"That was far faster than I had expected, Bishop Kayes." The Captain of the ship approached Bishop Kayes as he climbed up out of the ship's bowels. "Are you sure you did everything you needed to?"
"Yes. I have no doubts about that. The only trouble is that the decision to stay or go will be up to the people themselves." Kayes greeted him with a handshake. "The acting king seemed adamant that his word carried no weight."
"Really? The subjects don't obey the king?"
"It might be more accurate to say that those who are attached to this planet, to their home, will not leave it no matter what."
"Even when they look like that?" He jerked his head in the direction of a man who had walked out on one of the piers. It was clear to anyone observing that he had come here to drown himself. Equally as visible was the man's ribcage, which was showing off it's perfect white structure through gaps in his skin.
"What is the saying we have? From the earth I am born and to the earth I shall one day return? This place is the only home their people have ever known. I don't think we are adequately equipped to imagine the attachment they have to this place."
Kayes and the captain watched in disheartened helplessness as the man jumped into the water, a bag full of something heavy tied to his waist. All of the sailors had. None of them were under any delusions that man would have been able to swim with that body of his anyways, but the fact he had gone so far as to drag something like that all the way out here to be certain . . .
Watching that sort of thing did stuff to a person's psyche.
". . . let's get out of here."
"That would be for the best. Once we are void borne, can you set up the radio? I need to relay the relevant information to the Council."
"Of course. Is there a specific frequency you want to use?"
"I can handle the set and frequency adjustment. The day to day specifics are a secret, so I can't just tell them to you." Kayes moved out of the way of a crewman at work. They had overheard that they were headed out to sea, and they were more than eager to get out of this place.
"As you will." The captain shouted down one of the sailors, telling them to get the radio equipment set up. "Are you sure you'll be able to get by on half rations? It's a month long trip back you know?"
Kayes smirked and put a hand on the captain's shoulder. "I feel the need to remind you that I am a Bishop. Furthermore, I am one who follows the Justice Doctrine. Half rations is more than enough for me to get by, especially when I won't be doing much in the way of movement."
"How often do you fast?"
"Twice a year, two months each. I eat far less than half rations during that time, even when performing my regular duties."
"Twice a year?! I thought you were only supposed to do it during the season of Montaug's martyrdom."
"I have special circumstances. I would appreciate it if you did not ask further on the subject." He patted his comrade on the back before turning back to the dark dark bowels of the ship. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to make sure they are all ready for space travel."
"As you please, Bishop Kayes. Do inform us when you are ready to exit the atmosphere."
- - - - -
Preparing twenty six people for space travel was no easy feat, especially not when that preparation includes making sure they would be able to survive the trip. Nobody present was in a state of active decay, they were skinny and unhealthy but still had a proper layer of skin covering their insides. The members of their families that developed that far had already made peace with their inevitable ends, and wished their kin the best.
Kayes would need to do the same thing he had done for the little girl to each and every one of them. He would be meticulous, not because it was going to be difficult but because he needed to get an idea of what measures those who arrived a month from now would need to take. The Theocracy did not have enough bishops to care for everyone.
Perhaps the only good news to come from the state they had lived in was that the difference in concentration between split on their planet and split in the void was next to minimal. All they would have to do was increase the concentration of split in the vicinity of the ship. Scratch that, just the ships' interior was all they would need. The Nekh would not have the energy to roam the deck.
"Miss Petunia?" He had left her for last. Of those present she looked to be the one least affected by the decay, but she was also the only one who seemed depressed. "Are you alright with me touching you? I need to make sure you will be healthy during the trip."
She did not respond. She wasn't dead, her chest still moved as she breathed. Here ears were held back at an angle, and her tail hung limply over the side of the hammock, swaying as the ship rocked in the waves.
"Miss Petunia?"
"Do as you please." A weak voice in comparison to how she had greeted them only hours earlier. "I don't have the right to refuse."
Kayes frowned, gingerly rolling back her shirt. A broad patch of skin just above her tail was a pinkish hue, raw, as if someone had been scratching it. Kayes knew better than to ask about it. That was likely what the flesh looked like before it fell away, and bringing attention to it would only worsen her mood. Placing his palm squarely in the center of her back, he began to filter some split into her body.
Her body did not respond to it. No convulsion, no shaking, no uncomfortable squirming. Either she had a great deal of self control or she still retained enough split for her body to consider it normal, both seemed equally likely.
"We were supposed to die together." After two minutes of Kayes' touch, she finally spoke. Perhaps she felt him to be sufficiently compassionate and empathetic. "We promised each other after the king died that we would accompany each other to the grave. We even threw a little wedding in the palace garden to formalize our vow to each other."
The tip of her tail twitched as she remembered her fleeting happiness.
"Some of the older staff brought what little they had to act as dowry for us, food, wine, and a bit of Littervine." Kayes didn't need to see her face to know the tears were flowing. "I got all prettied up for him in a neat little dress. He called me beautiful even though he couldn't see me."
She sniffed.
"Why did he make me leave him behind?" Her ears pressed closer into her head and she curled up tighter into a ball.
Kayes remained silent, unsure of what he should say, or if he should even say anything at all.
"Why did he break his promise?" Her voice was quieter now. Kayes could feel her shaking, but she wasn't shaking from the split. Recognizing her instability as a threat to her health, Kayes finally spoke.
"Is it not a man's duty to protect his wife?" If she wanted a reason for his betrayal, perhaps it would be best to give her one. "Is it not the ultimate proof of his love and loyalty that he would send you to safety as he died?"
This didn't help, only causing her to sob even more.
"Is it not the duty of his wife to comfort him in his suffering? To be there when he needed me most?" Empty cries, she was choking on her emotion. "Why wouldn't he let me keep my promise?"
"Because he loved you, Miss Petunia. More than any other." Kayes, finished with his procedure, rolled her shirt back down and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"What would you know?" It wasn't hostile, but there was definitely an accusatory bend to her words.
"I have seen more than my fair share of suffering. Experienced it too. It may hurt now, when his death is still fresh in your mind, but you will come to appreciate the depths to which his devotion went." Kayes squeezed her shoulder a little tighter, peeking over her shoulder to look at her expression. There was a small decorative dagger in front of her face, secured neatly in it's sheath, and she was hugging a simple wooden box of a higher quality construction.
She was staring blankly at the dagger, not even blinking as water flowed from her tear ducts. If this had been another planet, and had she been a different woman, Kayes would not have hesitated to confiscate that knife to keep her from killing herself. However he had no fear that she would try to take her life, not at this point. It was clear from the way she spoke that she would follow her husband's every word, and the look in her eyes was one of great sadness. That knife was all she had left of him.
"There is a part of me that is envious of him, that he died with the ability to save the love of his life." Kayes patted her on the shoulder, his signal that he was going to leave. "I was not given that opportunity."
- - - - -
"Central radio relay center speaking. Please state your name and where you wish to direct this frequency." A feminine voice filtered through the speaker of the radio set moments after Kayes sent the alert tone.
"This is Bishop Kayes. I have been instructed to report to the High Council upon accomplishing my primary mission objectives. If the High Council are unavailable, please direct me to the Council of Foreign Affairs or the Council of Resource Management."
"Please give me one moment while I check the schedule of the councils." There was a click as the woman on the other side of the transmission switched the receiver from the voice receiver to a substation that played waiting music. Kayes did not mind this. They might have been urgent, but there was always a measure of organization and structure that needed to be followed.
The Archbishops were just as human as everyone else, they had to sleep as well.
click
"I must apologize Bishop Kayes, but the Archbishops are currently not in session. I have issued a summons for them mentioning that you have made contact. Would you prefer Foreign Affairs or Resource Management?"
"Foreign Affairs, please. They are in charge of this operation."
"Understood. I will patch you through, however you may have to wait a few minutes for them to finish debating their current topic."
"That is fine. Take care of yourself."
"The same for you. Once one of the Archbishops is able to receive you I will send a tone to your station. You will have precisely five minutes to finish your discussion from that tone before I redirect you to the Archbishop. Do you understand?"
"This is not my first time reporting. I understand."
"Very well." click
More waiting music, the same song but at a later part. Estimating that he would be waiting a few minutes for this, he turned up the volume on the set. He didn't expect that the tone would sound not even thirty seconds after he had done so, almost sending him to the floor. One of the Archbishops must have been in close proximity to a radio.
Letting the music calm him down, he counted the five minutes in his mind. Given how long it took to cover a single issue in the Council of foreign affairs, there was a greater than 50% chance that they would not pick up before the five minutes were up. Sure enough, the radio clicked 300 seconds after the tone.
"Bishop Kayes. The schedule has you calling a few days from now, is there an issue?"
"No sir, Archbishop Envers. It was far smoother than we had been expecting, though I cannot say I feel good about it."
"Yes, yes. I find it hard to imagine that a planet struggling so much would be a comfortable sight. Anyways, out with it. Just how bad of a situation are we dealing with?"
"I won't beat around the bush sir, it's worse than we thought. I'm not sure that bringing Cayzi with me on this trip was a good idea."
"Is a question of your capacity to teach?"
"No sir. I mean to say that I would not be comfortable bringing a hardened soldier to that planet, much less a child. I understand that I have a duty to get him familiar with death, but I don't think this is supposed to be his exposure."
"That bad?"
"Corpses floating in the harbor, men and women dropping dead on the street, decay and disfiguration so grotesque I am certain it would give you nightmares, the only solace I have is that he was not on deck to watch a man voluntarily drown himself. I am afraid this was just too much."
". . . I can certainly see your point. If that was the case, then I would have to agree with you. We will not send those under sixteen. What is the status of the planet?"
"It's so much worse than our initial projections that I question how it was even possible they have survived. Nekh can barely support seaweed."
"Seaweed? I find your claim questionable . . . but I do not know you to be a liar. How long do we have? Princess Strapper insists five years, but the way you speak makes me think otherwise."
"I think we have two years to work, three might be pushing it."
"So half of what we had estimated under ideal circumstances."
"Yes sir." Archbishop Envers remained silent on the other side, contemplating something.
"I will speak with the rest of the High Council. We will need more information to come up with a more concrete plan, however I believe that we have enough information with this to send the first wave."
"If I may make a suggestion, sir, could you consider putting extra rations onboard to aid those suffering and authorize the fleet to operate under standard crew complement? It seems clear to me that we won't have nearly as much time to work with."
"We can certainly consider it, however our top priority is to make sure these doomed souls make it to their new home in the first place." Archbishop Envers took a moment to think. "We will probably need to disperse some split crystals among the galleys to make them safe for them to travel won't we?"
"That would be ideal, yes. I would also like to propose that large quantities be brought to make their cities livable, though I wonder if that might be too expensive."
"Cost is on no issue this time around. The resources we would save from the Terran's success would far outstrip investments larger than a few measly split crystals. Even giving them time for a few more shiploads of people would put them ahead years. Have you been told about what they plan to construct?"
"I am afraid I don't know anything beyond it being a ship of sorts."
"That is certainly one way to put it. Let's just say that if the diagrams Seppard and Montaug sent us are anything to go by, our galleys will not have contributed much in the end. Anyways, let's leave it at that for now. I have news for you."
"For me? Is it about my son?"
"No, though he is doing well. I am sure you would be proud. The news is instead with regards to the late Archbishopess Mana." Kayes clenched the voice receiver so hard it started to groan. "We have received a tip from one sympathetic to our cause external the Theocracy. It would appear he has his eyes on another prey."
"Can the information be trusted?"
"Yes. We have even confirmed his presence in the area."
Kayes grip on the receiver slackened, but the other was already on his sword.
"Calm yourself Kayes. You want to avenge her more than anyone else, I know that, but we have to keep in mind who we're dealing with. We need to be patient. If he knows that we are there looking for him he will be gone without a trace. We'll send you over once the trap is ready. Can you contain yourself until then? Kayes?"
Bishop Kayes let out a slow and shaky breath, letting go of his grip on the blade.
"Yes sir." Kayes closed his eyes as two faces floated in his mind. "I have already waited more than twenty years now. What's a few more?"
"That was far faster than I had expected, Bishop Kayes." The Captain of the ship approached Bishop Kayes as he climbed up out of the ship's bowels. "Are you sure you did everything you needed to?"
"Yes. I have no doubts about that. The only trouble is that the decision to stay or go will be up to the people themselves." Kayes greeted him with a handshake. "The acting king seemed adamant that his word carried no weight."
"Really? The subjects don't obey the king?"
"It might be more accurate to say that those who are attached to this planet, to their home, will not leave it no matter what."
"Even when they look like that?" He jerked his head in the direction of a man who had walked out on one of the piers. It was clear to anyone observing that he had come here to drown himself. Equally as visible was the man's ribcage, which was showing off it's perfect white structure through gaps in his skin.
"What is the saying we have? From the earth I am born and to the earth I shall one day return? This place is the only home their people have ever known. I don't think we are adequately equipped to imagine the attachment they have to this place."
Kayes and the captain watched in disheartened helplessness as the man jumped into the water, a bag full of something heavy tied to his waist. All of the sailors had. None of them were under any delusions that man would have been able to swim with that body of his anyways, but the fact he had gone so far as to drag something like that all the way out here to be certain . . .
Watching that sort of thing did stuff to a person's psyche.
". . . let's get out of here."
"That would be for the best. Once we are void borne, can you set up the radio? I need to relay the relevant information to the Council."
"Of course. Is there a specific frequency you want to use?"
"I can handle the set and frequency adjustment. The day to day specifics are a secret, so I can't just tell them to you." Kayes moved out of the way of a crewman at work. They had overheard that they were headed out to sea, and they were more than eager to get out of this place.
"As you will." The captain shouted down one of the sailors, telling them to get the radio equipment set up. "Are you sure you'll be able to get by on half rations? It's a month long trip back you know?"
Kayes smirked and put a hand on the captain's shoulder. "I feel the need to remind you that I am a Bishop. Furthermore, I am one who follows the Justice Doctrine. Half rations is more than enough for me to get by, especially when I won't be doing much in the way of movement."
"How often do you fast?"
"Twice a year, two months each. I eat far less than half rations during that time, even when performing my regular duties."
"Twice a year?! I thought you were only supposed to do it during the season of Montaug's martyrdom."
"I have special circumstances. I would appreciate it if you did not ask further on the subject." He patted his comrade on the back before turning back to the dark dark bowels of the ship. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to make sure they are all ready for space travel."
"As you please, Bishop Kayes. Do inform us when you are ready to exit the atmosphere."
- - - - -
Preparing twenty six people for space travel was no easy feat, especially not when that preparation includes making sure they would be able to survive the trip. Nobody present was in a state of active decay, they were skinny and unhealthy but still had a proper layer of skin covering their insides. The members of their families that developed that far had already made peace with their inevitable ends, and wished their kin the best.
Kayes would need to do the same thing he had done for the little girl to each and every one of them. He would be meticulous, not because it was going to be difficult but because he needed to get an idea of what measures those who arrived a month from now would need to take. The Theocracy did not have enough bishops to care for everyone.
Perhaps the only good news to come from the state they had lived in was that the difference in concentration between split on their planet and split in the void was next to minimal. All they would have to do was increase the concentration of split in the vicinity of the ship. Scratch that, just the ships' interior was all they would need. The Nekh would not have the energy to roam the deck.
"Miss Petunia?" He had left her for last. Of those present she looked to be the one least affected by the decay, but she was also the only one who seemed depressed. "Are you alright with me touching you? I need to make sure you will be healthy during the trip."
She did not respond. She wasn't dead, her chest still moved as she breathed. Here ears were held back at an angle, and her tail hung limply over the side of the hammock, swaying as the ship rocked in the waves.
"Miss Petunia?"
"Do as you please." A weak voice in comparison to how she had greeted them only hours earlier. "I don't have the right to refuse."
Kayes frowned, gingerly rolling back her shirt. A broad patch of skin just above her tail was a pinkish hue, raw, as if someone had been scratching it. Kayes knew better than to ask about it. That was likely what the flesh looked like before it fell away, and bringing attention to it would only worsen her mood. Placing his palm squarely in the center of her back, he began to filter some split into her body.
Her body did not respond to it. No convulsion, no shaking, no uncomfortable squirming. Either she had a great deal of self control or she still retained enough split for her body to consider it normal, both seemed equally likely.
"We were supposed to die together." After two minutes of Kayes' touch, she finally spoke. Perhaps she felt him to be sufficiently compassionate and empathetic. "We promised each other after the king died that we would accompany each other to the grave. We even threw a little wedding in the palace garden to formalize our vow to each other."
The tip of her tail twitched as she remembered her fleeting happiness.
"Some of the older staff brought what little they had to act as dowry for us, food, wine, and a bit of Littervine." Kayes didn't need to see her face to know the tears were flowing. "I got all prettied up for him in a neat little dress. He called me beautiful even though he couldn't see me."
She sniffed.
"Why did he make me leave him behind?" Her ears pressed closer into her head and she curled up tighter into a ball.
Kayes remained silent, unsure of what he should say, or if he should even say anything at all.
"Why did he break his promise?" Her voice was quieter now. Kayes could feel her shaking, but she wasn't shaking from the split. Recognizing her instability as a threat to her health, Kayes finally spoke.
"Is it not a man's duty to protect his wife?" If she wanted a reason for his betrayal, perhaps it would be best to give her one. "Is it not the ultimate proof of his love and loyalty that he would send you to safety as he died?"
This didn't help, only causing her to sob even more.
"Is it not the duty of his wife to comfort him in his suffering? To be there when he needed me most?" Empty cries, she was choking on her emotion. "Why wouldn't he let me keep my promise?"
"Because he loved you, Miss Petunia. More than any other." Kayes, finished with his procedure, rolled her shirt back down and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"What would you know?" It wasn't hostile, but there was definitely an accusatory bend to her words.
"I have seen more than my fair share of suffering. Experienced it too. It may hurt now, when his death is still fresh in your mind, but you will come to appreciate the depths to which his devotion went." Kayes squeezed her shoulder a little tighter, peeking over her shoulder to look at her expression. There was a small decorative dagger in front of her face, secured neatly in it's sheath, and she was hugging a simple wooden box of a higher quality construction.
She was staring blankly at the dagger, not even blinking as water flowed from her tear ducts. If this had been another planet, and had she been a different woman, Kayes would not have hesitated to confiscate that knife to keep her from killing herself. However he had no fear that she would try to take her life, not at this point. It was clear from the way she spoke that she would follow her husband's every word, and the look in her eyes was one of great sadness. That knife was all she had left of him.
"There is a part of me that is envious of him, that he died with the ability to save the love of his life." Kayes patted her on the shoulder, his signal that he was going to leave. "I was not given that opportunity."
- - - - -
"Central radio relay center speaking. Please state your name and where you wish to direct this frequency." A feminine voice filtered through the speaker of the radio set moments after Kayes sent the alert tone.
"This is Bishop Kayes. I have been instructed to report to the High Council upon accomplishing my primary mission objectives. If the High Council are unavailable, please direct me to the Council of Foreign Affairs or the Council of Resource Management."
"Please give me one moment while I check the schedule of the councils." There was a click as the woman on the other side of the transmission switched the receiver from the voice receiver to a substation that played waiting music. Kayes did not mind this. They might have been urgent, but there was always a measure of organization and structure that needed to be followed.
The Archbishops were just as human as everyone else, they had to sleep as well.
click
"I must apologize Bishop Kayes, but the Archbishops are currently not in session. I have issued a summons for them mentioning that you have made contact. Would you prefer Foreign Affairs or Resource Management?"
"Foreign Affairs, please. They are in charge of this operation."
"Understood. I will patch you through, however you may have to wait a few minutes for them to finish debating their current topic."
"That is fine. Take care of yourself."
"The same for you. Once one of the Archbishops is able to receive you I will send a tone to your station. You will have precisely five minutes to finish your discussion from that tone before I redirect you to the Archbishop. Do you understand?"
"This is not my first time reporting. I understand."
"Very well." click
More waiting music, the same song but at a later part. Estimating that he would be waiting a few minutes for this, he turned up the volume on the set. He didn't expect that the tone would sound not even thirty seconds after he had done so, almost sending him to the floor. One of the Archbishops must have been in close proximity to a radio.
Letting the music calm him down, he counted the five minutes in his mind. Given how long it took to cover a single issue in the Council of foreign affairs, there was a greater than 50% chance that they would not pick up before the five minutes were up. Sure enough, the radio clicked 300 seconds after the tone.
"Bishop Kayes. The schedule has you calling a few days from now, is there an issue?"
"No sir, Archbishop Envers. It was far smoother than we had been expecting, though I cannot say I feel good about it."
"Yes, yes. I find it hard to imagine that a planet struggling so much would be a comfortable sight. Anyways, out with it. Just how bad of a situation are we dealing with?"
"I won't beat around the bush sir, it's worse than we thought. I'm not sure that bringing Cayzi with me on this trip was a good idea."
"Is a question of your capacity to teach?"
"No sir. I mean to say that I would not be comfortable bringing a hardened soldier to that planet, much less a child. I understand that I have a duty to get him familiar with death, but I don't think this is supposed to be his exposure."
"That bad?"
"Corpses floating in the harbor, men and women dropping dead on the street, decay and disfiguration so grotesque I am certain it would give you nightmares, the only solace I have is that he was not on deck to watch a man voluntarily drown himself. I am afraid this was just too much."
". . . I can certainly see your point. If that was the case, then I would have to agree with you. We will not send those under sixteen. What is the status of the planet?"
"It's so much worse than our initial projections that I question how it was even possible they have survived. Nekh can barely support seaweed."
"Seaweed? I find your claim questionable . . . but I do not know you to be a liar. How long do we have? Princess Strapper insists five years, but the way you speak makes me think otherwise."
"I think we have two years to work, three might be pushing it."
"So half of what we had estimated under ideal circumstances."
"Yes sir." Archbishop Envers remained silent on the other side, contemplating something.
"I will speak with the rest of the High Council. We will need more information to come up with a more concrete plan, however I believe that we have enough information with this to send the first wave."
"If I may make a suggestion, sir, could you consider putting extra rations onboard to aid those suffering and authorize the fleet to operate under standard crew complement? It seems clear to me that we won't have nearly as much time to work with."
"We can certainly consider it, however our top priority is to make sure these doomed souls make it to their new home in the first place." Archbishop Envers took a moment to think. "We will probably need to disperse some split crystals among the galleys to make them safe for them to travel won't we?"
"That would be ideal, yes. I would also like to propose that large quantities be brought to make their cities livable, though I wonder if that might be too expensive."
"Cost is on no issue this time around. The resources we would save from the Terran's success would far outstrip investments larger than a few measly split crystals. Even giving them time for a few more shiploads of people would put them ahead years. Have you been told about what they plan to construct?"
"I am afraid I don't know anything beyond it being a ship of sorts."
"That is certainly one way to put it. Let's just say that if the diagrams Seppard and Montaug sent us are anything to go by, our galleys will not have contributed much in the end. Anyways, let's leave it at that for now. I have news for you."
"For me? Is it about my son?"
"No, though he is doing well. I am sure you would be proud. The news is instead with regards to the late Archbishopess Mana." Kayes clenched the voice receiver so hard it started to groan. "We have received a tip from one sympathetic to our cause external the Theocracy. It would appear he has his eyes on another prey."
"Can the information be trusted?"
"Yes. We have even confirmed his presence in the area."
Kayes grip on the receiver slackened, but the other was already on his sword.
"Calm yourself Kayes. You want to avenge her more than anyone else, I know that, but we have to keep in mind who we're dealing with. We need to be patient. If he knows that we are there looking for him he will be gone without a trace. We'll send you over once the trap is ready. Can you contain yourself until then? Kayes?"
Bishop Kayes let out a slow and shaky breath, letting go of his grip on the blade.
"Yes sir." Kayes closed his eyes as two faces floated in his mind. "I have already waited more than twenty years now. What's a few more?"
