about sanshas, slaves, dominixes, alcohol and friends.
Of Dominixes and Spiced vine
Light went on with short BZZzzzmp and even before that smell was intruding dreamstae of in between border zone realities. Ceiling seemed so distant and even more gingery than last night. There was smoke, not too much to feel shortage of air but enough to sneeze. What Kra did and closed his ayes again trying to get back to dream that was just there, but invading noises and smells and light where making large holes in it.
“Level is being evacuated” noisy, worried men’s voice proclaimed in hidden speakers “proceed to elevators and keep calm – everything is under control!”
It was clear that dream is no longer here and has been replaced with rust and smoke of defiantly minematar stations room. Memories started to arise from bottom of lake he remembered as he’s last few days. Five clones dead, five new bodies, lots of bad booze and attitude that made him remember his brothers writings on culture opposed to tribal brutality and made suicidal practices of pod pilots of Order of Tetrimon looking not so crazy anymore. At least I hope they got some kick out of it, he thought.
Hit came unexpected. It was flash of light and darkens that followed. It was so used feeling and at the same time it was full of prehistorical fear.
Next time light returned it was wet and painful. New clone was warm but nerves adapted to reality slowly and every move caused pain. He was carried out of cloning cabin by strong hands of probably some slave as ceiling wrote familiar ornaments of his childhood in his ayes. Warm hands helped him touch the floor.
“Sir,” small figure of man looking defiantly ni-kuni told to Kra standing few meters before him at the door ” it is my duty to report that slaves in ZR station revolted after overriding security of alcohol stock hangers. After several hour of chaos reactor exploded ruining at least four levels of station with more than 3000 civilians and slaves dead. We cloned at least 40 pod pilots.”
“Where any pod pilots involved in revolt?” Kra asked touching the floor what also was warm and little wet or it was his feet, he could not tell.
“Investigation is ongoing but it seems that Sergeant Satara was heavily involved in situation as security cameras show him in front of crowd storming boxes of supplies.” guy started to look more military than doctor.
Kra laid back on top of table he was been put on, pillow was also wet.
“Fuck this!” he stood up and went to shower.
Exiting he stopped only to pay insurance for new pod, he newer forgot that. Only once he lost memories of several weeks and didn’t wanted that to repeat. He felt like AI some days. But sight of Satara held by six muscled pacifiers returned him to reality fast enough.
“What you think you are doing! We have enough trouble already with invading army and you mess yourself in some lowlife revolt?!” Kra turned red from anger and spitted all over doctors.
“Im sorry master! I wanted to be free!” hes voice smelled of despair and sadness.
“ You…! You are free long time already ... What was hes clone grade?” Kra turned to doctor standing aside from monkeys holding Satara that was still shouting letters that would suit more wounded animal than freed slave, but slowly started to calm down. It was that unwelcome dejavu feeling when you know what will follow.
Doctors face showed that he wants to hide, to be anywhere but here. It was bad sign to start.
“He, he, he had basic… clone….” doctor had certainly lost something in his papers.
“What?!” Kra has had enough he knew cost of Sataras clones, he knew consequences, he knew to details sight he’ll encounter plugging into nearest comms plugin.
“Im afraid he had strong alcohol intoxication after being cloned three times in two hours, he didn’t insured hes last clone and… well he wont have selected memories of… some time.” Doctor was looking towards closest door.
“Do you ever care about anything besides your salary?” names went before Kra’s ayes none bad enough to suit current need and he left as doctor shouted to hes back “There are strong rules of how cloning can be done!” happy that rain of anger stopped as fast as it started.
To hell with rules, Kra thought as golden walls decorated with banners floated behind his robocart floating upwards for pilot hangers. Next thing he noticed was comms jack on the table in hes quarters. With little delay he plugged it in.
“How is this Gods day going?” Kra started with formal greeting.
“You fucking idiots!” like cold shower Ladels voice came into hes digital consciousness “Why you don’t watch after your bloody slaves!” hologram was more real than Kra wanted and it was angry ”do you even know what was toll of death? What will allied organizations think of us!”
Kra had seen it all, he even had tasted it all. He knew hes role, tough he didn’t wanted to play it today.
“Satara will pay for it all. Every slave will be replaced with highest grade of certificates, you have my word for it!” numbers played before hes ayes.
“Oh I bet he will, or do you imagine citizens will pay for that?” Ladel didn’t seemed satisfied and continued to agress ”three thousands is one hell of a blow for our infrastructure, reactor and four layers of station will raise toll to dozens of billions!”
“Ill pay it all, if needs must, you just need to give us little time.” Taste of stimulants and sleepless nights flashed from memory bank like fresh.
“Ill see to that!” Commlink disappeared with blue flash.
Ceiling was beautiful, only ammarian artisans knew how to make best blueprints of them all. 3D station was built to remind distant home to all pilots of once so noble Amarr race. Kra spit on the floor, it wasn’t because he hated hes ancestors, he loved them, it was more stupid habit of being too much time with hes corporation of mercenary pod pilots, mostly minematars. He didn’t liked to own slaves, he didn’t liked to set them free and he defiantly didn’t liked to be responsible for drunk and not even slightly concerned about dying pod pilots. This situation was bad, even worse than he dared to let it be in hes thoughts. Money needed to be in right wallet and fast.
He wrote message to Satara and wait was less painful after glass of Khanid vine he always kept in hes bar.
“Im all buzzy…?” hes old comrade opened the door and looked for a seat, he had seen better days.
“You stupid fuck!” Kra told rising up from hes pillows “if you ever again forget to update your clone I promise ill find way to bribe those clone bay operating “doctors” to put gene of gallente in you!” he knew that this should work.
“No Master, ill newer drink again, I prommise!” hes face was so sad that Kra simply could not any further continue with his bluff.
“You bloody stupid person, you had been free since four years ago, how in the seven hells of Blood riders you could lose selected memories of last four years? Did setting free was so painfull? We will need solid plan to rise supercarrier worth amount of isks and fast and that’s all because of your irresponsible drinking habits!”
There where sides in Sataras personality that had developed only after becoming pod pilot and even more after becoming free pod pilot. Focused and determined, educated and tested, he was released upon exceptional achievements in combat buy his fellow Nautark Mniachei still in days of service at Nakri.
“We need isk… lots of it now.” Kra told and reached for glass, as if it would resolve hes problem “what do you think of grinding Sansha pirates for several rounds of clock?” it was only way of making money he knew, concord was paying almost reasonable fees for pirates killed and slavage was good. There where of course lots of illegal ways of making isks but years in Sarum service had left some scars of honour and robbery was clearly below hes honor.
Satara took his seat, Kra knew he sooner or later will start to remember and watched Sergeant. Silence fell on them disturbed only buy gulps of spiced vine flowing into mouth and blood shortly later. Hours passed, cups came and went, servants brought food, musicians performed songs and dancers joined them among pillows, they even visited chapel, on third day and left some vine for monks.
Sataras voice came alive in the darkens “I have idea.” and with a wave of cup he sent exotic dancers towards the door, spilling wine all over the floor. “Im full of curiosity” Kra opened ayes and tried to look straight full of hope, because all of his ideas was reduced to endless nights flying Raven battleship and watching torpedo tails, manually targeting each sansha.
“Do you remember what are algorithms use sentry drones, they will attack anything that aggresses you, right? And Sanshas, they will mindlessly attack anything even not hitting it from large distance, actually from distance at what you wont be able to lock you sensors” hes ayes where narrow and indicated cunning joy what was at times scaring shit out of Kra, but he could not put together amount of isk’s they needed and sentry drones and even the less sanshas they hunted, but Satara didn’t gave him time think. “We need to launch towards of proximity of Sansha operation site to large range and just launch drones, configured for maximal range and damage they will clear site without any control” hes smile was triumphant. “drink vine and enjoy scene.” Triumphant smile went wider.
Two weeks later Kra requested new clone, voluntarily for first time, it seemed less effort than changing organs and blood so intoxicated of alcohol that it was no longer usable. Immortality had left scars on their consciousness as well as their reasoning and values and this sentry drone setting seemed to be working more on alcohol rather anything else. Isk was good, job was little and comms was full of chatter. They did as planned, as soon as Dominix class battleship landed on site they aligned for save moon base and launched sentry drones stopping speed of ship, it sounded insane at first but then it was clearly most brilliant discovery ever made – they where instantly rich. Even repair bill of ZR station didn’t seemed to darken their joy. Vine flowed and so did exotic dancers, their immortality was at its finest. Memories of Satara slowly returned and so did licenses and skill certificates. They called new invention “Lazy Cats”. Time was good, but as it is with all good things they tend to change, but that is already a different story and is to be requested at achieves of 3kb station.
Author
Topic: Of Dominixes and Spiced vine (Read 1172 times)