The Admiral and the Assistant

The Emperor beamed. At last, he had all the elements he needed. Now he just needed to introduce them to each other.

"Are you ready, Dass?"

"Would it matter if I said no?"

"Come, now. You should be excited! You and young Broca will be spending a lot of time together. It will be good for you to meet."

"I'm always excited to chat with someone while I'm being medically recycled."

They were in a special medical chamber that had been set up for Dass. It was as comfortable a room as a med chamber could be, all in white, filled with equipment that was keeping him alive. The extensive filters, which were constantly being changed out by a small army of Imperial medics, were keeping the hydroflux at bay.

It was actually improving his condition slightly. By Dass' calculations, if they kept up the intensive treatment for only 93 more years, he might actually be cured.

Probably better to stick with the Emperor's idea for now, though.

"Well, whenever he gets here, I'll at least say hi," Dass said.

The door beeped.

"Come in, come in," said the Emperor.

In the doorway stood a young man, unnaturally thin and pale. He nodded and stepped in, his movements loose, slow, and floaty.

"You must be Dass Gunstar," he said, his voice soft and ethereal. "I am Broca Brangwin."

"Ah... pleased to meet you. Excuse me if I don't get up. I've got about seventeen tubes sucking out my fluids. I feel like a pipe organ."

"It is of no consequence."

Dass frowned at the young man.

"You seem very... sanguine."

"Do I? Perhaps it is because nothing here is real."

Dass turned to the Emperor.

"Is this kid okay? Is he drugged up or something?"

The Emperor chuckled.

"He is under the influence of the Cryptographers. Just as you are the Mucilagean half that requires preparation, he is the human half, and also requires preparation. His preparation has been for him to be in close contact with the Cryptographers for a year. He'll be more himself once the Change is complete."

"Ah, good. I'd hate to think you were going to staple my brain to a vegetable." He turned back to the young Lieutenant. "So, Broca." Dass looked around, seeming at a bit of a loss. "Uh, how did you decide to become part of the Emperor's, uh, body?"

"I have been with the Cryptographers. I have learned their ways of thinking. As a facilitator to the Cryptographers, I have absorbed their energy, their being. As a result, the Emperor recommended this path for me."

Broca stopped talking and stared levelly at Dass.

"Ah, okay." Dass paused, but Broca remained silent. He was clearly not much of a conversationalist. "What, uh, what energy did you get from the Cryptographers?"

Broca's eyes wandered away again, staring off into space.

"I can... see."

"Okay. Good job."

"Not simply with my eyes. Not only photons. I can see through complications. Before, I could only see the outermost layer of any problem. Now, I can see the entirety." He brought his hands together and mimed untying a complicated knot. "There are many solutions. Each solution ties to another problem. Every solution is tied to every other."

"Okay, so you're a puzzle fiend now, too?"

Broca smiled thinly.

"Puzzles are meaningless toys. Once solved, they affect nothing. They are closed, futile." His eyes lit up. "Ruling a galaxy, now that is a puzzle with teeth."

A worried frown crossed Dass' brow.

"I'm not much of one for puzzles, myself. Though I guess I will be here soon?" he looked over at the Emperor.

"Not in that fashion, most likely. There is a satisfaction to ruling the Imperium well," the Emperor said. "I don't see it quite the way the Cryptographers would look at it, but it's certainly challenging enough in its own right."

"I see." Dass sucked in a breath. "I'm going to say, I don't know quite what I'm bringing to this party. You're bringing the know-how, this one's bringing the smarts, what do I bring? The sarcasm? The body jelly?"

The Emperor smiled.

"You bring the humanity."

"Aha. I thought that was the Terran's job. Not that he seems too human at the moment."

"That will change," the Emperor said. "You will both bring your humanity to the Emperorship. Your cunning and his idealism. I think you two will complement each other nicely."

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Dass still looked dubious.

"If you say so," he said. "I'm just worried we won't be a very good Emperor."

"You will not be a good or a bad Emperor. You will be the Emperor. You will be guided by the experience of 800 years of ruling. You will simply continue as you have, as you will." The Emperor sagged in his seat, looking very tired. "You will be me, I am you. Though it is time and past for the Change."

Dass frowned.

"I do have a question for you," he said finally. "Why did you wait so long? If it's such a burden, why didn't you do this twenty years ago?"

"I had to wait for you to come to me."

"You had to wait for me? Couldn't you have sent a message or something? 'Dear Dass, plz b ruler now kthx.'"

The Emperor shook his head.

"No, you had to come to me of your own accord. I had to find you naturally. I could not have simply picked a Mucilagean. As the Emperor, I live on the edge of the Cryptographers' rules already. Choosing a Mucilagean would have broken the Solution."

"Couldn't the Cryptographers have fetched me?"

"That would be against the rules, as well."

"Well, at least they follow their own rules, I guess."

"They must. Without the rules, there is no game. A Cryptographer who can break the rules is dangerous." The Emperor's face pinched in thought. "Speaking of," he continued, "there's something you two should be aware of..."

Kinnit sat in the mess hall with Lucy. Lieutenant Lena Solborne, Admiral Dermot's Assistant, was with them.

Lieutenants Daos and Voth had been invited as well, but had declined. They didn't appear to find wedding planning as exciting as Kinnit did.

Kinnit had her scanner out. She spun through a list of venues, projecting the data over the table for the others to see.

"Having the ceremony right here on the Swordheart would be convenient," Kinnit said, "but we do so much onboard already. For such a special occasion, it would be nice to do something different."

"What about one of those luxury cruises?" Lieutenant Solborne suggested.

"Oh, I thought of going back to the Ophir again, but I think Grimthorn's been banned from it. Though I don't know if it's the whole cruise line or just the one ship." She rested her chin in her palm. "It would be beautiful to have the ceremony on the Star Deck, though."

Lucy piped up.

"Hon, if the Admiral's wife wants her wedding on the Ophir, I don't think a little ban from some civilian would stop it."

Kinnit flushed heavily. The Admiral's wife. The phrase made her feel giddy. A goofy smile spread across her face.

"I, I... I wouldn't want to abuse my position," she said. "Or, or abuse my husband's position." Her skin darkened from its usual pale red to a deep brick-red color. She suppressed the urge to giggle. "It wouldn't be right."

Lucy smiled indulgently.

"You're a sweet girl," she said. "What about a a wedding on Gethwin? They have the most wonderful hotels and restaurants. The casinos have the most amazing shows every night." Lucy sighed. "I'd like to get out there someday."

"Gethwin? Isn't that where they have all the gambling?" Kinnit asked.

Lucy chuckled.

"It's the main reason anybody goes there. It sounds so exciting, doesn't it, hon?"

"I-- I don't think I'd be comfortable around much gambling," Kinnit said.

"Oh!" said Lieutenant Solborne. "I know! You guys could get married on Letri Prime!"

"Where's that?"

"It's out in the Gion system. Hold on, let me look it up."

Lieutenant Solborne pulled up something on her scanner and projected it over the table.

"There. Wouldn't that be perfect?"

The projection showed a video of a laughing couple walking down a garden path. Enormous flowers lined the path, with blossoms the size of the man's torso, in a riot of colors: purple, yellow, red, and blue. Thick, lush greenery pressed in from all sides. Lettering swept in to the video.

"Letri Gardens. Perfect beauty and perfect weather for your special occasion."

The video faded. Kinnit's eyes grew wide and round.

"Lena, that's amazing."

"Yeah, they've got this whole continent where these crazy huge flowers grow. You could set your venue there."

Kinnit quickly looked it up on her own scanner and watched the video again.

She tried to tell herself to keep an open mind, to look at other options, but her heart had already been captured by the enormous, beautiful flowers of Letri Prime.

Admiral Stonefist was working late, as usual. A beeping sounded from the door.

"Come," he said.

The door slid open, and Lieutenant Baric stood there, looking a bit stiff.

"Lieutenant," Grimthorn said. "Come in. I thought you'd be enjoying your weekend already."

"I wanted to speak with you, sir." His eyes were locked forward, staring straight ahead.

"By all means. Come in, have a seat."

Sol stepped up to the Admiral's desk.

"I'd rather stand, sir."

Grimthorn sat up, suddenly formal.

"What do you have to say, Lieutenant?"

"Sir, I've put in for a transfer out of your office."

Grimthorn's eyebrows rose.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Lieutenant. Would you feel comfortable telling me why?"

"It's just... time for me to move on, sir."

Grimthorn's brow creased.

"Is this because of me and Kinnit?" he asked.

"No, sir. It's--" Sol paused. "I don't think so, sir."

"Speak freely, Lieutenant. I won't hold anything you say here against you."

Lieutenant Baric's mouth twisted.

"Sir, you and Kinnit work well together. You're both singularly valuable to the Imperium. I will admit, I find your... relationship... untoward, sir. Speaking freely."

"Go on."

"I know it's not my place to have an opinion on it, sir. I know that since you-- since I saw-- what I saw, I know it's all been cleared by the Emperor. I know all these things, but it still feels wrong, sir."

"I'm very sorry that we've made you uncomfortable, Lieutenant. I'll admit, we've acted outside the bounds of propriety. However, I would ask you to reconsider, Lieutenant--"

"No, sir. I meant to say, I find your relationship untoward, but that's not what has affected my decision. I don't believe so."

"You don't believe so?"

Lieutenant Baric frowned.

"I've been thinking a lot, sir. It's about you and Assistant Kinnit, but not your relationship. It's clear I'm not needed here, sir. You two, you're..." the young Lieutenant waved his hands around, grasping for the right word. "You're adventurous. You're bold. You're both heroes. I am not. I am suited to desk work. That is all I will ever be suited for."

"Lieutenant, you're capable of far more than you realize."

Sol grimaced.

"Then let me clarify. Desk work is all I ever want to be suited for. This office, this ship... it needs you. It needs Kinnit. It does not need Sol Baric."

Admiral Stonefist winced.

"Lieutenant, I hope I did not ever make you feel undervalued."

"No, sir. I recognize what I am and who I am. And I am not what this office needs."

Grimthorn nodded quietly.

"Very well. I'm very sorry to lose you, Lieutenant. Naturally, I'd be willing to write you a Letter of Support for your next post. If you'd like, I can recommend some postings for you, rather than letting the system assign you."

"I would appreciate both of those things, sir."

Lieutenant Baric stood up straight. With careful deliberation, he saluted Admiral Stonefist.

"It has been an honor and an education serving in your office, sir. Thank you for everything."

Grimthorn stood and saluted back.

"Likewise, Lieutenant. I wish you the very best in your next posting."

Lieutenant Sol Baric executed a perfect about face, and marched out the door.