Black Hearts, Part Four
Feb. 6th, 2007 05:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeriendhalShorter entry than before, but at least I'm keeping up with my "One installment a day" promise.
“I am the Viscount Ru-ofanious Brushtail and you can damned well release me, or by the Holy Den Mother I'll rip your throat out and anyone else's who gets in the way of my hunting down that bloody pirate Chan and the rest of her crew!”
My, what big teeth you have, Grandpa, he thought. Keeping his smile intact, Miles replied, “Then we are of the same mind, Count Brushtail. Finding those pirates and the Barrayaran citizens they kidnapped is currently my highest priority. However, until that hunt can be properly organized, I'd appreciate it if you could fill me in on exactly where you came from and how long your race has been in contact with Humanity. I can't imagine your unexpected arrival was the way you intended to introduce yourself on the galactic scene.”
Brushtail's snarl turned into a confused frown. “What are you babbling about, man? We've been in contact with humans ever since the Varn invaded your solar system over four hundred years ago.”
What the Hell? God, he wished he could get a private feed on his mother's conversation with the girl right now to see if she was telling the same story. “Well, that's very interesting, given that I've been to Earth, and frankly it's never been invaded from outside the solar system, by the 'Varn' or anyone else. As a matter of fact, until about five hours ago the highest form of alien life humanity had ever encountered was a species of small mammals in the equivalent of their planet's Mesozoic period.”
“You claim you've never see my species before?” Brushtail asked, still frowning. Then he got a curious expression on his face. “Tell me something, if I asked you what year it was, by human reckoning, what would your answer be?”
“Well, it's the year 2994 A.D., give or take a few calendar reformations,” Miles said. “Is that not correct, from your perspective?”
Brushtail's jaw opened, closed, then opened again to say, “Oh, by the Holy Den Mother, we've done it again...”
“Ah?”
The fox-like alien took in a breath. “Let's accept for a moment that, in the world you know and understand, sentient aliens are currently unknown to humanity. Well, up until now.”
“Up until now,” Miles agreed.
“And in mine... Humans are just one of over a half-dozen species, living more or less in harmony. Well, considerably less, these days. It also happens to be a place I think I'm very far from at the moment.”
Miles blinked, filed the information away for further review, and plowed on. If he tried to map out the implications of what Brushtail said at the moment he'd be talking with him into next week. “Would that universe also happen to include blood thirsty pirates with a working FTL drive?”
“Unfortunately, yes. You're saying you are limited to slower than light drives, yourself?”
“Not exactly. We use natural wormholes that connect star systems, transiting them via a jump drive. It has its limitations, as you can imagine. The wormholes are natural choke points for interstellar traffic, and if you've only got a single wormhole coming in and out of an inhabited system and it happens to spontaneously collapse... Well, in the end you get the Barrayaran Empire.”
Brushtail's face grew alarmed. “This is much worse than I thought. We have to get after Mavra Chan now, before she goes beyond where we can follow.”
“Slow down! Why is so important that you find her?”
The snarl returned to the alien's face. “Because she has kidnapped two dear friends of mine. Young Terinu I'm certain she's going to attempt to bend his will to her cause once again. As for Leeza, I suspect she is only going to stay alive as long as she proves amusing to Chan, and that won't be very long.”
TBC
(most likely onboard the good ship Celestial Marauder)
“I am the Viscount Ru-ofanious Brushtail and you can damned well release me, or by the Holy Den Mother I'll rip your throat out and anyone else's who gets in the way of my hunting down that bloody pirate Chan and the rest of her crew!”
My, what big teeth you have, Grandpa, he thought. Keeping his smile intact, Miles replied, “Then we are of the same mind, Count Brushtail. Finding those pirates and the Barrayaran citizens they kidnapped is currently my highest priority. However, until that hunt can be properly organized, I'd appreciate it if you could fill me in on exactly where you came from and how long your race has been in contact with Humanity. I can't imagine your unexpected arrival was the way you intended to introduce yourself on the galactic scene.”
Brushtail's snarl turned into a confused frown. “What are you babbling about, man? We've been in contact with humans ever since the Varn invaded your solar system over four hundred years ago.”
What the Hell? God, he wished he could get a private feed on his mother's conversation with the girl right now to see if she was telling the same story. “Well, that's very interesting, given that I've been to Earth, and frankly it's never been invaded from outside the solar system, by the 'Varn' or anyone else. As a matter of fact, until about five hours ago the highest form of alien life humanity had ever encountered was a species of small mammals in the equivalent of their planet's Mesozoic period.”
“You claim you've never see my species before?” Brushtail asked, still frowning. Then he got a curious expression on his face. “Tell me something, if I asked you what year it was, by human reckoning, what would your answer be?”
“Well, it's the year 2994 A.D., give or take a few calendar reformations,” Miles said. “Is that not correct, from your perspective?”
Brushtail's jaw opened, closed, then opened again to say, “Oh, by the Holy Den Mother, we've done it again...”
“Ah?”
The fox-like alien took in a breath. “Let's accept for a moment that, in the world you know and understand, sentient aliens are currently unknown to humanity. Well, up until now.”
“Up until now,” Miles agreed.
“And in mine... Humans are just one of over a half-dozen species, living more or less in harmony. Well, considerably less, these days. It also happens to be a place I think I'm very far from at the moment.”
Miles blinked, filed the information away for further review, and plowed on. If he tried to map out the implications of what Brushtail said at the moment he'd be talking with him into next week. “Would that universe also happen to include blood thirsty pirates with a working FTL drive?”
“Unfortunately, yes. You're saying you are limited to slower than light drives, yourself?”
“Not exactly. We use natural wormholes that connect star systems, transiting them via a jump drive. It has its limitations, as you can imagine. The wormholes are natural choke points for interstellar traffic, and if you've only got a single wormhole coming in and out of an inhabited system and it happens to spontaneously collapse... Well, in the end you get the Barrayaran Empire.”
Brushtail's face grew alarmed. “This is much worse than I thought. We have to get after Mavra Chan now, before she goes beyond where we can follow.”
“Slow down! Why is so important that you find her?”
The snarl returned to the alien's face. “Because she has kidnapped two dear friends of mine. Young Terinu I'm certain she's going to attempt to bend his will to her cause once again. As for Leeza, I suspect she is only going to stay alive as long as she proves amusing to Chan, and that won't be very long.”
TBC
(most likely onboard the good ship Celestial Marauder)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-02-06 10:59 pm (UTC)(I have this very wicked image that when they catch up with Mavra, Miles and Rufus will find Mark in charge of her ship...)
no subject
Date: 2007-02-07 12:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-07 06:36 pm (UTC)That's different from "I have the feeling that..."
no subject
Date: 2007-02-06 11:00 pm (UTC)Wow :)
mjkj
no subject
Date: 2007-02-07 02:33 am (UTC)Come, blessed morrow, bearing thy fruits.