13
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HASTE
WHEN GRANDPA ASCENDED, he lost some language skills. That’s what Stephanie’s brother had said. Sometimes that happens, he explained.
Stephanie just thought Grandpa was lazy. Ferdinand’s aunt had ascended and become a sleek shuttle capable of fitting a crew of ten. And she was still as eloquent as she had always been; she even communicated with the non-Gneiss who needed to be shouted at because they were too simple to understand Gneiss vibrations. In fact, Ferdinand had dreaded long trips using her because she insisted on reciting poetry the whole time.
Grandpa just thrummed low threats at her.
Don’t.
You left me no choice, she replied.
It is blasphemous. It is anathema.
It is my only option since you exiled me to this station. What did he think he was going to do about it? Once he’d trapped her on the station and made his deal with Ren to not allow Stephanie to leave, he had slammed her cell door shut. But he couldn’t control her actions within the station.
With the humans sufficiently distracted by their own dead and dying visitors, Stephanie returned to the ossuary to collect the mess that was Ren’s body.
She had lied to Mallory. It had been easy. While it was true that Gurudevs did break down fast after their deaths, if their brains were developed enough (usually by contact with a superior symbiont), they stayed around longer after the body had fallen to base components. She knew Ren would leave behind a watery mess of a body, the only recognizable evidence being a small organ no bigger than the tip of her finger. And that was enough.
Except the ossuary was strangely quiet. It was usually quiet, but there were often a few people having hushed discussions, reliving the old days, planning what they would do when they woke up and left the ossuary. But no one spoke.
She glanced around the ossuary, and nothing seemed amiss in the low light. She did have the feeling that all eyes were on her, and she didn’t appreciate the audience.
Stephanie walked over to the shuttle where she had stashed Ren’s body. It wasn’t there.
Only blood streaks marked where he had been lying atop the sleeping shuttle.
Where is it? she demanded of the residents. No one answered.
Ferdinand, Tina, what’s happening?
There are a lot of things happening. What specifically do you mean? Ferdinand responded.
Nothing. Nothing’s happening. How are you? Tina said from the same direction as Ferdinand.
Tina. What did you do?
Her idiot friend didn’t answer. Stephanie swore to herself. She’d have to find them. It felt like everyone knew about this conspiracy against her.
She needed that body.
Tina is the smart one.
Shut UP, Grandpa.
She knows what you did.
Tina doesn’t know what day it is.
Hey! Tina’s distinct vibration finally piped up, louder than before, as Stephanie had expected. She was so easy to bait.
Where are you, Tina?
Pause. Ferdinand’s.
Stephanie relaxed a fraction. It was salvageable. Ferdinand was the sensible one.
His comforting rumble came through. Tina’s right, Stephanie. This is a bad idea.
Stephanie swore, and began to hurry.
STEPHANIE HAD HAD to explain Gneiss etiquette to Mallory. In discussing words and their societal meanings, the humans learned that impatience was rude in Gneiss culture. For patient, sentient beings so long-lived, who could survive being pulverized so long as they had their symbiont to eventually help put them back together, the need to hurry somewhere was patently offensive.
“So telling you to hurry is equivalent to telling a human to fuck off,” Mallory had ventured. “And telling you to be patient is insulting and redundant.”
“That sounds correct, yes,” Stephanie said.
Gneiss bodies were not designed for quick movement, not in humanoid form, anyway. Stephanie’s steps boomed through the hallways as she walked as fast as she could to Ferdinand’s. The longer she took, the bigger the chance of someone stopping her.
She walked into Ferdinand’s bar and looked around impatiently. Tina sat at the bar with a cloth sack at her feet. Blue blood had soaked through in a few spots.
Ferdinand stood behind the bar, leaning in close to talk to Tina. Very few other people were in the bar, but they all turned when Stephanie stomped toward her friends.
You had no right, she said.
It didn’t belong to you, Tina said archly.
Stephanie. Why are you doing this? Ferdinand asked calmly. And then, before she could answer, he amended, I mean, why do you think this will get you what you want?
Because I will be free! They don’t trust me and I will be here until the station dies at this rate.
I trust you, Tina said.
Stephanie stared at her. She thought hard for some time while the others waited. But I tell you what I think of you on a regular basis. I don’t think you’re very smart. And your cheerfulness is irritating.
You’re stating facts. That’s how I know I can trust you. Betrayal and murder and regicide are sneaky actions. You’re not sneaky at all. Tina sounded as if she had thought about this and was firmly satisfied with her logic.
So you think the only people who would murder you are the kind of people who will lie to you for favor? Ferdinand asked.
Yes.
He looked at Stephanie. She won’t last a hundred years on the throne.
Her need was immediate, but she caught Ferdinand’s plea in a subtle vibration. Please help. She looks up to you.
Tina. Regarding me and my possible murderous intentions toward you, you’re not wrong. I have no ambitions for your position. And while I don’t particularly enjoy your company, I don’t want to kill you. And I appreciate your trust when my own family doesn’t believe me. But please promise us that you will pay attention when someone is rude to your face. Because those kinds of people will absolutely kill you if they have designs on the throne. And that would make Ferdinand sad.
Now about that sack.
You’re hurrying, Ferdinand said coldly.
An opportunity appeared. I took it, Stephanie countered. I don’t think you two understand that I am trapped here. The station agreed to my grandfather’s rules, so I’m stuck here. Infinity wouldn’t let me off the ship on Earth. Why won’t you see how serious this is?
Tina shrugged. Old people either change their minds eventually or they forget the rules they made. We figured you’d just wait him out.
The station could be falling apart around us, and I know my grandfather would rather take Tina to safety than me. Do you still think waiting is a good idea?
You had these plans long before yesterday, Ferdinand said. You’re letting emotions rule your decisions. You’ve spent too much time with the humans.
They have nothing to do with this, Stephanie said.
Don’t they? I thought the female was a catalyst for violence, Tina said, frowning.
But it has nothing to do with me. She doesn’t affect non-humans. Now give it back.
Too many of our people know what you did. No doubt the Sundry already know. Station security will be interested in it, too. How were you planning on hiding this? Ferdinand asked.
Stephanie slumped. She sat on the stool next to Tina. Are you going to report me?
I need to know why you did it, he said.
Stephanie didn’t like needing people. She didn’t like trusting people. That might be why she had connected so well with the human Xan, who was also alone in the galaxy. He relied on his own resources. It was out of necessity instead of choice, but he seemed used to alone time.
She ground her jaw more, enjoying the taste of her own body as she pulverized another layer of her teeth. I’m not in a hurry. I’m opportunistic.
But why now? Tina asked. For once she didn’t look stupid; she looked almost crafty as she asked her question.
I feel like it’s time. You don’t. That’s your decision. But it’s right for me. I need my freedom, and I can’t be around my grandfather if he is convinced I’m going to overthrow the throne.
Ferdinand looked at her and then looked at Tina. They couldn’t communicate even sub-vocally without her catching on, but they still managed to come to a decision together.
Let’s go to the ossuary, Ferdinand said.
You’re coming with me? Stephanie asked in surprise.
You’re going to need help. Or were you planning on doing it alone? Tina asked.
It had been a detail that Stephanie hadn’t let herself think about. She guessed she would have asked Xan for help when it came down to it, but her own people were a better choice.
On the way back to the ossuary, Tina looked down at her. If your grandfather was holding you here to keep me safe from you, why did he allow us to hang out together?
Stephanie laughed aloud, and it echoed through the hall. He can only control me so much, and he can’t control you at all. He was so mad when you got here and we made friends. And he literally worried himself into a damaged engine when we went to Earth together.
Tina laughed. You called me a friend!
I suppose you are one, now, Stephanie allowed. But we should hurry.
And Grandfather stayed silent.