glided over Erdon. Then she realised, thanks to PesKal’s language and data pack, her projected landing zone was within the palace of Highcrown’s ruling family.
“Shit.” Matrioshka said over the group line.
“Captain?” Makoe asked.
“Just realised I will land near the palace.”
“Tell me about it.” Damien sighed, still in the bush. “Apparently, I am on the grounds of Highcrown Academy. It seems to be a big deal, with how the students are talking about it.”
“Indeed, it is Officer Viris.” said PesKal. “Word around town suggests the Academy is the best institute for higher learning on Rosamond's World.”
“Yeah. It is also guarded during all times.” Damien said, looking at the wall surrounding the compound. Miriani guards patrolled on both sides. He wondered why so much security was in place, and scanned the principal’s office. There he found letters, both old and new, where parents of the students demanded assurances their children would be safe.
Judging by the logs, the principal relented, and hired 328 guards. They now prowled the premises, keeping watch.
Makoe said proudly: “Tough luck to you guys. I am aiming for the top of an old bell tower. No Miriani in the near vicinity.”
Matrioshka rolled her eyes invisibly and landed on a tree within the palace’s garden. The glider melted into a mass of black goo, which twisted elegantly into the canopy - hidden from sight.
Matrioshka heard the tree strain under her weight. Her lattice and nanites weighed around 1.9 tonnes on Rosamond’s World. The tree bent ever so slightly. A group of palace guards was patrolling nearby. They noticed nothing.
The palace was wide, it could fit 12 Slivers within its wall. 62 if you counted the 4 subterran floors. It was made of gold tinted bricks, and was adorned by large amounts of flower-shaped glass.
Matrioshka locked eyes with a Miriani.
It was male and young. He was well dressed; all gold, silver, and whites. The Miriani sat on the palace’s roof, and stared wide-eyed at the tree Matrioshka landed in. He was just outside the 60-meter range of the scanners; she would have noticed him if she wasn’t so focused on Rhea.
It was night-time and Matrioshka was deep within the tree’s canopy. If she remained still, the Miriani might rationalize he imagined a bird coming from the sky, melting, and hiding in a tree – an illusion, or a dream.
The Miriani stood up and ran to a nearby open window. He jumped inside and closed the window with a bang.
“Grand megastructures... I might have been discovered.” Matrioshka admitted to everyone.
“What!?” Rhea asked, she was on the street now, walking slowly to her meet with Omrica. Memri whimpered gently in her arms.
“A young male laid eyes on me as I landed. I will be fine; I will relocate immediately.”
She couldn’t risk moving on the ground - too many guards. So Matrioshka decided to jump from tree to tree. She moved over to a less guarded part of the garden and strategized her escape. Like the Academy, the palace had tall, well-guarded walls around its perimeter.
Matrioshka could jump it easy, but that would entail revealing herself to the attentive guards. Matrioshka counted 7 with a direct line of sight on her best escape route. She decided to wait and noted the statues they saw from orbit. Solid stone, and a small path for the donated coins to be collected in one of the underground rooms.
Damien was startled by a sharp sound. He focused on it, and saw a Miriani student breaking a window. He was on the first floor, and jumped outside stealthily.
Damien scanned the creature and found his id-card. It read Hiri Bat-Ani. He was short for his age, golden furred and had a burn injury on his shoulder.
Hiri was also attempting to execute a covert operation. He wasn’t wearing his uniform, just simple robes, and the room he broke out of was a private bathroom.
He was carrying a backpack filled to the brim with supplies. Everything needed to get started on a new life; A fake id, some food, solid gold bars – most likely Hiri planned to use those as currency.
As Damien watched, Hiri sneaked further from the building, Damien followed.
Hiri’s ears were curled, he was tense, as he watched a guard patrol the wall. He waited for an opening, checked a small timekeeping device in his pocket, and ran to the wall.
Hiri looked up at the wall and yelled: “I am here! Throw the rope!”
Silence.
Hiri was fully frightened now. He said: “Rui? Are you there?”
More silence.
Damien saw a guard hear Hiri’s calls. The guard turned hurriedly toward Hiri’s direction. Hiri had no time to escape, he didn’t even notice the guard until the guard yelled:
“Stop! This is Academy grounds! Identify yourself.”
Hiri turned in shock. “I am Hiri Bat-Ani! I am a student here!”
“A student here!? Why are you outside of the Academy during class hours!? You know the drill. 20 lashes.”
“But… but wait!” Hiri stammered as the large guard approached him, a whip unbuckled and ready in his hand.
Damien scanned the principal’s logs, trying to find a reasonable disguise
“There!” Damien said through the group connection. “Professor Adra Nan-Tar, a transfer from the 5th Kingdom. She should have arrived today but is yet to make an appearance. Can someone find Adra, look for a teaching license under that name.”
Everyone looked; Matrioshka, Rhea and PesKal all returned negative responses. No Adra near them.
“Got her.” Makoe said just as she landed on the bell tower. Adra was on the street near the tower, running in the general direction of the Academy.
“Scan her. Send me the data.” Damien said.
Makoe did as she was told, and Matrioshka asked: “What are your intentions, Officer Viris?”
Damien didn’t respond. Instead, he morphed into a visage of Professor Adra Nan-Tar, and went to save a kid from a beating.