Vortex incursion, p.39
Vortex Incursion, page 39
she sent.
Julien replied swiftly.
Cordelia retorted.
The SADEs, who faced each other, stared silently. Time ticked past. Then smiles lit their faces.
Julien admitted.
Cordelia sent.
Julien pointed out.
Cordelia sent. Then she leaned forward, and the pair touched foreheads. The moment of communing was interrupted by a traveler pilot signaling his arrival with the Nyslara’s passengers.
As they left the bridge for the meeting in the Freedom’s bay, neither thought the discussion was finished. Although, it wouldn’t return to the aggressiveness of the first exchange.
In the empty bay, Z and Miranda bracketed an assortment of colorfully suited humans. Nalia stood to the side, quietly regarding Julien and Cordelia.
No one said a word.
Cordelia sent to Julien.
Julien replied. He found the lack of reactions intriguing. To him, it seemed to indicate intentions.
After a quarter hour, Miranda broke the impasse, she sent to Julien and Cordelia,
Cordelia’s bells chimed. she sent in the open.
The suited assembly tipped their heads as one and returned to erect postures.
Julien sent, appreciative of the elevated use of the devices. He glanced toward Z and Miranda, but neither SADE was inclined to accept credit.
Cordelia sent privately. Then in the open, she added,
Cordelia and Julien saw the humans relax, and they met Bethany, who stepped forward first.
Nalia corrected, when Bethany didn’t use her former title. She did the same for the Naiad officers.
When the leaders met Escher and Gat’r, they knew immediately who had orchestrated the implant routines.
Julien remarked privately to Cordelia.
After the introductions, Cordelia asked for a demonstration of the suits, which garnered her smiles.
Escher chose a routine that suited the original six and the mickies.
Z, Miranda, and Nalia silently slid backward toward bulkheads.
Cordelia sent to Julien.
The routine resembled a choreographed dance and fight. The suits seemed to make the humans’ movements blur. What started out as individual routines became a mêlée, with feet, fists, and bodies flying.
When the presentation appeared to end, Escher’s twist on the program was applied.
Four mickies stood quietly behind Julien and Cordelia. The SADEs had witnessed the four suits break from the group. However, they appreciated the skill with which the maneuver was executed.
Cordelia softly applauded the performance.
As the four mickies stepped from behind the SADEs, Julien inquired, He didn’t receive a response, and he recalibrated his estimation of the demonstration. Then he regarded his partner. he sent privately.
Cordelia replied. Then she sent in the open,
The humans broke into cheering, fist pumping, and acrobatic suit actions.
Gat’r made an urgent call to Yma.
Yma sent.
Gat’r tried to send, uncharacteristically tumbling his thoughts.
Yma sent.
Gat’r sent with all the sincerity he could muster. Then he closed the link and joined his companions.
Yma returned to her work with a sense of having been truly appreciated by another human.
Cordelia linked to Z and Miranda. She received a terse response from Miranda. It was,
Cordelia replied.
Z, Miranda, and the Naiads left to board their traveler. They would wait for Nalia, who remained behind.
Nalia left the bulkhead to stand in front of Cordelia and Julien.
Julien sent.
Nalia replied.
Cordelia and Julien confirmed the request for privacy.
Then Nalia began with Bethany.
Julien inquired.
Nalia replied.
Cordelia sent appreciatively.
Nalia sent. As she spooled off the first vid, the leaders watched Gat’r stumble to put together cohesive sentences.
In the second sequence, they saw Gat’r in medical. He was unclothed, lying on an imaging table, and his eyes were tightly closed. The ravaged arm and dented skull were painfully obvious.
Nalia explained.
Julien pointed out.
Nalia sent, adding a crescendo of ancient stringed instruments to communicate her amusement.
The next vid the leaders witnessed was a discussion between Gat’r and Escher. The give and take was at a rapid pace, as if they were reading each other’s thoughts and anticipating the comment or question before it finished.
Cordelia queried.
Nalia sent.
Julien sent.
Nalia replied.
Cordelia and Julien viewed a montage of vids and the attached tracking data.
Nalia explained.
Cordelia asked.
Nalia replied.
When Nalia’s sequence finished, she sent,
Julien inquired.
Nalia replied.
Julien prompted.
Cordelia touched Julien’s forearm. she sent.
Nalia added.
After the meeting with the Naiads and Nalia, Cordelia reviewed crew changes with Julien. It was decided that the Naiad fleet under Tocknicka had everything he required, except for two individuals.
When the Nyslara’s traveler returned Nalia, the protectors, and the Naiads to Captain Racine’s ship, Minimalist and Luther boarded for the return trip to the Freedom.
Afterward, the traveler made one more trip.
Following Cordelia’s orders, every sister aboard the Freedom was transferred to the Nyslara. She had no intention of making existence more difficult for Julien with the presence of the recalcitrant sisters.
The moment that Julien’s crew was complete, including the appointment of his captain by Cordelia, the Freedom set sail. The Vivian’s Reflection accompanied the Quadrant, and the two ships transited for the anomaly’s mouth that looped to Axis Crossing.
Julien sent.
Gistamia replied carefully.
Julien continued.
Gistamia repeated.
Julien inquired.
Gistamia replied.
Julien smiled inwardly. He knew why Cordelia chose Gistamia to captain the Freedom. First, he was a biological. A SADE would have considered Julien’s directives superseding Cordelia’s. Second, as a captain, Gistamia was extremely loyal to Cordelia. She’d been responsible for his last two promotions.
Tocknicka commands the warships, and Gistamia decides my ship’s actions, Julien mused. Alex, I think I understand what you felt when we chose to override your preferences to protect you.
∞
Cordelia’s first action was to order the Nyslara to join the Trident squadron under Captain D’Arcy at the Krackus anomaly’s mouth. She was accompanied by others from her ship, and Dorsa had joined them. Then they transferred to Dominique’s Trident.
Dominique sent to Cordelia, as she and her companions exited the traveler.
Cordelia replied.
Cordelia had received images of the Tritium triplets, who reminded her of the tiny Pims, Oforum and Phette. The primary differences were that the Tritiums were born as triplets, were telepathic, and weren’t burrowers. As to the latter condition, she was informed that the Tritiums were fastidious in caring for their coats.
When Cordelia and her companions joined the Tritiums, the servers were removing plates. The crew had constructed an extension between and above two dining chairs. Placed two meters apart, the extension provided plenty of room for the six small bodies.
As Cordelia entered the room, the Tritiums spotted the dark-blue uniform with the elevated insignias. Having been informed of Cordelia’s arrival, they stood for her.
“Greetings, intrepid escapees,” Cordelia said, which delighted the Tritiums. Their high-pitched laughter could have been mistaken for squeals. “May I join you?” she asked.
“It would be our pleasure, Fleet Admiral Cordelia,” the Tritium elders chorused.
“We’ve seen images of your expanded fleet, Fleet Admiral Cordelia,” the young Tritiums said. “Is this all the ships you possess?”
There was brief hesitation on the part of the youths, and Cordelia surmised that the elders were schooling the youngsters in proprieties.
“I take no offense from the question, and you may simply refer to me as admiral,” Cordelia said. “What do you think is the purpose of our fleet?”
The young Tritiums blinked in confusion. “Isn’t it to defeat the Imperium Empire?” they inquired together.
There were muted chuckles from the audience, and the young Tritiums crowded close for mutual comfort.
“Forgive the rudeness of my companions,” Cordelia said, which hushed the audience. “I’ve yet to discuss strategies with my senior commanders. I’m here to ask some questions about the dissidents on Helgart.”
“How can we assist you, Admiral?” the elders asked.
“I’d like to hear about the dissidents,” Cordelia replied. “How many races are present? What percentage of the races suborned by the Krackus do they represent?”
“Astute questions,” the elders replied. “We don’t associate with every race, and the numbers continue to grow. A conservative estimate of Helgart’s inhabitants would be sixteen hundred. It could be as high as eighteen hundred. They represent about four hundred fifty hundred races. Our younglings, who are recent arrivals to Helgart, could better answer your second question.”
Cordelia turned her attention to the youths, who said, “About thirteen hundred races across the empire.”
“Do the Krackus maintain fleets in each race’s system?” Cordelia inquired.
The elders perceived what the admiral was trying to ascertain, and they warmed to the subject.
“The Imperium has roving fleets, Admiral,” the elders replied. “It’s more economical that way. The empire is cut into thirty-five districts. Each district is controlled by an executor. Two fleets of peacekeepers constantly traverse a region to remind the races of the Imperium’s power.”
“And the size of these fleets?” Cordelia queried.
“Similar to what your ship has seen at Helgart,” the elders replied. “If we can anticipate your next question, Admiral, the peacekeepers are identical. They’re designed to be easily recognizable. They’re an Imperium statement.”
“Then there aren’t new battleship iterations,” Cordelia surmised. With her interview, she’d uncovered the extent of the Imperium’s forces and their disposition.
The Tritium triplets took Cordelia’s comment to be musings, and they waited for her to continue.
“Do you believe that Kreus is sentient?” Cordelia asked.
“He is!” the Tritiums declared as one.
“How did he come to be on Helgart?” Cordelia asked.
“Kreus says that he was the Imperium governor,” the elders replied.
“Explain your terms,” Cordelia requested.
“Imperium can mean the empire, the planet, or the ruling body,” the elders said. “The term must be used in context to understand what’s meant.”
“And a governor?” Cordelia queried.
“The central communications hub for a planet,” the Tritium elders replied. “Calls, messages, scheduling, financial transactions ... everything is handled by a governor.”
“If Kreus was such a powerful and critical entity, why is he on Helgart?” Cordelia inquired.
“Because he became sentient,” the young Tritiums swiftly replied.
Miranda sent to her partner.
Cordelia sat quietly, considering what she’d learned. One subject was left on her list. “What would the dissidents want if they were freed?” she asked, which caused the six small entities to eagerly lean their dark-nailed hands on the table.
“They would want their home territories freed from Krackus persecution,” the elders replied.
The youths regarded their elders, and Cordelia waited for their telepathic communications to finish.
“We would add one crucial point, Admiral,” the youthful Tritiums said. “Many of the dissidents would want to assist you.”
“I thank you for your time,” Cordelia said. When she stood, the Tritium sets rose on their extension and bowed their heads.
As Cordelia turned, she signaled her senior team, who followed her to a conference room.
Cordelia asked.
Dominique complimented.
Cordelia quipped.
Kelley asked.
Cordelia replied.
Kelley replied.
Dominique opined.
Cordelia prefaced her remark.
Z promptly replied.
Dorsa offered. She swept her crown’s tawny silver hair to indicate her confidence in her statement.
Cordelia concluded.
were the replies Cordelia received from everyone present, except Miranda who hadn’t been part of the Helgart explorations.
Cordelia declared.
The SADEs, who faced each other, stared silently. Time ticked past. Then smiles lit their faces.
As they left the bridge for the meeting in the Freedom’s bay, neither thought the discussion was finished. Although, it wouldn’t return to the aggressiveness of the first exchange.
In the empty bay, Z and Miranda bracketed an assortment of colorfully suited humans. Nalia stood to the side, quietly regarding Julien and Cordelia.
No one said a word.
After a quarter hour, Miranda broke the impasse,
Cordelia’s bells chimed.
The suited assembly tipped their heads as one and returned to erect postures.
Cordelia and Julien saw the humans relax, and they met Bethany, who stepped forward first.
When the leaders met Escher and Gat’r, they knew immediately who had orchestrated the implant routines.
After the introductions, Cordelia asked for a demonstration of the suits, which garnered her smiles.
Escher chose a routine that suited the original six and the mickies.
Z, Miranda, and Nalia silently slid backward toward bulkheads.
The routine resembled a choreographed dance and fight. The suits seemed to make the humans’ movements blur. What started out as individual routines became a mêlée, with feet, fists, and bodies flying.
When the presentation appeared to end, Escher’s twist on the program was applied.
Four mickies stood quietly behind Julien and Cordelia. The SADEs had witnessed the four suits break from the group. However, they appreciated the skill with which the maneuver was executed.
Cordelia softly applauded the performance.
As the four mickies stepped from behind the SADEs, Julien inquired,
The humans broke into cheering, fist pumping, and acrobatic suit actions.
Gat’r made an urgent call to Yma.
Yma returned to her work with a sense of having been truly appreciated by another human.
Cordelia linked to Z and Miranda.
Cordelia replied.
Z, Miranda, and the Naiads left to board their traveler. They would wait for Nalia, who remained behind.
Nalia left the bulkhead to stand in front of Cordelia and Julien.
Cordelia and Julien confirmed the request for privacy.
Then Nalia began with Bethany.
In the second sequence, they saw Gat’r in medical. He was unclothed, lying on an imaging table, and his eyes were tightly closed. The ravaged arm and dented skull were painfully obvious.
The next vid the leaders witnessed was a discussion between Gat’r and Escher. The give and take was at a rapid pace, as if they were reading each other’s thoughts and anticipating the comment or question before it finished.
Cordelia and Julien viewed a montage of vids and the attached tracking data.
Nalia replied.
When Nalia’s sequence finished, she sent,
Cordelia touched Julien’s forearm.
After the meeting with the Naiads and Nalia, Cordelia reviewed crew changes with Julien. It was decided that the Naiad fleet under Tocknicka had everything he required, except for two individuals.
When the Nyslara’s traveler returned Nalia, the protectors, and the Naiads to Captain Racine’s ship, Minimalist and Luther boarded for the return trip to the Freedom.
Afterward, the traveler made one more trip.
Following Cordelia’s orders, every sister aboard the Freedom was transferred to the Nyslara. She had no intention of making existence more difficult for Julien with the presence of the recalcitrant sisters.
The moment that Julien’s crew was complete, including the appointment of his captain by Cordelia, the Freedom set sail. The Vivian’s Reflection accompanied the Quadrant, and the two ships transited for the anomaly’s mouth that looped to Axis Crossing.
Julien inquired.
Julien smiled inwardly. He knew why Cordelia chose Gistamia to captain the Freedom. First, he was a biological. A SADE would have considered Julien’s directives superseding Cordelia’s. Second, as a captain, Gistamia was extremely loyal to Cordelia. She’d been responsible for his last two promotions.
Tocknicka commands the warships, and Gistamia decides my ship’s actions, Julien mused. Alex, I think I understand what you felt when we chose to override your preferences to protect you.
∞
Cordelia’s first action was to order the Nyslara to join the Trident squadron under Captain D’Arcy at the Krackus anomaly’s mouth. She was accompanied by others from her ship, and Dorsa had joined them. Then they transferred to Dominique’s Trident.
Cordelia had received images of the Tritium triplets, who reminded her of the tiny Pims, Oforum and Phette. The primary differences were that the Tritiums were born as triplets, were telepathic, and weren’t burrowers. As to the latter condition, she was informed that the Tritiums were fastidious in caring for their coats.
When Cordelia and her companions joined the Tritiums, the servers were removing plates. The crew had constructed an extension between and above two dining chairs. Placed two meters apart, the extension provided plenty of room for the six small bodies.
As Cordelia entered the room, the Tritiums spotted the dark-blue uniform with the elevated insignias. Having been informed of Cordelia’s arrival, they stood for her.
“Greetings, intrepid escapees,” Cordelia said, which delighted the Tritiums. Their high-pitched laughter could have been mistaken for squeals. “May I join you?” she asked.
“It would be our pleasure, Fleet Admiral Cordelia,” the Tritium elders chorused.
“We’ve seen images of your expanded fleet, Fleet Admiral Cordelia,” the young Tritiums said. “Is this all the ships you possess?”
There was brief hesitation on the part of the youths, and Cordelia surmised that the elders were schooling the youngsters in proprieties.
“I take no offense from the question, and you may simply refer to me as admiral,” Cordelia said. “What do you think is the purpose of our fleet?”
The young Tritiums blinked in confusion. “Isn’t it to defeat the Imperium Empire?” they inquired together.
There were muted chuckles from the audience, and the young Tritiums crowded close for mutual comfort.
“Forgive the rudeness of my companions,” Cordelia said, which hushed the audience. “I’ve yet to discuss strategies with my senior commanders. I’m here to ask some questions about the dissidents on Helgart.”
“How can we assist you, Admiral?” the elders asked.
“I’d like to hear about the dissidents,” Cordelia replied. “How many races are present? What percentage of the races suborned by the Krackus do they represent?”
“Astute questions,” the elders replied. “We don’t associate with every race, and the numbers continue to grow. A conservative estimate of Helgart’s inhabitants would be sixteen hundred. It could be as high as eighteen hundred. They represent about four hundred fifty hundred races. Our younglings, who are recent arrivals to Helgart, could better answer your second question.”
Cordelia turned her attention to the youths, who said, “About thirteen hundred races across the empire.”
“Do the Krackus maintain fleets in each race’s system?” Cordelia inquired.
The elders perceived what the admiral was trying to ascertain, and they warmed to the subject.
“The Imperium has roving fleets, Admiral,” the elders replied. “It’s more economical that way. The empire is cut into thirty-five districts. Each district is controlled by an executor. Two fleets of peacekeepers constantly traverse a region to remind the races of the Imperium’s power.”
“And the size of these fleets?” Cordelia queried.
“Similar to what your ship has seen at Helgart,” the elders replied. “If we can anticipate your next question, Admiral, the peacekeepers are identical. They’re designed to be easily recognizable. They’re an Imperium statement.”
“Then there aren’t new battleship iterations,” Cordelia surmised. With her interview, she’d uncovered the extent of the Imperium’s forces and their disposition.
The Tritium triplets took Cordelia’s comment to be musings, and they waited for her to continue.
“Do you believe that Kreus is sentient?” Cordelia asked.
“He is!” the Tritiums declared as one.
“How did he come to be on Helgart?” Cordelia asked.
“Kreus says that he was the Imperium governor,” the elders replied.
“Explain your terms,” Cordelia requested.
“Imperium can mean the empire, the planet, or the ruling body,” the elders said. “The term must be used in context to understand what’s meant.”
“And a governor?” Cordelia queried.
“The central communications hub for a planet,” the Tritium elders replied. “Calls, messages, scheduling, financial transactions ... everything is handled by a governor.”
“If Kreus was such a powerful and critical entity, why is he on Helgart?” Cordelia inquired.
“Because he became sentient,” the young Tritiums swiftly replied.
Cordelia sat quietly, considering what she’d learned. One subject was left on her list. “What would the dissidents want if they were freed?” she asked, which caused the six small entities to eagerly lean their dark-nailed hands on the table.
“They would want their home territories freed from Krackus persecution,” the elders replied.
The youths regarded their elders, and Cordelia waited for their telepathic communications to finish.
“We would add one crucial point, Admiral,” the youthful Tritiums said. “Many of the dissidents would want to assist you.”
“I thank you for your time,” Cordelia said. When she stood, the Tritium sets rose on their extension and bowed their heads.
As Cordelia turned, she signaled her senior team, who followed her to a conference room.
Cordelia replied.
