[Just A Little Further] - Chapter 16

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It turned out I was furious, and nobody was more surprised than me. The Aviens and Mariens in charge here thought they could control us with the gift of a false translator. I bet they watched our arrival with glee. Our power was self evident and through naïveté they thought they could control us.

<They will regret underestimating you.>

*<*Damn right they will.>

As I strode along towards the administration building, Ava, Fer'resi and Mei'la struggled to keep up; I was walking with purpose. "Melody!" Ava called out. "If you slow down, we can walk with you and it will look more like a precession than some retainers struggling to keep up!"

She had a point. I specifically dressed like this and applied my mantle in order to impress. Empresses never rushed. We took a moment to get our bearings and look around.

Maybe I shouldn't have stopped.

Everyone was watching us, staring. They weren't running, but shops slammed shutters down, and were quickly bringing chairs and tables closer to exits. Nobody left but people were making sure they were behind something sturdy while still having a view of the promenade. Clearly people were expecting a show of some kind.

Interestingly, the children were not frightened. I saw a small school of kids - all different types - who were peering owlishly through an open door. I met their eyes and spread my wings just a tiny bit and ruffled them while smiling. They all laughed and cheered. They wouldn’t know who I was or what I was doing, but when a women dressed in a beautiful outfit and a crown and wings made of light waves to you, that made for a great day when you're four.

<Good. The children who love you today turn into the adults who teach their children to love you tomorrow.>

We started walking again, this time at a more sedate pace, much more like a procession. While we walked I grilled the Nanites for information.

<Does this station have an AI?>

<No. Builders ran stations, they had no need for computational intelligence.>

<As in they administered them?>

<No, much more...direct than that.>

It's barely been a day, and yet the Reach feels like my station already and I wanted to show it off to my friends, so I turned back towards them and grinned. "What do you think, everyone?"

Ava's head was on a swivel, with wide eyes. "This is amazing Melody, it's so much... more than any stations back home. I wonder if they have shopping?" She gasped. "How do they do money? I wonder if they still have currency or is it all digital? I can't wait to see."

Mei'la’s ears swiveled around trying to hear everything at once and I could see her peering into the edges and corners of places. "They are incredibly wasteful with their power usage; I wonder if they just have that much of a surplus or if we could bring some efficiencies in."

Fer'resi just looked worried, much different than the excitement he had when we first came this way. "I understand why you brought me Emp-er, Melody, but I must admit I am not looking forward to this confrontation."

I scoffed gently and said, "Confrontation? We're just going to go to the administrative offices, explain that we are willing to look at what happened as a mistake and ask for a proper translator. I'm sure it'll be fine." When I said it out loud, I realized that it probably wouldn't go that way. But, I didn't want to worry him.

<That is worrying him more.>

<It'll be fine.>

<It will be, but not in the way he would prefer.>

<Well, we can't always get what we want.>

As we rounded the final corner to the administrative building, I saw ad hoc barricades made up of whatever they could find - I think some of it were tables and chairs around the building - and a mix of Mariens and Aviens standing guard every meter or so, facing out, weapons free, but not pointing at anyone.

Uh oh. When we got about 3 meters away, the closest one called out. "Halt! The Administrative offices are closed by order of the Administrators. You must come another day."

<Really?> The Nanites could not hide their excitement and I have to admit, it was infectious. I was ready to show them what happened to those who disobeyed. Maybe a very small part of me looked up from the depths of my soul shouting that what I was doing was wrong, but that was easy to ignore.

I put my hands on my hips and looked at them. I spread my golden wings just a bit to look larger. The Aviens who spoke the order looked at me, very nervous. "Thank you citizen." I said kindly, "I appreciate your loyalty to your supervisor; it is to be commended. Now that you have completed your task, step aside and allow us to pass. No harm will come of you - you followed your orders." I gestured back to my team. "As you can see, we are unarmed."

He laughed weakly, "No Builder is unarmed."

I had to admit that he did have a point. When you have a voice that people can't disobey, it's not nothing. I sighed. <He's going to make me say it isn't he?>

<He wants to experience it as much as he wants to be able to say he tried to resist when his supervisor reprimands him.>

<Ugh, Fine.>

sᴛᴇᴘ ᴀsɪᴅᴇ

I said it as gently as I could, but still as one, every Aviens and Mariens moved two steps away from the barricade. The one who spoke to me shuddered and sighed happily. "Ew" I said aloud.

"What was it? Ava asked, looking over at the people I just ordered.

"That one-" I pointed to the Aviens I had been talking to "-liked it when I ordered him around."

"I mean, I get it." Ava said, blushing.

I looked back at her and raised an eyebrow. She blushed harder. "I'm just saying that lots of people really like it when a powerful, beautiful woman orders them around, they don't even have to have the Voice that compels people for them to like it."

"Like, a sex thing?" I asked, confused.

"It can be, but it doesn't have to be" Ava replied, slightly defensively.

"Do you want to be ordered around by me?" I asked. Why did I ask that? I don't know which answer I wanted to hear.

<Even you don't need us for this one.>

She looked away "I wouldn't... mind it." She said.

As we walked in, once again we were in the large, impressive vestibule. Over in a corner was a desk where one of the insect people - I really needed to learn their names - was sitting looking bored. They had a book open and were reading, oblivious to what had happened outside. I strode up to them, and said, "Hello! Please tell me where I can find Starlight on a Moonless Evening or Vivvex please." I tried not to use the voice this time.

Incredibly, they slowly looked at me and their expression did not register one tiny piece of surprise to see me with a crown and wings. "The Regents are in a meeting and have stated that they are not to be disturbed. I can take a message if you would like, they will reply to you by runner within one standard month."

<Amazing. They are utterly unfazed. We should keep this one. They have a skill.>

"That's not necessary,” I said brightly. "You ᴡɪʟʟ direct me to where the Regents are meeting." I attempted to put just a little bit of the voice into the request. I don't know if it worked, it might be an all or nothing thing.

"They're in meeting room 345. It's on the third floor, starward side."

I bowed very slightly and the glowing wings dipped just a bit. "Thank you, friend. What is your name?"

"I am Fel."

"Well Fel, please don't go far. I feel that I'll have a use for you very soon."

"Yes, Empress."

I blinked. "Wait, how did you know I'm the Empress?"

"You were able to get the guards out front to stand down with a word, you are dressed in a very complicated outfit, you look like the statue out front and you have glowing wings and a crown"

<Yes. We like this one.>

"Er, yes. When you explain it like that it does make sense, Thank you Fel."

"Empress." and he turned back to the book he was reading.

Up the stairs and down the hall until I was in front of a room with 345 written on a placard to the side. Next to the door there was a little slider. One one side was "OCCUPIED," and I slid it the other way and it read "OPEN". Offices really were the same everywhere. I felt a little disappointed learning that.

<People are people everywhere, Empress. Why would it be any different than any administration building you're familiar with?>

I tried the door, and it wasn’t even locked. Opening it, I stepped in and-

"I'm telling you, there's nothing to be worried about." Starlight said. They and Rapid River Roaring were talking to Vivvix and Zemmlin. Everyone had their backs to the door. They didn’t have anyone watching the door even though they thought to put up barricades and post guards? Sloppy.

"I'm convinced they don't even know who they are,” Zemmlin said. "They don't have the air of Builders that is for sure, even if they looked like them."

"I agree,” Rapid River Roaring said, taking a sip of something from a steaming mug. "They don't have the organs for the hard work of ruling."

"If that's the case, then let the 'translator' that I gave them do its work. The problem will solve itself." Ottarn was talking over a screen from somewhere else.

I leaned back out of the office - they really hadn’t noticed me - and looked to Ava, Mei'la, and Fer'resi and winked. Ava grinned wickedly, Mei flattened her ears, and Fer'resi looked nervous.

With some concentration, I turned up the imperial regalia. The crown glowed more intently, the wings looked a little more elaborate and they started to flutter as if they were being rusted by a breeze that didn't exist.

ᴄᴇᴀsᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄʜᴀᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴀᴛ ᴏɴᴄᴇ!

It was as if I pressed a mute button. Horrified, they turned to the source of the command as I stepped farther into the room so that Ottarn could see me. Interesting. I wonder if they were compelled to stop speaking as well, or if they're just startled. Does the Voice work over radio?

"You think us weak? You think us meek?" I said laying it on thick. I could feel Ava reveling in it behind me. "You realized you were visited by Builders who did not yet know their true nature and you chose to hide it from them? To attempt to use them for your own ends? To further your own power? The moment I spoke the Holy tongue to you, you knew your days ruling this place were numbered." As I spoke I found I was raising my voice until I was nearly shouting at them.

I glared up at the screen. "And you. Giving my linguist a false translator when all he wanted was to better understand you and be understood. He has received his lesson he understands you better than you know. Ottarn, speak. ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴍᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ."

"I-I-I am aboard our ship, Holy One, Sea-Light."

"Disembark at once and return to this building. I will await your return."

I turned to face the ones in the room. I had not given them permission to speak and they were shaking with fear, good. I pointed to Rapid River Roaring. "You. ғᴇᴛᴄʜ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴋɪɴɢ ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛᴏʀs."

He stood up so quickly his chair fell over. Ignoring the toppled chair he ran out of the meeting room.

I jabbed a finger at Vivvex and you would have thought I shot him. "You. Where is the Throne in this station?”

<The what? What am I asking about?>

<The Throne is where you rule. All stations have one. When you visit any of them, that's your seat of command. That is how Builders run their stations.>

"There is an entrance in the promenade, Empress, though we don't know how to open it. I swear Empress, it was the others, Rapid River Roaring and Starlight on a Moonless Evening who conspired to keep you from your right. We were nothing but unwitting pawns!"

<They called me Empress instead of Holy One.>

<They see the writing on the wall and they are trying to save themselves. Understandable, but pitiable.>

Just then, Rapid River Roaring returned, out of breath. In his clawed hand were three translators on little black straps. They're meant to be worn around the waist with a sub-dermal connection on the throat to facilitate speaking without having a constant din of both languages. I must have remembered that from the Nanites. I concentrated on them for a moment and my eyes flared yellow orange.

<They are true translators, Empress.>

I took them from him without comment, and turned to my team. "Here. This is how you wear them." I said in a much calmer, kinder voice. I reached over to Ava and she blushed again as I fastened it around her waist, and then pasted the sub-dermal to her neck and placed a bone conductive dot behind her ear. "Try it."

"Okay, how do I sound? Can these-“ She sneered, “-people understand me?"

I looked at them. Rapid River Roaring nodded and said, "Yes, we understand you perfectly, Builder."

I went to Mei'la and Fer'resi and helped them put their own translators on as well.

"This is so neat!" Ava said as she looked at me and smiled. "I swear Melody. If this Empress thing doesn't work you can make some real money in the High Mars orbitals or the Outer Planet Alliance doing dom work. You've got an unrealized gift."

Now that she's understood, both of the Aviens feathers flutter in titillated embarrassment at what she just said to their Empress. I raised an eyebrow at them and they immediately looked down and started to cower.

"No, don't cower, it grows tiresome. Where is Ottarn?" Their looks of frightened confusion told me they don't know either, but I had a hunch. I radio Far Reach, "Far Reach, this is Melody, can you tell me if any of the ships in dock have moved?"

"Actually, yes Melody." Far Reach answered "One of the mid sized ships opposite us blew their umbilical in a shower of dust and seems to be attempting to run." Gene added, They're having engine problems though. Their power output is very low. I don't think we'd have any trouble stopping them."

<You did not use your Voice when you told them to return, Empress.>

<Dammit. I still don't like using the Voice all the time.>

<Now you see what happens when you waver.>

Hmm. "Gene, how long do you estimate before they reach the Gate?"

"More than a day at their current speed. Maybe even two."

"Okay, watch them, and if they get close to the point where you can't catch up to them let me know."

"Uh okay, Melody, if the Captain is fine with it."

"She will be, Gene."

"Hmm."

I turned back to the Avien and Mariens in the room. "You compatriot has abandoned you. They feel they will have better luck trying to outrun my Starjumper in their creaky old ship. Enough of this. They will receive my full attention soon enough. Lead me to the Throne."

"Your Starjumper?" Mei'la said quietly, but I barely heard her.

They got up from their chairs and wordlessly left the room. We followed them.