Chapter 186: Breaktime's Over

Chapter 186: Breaktime's Over

Sheloran’s pupils dilated like a kitten’s as she munched.

“These are amazing!” she exclaimed. “What are they?”

“Cicadas, Martian cicadas, to be exact,” Gloria said as she reached into the bag. “Nobody knows who set the little bastards loose in the domes, but they are in every hab now.”

“I’ve heard about these!” Sheloran enthused. “They live for years underground, don’t they?”

“Yep,” Gloria replied as she popped another one in her mouth. “This particular species spends eight years in the soil of the habs before they mature. They are annuals, though. Some of them mature every year, though. Whoever did it planned ahead.”

Gloria munched happily.

“The really weird thing is that these things aren’t natural. They are engineered. Somebody went through a lot of effort tweaking these little guys. They never found out who. Good thing, too. They would have locked them up for eco-terrorism back in the day. Now, we would build a statue of them. We love these little things, and they kept more than a few people from starving during the Sol Wars. They are a hell of a lot tastier than cockroaches.”

“I like cockroaches,” Sheloran said happily, “Especially the green ones.”

“Those are engineered, too,” Gloria replied.

“They are?”

“Yup. They made those especially for eating,” Gloria said, “Personally, I prefer the original, the ones from Zeus Seven. If you like roaches, you should go there. Billions of the things. They are so thick in some places you can’t even see the floor.”

“Wow!” Sheloran exclaimed, “And you can just go get them?”

“Yep. The whole place is filled with roaches and cats. You can hop a shuttle on Zeus Three or Zeus Eleven and fill bags with them if you want. You can bring home a cat too, if you can tame one... You can hunt Jovian rats there too. They are good eating, but it takes several to make a good meal. It’s a pretty good time, actually. If we are ever able to set foot in the system again, I will take you there if you want.”

“Yeah,” Sheloran said sadly. Odds are none of them would ever be able to go back. But, considering all of the trouble she brought down on everyone around her, maybe that was for the best.

She nibbled at a cicada.

“Gloria?”

“Yeah?”This chapter was first shared on the Ñøv€lß1n platform.

“Am I a bad person?”

“In this universe, what does ‘bad’ even mean?” Gloria scoffed.

I don’t know,” Sheloran replied, “I guess it means... bad.”

“See?” Gloria said as she reached into the greasy paper bag, “If you can’t even define the term, does it have any real meaning?”

Sheloran looked down at her hands.

“That asshole lawyer of yours did a real number on you, didn’t he?” Gloria smirked.

“He said...”

“He is a little pussy who got scared and bailed,” Gloria replied, “He said whatever he needed to in order to justify doing what he wanted to do, which was swim his little anchovy ass away to go hide with the other anchovies. You’re better off without that guppy. I’ll set you up with some real lawyers, not some startown wanna-be. Fuck him.”

“He said that I set everything up...”

“Well, if you did,” Gloria smiled, “then all I have to say is, ‘Good job.’ but you would have to be some sort of super-genius to do all of that.”

Gloria looked at Sheloran.

“Did you?”

“Did I what?”

“Did you plan everything, including us breaking you out?”

“I... No... There’s no way I could have possibly known that you guys would do that, and I didn’t know about Craxina’s people... I know it’s impossible... but...”

“But?”

“Oh, prophet,” Sheloran sighed, “I think... I think that I might have... I don’t know... I just wasn’t worried about Craxina or the girls at all. It was sort of like I knew that they would be ok.”

“You’ve had a lot going on,” Gloria shrugged, “It’s easy to get tunnel vision and not think about things you would normally worry about. Then again, you do some freaky shit, like with my nukes or those weird weapons you make, and Cerberus probably wants you for a reason. Who knows?”

“If I did,” Sheloran said quietly, “If I did use them as bait, that would make me a bad person.”

“Would it?” Gloria asked. “Let’s say that you somehow predicted how things would go down. If you did predict the Harkeen and the Careel, then you would have known that the Harkeen would have walked into those lances and your people would not only be safe, but the Harkeen would go down, hard... and you would get away with murder. Not too shabby.”

Sheloran made a sad squeak.

“Murders...” she said with a quivering voice, “Oh prophet, I... I pooping killed those people!”

“Yeah?” Gloria shrugged, “What’s your point? I would have killed them, too, and I wouldn’t have been anywhere as nice about it as you were. Anyone worth a fuck would have done the same if they could.”

Gloria smiled ruefully.

“Then again,” she said, “I might not be the best person to judge.”

Sheloran sighed and hung her head.

“I think I might be... bad.”

“Honestly,” Gloria said, “I don’t think you are. I know some bad people, really bad people, and you aren’t one of them.”

“But I’ve killed.”

“In a perfect world,” Gloria said, “You would be right. Killing would be bad, but this ain’t a perfect world, not by a damn sight. In this world, the one we are stuck with, fucked up shit happens, and when it does, sometimes fucked up shit is the right answer for it.”

She shook the cicada bag.

“I’m going to eat all of these if you don’t,” Gloria said, “Grab some more before I do.”

Sheloran glumly took a cicada and munched on it.

“Let’s look at this from another angle,” Gloria said, “When the Harkeen struck, what would a ‘good’ person have done?”

“They... They would have called the police?”

“And what would have happened?”

“The Harkeen would have gotten away like they always do.”

“And what would have happened to you and your people?”

“We...”

“That’s right,” Gloria said, “They would have come back with new thugs, and nothing would have changed. You would have either been killed, wound up like that little hamster-looking thing, or run out of town, and your girls would be in their stable or someone like them. Your community would be owned by them by now. Tell me, is that a ‘good’ outcome?”

“No...”

“So was what you did ‘bad’ or was it ‘good’?” Gloria asked, “If we look at the results, the Harkeen are gone, not just from Freeport, but from all of Terra, the Republic, the Empire... and pretty soon the Federation as well. I would say that whoever was behind that did a lot of ‘good’, wouldn’t you?”

Sheloran’s eyes began to ripple as she gasped in horror.

She looked at Gloria with horrified eyes.

” Oh, by the waters,” she moaned, “We... we made a deal, didn’t we?”

“(munch)... Yep,” Gloria said nonchalantly, “And I set you up with some truly bad people to handle the job. They are mopping the floor with the Harkeen. Actually, crime scene cleanup crews are mopping up the Harkeen, but you get the idea.”

Sheloran let out a squeak of despair.

“But you already knew that, didn’t you?” Gloria asked, “I wouldn’t have gone ahead with the arrangements if I thought you were completely out of your head.”

Sheloran just looked down and said nothing for a while.

“I... I kind of knew... On some level, I knew... I... I just didn’t want to...”

“And with that deal, the Harkeen will never hurt you, that gummy bear that worked for you, that hamster chick, or anyone else ever again. You think what happened to you and yours was unique? They did that sort of shit all the time. Now, they won’t. Most importantly, they won’t ever do it to you or your people ever again. You made sure they would be safe. Fucked up world, fucked up solution. It’s neither good nor bad. It just is, like most things in this fucked up universe... You still owe me a pile of nukes, by the way. Those chuckies aren’t cheap.”

“I arranged for mass murder, and I’m paying for it with va’losh’kal...” Sheloran moaned. “I am a bad person!”

“With what?”

“With...” Sheloran looked confused. “With primitive thermonuclear devices.”

“And I used those nukes on...”

Gloria laughed.

“I was going to use those nukes to go after someone who is truly bad,” she chuckled, “But instead, I used them to teach some people a very valuable lesson... and didn’t even kill anybody! The point is that I’m using those nukes for a very specific mission, and that mission may very well save the lives of billions, maybe even trillions. Patricia Hu cannot be allowed to win. If she does, it will be the end of entire worlds, maybe even yours. Is stopping her ‘bad’, even if we have to get our hands a little dirty?”

Sheloran let out a strange, disturbing laugh that gave Gloria goosebumps.

” My world is under no threat from the likes of any human,” Sheloran snarled as her eyes started to swirl with colors, “The only thing she will find there is— Eeep! “

Sheloran squeezed her eyes shut and covered them with her hands.

“You ok?”

“No,” Sheloran said, her eyes still squeezed tightly shut, “I am NOT ok! What is happening to me?”

“Not a clue, dude,” Gloria said as she munched a cicada. “You are one freaky freaky freak. What is the deal with you Plath, anyway. We thought you were just a bunch of stupid farmers.”

“We are a bunch of stupid farmers,” Sheloran said as she cautiously opened her eyes, “Seriously! That’s all we are! We just farm! That’s it! We don’t... We don’t do all of the stuff I’m doing! It’s impossible!”

“Apparently not. (munch)”

“I have absolutely no idea what’s happening to me, and I’m pooping terrified!”

All of the energy bled from Gloria, and her eyes returned to normal.

“And then you flinch... Let someone talk you out of it... and the monster wins again.”

Sheloran gasped as she saw Gloria, at the controls of a ship lining the craft up on a large ship, smiling... closing her eyes...

It was going to happen!

“So you gotta choose,” Gloria said quietly, “right fucking now. You decide before it is decided for you. If you don’t... You will become just like me, and you do NOT want that.”

Gloria slumped against the wall.

“Keep the cicadas,” she muttered. “And fucking make up your mind. A lot of people are counting on you, trusting you with their lives. If you aren’t prepared to be Sheloran, they need to know before a ‘good girl’ lets them down.”

Gloria’s eyes glazed over and turned to dead, glassy orbs.

“Decide, frog,” she said completely without emotion, “You aren’t the only one who knows things, and I know you don’t have much time.”

With that, Gloria turned and walked away.

Sheloran collapsed, buried her face in her hands, and wept.

***

Uhrrbet nervously leaned against a tree next to an old camping lodge deep in what used to be a national park before Yellowstone, now deserted and unused save for the occasional gene prospector.

Half a dozen vehicles of every description pulled up, and a bunch of very nervous-looking Threen piled out, weapons drawn, looking in all directions.

The best-dressed one of them approached.

“Everything’s arranged!” Uhrrbet squeaked nervously. “As soon as the captain receives payment, he will land.”

“An’ how much of dis are you keepin’?” the threen snarled at Uhrrbet.

“Not a single credit!” Uhrrbet squealed. “I know better than crossing the Harkeen now. I just want things to be square with us! I swear! Please, just tell the Harkeen that I helped, ok? I’m not with Sheloran or any of the others! I just want all of this to be over!... Please...”

The threen looked deeply into Uhrrbet’s terrified, broken eyes.

“... Please...” Uhrrbet whimpered.

The Threen nodded and handed her a data crystal which she inserted into her tablet.

“It went through!” she squeaked after an appropriate amount of time.

“Lemme talk to him!” the Threen snarled. “I wanna talk to him again.”

“Of course,” Uhrrbet squeaked as she handed him the tablet, flinching as he brushed her hand.

“Yeah,” the Threen snarled, “Who ‘dis?”

A tentacled xeno appeared on the screen.

“This is Captain Yveeat of the free trader Fvv Kebth,” the xeno replied, “... An’ who you?” he added with a flutter of his tentacles.

“This is Bossman Vthoon,” the threen snarled. “The ‘who’ dat is paying you all those credits.”

“Welcome aboard, Bossman,” the voice replied smoothly, “I will be there in approximately twelve hours.”

“Dat long?!?”

“Do you want a stealth extraction or not?” the xeno replied, “This is blasted Terra itself. Getting released from the starport, faking a departure, and then looping back under stealth in twelve hours is actually something to be proud of. If you want a faster departure time feel free to buy a ticket at the starport, asshole. Did that translate properly, ‘asshole’?”

“You better be here, or you’ll be sorry.”

“Don’t you worry your smooth little brain over it, bossman,” the xeno replied, “Me good at flyin’.”

“You watch your mouth!”

“You find another pilot. I’ll gladly refund your fee.”

“... Just get here,” the Threen snarled and shoved the tablet at Uhrrbet.

“Ok...” Uhrrbet sighed with relief. “That’s all taken care of. They will be here in twelve hours. If you will excuse me, I will just—“

“Oh, you are stayin’ right here until they show up,” the Threen snarled. “An if dey aren’t here, we are going to skin ya... after we have our fun.”

Uhrrbet whimpered.

“But I did everything you wanted me to!” she yelped.

“We don’ know that for sure,” the threen snarled. “Besides, I got some time to kill...”

Uhrrbet’s tablet beeped three times.

“Wha?” the Threen snarled as Uhrrbet dove to the ground...

...at the same time as a single gunshot rang out for each Threen present.

Uhrrbet calmly stood up and primly dusted herself off as two dozen small figures seemed to appear out of thin air.

“Nicely done,” Uhrrbet said as they approached.

“Same at U,” the chuckie’s leader said, “U playd dem nice an’ sweet.” The chuckie handed Uhrrbet a data crystal.

“Ur tirty piezes,” it chuckled.

“Excuse me? Thirty?” Uhrrbet asked with both alarm and anger.

“Peac siztah,” the chuckie laughed, “Itz a figur a speak, frum de gud book. Da pay fer betrayal. Itz all dere.”

“Oh!” Uhrrbet laughed, “I do apologize. I’m still learning all of the idioms.”

The chuckie laughed with her.

“Same thing happen when I talk ta innies,” the chuckie laughed.

A weak groan issued from the boss Threen.

“I’m... gonna...” he groaned faintly.

“It wuz suppos ta be a one shot!” the leader yelled.

“It wuz a one shot!” a very young (looking) woman with a very big rifle yelled back.

“Den y iz it fukkin’ breathing?” the leader yelled back as he drew his sidearm.

He looked over at Uhrrbet.

“U jes set up killin or can U do da deed?”

Uhrrbet smoothed her snout.

“I suppose I won’t know until I try, will I?” she replied in a very proper “grey” tone as she reached for the pistol.

The Threen weakly tried to crawl towards his blaster.

Uhrrbet kicked it away.

She lowered the barrel of the pistol towards his head as he looked up at her with an expression of helpless rage.

“Pray tell, how does it feel?” she asked, “Being helpless?”

She pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

“U gotta press that red bit first!”

“Oh, I understand now. Thank you so very much.” Uhrrbet replied in a polished grey Garthra accent.

Bang

“Respek,” the leader said as she returned his pistol.

“Likewise,” Uhrrbet replied. “Thank you for the opportunity.”

The chuckie laughed.

“I liek U,” he chortled, “U funny!”

“I’m so very pleased that you find me engaging,” Uhrrbet said formally with a graceful little bob.

“So,” the chuckie asked as his people produced long blades and power saws, “U got anny moar fer us?”

“According to him,” Uhrrbet said, nodding towards the boss. “this was the last of the survivors, but you know Threen. I shall leave the posts up, just in case. Did you get enough samples to simulate him?”

“Yeh,” the chuckie responded, “anny moar show an he ‘vouch’ frum da graeve.”

“Excellent,” Uhrrbet replied. “Is that software available for purchase by chance?”

“I dunno,” the chuckie grinned, “U hav money?”

Uhrrbet gave the chuckie a demure little smile.

“I might have a credit or two on me...”