Fall of shadows, p.30
Fall of Shadows, page 30
part #7 of Steven Gordon Series
In the morning Jean found a freshly tailored uniform at the foot of the bed. She did a twirl in front of the mirror.
‘Wow, this is much better.’
Charlie retrieved her weapon from the safe. ‘The Guard will be here in a few minutes. I will have to hand this to him.’
‘That’s okay, I understand. So how long are you on leave for? Can we meet up?’
‘Darrick wants me to stay with him until the start of the mating season, a few weeks away. The ships are leaving today for a couple of months. What are you doing?’
‘We have to report to Federation 335 for routine maintenance, and we are getting local leave until this mating season is over. We can’t go back to Earth. Most have booked passage to various holiday destinations, Ambatta and Ortea home-worlds mostly. The only meat-eating planets in this part of the galaxy.’
‘Well, I will be heading off home with the Chief about the same time. We can meet there if you want.’
She beamed a smile, ‘Sounds like a lot of fun. What does Darrick want you for?’
‘He has a lot of meetings to attend, sensitive ones with the Albany and other combatants in the recent conflicts.’
‘Does he know?’
‘You’re kidding?’
‘Body language, right?’
‘Right.’
His bell rang and she kissed him quickly. Charlie handed the case to the guard.
Jean beamed a smile at him, ‘See you soon.’
‘Aye, very soon.’
She passed Darrick on the way out and he stopped for a few minutes to chat. He made his way to Charlie’s room.
‘We have a problem.’
‘What is it?’
‘News of you accompanying me to the talks has spread. Your reputation precedes you. No one wants you there. Even Ne´ doesn’t want you there. He thinks you are too dangerous. Why couldn’t you just have been born a Modloch?’ His mind changed tack, ‘Was that a new uniform the Jean was wearing? She looked very smart compared to when she arrived.’
‘No I had the ship tailor it to fit her properly. I beamed it in and out.’
‘Damn, I forgot my dampening field doesn’t reach this part of the palace, I will have to do something about that.’
‘Don’t do it just yet.’
‘Why not? You know I don’t trust your female ambassador.’
‘Yeah, yeah. I might have a solution for that…’ Charlie burst out laughing. ‘It’s crazy, but it might just work.’
Darrick was frowning, ‘Well? Spit it out.’
‘I don’t want you to be insulted, but was your father very faithful to his wife?’
‘Why?’
Charlie knew he was skating on thin ice, but he couldn’t help but laugh out loud, ‘I can change my appearance. You have seen the pictures of me as a robot.’
Darrick was now intrigued, ‘Yes…’
‘What if I changed my appearance to make me look like a Modloch?’
‘Can you really do that?’
‘I think so, but I will need a lot of nanites from the ship, and they are due to leave soon.’
‘If we do this Charlie, then we will have to do it well. I see where you are coming from. Illegitimate heirs to the throne aren’t allowed to live. There was one exception. Centuries ago, one of my ancestors was stuck on that God-forsaken planet you live on during the mating season. A peasant girl, ugly as sin, and described as the largest female he had ever met, came into heat at the wrong place and the wrong time. She had a child, a giant. When the Emperor found out he sent assassins; the giant killed them all in a brutal fight. The Emperor was so impressed he called him into service. He served his father and his half-brother that followed for the rest of his life. Come with me.’
Charlie followed him to a private library. A picture of the giant and his proportions were put up on a big screen.
‘This is him.’ Darrick stood beside the figure, ‘This is his real proportions. It is a pity he is so ugly.’
‘Find me a face.’
‘How?’
‘Get a picture of you and all of your brothers together and make a composite.’
‘I get it. I can do that here.’
It took him twenty minutes. They put the face on the giant then stood back to admire their handy work.
‘Quite a handsome fellow isn’t he?’
Charlie cocked an eyebrow at Darrick, ‘If you say so.’
‘Can you do this?’
‘I will need a diagram of the Modloch anatomy at least. Do you really want this guy?’
‘I think I do. How long?’
‘Two full days.’
‘That long?’
‘It is complicated. The ship’s leaving soon. I’m going back to my room. Babes is programing the nanites now. Lock me in, and have some clothes prepared for me. I will put myself into a deep sleep.’
‘That should give me long enough to prepare a story,’ Darrick roared with laughter.
Late evening sunlight poured in the windows. Motes of dust reflected the light into strange swirling patterns. Charlie struggled to sit up from where he lay naked on the floor. He rolled onto his knees and tried to stand. He fell as quickly. He crawled to the nearest wall and climbed up it. He tottered along the wall, back and forth until he became steady on his new legs. The new height was very hard to get used to.
Eventually he managed to get to the bathroom. It took him a while to comprehend what he was seeing in the mirror.
‘Man, you are one ugly bastard!’
J.W. Murison, Fall of Shadows
