The Queen & Morvina
Ralphic
THE CAST:
Morvina, Ralphic, Carsasi, Astromic, The Queen
Morvina had failed.
She’d failed on every front. Her reconnaissance mission was over, her team was dead, and the reserve team isolated, with no support or any way off the planet. The queen knew the location of Residuum and was diverting an armada on its way to the Sol system to destroy it. Their ship was known to the Zerot and being hunted down; her children were in mortal danger. She was incarcerated with the Geminian female, awaiting the queen’s pleasure, which would inevitably end in death for both of them.
‘I’ve failed you.’ She turned to a forlorn-looking Ralphic. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘We have failed,’ she replied. ‘You cannot take the blame. It was always a possibility. We knew what we were getting into. Ultimately, it was I who assured the fate of Residuum. The tracker attached to my vessel. I should take the blame, not you.’
‘Thank you, but it was my mission, and I’m their leader. That makes me responsible.’
‘Is there anything we can do?’ asked Ralphic. ‘You were once higher beings, so I’ve been told. Isn’t there any way you can get a message out of here to warn those in danger?’
‘During our application, we were able to contact the ascension council, but we never ascended. They won’t answer random messages, and anyway, they don’t interfere with lower matters of the galaxy. Their code forbids them.’
‘But it’s worth a try, is it not?’ Ralphic said bullishly.
‘I used to know how to do it, but without masking, the Zerot would pick up any attempt instantly – even if I could remember,’ replied Morvina.
‘I can mask it,’ said Ralphic. ‘We hid the thoughts of our collective mind from the Zerot on our planet for twenty years. Let us try. The queen could walk through that door at any moment. We have no time to debate this.’
‘I’ve misjudged you, Ralphic Carrind,’ Morvina said.
‘You were correct to have suspicions. My race is a led by a hive mind and possesses no, how would you say it, common sense, and is dangerous. But I’m free of the hive mind. Enter my mind, please, and try.’
Morvina entered Ralphic’s mind and sifted through layers of protective illusions before finding the platform used to execute the Geminians unique form of ESP. She recalled the handed-down instructions from a quiet corner of her mind, constructed a message and despatched it.
‘Done,’ said Morvina.
‘Don’t open it!’ Carsasi warned Astromic. ‘We’re in enough trouble as it is.’
‘But it’s about the Zerot and our crew of warriors.’
‘I’ve told you that this project is no more. Anyway, how do you know?’
‘I peeked,’ Astromic replied defensively, ‘but no one will find out, the seal is still intact. I peeled away a virtual corner, one might say.’
‘Astromic!’ Carsasi thought for a moment. ‘Who is within our range that could open this?’
‘The Count,’ he replied.
‘Then forward it on,’ Carsasi instructed. ‘Get it out of our sight!’
‘Yes, my dear.’
‘My word,’ she sighed, ‘just one more thing for the Nitere to drag us through the mire about. Add it to the long list. I’m not looking forward to this council meeting. Our friends the Qai are going to have the best of times belittling us.’
‘We’ll soon find out,’ Astromic said. ‘Don’t you think it’s time we bite back?’
‘The Schumberlay would never agree to such behaviour.’ Carsasi looked at Astromic, her eyes trying to look deep into his mind. ‘What are you thinking?’
‘We’re about to be dragged over the red-hot coals by the Nitere. Let’s tell them what we think. Attack them instead of defending. Then, suffer the consequences back in the Point of Ascendency.’
‘Interesting,’ Carsasi said. ‘I’ll give that some thought. Some of our brethren would agree with you. In the meantime, let’s keep on the tail of the Taxa vessel. I struggle to imagine where it will go next.’
The ancient queen looked down from her throne at Morvina who was held by two drones with laser lassos, one on each wrist, forcing her arms out – designed to humiliate, not to be overly painful. Morvina’s expression was as always, none; she wouldn’t give the queen satisfaction on this front or let her dictate the agenda.
‘So, this is where I ask about the bloodless coup, and you feed me some farfetched story that my race still exists, or how you later slaughtered them before subjecting me to a horrible death?’
‘That is exactly how this conversation will play out,’ the queen replied amiably. ‘The story gets passed down from queen to queen but, until now, never retold. I can tell you before your horrible death.’
‘I’m listening.’ Morvina tugged at one of the too-tight lassos.
‘The plan was always a bloodless coup,’ the queen began. ‘Most of Zerot held you in high regard. The coup was believed necessary by a faction bent on obtaining advanced technology to assist overthrowing the hierarchy of the queens that they blamed for the great war. They planned to seal most of your race within the Point of Ascendency for a thousand years. Those still on your planet were to be put in status, also for a thousand years, and sent into deep space on the vessel in which you still travel. Our masters and the then queen knew of the plan and destroyed the gateway device. Your race still exists in the Point of Ascendency, where, I’ve been reliably informed, ten thousand years is just the briefest of moments.’
The queen smirked and continued. ‘And now the horrible death, which I will postpone for a day or two, as the one I have planned isn’t horrible enough. Take her away.’
‘Hold on one moment. “You have masters?”’
‘Did I say that? A slip of the tongue, my dear. I said, take her away!’