"Captain, I have a message here from Charlemagne Bolivar."
Gaheris awoke with a start, irrationally annoyed with his ship's AI for a moment. He sat up and ordered Andromeda to play it. The face that he had come to despise over the past weeks beamed benevolently down at him.
"Captain! I'm so glad we're finally able to converse! I cannot begin to explain how occupied I've found myself lately, and I'm sure matters have been the same for you."
He rubbed his head sleepily. Logically, Gaheris Rhade knew that he could manage adequately without sleep for nearly two weeks. But these past two weeks had laid as much stress on him as he'd ever known.
"I hear that you've persuaded yet another world to sign you charter. Let me offer you my sincerest congratulations. You know, I just had the most fantastic idea. There's a lovely place a Beacon Burning Bright, and I do hope you'll permit me to treat you to a sort of… no hard feelings dinner. Of course, you shall bring your coterie and I mine. Yes, I am convinced; we shall pass a wonderful evening.
"A pity your best pilot is out of commission at present; Beacon is rather out of the way. However, I have complete confidence that you will find your way. Tomorrow night, eight o'clock local time."
Gaheris sighed. Charming man. The fall of his people since the Fall of the Commonwealth never ceased to amaze him. And what could he do in the face of an onslaught of these inferior specimens?
"Andromeda," he asked, brow beetled in thought, "what is this Beacon Burning Bright?"
A flickering hologram materialized at his bedside. "Scanning database… a Than drift, greatly reputed in the higher social circles." The image frowned. "I'm afraid I am unable to pinpoint a location. It is a members-only establishment, I believe."
Captain Rhade swore, startling his ship's AI. "I didn't /expect/ this to be easy, Andromeda, but I was certain tha we would defeat him in this! He is a prime example of the problem with civilization today and especially with Nietzscheans. Charlemagne proves me people's inferiority time and again, /so why can't we beat him/?!"
The hologram was silent a moment. "Sir… we will beat him." The grim optimism of a warship. "He can throw these wrenches in our path, but we will always clear it again. We have, and we will. And then we'll make him pay." She looked excited to see that day.
Gaheris awoke with a start, irrationally annoyed with his ship's AI for a moment. He sat up and ordered Andromeda to play it. The face that he had come to despise over the past weeks beamed benevolently down at him.
"Captain! I'm so glad we're finally able to converse! I cannot begin to explain how occupied I've found myself lately, and I'm sure matters have been the same for you."
He rubbed his head sleepily. Logically, Gaheris Rhade knew that he could manage adequately without sleep for nearly two weeks. But these past two weeks had laid as much stress on him as he'd ever known.
"I hear that you've persuaded yet another world to sign you charter. Let me offer you my sincerest congratulations. You know, I just had the most fantastic idea. There's a lovely place a Beacon Burning Bright, and I do hope you'll permit me to treat you to a sort of… no hard feelings dinner. Of course, you shall bring your coterie and I mine. Yes, I am convinced; we shall pass a wonderful evening.
"A pity your best pilot is out of commission at present; Beacon is rather out of the way. However, I have complete confidence that you will find your way. Tomorrow night, eight o'clock local time."
Gaheris sighed. Charming man. The fall of his people since the Fall of the Commonwealth never ceased to amaze him. And what could he do in the face of an onslaught of these inferior specimens?
"Andromeda," he asked, brow beetled in thought, "what is this Beacon Burning Bright?"
A flickering hologram materialized at his bedside. "Scanning database… a Than drift, greatly reputed in the higher social circles." The image frowned. "I'm afraid I am unable to pinpoint a location. It is a members-only establishment, I believe."
Captain Rhade swore, startling his ship's AI. "I didn't /expect/ this to be easy, Andromeda, but I was certain tha we would defeat him in this! He is a prime example of the problem with civilization today and especially with Nietzscheans. Charlemagne proves me people's inferiority time and again, /so why can't we beat him/?!"
The hologram was silent a moment. "Sir… we will beat him." The grim optimism of a warship. "He can throw these wrenches in our path, but we will always clear it again. We have, and we will. And then we'll make him pay." She looked excited to see that day.