Original: "The Remnant Fleet," Chapter 22
Shoom! Did I mention this was over 50,000 words? 54,525!
Chapter Twenty-two
Cordwainer was in the lab, hands flat on the table and hir head bowed. The results of their examination on the Socigines was in front of hir. Ze had looked over them and also examined the schematics of the Roadblock technology to determine if it would be possible to do what Admiral Reshef proposed. Based on Captain Drayton’s testimony, ze believed it could. The rock allegedly contained the genetic building blocks that had evolved into every known race. It was a pure sample. If someone got their hands on that, they could compare it to the sample of each race as they existed now. Separate out the differences and one would have a weapon that targeted only Balanquin, or only Humans, et cetera and so on. The rock would make it viable to use on a planetary scale.
Ze noticed hir hands were trembling, so ze curled them into fists and flexed hir forearms to stop the tremors. The door opened behind hir and Cordwainer turned to see Jocia standing in the doorway.
“Hello, Dway.”
Cordwainer offered her a weak smile. “Jocy. I was expecting Officer Crow.”
“Are you sharing yourself with her?”
“No. No one else.” They embraced and ze kissed the side of Jocia’s head. “I called her because our guest has awoken. She will be here soon. But I am very glad to see you, my love.”
“You sound distraught.” She leaned back and put her hand on the back of Cordwainer’s head, below the line of hir charcoal-gray hair. “What do you need from me?”
“A promise.” Ze looked at the reports again. “I don’t know what to do, Jocia. The Socigines could create extinction-level events with this weapon. In a year Humans could be a bad memory. The Ladronis could only exist in history books. But if I do this, if I am instrumental in creating something so heinous, how could you ever be with me again?”
Jocia dropped her hand to Cordwainer’s shoulder. “Darling, is that what you’re concerned about?”
Ze faced hir lover but refused to meet her eyes. “Your people are pacifists. It’s bad enough you fell in love with someone from another race, let alone one known for our aggressive tendencies. But I would be giving the Aphelion Project the means to cause genocide. How could you possibly still be with me after I’m a party to that sort of atrocity?”
“Because I adore you, Cordwainer.” She moved her hands to Cordwainer’s cheeks. “Ladronis abhor violence and causing injury to others, it’s true, but it goes deeper than that. We’re not automatons who see everything in black and white. If you were to strike me in the face, I would dodge or block your hand. If you persisted, I would perhaps shove you away from me while retreating. We believe in doing as little harm as possible. It’s not always possible to do no harm. I believe you Human doctors take an oath to that effect.”
Cordwainer said, “It’s a little different.”
“Regardless. Whatever you do, it’s not coming from your heart or your soul. You’re not lashing out and causing death.”
“I’m just providing the means for it to be done.”
Jocia thought for a moment. “Millions of years ago, ancestors on both our planets found a sharp rock and fashioned a grip for it. They sharpened the edge on other rocks until it could pierce skin with a single jab. They used it to hunt animals for their food. They killed to stay alive. You’re doing this to keep us alive. And just like those first bipeds, you’re not to blame for what is ultimately done with your creation. I have heard your part of the Great Chorus, and I know it is true and good.” She kissed the corners of Cordwainer’s mouth. “You don’t have to worry about me, Cordwainer. Whatever happens, I will be with you when it is all over.”
“Thank you, Jocia.”
“Of course. I owe you my life.” She grinned. “They brought me here after I lapsed into a coma on my trip here. I was so unprepared for the silence once we left our solar system. If you hadn’t known to give me back my music...”
“Someone else would have thought of it eventually.”
Jocia shook her head. “No one else on the station had studied our people closely enough to know how vital music was to us. You brought me back with a song. And I asked your name, and you said Cordwainer Littlefoot. It was more than beautiful... it was musical. I had never met a Human before, and the first one I encountered saved my life and had a name I could sing forever.”
Cordwainer actually chuckled. “I remember the song you wrote for me. I was so touched.” That night they kissed for the first time. Cordwainer remembered awkwardly explaining the fact ze was gender-neutral and what that meant for intercourse. Jocia had been so tender and understanding. She let Cordwainer take the lead just to ensure nothing went farther than ze was comfortable with. It ended up being the best sex ze had ever had.
Ze brought Jocia’s hands to hir lips and kissed the knuckles. “You have successfully calmed my nerves. Voquay.”
“You’re very welcome,” Jocia said. “Come to me when this is all over. We can bathe together.”
Cordwainer had initially been put off by how much time hir Ladronis lover spent underwater. They weren’t amphibious, but they soaked whenever they could. Now it felt odd to lounge in a chair or on a couch when ze knew ze could be in a tub.
“With luck, this will all be resolved soon.” Ze nodded toward the door, where Bauwerji had just arrived with a group of security officers. “The Socigines is in the same room as before.”
Bauwerji nodded and continued deeper into the med center. “Stay out here.”
Cordwainer watched as Bauwerji led the security officers away. “You don’t have to stay with me for this.”
Jocia gripped Cordwainer’s hand. “There’s nowhere I have to be. Believe it or not, the Aphelion Project doesn’t want a pacifist hanging around their scheming sessions. Besides, I have a task to accomplish here. The mental well-being of the woman I love. If there’s anything I can do for you to ease the stress, let me know.”
Cordwainer squeezed her hand, wondering how ze had gotten so lucky in love, and looked down the corridor. Hopefully there was still a way to peacefully conclude their newest first contact, but at the moment the possibilities seemed to be dwindling.
#
The isolation room holding the Socigines was originally designed to quarantine crews of incoming ships. It was absolutely secure and completely cut off from the rest of the station to prevent accidental exposure to any viruses or virus-carrying vermin that might be brought in. Apparently the seals weren’t tight enough to prevent the Socigines from reaching out with her mind. Bauwerji approached alone, signaling the security officers to remain near the door.
The Socigines was still in the carrier they’d used to remove her from the ship, but the top half of the shell was removed. It had been tilted so someone standing in front of the cell could see her, and vice versa. She was strapped down by both arms and across the chest. Another strap went around her skull to keep her head from lolling. She looked groggy, but she was definitely conscious. A smile slid across her face.
“Bauwerji Crow. I’m surprised. Many species wouldn’t have recovered from a cut, let alone this quickly.”
“I had a good doctor. And ze’s the same one keeping an eye on you. If we get tired of having you around, ze can make it look accidental.”
The Socigines laughed weakly. “I also have to admit I’m surprised you were able to keep me unconscious for so long. You had an opportunity to speak with my soldiers before I eliminated them. I hope they didn’t give away too many of my secrets.”
Bauwerji crossed her arms over her chest. “We need to talk about how to make you go away without any unnecessary bloodshed.”
“There will be bloodshed no matter what the outcome,” the Socigines said. “We don’t aim to defeat you. Our purpose is your eradication. You occupy a small quadrant of the galaxy. You are a scourge. Your wars and your insignificant civilizations. You destroy your planets and then spread out into the universe to continue your reign of terror. We’ve seen this station before and the sea of detritus that orbits it. We’ve observed your planets become fuzzy with satellites and space trash. This endeavor is only our first gambit. If we fail, if we cannot acquire the stone to create our weapon, then we will take drastic measures. We will create enough supernovas to cleanse this entire area of space. Not a single Balanquin or Paisian or Ladronis will survive. It would leave your planets uninhabitable... but they’re pretty much uninhabitable now.”
Bauwerji said, “The universe is a big place. Why don’t you just stay where you are, we stay here, and neither of us sees the other ever again?”
“The time will come when you’re not content with your corner of the sea. Even the Humans have stretched out to the limits of their reach. You are dozens of light years from your home, are you not? One thing you all share is the urge to sprawl. To explore and colonize. The entire history of the Humans is built upon spreading out and obliterating the natives. It may take centuries, it might take millennia, but eventually you will wash upon our shores and try to take what is ours.”
“So this is a preemptive strike,” Bauwerji said.
“This is necessary. This is crushing a virus before it has time to become fatal. We are cutting out the cancer.”
“You never answered my question. What will make you go away and leave us alone?”
“I didn’t need to answer your question. There is nothing you can do to prevent this.”
Bauwerji stepped closer to the field separating them. “We can destroy you and the other three bitches you brought with you.”
The Socigines smiled wider. She seemed more alert now, and she clucked her tongue in disappointment. “Someone did speak. That is unfortunate. Well, it doesn’t matter if you know they’re coming. Now that I’m awake they hear me. They see me and feel my mind in theirs. They can see what I see, they know what I know, and they’re going to be coming for you, Bauwerji Crow.”
Bauwerji looked into the Socigines’ eyes. “I hope so. I hope they can see this right now, because I’d like to say something to them. My name is Bauwerji Crow, and I’m the second in command of the Aphelion Project Station Quay. I was born on Pelorum. I was blown up at my graduation from the military academy, and I survived ten years living in the desert fighting an unwinnable war. I withstood countless violations from our ‘saviors’ before I finally drew first blood in that conflict as well. Our people turned the tide of the Cetidroi War. Coming after us only saves us the trouble of coming after you. You think we’re a virus? That’s fine. But this is our turf, and you don’t get to take it with some kill-switch. If you want us gone, we’re going to make you fight for it.”
The Socigines laughed. “Strong words, Bowery.”
Cordwainer appeared amid the soldiers. Bauwerji looked at hir, and ze gestured at the air above hir head, then pointed at the quarantine unit. Bauwerji nodded.
“Sweet dreams, Socigines. We’ll see you when you wake up.”
A new gas began filling the room. The Socigines breathed deep and closed her eyes. “Oh, my. Well, well.”
Bauwerji watched until it was clear the alien woman was losing consciousness again. Once the Socigines’ head had lolled forward against the strap holding it in place, Bauwerji walked to where Dr. Littlefoot was standing.
“I put together a new cocktail. It would likely kill any of us, but I diluted it enough that it should keep her unconscious for... well, a few hours. That’s based on her reaction to the initial dosage and the original drug we used.”
Bauwerji nodded distractedly. “She called me Bowery.”
“I was under the impression that many call you that.”
“Humans,” Bauwerji said. “People who don’t take the time to pronounce it correctly. But how would she know that? How would she know that specific mispronunciation?”
“I... I don’t know.”
Bauwerji said, “We know that she can reach out telepathically. We know that when she’s awake the power is strong enough to knock out all of her men in one fell swoop. But what if it’s still present when she’s unconscious, just weaker? What if she wormed her way into the brains of whoever was at the docks when we brought her aboard?”
Cordwainer looked horrified at the thought. “You think she read our minds?”
“I don’t know. I don’t even know how to check. But right now, we need to keep a careful watch on anyone who was in close proximity to her.”
“Even me?” Cordwainer asked.
“Even me,” Bauwerji said. “We can’t afford to have anyone compromised when her three friends show up. If anyone starts acting unusual, I want to know as soon as possible. Let me know if she wakes up again. And Doctor... the device we asked you to build...”
Cordwainer nodded. “Yes, I-I know. I’m working on it.”
“Good. Once Cicero gets back with the stone, we’re going to have to move quickly. There’s no telling how much time we have before we need a working version of it.”
Cordwainer said, “I’ll do my best, but we won’t have any way of testing it before we’re in the heat of battle.”
“Yes, we will,” Bauwerji said. “You just knocked out the test subject.”
Chapter Twenty-two
Cordwainer was in the lab, hands flat on the table and hir head bowed. The results of their examination on the Socigines was in front of hir. Ze had looked over them and also examined the schematics of the Roadblock technology to determine if it would be possible to do what Admiral Reshef proposed. Based on Captain Drayton’s testimony, ze believed it could. The rock allegedly contained the genetic building blocks that had evolved into every known race. It was a pure sample. If someone got their hands on that, they could compare it to the sample of each race as they existed now. Separate out the differences and one would have a weapon that targeted only Balanquin, or only Humans, et cetera and so on. The rock would make it viable to use on a planetary scale.
Ze noticed hir hands were trembling, so ze curled them into fists and flexed hir forearms to stop the tremors. The door opened behind hir and Cordwainer turned to see Jocia standing in the doorway.
“Hello, Dway.”
Cordwainer offered her a weak smile. “Jocy. I was expecting Officer Crow.”
“Are you sharing yourself with her?”
“No. No one else.” They embraced and ze kissed the side of Jocia’s head. “I called her because our guest has awoken. She will be here soon. But I am very glad to see you, my love.”
“You sound distraught.” She leaned back and put her hand on the back of Cordwainer’s head, below the line of hir charcoal-gray hair. “What do you need from me?”
“A promise.” Ze looked at the reports again. “I don’t know what to do, Jocia. The Socigines could create extinction-level events with this weapon. In a year Humans could be a bad memory. The Ladronis could only exist in history books. But if I do this, if I am instrumental in creating something so heinous, how could you ever be with me again?”
Jocia dropped her hand to Cordwainer’s shoulder. “Darling, is that what you’re concerned about?”
Ze faced hir lover but refused to meet her eyes. “Your people are pacifists. It’s bad enough you fell in love with someone from another race, let alone one known for our aggressive tendencies. But I would be giving the Aphelion Project the means to cause genocide. How could you possibly still be with me after I’m a party to that sort of atrocity?”
“Because I adore you, Cordwainer.” She moved her hands to Cordwainer’s cheeks. “Ladronis abhor violence and causing injury to others, it’s true, but it goes deeper than that. We’re not automatons who see everything in black and white. If you were to strike me in the face, I would dodge or block your hand. If you persisted, I would perhaps shove you away from me while retreating. We believe in doing as little harm as possible. It’s not always possible to do no harm. I believe you Human doctors take an oath to that effect.”
Cordwainer said, “It’s a little different.”
“Regardless. Whatever you do, it’s not coming from your heart or your soul. You’re not lashing out and causing death.”
“I’m just providing the means for it to be done.”
Jocia thought for a moment. “Millions of years ago, ancestors on both our planets found a sharp rock and fashioned a grip for it. They sharpened the edge on other rocks until it could pierce skin with a single jab. They used it to hunt animals for their food. They killed to stay alive. You’re doing this to keep us alive. And just like those first bipeds, you’re not to blame for what is ultimately done with your creation. I have heard your part of the Great Chorus, and I know it is true and good.” She kissed the corners of Cordwainer’s mouth. “You don’t have to worry about me, Cordwainer. Whatever happens, I will be with you when it is all over.”
“Thank you, Jocia.”
“Of course. I owe you my life.” She grinned. “They brought me here after I lapsed into a coma on my trip here. I was so unprepared for the silence once we left our solar system. If you hadn’t known to give me back my music...”
“Someone else would have thought of it eventually.”
Jocia shook her head. “No one else on the station had studied our people closely enough to know how vital music was to us. You brought me back with a song. And I asked your name, and you said Cordwainer Littlefoot. It was more than beautiful... it was musical. I had never met a Human before, and the first one I encountered saved my life and had a name I could sing forever.”
Cordwainer actually chuckled. “I remember the song you wrote for me. I was so touched.” That night they kissed for the first time. Cordwainer remembered awkwardly explaining the fact ze was gender-neutral and what that meant for intercourse. Jocia had been so tender and understanding. She let Cordwainer take the lead just to ensure nothing went farther than ze was comfortable with. It ended up being the best sex ze had ever had.
Ze brought Jocia’s hands to hir lips and kissed the knuckles. “You have successfully calmed my nerves. Voquay.”
“You’re very welcome,” Jocia said. “Come to me when this is all over. We can bathe together.”
Cordwainer had initially been put off by how much time hir Ladronis lover spent underwater. They weren’t amphibious, but they soaked whenever they could. Now it felt odd to lounge in a chair or on a couch when ze knew ze could be in a tub.
“With luck, this will all be resolved soon.” Ze nodded toward the door, where Bauwerji had just arrived with a group of security officers. “The Socigines is in the same room as before.”
Bauwerji nodded and continued deeper into the med center. “Stay out here.”
Cordwainer watched as Bauwerji led the security officers away. “You don’t have to stay with me for this.”
Jocia gripped Cordwainer’s hand. “There’s nowhere I have to be. Believe it or not, the Aphelion Project doesn’t want a pacifist hanging around their scheming sessions. Besides, I have a task to accomplish here. The mental well-being of the woman I love. If there’s anything I can do for you to ease the stress, let me know.”
Cordwainer squeezed her hand, wondering how ze had gotten so lucky in love, and looked down the corridor. Hopefully there was still a way to peacefully conclude their newest first contact, but at the moment the possibilities seemed to be dwindling.
#
The isolation room holding the Socigines was originally designed to quarantine crews of incoming ships. It was absolutely secure and completely cut off from the rest of the station to prevent accidental exposure to any viruses or virus-carrying vermin that might be brought in. Apparently the seals weren’t tight enough to prevent the Socigines from reaching out with her mind. Bauwerji approached alone, signaling the security officers to remain near the door.
The Socigines was still in the carrier they’d used to remove her from the ship, but the top half of the shell was removed. It had been tilted so someone standing in front of the cell could see her, and vice versa. She was strapped down by both arms and across the chest. Another strap went around her skull to keep her head from lolling. She looked groggy, but she was definitely conscious. A smile slid across her face.
“Bauwerji Crow. I’m surprised. Many species wouldn’t have recovered from a cut, let alone this quickly.”
“I had a good doctor. And ze’s the same one keeping an eye on you. If we get tired of having you around, ze can make it look accidental.”
The Socigines laughed weakly. “I also have to admit I’m surprised you were able to keep me unconscious for so long. You had an opportunity to speak with my soldiers before I eliminated them. I hope they didn’t give away too many of my secrets.”
Bauwerji crossed her arms over her chest. “We need to talk about how to make you go away without any unnecessary bloodshed.”
“There will be bloodshed no matter what the outcome,” the Socigines said. “We don’t aim to defeat you. Our purpose is your eradication. You occupy a small quadrant of the galaxy. You are a scourge. Your wars and your insignificant civilizations. You destroy your planets and then spread out into the universe to continue your reign of terror. We’ve seen this station before and the sea of detritus that orbits it. We’ve observed your planets become fuzzy with satellites and space trash. This endeavor is only our first gambit. If we fail, if we cannot acquire the stone to create our weapon, then we will take drastic measures. We will create enough supernovas to cleanse this entire area of space. Not a single Balanquin or Paisian or Ladronis will survive. It would leave your planets uninhabitable... but they’re pretty much uninhabitable now.”
Bauwerji said, “The universe is a big place. Why don’t you just stay where you are, we stay here, and neither of us sees the other ever again?”
“The time will come when you’re not content with your corner of the sea. Even the Humans have stretched out to the limits of their reach. You are dozens of light years from your home, are you not? One thing you all share is the urge to sprawl. To explore and colonize. The entire history of the Humans is built upon spreading out and obliterating the natives. It may take centuries, it might take millennia, but eventually you will wash upon our shores and try to take what is ours.”
“So this is a preemptive strike,” Bauwerji said.
“This is necessary. This is crushing a virus before it has time to become fatal. We are cutting out the cancer.”
“You never answered my question. What will make you go away and leave us alone?”
“I didn’t need to answer your question. There is nothing you can do to prevent this.”
Bauwerji stepped closer to the field separating them. “We can destroy you and the other three bitches you brought with you.”
The Socigines smiled wider. She seemed more alert now, and she clucked her tongue in disappointment. “Someone did speak. That is unfortunate. Well, it doesn’t matter if you know they’re coming. Now that I’m awake they hear me. They see me and feel my mind in theirs. They can see what I see, they know what I know, and they’re going to be coming for you, Bauwerji Crow.”
Bauwerji looked into the Socigines’ eyes. “I hope so. I hope they can see this right now, because I’d like to say something to them. My name is Bauwerji Crow, and I’m the second in command of the Aphelion Project Station Quay. I was born on Pelorum. I was blown up at my graduation from the military academy, and I survived ten years living in the desert fighting an unwinnable war. I withstood countless violations from our ‘saviors’ before I finally drew first blood in that conflict as well. Our people turned the tide of the Cetidroi War. Coming after us only saves us the trouble of coming after you. You think we’re a virus? That’s fine. But this is our turf, and you don’t get to take it with some kill-switch. If you want us gone, we’re going to make you fight for it.”
The Socigines laughed. “Strong words, Bowery.”
Cordwainer appeared amid the soldiers. Bauwerji looked at hir, and ze gestured at the air above hir head, then pointed at the quarantine unit. Bauwerji nodded.
“Sweet dreams, Socigines. We’ll see you when you wake up.”
A new gas began filling the room. The Socigines breathed deep and closed her eyes. “Oh, my. Well, well.”
Bauwerji watched until it was clear the alien woman was losing consciousness again. Once the Socigines’ head had lolled forward against the strap holding it in place, Bauwerji walked to where Dr. Littlefoot was standing.
“I put together a new cocktail. It would likely kill any of us, but I diluted it enough that it should keep her unconscious for... well, a few hours. That’s based on her reaction to the initial dosage and the original drug we used.”
Bauwerji nodded distractedly. “She called me Bowery.”
“I was under the impression that many call you that.”
“Humans,” Bauwerji said. “People who don’t take the time to pronounce it correctly. But how would she know that? How would she know that specific mispronunciation?”
“I... I don’t know.”
Bauwerji said, “We know that she can reach out telepathically. We know that when she’s awake the power is strong enough to knock out all of her men in one fell swoop. But what if it’s still present when she’s unconscious, just weaker? What if she wormed her way into the brains of whoever was at the docks when we brought her aboard?”
Cordwainer looked horrified at the thought. “You think she read our minds?”
“I don’t know. I don’t even know how to check. But right now, we need to keep a careful watch on anyone who was in close proximity to her.”
“Even me?” Cordwainer asked.
“Even me,” Bauwerji said. “We can’t afford to have anyone compromised when her three friends show up. If anyone starts acting unusual, I want to know as soon as possible. Let me know if she wakes up again. And Doctor... the device we asked you to build...”
Cordwainer nodded. “Yes, I-I know. I’m working on it.”
“Good. Once Cicero gets back with the stone, we’re going to have to move quickly. There’s no telling how much time we have before we need a working version of it.”
Cordwainer said, “I’ll do my best, but we won’t have any way of testing it before we’re in the heat of battle.”
“Yes, we will,” Bauwerji said. “You just knocked out the test subject.”