Taking my seat (No not at the bar)
11 Apr 2020Maggie Oz
-Well, no delaying it further.-I don my Offical Imperial Navy Uniform and head to the helm
Snap to Aztaln in the Galmap and lock it into the nav. A single jump and I'm there; Tannhauser Gate at 493ls
-Nice ... I'd best make an "arrival" -
Firewall the Supercruise and in we go!
SLOW DOWN
-Hmm, don't think so-
I rocket over the station then flick the "Tiny Dancer" on her back so I'm looking up at Nexus737 and pull "up" in a hard loop just outside the gravity well and burn off the excess V , punching out in an Immelman over the South Pole to align straight on the slot of the Oribs that is Tannhauser Gate.
10 seconds and the Drop Cue is up, I leave it another 2 then activate
I wink back into real space with a bang, 7.8k out and lined up on the slot
The comm chirps and a gentle, professional voice with the dulcet tones of an Imperial upbringing welcomes me
"Welcome C ... Commander ,"
-I'll forgive her that slip, I came unannounced after all-
"We are delighted to have you at our station, please submit a docking request"
At 7.4999 I send the code
"Your docking request is granted, we await your arrival at docking bay 4 3 "
I push the throttle to 99 , best to set an example I suppose, and slide on through the airlock, 43 ahead, down and slightly right, I roll to centerline then dive at the pad centre, as I cross the tubeway at the end of the bay , drop the gear and flare the nose level, feather the deceleration and down thrusters simultaneously and the Tiny Dancer is true to her name as she glides lightly onto the spot.
"Landing successful, docking clamps engaged, ground crews have been dispatched"
"Thank you control. Please inform Lord Batty of my arrival"
"Yes my Lady, he has asked that you await him in the airlock. He wishes to escort you aboard."
"Please tell him it would be my pleasure Control"
"At once My Lady"
"You are the consummate professional Control and I feel I shall enjoy my time here."
"Thank you, my Lady, we certainly hope you will. "
I quickly run through he shut down checklist, as I have countless times before and activate the hanger entry sequence.
As I rise from the helm I see him striding with casual purpose across the hanger bay, blond, solid, as tall as me but so much broader with powerful arms and body.
He just looks .... dangerous.
I press the hatch lock release and the door cycles open, deploying the boarding ramp.
I walk down trying to look regal and unhurried, I fail
He waits at the bottom
We stand face to face and just look for a moment.
"Hello Roy"
"So good to see you Maggie" he says as a warm smile lights his face.
I step forward and we embrace in the manner unique to clones.
The Clone Embrace can seem a little odd to onelifers which is why it is rarely done on public display
My right arm curls behind his back and reaches, just, to the nape of his neck on his right shoulder, cupping my hand over as best I can.
This is the Mother Brace and comes from the way the brace in the Amniotic Cell supports the cloned body.
Roy does the same and as we pull close, we splay the fingers of our left hand and place the thumb under the right eye, index finger to the temple, middle finger above the ear, ring finger below and pinkie to the jaw.
This is the Joining Brace which comes from the electronic contacts that are made when the Engramminc Transfer is commenced and the pattern of the subject is transferred to the cloned body. Some say we transfer a little of ourselves to the other when we do this.
Lastly, our eyes engage and what passes between us is the collected agony and ecstasy of we who transcend the centuries.
Put simply, we are saying "I know you and what you have seen".
Roy and I are of the same Amniotic Cell so our bond is especially close.
Long gone Mothers and Fathers and Sisters and Brothers and partners have been farewell and mourned, our memories of them grant them immortality, Beyond that are the vast years of knowledge and experience that builds an understanding that only another clone can know.
What Roy and I have is beyond family, beyond devotion, beyond love.
We release the embrace gently, reluctantly.
"Shall we head on in?" he asks the smile breaking out again.
"Yes of course, just let me grab some things"
"Oh don't worry about that you have people for that now"
"OK but just one thing" I call from inside
I descend the ramp again
"A ... plant"
"It's a Ficus, from Sol"
"O .. K" Roy says with a laugh
I scowl playfully
A hatch opens and an aide, resplendent with dress boots and gold aiguillette marches towards us
"Ah, your Aide-de-camp, Sir Richard Deckard"
Deckard stops and presents a magnificent salute
"At your service M'lady"
"Thank you, Sir Richard" I nod
"We are ready for you now M'arm, perhaps I could take your plant?"
"It's a Ficus" from Roy, with a grin
Deckard glances at the sapling "Yes Sir" he gestures towards the airlock.
The three of us make our way to the airlock, using the strange shuffling gait employed by all who work and live in low gravity.
Through the lock is an elevator car, the door cycles closed and we are lifted swiftly the 2klm to the out ring of the station.
There is the very odd sensation as if I am tumbling head to toe, as the gravity of the ring's rotation kicks in.
The car slides to a gentle stop
"Will this be terribly formal? "I ask
"Just be yourself, Maggie, you know the drill, they will love you," says Roy
The left doors cycle open, a Boatswain's Call sounds
An unseen Seargent Major cries
"Ateeeeeeennnnnnnn- sha!!"
20 Imperial Marines, 10 to each side of the corridor, in full dress uniform crash to attention, forming a gauntlet down which I must pass. Behind them and above, common folk line the barriers to watch the show.
"Countess Magdelana of Baynes Horizons ARRIVING, pres-eeeeent harms!"
20 ancient ceremonial kinetic rifles noisily crash to the present as one.
I walk smart-ishly forwards to the Master at Arms standing at the head of the two rows of troops, taking care to move at a steady, predictable pace.
The Sar'Major cries
"Shoul-deeer ... harms"
The rifles snap to the shoulder at precisely the same moment my right foot lands to the halt before the Master at Arms
Acutely aware that these are the first words the people will hear I do my best to sound confident and strong, in an approachable but caring way
"Permission to come aboard Master"
"By what authority do you ask"
"By authority of the call to duty at this post in the name of Her Exalted Majesty Emperor Arissa I , Ruler of Imperial Space and Protector of the Faith"
"Bear witness now to the passing of the seal" calls the Master at Arms, the gaggle of civilians and public servants clustered in the "reserved section" spark up a bit as the spotlight turns to them for a moment.
Roy steps forwards and hands the seal of Aztlan to the Master
"My duty complete I pass the Royal Seal of Aztlan to your charge," he says formally
"Will you take up the Seal and the Office of Earl of Aztlan System and all the rights and responsibilities that it confers M'lady?"
I take the Seal, a heavily scrimshawed rod of pure Osmium, inset with Void Opals and Low Temperature Diamonds and hold it across my chest
"I take the Seal and bear it's weight as I do my duty to Aztalan and its people"
"Aztlan welcomes you as the Righteous Guardian of the Imperial Charter"
The Boatswain's Call sounds again
"Lady Magdelana, Earl of Aztalan ARRIVING, pres-eeeeent harms!"
The Master at Arms then drops all formality
"Congratulations and welcome, my Lady"
"Thank you Master Loo Chon, your Marines are exceptionally well turned out, please pass on my appreciation of their efforts at such short notice and thank you for such a splendid welcoming"
The Master beams with pride
I turn to the gathered throng, making sure to acknowledge the commoners a nod and wave, wink to a wee child at her mother's side.
"Thank you all for your welcome, I should like to retire now, but I invite you all to a reception in the Main Hall at 2100 this evening. "
Applause follows Roy and I and our ADC as we make our way to the Tubeway that will take us to the upper habs, his (mine) being the uppest
"Darken windows" Roy commands to the tube car and the windows turn opaque.
"Goodness me, these handovers get more involved every time! " I wail
"Well what did you expect?"
"Minor Countesses in the Achenar system just get a priority parking spot and an invitation to the Summer Ball at the Capitol, none of all that ... Marines and everything"
"You're in the big time now girl, you've 25million citizens, 1 Planet, 1 Starport, an Imperial Capital Ship Drydock to look after for the Empire"
"Listen to their whinges more like"
"True ... but just being part of the chain that coordinates the greater powers of the Empire is still a vital role. And it's not going to interfere with anything else you might wish to do. There is a stipend as well you know"
"Yes I know, I'll put all that to a local charity"
"I give mine to a Zoological Exploration team on Nexus, you could keep doing that if you like, they might have some tips for you on your Ficus"
Deckard sits on the other side of the tubecar, looking awkward, with the plant.
"What are the local organisations like?"
"They're a good bunch, White Templars run things at the moment and they are doing well"
"Ah yes I ran a few missions for them a while ago"
"Take the tip, do nothing in this system from now on, you don't want to be seen playing favourites"
"Good point"
We drift in silence for a while.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Roy asks softly.
"Maybe later" I say, biting down to keep control
"I have other things in mind for .. "later" "
I slide my hand over and gently grasp Roy's forearm, he places his hand on mine
We sit in silence for the remainder of the journey