Last Call -- Chapter 11: 'Sympathetic' Exasperation
Author's Note: I have no idea why I'm so cruel to Gideon through Galen.
Really I don't. :)
"You know Matthew, I don't think you brought enough stuff." Galen
smirked, watching from a distance as Gideon sorted through his gear.
Not appreciating the sarcasm, the Captain glared at the Technomage.
"Don't you have a ship to fly?"
"What makes you think I'm not?" His face was serious behind the smile
and Matthew sat back on his heels. Gideon opened his mouth but promptly
closed it, dismissing his question with a wave of his hand. He shook
his head slightly before returning to lift from a bag his EVA suit.
"Why does that perplex you so?" Galen stepped around the Captain as he
began to circle. They had left the Excalibur's docking bay nearly ten
minutes previous, making one large sweeping pass across the front of the
bow before opening a jump point to enter hyperspace. Not that Matthew
could tell; from within the darkened main chamber of the flyer, he
didn't even know they had left until Galen informed him.
Pulling the EVA helmet from the bag, Gideon cradled it in his arm as he
passed his fingers over the shield insignia attached above the visor.
In the dim reflection of the haze from the power globe above, he could
see Galen as he hovered, circling around behind. Undistinguishable
lights from distant control panels twinkled around the Technomage's
shape.
"Do you mind? You're making me dizzy."
Galen did as asked, stopping directly in front of Gideon. Sweeping
aside the open front of his coat, the Technomage slowly sank to his
knees, adjusting his clothing before reaching into the heap of the
Captain's gear. From a bag he pulled out the right glove to the EVA
suit and slipped his hand into it, flexing his fingers to test the fit.
The red o-ring seal bunched on the sleeves of the heavy coat.
"Don't go casting any fireballs through it. That's the only one I
have."
"Have more faith in me than that, Gideon." Galen pulled off the glove
and returned it to the bag. He sat back and watched as the Captain
fussed with the helmet, adjusting the array of lights that would
illuminate his path.
"How much time are you giving me?"
"Pardon?"
"How much time do I have before this ship automatically returns to the
Excalibur?" Matthew extinguished the lights, setting aside the helmet
before reaching for another bag. Pulling back the long zipper, he
removed the contents and spread them out in the small amount of bare
floor in front of him. Long canvas straps and harnesses of various
shapes and sizes were tied together in neat bundles.
"Oh that. I haven't quite decided yet." Galen's brow creased as he
looked at the probable hundreds of feet of strapping Matthew was sorting
in his lap. "Given the fact that I haven't done this before, I'm not
really sure. What do you suggest?"
Gideon pushed away the bag and stacked the bundles into sets, each
having the same number of straps and harnesses to make four piles
total. Reaching toward Galen he picked up a bright orange bag from
beside the Technomage and placed it near the piles. Opening the bag
with one hand, he reached in with the other and removed a portable
welder's torch, complete with a backup tank of acetylene. Galen's eyes
widened at the sight.
"What? I might have to cut something." Gideon saw the Technomage's
look of unease.
"Yes, well, it's just that you're brandishing that with such zeal…you're
making me nervous." Galen sighed happily when Matthew returned the
torch to the bag.
"You forget, I need you to fly this bird and get me there and back in
one piece." He rested his hands in his lap and glanced at the
equipment. "If all goes well and I don't have to cut open any hatches,
I'd approximate twenty minutes total. It'll take time to get the crew
into the harnesses, especially if they're injured and half conscious.
Can you give me at least thirty minutes aboard, plus a little extra to
make sure I'm set once we get back here?"
"Yes, that is fine, but if you are not back before the programmed time,
I will leave you behind. I will not be able to concentrate on masking
your presence and monitoring the Drakh if I also have to keep track of
the clock. It can't be reset for the same reasons."
"Can you keep the illusion up for an hour?" Gideon chewed the inside of
his lip, not liking the shades of gray that had worked their way into
the plan. "I mean, you don't even know if it's going to work, right?"
"I could lie to you if you wish." Slowly another wide smile lightened
Galen's face. "Honestly Matthew, I don't know. Oh it can be done -
illusions performed on the grand scale like Alwyn's golden dragon or his
holo-demons - but this is different. Within the illusion I must also
mask your appearance in space. Body heat, density, shape, size all must
be concealed. Each object you manipulate will need masking as well. It
will look awfully ridiculous for an access panel on the side of the hull
to suddenly emit heat."
Gideon frowned. The whole mission was beginning to be more complicated
that he wanted. He slouched, shoulders rounding as he stared at the
fabric of his pant legs. "Son of a…."
"Yes, that would be my assessment as well." Matthew replied with an
angry sigh. "Look on the bright side; at least we'll die together."
"That's not funny. It's about as appealing as dying with Max." Finally
the Captain smiled.
"I'm hurt." Galen looked pained. "Here I am, trying to assist you, and
you insult me. If that's the way you're going to be-"
"Galen."
"Well then, I think I'll just take my ship-"
"Galen."
"And go home, because I can't-"
"Galen, would you shut up?" Gideon was almost laughing, resisting the
urge to reach across his gear to clamp a hand over the Technomage's
mouth. Galen's smile returned and widened even further, making him look
almost maniacal.
"I suppose." As quickly as the smile had taken over his face, it faded,
his features becoming serious again. "I won't abandon you, Matthew, not
if I can help it. But you must understand, you will be alone once I
begin this endeavor. I will not be able to assist you with the
passengers. And I also must stress that it is very important that you
do not touch anything. I will give you access to the hatches, but
everything else will act accordingly if it is violated."
"Yes, I know. I've been aboard before, remember?" Gideon looked
around, still unable to distinguish more than the floor he sat on and
the faint lights from panels. "No touchy feely with your ship, I
promise."
"Excellent. Thank you."
"How much further?" Gideon asked, standing up to stretch his legs. The
Technomage did the same, his gaze becoming distant as if lost in
thought.
"Galen?"
"Just a moment." He paused before his eyes focused on the Captain
again. "Not too much further. We will be coming out of hyperspace a
good distance away from the freighter just to make sure our approach
isn't discovered."
"Good idea." Absently Gideon looked around again, needing something to
occupy his restless mind. Sarcasm was all that came to him. "Could use
some paint. Maybe a throw rug or two."
"You think so? I've always thought that one can't go wrong with basic
black." The Technomage crossed his arms over his chest and pondered.
Gideon smiled and looked over Galen from head to toe. "You know, I
never would have guessed."
"I don't have any problems clashing with my décor this way." He turned
and began to walk into the shadows, nearly disappearing if it wasn't for
the power globe light glinting off his scuffed head. Gideon cautiously
followed.
"Could you show me how many Drakh ships are positioned around the
Toledo?"
"As in the numbers my ship has detected?" The path became progressively
darker as Matthew crept forward, needing the faint sound of Galen's
boots on the floor as a guide.
"Yes, and where."
"You ask for an awful lot, you know." The Technomage stopped and Gideon
almost collided with him. Briefly Matthew heard the rustling of fabric
before a vid screen illuminated before Galen, casting him in
silhouette. Gideon took another step, his eyes concentrating on the
image. It wasn't a vid screen at all, but a projection like those
created in the Excalibur's map room. The edges around the image were
hazy, rippling as if it had been created on a surface of smoke.
"Nice. Kinda classy." The Captain watched in awe as the liquid crystal
color of the projection dissolved into a star field image, complete with
the Ghayn system's jump gate. Floating in the center and framed by the
large gaseous planet and its asteroid satellite, was the Toledo, its
hull marked by the characteristic red and orange striping along the
cargo hold.
"Thanks. I think so, too."
Gideon tore his eyes from the screen long enough to look down into
Galen's hands. They surrounded a metallic looking sphere, the top hand
moving to allow his index finger to use it like a track ball. Neon
green crosshairs flashed in the star field before the image zoomed,
enlarging the target. Displayed in front of his eyes was a Drakh Raider
and Gideon whistled low and long through his teeth in response to the
image.
"Long range probe. Virtually undetectable, unless of course you're
unlucky enough to fly canopy-first into one."
"Where can I get one?" Gideon's eyebrows lifted in amazement.
"One of a kind design. I made it myself, and before you ask, only
another Technomage can control it."
"Damn. So much for Matheson's Christmas present." Another ship was
targeted and zoomed into focus. This time it was a Cruiser. Galen
smiled.
"I'm not sure the Lieutenant would appreciate all he'd have to go
through to use it."
"No, you're probably right." Tentatively, Matthew reached out a hand to
motion at the display. "Can you back out and give me the overall
picture?"
"Of course." The image returned to normal frame, centered on the
Toledo. The neon green crosshairs still highlighted the Drakh ships in
the vicinity, distinctly showing three from that angle.
"All right, wise guy. How about a panoramic 3-60?" Gideon joked, happy
enough with the view he had. He did a quick double take as the stars
and the gate disappeared, leaving only the ships behind, the probe
relaying the information through Galen. The ships remained anchored as
the probe's vantage circled, pitched at a 45-degree angle to display six
more Raiders and an additional Cruiser, all fanned out in an arc across
the Toledo's bow.
"Okay, enough showing off all your swell Technomage toys."
"Jealous?" Galen chuckled, manipulating the sphere between his hands to
return the image to normal.
"Extremely." Gideon pouted.
"At least you are honest." The projection faded into the liquid crystal
gray image before disappearing altogether. Plunged back into darkness,
Gideon was momentarily disoriented.
"Galen?"
"Yes, Matthew?" The voice seemed to be coming from everywhere and
nowhere at the same time.
"Where are you?"
"Over here."
A power globe suddenly switched on, casting its light on the plain table
and chairs beneath it. Galen sat in a chair facing the Captain, a deck
of playing cards shuffling through his hands. Oddly, the light went no
further than the edges of the table, even though it should have been
powerful enough to light half the room. Gideon slowly walked to the
table.
"What's this?"
"I figured we could use a distraction to fill the time. How about a few
hands?" He smiled, spreading the cards out before collapsing them and
splitting the deck. Casually he set the two halves together on the
short end and fanned them, recombining the piles at the edges into one.
Placing his thumbs along the top ridge, he bent the ends under,
effectively sliding the cards together as they cascaded down under the
apex.
"You play?" Matthew asked cautiously as he slid into the chair opposite
Galen's. "How do I know you don't have some probe hanging out over my
head to give you a look at my cards?"
"How sporting would that be? I am a Technomage, not a cheat."
"You mean they're mutually exclusive?" Gideon smiled, enjoying the
perturbed look on Galen's face.
"Yes, they're mutually exclusive." He mimicked in a whining singsong.
Done shuffling, he dealt a hand of five cards to himself and Gideon
before returning the deck to the middle of the table. Over his cards he
watched as Matthew considered his own, rearranging them to his liking.
Finally he plucked out two cards from his hand and set them on the table
face down.
"Two." Matthew's left thumb began to play with his ring, twisting it
around his finger as it rested beneath his cards. If it was a tell,
Galen wasn't sure if the sign was good or bad. It didn't matter. The
Technomage dealt him the cards he requested.
Galen's hand held a pair of queens. Removing the other three, he set
them beside the deck before pulling his replacements from the top.
Casually glancing at Gideon's hands, he noticed the ring had stopped
moving and the Captain's face was expressionless. Looking at his cards
again, Galen reordered them and sighed to himself. His luck hadn't
changed.
"Three-of-a-kind; jack high." Matthew spread his cards out on the
table.
"A little more than nothing. A pair of lovely ladies." He fanned his
on the table with his fingers. "Good thing we're not gambling-you could
probably win my ship."
"Is that an offer?" Gideon collected the cards and began to shuffle.
"Absolutely not." Galen paused, turning his attention inward, his eyes
becoming glossed. He sat unmoving for a moment, not even aware Matthew
had started to deal.
"Galen?" Gideon's voice fell on deaf ears. Turning his head sideways
slightly he stared at the Technomage in concern. Leaning forward, he
spoke again. "Galen!?"
"What?" As if a switch had been flipped, he suddenly reanimated. "Oh,
sorry 'bout that. You might like to know we've left hyperspace."
"When?" Usually there was a strange sensation when molecules elongated
and recondensed while traveling the brief distance through a jump point
or gate, but Matthew felt nothing. Without being able to look at his
external surroundings, he couldn't tell if the flyer was really moving
or not. Now that he concentrated on it, he realized total silence had
replaced the hum and vibrations he normally felt while aboard the
Excalibur. The lack of sensation almost made him think he was in a
darkened room planet-side.
"Just now. We still have a bit more normal space traveling to do,
though." Galen picked up his new hand.
"I don't understand how this ship can do half the stuff it does. It's
practically undetectable. You control it by thought-"
"It's a little more complicated than that, Matthew."
"Still, you gotta admit it certainly looks that way, or you'd be in the
cockpit instead of playing cards with me. I don't know where you end
and the ship begins." It was a different concept for Gideon to try to
wrap his brain around. He knew about stealth technology and the concept
of autopilot had been in existence since the earliest airplanes on
Earth, but Galen's flyer seemed to defy physics. Sensor relays were
able to detect the faintest signals and expand it to usable form,
boosting navigational capabilities to previously unknown proportions.
Galen didn't have to directly command it to do anything; it did
everything conceivable on its own.
"As much as I am a part of the ship, it is a part of me -- an extension
of my body, if you will. Sympathetic magic." Galen smiled, enjoying
the Captain's bewilderment as much as the hand he had been dealt. The
pair of queens was now a pair of sevens accompanied by a pair of tens.
One more of either and he would have a full house.
"You said that about your staff. They both can't be the same." The
debate had taken Gideon's concentration from his cards. As he looked at
them, he realized he had nothing to work with.
"Why not? 'Sympathetic' simply means that what effects one, effects the
other." Galen removed the lone three of hearts and slid it face down
towards the Captain.
"And how come the inside of it feels like we're sitting in a hangar when
the ship is no bigger than an atmospheric shuttle?" Gideon tossed the
Technomage his requested card.
"Because I have excellent interior design skills?" Galen laughed and
picked up his card, trying to conceal his delight in that it was another
seven. The odds were slim to none, but he now had a full house.
Matthew sorted and slapped down three cards before drawing from the
deck.
"It is what it is, and nothing more. I don't understand why you insist
there is something else, something I'm keeping from you."
"Maybe 'cause I know you." Matthew watched as Galen put down his cards,
displaying a full house. He swore under his breath and set his measly
one pair on the table. "There's something you're not telling me-"
"And it's driving you insane? Well, I'm sorry Matthew, but the universe
is full of questions and very few answers. This is one you will not
find today, or anytime soon." Anger swelled in Gideon's features and
Galen simply smiled. "Besides, how much fun would it be if I just gave
you what you're looking for? I would be doing you a great disservice.
No, the knowledge comes in the seeking, not the knowledge itself."
"You know, Galen, there are some days I would just love to shove-"
"Me out an airlock? Really Gideon, now who's not being very sporting?"
Sliding his hand over the table, the Technomage gathered the cards.
Matthew looked as if something was about to burst behind his eyes.
"Would you stop-"
"Completing your sentences?" Galen fanned the cards, shuffling them
slowly. He didn't think himself much of a sadist, but torturing Gideon
could be great fun on occasion.
"Perhaps." He waved the cards. "Another round?"
Gideon's only reply was an incoherent epithet.
Author's Note: I have no idea why I'm so cruel to Gideon through Galen.
Really I don't. :)
"You know Matthew, I don't think you brought enough stuff." Galen
smirked, watching from a distance as Gideon sorted through his gear.
Not appreciating the sarcasm, the Captain glared at the Technomage.
"Don't you have a ship to fly?"
"What makes you think I'm not?" His face was serious behind the smile
and Matthew sat back on his heels. Gideon opened his mouth but promptly
closed it, dismissing his question with a wave of his hand. He shook
his head slightly before returning to lift from a bag his EVA suit.
"Why does that perplex you so?" Galen stepped around the Captain as he
began to circle. They had left the Excalibur's docking bay nearly ten
minutes previous, making one large sweeping pass across the front of the
bow before opening a jump point to enter hyperspace. Not that Matthew
could tell; from within the darkened main chamber of the flyer, he
didn't even know they had left until Galen informed him.
Pulling the EVA helmet from the bag, Gideon cradled it in his arm as he
passed his fingers over the shield insignia attached above the visor.
In the dim reflection of the haze from the power globe above, he could
see Galen as he hovered, circling around behind. Undistinguishable
lights from distant control panels twinkled around the Technomage's
shape.
"Do you mind? You're making me dizzy."
Galen did as asked, stopping directly in front of Gideon. Sweeping
aside the open front of his coat, the Technomage slowly sank to his
knees, adjusting his clothing before reaching into the heap of the
Captain's gear. From a bag he pulled out the right glove to the EVA
suit and slipped his hand into it, flexing his fingers to test the fit.
The red o-ring seal bunched on the sleeves of the heavy coat.
"Don't go casting any fireballs through it. That's the only one I
have."
"Have more faith in me than that, Gideon." Galen pulled off the glove
and returned it to the bag. He sat back and watched as the Captain
fussed with the helmet, adjusting the array of lights that would
illuminate his path.
"How much time are you giving me?"
"Pardon?"
"How much time do I have before this ship automatically returns to the
Excalibur?" Matthew extinguished the lights, setting aside the helmet
before reaching for another bag. Pulling back the long zipper, he
removed the contents and spread them out in the small amount of bare
floor in front of him. Long canvas straps and harnesses of various
shapes and sizes were tied together in neat bundles.
"Oh that. I haven't quite decided yet." Galen's brow creased as he
looked at the probable hundreds of feet of strapping Matthew was sorting
in his lap. "Given the fact that I haven't done this before, I'm not
really sure. What do you suggest?"
Gideon pushed away the bag and stacked the bundles into sets, each
having the same number of straps and harnesses to make four piles
total. Reaching toward Galen he picked up a bright orange bag from
beside the Technomage and placed it near the piles. Opening the bag
with one hand, he reached in with the other and removed a portable
welder's torch, complete with a backup tank of acetylene. Galen's eyes
widened at the sight.
"What? I might have to cut something." Gideon saw the Technomage's
look of unease.
"Yes, well, it's just that you're brandishing that with such zeal…you're
making me nervous." Galen sighed happily when Matthew returned the
torch to the bag.
"You forget, I need you to fly this bird and get me there and back in
one piece." He rested his hands in his lap and glanced at the
equipment. "If all goes well and I don't have to cut open any hatches,
I'd approximate twenty minutes total. It'll take time to get the crew
into the harnesses, especially if they're injured and half conscious.
Can you give me at least thirty minutes aboard, plus a little extra to
make sure I'm set once we get back here?"
"Yes, that is fine, but if you are not back before the programmed time,
I will leave you behind. I will not be able to concentrate on masking
your presence and monitoring the Drakh if I also have to keep track of
the clock. It can't be reset for the same reasons."
"Can you keep the illusion up for an hour?" Gideon chewed the inside of
his lip, not liking the shades of gray that had worked their way into
the plan. "I mean, you don't even know if it's going to work, right?"
"I could lie to you if you wish." Slowly another wide smile lightened
Galen's face. "Honestly Matthew, I don't know. Oh it can be done -
illusions performed on the grand scale like Alwyn's golden dragon or his
holo-demons - but this is different. Within the illusion I must also
mask your appearance in space. Body heat, density, shape, size all must
be concealed. Each object you manipulate will need masking as well. It
will look awfully ridiculous for an access panel on the side of the hull
to suddenly emit heat."
Gideon frowned. The whole mission was beginning to be more complicated
that he wanted. He slouched, shoulders rounding as he stared at the
fabric of his pant legs. "Son of a…."
"Yes, that would be my assessment as well." Matthew replied with an
angry sigh. "Look on the bright side; at least we'll die together."
"That's not funny. It's about as appealing as dying with Max." Finally
the Captain smiled.
"I'm hurt." Galen looked pained. "Here I am, trying to assist you, and
you insult me. If that's the way you're going to be-"
"Galen."
"Well then, I think I'll just take my ship-"
"Galen."
"And go home, because I can't-"
"Galen, would you shut up?" Gideon was almost laughing, resisting the
urge to reach across his gear to clamp a hand over the Technomage's
mouth. Galen's smile returned and widened even further, making him look
almost maniacal.
"I suppose." As quickly as the smile had taken over his face, it faded,
his features becoming serious again. "I won't abandon you, Matthew, not
if I can help it. But you must understand, you will be alone once I
begin this endeavor. I will not be able to assist you with the
passengers. And I also must stress that it is very important that you
do not touch anything. I will give you access to the hatches, but
everything else will act accordingly if it is violated."
"Yes, I know. I've been aboard before, remember?" Gideon looked
around, still unable to distinguish more than the floor he sat on and
the faint lights from panels. "No touchy feely with your ship, I
promise."
"Excellent. Thank you."
"How much further?" Gideon asked, standing up to stretch his legs. The
Technomage did the same, his gaze becoming distant as if lost in
thought.
"Galen?"
"Just a moment." He paused before his eyes focused on the Captain
again. "Not too much further. We will be coming out of hyperspace a
good distance away from the freighter just to make sure our approach
isn't discovered."
"Good idea." Absently Gideon looked around again, needing something to
occupy his restless mind. Sarcasm was all that came to him. "Could use
some paint. Maybe a throw rug or two."
"You think so? I've always thought that one can't go wrong with basic
black." The Technomage crossed his arms over his chest and pondered.
Gideon smiled and looked over Galen from head to toe. "You know, I
never would have guessed."
"I don't have any problems clashing with my décor this way." He turned
and began to walk into the shadows, nearly disappearing if it wasn't for
the power globe light glinting off his scuffed head. Gideon cautiously
followed.
"Could you show me how many Drakh ships are positioned around the
Toledo?"
"As in the numbers my ship has detected?" The path became progressively
darker as Matthew crept forward, needing the faint sound of Galen's
boots on the floor as a guide.
"Yes, and where."
"You ask for an awful lot, you know." The Technomage stopped and Gideon
almost collided with him. Briefly Matthew heard the rustling of fabric
before a vid screen illuminated before Galen, casting him in
silhouette. Gideon took another step, his eyes concentrating on the
image. It wasn't a vid screen at all, but a projection like those
created in the Excalibur's map room. The edges around the image were
hazy, rippling as if it had been created on a surface of smoke.
"Nice. Kinda classy." The Captain watched in awe as the liquid crystal
color of the projection dissolved into a star field image, complete with
the Ghayn system's jump gate. Floating in the center and framed by the
large gaseous planet and its asteroid satellite, was the Toledo, its
hull marked by the characteristic red and orange striping along the
cargo hold.
"Thanks. I think so, too."
Gideon tore his eyes from the screen long enough to look down into
Galen's hands. They surrounded a metallic looking sphere, the top hand
moving to allow his index finger to use it like a track ball. Neon
green crosshairs flashed in the star field before the image zoomed,
enlarging the target. Displayed in front of his eyes was a Drakh Raider
and Gideon whistled low and long through his teeth in response to the
image.
"Long range probe. Virtually undetectable, unless of course you're
unlucky enough to fly canopy-first into one."
"Where can I get one?" Gideon's eyebrows lifted in amazement.
"One of a kind design. I made it myself, and before you ask, only
another Technomage can control it."
"Damn. So much for Matheson's Christmas present." Another ship was
targeted and zoomed into focus. This time it was a Cruiser. Galen
smiled.
"I'm not sure the Lieutenant would appreciate all he'd have to go
through to use it."
"No, you're probably right." Tentatively, Matthew reached out a hand to
motion at the display. "Can you back out and give me the overall
picture?"
"Of course." The image returned to normal frame, centered on the
Toledo. The neon green crosshairs still highlighted the Drakh ships in
the vicinity, distinctly showing three from that angle.
"All right, wise guy. How about a panoramic 3-60?" Gideon joked, happy
enough with the view he had. He did a quick double take as the stars
and the gate disappeared, leaving only the ships behind, the probe
relaying the information through Galen. The ships remained anchored as
the probe's vantage circled, pitched at a 45-degree angle to display six
more Raiders and an additional Cruiser, all fanned out in an arc across
the Toledo's bow.
"Okay, enough showing off all your swell Technomage toys."
"Jealous?" Galen chuckled, manipulating the sphere between his hands to
return the image to normal.
"Extremely." Gideon pouted.
"At least you are honest." The projection faded into the liquid crystal
gray image before disappearing altogether. Plunged back into darkness,
Gideon was momentarily disoriented.
"Galen?"
"Yes, Matthew?" The voice seemed to be coming from everywhere and
nowhere at the same time.
"Where are you?"
"Over here."
A power globe suddenly switched on, casting its light on the plain table
and chairs beneath it. Galen sat in a chair facing the Captain, a deck
of playing cards shuffling through his hands. Oddly, the light went no
further than the edges of the table, even though it should have been
powerful enough to light half the room. Gideon slowly walked to the
table.
"What's this?"
"I figured we could use a distraction to fill the time. How about a few
hands?" He smiled, spreading the cards out before collapsing them and
splitting the deck. Casually he set the two halves together on the
short end and fanned them, recombining the piles at the edges into one.
Placing his thumbs along the top ridge, he bent the ends under,
effectively sliding the cards together as they cascaded down under the
apex.
"You play?" Matthew asked cautiously as he slid into the chair opposite
Galen's. "How do I know you don't have some probe hanging out over my
head to give you a look at my cards?"
"How sporting would that be? I am a Technomage, not a cheat."
"You mean they're mutually exclusive?" Gideon smiled, enjoying the
perturbed look on Galen's face.
"Yes, they're mutually exclusive." He mimicked in a whining singsong.
Done shuffling, he dealt a hand of five cards to himself and Gideon
before returning the deck to the middle of the table. Over his cards he
watched as Matthew considered his own, rearranging them to his liking.
Finally he plucked out two cards from his hand and set them on the table
face down.
"Two." Matthew's left thumb began to play with his ring, twisting it
around his finger as it rested beneath his cards. If it was a tell,
Galen wasn't sure if the sign was good or bad. It didn't matter. The
Technomage dealt him the cards he requested.
Galen's hand held a pair of queens. Removing the other three, he set
them beside the deck before pulling his replacements from the top.
Casually glancing at Gideon's hands, he noticed the ring had stopped
moving and the Captain's face was expressionless. Looking at his cards
again, Galen reordered them and sighed to himself. His luck hadn't
changed.
"Three-of-a-kind; jack high." Matthew spread his cards out on the
table.
"A little more than nothing. A pair of lovely ladies." He fanned his
on the table with his fingers. "Good thing we're not gambling-you could
probably win my ship."
"Is that an offer?" Gideon collected the cards and began to shuffle.
"Absolutely not." Galen paused, turning his attention inward, his eyes
becoming glossed. He sat unmoving for a moment, not even aware Matthew
had started to deal.
"Galen?" Gideon's voice fell on deaf ears. Turning his head sideways
slightly he stared at the Technomage in concern. Leaning forward, he
spoke again. "Galen!?"
"What?" As if a switch had been flipped, he suddenly reanimated. "Oh,
sorry 'bout that. You might like to know we've left hyperspace."
"When?" Usually there was a strange sensation when molecules elongated
and recondensed while traveling the brief distance through a jump point
or gate, but Matthew felt nothing. Without being able to look at his
external surroundings, he couldn't tell if the flyer was really moving
or not. Now that he concentrated on it, he realized total silence had
replaced the hum and vibrations he normally felt while aboard the
Excalibur. The lack of sensation almost made him think he was in a
darkened room planet-side.
"Just now. We still have a bit more normal space traveling to do,
though." Galen picked up his new hand.
"I don't understand how this ship can do half the stuff it does. It's
practically undetectable. You control it by thought-"
"It's a little more complicated than that, Matthew."
"Still, you gotta admit it certainly looks that way, or you'd be in the
cockpit instead of playing cards with me. I don't know where you end
and the ship begins." It was a different concept for Gideon to try to
wrap his brain around. He knew about stealth technology and the concept
of autopilot had been in existence since the earliest airplanes on
Earth, but Galen's flyer seemed to defy physics. Sensor relays were
able to detect the faintest signals and expand it to usable form,
boosting navigational capabilities to previously unknown proportions.
Galen didn't have to directly command it to do anything; it did
everything conceivable on its own.
"As much as I am a part of the ship, it is a part of me -- an extension
of my body, if you will. Sympathetic magic." Galen smiled, enjoying
the Captain's bewilderment as much as the hand he had been dealt. The
pair of queens was now a pair of sevens accompanied by a pair of tens.
One more of either and he would have a full house.
"You said that about your staff. They both can't be the same." The
debate had taken Gideon's concentration from his cards. As he looked at
them, he realized he had nothing to work with.
"Why not? 'Sympathetic' simply means that what effects one, effects the
other." Galen removed the lone three of hearts and slid it face down
towards the Captain.
"And how come the inside of it feels like we're sitting in a hangar when
the ship is no bigger than an atmospheric shuttle?" Gideon tossed the
Technomage his requested card.
"Because I have excellent interior design skills?" Galen laughed and
picked up his card, trying to conceal his delight in that it was another
seven. The odds were slim to none, but he now had a full house.
Matthew sorted and slapped down three cards before drawing from the
deck.
"It is what it is, and nothing more. I don't understand why you insist
there is something else, something I'm keeping from you."
"Maybe 'cause I know you." Matthew watched as Galen put down his cards,
displaying a full house. He swore under his breath and set his measly
one pair on the table. "There's something you're not telling me-"
"And it's driving you insane? Well, I'm sorry Matthew, but the universe
is full of questions and very few answers. This is one you will not
find today, or anytime soon." Anger swelled in Gideon's features and
Galen simply smiled. "Besides, how much fun would it be if I just gave
you what you're looking for? I would be doing you a great disservice.
No, the knowledge comes in the seeking, not the knowledge itself."
"You know, Galen, there are some days I would just love to shove-"
"Me out an airlock? Really Gideon, now who's not being very sporting?"
Sliding his hand over the table, the Technomage gathered the cards.
Matthew looked as if something was about to burst behind his eyes.
"Would you stop-"
"Completing your sentences?" Galen fanned the cards, shuffling them
slowly. He didn't think himself much of a sadist, but torturing Gideon
could be great fun on occasion.
"Perhaps." He waved the cards. "Another round?"
Gideon's only reply was an incoherent epithet.