Chapter 34
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TIME:
THE FOLLOWING DAY
LOCATION:
CYSA, ORENTHIA
ORENTH FAMILY MANOR
Stepping through the door to Simeon's office I spotted someone who should not be here. Unimpressed, I looked at the Orenths, whose resignation was clear as day.
Walking over to my seat on an empty couch I miraculously managed to keep a calm, stoic facade. The room remained as quiet as the vacuum of space, the tension that I felt in the room was not helping.
"Sigh guess I should introduce myself to the surprise observer." I hear him scoff at my attempt to be somewhat cordial. "My name is Lilith Runethari I captain the Astro Dawn and system governess of Beta Charon, but I'm sure you already know that Colonel Meris?"
The old grey haired colonel however did seem to care. The instant I finished my short introduction he proclaimed his reason for sitting in on my meeting with the Orenths.
"Of course I know who you are, little girl, though you should start preparing to lose that captain position. But I guess I can allow that while we await your trial."
A spike of anger courses through my body. Though nobody notices thankfully. Mom advised me to wear the eva suit and now I can see why she gave me that advice.
However it was clear that my rage and anger at his little jab was obvious from the amused smirk he sported.
'Mara I would be thankful if you could mute my emotions. I do not care if it will harm me. If he acts like this for the whole meeting I will more than likely end up just killing him.'
'Understood Lilith, but this will have to be the last time for a few months regardless of how much you need it.' Mara sounded reluctant but she still did what I asked.
A wave washed over me. I felt my rage get snuffed like a candle in a storm. I noticed immediately that this wasn't the calm that I experienced when I retrieved the thrall; this one was not calm, it was a sense of detached logic that made me finally clear minded.
'It seems you are correct Mara I will have to wait. This cold and logical state of mind is rather extreme.'
Mara did not respond to my thoughts but I didn't care at all. Looking into the eyes of the colonel I could see a look of confusion.
'He is likely confused by my sudden and to the humans in the room an eerie change from scowling to completely detached apathy. I could probably make him leave if I keep this up.'
Without asking for it my mind already deduced what was the cause and the optimal way to cause Maris to leave. Though I could see Simeon looking equally confused but slightly fearful. Ryder seemed extremely curious; his hands balled up as he forced himself to stay quiet.
"Now I would like to move onto discussing what we all came here for, that being the final steps before we sign the agreement."
Simeon's look of confusion disappeared as I brought the conversation back to today's plans. The Colonel had a look of suspicion as he heard the goals for today and the agreement.
'The Colonel is probably worrying that this agreement will make his goals harder to achieve. I should expect pushback once the terms are stated.'
"This agreement details the trading of metals, their price and the logistics of importing other resources the Beta Charon system lacks. It also will discuss the split in profits for the new MID I am testing. Finally it will discuss the discount and priority the Orenth family receives for the sale of weapons and other military supplies."
I watch the colonel tense slightly as he more than likely misunderstands the final condition I voiced.
"I want to know what you mean by priority acting captain? I would hope you don't plan to prioritize your business partners over the nation."
Ignoring the attempt at angering me I nodded my head. "That would be the best thing to discuss first considering your presence and position Colonel Meris. Would you mind if we start there Simeon?"
I Ignore the quickly hidden flash of surprise across Maris's face caused by my complete disregard I give towards his childish attempt at angering me. Simeon however quickly agrees reading out the terms I had finalized with Mathew and his servant.
As Simeon recited the list of priorities and discounting I started nodding my head every so often to show I was listening. The Colonel seemed slightly unnerved. I appeared to him and everyone else like I wasn't paying attention, but when he tried to force issues with the wording or other semantics I quickly clarified—in detail—what we meant. His poking actually ended up helping the agreement as we defined details that were unnecessarily vague due to inexperience.
In the end he shut up after the fifth attempt realizing he was only helping us. Didn't mean he would slip in scoffs or snorts at the details. If I wasn't like I am currently, I would likely find it annoying. Overall the behavior he displayed was rather unbecoming of a colonel. He would however make an excellent heckler at some hypothetical debate event. I made sure to have Mara convert what I was hearing into a recording. A task she would work on after we finished and I no longer needed this blockade on emotions.
Eventually we finished discussing the details of the contract after a few hours. It would have been boring even to my current emotions if it weren't for the colonel looking like he was about to fall asleep, a luxury I made effort to deny.
"Well if that is all I believe I am no longer needed here hmph."
I raised my hand just as we were getting up.
"I would actually like to discuss something with everybody in the room currently."
Looking around Simeon seemed like he would really like to turn down whatever I was about to say. Ryder looked on at me with a squint though I saw no signs of hatred or negative only terminal curiosity. Colonel Meris however looked confused and impatient.
"Roughly 15 Orenthian hours ago I was subject to an assassination attempt..." I looked around paying exceptional attention to the colonel who seemed to be genuinely surprised. "As you can guess it failed but there was one thing that concerned me; Simeon and Ryder Orenth the present our little assassin was noted as coming from you."
"Well I can assure you–" Simeon tried to defend himself but I once again continued without care for what he was saying. "I can guess it wasn't from you and it seems the colonel is also innocent. I have come to discover I have plenty of people after my head and more importantly my ship. Being so close to the capital only makes it easier for them to field resources, which is why I will begin my journey to Beta Charon the moment I receive my reward for the ruin I have discovered and finished some chores that need to be handled."
Everybody seemed reluctant to speak, the colonel was clearly off in his mind cursing me in his indignation of me considering him as a suspect despite believing I thought he wasn't an enemy. Ryder looked heartbroken but the little "sophontologist and archeologist" had only a single day where I will allow him to thoroughly question me. Simeon seemed to pale, probably realizing this was the second attempt on my life in HIS system. I, however, won't make a complaint so he should really stop staring in terror at me.
"I see... I will look into this." The colonel pretending to care and be my ally despite his earlier actions gave a vague response before speed walking out of the room.
"I'll go as well. It would seem I need to bring Orenthia Primary's security to task." Simeon also chose to leave though much slower than Meris.
I raise my hand feeling my emotions return to me, though they remain dulled, that would hopefully fade in the following hours. "I know what you want to ask, but it will be discussed aboard the Astro Dawn. I'll give you a few hours to plan things but don't expect this to happen for another week if I’m still here."
Ryder morosely nodded his eyes looking like a dog whining to get another treat. I was the next to leave the room, before finding myself with guards following close behind me. I felt a little amused as I finally realized how much anxiety and panic I have put poor Simeon through.
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TIME:
3 HOURS LATER
LOCATION:
CYSA, ORENTHIA
GATE OF CYRUS INTERSTELLAR SPACEPORT
LANDING PAD 1/DV
ASTRO DAWN
I take a seat across from a disturbingly excited Ryder. He was legitimately shaking in joy at the despair inducing 5 pages of densely written questions clinched tightly in his hand. He didn't even use a tablet which I am impressed by and thankful for, less potential of being found out and all.
"You should calm down Ryder, your heart is almost deafening. Now take a deep breath, or I'm going to not bother with this drudgery."
Thankfully his heart slowed its pulse and I could tell he was starting to calm down, though he was still very excited and an ill thought out word away from his next loss of composure. The worst thing was, I didn't have a damn clue why he was acting this way. Most people wouldn't be this excited for something like the history of two "extinct" races.
Finally after a few more minutes he was in a state of mind that he could somewhat restrain his explosive excitement.
"Ahem I apologize for my shameful previous state. Now I think I would like to start with a more personal question given your unique parentage." I raised an eyebrow. This might be a question I will have to refuse. "I would like to ask what you know about the end of your uh species." As he goes quiet I am once again asked to pick a poison that might come to haunt me one day.
I took a deep breath as I looked at him, I could tell the truth. I would personally like to see how he reacts to his ancestors greatest folly and their greatest sin. But it also risked the attempt to find or worse replicate that abomination of a weapon.
"That is definitely a loaded question, but it is one I'm not sure I should even answer. The thing created by what you call the federation precursors would do well to be forgotten. The damage and harm that was done by it is simply unimaginable, even to myself. It completely and quite painfully killed every one of my kin and many other living organisms even remotely like us. From infants and puppies to millenia old elders and quasisapients, it cared not for the age, status, and eventually species of its enemies. It was a weapon that once it massacred the entire Runethari Empire refused to stop its genocide.
"I realize that the so-called Federation was filled with dread as they watched my ancestors pushing ever closer to their homeworld. I, however, can't understand their last desperate delusion that they could shift the tides of war with that. They made a weapon my kin would have declared far too dangerous to even be conceptualized. It was the most obviously self destructive effort possible for a species. It, however, upsets me that I cannot say your species has learned their lesson after all these tens of millenia.
"I don't think I have to say what manner of weapon they produced. But I can only wonder if the universe either has a cruel sense of humor, or that it well and truly is an irony loving bitch, after all look at your “homeworld.”"
I feel my eyes regain their focus that is currently stabbing into a slightly scared and completely stunned Ryder. I sigh trying to shove the traumatic memories into the deepest depths of my mind; a task I'm well used to by now.
Eventually his eyes regained the light. He, however, still seemed morbidly curious as he quickly went onto the second question.
"I-I see that type of weapon should certainly be used carefully or better yet never. However, I noticed you said something about their descendants and their self destructiveness. Am I wrong to–"
I cut him off not wishing to dance around with this particular question, "Yes the Federation Precursors were indeed what I would call human. I am surprised you asked that question. You surely have data on what they looked like. Also since I'm feeling generous after retailing the cause of the extinction of my people, I'll add that Earth isn't your true homeworld. It seemed to be the sole place where the weapon never reached... or was simply unable to function due to the unique settlers on the planet."
Once again an idiotic look spread across his face, though I could clearly see suspicion in his eyes and posture from this last answer. I didn't truly care if he believed me or not, only that he wouldn't go looking for that weapon.
While waiting for him to stop taking notes on what Mother and I had approved of after discussion I was left twiddling my thumbs. 'This is going to take awhile wont it...'
'That is more than likely Lilith. I would recommend that you should stop shattering his worldview with such grim revelations, it will only prolong things.'
I reluctantly agreed with her, it might be fun to tell a human their entire history is a lie. That their species had committed a horrifying and unforgivable sin, but it tends to make for a rather excruciatingly slow way of talking. Well I'm sure there will be many opportunities today, let alone in the future.
Wiping away a reluctant smile, I waited for him to stop writing on yet another piece of paper. This would take a while, but I'm sure I can use this to my advantage one way or another.