Legba Read online

  Bentley glared at him, as though she were not entirely convinced. Legba scratched the back of his neck. “I did also leave a note of apology. I am deeply aware that consciousness is an incredible gift, and shutting off a conscious being is not an act that I take lightly, even if the deactivation is only temporary.”

  Legba looked down at his feet, then back up at Bentley. “Do you think she forgives me?”

  Bentley glowered at him, staring him in the eyes. “If you really want to know the answer to that question, then you should probably ask her.”

  Legba nodded to himself, then looked away.

  Bentley leaned back in the examination seat and stared at the ceiling. “Well, at least now I know why everyone’s still pissed at you.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Aboard the Chesed, Deep Space

  Svend leaned against a metal ladder that was fixed to the floor of the main engine deck, extending up to the Chesed’s central hallway. He tapped his fingers impatiently on one of the rungs, surrounded by a wide variety of sophisticated mechanical and electronic equipment that was responsible for regulating and measuring the Chesed’s propulsion capabilities. The room hummed with mechanical life; full of flashing lights and spinning dials, wires and tubes that snaked along the floor and ceiling, and the occasional bursts of steam spewing from valves.

  However, despite the activity that surrounded him, Svend looked exceptionally bored. He didn’t glance at any of the equipment, and instead kept his gaze upwards, looking through the open access hatch that carved a hole in the ceiling above him, an access hatch that led to the silent, unoccupied hallway. From where he was standing, he could just barely see a door, which was emblazoned with the words: “Medical Bay.” The door was firmly closed. Svend watched it attentively, but it refused to budge.

  Svend’s eyes darted slightly to the right as he checked one of his retinal displays.

  He sighed loudly. “They’ve been at it for at least three hours now.”

  Jade looked over her shoulder, annoyed. She was kneeling at the base of the largest piece of equipment on the engine deck: a massive, transparent cube that dominated the room. Through the cube’s transparent outer casing, one could see the messy tangle of tubes, wires, and circuit boards that made up the hyperdrive’s manual command unit. In her right hand, Jade manipulated a holographic projection of the unit, which showed various parts glowing in bright red, identifying a specific system within.

  She snorted. “‘They’ve been at it for at least three hours now’? Are you trying to tell me that you’ve been derelict in your duties as Bentley’s boyfriend, and now someone else is picking up the slack? I mean, if she’s found someone with the stamina to go for three hours...”

  Svend’s lips twisted in disgust, and he shook his head violently. “Jesus, no. No! I didn’t mean… that. Bentley’s just in another meditation session with Legba.”

  Jade nodded sagely. “A ‘meditation session,’ huh? So that’s what the kids are calling it these days?”

  Svend’s lips curled into a false smile. “Ha ha. Very funny, Jade. I can assure you, my romantic relationship with Bentley is in fine shape, and there are certainly no issues on… on that particular front. I just think that three hours of non-stop meditation seems… excessive. That’s all.”

  With a flick of her wrist, Jade deactivated the holographic projection. She stood and turned towards Svend, sighing. “Well, I don’t know. Is three hours really that long for a meditation session? Isn’t the whole point of meditating to, like, sit in a room with your eyes closed, becoming extremely bored, trying as hard as you can to not think, but also making sure that you’re breathing the whole time, because I guess maybe if you get way too bored, you forget to breathe? And then you just sit there, for hours and hours on end, getting unbelievably, mind-blowingly bored, and whoever manages to sit there for the longest amount of time attains enlightenment?”

  Svend shrugged. “I don’t know. I wasn’t really around much when Legba was administering his meditation training to Bentley, so I guess I’m not sure how long it’s supposed to take, exactly. I mostly just stayed back on the pod. While we were on the dead rock, I was doing more preventative maintenance than meditation.”

  Jade’s gaze floated back to the manual command unit. She followed the path of a long, thick tube with her finger. “Oh, so you are capable of doing something more useful than leaning against a ladder? You could have fooled me.”

  Svend approached Jade, watching her work, his expression sullen. “I mean, why do we even need him, anyway? We already have the sword. Doesn’t it have all of the same powers, but without all of the annoying character quirks? The sword doesn’t tell endless, insufferable riddles, or regurgitate semi-mystical nonsense. Plus it also doesn’t reek of a campfire.”

  Jade followed the tube to a valve embedded with a variety of circuit boards, from which a mane of colorful wires seemed to grow. “Am I detecting a note of jealousy? Are you actually trying to say that the sword doesn’t try to hang out with Bentley in a room that you’re not allowed to enter, for hours on end, leaving you to wander the ship alone and bored?”

  Svend twisted his mouth, thinking. “I mean, that’s not exactly what I was trying to say. But you do make a good point…”

  Jade drew a thin yellow instrument from her tool belt and pressed one of its tapered ends against one of the wires, taking a reading. “While I’m making good points, how about this one: I know your girlfriend isn’t paying attention to you anymore, but some of us have work to do.”

  An indicator on the side of the instrument produced a bright strip of pure, lime green light. Jade frowned. “Like trying to figure out what’s wrong with a propulsion system that seems to be using up fuel at a ridiculously accelerated rate, despite a complete lack of detectable problems in any of the mechanical or electronic components…”

  Svend stepped slightly closer to Jade, ignoring her entreaties to leave her alone. “Look, I’m just saying that we’ve delayed the mission way too long for this guy. The detour we took to the rock added, what? Four weeks? I spent time with him while he was training Bentley, and I just don’t see how he’s any more useful than anyone else. Unless Amroth’s plot can be completely unraveled by some guy tending a fire for days on end. Or some guy not bathing… maybe ever?”

  Jade pressed the end of the yellow instrument to a second wire, taking another reading. “Yeah, well, like it or not, he’s basically a god, just like Shango, and Olofi, and Loco. And—and this might come as a shock—you’re not. You and I just have to accept that we can’t see that X factor from where we’re standing.” Yet again, the indicator on the instrument produced the same strip of bright green light. Jade exhaled sharply in frustration.

  Svend crossed his arms, seeming offended. “So what, we’re useless? Just because we’re not literally gods? That seems like a ridiculously high bar. We’re just as much a part of the crew as the others, you know.”

  Jade returned the instrument to her tool belt, and turned to face Svend. “Yes. Yes, we are. Which is exactly why I need you to leave me alone so that I can focus on my job. Which is the thing I’m supposed to be doing. As a part of this crew.”

  Svend nodded to himself slowly. “That’s a good point. I don’t think I was ever assigned any explicit duties, as a member of the crew…”

  Jade massaged her temples, frustrated. “I don’t know. Do whatever you want. You want a title? Fine. How does head of pacing around the hallways sound? If you want it, you got it. How about chief officer of staring out the windows into the empty void of space? You’re looking at me right now, so I’m sure we can harness those staring talents for a higher purpose. Maybe senior cafeteria seat warmer? You’ve got a butt, so I’m sure that you’re eminently qualified for the position. Just— just please leave the main engine deck…”

  A sudden look of joy spread across Jade’s face. “Actually, there you go! That’s it! In my capacity as head engineer, I officially appoint you to the position of managing
director of keeping Svend off of the main engine deck. Congratulations, and welcome to the team!”

  She extended her right hand, grabbing Svend’s own, and shook it forcefully.

  “Now for your first official act as managing director.” She dropped Svend’s hand and pointed at the ladder behind him. “Climb that ladder, all the way to the top, step into the hallway above us, and never come back down here ever again. Do you think that you can handle that, managing director?”

  Svend narrowed his eyes, annoyed, but after a moment sighed and saluted sarcastically. “Yes, ma’am. I’m happy to do my part as a proud member of the crew.” He walked over to the ladder and put his foot on the first rung, climbing upwards.

  Jade shook her head and kneeled back down, getting closer to the base of the manual command unit. She opened her right hand, and the hologram projection reappeared, floating above her palm. With a minute twitch of her index finger, the holographic cube rotated slightly, and a new network of components began to glow red. As she looked back at the manual command unit, searching for another tube, she heard Svend’s first footsteps through the ceiling above her. She took a deep breath, and a broad smile bloomed its way across her face.

  +++

  Aboard the Chesed, Deep Space

  Svend strolled down the central hallway. He looked over his shoulder, watching the door to the medical bay get farther and farther away. It probably wouldn’t be a great idea to just stand there until she gets out, he thought. From what I understand, being attentive and responsive is taken as positive in romantic relationships, but I have not heard similar things about standing alone in hallways for hours. I don’t want to seem desperate. Although, if the shoe fits…

  He shook his head, attempting to dislodge the thought, as he approached the door to the bridge. It slid open before him, revealing Shango, Olofi, and Loco, who were sitting around the table that sat below the command deck. They looked up at the sudden movement, surprised, and as they examined Svend, from head to toe their glances were not the least bit welcoming.

  Svend stepped onto the bridge tentatively. He nodded to Shango, Olofi, and Loco. “Hey, guys. What, uh, what’s up?”

  The three lwa eyed him suspiciously. Shango cleared his throat, looking incredibly defensive. “Why do you want to know what is up? Does something seem… up, to you? Does anything you see have the appearance of being up?”

  Svend scratched the back of his neck, feeling deeply uncomfortable. “Not— No. Am I, uh, interrupting something?”

  Shango crossed his arms. “No. You are not interrupting anything. For you to be interrupting something, something must be happening. And nothing is happening. So you are not interrupting anything.”

  Loco leaned back in his chair. “I think what Shango is trying to say is, ‘Hello, it’s nice to see you, but also, please fuck off.’”

  Olofi batted Loco with the back of his hand. “Hey. That’s a bit much, don’t you think?”

  Loco shot Olofi a quizzical look. “What? He’s a big android boy, he can take it.” Loco gestured towards Svend. “Look at the guy. With a pretty face like that, there’s no way I’m the first person to tell this guy to fuck off…”

  Svend raised his hands. “No, no, it’s fine. Sorry to interrupt. Or— No, I guess, I’m sorry to… not interrupt?” He glanced over his shoulder, at the door behind him, which led back to the central hallway. “Should I, uh, should I just leave?”

  Shango shook his head. “Nonsense. You came to the bridge. And everything is fine on the bridge.”

  Svend nodded skeptically. “Right. Sure. Clearly.”

  Shango nodded back. “Yes. So please. Do whatever it was you meant to do on the bridge. And rest assured: you are not interrupting anything. Understood?”

  Svend gave Shango a tentative thumbs-up. “Yep. I hear you loud and clear.”

  He turned and walked past the table, past the suspicious eyes of the lwa, wondering what to do to at least make it look like he had had some sort of reason for coming to the bridge. He looked at the main screen, which showed a live feed of what lay dead ahead of the Chesed, but there wasn’t much to see. Just the empty void of space, an all too apt encapsulation of his present loneliness. He squinted at the screen, and he was able to make out Shango’s reflection, still clearly eyeing him suspiciously. Svend sighed and turned away.

  He looked up at the command deck and noticed something that looked much more promising as a means to communicate with others. Perhaps others who wouldn’t lock him outside while they meditated for an eternity, or get fed up with him for just trying to have a conversation, or treat him like he was trying to spy on their secret clubhouse meeting.

  He hopped up the steps to the command deck and sat down at the comms desk. He activated the terminal, and smiled as the screen illuminated his face. The system was active, meaning that he had open lines of communication to pretty much anywhere in this sector and beyond.

  Svend’s smile slowly faded. Great, he thought. From this seat I can communicate with a staggering multitude of beings. But who do I actually want to talk to? Or, more depressingly, who would actually want to talk to me?

  He tapped his fingers on the desk, considering his options. It’d be nice to talk to Bentley, he thought. But I guess I just need to be patient and wait for today’s session to be over. And hope that she’s not so emotionally withdrawn after her session that she won’t want to look me in the eye and actually have a real conversation…

  Svend exhaled, aware that he was depressing himself. Suddenly his expression brightened, and he sat up straighter in his seat. Of course, he thought. I could contact Blackfriar.

  His fingers started to fly across the keyboard as he entered the signaling code sequence of one of Blackfriar’s many secret communication channels. He searched the sequence, but it was listed as unavailable. Svend frowned, then entered the next signaling code sequence. Again, the result came back as unavailable.

  Svend twisted his mouth. Am I actually going to sit here and manually enter the 1,578 remaining signaling code sequences that Blackfriar occasionally uses? He looked back at the bridge’s large main screen, at the vast emptiness passing by, revealing even more vast emptiness. He then glanced at the table, where Shango, Olofi, and Loco sat in a tight, exclusionary huddle. He shrugged. It’s not like I’ve got anything better to do…

  Within a few minutes, Svend had searched every single one of the signaling code sequences, and they were all listed as unavailable. Svend leaned back in his seat, contemplating. Makes sense, he thought. When you’re in the midst of establishing a new headquarters, why not go black?

  He leaned forward, about to stand up, but he stopped himself. It certainly looks like I won’t be able to send them a message that they’ll receive today, he thought. But I can send them a message that they can pick up whenever they happen to be ready…

  Svend smiled as he opened a new comms window on the terminal. Once I write a message, he thought, I can just translate it into Morse code, and then bounce it around the galaxy’s satellites until Blackfriar is out of hiding and ready to intercept it. Whenever that might be.

  As Svend stared at the empty comms window, the space in which he would write out his message, his smile faded. To send a message to Blackfriar, Svend thought, I do actually have to write… a message. But what would I actually want to say? To my captain, no less? That I’m bored? That I’m having trouble with my girlfriend? That I feel alone? That the big kids don’t want to let me sit with them? That I have to share a cafeteria with some smelly guy who I don’t really like very much? Christ, Svend, you sound like a child…

  He sat upright, took a deep breath, and composed himself. Okay, he thought. Just keep it professional. I can at least give him some indication of where we are. Locations and times. The bread and butter of professional communication.

  He rolled his seat from the comms desk to the navigation console. He entered a few keystrokes, and within moments a hologram was projected from the ceiling. It filled the
space between the table where the lwa sat, and the bridge’s main screen. The hologram depicted a zoomed-out map of the closest major sectors, their borders clearly delineated in glowing orange light. A tiny, illuminated dot representing the Chesed moved slowly through the map, blinking on and off rhythmically.

  Svend stood from his seat and looked down at the map. The Chesed was just approaching the border of a new sector, and the sector’s name floated above the sector’s center in bright blue letters: the Leviathon-Q Sector.

  Svend smiled and sat back down at the comms desk. He typed a brief message: “All’s well on the Chesed. About to enter Leviathon-Q Sector, en route to the Dracon System.” He read it over and sighed. Oh boy, he thought. Is this really the product of an entire day’s work? At least I managed to kill some time, I guess… Svend opened a new window and effortlessly translated the message into Morse code. After a few quick keystrokes, the message was hurtling towards the nearest satellite.

  Svend pushed his seat back from the desk, unsure what to do with himself. Luckily, this question was answered for him as the door to the bridge slid open, revealing Jelly Bean. She ignored the lwa and walked up the steps to the command deck, towards Svend, a clear look of purpose in her eyes.

  Svend stood, and met her at the top of the steps, a weak smile on his face. “Hey, Jelly Bean. What’s up?”

  Jelly Bean glanced at Shango, Olofi, and Loco at the nearby table. She looked back to Svend, and spoke in a low voice. “I think you should follow me. I heard what you said about the sword. To Jade.”

  Svend looked surprised, then smiled more brightly. “Ah. Ears all over the ship, I take it?”

  She blinked at him. “It is my job, so let’s go.”

  +++

  Aboard the Chesed, Deep Space

  Shango, Olofi, and Loco sat around the table on the bridge, all of their eyes trained on Jelly Bean and Svend. They watched Svend nod, then follow Jelly Bean down the steps from the command deck, and then out the door as they left the bridge. When the door slid shut behind them, the lwa faced each other once more, seeming slightly more relaxed.