[377] 5.Prologue: Arrival in Arbarra

Arbarra System, 1.5 AU from Arbarra II, Year 16,369 A.I. (18 weeks after Seraphina’s Awakening)

“Seraphina,” Madison says.  “It’s time for you to wake up.”

“Already?”  I toss and turn in my bed.  “Has it really been seven hours already?”  It doesn’t feel like it.  It feels like it’s been five hours and forty-two minutes.  I know because I checked the clock six minutes ago when I started waking up and haven't been able to go back to bed since.  Is this some sort of extra training?  Because I would rather wait a little bit longer before I have to subject myself to extra training from Madison.  My everything is hurting all of a sudden.

“We’ll be arriving in just over one hour, Seraphina,” Madison says.  “If you are still tired once we’ve arrived, I can see about getting you a room and a place to rest after introductions are complete.”

Immediately, the pain vanishes.  Excitement pushes away all of the fatigue that remained.  I sit up with a beaming smile upon my face.  I could nearly fly around in the air in joy that we’re finally going to be out of this spaceship, in a real, named planet, with all the excitement that comes from going somewhere that’s actually somewhere instead of the nowhere that I was apparently created in.

Madison’s hand flickers white.  There’s a black suit, similar to the one she sometimes wears.  She lays it on my bed.  “Go ahead and get dressed, take a moment to get something to eat.  I’m sure it will be a lot for you to take in, but I promise that I will protect you should anyone try anything foolish.”

As though I need protecting!  At least, that’s my first thought.  Then I remember that this is a convergence of so many powerful and influential people from the entire galactic sector.  I don’t like being seen as weak.  I don’t want to be weak.  I’m tired of how effortlessly Madison beats me every time we spar.  So, yeah, maybe she’s not wrong.

Madison leaves, closing the door behind her.  I wave my hand and engage the locking mechanism.  She could still get in if she wanted to, but it should keep anyone else from getting any funny ideas while I get dressed.

The clothing is sleek and perhaps just a little bit more shapely than I would have chosen.  I have to admit that I look really good in this eclectic combination of a uniform and a jumpsuit.  It does, however, accentuate more of my body than I really want anyone else to see.  Oh!  There’s a skirt to go over the outfit itself.  Much more appropriate!  I don’t need to hear whispers of inappropriate gestures from certain individuals who do not need to be dignified with a name.

All in all, it’s a lot more comfortable than I would have expected given how stretchy and form-fitting the suit is.  My movement is not slowed down in the slightest; I check as much by doing some stretches on the floor of my bedroom.  Nothing rips or tears either.  I pull on the fabric covering my left shoulder and it still doesn’t tear in the slightest.

So I check [Anomalous Decryption] out of sheer curiosity and I stand with my jaw agape.  How does something like this have 600 points of [Defense]?  It feels like just ordinary cloth!  What sort of wizardry was involved in the creation of such a material?  Just how… when… What kind of money did it take to create this?  And Madison just gave it to me like it was nothing?  Is she like… stupidly wealthy or something?  I guess she must be to give me something like that so… nonchalantly.

I have only a couple of minutes to enjoy the comfort before another knock at the door, followed by Madison’s voice echoing through.  I allow her entry.

She takes one look at me and tilts her head.  “Is something the matter?”

“I was just completely astonished at the defensive capabilities of this… well, I would say it’s a simple fabric, but there’s really nothing simple about anything with that sort of defensive parameters.”

“Silk from Cosmic Bloodworms, actually.”

“Ugh.”  Okay, no, I regret asking about it.  Ew…  Just thinking about giant worms makes me flinch.  But it’s still really comfortable, so I guess I’ll just have to let it slide.

“You seem nervous.”

“That’s kinda gross, don’t you think, Madison?”

“Not really.  You cut through the entrails of a few other cosmic monsters, and taking their silk feels positively pedestrian by comparison.  Besides, the true terrors of this universe do not allow for us to sacrifice potential strategic advantages for the sakes of queasy stomachs.  In any case, shall we head to the bridge?  We’ll be beamed down to the surface shortly.”

I smile.  Yes, getting out of the Boundless after these long six weeks sounds extraordinarily nice.

“Dr. Mazerie,” Captain Stroma says, offering his hand.  “And Miss Seraphina.  I’m glad to see that you are both suited up and ready.  We have just crossed within half an AU of our destination and will traverse the remaining roughly 150,000 kilometers in conventional space.”

“Excellent, Captain.”  Madison returns the handshake.  “Maintain our present course, but keep shields at maximum; we can’t be too careful that someone won’t try something foolish.  Have there been any incoming transmissions related to the upcoming summit?”

“Not since yesterday, Ma’am, though I’ve got our comms specialist keeping an eye out for any signals that might be incoming.”

“Understood.  Anything else of note?”

“We’ve been given coordinates for the beam down and will send the two of you down to Arbarra II once we’ve been cleared for arrival.  You two will descend first, followed by our diplomatic team a few hours later.”

Madison nods in approval.  “Have there been any new reports of any alternative intelligence about the gathered diplomats and their senior staff?”

Captain Stroma pulls a single chip no larger than a stamp out of his [Inventory] and presents it to Madison.  Madison eyes it curiously for a moment, then it vanishes back into wherever things go when stored.

“Troubling,” Madison says.  “Nevertheless, the informed diplomat always maintains the advantage in negotiations.  Send my regards to our intelligence team for their excellent work.”

“It shall be done.”

A single signal blares from the bridge.  The lights strobe red a single time.  That’s our signal.  Madison looks at me, and no words need to be exchanged between us.  She leads the way and I follow, down into the central corridor, to the transportation room.  There is only a single pod.  The technician on duty— I don’t remember his name— salutes us, then enters the coordinates Madison provides.  A moment later, the teleporter activates in a swirl of blue light.

“I’ll see you in just a moment,” Madison says.  Then she steps inside and vanishes.

“Have you done this before, Miss Seraphina?”

“I’ve been in one of these a few times before,” I say, thinking back to my first experience using a teleporter and the… rather poor experience that followed.  When I almost died because I was stupid and foolish and unwise in my inexperience.  I note to myself that I’d very much love to not repeat that mistake here.

“Very good.  Please note that this model is a bit of an older model compared with those on Substation 33.  There may be a bit of molecular destabilization and accompanying nausea or bodily discomfort.  If the experience disorients you, I am sure Dr. Mazerie or someone else can heal you in short order.”

I smile slightly.  “Thank you for the warning.”  I step into the portal, now fully recharged, and everything shifts in the blink of an eye.

The technician, whose name I still do not know, was not wrong in his assessment.  My vision is spinning and a part of me wishes to regurgitate last night’s dinner from the disorientating sensations that accompany me down to the surface of Arbarra II.  He was wrong about my needing someone else to heal me.  I place my hand on my heart and activate [Etheric Self-Repair] and the tiny wounds that accumulated vanish along the sense of vertigo.

Madison is there and gives me a small smile and beckons me to follow her out of the transportation room.  I oblige her request, trailing her in accordance with how I was instructed.  She leads, and I follow.  For now, at least, while she is being received, I am to be seen and not heard, and if I can be even less seen than normal, that would be ideal.

No, I do not like it.  But I was told in no uncertain terms that the actions of these next few days could decide the fate of the entire universe.  It really did sound melodramatic, but considering how stern and forceful she was about the whole situation, I really don’t want to be on the other end of whatever she might do if she gets truly upset.  I already know exactly how scary she can be when she wishes to be.

I marvel at the scenery of Arbarra.  I had expected towering cityscapes with myriad buildings spanning the entire planet.  Those still exist here; I can see one such megalopolis rising out of the horizon behind me and to my right.

But instead, there’s a single massive palace or maybe temple that will host the impending summit.  The immediate environments surrounding it are lush, with spacious gardens and a rich, artistic decor that looks like it took a lot of people a lot of time.  Hopefully not many Cosmic Bloodworms, though!  I shiver just thinking about a bunch of asteroid-sized worms ravaging this sanctuary, even if the fabric I’m wearing does still feel really comfortable.

A man with a thick layer of fur and the overall appearance of a bear who learned to speak and walk on two legs walks over toward Madison.  He moves slowly and carries himself with poise, carrying a walking stick that I don’t even need [Anomalous Decryption] to realize is some stupidly powerful weapon only a tier below [Divine Blade Luminaria] sheathed at Madison’s hip.

“Dr. Mazerie,” he says.  “Or would you prefer ‘Governor Mazerie’ now?”

Madison says nothing, but the subtle movements of her eyes and nose suggest that she would prefer anything but to be called Governor.

The bear-man continues.  “I apologize, then, Doctor.  And I must say that it has been quite some time.  I had heard that you would be attending this delegation as your planet’s representative rather than a bodyguard.  I admit that even knowing as much in advance, I find myself surprised.  I did not think you the sort for politics and diplomacy.”

“I wouldn’t say that I am particularly well-suited, Chancellor Versinum.  Circumstances dictated I take my current role, and I intend to carry it out with all the diligence that the role and circumstances require.”

“Well said, Dr. Mazerie.  And your…  I hesitate to call her your bodyguard, but–”  He looks at me and narrows his eyes toward me.  He’s using some sort of [Identify] Skill on me.

I fight my instincts to [Skill Crumple] his attempts to peer into my private business.  The next moment, as his eyes cross and he looks away with a bit of pain, I get the last laugh without having done a thing.  Madison turns to me with narrowed eyes, but I’m able to plead total innocence and be entirely truthful.  I really did nothing.  If trying to analyze the nature of ｢The Anomaly｣ caused him to hurt himself in his confusion, that’s his fault and my job was to be seen and not heard.  Hah!  I win.

Madison seems satisfied, as she turns back to this Chancellor Versinum.  “Regardless of my own personal strength, I am still entitled to have a bodyguard of my choosing in attendance with me, and I have elected to make use of that provision for my own reasons.”

“It is as you say.  Now then, shall we make our way inside?  Several of the other diplomats have already arrived.”

Madison nods.  She and the Chancellor turn toward each other and begin walking toward the absolutely massive palace complex.  I, on the other hand, follow a short distance behind.  Chancellor Versinum’s bodyguard steps beside me and we walk in silence while the two in front of us talk about nothing in particular.  A part of me wants to introduce myself and ask about this wolfkin man.  At the very least, I want to talk about something to end the silence that is building and is growing increasingly awkward with each passing second.

I resist, but only barely.  This diplomatic mission, I can already tell, is going to be far more difficult to manage than I had first imagined.