S1E7: Peace Offerings
Last modified 2 months, 4 weeks ago
The silence on the ship was heavy, a sharp contrast to the chaos that had preceded it.
Selene sat in the Med Bay, the sterile lights humming overhead. She was bruised, mostly from her own crash-out, the collateral damage of her adrenaline still lingering in her muscles. But her focus wasn't on her own injuries; it was on Dex.
The Glowcat lay on the elevated bed, his deep, non-reflective black fur absorbing the harsh light. He nursed a bruise on his right paw, his eyeless face turned toward her, sensing her presence through sound and scent. Selene wrapped the paw carefully, applying a cold compress with a gentleness she rarely showed the rest of the world.
"I'm sorry, boy," she murmured, brushing her hand over his smooth, velvet head. "I'm so sorry."
Dex purred, a low, natural rumble that vibrated through the bed. The bioluminescent rosettes on his flank shifted colors, reflecting the turmoil radiating off Selene—a chaotic mix of gold, red, and white. There was no green, no calm. He was a living mirror of her anger and hurt.
At the front of the ship, Dorian sat in the cockpit, staring out at the star lines. The path to Calypso was clear, a routine journey for those who dared travel this deep. Floating beside him was Icarus, his utility bot.
"The footage has all been deleted, right?" Dorian asked without looking away from the console.
Icarus nodded, letting out a series of affirmative bleeps. The surveillance footage from the lab was gone.
Dorian sighed, reaching into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a handful of cube-shaped treats—Dex’s favorites. "Do me a favor, Icarus. Go make sure Dex is alright."
Icarus formed one of his tendrils into a small bowl, and Dorian trickled the snacks into it.
"Consider that a peace offering," Dorian said, tapping the bot’s glass dome. "Hopefully she doesn't shoot the messenger. Good luck."
Icarus whirred discontentedly but drifted toward the Med Bay. Dorian leaned back, catching his own reflection in the dark glass of the viewport, thinking about the things he had said, and the things he hadn't.
In the Med Bay, the door slid open. Icarus peeked his dome head in, then slowly extended the tendril holding the treats, giving them a little jiggle. Dex tried to rise, his ears perking up at the sound, but Selene held him down gently.
"What is this?" Selene asked, eyeing the bot. "A peace offering?"
Icarus nodded and played back a recording of Dorian’s voice. “Consider this a peace offering.” The audio cut out with the distinct click of a walkie-talkie ending.
Selene snatched the treats from the tendril. "Get out of here."
Icarus offered a soft, hesitant wave and retreated quickly, the door sliding shut behind him. Selene turned back to Dex. "You want these, boy?"
She offered one, and Dex immediately devoured the entire handful in a single bite. Selene rested her chin on her crossed arms on the bed, settling back into the quiet.
Hours later, late into the ship's night cycle, Selene sat alone in her quarters. She needed to hear a voice that made sense. She dialed her mother first.
Maia rolls Percentile (60% chance of answering) -> Result: 79 (Fail)
The comms rang, but there was no answer.
She hesitated, then dialed her father.
Maia rolls Percentile (30% chance of answering) -> Result: 29 (Success)
The line clicked open. A holographic display flickered to life, revealing Magnus Kelvarus. He looked tired, his graying hair and well-groomed beard uncharacteristically disheveled as he adjusted the camera. He was in his nightclothes.
"Selene?" Magnus squinted. "Is that you? Just let me get my face on. Hold on."
"I apologize," Selene said softly. "I know you go to bed early. Did I wake you?"
"Yes, you did," Magnus smiled warmly, "but you don't ever have to apologize for waking me. Mother is asleep next to you?"
"For the moment," Magnus whispered, glancing off-screen. "She was out late with associates. But I'm doing well. The robotics project is moving slow but steady. We have a presentation for the higher councils in a few days."
"You're brilliant with words," Selene said, her eyes drifting away from the camera. "I have no doubt you'll get the funding."
Magnus paused, his parental intuition kicking in. He stood up and shuffled to the balcony, closing the door to the bedroom behind him to speak freely. The lights of the Gold District shimmered in the background.
"Something must be on your mind if you're calling me this late," Magnus said. "Be honest."
"There is," Selene admitted. "I'm just not sure how to say it."
"I'm always here to listen," Magnus said. "I know we can be scattered with our duties to the city, but in the end, we're family."
"Isn't our duty to the city above all?" Selene interrupted, the question sharp. The conflict with Dorian weighed heavily on her; she needed to know if family truly trumped the law she had sworn to uphold.
"Mm," Magnus murmured, a sad smile touching his lips. "You sound like your mother."
"I guess so," Selene said, looking down.
"There is duty to your city, or to civilization, I suppose," Magnus said gently. "But I would also say that there's a duty to your family. I suppose that also includes duty to yourself.”
"Isn't duty gold? As the mantra says?" Selene replied automatically.
"Duty is Gold, yes," Magnus said. "But we are Golds, and we have to represent it. And I can think of no gold more precious in my life than you, Dorian, and Lucinda."
"Should we honor our family first above our brethren?" Selene asked.
"There are many who debate what is more important," Magnus replied, looking past the camera as if weighing the words. "The continuance of society or the people around us."
"There's no utopia in the future if you don't bring people along with you," Magnus continued firmly. "I'd give it all away—titles, money—to make sure you, your mother, and your brother were safe. I'd do it without a second thought."
"Do you think mother would agree with you?"
"I think I could sway her," Magnus said. "I don't think she would make the decision immediately. But I'd like to think she'd make the choice for you over her legacy."
"If Dex was near you right now, what color would he be showing?" Selene asked quietly.
"Where is that scamp?" Magnus asked, looking around the limited frame of the hologram.
Selene shifted the camera to show Dex sleeping on the bed.
"Oh, there he is," Magnus beamed. "He's getting so big. I remember when he fit in a shoebox. But I'd like to think Dex would show... what is it? White for truth? I would think that. I've never been one for lying. You know I'm terrible at gambling."
"I don't ask because I think you're lying, Father," Selene said quietly. "I just have a lot on my mind."
"Have you talked to Dorian about this?"
"No," Selene said. "But I think it's time I did."
"Oh good, I'm sure he's probably still up. I have to check on him too at some point. Make him look through my presentation for edits." Magnus leaned back, a hopeful look crossing his face. "But you should come to the presentation, you and him. It'd be good to see you. I'm not sure what your schedule is—I know we all have our duties—but as we just said this whole conversation, if you could squeeze some time in for your old man, it'd be nice to see you both."
"I'll look at my schedule. Send mother my love."
"Soar with the wings of Kelvarus, my daughter." Magnus tapped the wrong button, zooming the camera in on his confused face before finally cutting the feed.
A few hours later, Dorian sat in the mess hall. His wrist computer projected a holographic game onto the ceiling—a retro-style asteroid shooter. The soft green light bathed the room as he played at maximum difficulty.
Dex materialized next to him, resting his heavy head on Dorian's leg.
"Oh, hey buddy," Dorian said, pausing the game. He scratched the cat behind the ears. "Glad to see you up on your feet. Did you give my treats? Of course you did."
Footsteps echoed softly from the corridor behind him.
"Oh, couldn't sleep?" Dorian asked, glancing back.
Selene walked in from the shadows. She didn't answer directly but sat across from him, the paused hologram hovering between them.
"We are on course," Dorian blurted out, filling the silence. "Doesn't appear to be any issues. Should get there in a day and a half."
"I didn't ask for a coordinate."
"I'm just spouting information because I'm uncomfortable," Dorian admitted. "Because I lied to the most important person in my life and I feel guilty about it. I don't think there are enough 'I'm sorrys' to make up for that. But I'm still stupid enough to try."
"Don't say it," Selene warned.
"Are you still hurt?"
"I'll be fine. Just start from the beginning, please."
Dorian took a breath. "You're familiar with the Corruption. The viral attack that happens to Reds, turning them into machines of malice. I've been trying to figure out why they happen. Four years ago, a Red came to me. He had severe stages of Corruption, but he rewrote it in his own neural network. There was no explanation."
"And somewhere between then and now, you started this demented friendship?"
"I talked with him," Dorian said. "His personality came out. I didn't want to take him apart. It would have been a death knell for the family, but his code was unique. He chose the name Ross. He is R-055."
"Reds don't choose their names," Selene countered.
"He did. His intelligence is like a supercomputer, but his emotional intelligence is like an adolescent. I've never beaten him at a contest of wits. We theorized that the Corruption acts like a lottery system based on codes. He was helping me study it."
"This is treason," Selene said flatly.
"Openly talking about a theory or having a friendship with a Red?" Dorian asked.
"Possibly both," Selene replied. "How do you think the Tribunal will take it?"
"I need to talk to him," Dorian stood up. The spots on Dex's fur shifted to pure white and blue—truth and sadness. "Something can be salvaged from this."
"That's not our job," Selene said. "Our job is to capture R-055. Not kill him, but capture him. He will be seen before the Tribunal."
"I made a promise to Ross that I would help him."
"Then you'll have to choose, brother."
Dorian looked at her. "So what happens if I choose to help him?"
"Then you reject me and the rest of our family."
"How do I reject them by helping a friend?"
"You think it's unfair, but that's the way things are," Selene said, her voice hardening. "I want to let you know that I will stop at nothing to catch him. I just need to know that when the time comes, you will not be in my way."
"And I said I would help catch him," Dorian replied, meeting her gaze. "That is the vow."
"It is." Selene stood up. "I talked to father by the way... He had words of love and family."
"He was awake?" Dorian asked, surprised.
"He was awake. That was the first surprise."
"Did you tell him what was going on?"
"Of course not," Selene scoffed softly. "I would never endanger his life." She fell silent for a moment, the defensive edge dropping from her voice as she looked at him. "But I did want to apologize. I said some things when getting onto the ship that I didn't mean. I would never hurt you."
"I know you didn't mean it," Dorian said softly.
"But I do have a job to do. And I will get it done."
Maia rolls Heartened (Spirit) + 0 -> Result: Strong Hit (+2 Spirit)
Selene turned toward the cockpit. "I am at least curious to see Calypso up close."
She left the room, Dex trailing behind her. Dorian stood alone in the mess hall. Icarus floated out from beneath the table where he had been hiding.
"Yeah, you were scared?" Dorian muttered to the bot. "So was I."
The next day passed in a blur of travel until the sensors began to alert everyone on the ship.
Out of the blackness of space, the Calypso appeared. It was a behemoth, a derelict dreadnought that looked more like a floating city than a ship. It was ancient, falling apart in sections, drifting silently in the void. The Venture looked insignificant beside it.
Maia rolls Set A Course + Slayer Path -> Result: Strong Hit
"We're zeroing in on the tracker," Dorian said, his hands flying across the controls. "We see another ship docked, but we don't know who it is yet."
"Let's do this," Selene said, fastening her Kelvarus pin and tightening her gauntlets.
"Cloaking device engaging," Dorian announced. "So we're not seen."
Ajax, Dorian's small gold crab-bot, skittered up onto his shoulder. Dorian threw on his jacket and looked at Selene.
"Set the course for the ship to lower and dock," Selene commanded.
The Venture vanished from sight, slipping silently into the shadow of the Calypso.
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