I, Propitiator: "Chapter 4"

Chapter 4

The sea can be very still before the storm. So always be certain you know where that anchor of love is so that you will not be tossed about by the waves.

Over the next week it seemed like nothing much happened. Daedalus took me out for dinner one night, and though it was very enjoyable, there isn’t much to say about it. Kanda stayed in the house while my brother kept accompanying me to school and other functions we often participated in to make it look like we were normal people with no real changes in our lives. Yet, in this week of seeming normality, many things behind-the-scenes were unraveling.

In a furious rage, Zurui called throughout the entire ship, “Kakios!”

A Vytor scrambled to his feet and ran to Zurui. Trying to do his best to conceal his quite obvious fear, he nearly stammered, “Yess, your majesty?”

“Who’s responsible for overseeing the shields and defenses of this ship when it is known that we have an infiltrator onboard?”

“I am, sir.”

“Then how is it that not a single shot was fired upon us, yet the infiltrator beamed out with my new toy?”

A blank look crossed his face, as if he knew not even the words his master had spoken. Zurui grew in rage, but then Vidya, Kakios’ assistant, came running over. “I found it! The pattern used to bypass our shield systems!”

She intended to hand the paper containing the information to Kakios, but Zurui snatched it from her before she could actually make any real attempt. Zurui scanned the image looked at Vidya and smiled wickedly. She moved behind Kakios as if hoping that would solve any problems. Then with a calm voice Zurui said, “I know this exact pattern. There are only a handful of people that could operate a teleporter like this. One of them is Camryn Avner.”

Kakios allowed his tense body to relax a little. Zurui continued on, “Well done Vadya, another moment and Kakios here might have found himself in the worst possible situation in his life. You better be good to her Kakios or her close save will not suffice. Now there have been a change of plans. Kakios, you are going to kidnap Camryn’s daughther, Seraphina. Do your research; I’m sure her brother looks after her well. Do your best to bring her to me relatively unharmed... Now leave!”

Kakios scrambled back to where he had come from, Vadya close behind.

Itxaro sat back in her lounge chair, mentally reviewing the events of her day. Then, without warning, a bluish haze started coming out of the comm. panel by the door. The next expression to cross her face was one more of irritation than surprise. The haze then made a few facial indentations, then as it looked like it was about to speak, Itxaro broke the silence, “Ensign Kasana, couldn’t you be civil and use the door? There’s a chimer on it for a reason…”

For your information, Ensign Kasana is a Cyaf, which is why she was able to just move through the technical equipment of the ship and thereby avoid having to use the door. Itxaro’s critique caught Ensign Kasana off guard, so she just floated there for a moment, uncertain of what to say. Then just as Itxaro was starting to look frustrated, the Cyaf blurted, “The Prime I told me to tell you that he wants you to report to his office.”

The stunned expression that was on Ensign Kasana’s “face” transferred to Itxaro as she now stood there dumbfounded. The next moment Itxaro became the most frantic I on the ship, running through her room, trying to freshen up and make herself look royally presentable, which she felt was impossible. About five minutes later, Ensign Kasana said, “You know, it sounded like he wanted to see you immediately.”

With an alarming speed, Itxaro ran out the door to the elevator, given the fact that she ran right by the Cyaf, you’d half expect Bernoulli’s principle to pull Ensign Kasana halfway to the elevator with Itxaro. A few moments later, Itxaro chimed the door of the Prime I’s office. Then the sweetest voice she had ever heard spoke, “Come in, Itxaro.”

Trying to conceal her trembling, she quickly walked in, then seeing his gesture to sit, she gladly obeyed. He then said, “It has always been my will that every member of this ship would come to me and have a personal relationship with me. Yet in all this time, you have yet to say a single word to me.”

Itxaro was tongue-tied, probably perceiving this, the Prime I took his seat then telepathically said, ‘So now, this personal invitation has been extended specifically to you that you might know me.’

The next hour the two of them discussed what had been happening recently in Itxaro’s life, how she had really wanted to research that asteroid, but now was thrilled to get to the asteroid belt in the Sol System. In all that time, she couldn’t think of anything besides the words he said and how fortunate she was to have the Prime I as her leader.

Mason drew potential designs for ship upgrades on his old whiteboard. It wasn’t that a digital board wouldn’t have been easier; he was just sort of partial to this particular one. After about an hour of writing, erasing, and re-writing, he felt satisfied with the designs. So Mason took a picture of his designs, printed a magnified copy of them and then headed off to the captain’s office to get the material list approved for his new project. After getting the list approved, he spent several hours bargaining for the supplies at cheaper-than-normal prices. While he was negotiating for some sort of coolant, David snuck up behind him and then attempted to scare Mason. This however, can only be called an attempt, because Mason acted as if nothing occurred, he gave no change to David’s sudden screaming and flailing of arms. Though David would attempt such random actions on a regular basis, it was more that Mason had seen things far more disturbing that few things fazed him anymore. The tradesman on the other hand, who Mason had been talking to ran off, thinking David was some creature of the living dead or otherwise a monster intending to spite them all. Mason was fairly frustrated with David’s prank, but did show any of it because he didn’t want to give David any level of satisfaction. Instead he turned around and inquired, “What business do you have here?”

“Your new ship designs, give me, now.”

Mason sighed, “It appears you are demanding and unexplanatory as usual. Before you receive them, tell me why you didn’t just deliver them to me directly?”

David raised an eyebrow, took a moment to recall what had happened, then replied, “Didn’t you send me a message while you were hiding in Thailand to send you them encoded on the rotating frequency pattern beta?”

A look of confusion crossed Mason’s face, followed by a look of frustration. “You were deceived by some imposter… the question is who deceived you?”

The fifth night we were at the safe-house, Kanda turned in early for the night, perhaps because the feelings she felt were, at least for that time, unreturned. However, this was a grave mistake, for the moment she shut her door, reality would dissolve into the blackness of the madman, Zurui.

Kanda found herself standing on the edge of a cliff, on a bright summer’s day. The fierce sun beat down on her back, scorching her dry skin. Zurui stood behind her, not allowing her to back away from the cliff. She reasoned that screaming at this point was of no benefit, so she inquired, “What do you want with me?”

Zurui laughed at her. “Foolish girl! Did you honestly believe that by running from me, it would sever the telepathic connection that was established when you were mine?”

Kanda gave no verbal response, though her countenance clearly fell. Seeing this, Zurui continued, “I give you two options, either I telepathically push you off this cliff, thereby effectually killing you and whatever you care about or you tell me what I want to know and help me take my vengeance on the Avner household. After they are dealt with, I’ll leave you to your own miseries.”

Kanda felt crushed by the decision she was about to make, yet seeing no viable alternative for the time being, she weakly replied, “I will do as you ask.”