Chapter 237: (The War) (1/2)
Ast'Lar, the Postal Most High of N'Karoo, was a matron in her own right, with a family, children, even a few grandchildren. Her fur was largely thick and luxurious, although she had been getting white around her neck and down her back recently. But that was what happened when one was responsible for the correspondence of over fifty million of your people who had been taken prisoner, both from them and to them.
Oh, and had used a few loopholes to game the system in order to surrender the entire planet over to a race of predatory, aggressive, omnivorous bipedal upright primates.
While it had been a good idea, Ast'Lar sometimes regretted her over-cleverness.
Especially on days like today.
She stood on the spaceport tarmac next to U'urmo'ot, the Lanaktallan Most High of the entire Unified Civilized Council's presence.
And also the only Lanaktallan on the planet.
Standing next to him, only coming up to his lower shoulders, she reminded herself that U'urmo'ot was not a brave being. He had requested to be stationed at N'Karoo itself in order to enjoy the fishing and leisure activities, arriving only two weeks before the system had been surrendered.
The rest of the Lanaktallan had left U'urmo'ot in place, proclaiming him to be the Most High, and had abandoned the system, leaving U'umo'ot standing on the tarmac with his fishing pole and fishing hat, looking around and wondering how he was in charge of everything.
Still, she was startled that U'urmo'ot had agreed to join her to waiting for the latest arrival.
”You know, you do not have to be here for this. If you wish, you may retreat to your office or even your closet,” Ast'Lar told the Lanaktallan.
”I must see this being,” U'urmo'ot said quietly. Ast'Lar noticed he was wearing his fishing hat.
Ast'Lar looked up as the ship dropped out of the clouds, noting that it was sparkling and seemed to throw off rainbows.
”I must confess, I am nervous about unrestrained nanite usage,” U'urmo'ot said.
”It is not unrestrained. These beings will restrain the nanites, guide them and ensure that they work properly and we do not have the hooveshoe paradox,” Ast'Lar said. She shaded her eyes. ”Such a strange ship,” she said.
The ship approached rapidly, sparking and twinkling in the morning sun. It looked like a four winged, four legged insect, the abdomen obviously where the engines were and surrounded by rainbow halos. The wings were delicate formations of crystal and energy. The eyes were transparent, revealing what looked like tall delicate humans inside.
”And they will bring back the fish?” U'urmo'ot asked.
”We hope,” Ast'Lar said.
”The last storm covered the beaches in rotted kelp,” U'urmo'ot said. ”We must save your world.”
Ast'Lar was able to keep from staring at the Lanaktallan only because he had spent three days pacing back and forth mumbling it to himself after seeing the kelp and finding out that the coral reefs and the kelp beds were dying rapidly.
It was the most passionate she had ever seen a Lanaktallan about anything other than making other being's lives miserable.
”The Terrans say that they can help. That they are the masters of gentle terraforming in such a way that the natives can even remain on the planet during the repairs,” Ast'Lar said.
”I hope so. I like it here, I like your people, I would not like it if this world turned into a toxic wasteland, a dead world, and I doubt you would like it either,” U'urmo'ot said.
”No, we would not,” Ast'Lar agreed.
The ship settled down, looking for all the world like a big crystal and shining metal insect. A ramp lowered from the thorax and a group of six beings arranged around a seventh dressed in lavish wealth moved down the ramp.
The middle one, which Ast'Lar was pretty sure was a female, stopped the group with one upraised hand, looking around and sniffing the air. Ast'Lar noticed her guards all wore crystal and precious metal armor in an archaic design and carried swords rather than projectile weapons.
After a moment the group continued, moving slowly toward Ast'Lar and U'urmo'ot, whom Ast'Lar could tell was extremely nervous and more than slightly fearful. Once the lead two got close they drew their swords in a movement that made U'urmo'ot make a noise of distress and clatter back a few steps until he saw that the creatures were putting the tip of their blades against the asphalt in order to kneel down comfortably.
The middle figure, definitely a female, dressed in sheer silks and covered in jewelry, stepped forward and gave a slight curtsy toward Ast'Lar, although the movement was lost on the N'kar until her implant told her that it was a respectful greeting and that she should nod in return.
The female stood up straight, looking around. ”I am Princess Ta'va'dee, servant and daughter of High Queen An'Dahl-Vee, whom has been tasked with healing your world. I am her herald and mouthpiece, honored ones,” the female said.
Ast'Lar noted that the female's facial design was pleasing, with excellent symmetry and spacing.
”Welcome, Ta'va'dee,” Ast'Lar said, giving the nod that her implant suggested.
”I greet you welcome, Princess Ta'va'dee, serveant and daughter of High Queen An'Dahl-Vee,” U'urmo'ot said, doing his best to sound formal. Formality was something that was comforting and familiar to him and his distress eased as he understood he was talking to the representative of the Most High of Planetary Ecology Restoration.
”My Queen has informed me that this work will take some time, a work of decades, but the labors of the servants of the Queen are best done at a stately pace,” Ta'va'dee said. She looked around, taking in the clear sky. ”My mother is the ruler of the air and sea, of the land and water, the storm and the gentle breeze, and she has seen this world's sickness and cry for help.”
Both Ast'Lar and U'urmo'ot stood silently as the woman breathed deep and looked around before fixing the two with a burning gaze.
”Our mother, the sea, must be healed first. Storms to clear away the dead, rain to bring forth life on the surface of the oceans, wind to heal the air,” Ta'va'dee said. ”Are you ready to commit to healing this world?”
Ast'Lar was surprised at how U'urmo'ot sounded so authoritative as he nodded.
”I am, herald. I have centuries left to live. How may I devote those years to bringing back the fish and coral?” he asked.
The elven princess, who was Born Whole, smiled at U'urmo'ot. ”By serving my mother, of course,” she said softly.
”And our small people?” Ast'Lar asked. ”What of them?”
”Your people are in need of healing, as is your world,” the elf said. ”The Queen only asks that you live your lives and enjoy her grace.”
Ast'Lar felt the whole thing was strange, she felt off balance. This was nothing like the directness of the Terrans.
The elf woman curtsied again. ”I must return to my mother, let her know I have breathed the air of this world, and commune with her so that she may begin. Till we meet again,” the elf turned and walked back to the ship, her guards around her.
”She's... different,” Ast'Lar said, rubbing her fur as watching as the wings of the ship spread out again and the abdomen began to glow.
”I found her comforting,” U'urmo'ot said softly.
”Really? She did not make you afraid?” Ast'Lar asked. ”She's going to completely rebuild the world. Take control of the weather systems and more. I thought you were afraid of them using nanites.”
U'urmo'ot watched the ship lift off, the abdomen wrapped in rainbow colors as it raised into the sky, almost appearing to be leisurely about the whole thing, as if flight was natural for the craft.
”Will you accompany me to my office, Postal Most High?” U'urmo'ot said.
Ast'Lar twitched her whiskers in surprise. ”Of course, Most High.”
She followed the Lanaktallan to his office slash apartment, watching as he moved over to the holodisplay. U'urmo'ot twiddled with the control a moment and the holodisplay came on, showing visuals of her planet.
Not how it was outside, but how it looked right after the Lanaktallan found them.
”This is what I saw in my office decades ago,” U'urmo'ot said as the view swept over blue and green water, lush vegetation covering islands, bright coral, and lagoons of perfect clarity full of darting fish. He waved his hand and a dense city of plascrete and duralloy appeared, with no vegetation and a heavy oppressive feeling. Before Ast'Lar could ask U'urmo'ot shook his head and inflated his crests only to let them slowly deflate in a defeated feeling action. ”This is where I was assigned when I saw those survey scans.”
He waved his hand through the holodisplay, dismissing the images.
”I never saw a naturally growing plant until I reached here,” U'urmo'ot said. ”I learned how to fish by watching VR records of your people. When I got here, I despaired. Gone were the bright glowing night fish, the coral was all gray and dead. I fish and release them if I catch them, but most days I catch nothing.”
Ast'Lar nodded. The same thing had happened to her people. More and more the nets were empty.
”A computer cannot feel the life that should be here,” U'urmo'ot said. He shook his head. ”A computer designed the cities I was born, grew up, and worked within. I would not trust a computer to guide the nanites to repair your world.”
”But you trust the elf creature?” Ast'Lar asked.
U'urmo'ot nodded. ”She is a living thing. Even if she was made in a lab and grown in a vat, she is still a living creature. She will understand this world like you or I, not like a computer.”
Ast'Lar thought again of the beautiful images that had appeared on the holotank.
”I would trust her more than a VI,” U'urmo'ot said. He looked Ast'Lar and signified amusement. ”After all, I will be staying here to watch, to help restore this place to the beauty I would stare at for hours at a time in my apartment.”
”You surprise me, Most High,” Ast'Lar said quietly.
U'urmo'ot shrugged. ”I just want to stand on the dock and fish. There is no surprise in that.”
Ast'Lar just stayed silent.
”I just want to be left alone so I can fish. In order for that to happen, the world needs restored to its beauty,” U'urmo'ot said.
Ast'Lar realized that he was telling the truth.
”Does it bother you that you are the only one of your kind on my planet?” she asked gently.
U'urmo'ot shook his head. ”No. I am relieved.”
”Why?”
”Because I know I will be left alone.”
-----------[last shadowrun]----------------
The rain was coming down steadily, carrying the smell of harsh industrial chemicals and bitter metals, staining the concrete and asphalt. In some places graffiti ran off the concrete, leaving behind only the stains as paint washed into the trash filled gutters. Off in the distance gunfire could be heard as well as the sirens of LawSec. The clouds were black, obscuring the stars that most people had forgotten were there, replaced by neon signs.
A lone figure slumped through the alley, dressed in a heavy black trenchcoat, a hat pulled low over his brow to conceal his face, his hands covered by black leather gloves, and heavy black boots on his feet. He wove between the piles of garbage, some of them so old they had solidified into a compact mass no less enduring that the concrete walls of the alley. The figure moved up to a metal door and knocked twice, waiting a second, then knocking three times.
A slide pulled open, revealing a set of low-end cyber-eyes.