Chapter 20

As I came back to my senses I sat at a long wooden dinner table laid out with fine china and silverware. The room looked like a natural cave of sorts. The place was elaborately and expensively decorated. The art and decoration was selected by a talented interior designer and the shelves and furniture had been expertly blended into the rough cave walls. Wall sconces and crystal ceiling lights illuminated the place and fireplace radiated warmth from what seemed to be burning gas. The place, the books and everything did look like the tasteful lived in habitat of someone spending much time here.It also had the feel of an old place, the items appeared antique and had the patina of ages.

I felt different and as I looked down I noticed, my black leather suit was gone and I wore a dark red velvet shoulder free dress that squeezed my upper assets into a deep plunging cleavage. My arms were dressed in long gloves and held in place by metal bracelets to the armrests of the chair I was sitting on.

I was not alone, there was a tall being wearing a floor long purple cape. Its head looked menacing and ugly as the head of a trench worm that could be found near hot water vents on Nilfeheim. The head shimmered moist and had a moving ring mouth.

The creature said. “I am glad you are awake and I hope you like the dress I selected for you, I know you are a woman and would rather choose what to wear yourself but I am sure you would have fought the idea with tooth and nails. I seen you fight and so it seemed a sensitive precaution.”

“You better had a good look while you did that, pervert. I assure you it will be the last time you do something like that.”

He raised his hands, grabbed the ugly head and removed it. It was as I suspected a mask, and he revealed a human face that a real woman might find handsome. He had black hair that was combed back and silver gray on the sides, his skin appeared extremely pale and its waxy almost unnatural shade was enhanced by a neatly trimmed black beard around his mouth. He put the ugly worm head with an almost loving expression and great care on a special stand sitting prominently on the table.

“I am a master of disguise, a skill I honed for millennia and have many identities.”

He then held up a bio flex mask of Har-Hi’s face. “You met me as Daimon Honsu in the Death Arena of Sin 4. I decided to retire Dimon forever.

He laughed.”I knew the Duke was on the right track using your mates to get to you. And sure enough you fell for my rouse acting in the guise of your first mate, but I am indeed the Purple Worm and you are the first living being who sees my true face ever since I was chosen.”

“Not much of an improvement, if you ask me. I can see why you chose to hide it.”

His eyes blinked angry but only for a moment and then he said. “Yes, I can understand why you are angry and upset, but I picked the dress and I hope you like it. It fits you very well, I might add.”

The steel clamps held my hands tight and I noticed similar clamps around my ankles. “Where is Har-Hi?”

“Your Dai mate is a formidable warrior I am certain, but he had no defenses against the drug in his Thill. Like all Dai he acted on the rigid rules and customs of his race and he did not refuse the offering of another Dai. They don’t poison or use drugs. I however do.”

“Answer my question.”

“He is safe, perhaps not as comfortable as you but he is safe and I will not harm him if you humor me for a while. Have dinner with me and be social and maybe all this will turn out to be a lovely evening that benefits us both.”

I said nothing.

He slipped out of the purple cape, revealing that he was wearing a tuxedo like suit as I had seen men wear at the Diamond Ball on Pluribus.

“As I have mentioned, I have seen you fight, this is why I can’t let you have your freedom completely of course but I think you should be reasonably comfortable even with your legs restrained. I am a patient and civilized man but don’t try anything foolish, I am also quite capable of being ruthless and cruel. I have killed, maimed and tortured just about any creature that walks or crawls without remorse. Just so you know there is a nasty Kermac device installed in your chair that will flood your neural pathways with pain impulses.”

I tried to concentrate and feel for Narth, and I did feel his mind but it felt inactive. He was still sleeping or resting after his struggle with the Seenian suit, but I was certain I would be able to reach him soon. To my captor I said, “You don’t know the meaning of cruelty until after I am done with you, Worm!”

He ignored my threat came closer and said, “How about some wine, to ease the tensions and then I will tell you what this is really all about.”

“Why don’t you tell me right away? I am not particularly fond of wine.”

He poured himself a glass from a bottle that had Terran writing on it and he said, “Very well then.”

He sat down on a chair to my left and began. “I have seen you fight and kill Bloom at Brhama Port. I know my friend Captain Swift left with you for Sin 4, he never arrived and no one has heard of him since.

Now you will tell me that he went somewhere else and got caught by the Togar, but I would wager a substantial amount of money that he met his fate by your hand.”

He sipped his wine, looked at the clear golden liquid in the glass and then continued as I didn’t say anything. “The Port protectors tried to intimidate you and paid with their lives doing it. That dangerous fool called Red Dragon tried to steal your ship and you toyed with him, despite him having Celtest technology.” He snickered. “Duke Donheer captured your Dai and you were willing to risk your own life to get him back, and that gave me, of course, the idea for what I did here, but you showed him who’s boss. There isn’t a Donheer Clan anymore. Of course there would not be one anyway as the Union moved in, but neither you nor I could have foreseen that. Bottom line is, you are a dangerous woman and from what I have seen and heard you are as cold blooded and ruthless as can be”

I smiled at him. “I am glad you see a pattern there and maybe you should consider this as a prediction of things to come for you. If you let my First Mate go and untie me, I will consider listening to you and show mercy. Continue to force me and cause harm to my friends and you will find out what I am for real.”

“Oh please, Captain Velvet, I am no fool. I know you have some sort of psionic assets in your crew and I suspect you are connected to the witches that hide in the Igras Expanse, but this place of mine is shielded quite well against Psionics and I have been dealing with the Kermac and other talented beings all my long life. I am quite well prepared and took precautions. That you are human is evident as my drugs worked just fine on you. You will see that as soon as I ask you questions that you cannot lie or keep anything hidden. The natural gas and the drugs will loosen your lips as well as any Saresii interrogator could. It is quite similar in composition to those wonderful Shaill compounds and drugs”

He leaned forward and looked me closely in the eyes. “I know what motivates you. You are hungry for power and want to show the men and the world that you are powerful. I am offering you power beyond your wildest dreams. More power than any pirate could ever dream of having.”

He put his hand on mine and said. “I fell in love with you, that day in the arena. I have been alone for a very long time but finally I think I found someone equal to me, someone I could share everything with. I am in love with you, Black Velvet. I was struck by your beauty despite the masks you wear and by the ruthless brutality you dish out with the elegance of a refined lady. I am mesmerized by your voice and now as I see you unveiled and unmasked, I know I have seen a true angel; a dark violent angel, but an angel no less.”

His confession and statement floored me and for a moment I had no smart response. Was this idiot serious?

With a careful measured gesture he put down the glass and said: “I have managed to conceal my true identity for 3000 years and built this organization from scratch, but I put all caution into the wind as I saw you. Now tell me who you are and your real name.”

Even if his Hypno-drugs and gas worked, I wasn’t even able to answer that question to myself. I didn’t feel impaired or forced to say something I didn’t want to and so I said, “I am Erica and I am the Captain of the Silver Streak.”

If his truth drugs or gas worked I could not say but what I answered wasn’t a lie.

He pointed to the bottle. “This is a very old and very good wine from Terra and it would be a crime to tamper with it so I assure you it is just wine. You really wouldn’t care drinking a glass with me, Erica?”

“I told you, Worm. I don’t drink wine. I simply don’t care for it.”

He poured himself another glass and said. “I am Hector Vargas and long time ago I once considered myself an Earther, from a region called Europe. Where are you from?”

“I am from beyond time when all was void. I am darkness incarnate.”

The man blinked surprised.

“Maybe you are over exposed to the gas. It makes no sense what you are saying.”

Maybe the gas did affect me after all because he was right; even I had no idea where that came from. It was certainly not what I wanted to say and made no sense to me as well, but once again I suddenly remembered my ring and a cold rage was building up deep inside me.

He turned and I saw two beings in dark brown robes, no taller than maybe ten year old children, appear from a well hidden door in the rock face. “Close the vents of the gas, my faithful servants and maintain the Psionic shielding.”

The two beings bowed and left as silently as they had come. Turning back to me he said. “The gas is very complex and affects everyone a little different of course, but it matters little.”

He got up and a gestured towards the wooden bookcases. Soft violin music began to play and he said.

“Let us eat and maybe I my proposition will grow on you. Of course you must remain my prisoner until I could be absolutely sure you would not betray me, but your captivity can be pleasurable of course, as you see I am a connoisseur and collector of fine things and will treat you well.”

“What about my ship, my crew and Har-Hi?”

“I haven’t decided yet, but if you treat me right and with respect, I might let them work for me. You see the Red Dragon is on a quest and one of my associates is already taking part.”

A voice in my head said. “I managed to bypass their psionic shielding It is quite effective and quite strong.”

I never felt in much danger as I knew Narth would find a way to contact me, but hearing his mental voice was still very reassuring and I opened my recent memories to him so he knew what was going on.

Narth’s voice in my head responded. “What do you want us to do?”

“Can you locate Har-Hi?”

“He is well shielded like all Union Officers, but I am certain Ensign Fifcher has found his distinct neural impulse activity.”

“Can you get him to safety without them noticing?”

“If you can give us ten minutes, so we can familiarize ourselves more with the psionic technology of your captors.”

“Alright, let me know when you can.”

The steel cuffs that held my wrists snapped open and the man who was the worm said. “I will treat you like a princess and all I ask is your companionship. Perhaps you learn to love me along the way.”

Two of the little brown robed beings appeared from that same door and one of them placed a soup bowl before me and he was served one as well.

I said. “So you are 3000 years old and the head of a criminal organization and you think captivity will make me like you eventually?”

He took a spoon and tried the soup, closed his eyes and nodded in agreement to the robed being and then said to me. “Yes my dear, 3000 years ago a strange entity picked two hundred humans from Earth and gave each of them a specific task. I am sure you heard about Admiral Stahl and maybe you even know that the Admiral of the Union fleet McElligott is one of them. We all do not age and are immune to diseases. That cursed Stahl for example was to be the Warrior and boy does he take his task serious. My task was different, I was to be the one that acted in the shadows and the underbelly to make sure the others did not get too cocky and stayed on track.

I was to act unbeknownst to the others and keep an eye on them. I was to be the Worm, squeezing into cracks where those within our own society dwelled, that opposed the course the guardian wanted humanity to take. Humanity always had a criminal element, no matter how shiny and noble it appeared on the surface.I represent that element.”

I sniffed at the soup, it smelled alright but I did not eat. However there was a nice sharp looking steak knife among the cutlery and within my reach.

I said. “Yes I have heard of these immortals, but even if they exist has reality not made them obsolete? Humanity is well integrated into the Union and part of a galaxy spanning society? I also heard of this Stahl and if he indeed exists, is he no longer just acting for Terra, but acts for all the Union?”

He sneered and put his spoon down. “That oversized, overinflated egomaniac everyone worships makes me sick with his straight and narrow morals.He exists, I can attest to that. He hasn’t changed in all the millennia; he still is that same primitive marine soldier he once was. Of course we are obsolete there is no need for us to act for humanity. I am independent, my organization has penetrated deep into the fleet and one day I will succeed and get rid of that eternal soldier. There is only one place an immortal should be and that is on top and rule. What do the average citizens know? They live and die and as long as they have plenty to eat and a good program on GalNet they are content.” He looked me straight into the eyes. “Only a few months ago, I had them all at one place. Stahl and McElligott and almost succeeded in killing them both. One of those cursed Narth interfered.”

He grew visibly angry and bunched the napkin into a tight wad. Then he pointed his spoon at me. “The Narth are but a hurdle, that can be overcome. You see the Worm is not limited to play just on Union side. I have contacts to the Shiss. I play with the Kermac and I know they have plans in motion to deal with the Narth once and for all. Then my dear my time has come to step out of the shadows and you have a chance to be there right at my side as my queen; as the Empress of the Galaxy.”

I took a spoon and tasted the milky soup. It was some sort of potato cream with mushrooms and said.

“I think you lost your sanity somewhere in the process. If you honestly think that those paper skin clowns of the Galactic Council could do anything to the Narth then you betting on the wrong race boat. The Kermac could not even come up with a plan to oppose the Saresii.”

He regained his composure. “Men with ambitions and great vision have always been laughed at and considered insane. You my dear might have a long life ahead as I think you are somehow connected to those witches inside the Igras nebula, but you are still young I can tell. The Kermac are much more resourceful as anyone in the Union knows. It is them who called the Y’All in the first place. It is them who inherited knowledge and technology of the UNI. You did find the Y’All source did you not?”

I shrugged.”I found many things on my path.”

He again pointed his spoon at me.”All this however might be unimportant. The pirate you know as Red Dragon has Celtest technology and apparently knows the location of an intact war depot of this mysterious long vanished but highly advanced civilization. I know he bragged to you about it, perhaps even hinted to take you along. Have you not wondered where the Red Dragon got his Celtest equipment? Is it not his promise to share the riches of this Celtest depot with you, that made you follow him to Alvor’s Cove?”

I nodded. “He did manage to intrigue me.”

The worm placed a small cylindrical object on the table. “This is a Celtest device. It was found many decades ago right here in the sands of the largest desert. I have made my home here for a very long time, partially because of this reason. This once was a Celtest world, I am certain that. The oceans that once covered this world ages ago made it a quite hospitable planet.” He toyed with the metallic tube.”A local legends tells about a Celtest wreck hidden beneath the sand and dust somewhere out here, but I am sure there is much more than that.”

He had managed to capture my undivided attention. “If it is you who found these things, why is it the Dragon has them?”

He took the device and held it up. “This is all that was found so far. The man you know as Red Dragon managed to steal a forgotten prototype spaceship. A ship like none other and right from the mighty Union. It was not only loaded with many experimental systems and technology of Union design but also genuine Celtest tech.”

He laughed. “I don’t know if you ever been an Union citizen my dear, but it has become so big they sometimes forget what they have. Now the Red Dragon has been a high ranking officer in their fleet, before his criminal activity was discovered in an unforeseen chain of events.” He took a sip of his wine.”Anyhow it was inert and seemed nothing more than alien scrap unrelated to the rest of the ship’s systems.

After he decided to become a pirate, he came here and this little device suddenly became active for a few moments. It started to glow and all his previously inert Celtest equipment was suddenly online and operative. He also obtained information about a Celtest war depot. Unfortunately for me I do know how.”

He looked at the small device.”He must have added something else to his Celtest possessions, this device became active just the other day once again.”

Narth said in my head.”Har-Hi is safe.”

I took another spoon while forming my response silently in my head.

“Prepare for a very fast take over, I don’t want anyone to escape from this place, wherever I am.”

Narth responded. “I never saw Har-Hi as angry as he is now. He heard your instructions and we should be able to execute in fifteen minutes. Shea is currently analyzing the ground scans to make sure we know where all the exits are. Marines, robots and most of your crew is standing by armed and quite angry.

Aloud I said “What would happen if I agree to your plans?”

His lips curled into a smile. “If I knew it would be genuine I make you my queen. I’ve been alone for a very long time, and realize I needed a worthy companion. Of course I can’t trust you right now and so you will have to get used to being restrained.

He got up and walked around “Be a good girl and put your hands on your back and I show you what I mean. Don’t try anything stupid, I would hate to use the Neuro ripper.”

I complied and he snapped cuffs around my wrists. Now the chair released my legs and he pulled it away, then he draped the purple cloak he had worn around my shoulders.

“See no one would see you are restrained, you could have a little freedom and no one would see that you are under my control.”

“This is getting you off, right? Having a woman bound and helpless?”

He snickered. “I can’t deny it, it does have its charms especially since it is such a strong willed, stubborn wild cat as you are.” He then took the ugly worm mask and said. “This is a more than a disguise; it is a symbol of power and filled with the finest Kermac Psionic enhancers and shields. It allows me to contact my organization from almost anywhere and give orders and there are high ranking officers in my organization that cringe and crawl on the floor just looking at it in fear. Fear can be a very powerful tool, my dear. He pulled the thing over my head and said. “One day I might even show you how it works.”

I could see him through the ring mouth and felt the thing moving as if I was wearing a heavy wet towel that was constantly shifting. He clapped his hands.

“How well it fits you, now the Purple Worm is no longer alone. I will have one made for you just like it.”

“And I was worried wearing a tad to much make up.”

He removed it. “That is my plan for you and I am almost certain you’ll get used to the cuffs eventually. In the meantime it is me who takes pleasure from having someone to talk to. I also want to learn all about your friends in the Igras expanse. I know they dabble in Psionics as well and do not see eye to eye with the Narth, at least that is what the rumors say.”

Narth said. “We are all in position.”

I responded. “Let’s end this.”

I said to the Worm. “I met Admiral Stahl; he is as you say integrity incarnate. I met McElligott and others that are considered to be immortals, yet you seem the most foolish of them all. You could not begin to comprehend what the Coven is, they don’t dabbe in psionics and you underestimate me and think I am helpless just because you slap cuffs on me. The days of the Worm are counted, and you helped me to end them even faster.”

He took a step back.

“Who are you really, there aren’t many who have seen these men in person and most certainly not a pirate.”

Just then the concealed rock door burst into pieces as a gray Nul holding two TKUs burst into the room. From the opening a badly mangled brown robed being flew into the room and crashed landed with a sickening wet sound on the finely laid out table, blood dripping from it to the polished floor. Followed by the equally frightening TheOther. He held three TKUs and a chainsword.

The Purple Worm reacted quite fast and pulled a weapon from his belt, but dropped it as he felt the razor sharp blade of a Dai sword on his Adam’s apple, Har-Hi and Narth had appeared right behind him and I could tell Har-Hi was really fired up and barely able to restrain himself.

Shea came in holding her mysterious sword and used it to cut the cuffs away that restrained my wrists and while doing so whispered in my ear. “You are the most gorgeous looking damsel in distress, my dear Captain. Red Velvet and a purple cape looks good on you.”

Before I could scold her for that, a part of the wooden shelf toppled over with a thundering crash and a hail of wooden splinters. Revealing a previously hidden control room behind it. Hans being the cause for this holding another one of the small beings in his left, while tossing another clear across the room.

Hans stomped over and said. “Captain, the Compound is secure, no one escaped.”

The worm still having Har Hi’s sword at his throat was now peeled out of his clothing by invisible hands, behind Hans our Leedei came in the room.

Narth said. “He is well shielded indeed, but now that I do not have to restrain myself, I can confirm that is indeed Hector Vargas, formerly of Earth and one of the Immortals picked by the Guardian.”