DaVinci's Devils AU[]
- Chapter 3 – A Learning Experience -[]
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09/20/3087
Phil sat on a bench beneath Maia’s scorching white sun. The Pleaides’ were filled with such stars, but few habitable terrestrial planets orbiting them. Most of its population lived within habitat stations, aboard nomadic dropship fleets, or upon the para-terraformed moons of gas giants mostly scraping by in mines or factories. As Rhoda had once said about her and her sisters’ names while they were walked among Cherry trees last Saturday, ‘Our father named us after flowers because when one has none, they are the most precious things.’
His watch vibrated as it reached the alarm time, ’11:00,’ he switched it off and paid closer attention to the people arriving and entering the museum behind him. “A perfect day for a walk outside,” he looked up at clear blue sky then back at the women entering from behind his sunglasses, “and short skirts.”
A boxy white town car approached, Philip stood up as it pulled beside the entrance loop. Emerging from the right-hand driver’s side was the same bald, fierce chauffeur that had picked her up after their last meeting. Something felt off about him. Considering he was a noblewoman or high-class woman’s driver he probably was armed so Phil’s instincts weren’t misleading him. That chauffeur could be a threat if provoked and his eyes lingered on Philip from behind sunglasses as he helped Rhoda out of the car.
“Rhoda, you finally had some time to get some color on your skin and clothes.”
She looked down at her arms; the previous pallor had disappeared after several days under the sun. The pink dress flowed well around her, golden hair braided with sparkling bits woven in. “My sisters and I picked out many new outfits and accessories these past days. However, I thought the Vampress look was always fashionable.”
“Perhaps for some people, but I welcome your newfound humanity.”
Something in her face twitched at that word. The joke hadn’t landed as well as he hoped, perhaps she was sensitive about her cybereyes that remained behind the sunglasses. It was time to switch course, “It happens to me too, they don’t include a tanning bed on PESA patrol ships, we just supplement. My brother said I had looked like a wraith on the first.”
Something about the wraith comment landed wrong to but she quickly moved past it,
“How is Eric?”
“As good as can be expected considering my sister-in-law is due with twins any day now.”
“Is she also Jovian?”
“Yes. Fraternal twins are more common than single births among us now.”
“Maybe you will even be present.”
“That is the honest hope, otherwise I might not see them until their first birthdays.”
“The second is always the luckiest. Surely you can plan around that?”
“Perhaps, but with things the way they are; who knows what will happen in two years?”
Rhoda drew closer shifting in balance on the laced-up wedge shoes that gave her a half dozen centimeters but still left her shorter than the average woman. “You know, if any of these other women had shoes that tall, they’d dwarf me. Oh well, I fit under the max height”
She leaned on him, white gold bracelets and necklace clinking with the motion, lifting her leg behind her to show the shoes, her leg, and coral nail polish off. The motion caught him by surprise, but it seemed like she could have done it without his support but chose not to.
“Do you like them? I am still trying to figure out if I do. Very different than the Tabi or sandals I regularly use, but like this dress I could only wear them on the ground, and they are pretty.”
“Agreed. Fear not mi’Lady, there are many benches; it is a level walk, but a long one if we want to see all the exhibits. You will know by dusk whether you like them or not.” “Then we have no time to waste. Please lead the way, Lieutenant.” She accepted his offered arm then leaned close whispering, “but slowly, my shoes are heavy.”
The Pleadies’ Aerospace Museum consisted of six major exhibits arranged chronologically with a collection of fighter mockups from throughout history and cultures on the tarmac just between the three oversized hangers that formed a triangle on the grounds. Lieutenant de Luca reached the ticket booth and scanned his military ID on the machine. Rhoda looked over, saw the balance, crossed her arms over her chest, head aside. “Two c-bills! Really? I got all dressed up. Tsk, tsk. Here I thought you were putting more effort into this.”
Her outburst had encouraged the gathered crowd to give them a wider berth and gossip arose other couples from both partners. Phil though remained calm and level, “Perks of service. Plenty of effort went into earning that discount.
As I recall, Lady Rhoda, you are the one that wanted to visit this museum. You were excited even. I merely agreed, because I wanted you to be happy, and still would prefer it that way. However, if you wish to sulk, I suggest you do that solo.”
They locked eyes off the line, “You would let me loose so easily, Philip?”
“Like a depleted drop tank on my fighter’s wing and for the same reason, Rhoda.”
“Your metaphors are certainly unique Lieutenant. My pride is not so shallow as to be swayed by shows of splendor.”
“Could have fooled me. Perhaps you need to spend more time grounded.”
“I apologize. Certainly, the value of your companionship will be greater than the price of admission. Although this outfit was very expensive.”
“I think you will still find it worthwhile. Shall we start then, from the beginning?”
“How else should we do it?”
“Most people don’t find old things quite so engaging, but it is important to know how far we’ve come.”
The first three exhibits covering the early days of rocketry, space colonization, Terran Alliance and eventually Hegemony ending at the formation of the First Star League under House Cameron went by swiftly. They lingered longest on the Taurian component of the Reunification War that had seen the Federated Suns fleet decimated by nuclear weapons delivered from TDF Aerospace fighters. There were recreations of TDF Asteroid Operations Marine Space Suits along with weapons and shields from the same and early Jovian Empire. Interspersed between them were question panels and she knew every answer faster than even a man who frequented the museum and lived in the history of his craft.
Philip leaned very close to her trying to see behind the lenses of the glasses concealing her cybereyes. “Do you have anything hidden on those glasses of yours?”
“Are you upset because I didn’t give you a chance to show off how knowledgeable you are on the topics at hand?
Like you said its history my parents read to me as bedtime stories. The valor of early spacefarers, of Norm McKenna and the Pathfinder crew, the fear of original Dreadnought, of mighty fleets from a Star League enforcing House Cameron’s decrees on the Great Houses. I am just the latest inheritor.”
“Forgive me, I thought you were excited to learn new things.”
“Every day has a new opportunity. You may yet surprise me Lieutenant.”
“I will no longer underestimate you, Lady Rhoda.”
The next exhibits had more contemporaneous materials covering the Succession Wars, COMSTAR, and the Clans up to Katrina’s ‘Usurption’ of the Federated Commonwealth. Rhoda most admired the gilded China table settings from Hanse Davion and Melissa Steiner’s wedding which occupied center stage within the exhibit. “Are those originals?”
“They are in fact originals, on loan from New Avalon. For Genoa and Caph.”
“Astounding, the boldness of these Successor Lords never fails to amaze me. To just declare war on the Inner Sphere during your Wedding Reception. The Fox was mad.”
“As mad as his oldest daughter, she was less successful in realizing her ambitions though.”
Also on display were artifacts from Katrina’s Monarch and Victor’s Conquistador, the dropships they fought their Civil War from. Further dioramas of the Great Lee Turkey Shoot, Bombing of Turtle Bay on Edo by the CSJ Sabre Cat, Battle Scenes from Tukayyid recreated in a holotank just like it would have been in Anastasious Focht’s fortress, an admittingly poorly rendered reconstruction of Tyra Miraborg’s suicidal crash into the CWS Dire Wolf that killed ilKhan Leo Showers, the defeat of Clan Jade Falcon on Coventry by Precentor Martial Victor Steiner-Davion, and Clan Nova Cat’s Aerospace win against Clan Ice Hellion during the Great Refusal. Each Clan exhibit showcased the savagery of the Clans (except the abjured Cats) and the COMGuards valiant efforts to halt their genocidal conquest.
“These exhibits treat Precentor Martial Steiner-Davion poorly don’t you think, Lieutnenant?”
“I’ve never met the man. No doubt his current company and wholehearted support of Devlin Stone’s Republic of the Sphere has played into his present perception.”
“Do you think it will change?”
“No but there are times where I wonder if Adam Steiner had been more accurate or Victor cleverer what might happened. What makes you say so about the former Prince?”
“My father believed in the Archon-Prince. He felt Victor failed to live up to his expectations.”
“Was he a COMGuardsman?”
“No, just a fan.”
“It is difficult to imagine what it must have been like to be put under such expectations. I’m just responsible for myself and my tech team and that’s enough right now.
My family has done much for the Pleadies and received much in return. I joined PESA and the Vanguard program because I didn’t want to disappoint anyone needing a hero.”
The final interior exhibit showcased the Pleaides’ Aerospace Industry and Military Strength half-sized mockups of the current Vanguard Land-Air Mech in all its forms beside the next generation under development dwarfed the Aerospace Fighters and model voidcraft within the hanger. “Also, they look awesome.”
Recreations and mockups of current PESA Espatier and Ground Forces weaponry and armor drew little attention in comparison to the Icarus III Battlemech and Vanguard LAMs with their handheld weapons. Beside them were recreations of the Word of Blake’s sinister looking Spectral Aerospace series (including the Pwwka, Yurei, and Waneta LAMs) along with unsettling Hive Robotic Fighters and Demon Series of Powered Armors crafted with care toward their bizarre angularity with effects added to simulate adaptive camouflage.
Each of the Word of Blake machines was posed in an exaggerated monstrous way to emphasize their fear effect. Alongside them were artistic renditions sourced from most assuredly highly embellished reports of Kali Liao’s Phansinger Thugee cyborgs, and the Manei Domini of the Shadow Divisions gathered second or third hand from reports during the Jihad once more showcasing how ‘divergent’ the heretics had become compared to the orthodox faithful of COMSTAR. Rhoda’s hand drifted to her glasses, “No need to worry Rhoda. There are plenty of people with cyber-eyes from COMSTAR, or not.”
“Yes, I suppose you are right. I just could not imagine the pain those cyborgs must feel with machines grafted to their bones.”
A closing exhibit was regarding the history of the COMSTAR Explorer Corps and the contemporary efforts of the Interstellar Expeditions to continue their work. More importantly to ongoing search for the last two of the potentially mythic ‘Hidden Worlds’ Obeedah and Taussen.
“Well, we don’t have to worry about them now. The Word of Blake is defeated, and people are out there making sure they can’t return.”
“People like you?”
“Of course, there is nothing to fear Rhoda. The Vanguard is always Vigilant!”
“Well then Lieutenant hero, why don’t you tell more about these Word of Blake machines?
Because I haven’t the slightest clue.”