Ekological Chimera
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Chapter 9 - Machines, descending from the sky
🕑 Added 2024-09-18 19:17:43 +0000 UTC“You aren’t human, are you?” The pilgrim said in strangely accented Sirnesian. It sounded almost identical to the way the Terran officer spoke, down to the mistakes.
The Custodian stared expressionlessly at the diminutive woman, “I suppose that would depend on your definition.”
She had to wonder what had prompted the pilgrim to think that. Serana certainly thought of herself as human. She supposed that it wasn’t entirely accurate.
The brown-robed pilgrim looked her over, “Hmm, you lack feathers and possess two legs, so I think you pass,” she smirked, “The glowy eyes lose you some points, though.”
Serana quirked an eyebrow at the nonsensical words.
Uninterested in further discussing the topic, she changed the subject, “Why are you here?”
“Not who, hm?” the pilgrim said
“There would be little point to such a question,” Serana responded.
The woman’s otherworldly origin was quite obvious, after all. With the difference in approach, Serana thought that her guest might belong to a different faction than the rude military man. Yet with no knowledge of Terran politics, the pilgrim’s answer would be useless to Serana, even if the little interloper told the truth.
“It is always good to know who one is dealing with, no?” The false pilgrim retorted.
Instead of waiting for Serana’s answer, she stood up and curtsied, her brown robes making the entire motion quite awkward.
“My name is Phaedra. I’ve come to look around.”
Her introduction done, she sat back down, Serana’s eyes following her all the while.
Now seated again, Phaedra looked at the Custodian expectantly. Her strangely vacant eyes made the entire expression rather bizarre.
Serana paid it no mind, though she felt a little curious about the strange woman. Yet not enough to play her games.
“How did your weapons get into the hands of the Accadians?” Serana said.
While the remains of the assassin yielded little, his accomplices in the city proved less thorough. Though the Kingdom of Accad had been pinpointed as the likely culprit, the question of how they had acquired the alien weapons remained unanswered.
The Custodian herself could see little reason why the Terrans would go after her life in such a haphazard way, making the entire affair rather perplexing.
“Damn, I can see why that guy found you unnerving,” Phaedra said instead of responding.
Serana kept her face expressionless, but her mind wandered. Perhaps Phaedra thought that she wouldn’t figure out who she spoke of, but there really was only one option.
Why would she give up such useful information for no reason? Did she work for an opposing faction, or was she just stupid? Or, maybe she understood that Serana very much knew that she “unnerved” the Colonel?
The last possibility left her with a sour feeling. Was it even possible for someone to see through her to such a degree?
She resolved to pay even more attention to her own body language.
When Serana did not respond, Phaedra once again opened her mouth, “Truth be told, I’ve no clue. I just got here, after all,” She scratched her head, “I could give you my best guess?”
The Custodian noted how she didn’t even try to pretend not to be one of the Terrans.
Serana gestured her assent with her hand, not breaking eye contact.
“You are pretty intense, huh? How about this, I’ll tell you my guess in exchange for a little demonstration?” Phaedra said.
“Demonstration?” Serana said, her voice neutral.
“Mm!” Phaedra nodded, “The way you blocked the Colonel’s, uh, demonstration, attracted a lot of attention.”
The false pilgrim spoke lightly, but her eyes were hard and empty.
“Then I’m not interested,” Serana said, “I did not invite you here to amuse you.”
She didn’t actually think that Phaedra wanted to see her power for her amusement, but with Phaedra’s behaviour, it was a good excuse. Maybe it would make her guest rethink her conduct too.
“Oh trust me, there is nothing amusing about this. So much work ruined by pure chance, and all for what?” Phaedra said, coldly.
It was such an abrupt change in demeanour that even the Custodian felt taken aback. Though Phaedra’s eyes were still the same.
Serana did not like that she could not get a good read on her guest. On the surface, it seemed that she had touched a nerve, but it easily could have been just a performance.
“Then offer more,” The Custodian said, her voice unconcerned.
Just like that, Phaedra returned to her previous playfulness.
“How greedy! What could you even need? You are rich,” Phaedra gestured around the marble room.
“Information about Terran weapons and battle tactics,” Serana responded immediately. Not like there was a way to pose such a demand tactfully.
That seemed to get under Phaedra’s facade, her eyes widening almost imperceptibly.
She didn’t respond immediately, rhythmically tapping her finger on the table instead.
Eventually, Phaedra spoke, “Whether I can give you that depends on your powers. I’d guess that the answer is yes, but I would need to see for myself.”
Serana kept her expression blank, but inwardly, she had already decided the woman’s fate. She did not believe that the answer would be yes. Yet the fact that Phaedra was even considering her offer told her enough to make the risk worth the reward.
The Custodian would rather she divulge her knowledge willingly, but information about Terran capabilities seemed more important by the day. A traitorous, lonely Terran presented an opportunity too big to ignore.
Instead of answering, the Custodian moved her left hand forward, palm up, channelling Eternity’s power. In the next second, a small orb of silver light appeared above her hand.
Phaedra leaned forward, her eyes once again widening.
They sat like that for a few minutes, Phaedra completely focused on the orb and Serana on her guest’s face.
“So she was right… This war will be for nothing.” Phaedra murmured, breaking the silence.
Serana frowned, “What are you talking about?”
Phaedra blinked, “Sorry, I got a little carried away there,” She leaned back on her chair, “I guessed right. Do you have paper and something for me to write with?”
The Custodian almost frowned again, but decided to drop the matter. For now.
Under Phaedra’s watchful eyes, she got up from her seat and retrieved some writing supplies, placing them on the table.
The next couple of hours passed in silence, as Phaedra’s dextrous hands skilfully wrote and even sketched the bargained information.
Phaedra kept going for much longer than Serana thought she would, apparently committed to fulfilling her side of the bargain.
Eventually, she finished and turned the many now-filled papers over to Serana. The Custodian leafed through the papers, rather perplexed. It seemed authentic, as far as she could tell. Admittedly, she couldn’t tell much.
However, Serana had not actually expected Phaedra to accept such a ridiculous offer. She did not know whether to feel fortunate or wary.
“That’s my side of the bargain fulfilled. I’ve seen what I wanted, so I’ll be going now,” Phaedra said, breaking the Custodian out of her reverie.
Before Phaedra could get up, Serana interrupted her, “Wait.”
The lone Terran looked at her quizzically.
“You have yet to give me your guess,” Serana explained.
“Ah, that,” She scratched her head, “You know that the guys above came here to establish a colony right?”
“Your compatriots were rather vocal about it,” Serana said.
“Right. Well, the point is that the colonists aren’t exactly what you’d consider… Our elite. As far as I know, they had at least a couple of opportunities to sell stuff down here,” Phaedra said.
Serana digested that in silence. It made sense, she supposed. It also hinted at the deeper nature of the so-called Terran Republic. As expected of a society so far away from Eternity’s light.
She rather disliked that she had to take this extremely suspicious person at her word, though.
“I’ll be going then, bye-bye,” Phaedra interrupted her thoughts once again.
She made it barely three steps towards the door before the Custodian’s voice stopped her.
“No.”
Phaedra turned around, her vacant eyes zeroing on the Custodian’s face, “I’m sorry?”
“You wish for us to fight the Terrans. Why?” Serana asked.
Phaedra opened her mouth, but Serana spoke before she responded, “If I think you are lying, I will kill you where you stand.”
The Terran stared at her without blinking, before speaking, her voice low, “You think you can?”
“Yes,” Serana said, her eyes alert, yet her tone unchanged.
The maybe-prisoner stood still, likely thinking things over.
“Because we think you can win,” Phaedra replied, solemnly.
The Custodian had to stop herself from snorting.
It seemed that the Terrans had still not understood who the underdog was, here.
Yet she couldn’t dismiss the danger, either. If not to her, then to the Laws. The Terrans had already shown her that they could not be taken lightly.
Serana fancied herself a fast learner. It would not do to underestimate them a second time.
She did not think that Phaedra had intended her words that way, however.
As the Custodian stared at her, Phaedra did not sweat, but Serana thought that she could see her tense a little.
“Inciting war is a crime,” Serana said, “Will you submit?”
Serana was amused to see bewilderment flash through Phaedra’s features. New to Eigos, indeed.
Phaedra recovered near instantly, “I’ll get a trial though, right? No instant vaporizations or the like?”
“Of course,” Serana responded, watching her features carefully. Not that they told her anything of Phaedra’s thoughts, but at least she’d see an attack coming. Not that she needed to know her thoughts with such an extremely suspicous response.
“Okay then,” Phaedra said, seemingly unconcerned.
Then she nodded her head towards the large window, “Are you certain you should be worrying about me, though?”
The Custodian followed her gaze upward.
Far further than any human had a right to see, she spotted a swarm of black dots.
Uncaring of Phaedra’s perceptive gaze, she used a sliver of Eternity’s power to enhance her eyes and identify the faraway objects.
A small host of Terran transports, many more than had ever come to Eigos.
Before she could count them, the sky exploded in fire.
