Detente continues apace on Pai’s small ship, so long is Graf is able to patch over the cracks which keep reappearing. I wanted to reinforce just how alien this is to him, both in space and in time, even with just a major-metro city like Pete’s. I think he’s holding up very well.

I think I’ll post something everyday this week, that will get me to the end of Part One. After that, as I mentioned, I need to start prepping for our upcoming Lemur Anthology. I know I always say, “treat writing like a job,” and that is coming back to bite me, now.

Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!

“Shouldn’t you be on the command deck, or something?” Alix snarked when Pai sat on Graf’s right.  She was on his left.

“Unlike your species, I can control this ship from anywhere onboard.  Or even outside of it,” Pai smiled sweetly.

I know that smile is a lie.

“Unless you’re klutzy enough to fall off,” Alix smiled right back.

“Gals,” I need to reset them after seeing my family, “we were doing so well this morning.  So, let’s take a deep breath, I guess not you, Pai, and just not talk for a minute.”

Pai was about to speak, but got a look from Graf.  She closed her mouth and looked ahead.  The bulkhead went transparent and they beheld the ice sheet, ten miles or more below them, as they moved at an ever increasing speed as Pai had not let up on the acceleration.  Time to play nice.  He put an arm around each shoulder’s.  This is pretty nice, really.

“Two-timing me, Intended?” Pai asked while still looking ahead.

“It’s called ‘trying to be nice,’ remember?”

“We do not, cannot, forget.  You were the one who asked to marry me, after all.” It suddenly occurred to Graf to wonder, what does she really see through those eyes?  In response to what seemed like a spat, Alix leaned her head onto his shoulder.

“So where are we?” I have to change the subject.  And get Alix off me before Pai kills her.

Some kind of window with a map appeared before them, showing their course from his home to hers.  Up over former Canada, Greenland, Scandinavia, then into that city, St. Petersburg, she said. 

“Will be over the ice sheet the entire time,” he tried to make light of what could kill them all.  “I guess it’s a good time for a nap.  Two hours, you said?”

“I can think of something much more interesting to do in that time, Intended,” she said with almost a purr, adding her head to his other shoulder.

I remember that book Mom read us when we were little kids:  “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”  Four-days-ago me would not believe any of this.  I…I do love Pai and will marry her, but Alix is so nice and just as cute.  Is there any way out of this?

“Hush, My Intended,” he said, getting a grumble from Alix, “and let me rest, please.”

“I obey.”

Suddenly leaning very hard into his restraining harness, Graf fought to stay conscious.  Blood was pounding in his ears and there were sparkles in his vision.  “What…?” he barely managed.

“Five G deceleration,” Pai said, still under his arm.  Alix was, like him, straining forward and also trying not to pass out just after sleeping.  Pai kissed his cheek.

“How…” he took a shuddering breath and some of the pressure eased off.  “How strong are you?”

“I could tear this ship apart, if I wanted.” She kissed him again.  “Am I to hard on you, there’s a laugh, in bed?”

“This just seems a little much,” he admitted.

“I am monitoring both of your vitals.  Fret not.  Oh, look!” She pointed forward.  “The imperial capital!”

Only having seen pictures of cities, Graf’s jaw dropped at the vast expanse of building before them, even from however many miles up they were.

“How…how many people…?” he breathed.

“Seven million, metro area,” she replied.  “Used to be ten million, but we keep shipping out the best and brightest to Mars.”

I cannot even begin to imagine that many people, much less in one place.

“Where we are landing?” he said, more to distract himself than her.

“In the central courtyard of the Hermitage.  That’s where the Imperial Family lives.” She leaned back and looked at him.  “Your clothes aren’t much, but I think it will work as we survived and prospered during the Change when your old country fell into chaos.  This rustic look will reinforce people’s opinion about non-imperial Americans.”

Should I be insulted by that?  Rather than a reply, he turned to see how Alix was doing.  “Okay, now?”

“A bit rougher than how we fly from here to the moon and back,” she said with a nasty look to Pai, “but I’m fine.  I appreciate you like me so much to ask, dearest Graf.”

And now it starts all over again.

Savorin had stopped all forward motion and began to descend.  Perhaps knowing falling provoked a terror response in humans, Pai did it slowly so that her Intended did not soil himself.

Close in to that river, these are not the gleaming towers I first saw.  These buildings are very, very old.  I guess this is the original part of the city.  There were now walls of a three or four-story building about them on all sides.  They were in some sort of court.

“Right,” Pai said, standing.  “Let’s go.  And Minder?”

“Yes, Captain?” Alix replied, unbuckling and standing.

“Per Empress Aurelia’s order, once off this ship, you supervise us.  But keep in mind, this is not the imperium.  This is my mother’s country.” She closed her eyes then reopened them.  “I am trying to be nice.  We understand your commission, but cross Mom and you get disappeared.  Ask, don’t order.  Please.”

Graf watched Alix mull that over.

“Understood.  Are you getting up, Graf?” she agreed and asked.

“Sorry.”