"Mule…"
Summary: My AU version of the Asimov tale from his collection of Foundation and Second Foundation tales.
Even as civil war threatens the mighty but flawed Foundation, the Galaxy's greatest power since the Fall of the great Galactic Empire, its road to eventual triumph as the reuniting force in the Galaxy yet (supposedly) guaranteed by the quasi-mystical Seldon Plan, a mysterious warlord of a new and rapidly rising power is maneuvering to seize domination of the Galaxy in defiance of Seldon.
Part VII…
"Toran Dartell…Citizen of Haven Trading World holding revoked Greater Foundation associate status?!" The holoimage of the head and shoulders of a stern-looking official in Foundation Security uniform faced Toran in Ebling Mis' living/reception room just above a table. Toran frowning but cut off before he could address the figure…
"Your wife, Bayta Mallow Dartell, Foundation citizen, accused of treasonous correspondence and espionage is ordered released to house arrest at this location, for medical reasons. Kalganian citizen, unidentified, answering to name Magnifica Gigantica, accused of espionage against the Foundation is ordered released to house arrest at this location, for medical reasons. This is a temporary release, under the Foundation intelligence and espionage laws in the Foundation penal code HE11.1.a1 of 292FE. Any attempt to leave these premises without Class I permission from a Level A official will be regarded as violation of probation and the subjects named and all caught aiding and abetting them will face immediate arrest and additional charges and fines may be imposed. Dr. Ebling Mis, Foundation citizen, will bear surety for their probationary release. Trial dates will be pronounced and forwarded at the first possible moment. By the order and clemency of his Excellence, Indbur III, Hereditary Mayor of Terminus. Do you understand and accept? Press green pad for yes, red for no."
"Yes, certainly but…"Toran pressed the green pad. The image vanished.
"Hey!" he called to the empty space.
"Toran? Are they being brought here?" Mylin stepped in from the kitchen, dressed in sea green tunic and tan rope belt, bearing a hot mug of coffee which she set before him on the same table the holoimage had appeared above.
"I guess…I don't know…The damn idiot vanished without telling me anything!" he glared at the empty space above the table. "Can we try calling Mis and…"
"Security. We're coming in. Stand away from the door." a sudden grim voice at door. Both looked to the door which opened to reveal Mis with several guards.
"It's all right…The boys and girls in uniform here need to have their fun." Mis noted. Turning back to the guards behind him. "All right, bring them in, carefully."
"MIs…" Toran came over… "What's…?"
"It's all right, Toran. Don't fret. They're fine. They must have picked up something on either Kalgan or Sagosa, the doctors at Interrogation thought it likely a mild case of Sag fever. A bit weakening but not too serious, Bayta's in stasis, just as a precaution for the baby's sake. Clear a way there." He turned to the team now bringing in a large plastisteel container, opaque, on a dolly. "Take it to the bedroom on the right…" he pointed.
"And here's Magnifica…" he turned to smile at the spindly figure in somewhat overworn Foundation beige and pink tunic, a scarf Batya had bought for her on Sagosa wrapped about her neck, led in, bearing anxious look, by a guard who seemed amused by her. Her anxious look turned to beaming joy on sight of Toran and Mylin.
"Milord Toran, Lady Mylin!" she beamed. "This one is rejoiced to find you well! I feared it might have gone hard for you after the soldiers took us away! Or that He might have come." Nervous clasping of hands, she pausing and swaying a bit.
"We've been fine. You all right, Magnifica?" Mylin asked, Mis regarding her with concern as Toran hurriedly rose and tried to push past a guard to the bedroom where Bayta and tank had been taken. The guard blocking him deftly.
"Bay!" he called, seeking to shove past. The large guard restraining him easily, with weary air.
"Don't make me hurt you, son."
"Give them a minute to set her up, Toran." Mis urged, having come to the younger man's side. Toran relenting.
"I am…Well, milady. Just a bit weary." Magnifica nodded, as Mylin assisted her to a chair. "Oh, but Lady Bayta…" she started to rise, Mylin urging her to sit back down.
"She's fine, Magnifica." Eb called. "They're just stabilizing her to keep the fever from harming her baby. Toran, she's ok. Just a precaution, Sag fever can be harmful to a developing fetus."
"Let me get you something to drink." Mylin suggested to Magnifica. "Coffee or heated chocolate or juice ok?"
"Heated chocolate? Oh, yes." Magnifica beamed. "Is she well, Master Toran?" she called to Toran.
"The girl's fine." A frowning guard/technician emerged from the bedroom. "Let her come out of it slowly and then sleep for the night. The fever's gone. Make sure you file a report on her condition in four hours with Security. You can give her and the freak here…" she eyed Magnifica. "Two of these every four hours tonight, then once a day for the rest." Setting a box of tablets down on the living room table. "If there's any problem call Security direct, not Medical. Got it?" she asked Toran. "Good."
"All right, lets go…" The team lead officer, now by Mis, commanded. "Remember, Doctor, you are responsible for these people, including the man Dartell. Sign here to acknowledge?" he offered a compad, which Mis pressed. "Good. Do not leave this house, any of you, without clearance. A guard will be maintained with orders to shoot to kill. Lets go!" he waved the others out and the door sealed behind him.
"Well, here we are." Mis noted. "Safe till Indbur decides to make another pointless attempt to harass us."
"Are you all right?" Mylin went to him. Eyeing his face carefully. "He didn't…?"
"Me, no." Mis waved a hand. "Indbur wouldn't risk the potential damage. He needs me."
Sigh… "But I'm afraid…" Eyeing Magnifica.
"Psychic probe?" Mylin, quietly.
"Nothing worse, so far as she says. But I doubt as gentle as Aton was. Bayta too, I'm afraid."
"That bastard Indbur…" Mylin fumed.
"He's just terrified. They all are." Mis shrugged. "He knows in his heart he's the wrong man in the job, at the wrong time, more's the pity. He'd probably be better off believing himself a great ruler."
"Things that bad?" Mylin stared as Magnifica sipped a bit.
"Three battles that shouldn't have been lost. Two senior commanders and staff surrendering without fighting." Eb eyed her. "And even defeating that depressor of theirs didn't prevent that. I'd say things had better be more good, soon."
"Well…For the moment…Just so long as you're all safe and it wasn't too bad." Mylin sighed, hugging him.
"May I see Mistress Bayta now?" M agnifica rose again.
"It's all right, Magnifica." Toran had emerged from the bedroom. "She's resting ok. Lets give her some slack." He pressed a door seal button and the door closed.
"Toran means… 'Peace'. Mylin noted to the puzzled Magnifica taking her seat again.
Sl…ack?
"You can see her in a little while, hon. Lets let her rest. Eb?" Mylin turned to Mis standing by Toran at the bedroom door. "Are you safe now? Is Indbur satisfied by the probing?"
"Lets says, for the moment, we're not headed for jail or the execution block." Mis shrugged. "Sorry." As Mylin frowned at him, noting Magnifica's frightened stare.
"It's fine, girl." Mis tole her as Toran took the coffee Mylin had brought him earlier and sat. "Nothing to worry about."
"No, great sir." Nervous nod and smile.
"Thanks, Magnifica." Toran eyed the girl as she took another sip of chocolate. "Ebling's told me you took good care of Bayta while you were imprisoned."
"Twas nothing, milord Toran. I only wished to do more. You and Lady Bayta have been so kind."
"Eb?" Mylin looked at him carefully. "Did he get much from the probings?"
"Nothing I didn't already tell him. And yes…" Eb sighed. "I did tell him a Psychic Probe on either of them was a waste of time."
"How deep did they go?" Toran looked at him, then carefully at Magnifica sipping her chocolate.
"Deep enough but not enough to do permanent damage." Mis noted. "Now as to work…"
He sighed at Toran's frown and Mylin's reproving stare… "Sorry, but these two are fine and there's a lot at stake here."
"If you mean the Foundation, I'm about ready to see it crumble." Toran, angrily. "There was no need to torment Bay or poor Magnifica. And if this harms her or the baby…"
"Toran."
"Don't tell me about the great Seldon and his Plan…" Toran frowned, waving a hand. "Sorry." He calmed. "But.."
"It wasn't your fault they were taken, Toran." Mylin noted. "Even Eb couldn't prevent that."
"I still don't understand why them and not me. I'm the Trader's son." Toran sighed.
"Indbur is a stickler for rules…You're not technically a Foundation full citizen nor an official enemy alien by declaration of war. A simple espionage charge is the best he can do and that still requires evidence." Eb shrugged. "Where's the coffee, little one" he turned to Mylin.
"I'll get it." She noted, ignoring his protests.
"See, I try to be an enlightened…Partner." Mis noted to Toran, slight grin.
"Oh, we're 'partners' now, Boss?" Mylin, mock wonder on face as she returned with his coffee…Taking seat near Eb after setting it down.
"Quiet." Eb, mock frown. "Listen, Toran…Indbur spared you from the cells on my word you knew nothing and his need not to offend the Traders any further."
"Really? He's been 'offending' us for years now. And Bayta's my wife…" Toran frowned. "So I'm stupid as well as unimportant?"
"No, this is not true, Lord!" Magnifica spoke up. "You are the bravest of men, the mistress and I bear witness."
"Thanks, Magnifica." Toran sighed. "Eb, I don't mean to be a child…"
"Bayta's also a Mallow and an opposition leader, if a bit junior. Getting a bit tougher with her is easier and looked a little intimidating to some. But she wasn't harmed seriously, Toran, and now he knows she and the girl know nothing he's not gotten from me. They'll be safe for now. Especially, given the latest."
"Another defeat?" Toran eyed him.
"No, a re-evaluation. Pertaining to the upcoming Seldon Crisis… And for once we're in agreement and the Traders, to what extent they can do basic psy-history calculations, as well."
"Well?" Toran stared.
"The new crisis won't be the rebellion of the Trader worlds and the Opposition. It's the Mule." Eb nodded.
"Did you work that out in the calcs? How could there be enough data?" Mylin stared.
"No, though I'm trying. As, more laughably are Indbur's geniuses. You're right, it's hard to get a clear indication in the figures and we still need to evaluate an enormous amount of data since the Mule began to appear on stage. But the one thing we're all convinced on is that the Crisis must bear on him."
"That sounds like a guess, not a calculation." Mylin noted.
"It is, largely, but I'd say a good one." Eb noted. "And if there's not enough data to calculate based on his and his people's actions as yet, I've found if we now try to ignore him and his Union in calculations, there are serious deviations that result in the Plan's failure. He's already had that much effect, ripples in the pond, so to speak."
"A simple warlord…?" Mylin stared. Magnifica attempting to follow the conversation but finally giving up and returning to her chocolate.
"He's more than that." Eb shook head. "No, too much is going on for this to be 'a simple warlord'. Magnifica is a case in point."
She looked over, startled. "Me, great Lord?"
Toran staring as well…
"We've seen some clear evidence her mind's been manipulated. Slightly, only slightly." He raised a calming hand.
"My mind…" Magnifica touched her skull and the close cropped hairs onit.
"You mean you found something in the Psychic Probe?"
"Both times, though of course Aton did a finer job." Mis noted.
"I am not thinking my own thoughts?!" Magnifica, rapidly becoming distressed now.
"No, no." Mis reassured her. "But we found very subtle suggestions that some of that fear and terror you have of the Mule is implanted."
"His people are that good?" Toran asked.
"This kind of work couldn't be done by Psychic Probe." Mis shook head. "That's like using a cannon to put a picture hanging nail in your wall. No, Aton was sure and the only one with half a brain among Indbur's thugs, Sesson, agrees."
"Then how?" Toran… "Really it's all right, Magnifica." He frowned at her slight whimpering. "You're fine. You heard Dr. Mis."
"Well, how much do you know about the Second Foundation?" Mis asked.