“What do you mean?” Dallas asked as the men scrambled and the engines began humming then roaring to life.
“Ah mean, we lost a lotta juice when that thing started chewing on the power and supply cables. After we fix the XO here, we just might hafta draw straws to see how many an’ just who’s gonna live an’ die today.”
#
“Are we all assembled, then?”
Kai, the former chief inspector and one-time head of the forces of law and order in the fortress city of New Avalon, stood at attention in front of Huston and Austin. Both brothers were seated at two tables, Huston’s holding only the holo-projector which he’d been using to send out his light-based keyboard and monitor, while Austin’s table was a veritable lost city of books, papers, sheaf and over a hundred scribbled notes.
“Kai,” said Austin, “please stand at ease. This isn’t an official military operation, and we’re a bit too rushed to worry about protocol right now. Are you ready for your announcement?”
“Yes, sir,” Kai said. “From where shall I speak?”
“The kitchen, most likely,” Huston said, his eyes focused on the floating monitor while his fingers tapped more virtual keys, “It has the best lighting in the house. Tristan, one of our guards inside, will have your script handy.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you sir. May I begin, or are there further-”
“Yes, yes please, begin,” Austin said, pulling his hair out of his face and tucking it back again. “We’ll beam you out ten seconds after you finish, if you speak as well as you lead men.”
“Yes, sir. I shall do my utmost.”
Kai strode into the kitchen. It was fairly spacious, with enough room for a table to sit at and a bedsheet to be hung up behind him as a background. A camera faced Kai as he took his seat, removed his cap with the symbol of House Morgan emblazoned on it, and placed his cap on the table next to him with the dark horsehead facing the front.
“Alright, Kai,” said the older gentleman behind the camera. Though not an avid holovision watcher by any means, Kai recalled seeing him on various screens as a news announcer of some note. “Look here, and begin speaking in three, two, one…”
#
Secunda looked down the street, hoping to find someone who could make this night end sooner. Fortunes had turned for the worse since Dallas had left, and she wished for the thousandth time that day she’d ran off with him when he’d proposed. Under the Red Star and now Moreded, no one had money anymore to eat at restaurants. Hardly anyone could buy enough food to fill their stomachs anymore, much less afford the luxury of eating out. Hence, Secunda and her sisters had to abandon the front of being restaurateurs and fall back to peddling their trade more openly on the streets of the third sector.
She looked back. Hardin was barely visible, sitting and scowling in the front seat of a ‘horse, ready to leap out if a patron made trouble or a girl tried to leave. Nope, no way out there. If there was just another way, she thought. If Dallas would come back and take me away from this life…
The public vidscreen above her suddenly flashed to a new story, the seven-foot tall screen now showing the false stats about how much better life was under the rule of House Moreded, and how several of the Viscount’s new, long-lost half-siblings had been miraculously found and recently put in charge of a number of ministries on New Avalon. Who the hells cares? Secunda thought, they aren’t going to make life better for any of us!
Then, in the middle of the announcer’s sentence, the screen went blank.
It was quickly replaced by a shot of a middle-aged man, dressed in an immaculately clean and pressed gendarme uniform.
He looked at the screen for exactly one second, and then began to speak in a voice she’d heard on the radio before in Hardin’s ‘horse.
“People of New Avalon,” he said, “for those who do not know me: I am Chief Inspector Kai of the Gendarmes, the law enforcement arm of our great and once-prosperous colony.
“It has been my privilege to lead the gendarmes, the police who take their name from our allies long ago on Old Earth who assisted in the founding of our ancestors’ great nation. Today, I give a warning, and an offer.
“In the next few minutes, the lights will once again go out throughout the colony. During this time the members of our armed forces will move to retake the office of leader from Viscount Moreded, who is now so desperate for allies he has begun seeking help from the illegitimate children of his fathers and uncles on distant worlds to shore up his fading support.
“Members of the Viscount’s forces: You have seen how ineffective he is with regards to halting even the simplest acts of sabotage. Stand aside as our brave, experienced and highly-motivated soldiers and gendarmes retake the offices of leadership for House Morgan, and set about righting the ship of our world. Those who do not impede our progress will be forgiven for all services provided to Moreded. Those who try to oppose us will be eliminated. Eliminated with regret, but eliminated nonetheless. Those who now will pick up arms to help us will be publicly commended, and rewarded.”
“Thank you, people of New Avalon, for allowing me to serve you in this capacity. The righting of the ship begins-now.”
With that final word, the vision on the screen flickered and disappeared. The street lights all went out, and a roar sounded overhead.
Secunda looked up through the darkness and saw a large ‘horse, one that would have once been used to carry a dozen arrestees by the gendarmes. It was flying and escorted by a half-dozen smaller craft, all headed towards the building that had once held Dallas and the rest of the Morgan family.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
She looked back at the ‘restaurant’ that had been her home, until the they’d been thrown out due to the lack of funds; no one had extra money since House Moreded and the Red Star had replaced House Morgan, and that was bad for all businesses, legit and otherwise. “I’m coming, Dallas,” she said, reaching into the folds of her skimpy dress and finding the small knife she kept in its folds for protection. Turning to leave the street and ignoring the yells of Hardin, she began walking with click-clacking steps towards the tower of Morgan.
Colt had been watching the announcement on his wrist monitor with his usual disinterested face, a spiced toothpick sticking out from between his teeth. But when Kai said the bit about a reward, his interest perked up to the point that the few followers he had left took notice.
“Colt?” asked little Bogs, “you- you wanna do something?” Colt had been antsy- ever since the buildings had all begun flying the crest of House Moreded, no one walking the streets had any extra flash in their pockets to take, and even the stores had fewer goods to break in and steal.
As if on cue, the streetlights all went out and the small fleet of ‘horses flew overhead towards the tower of Morgan. Colt watched them as they disappeared in the distance. Colt took the toothpick out of his mouth and threw it at the ground. “You guys hungry?” he asked the three miscreants who watched him sullenly from the building steps they were sitting on.
“Yah,” said Bogs, looking at the other two for affirmation. All nodded their heads. “You buyin’, Colt?”
“Nope,” said Colt, pulling the pistol out of his jacket pocket and checking that it was loaded, “House Morgan is. Lets go dust some ‘o Moreded’s boys, and get us a reward.”
#
The salvage ship sped over the trees. Inside, Gareth laid on the floor of the room that served as the bridge while the medbot poked, prodded, burned and stitched. Gareth’s face, sleeping the slumber of the anesthetized, looked peaceful and showed none of the pain that would have been present had that section of the ‘bot been malfunctioning.
Dallas and Yue kept stomping through the jungle at the highest speed their mechs would go. Yue’s was much faster, being smaller and a scout by design. “House,” said Dallas through the comm, “Status report. How’re things there?”
“Queen and Joker are both resting, boss. I think Queen’s asleep, but I’m not sure.”
“Can you check?”
“Boss, I’m in the cockpit. I could yell really loud, but-”
“Joker,” Dallas said, “are you asleep?”
“Heh. That’s the one thing no one can answer ‘yes’ to, boss. No, I’m up. Queen an’ me are both inside a nice, little cage House’s made with his mech’s fingers, and we’re a good couple dozen feet in th’air. There’s a nice little breeze- almost makes me wanna get a summer home here.”
“Joker! Queen?”
“Yah, boss. Her eyes are closed and she’s breathing, but I don’t know if thas’ a good thing or no- hang on…” Joker hawked and spit. “Damn, thas’ annoying.”
“Are you still spitting blood, Joker?”
“Well, ‘course I am. I-”
“Yue, are you almost there?”
“Breaking into the clearing-now, boss. Ship’s here, too.”
“House!”
“Boss?”
“Put your mech into a crouch. Don’t drop them on the ground; can you maneuver it to where the back of your ‘mech’s hands are flat, so the medbot can reach them?”
“Sure, boss. Take a couple of seconds- mechs aren’t as fluid as people in the movement department, but we can-” House grunted as he began moving levers and turning dials.
“Good! I’m going to have enough trouble making decisions when we get there.”
“Whatch mean, boss?” Joker’s voice said over the comm.
Dallas started to look at the others near him, in a room of a half-dozen crew that had suddenly gotten very, very quiet. “Joker,” Dallas said, “I’m told that after the medbot saves Gareth, it’ll only have enough juice to fix either you or Queen once we get there.”
“Oh, then, fix Queen.”
“Joker, that’s good, but-”
“No, boss, I’m serious. You don’t have to-”
“Joker, I’ve got to decide what’s best for the team once we get-”
“Boss, I’m not bein’ Saint Mazinga here and takin’ one for the-”
“Joker, you were coughing up blood when I left. You know what that means, right?”
“Cowboy, I was spitting blood. Big difference. You know why?”
Dallas paused. “Why?”
“ ‘cause I bit my tongue when the damned cult-guy slammed me! Hurts like hell, but a few stitches and a shot or two o’booze and I’ll be fine!”
Dallas blinked, then bowed his head and whispered softly for a few moments.
“Say what, boss?”
“I’m thanking God you’re ok.”
“Aw, shucks, Cowboy.”
“...don;t thank me so soon. I’m also asking Him to shut you up for a few minutes while we land and stabilize Anja, and then go do some salvaging.”
“Sounds good to me boss.”
“Visual contact, Cap’n!” yelled the pilot to Dallas from the front of the bridge. Dallas looked through the thick glassed view, and saw the top of the head of House’ now crouching mech. “Landing in one minute, sir!”
“Good job. Medic, how’s Gareth?”
“Stabilized, Cap’n! Disconnecting!”
“Brace for landing! You’ve gotta hit that jungle floor running!”
“Aye, sir!”
“Touchdown,” said the pilot, “In three…two…one…”
TO BE CONTINUED...