《The Necromancer》


 Prologue

    Entry into Space


    Little is known about Humanities first steps into space: even less is known about the time before. We know for certain that the Data-Cruisers leaving Earth all perished, and with them the records of older history. But the discord in the surrounding years ensured the loss of any other information regarding those times ¨C and so our entry into the depths remains a mystery.


    It is conjectured that the Great Departure occurred at some point in the 23rd century (E.C.), and that it was not until the 30th that relative calm was restored, for a short while. The centuries between that were marked by the colonisation of a large area of space, the Sapiadae sector: to use its name as it is in the common dialect of Interconnected space. This colonisation was fractured ¨C in fact, it was a frantic rush for resources. At the time, the Ruling Powers remained close to each other, and several wars broke out in the making of borders and claiming of systems.


    Interestingly, wars of this sort have never happened again. The great battles that ensued after the 30th century were generally between only two Powers (and never between any of the Great, due to the rise of the Navy), and fought with devastating technologies rather than soldiers themselves. For this reason, it is easy (even if you are not a historical scholar) to identify the period in which a battle was thought, for more recent clashes have always been given the title of ¡®Skirmishes¡¯.


    In the colonisation of new solar-systems ¡®planetisation¡¯ played a major role, for the Powers were keen for new cities and homes on terra-firma. The construction and habitation of these lasted for only a little time, two Earth-centuries at the most. Not only were the costs of terraforming too great for continued planetisation, the cost of transport (in and out of orbit particularly) was too great to be viable. Modern historians, as is their wont, consider it a foolish endeavour to begin with.


    Eventually the problems were realised. The end of the First Grace was signified by a second mass Departure from planetary cities, generally into space habitats. Very few Powers remained planet-side, and in latter days this was symbolic of great riches. It is worth noting that at the time the Powers were still very much antagonistic to each other, and so each was desperate to gain a foothold in space-habitation first. This led to several catastrophes; minor skirmishes broke out between fleeing ships; a failure in safety check-ups led to the rupture of the colony ship Varetia; and an incomprehensibly large number of people were abandoned on planets. These were primarily the working class ¨C some were saved in later times, but more were ignored completely. The capitalist state of mind at the time was unconcerned by this negligence of Human rights: it wasn¡¯t until the debates of the Schism that this occurrence was brought up again. But that is another story.


    The re-entry into space-habitats led to large economic booms, although the communities that developed were not the nomadic and free people the past had imagined. The majority of people lived out their lives on mining platforms or in asteroidal or lunar cities. The inequalities only grow with time, although certain habitats grew in size to be akin to planets themselves. Space-habitats had saved civilisations large costs ¨C but transport, particularly any between solar systems, was still too costly to be feasible for those lacking money or friends in high places.


    From that point skirmishes became more common, and the estrangement of the Powers accelerated. Large swathes of space were left as borders between opposing factions, and it wasn¡¯t until the foundation of Interconnected Space and the Navy that the Dark Ages ended. That, at least, we have more knowledge about it.


    Communication


    The Dark Ages are generally attributed to the unfriendly Powers. This is incorrect: it was largely due to shortcomings in technology. Even the mightiest ships struggled to travel between systems in less than two Earth-months: communications via laser and more advanced technology took even longer, as any uses of gravitational assistance caused data loss.


    For this reason, most Powers were confined to only a few systems, and any correspondence with others was out of the question. A few Powers realised this, and in a feat of collaboration thought impossible they united the Great Powers, and ended the Dark Ages: but before we consider that, we must take a further look at certain ideas to prevent you from labouring under any misapprehensions.


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    The Powers


    The idea of believing the Powers we discuss to be governments is discouraged. They are, perhaps, empires: for the systems they control are managed by their own offices, and the habitats and planets within them also have their own representatives. It is a complex business. The minor Power of Anchores, for example, controls only two planets and three habitats, in one system ¨C yet they have 50 separate governments across those, in order to manage their populations. All the same, the denizens have similar beliefs, and all the subsidiaries of the Power are under the overarching rule of its Council.


    After the First Grace there emerged 15 Great or Ruling Powers, and 13 of those survived the turmoil of all the days that followed. It is of little importance to discuss these here, but worth noting their existence nonetheless.


    Measurements of Time


    You may have noted my usage of certain terms like days, centuries, and the like. These pose a problem to all people, because a year on one planet is a day on another. It¡¯s common practice to specify the location a time-period is based from, such as E.C., meaning Earth-centuries: Earth-based units of time have actually prevailed in a large number of regions, but they are still not completely common. If the location isn¡¯t specified, the statement is either being used for effect (i.e. many years ago), or in relation to the writer¡¯s location.


    Quite a few of the planets that survived the second Departure have similar orbits to Earth itself, which does help matters. Others, and space-habitats, may use their own arbitrary periods of time. It is impossible to explain the nuances behind all the measurements that now exist. As a rule of thumb, communications between space-separated locations refer to generations in an attempt at consistency; that was one of the changes put forth in the second treaty of Interconnected Space.


    The Foundation of Interconnected Space and the Navy


    Beret, Korvent and Event¨ªre were the Powers that put an end to the Dark Ages. Representatives from each met on the planet Kaster, in an attempt to open communications. Friends they were not ¨C and betrayal was feared on every side. But they were united by a common fear ¨C that some other Power, hidden by the gulf of space, would mount a crusade and put an end to all their civilisations.


    The only possible prevention for this was for the communications hurdle to be overcome. If the Powers could converse more readily, and have knowledge of the happenings in other regions, any threats would be diminished greatly. It was proposed by the ambassador of Korvent that if gravitational engines were placed strategically, and physical methods of communication used (written letters being the main idea), these could be accelerated to speeds large enough to connect the Powers¡¯ systems: the greatest delay in communication would be an estimated three months, between the two most distant Powers.


    This suggestion was well-received, but the idea had to be enacted ¨C and still, the Powers didn¡¯t trust each other to put it into place. Their fears were not ill-founded, but the deeds of Feren and Begofe after the Great Betrayal are not for these pages. The Connexions went ahead, and it was done in the name of the Allied Navy.


    The idea was this: the power would be put in the hands of an organisation headed by three ambassadors from each Power. Any decisions would have to be made unanimously, and without the input of anyone from outside the organisation. As more connexions were made, more Powers would send representatives to join the Navy. If they declined, they risked facing the wrath of all the combined Powers if they tried to wage war.


    At the time, only five hundred gravitational engines remained that would be of use to the project ¨C the art of supreme gravitational manipulation had been lost, and more modern engines lacked the power needed. It was decided that four hundred of these would be used, to link the Ruling Powers and certain environs. The others would be used in the creation of new battle and transport ships, which would form the Navy¡¯s fleet.


    Five hundred rotations of Kaster after that first meeting, a letter crossed the void. Not only was this making history, it was a feat of logistics never seen before ¨C the letter could not, for example, be allowed to pass through a planet or star, and so it was passed between two hundred separate engines and their respective ¡®post-offices¡¯. Within only two Earth months of setting out, the letter was opened an incomprehensibly large distance from its starting point. It read (in slowly fading terms, and securing the friendship of all those involved): ¡®I don¡¯t suppose you have any spare ink?¡¯.


    So ended one of the greatest undertakings in Human history. The Navy had successfully interlinked the Ruling Powers, and united them under the title of Interconnected Space.


    The Navy was a household name by the end of that endeavour, but their true strength was in their firepower. A great deal of Skirmishes were averted or halted by their efforts: the ships from the old gravitational engines were formidable battle machines, and a single one of them could take on an opposing fleet. For this reason, the Captains and crew of those ships became known as the most trustworthy people to exist, for the vetting process is incredibly tortuous to go through.


    A last point: the Navy is often called a Power. It is not. The only locations under its true jurisdiction are Kastor and Earth, though its ships roam throughout Interconnected Space and into the Far Reaches. Representatives play a part in all major decisions throughout the former ¨C which is why an Adjudicator was expected at Habitat Verrent, when this tale begins.

 Chapter 1: Verrent

    Ah! Verrent! They say it is one of the oldest stations still in existence - I can well believe it. I can see some of its hull from my window. The metal is dark and pitted, and mighty guns pierce its hide like the spines of a porcupine: remnants from the long-ago Delf Skirmishes, when they bombarded the very planet Verrent orbits.


    I have only left my home habitat once before - and that was to visit Rkha, the small dwarf planet nearby. Verrent was a far longer journey, and an unexpected one: in fact, I am still in the dark as to why I''m here. You see, a few weeks ago (that is, from my Habitat''s time-standards: space travel confuses me greatly) I received a communication which asked for my presence as soon as possible, onboard this very station. I would have considered it fraud, if not for the fact that it had been sent directly from the Lady Silvestre herself - who is, of course, the governor of Verrent. The reasons for this sudden invitation were left undisclosed - but I am not one to turn down the opportunity of visiting somewhere new.


    I hope I will not bore you in saying that I am a astro-epidemiologist. I engage in the study of pathogens out-of-atmosphere, which I can assure you is more interesting than it seems! Suffice it to say for the moment that viral behaviour differs greatly in Habitats than it does on most planets, and that is what my research deals with. Why that is of interest to the higher echelons of society, I lack any idea: for presumably that is what I am wanted for, having no social status.


    Admittedly, I have been shown all due courtesy on my arrival. I reached Verrent in the midst of the night, and was met by a kindly fellow who showed me to my room - which feels fit for Begofe themself! The cynosure is a great four-poster, which was enough to make me forget all my worries. By its side sits a small table, on which someone has thoughtfully provided a book entitled ''Animalcules in a Vacuum'': a piece of writing I have never had the pleasure of reading, and placed me deeply in my hostess'' debt.


    I am too tired to read it now, sadly. My bed looks exceedingly comfortable; I shall retire. Perhaps tomorrow shall shed some light on my current circumstance!


    <hr>


    Well! It has, at that - at least partly. I rose from bed as soon as I saw the sun''s light shine onto the wall opposite me, and washed and dressed quickly. I had planned to try and find my way to a communal area, which I was relatively certain I had passed yesterday. Thankfully, I was saved the possibility of getting lost by a knock on the door - the Lady Silvestre, I was told, was willing to receive me. The servant who gave me this news bade me follow him.


    My companion proved little-talkative, but I was grateful for him nonetheless: Verrent is a maze of corridors to the unwary, and we passed many corridors identical to the last. Each was no more than a metal tunnel, though they were disguised artfully. Carpets and hangings decorated them, and lent a musty scent to the air. I wondered, privately, whether the labyrinthine layout was another remnant from the old skirmishes, designed to confuse unwelcome boarders.


    It is no giant place, Verrent - it is minuscule compare to my home habitat. Yet it took us around ten minutes before we reached my hostess'' quarters. These were at the end of a long corridor, and marked by a door that looked designed to withstand a battering ram. Through this my guide vanished quickly, presumably to announce me. After a moment I heard a call, and stepped through. The Lady Silvestre sat at a large desk opposite the door: and it was a bare room we were in, evidently for business.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Before my entry, I had little idea of what to expect. I do not, as a rule, feel disposed to liking aristocrats - but if all were as kindly this lady, my prejudices would quickly pass! Certainly, I was (pleasantly) shocked by her ebullience; she lept up to greet me, and before I could stutter out a few words was shaking me by the hand.


    ''Doctor!'' she cried warmly. ''I am so glad you could make it here at such short notice.''


    I was caught off-balance by this friendliness, and replied in turn.


    ''I could hardly not, madame, when such a mysterious summons was presented at my door! Thank you very much for a warm welcome.''


    ''You ought to thank my husband,'' she said lightly, and bade me take a seat. ''I was responsible for your summons, but he for the manufacturing of the hospitality. It all goes over my head!''


    I laughed. ''It is the same on Herys'' - meaning my own Habitat - ''with the aristocracy.''


    After a moment I realised who I was speaking to, and flushed. ''Meaning no offense.''


    Now it was her turn to laugh. ''None taken, doctor. I deal with so many bureaucrats that a bit of honesty here and there is most refreshing.''


    I smiled both externally and internally. I had forgotten how important it is to be on your guard around some of the upper-class: why, my old Dean would have had my head hanging on his mantelpiece if I''d said that to him. Thank Feren for having me deal with someone more liberal.


    ''I will not keep you long,'' she continued, more seriously. ''But I thought it best to talk with you before you break your fast. Incidentally, you will find the dining hall just down the corridor, if you look to the first door on your left. There will be eleven others with you - all here for the same reason.


    ''I cannot tell you all now, but suffice it to say that we may - only may, mark you! - have need for your expertise. Soon, I hope, we will be holding council together: but we await one more for our number, a Naval Adjudicator.''


    I had been growing more confused throughout Lady Silvestre''s statement, but I started at her last words. The Navy! That told me something for certain; it was a serious business going on here. The Navy does not get involved, from what I knew, in just anything - in fact, I don''t think they had ever even set foot on my own habitat. Their Adjudicators are involved in all far-reaching decisions, but they are the stuff of myth and legend. I confess, the idea of meeting a member of that grand organisation thrilled me - and frightened me. For what would they be needed for?


    Evidently Lady Silvestre caught some of my thoughts, and she smiled knowingly.


    ''Do not fear!'' she said. ''It is more a formality than anything, and let us hope that it remains so. For the moment, concern yourself not with the future. Enjoy Verrent, and make friends with the others here! Most of them have been here for a little while now, and I am sure they will be willing to show you around. In the heart of the station lies a garden, which may be to your taste - but there is plenty to discover, if you have half a mind.''


    This I took to be a dismissal, so I rose and bowed deeply.


    ''We will speak again soon,'' she said. ''Good-bye!''


    So ended my conversation with the Lady Silvestre of Verrent. It had given me more questions than answers - but before I could set my mind to considering them, my stomach grumbled. It is wise, I feel, to listen to your stomach (particularly when it plays such an integral part in your body: I would be less inclined to listen to my coccyx), so I set out to the dining hall. Perhaps the people there could shed some light on our situation.

 Chapter 2 - Greetings

    ''Dining hall'' suggested a small room to me, perhaps for around 20 people: this would have been more apt for banquets. A singular table, at least 40 seats long, stretched down the room, and was covered in all the break-fasting food you could dream of - and a great deal of which I could not. There were silver toast racks, plates of eggs, bowls of fruit and grain, and a myriad of other food-sorts, from the common to the exotic. No technology was apparent, however: rather peculiarly, such things aren''t fashionable in high society.


    Marooned at the far end of the table sat the 8 folk I had been told about. Young and old they were, and it took only a second for one of them to note my arrival. Each gave an exclamation of greeting, and a space was made for me next to a lady dressed in vermilion robes: here, then, was a Master from the Citadel of Korvent. That Power is a kindly one, from what I have heard, and their Masters wise. But my knowledge of them comes from old books. I bowed deeply.


    ''You, then, are Doctor Trefoil?'' said the Master as I sat. ''We were told to expect your arrival.''


    ''Quite right, Master,'' I replied. ''I am glad to meet you all.''


    ''And we to meet you,'' said a man gruffly. He was tall and stout. ''One more until our number is complete! Too long have we been here already, twiddling our thumbs. If we knew what our purpose was perhaps we could have things sorted before this Adjudicator even arrives!''


    He eyed another as he said this, who looked back at him stonily. The Master caught my perplexed glance, and said to me:


    ''Adams and Smithson are the only two, excluding our gracious hostess, who know what business we are here for. Luret there is keen for the knowledge they hold.''


    ''It is not permitted to speak of it until the Adjudicator arrives,'' said that who was evidently Adams. ''Quash your eagerness, Luret. You know not what matters we are dealing with.''


    ''Adams is a businessman,'' said the Master exasperatedly, ''and has delusions of grandeur. Forgive him!''


    The others laughed at that, and I with them. After a moment they began conversing amongst themselves, and the Master turned to me.


    ''Too long have I been without the company of an academic!'' she said. ''You are a virologist, are you not?''


    ''I am indeed,'' I returned. ''Although, forgive me, surely you have not long since travelled from your citadel?''


    ''That route is longer, perhaps, than you imagine: if you are unfamiliar with inter-system travel. But even so, you are right. I arrived here a while ago for a different matter entirely, and was persuaded to stay by the Lady Silvestre.


    ''But come! Let us speak no more of this business until we need to. I am a Master of Biology, so we will at least be able to converse more readily about our subjects than most. Or, perhaps, you would prefer to discuss politics? The others are terribly unwilling.''


    ''I am most keen for the former point of conversation,'' I said willingly, ''but I fear my grasp of politics is limited. My Habitat is visited rarely, and news makes its way slowly to us. I confess that Verrent itself is completely new to me.''


    She looked apologetic at that, and shifted uncomfortably. For a moment, she seemed to consider her words.


    ''I''m sorry,'' she said. ''It is easy to forget how separate we all are! Our Powers are connected, but our people?''


    She shook her head sadly.


    ''The Citadel of Korvent is great,'' she continued. ''And I was lucky to be apprenticed there. But it is all too easy to forget the troubles of those outside its bounds.''


    ''Tell me,'' I said curiously, ''is it a Habitat like my home?''


    ''It is a city, in fact,'' she said. ''And a grand one. It stretches across half of the dwarf planet it sits on. At its centre are the Spires of Learning, and they pierce its meagre atmosphere like silver swords. What a view! In Winter frost coats every window, and in Summer it seems completely green with all its growing plants.


    ''The Lady Silvestre may have mentioned to you the gardens of Verrent - they are pitiful compared to those of my home. There is a delightful bird, singular to the Citadel, that makes its home in all the trees and even on the rooftops. We call them fletlers, which is bright-wing in the common tongue. In the evening sunlight they gleam with the all the colours of the rainbow.''


    ''You describe it vividly!'' said I. ''And now I long to visit. Too small is a Habitat when you know what else lies out there!''


    ''That is a thought many share,'' she said. ''But take care with what you wish! The wide world is more dangerous than you might think. There are many places I would not go. I knew some, when I was young, who fought in the Klaster Skirmishes: their stories still haunt me to this day. I feel they would have much preferred to stay in their homes.''


    Our conversation wilted into silence with that. I broke my fast with a meal of beans on toast. Soon, however, it sprang into being again. Skirmishes are dark thoughts, but surrounded by good food and laughter they struggle to find purchase.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    My companions, I found, were mainly from my own Power. Luret was from a neighbouring system, here as a diplomat - which seemed odd given his temperament, but his surly facade (and almighty beard) hid a kind heart. He was particularly keen for news of my own Habitat, and I of his - for it is always nice to be able to discuss local affairs with a compatriot. Iris, Fennel and Coval were all specialists in one field or another, and had journeyed with him to Verrent.


    Adams and Smithson, I found, were from some place in the Far Reaches, the name of which they refused to give. Adams dealt with business in their system; Smithson was a member of the local authority. Both were as secretive as the other, and I resigned myself to not gaining any knowledge of the goings-on until the Adjudicator arrived. Both their accents were strange to my ears, more so than the rich tones of the Master - they had a soft burr to their voices. It is not uncommon, of course, to have differences in accent even on the same habitat: but it is all the more noticeable when people are from farther away.


    ''There is not much to do here,'' said Luret after our plates had been cleared, ''apart from think. The Master Evelina may enjoy that, and perhaps you also, Trefoil, but I myself prefer more active pastimes. Anyone for ventra?"


    By ''ventra'' he referred to the card game. It is played with anyone up of 2 players, designed for a tactical game rather than a lucky one. I hesitated before saying either way - I was aware of my promise to the Master, given her want to converse with a fellow academic. Evidently she noted my glance.


    ''I am willing,'' she said. ''But perhaps the doctor would like a quick tour of the station? I put down the gardens just now, but doubtless you will still find them brilliant.''


    I agreed to that most readily. At that moment I felt rather too awake for more sitting down - and I find relaxation is always more enjoyable if it is deserved. Adams and Smithson also declined, but the others decided to remain.


    ''Good!'' exclaimed Luret. ''I do not think my heart could take it if I were left alone. Come, my friends! When Trefoil and Evelina return we shall begin a new game, but for the moment I am eager to begin!''


    With that he leapt to his feet, and ushered everyone else up.


    ''Tally-ho!'' he said to us.


    ''A wonderful diplomat,'' said the Master, laughing, after he left. ''But he has enough energy to power a gravitational engine! Let us go!''


    <hr>


    ''And you say your city''s gardens are better? I find that hard to believe.''


    ''Be that as it may,'' smiled the Master. ''Yet there is a delightful tranquility to these ones, I must admit.''


    I said nothing. There is not much I can say I have been awe-struck by. Perhaps seeing my first star-ship, or my first glimpse of a planet. This, however, was more exquisite than them all.


    The gardens lay at the heart of Verrent, deep within the bowels of the station. I put them at perhaps a league across, and thrice as many long, given how far we walked through them without reaching the end. Garden was a word not fitting of it, for it was a jungle over and above. Mighty trees stretched towards the metal ceiling; ferns as high as me stretched across the ground; the metal plating I had become so familiar with had been usurped by a layer of leaf-mold, of humus and soil. There was beauty in its chaos, somehow. That place lacked organisation of any sort, and yet it seemed all the more wonderful from it. Flowers like miniature suns blossomed from long vines. The sound of birdsong was finer than the sound of any orchestra.


    For a while we talked of our respective research, which I shall not tire you with. Given how the Master was akin to a god in the realms of academia, she was terribly kind - and I forgot, in our journey, that she was from Korvent. I felt for a moment as if I were walking with a friend through the lands of my home. The path we travelled was evidently well-trodden, for which I was thankful - we would have needed a sword to cut through the banks of vegetation on either side. Far above, on occasion, flitted small birds, chirping to each other in their delightful tongues.


    At one point the path curved a little, joining another, and both ran alongside a stream that trickled along. There is another heavenly sound! Is there anything like it? I think not. Its sides were thick with luscious plants, evidently thriving on the water. This continued with us for a short while before splitting off once more. The sound of water died down until it disappeared fully. Before long we were surrounded left and right again by tall trees, with bark that looked as hard as the metal plates that lurked far above (and below) us.


    We stopped in a clearing some distance farther in. A small creature, akin somewhat to a deer, stood there and looked at us seriously with brown, sombre eyes, and a streak of white across its fur.


    ''That, surely, is not a native to conditions like these?'' I said quietly, so as not to disturb it. It gave me a curious look as if it wished to answer itself.


    ''It would seem that way,'' she said. ''But I rather feel it is. There are a great deal of creatures that have arisen via some odd evolutionary path: and I feel our hostess is one who has a respect for the natural world, and would not take a creature unfit for here.


    ''In my studies, we considered the sudden changes in phenotypes after the Departure: I presume you did something similar. There are too many species and subspecies to count nowadays, and some seem so different from another that they might be considered opposites, despite coming from the same branch. And, of course, there were the Wars of Engineering...''


    Her voice trailed into nothingness, and I felt a shiver across my spine. That is old history, from long before the Dark Ages. The name itself feels evil, once you know the meaning.


    ''Let us not speak of that!'' I cried quickly. ''This place is too wholesome for such marring topics.''


    ''Yes,'' she agreed. ''I''m sorry! Let us return to the others: we have been gone long enough.''


    I expressed my agreement. As we turned to walk away, the creature that had sparked our conversation gave a sudden start, and lept into the undergrowth. I wonder whether I shall see it again? Too quickly do things depart from sight, never to return! But I find myself in a fey mood when writing this. Ignore me!


    Our walk back was uneventful. A large beetle, coloured a wonderful iridescent green joined us for a little, and left as we came to the doors. Before I stepped out, I took a last look at the path we had traversed. The artificial light lent it a dappled texture, like a moon shining down. Then the doors opened silently, and closed just as silently behind us, sealing that wondrous place shut behind. The Master seemed to notice my sadness at leaving, and said lightly:


    ''Come! We shall return another time, given its impression on you. Luret will spit flames if we dally much longer - I have seen him do such a thing before!''


    I laughed, shaking away my melancholy. Would that I could have stayed there longer!''


    ''Well then, pray lead the way,'' I said. ''I am afraid that I forget the route back in its entirety: and I do not wish to end up walking out the air-lock!''


    ''To mimic Luret then, tally-ho!''