"And the results are in..."

Several weeks ago...

"Free grey geese ina greenfield grazing".

Galewind tutted. "Say it again, this time properly."

Seren looked up at her companion, aghast. "I did say it properly. I've been saying it properly for the past ten minutes."

Galewind shook her head, seemed to take a deep breath and then said "Three grey geese in a green field grazing. Do you see the difference? Speak slowly and clearly. Emphasise both vowel and consonant. Pronounce each word separately."

"Free grey geese in a green field grazing", Seren looked up at the Mentis Adept who was shaking her head again, "Come on, Elena, is this really necessary?"

"Captain, it is entirely possible you may be elected to the Araxian House of State, the Beit Dawla. It is therefore imperative that you project the correct image. The rough language of a rum soaked space trader may be appealing to the electorate but you will be coming into regular contact with some of the most elite and prestigious figures in the universe. You may even meet the Sovereign Emperor himself. An air of sophistication will allow you to ingratiate yourself with the great and the powerful and stand you in good stead for the future. Now, repeat after me..."

"Free grey geese ina green field grazing...I know!"

* * * * * * *

Present Day

It had come as a shock. Seren had been sitting nervously in a make-shift bunk in the Persephone's hull, wedged in between a box of Fruity Oats and Prime Beef, waiting for the Al Raqis Raconteur to announce the final results of the poll. She didn't know if she was supposed to be somewhere special. In truth, she didn't even think she had a chance of winning a seat - a poor girl from the extremities of the Imperium without financial clout or political friends - the chances were unlikely at best.

And the preliminary election results are in....these are still to be confirmed by  a formal announcement, swearing oath and a satisfactory resolution of vote rigging allegations....


Seren closed her eyes and prepared for the disappointment. She was already trying to rationalise her defeat and get her mind back on more mundane things.

Arnold Gustav....


Disappointment. But still three more places to go.


Dave Gaffer.....


Maybe they were going in alphabetical order...anyway, that was two places gone. She felt a sickly feeling in her chest.


Seren Undercroft....


She thought she'd misheard. Or she'd imagined it. Then she realised that the sounds from the cockpit had stopped. Gale was no longer entering the shipment dockets into the computer. Instead she was coming down the ramp.

Willard Deerhunter and Captain Sisko complete the provisional line-up. They will receive one half vote each.

"Congratulations!", her companion exclaimed, smiling widely. By the time she'd finished the word, Seren had already bounced out of her bunk, grabbed her in a bear hug and was pumping her fist in the air.

After a few moments, Seren had regained some of her composure although she still emoted with her arms excitedly. "So what do we do now?"

Galewind was about to speak when a cacophony of sound began to echo throughout the hull, reminiscent of hundred birds suddenly singing at once. "The Communications Terminal, I believe?"

They bounded up the ramp to the cockpit and stood in front of the Comm Terminal. Lights flickered incessantly indicating that messages were arriving and the display screen showed line after line of message headers. Seren noticed a few familiar names or words. Galewind, saw all and began pointing them out.

"A communication of congratulations from the Heiland Haus on Rette....a dispatch of delight from the Salle de la Liberte on Nena, an epistle of elation from the Parliamentum de Aetate on Provincia..."

Seren looked at her companion wide eyed as she read out the messages from the planets of the Paradigm.

"You're the first citizen of the Seven Suns to sit in any sort of Imperial office in almost four generations. No doubt there will be some gnashing of teeth amongst some of the more prominent political families back home who will no doubt sing your praises in public while assessing how to bring you back down with a bump. So to speak."

"I'm not going to worry too much about what's going on back home right now" said Seren dismissively, "I think we have more than enough problems and potential enemies to worry about here. Anyway...I think this calls for a drink?" She reached into a crate of Blue Sun Beer and threw one over to her companion, "Cheers!"

"Out of the frying pan....and into politics"

"Captain, this really can't go on."

Seren lifted her head from the basin where moments earlier she'd been revisiting the night before in the worst possible way. "I....totally....agree", she said looking bleary eyed, "Oh no...."

Elena Galewind raised her eyebrows and looked up at the ceiling, averting her eyes from the retching figure in front of her.  From the basin, she heard a voice mumble "Where does this all come from? Where?".

"In most humanoids, the stomach can hold around one liter and in some obscure cultural observations as much as one gallon of liquid although as you are discovering, it is inadvisable to do so."

Seren peered up from the basin incredulously. "Thank you so much for that."

"In all seriousness Captain, it would be for the best if you drank lower quantities of alcohol. Maybe something to focus the mind on?"

"Hand me a towel, will you?" Seren asked, taking it from Elena as she offered it and using it to cleanse her face of sweat, "What would you suggest? Gladitorial combat or sandworm rodeo?". She gingerly moved across the Persephone cargo bay, holding her stomach and shaking her head before falling back into the retractable sofa.

"Captain, having witnessed your combat skills and buffalo-yak riding, I would not recommend either."

"Sometimes I don't know if you're being sarcastic or you actually mean what you say."

Elena smiled and retrieved a datapad from the shelf. She touched the screen and it illuminated her face. "I was thinking something more along these lines". She handed Seren the datapad.

"Run for the Beit Dawla? What, are you serious? This is your solution? What, my ever-closer ruin, impending criminal charges, Gulgus Machydon's presence on Araxes and my entire life falling apart isn't enough, you want me to shoulder the responsibility of like, an entire planet? No wonder I turn to drink. "

Elena tilted her head. "Captain, ....you do yourself an injustice. I have known you for many years and in all that time you have never failed to show the ingenuity, resilience and as your father might say, bloody-mindedness to get yourself out of many awkward situations and prevail. You have suffered in many ways. You understand the plight people tolerate because they have no other option...."

"You mean bloody-minded as in being cantankerous right? I'm always up for compliments, thanks for that....oh by the way I also steal, smuggle and generally get up to no good. Perfect candidate, right?"

"Through necessity. Not through choice. Did you not leave supplies at the station in orbit of Dragons Egg for the refugees of Hale's Moon when it would have been more beneficial to sell the products here on Araxes?"

Seren laughed "And where did it get me? Boarded by raiders and in a coma for a week."

"You are a compassionate person. Irrational, excitable and occasionally reckless perhaps. You know how government works, the sort of people that it attracts and what they do with the power they have. "

"On Rette, on Nena maybe....come on, this is a whole different kettle of fish. This is Araxes...."

"Regardless, I have already prepared a speech for you and submitted documentation on your behalf."


"What?!". Suddenly Seren felt unwell again, leaning forward holding her stomach.

"Indeed, I received confirmation from the authorities a short time ago."

Seren sat hunched over, her head almost between her knees silently listening to the faint rumble of the energy systems and sensing the pulsing throb beneath her feet.

Minutes passed in quiet reflection. Then Seren lifted her head, her eyes closed with fingers clenching the bridge of her nose. With a faint smile in her voice she said  "Sometimes I really think you have a loose connection".  She opened her eyes and looked at Elena with a clarity of thought and purpose "So you really think I can pull this off, huh?"

"I would not suggest it otherwise. Even in a worst case scenario, I believe you will gain much from the experience. However, you should rest. You have a busy few days ahead of you and I need to prepare..."

Seren lay back on the sofa, watching Elena as she walked away to fulfil her duties. Looking up at the ceiling of the Persephone, she allowed a smile to cross her face. Elena had delivered the kick up the arse she'd needed and she knew it. Her companion knew her too well. "Delegate Undercroft...well, it does have a certain ring to it I suppose."

Corrosion

"What the heck is this?"

Seren stood on a landing platform where the Persephone was berthed and squinted up into the sunlight at the figure of Elena Galewind, who was perched on a hastily assembled scaffold assessing the hull of the ship.

Elena turned and kneeled, "Hello captain. It would be wise for you to join me up here. We have accumulated damage".

"Damage?!" Seren's voice was both angry and curious at the same time "How is that possible?". She clambered up the scaffold and on to the platform. She didn't know if the wobbling was down to the struts or the alcohol but she noticed Elena staring a little too long.

"I'm not drunk if that's what you're thinking."

Elena didn't answer but instead focused on the gaping hole in the Persephone's hull that had exposed the underlying frame, servos and wiring. "As you can see captain, the hull seems to have been corroded in some fashion.", her fingers moved around the hole, "It does not appear to be weapons fire, the corrosion appears to have developed slowly rather than in a sudden burst. I have the droids running scans as we speak."

Seren moved in closer  and orbited her fingers along the rusting hole. Small clouds of dust fell from the hull where she touched. "It's very brittle. What's the extent of this to the whole ship?"

"I am still running diagnostics on that. However, I have noticed additional corrosion on more exposed areas of the ship.", Elena pointed to the rear of the ship and a rusting brown tint. "As soon as I come up with a solution, I shall let you know."

Seren rubbed her face. "This is the last thing we need right now. On top of everything else, we really don't need this!". She sat down on the platform and dangled her feet over the side, looking out towards a desert obscured by the wreckage of the ARPharma complex

"Could that be responsible?", she said as she pointed to the ruined structure.

Elena's head tilted from side to side, a giveaway trait of her training . Seren had always taken it as a sign Elena was thinking particularly hard about something.

"It is not impossible. Given the heavy pounding the city received from the Hoto Nagi during their recent incursion...."

"So the 'Seph could have been damaged in the battle or by something leaking out of the facility?"

"I shall look into it." said Elena, somewhat preoccupied as she tapped away at a datapad, "There is an increased amount of toxicity in the air. I will need to run further analysis and liaise with the authorities and others nearby".

She would have continued with her findings but noticed that it was the Captain's turn to be preoccupied. For a moment Elena seemed unsure of whether to speak as she attempted to judge her friend's mood.  "It is unfortunate we find ourselves in this predicament."

"This isn't your fault, Elena. Not the damage to the hull or....", the Captain paused momentarily, her lips pursed together, "Look, you weren't to know Salome was buying those engines from Gulgus, let's move on as best we can."

Elena nodded but ventured, perhaps unwisely, to comment further.  "It was most unfortunate to hear of Ms Moonkill's premature demise. For all her flaws, she did seem to point towards a future a little less dark. It seems to have affected you more than you have let on?"

Seren nodded and reached for her flask. She put it to her lips and drank a full quart. "Didn't know her Elena, never got the chance. Maybe she could have made a difference. Maybe not. We'll never know". She paused for a few moments before she turned to her companion, "Besides, you think anyone here cares about her or us, for that matter? We're just a  grain in the sand along with the rest of the people on this overblown sandpit. Ready to be sifted by the powers that be or end up being dusted off someone's carpet."

The Captain glared into the setting suns with an air of frustration. "Do you remember the days when this was sorta fun? The days when we stayed in sleazy hotels and drank too much in the bar? How'd we end up here?". The question was rhetorical, the captain had already began to clamber down the scaffolding. Elena had no reason to ask where the captain was going. It was the same place she'd come from. The nearest bar.

Upheaval

The  port at Splintered Rock was brisk with activity. With the blockade now lifted and traffic free to leave the planet, the port was noisier than ever. Freighters docked, loaded and left, replaced with new freighters eager to deliver their goods or load them up for planets afar. The USD military presence was still felt strongly. Their fighter craft patrolled the skies with yet more docked on the platform ready to take off at a moment's notice. The  familiar smells of fuel, livestock, cinnamon and smoke sat heavily on the air.

And yet there was a feeling of change, a fresh outlook. The Laandsrat appeared to have been toppled. The Magistrate and the Leaders of the Great Houses were incarcerated in various places or otherwise under very close observation. The Beit Dawla, the recently formed second chamber of the Araxian government had claimed control of the planet. Powerful members of the Guild had been sent by the Sovereign Emperor himself to personally prosecute the Laandsrat.

Numerous factions had raced to deliver a cure. AR Pharma, the Blue Sun Corporation, Clan Misrim, the Companions of Paquin and numerous others. Some free, some not. Some worked, some didn't.

Yet, there had been much change, and as Seren worked on repairing the 'Seph, she knew the turbulent politics, wargames and posturing on the planet had cost her dearly. Unable to leave the planet, she hadn't been able to fulfil her obligations. Her cargo had rotted or was now surplus to requirements, her customers had now procured new suppliers. There were financial penalties invoked and she'd been liable for them all. Their offices, up on the orbiting High Port station had been reclaimed. The Persephone itself was again in need of repair and she'd used the last of the company's credits to buy and smuggle the parts necessary. The budget for the PTC was a tight one and having one ship out of business was a costly exercise. Even now as the blockade was lifted, she was missing out on important business opportunities. Unable to get the 'Seph in the air, she couldn't take on any work and the Folly wouldn't return to Araxes for another couple of days.

All in all, she thought, whilst she was glad about the changes happening on Araxes, she'd wished it had been a little less harsh on her personally.

"Undercroft!", the grizzled male voice seemed to echo in her ears a little too long. It was a voice she recognised - a voice from the past and one she hadn't expected. Not here. Not on Araxes. She turned to look down from the side of the Seph's hull where she was strapped into a harness.

"Gulgus. Gulgus Machydon", Seren strained to look cheerful as she lifted up her visor, "What brings you here?"

"I'd have been here sooner if it wasn't for this blasted blockade.", he grinned showing a fleet of yellowing teeth within his large jaws, "Have you got my power converters fitted yet, eh?"

Seren's brow wrinkled as she abseiled down the hull to the floor. "Your power converters?"

"Aye. You bought them off me just last week. Not you yourself, not in person mind. A excitable blonde and a very pompous woman. I wasn't sure how you were going to get them past the blockade but I knew you would. Aye, I knew you would. After all, you're versatile in so many ways..."

He eyed her up and down, letting his wandering eyes linger. Unstrapping herself from the harness, she glared angrily at the floor, nodding her head and pursing her lips. She realised what had happened. Why Galewind and Salome had been able to locate the parts so quickly and cheaply. If there was one thing worse than being in financial debt to Gulgus Machydon, it was owing him a personal debt. She knew the comment about versatility was meant exactly as he'd delivered it. Sick, slimey, leering.

She looked up as she undid the final buckle,"So, how'd you find me?"

"I was told you had offices up at the station", he looked up at the stars briefly, "Very unfortunate what's happened to you. Very unfortunate indeed and given your situation....", he walked slowly looking around, "...you'd want safe harbour. Where safer than the capital city itself? Here you can sleep and eat. Out in the desert...", he paused, slowly delivering his words, "that's another story.'"

"Seems like a lot of effort to find me, Gulgus."

 "Oh indeed, indeed", Gulgus's good eye seem to twinkle, "Good happenstance and good business are always good bedfellows especially in my line of work. It appears I arrived not a moment too soon either, know what I mean?"

"No, not really. What do you want?"

Gulgus's brow became furrowed and he stuck his nose into the air taking on a serious, more regal demeanour. Seren had seen this before. Gulgus had a unique way of being sleazy and regal at the same time. "Times are changing in the New Paradigm, my dear. Relationships between the Fortuna Collective and the Promise of Securitas Faction grow stronger with each passing day as old differences are put aside to make way for our glorious new future." He turned to face Seren directly. "But some things aren't so easily forgotten.... "

"Grinch." Seren said it coldly.


Gulgus nodded before continuing "There are voices, important voices, within the Promise calling for his killer to be brought to justice...as a sign of mutual respect and understanding."

Seren turned on her heel and stared grimly into the setting Araxes suns. "You still haven't told me what you want."

"There are ways and means of keeping you out of the Collective's clutches, young Undercroft.", Gulgus walked behind her and placed a large greasy hand on her shoulder, "We'll  come to a mutual arrangement that suits us both, yes?"

"What makes you think I need your help?"

Seren could hear Gulgus's smile in this voice, "You know you do. Without me, everything you've achieved will be for nothing. You, rotting away in a Collective prison cell. No, no....we can't have that. Besides, the wheels are already in motion.....", he moved his head next to Seren's ear, standing uncomfortably close behind, "I'll be in touch."

Hearing his heavy set footsteps walking away, Seren's calmness cracked, her trembling hand nervously ferreting across her face, her eyes narrowing.

All in all, things were not going well.

[Log] Alliances

"Alliances.

They can be small things, that glint in the eye in a given situation. An understanding that lasts for seconds but has profound consequences.

They can be vast things, spanning hundreds of worlds and thousands of light years and bringing peace and happiness or war and suffering.

They can be strong. They can be fragile. Strengthened by trust or broken by betrayal.

At this point, I don't know what sort of alliances I have. I just know that I have them.

With Elena Galewind. She's stood with me for the past twenty years. A constant companion, loyal to the end.
With Salome. I'm still not sure where I stand with her. She's a hell of an engineer but she's a mystery. She has her own agenda, her own demons, her own path. I'm a stepping stone on a larger journey for her. I don't know if I can trust her.
With the STFU. The Serenity Trade and Freight Union is making its presence felt on Araxes now. How the Guild perceive their presence is yet to be seen. They come with tales of friendship, of future wealth and prosperity. They've already worked out deals with the locals I've struggled to broker myself. There was no option but to partner with them in this new era of free trade and enterprise. The blockade here on Araxes has almost broken Persephone Trading. Given the choice of sinking or swimming, I'm choosing to swim but I've no doubt something lies beneath the waves.

I've survived worse things of course. The death of my mother. The genocide on Icarus Five. The savage beatings, rape and slavery onboard Grinch's ship. I've even survived the plague of Araxes.

I keep on ticking. Forging ahead with a smile and an endless supply of one liners.  It's all a lie. There are no alliances. There's just me and whoever happens to be around at the time. I will do anything to keep this company afloat. Anything. Grinch found that out the hard way when I discovered what he'd done. "

*******

Seren sat at the log station, transfixed with a melancholic stare, her own blank image staring, strong and unbreakable like the hum of the station engines. Lights flickered hypnotically across the terminal.

"Mistress? Are you around?". Elena Galewind's voice came clearly over the intercom.
"I'm here, Elena", Seren spoke wearily, "What's up?"
"Salome requires authorisation for the purchase of two new power converters for the Persephone. Should I authorise?"
Seren allowed a small smile to play across her face. "She managed to find some then, eh?  How much?"
"Around 1500 credits for the pair. A rather good price. I suspect we will not find a more cost effective solution."
"They're stolen."
"It has never stopped us before, mistress"

Seren rubbed her hand across her face, leaning her elbow on the desktop in front of her. "Authorise the payment. And get back to the Araxes system as soon as you can. An STFU ship should meet you on the outer rim of the system. Hand them the converters, they'll bring them in to me"

"As you wish mistress. Galewind out."

"Alliances", muttered Seren alone, "Occasionally useful."

Marooned on Araxes

Seren sat at the communciations terminal in the Araxes High Port offices of the Persephone Trading Corporation and frowned. Leaning back into her seat, she monitored the communications coming from the planet's surface. The whole planet was now under quarantine. The virus that had already claimed the lives of so many on the surface had now recorded its first official victims on a frieghter several parsecs away. The Admirality of the United Systems Directorate had locked down the planet "for everyone's safety" and positioned five warships in orbital positions. No-one was questioning them. A brief conversation with the USD officer Darkwolf had put any aspirations of leaving the planet firmly on the back burner. Oh, how she'd pleaded her point. Explained how her shipments of Spice Coffee were due to reach the Inner Worlds, how her business contacts were expecting her to complete important negotiations back in the New Paradigm. It had come to nothing. Only medical ships and officers were allowed to leave the system.

While she found herself marooned, the rival Vulture company which dealt with medical supplies was free to come and go as they pleased. She wondered if that was what Darkwolf had meant when he said "some people were making money out of it". Seren knew what she'd have done. Shoved her boxes of Spice Coffee underneath the boxes of used medical supplies and smuggled the goods out. 

"Miss?", the voice came from the freshly hired receptionist, Terena, "I've finished the last of the transport dockets.Can I head back planetside now?"

"You may as well" said Seren hoarsely, "There's nothing going on up here. The shuttle is still running. If you can't get back up tomorrow, don't worry about it"

The receptionist nodded and collected her things from the desk. "How about you Miss?"

Seren swivelled the chair around to face the receptionist, letting her arms drop limply at her side. "I'm waiting for a transmission from the Folly.", she sighed, "Then I'll probably have an early night. Too many sick people down there..."

She paused noticing the expression on the receptionist's face. A poorly hid look of fear. "...But I'm sure everything will work out. You've got your coveralls and facemask with you, yes?"

Terena nodded, emphasising the bagpack she carried. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Miss."

Seren smiled and waved weakly, swivelling back to the computer terminal which was being bombarded with images of sick people, administrators, soldiers and safety advice. Disasters on a planet wide scale seemed to be more prevalent than ever. It wasn't so long ago that Hale's Moon had imploded into a million pieces of rock. Talmont was out of bounds for reasons so far unexplained and now Araxes risked falling over the edge of destruction.

A light flickered in the bottom right of the screen. Incoming Message. The panopticon of disaster slid out of view and was replaced with the familiar  face of Galewind sat at the work terminal of the Folly. 

"Salutations Mistress! I have news!"

"You got me a permit to get off this rock?" said Seren, hopefully.

"Um, no mistress. I have word of your father. It appears he was last seen hitching a ride on a freighter destined for Botany Bay..."

Puzzled, Seren exclaimed "Botany Bay? Hitched a ride? Oh, this just gets better and better."

"Mistress?"

"I'm stuck here on Araxes and he's off galavanting around the galaxy."

"Indeed. We shall carry on bravely without you mistress. I am currently piloting the Folly to Botany Bay to rendezvous with your father."

Elena Galewind looked away, was momentarily distracted, her fingers dancing over the terminal buttons. "I have to go mistress. Approaching the Lagrange Point space station - they will be wanting to do an inspection. Farewell!"

The screen darkened and then reset to the live disaster footage. More sick people, more guns, more administrators mouthing weasely words of comfort. 

"You still haven't told me what happened at the Laandsrat", she said wistfully to the screen where Galewind has been, before swivelling in her chair in nonchalant boredom.

[Log] No good deed goes unpunished

There's a saying that no good deed goes unrewarded. Well I can say I'm still waiting for my reward. All I have so far is broken bones, a face that looks like I went five rounds with Buffalo-Yak and thousands of credits worth of damage to the Erinyes.

I'd just entered the sublight transit route to the NPC when the Erinyes was attacked by marauders, pirates, scoundrels - whatever you want to call them. Unluckily for them, I was cargo free. Unluckily for me, that made them mad and I ended up laying in a pool of my own blood on the cargo bay floor. They damaged most of the systems onboard including life support which wasn't recycling enough oxygen for me to regain conciousness. Still, I suppose I should consider myself fortunate that all they did was beat me to a pulp. I was still wearing my clothes when I was discovered by a passing freighter.

My internal organs are still recovering. The medic says it will take a few weeks for them to fully regenerate so I'm bandaged up and resting until further notice. Business doesn't take a break however and much to the frustrations of father, Galewind and I headed back here to Araxes for the Beit Dawla ceremony.

Hopes that someone with a business inclination might have been elected were soon dashed. It turned out that the Magistrate has used her powers to put forward a senior "Leader of the House" , you might say. She didn't make it to the ceremony but I saw holo-pics. I think I met her by chance in the Water's End - which incidentally doesn't exist anymore having being replaced by some sordid looking joint - but anyway I disgress. As for the Magistrate - she's cunning that one, she can keep a careful eye on what they're up to and, well far be it from me to say she might influence them from afar but....you know politicians. Especially politicians who are used to running the whole planet and suddenly find themselves having to associate with the commoners. .

The Ceremony was full of the great and good. The Magistrate, the Companions, the Reverend Mother plus a few others I'd never seen before. The strange child for example. She didn't seem to say much. Come to think of it, I don't think I heard her speak the whole evening. She kept tugging at the Reverend Mother's skirt. Don't know what all that was about. I didn't think she had a child. And if it's not hers.....well, we all like a bit of gossip and scandal don't we?

Some odd looking blue chap was also there. Looked like his head was made up of two pieces moulded together - he had a ridge going right down the middle of his face. I asked him where he was from and it was some strange sounding name I didn't recognise. I think he's one of the Federationalists but I'm not sure. He's got an office up on the High Port station - he's in the trading game much like myself. Could be an opportunity for making some credits but then do I really want to associate with someone from the Federation? It's never turned out good for me before.

Jade Moonkill, the electorate's favourite seemed a little flustered and lost. She also turned up late. So that bodes well for all concerned...right?

The semi-robotic scientist chap was there. Senet Blackburn. "Tomorrow's Future, Today!" was his campaign strategy and we'll have to see if he lives up to his promise. The Myrmidon are now represented in both Houses of the Araxes government with Skymet winning her seat. Lord Oteyem, of House Morloch also gained a seat giving them another powerful voice in government. We'll see how it goes.

Oh, since I'm back and people decided to start renting office space in my absence, I'm setting the High Port office up the way I like it. I'm always amazed how someone with such a amazing mental capacity can be so deeply lacking in style! Which reminds me....I need to locate some purple hair dye.

Seren out.