Revelations, Chapter Two
05 Apr 2019Kodeyne
It all started out quite innocently, with the irrepressible GoateeH suggesting it as they supped pints of dark ale in a spaceport bar somewhere in Federation space. "We should have a get-together," he announced, "you, me, TR, and his lady friend."
Kodeyne raised an eyebrow. "Might I ask why?" He grinned his manic grin at her.
"Because it's nice to have a little network of colleagues you can call on, socially or for business. Besides. I think it would do you good as well?"
She lowered her glass. Despite the persona he projected, there was a shrewd mind in there.
"You mean, to get me past my, heh, infatuation with him? Or maybe just watch me seethe with jealousy?" She winked.
"Precisely, my dear. The former, obviously. Besides, you and this woman might hit it off. You might want to wing up with her, you know, have girly chats and stuff."
Kodeyne shook her head, chuckling. "Girly chats! What are you like?"
He grinned again. "But seriously...what do you think?"
She took a mouthful of beer, swallowed. "Yeah," she replied, "let's do it."
Two weeks later, Kodeyne was pacing up and down on an observation deck on Farrer Colony, Morana. She kept glancing at the arrivals board. Hoping she wasn't going to get stood up.
Outside, the flash of an arriving starship. She looked back up at the board, and words scrolled across.
FLUFFY. GOATEEH.
("'Fluffy?'" she had said, "what kind of name is that for a ship?"
"It's the fluffy thing that turns and bites you when you think you've got it cornered," he'd replied).
The mustard-yellow Python cruised in at clearly more than the speed limit and vanished into the mail slot.
No more than five minutes later, the board announced an inbound Dolphin.
LITTLE BLUE. NIUGNEP TEP.
The mystery woman. In spite of everything, Kodeyne was actually looking forward to meeting her. Just one more. "Come on," she muttered, "where are you? Don't go disappointing me now!" Staring out of the viewport, drumming fingers on her arm.
There was not long to wait. She could almost hear the crack as the next ship dropped from supercruise. She spun, stared at the board.
SINISTER MOJO. TRIPLERAZOR.
She gazed intently out as the Anaconda approached, grey and white dazzle paint scheme, full ship kit. "At last we meet," she said softly as the huge ship slipped into the station. She turned and left the deck, heading for the bar they were to congregate in.
To her relief, she wasn't the first to arrive; GoateeH was sat at a table that already had a round of drinks on it. The bar was exactly the sort of place she liked, lights not too bright, comfy wood and leather seats. Photos of Farrer Colony under construction lined the walls.
GoateeH rose as she entered, grinned and inclined his head ironically.
"Hello, my dear!" he said, "welcome!" She smiled, gave him a hug and sat down. Looked at a generously-sized glass of red wine.
"Thought you might want a bit of the old Dutch courage before everyone else turns up." He looked at her over the tops of his aviators. "I know this may not be easy for you..."
She sat back, picked up the glass and sipped. "Nothing worthwhile is ever easy," she replied.
"A philosopher too, I see!"
She raised an eyebrow. "You're a cheeky sod, you know that?"
He raised his glass. "But you wouldn't have me any other way, right?"
"Guess not..."
TripleRazor walked in next, quietly, humbly, like he would rather not be seen. She watched as he approached: saw other bar patrons tap shoulders, whisper and point. He was of average height, greying hair buzzcut very short, full beard going salt-and-pepper. A gaunt face with pockmarked skin, an aquiline nose and tired-looking eyes.
GoateeH stood and greeted his old friend with a hug; then TripleRazor turned to regard her. There was a long moment as they looked at each other, then he bowed.
"Commander Kodeyne," he said softly, in a voice with no obvious accent, "I'm very honoured to finally meet you in person."
Kodeyne rose, fought off an attack of nerves that threatened to tongue-tie her and smiled back at him.
"Commander TripleRazor," she replied, "the honour is mine."
"That's the formality done with," he said, stepping forward and opening his arms, cautiously inviting. She lowered her gaze, but put her arms round him; he did likewise.
"Well now," he murmured, "at long last. My protege. And just turned Elite in exploration. You do know I'm terribly proud of you?"
She blushed. "Thank you, my mentor," she whispered, "I can't imagine where I would be if not for you..."
They parted and stood awkwardly for a moment. Then a new voice spoke, female, rich and sardonic.
"My word, she's a pretty one," said the woman, "hope I'm not getting dumped for her!" Tall, elegant in a black RemLok, red hair flowing over her shoulders. High cheekbones in a captivating face. One green eye. The other was a prosthetic that stared unblinking from a socket that had a scar through it from forehead to cheek.
Kodeyne turned and looked at the woman, and an involuntary shiver ran through her.
"Why would I want to do something like that?" said TripleRazor, smiling, "Now you've finished scaring her: Commander Kodeyne, this is Commander Niugnep Tep."
Niugnep reached the table and put out her hand. She smiled suddenly, with an unexpected warmth.
"Good to meet you, Commander Kodeyne," she said, "Sorry if my sense of humour sometimes jumps out without warning." They shook hands.
"No problem," Kodeyne replied, "I'll let you off - this time..." She winked.
"Sit down, you lot," said GoateeH, "before your drinks evaporate!"
They drank, ate and chatted for the next couple of hours.
TripleRazor watched Kodeyne bantering with GoateeH, and leant to whisper to Niugnep.
"Think she's ready?" Niugnep sighed softly. "I don't think anyone would be ready for this. Let's get it over with."
She raised a glass as a brief silence fell over the group.
"So, Commander Kodeyne, am I safe to assume you aren't after my man?" She grinned.
Kodeyne stuck her tongue out. "Ha! No secrets between friends! But yeah. I've got my head on the level over that. I do love him, but not like that."
"Phew!" said Niugnep, "I'd hate to have to scrap with you for him; I've heard about that Chieftain of yours."
She paused. "But that does bring me nicely into another subject. At some point, I will be asking some or all of you for assistance in an ongoing quest of mine."
"Ooh, the Holy Grail?" said GoateeH. Niugnep laughed.
"Nothing so exciting." She took a drink of Chardonnay and her face went serious.
"A long while back, I had signed up as crew on an exploration vessel. It was heading for what was potentially a dangerous region of space, due to the nature of the stars and systems in that area. So I took a few precautions. One of them was having some of my eggs frozen, in case something happened...."
They all listened intently.
"And something did happen. The ship was wrecked on a high-gravity world when attempting to land. I was fortunate to get to an escape pod in time. Spent the next twenty-five years in cryostasis before we were found." She paused, expression haunted.
"When I got back, it transpired that all that time in that pod had indeed rendered me sterile. It's a known effect; I got unlucky. As you can imagine, I didn't really want to spend any more time in the black, so I decided it was time to settle down, as the saying goes."
She stared into nothingness; her voice cracked with remembered pain.
"When I went to the facility where my eggs were being kept, it transpired that..." she paused, swallowed, "...they had been stolen."
Kodeyne let out a gasp. "By whom?"
Niugnep looked at her. "I don't know. And that is where you lot come in. At some point, I may very well be asking you for help in finding the bastard who took them...and handing out appropriate punishment."
TripleRazor held up his hand, thumb over palm in an ancient symbol.
"You have my sword," he said solemnly. GoateeH repeated the gesture and oath. Kodeyne blinked, looked at them both and followed suit.
"Did...you ever manage to trace any of them?" asked GoateeH quietly.
Niugnep closed her eyes briefly.
"Only one lot," she said, face slowly twisting with emotion. "Tracked them to an outlying Federal agricultural world. Found they had been sold to and used by a couple who couldn't conceive on their own. Tragically, the mother died giving birth. The father...vanished. No records to be found." She swallowed again and spoke again, now struggling with her emotions.
"The child was fostered for several years, before the fosterer became ill and died." She paused. Across the table, Kodeyne's face had gone absolutely white.
"And the child's name...is Ophelia Myshkin." A tear ran from her real eye as she regarded the younger woman. Kodeyne sat and stared, mouth slightly open, gasping for breath.
"Hello, my daughter," said Niugnep gently. Kodeyne started to shake.
TripleRazor rose and jerked his head at GoateeH. "Let's give these two a bit of time alone, huh?"
The two men left the bar and leant against the wall outside.
"What is it with you, old friend? How do you keep being in the middle with all these revelations?" TripleRazor spoke with a half-smile on his face.
"Me?" said GoateeH, eyes widening behind his aviators, "right place at the right time. I don't have any mystical powers! She's the one you should be asking! How would I know? It's a million-to-one chance."
"''Million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten,'" quoted TripleRazor.
"Interesting idea. Who said that?"
"A very wise man, back on ancient Earth."
"Was he a philosopher, maybe? A mathematician?"
"Actually, he was an author. Mainly wrote humourous fantasy novels."
"Well then. Just goes to show, wisdom may be found in the least expected places."
"Who said that?" asked TripleRazor curiously. GoateeH looked at him, and grinned.
"I did. Just then..."