Treacherous

Bell woke early, or at least before anyone else. A peek in at the children showed the room was still dark, all of them still sleeping. That relieved her. She’d been worried the children, especially the boys would have problems getting over their ordeal.

Attendants joined her uncalled as she moved out of the main wing of the ship. Not guards, but servants, all women. She gave several tasks as she walked. Breakfast was to be prepared and sent to the children and Riddick, delivered in an hour or so. Someone would need to go to the nearest planet to retrieve clothes, toys and teaching supplies for the children.

She reached the small room they’d taken Ramsay to. It was off the main medical wing where a technician had volunteered to do the delicate work on her best friend. Seeing him in pieces was harder than she’d thought it would be. Not human, she reminded herself, but emotions don’t always listen to reason.

“How is he?” she asked.

It was the same technician as the day before. If he had helpers they weren’t present, but she couldn’t imagine how he’d done so much alone.

“I was going to send word today, My Lady. It is wired with several controlling devices as well as tracking and monitoring systems.”

“He.”

The man looked surprised, and lost.

“His name is Ramsay. It’s a he. ” She brushed her fingers across Ram’s brow, his hair messed from being handling. “He’s more than just an android, okay?” She smiled, not wanting to be too harsh with the man that held Ramsay’s fate in his hands. “He’s been a friend for a long time. Be careful.”

The technician nodded, looking a bit concerned for her sanity, but she didn’t give a shit. Yeah, it was a synthetic. Manufactured and programmed, and essentially disposable, but not to her. “I’ll take care of him, My Lady.”

She nodded, assured at least that she’d made her wishes known.

Back in their room she sat before the computer system and was only mildly surprised when it powered up. Riddick was repeatedly showing his thoughtfulness. It more than flattered her when it was her he’d been thinking of, and doing things for.

She was in search of information.

Every inhabited world through the universe had some sort of satellite system. It transmitted information and communications, around that world and to universal links. The system was used for everything from education, to broadcasting news, to personal communication.

Bell was looking for information on the UDMC, or more importantly, she was looking for news.

The UDMC had come to power around a hundred years ago. They were billed as the Universe’s security force. And maybe in the beginning that’s all it had been. Or it could have just been that people weren’t looking so closely back then.

It was over the past four decades that they’d really been making headlines. Deaths, disappearances, extortion, embezzlement, and multitudes of criminal acts. Most were in the headlines for just a single mention, others stayed for weeks, or until courts could decide an outcome. A majority of the verdicts were in UDMC’s favor. Over the years there were attempts to control their governing force, but their rise to power was quick and effective.

A planet to base their research and headquarters off of had been established about twenty years ago. It was centrally located in the explored universe, and was heavily policed.

Bell found what she was looking for, but none of the answers she needed.

“You look troubled.”

The woman standing beside her could only be the Elemental known as Aereon. Bell wasn’t startled. She’d sensed someone was close, but had expected it to be someone invited. The woman was a vision of shimmering white in a world of gunmetal gray. Bell had to wonder why the woman was choosing now to finally appear. “Aereon?”

“Riddick shows you partiality.”

Bell smiled as she glanced back at the bed where Riddick appeared to be sleeping. But looks were deceptive. “Because I’m not dead?”

Aereon regarded her silently, “The Necromonger race has been overthrown. That power is held in check, but not dispersed. What are you considering, child?”

Bell stood, not liking the woman’s tone. “Only ideas. What is your purpose here?”

She smiled, trying to appear defenseless. “The outcome of the battle on Helion Prime was of importance. I came to lend a hope.”

“And did you?”

“You do not trust me,” she said slowly, truly inspecting her now.

Bell chewed her lip for a moment. “I question your loyalties. You aren’t here for him. So what do you want?”

“The prophecy had to be told for others to find a man like Riddick. I was here for all of mankind.”

Bell shook her head. “Let’s jump to the present here,” she snapped. “Helion’s as safe as any human can make it. He’s done the work you wanted. Now what’s your purpose on this ship, right now?”

Aereon smiled, “You are a hard woman.” She started walking, not away, but more as just an attempt to show her disappearing ability. If she meant to intimidate Bell it didn’t work. “The Necromongers call you ‘My Lady’. I have not heard Riddick’s opinion of this, but that it has continued interests me. Then he takes the entire force off of Helion Prime. For you. He has never spoke of you, yet you appear in this ominous hour.”

“You must be a detective. Let me fill you in on the details.” She stood with her arms crossed now. “Riddick and I met on Tangier 2. He fathered my sons but then ran off to U.V.6 where you had him nearly killed with your bounty. Militia likes Riddick a whole bunch and wants anything that has to do with him. They’re not opposed to stealing children. They nearly killed me and then dumped me on Helion Prime on their way to meet the new Lord Marshal. He did the right thing and rescued the children. The Mongers started using the title on their own. No help from me. Did I miss any of your mysteries?”

Aereon was smiling that too innocent smile. “You see the significance of the title, I see.”

“Aereon, that’s enough.”

Riddick strode at them in only his pants. Nice view. Aereon faded back a bit, but didn’t disappear. “I was speaking to your guest.”

“Accusing more like. You think I need a sitter?”

She smiled, “Educated in the penal system, remember?”

He smiled too, with that little hint of teasing, “But trained by Militia. Not as stupid as you’d like.” He stopped beside Bell, not touching, but close enough to show that he’d chosen a side, if just figuratively. “You’ll have a frigate waiting to return you to your home world in an hour. Your presence isn’t necessary.”

“Or tolerated,” Bell added.

Aereon looked between them, her smile appearing fond. “Furyans. Always defiant,” she said with a generous helping of pride. She faded back even further, showing that she meant no threat. “You both hold power that you don’t understand. Learn it. Utilize it.” Bell frowned at the guidance that showed the old woman knew things that she and Riddick had never spoken of to anyone but each other. “Each strong, but together you are indestructible.” She surely got the reaction she wanted, because Bell’s mouth had to have fallen open.

“You’re talking riddles again,” Riddick grumbled.

But the Elemental was looking at Bell. She nodded, that strangely knowing smile still in place. “Resistant.” She shook her head in mock aggravation. “Just like a Furyan.”

Bell watched the older woman waver out until she disappeared completely. Did she use doors or was she lingering in the room somewhere?

“She’ll be out of here today.”

Bell nodded, but she was lost in thought now. Had the Elemental antagonized her on purpose? Had she disrespected Riddick to see her reaction? Had she thrown accusatory statements at her to see what her response would be? For what Bell knew of Elementals it would fit. She had to calculate something. And how to know a person was giving an honest reaction without threatening what they cared for or making them believe you thought the worst of them.

Tricked. It was how she felt. Aereon had led her on just to see what kind of person she was. And then had spouted mysterious appraisals of who they were. Indestructible? Had she really said they were indestructible? The woman had to be loony. Nothing was indestructible and, Furyan or not, they were still human.

She left the room quietly. Riddick felt for her, or at her, as she went but she just kept going. She was too confused to be around him right now.

The kids were awake when she pushed into their room. It was one place where she knew Riddick wouldn’t immediately follow. The food carts arrived right after she did and she stayed to eat with them.

~~~~~~~

“My Lord, a scouting party is returning.”

Riddick stopped in his tracks. He checked in with the command deck regularly. This one little room monitored every ship and everything within every ship. A fistfight on a frigate at the back of their procession could be reported to him in minutes. No one had ever mentioned scouting parties.

“How many scouting parties are there?”

The man he asked looked hesitant, hearing his aggravation, and had to swallow before speaking. “There are four, My Lord. Each is a hundred men strong.”

Four hundred soldiers out there picking fights. He had no doubt that’s exactly what they did. Looked for small systems with just a single planet inhabited. If they could take out the ‘threat’ they’d surely do it, and relish the fight. They could team up for larger fights, or if that wasn’t enough they’d bring in the big guns, setting the entire fleet on the doomed people.

“Bring them in.”

“Sir?”

His voice rose. He did not like repeating himself. “Bring them all in. They are to be isolated to their ships and aren’t allowed to dock with any other ships, including this one. I want a record of all the planets they’ve ‘scouted’.” He wasn’t sure why he asked for it, but he did want it.

He turned to leave once again, sure the Necros would carry out his orders to the letter, no matter how distasteful they found it. Then he stopped. “What were they returning for?”

The man looked up once again, appearing weary for the continued conversation. “They must re-supply their ship and unload their store as well as give coordinates to any planet or system they’ve found.”

‘First to go through the Threshold.’ He left the command deck knowing his orders would be followed, and that there was more still to be done. The Necromongers had been thorough in their ‘clean-up’ of humans, attacking from so many angles they were hard to track.