Chapter 8: Tsundere

The specimens are reproducing faster than initial estimates. More test tubes are being ordered as we speak.

Éclair felt her way through the control console of the North Star. Although, to describe the piloting system of the North Star as a normal control console wouldn’t do it justice. Zanderius had spent months perfecting the vessel to very precise specifications. He wanted Éclair to be able to pilot it by herself if necessary, even though she was just a child at the time. As such, the navigational system of the ship was unique. The ship was partially sentient, although it did not possess an AI system in the conventional sense. In fact, the ship had hardly any computer or mechanical systems to speak of. It was an invention that was more elementally based than technologically based. Which meant that the craft possessed what was almost tantamount to a soul. Zanderius had implanted part of his soul into the vessel itself. His will, his intellect, and even his emotions, to a certain extent, flowed through every circuit of the crystal vessel. He also entwined Éclair’s own personality into the North Star so that she could connect to it more easily. Zanderius created the vessel to be very selective of who could pilot it. As far as Éclair knew, only she and Zand himself were even capable of communing with the vessel. Eclair guessed that since Green-Eyes was bonded to Zand through some Elemental contract or something, that North Star had eventually accepted her. Éclair also knew that the vessel would probably raise a slight fit at having Ryan riding in her as well, but Zand had brought other people to ride in her in the past. So as long as Éclair was there to pilot, the North Star would be compliant, or at least not shoot Ryan into space like she had when someone tried to steal her once.

The process of controlling the North Star was very unlike that of normal vessels. In order to pilot her, one did not use hands, but rather the mind. Though Éclair was not a telepath herself, Zanderius had designed the North Star to tune into Éclair’s unique mental signature. Meaning that she only need be inside the vessel to communicate with her mentally and tell her what to do. In fact, Éclair could even control the ship from a distance. Zand had told her that the range that she could maintain contact with the vessel was roughly within a few thousand miles, meaning that if she was on the same planet as Éclair was, the ship could hear her and respond to her call.

Old, familiar feelings of childlike wonder and eagerness returned to Éclair as she mentally checked through the North Star’s systems, becoming reacquainted with her old friend. If Éclair had to describe the emotions that the partially sentient vessel conveyed to her, it would be excitement. The ship responded to Éclair’s mental touch like a puppy barking excitedly as their master returned home from a long trip. Although Zanderius did give the North Star the spark of life with a part of his soul, the vessel had developed a very unique personality apart from her creator. As the craft grew more and more into consciousness, it became clear that she was a female, at least mentally speaking. Zand explained that because the ship bonded with Éclair the most, she drew upon Éclair’s girlish brain waves, which shaped North into having a very feminine personality. There were times in her youth that Éclair regarded the ship as a playmate, or even as a little sister.

While Éclair sat in the white leather seats, the ship chirped and beeped at her happily as various displays and guidance systems danced across Éclair’s field of vision. Éclair even saw many pictures and videos of her and Zand and various servants from her mansion that she had played with while inside or near the North Star.

Éclair smiled, and said, “Yes, I’ve missed you too, girl.”

The vessel then expressed curiosity, wondering where Éclair had been for the past seven years as a big holographic question mark made of green light blinked in front of Éclair’s face.

“I’ve mostly been at the Ministry of Fire,” answered Éclair proudly. “Can you believe it, North? I actually became an Elemental, just like I always wanted to!”

North Star beamed with pride for Éclair as it expressed its congratulations with cheerful beeps.

“Well, thank you, North. I would have wanted you to be there, but I’m not sure how you would have fit into the graduation room.”

The vessel made a displeased humming noise at Éclair, apparently still sensitive about her weight.

“Sorry, girl,” apologized Éclair. “That was insensitive of me.”

The vessel then implied that it accepted Éclair’s apology with a slight squeak and a flash of blue lights.

“My goodness,” said Éclair with a whistle as she studied some of the new systems that North Star allowed her access to. “Papa never let me have access to these systems before. Who knew all the weapons he installed in you? You have enough firepower to scorch a small moon.”

North Star beeped appreciatively at Éclair’s comment, apparently rather proud of the weapons of mass destruction stored in her vaults.

“I’m afraid we might need those weapons soon. It will be a long trek out of the galaxy controlled by Black Star. We can’t open a Gateway until we’re closer to one of the cosmic highways that are connected throughout the universe. If we tried, we’d most likely destroy ourselves, or end up somewhere random like we did when we went through the Gateway that brought us here while the field was being disrupted. I think we’re going to have to fly slower too in order to maintain the stealth flight systems. Don’t want to draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves. There are some Parasite subspecies that have developed space travel capabilities, and they have been known to attack starcraft in the past. And then there were those weird bat creatures that attacked our ship in the first place. Though we’re many lightyears away from where we first encountered them, they could still be looking for us, if it was us that they were after. Given all the stuff Papa told us about being Children of Destiny, I tend to think so.”

North Star then chirped aggressively, as if eager for a fight.

Éclair chuckled. “Now you sound like Ryan.”

North Star squeaked in puzzlement.

“Oh, Ryan? He’s just a boy that’s here with me. He’ll be traveling with us, you know? So I want you to be on your best behavior, girl. Don’t want to weird him out.”

North Star then clicked playfully, suggesting something ludicrous that Éclair had to scoff at.

“No, I don’t like him,” insisted Éclair. “Well, I mean ... not like that. He’s just a really good friend.”

In response, North then started showing Éclair clips and stills of Ryan that she apparently took from Éclair’s memories. Éclair was slightly stunned by how debonair Ryan looked in her mind’s eye, very much unlike how he was in real life.

“Yes, I have a lot of fond memories of Ryan,” said Éclair, feeling defensive. “But that’s only because we’ve been through a lot together, especially recently. I just trust him, that’s all. I know he’s someone I can rely on.”

North then moaned doubtfully.

“For your information, you gossipmonger,” retorted Éclair jokingly. “I already have a boyfriend. And we’re doing great.”

The craft then showed Éclair clips and images of her memories of Leon, as if asking for a confirmation. Leon appeared just as Éclair remembered him, with his neatly combed black hair, dark eyes, pale skin, elegantly handsome face, and shiny glasses. He was tall and lithe. Very toned, but not quite as muscular as Ryan. He wore the armor of the Fire Ministry with the emblem of a lion and a four-legged Dragon on his golden medallion that hung over his chest. His Psionic Armor was a darker shade of red than the norm for the Fire Ministry, and he always wore a dark cloak around his shoulders.

“Yes, that’s him,” acknowledged Éclair. “Isn’t he perfect? Handsome, brooding, intellectual, and most of all, mysterious. You know, I’ve only just recently gotten him to open up to me about his family. Given some of the things they were involved in, I can understand his hesitation. But he’s wonderful. He’s really a very kindhearted person ... I think. He just acts gruff sometimes to keep other people at bay. I think it’s mostly a put-on, but it can be a bit disconcerting at times. Still, little bumps like that are to be expected in any relationship. I swear I won’t rest until I’ve peeled back all his secrets. Then we can reach the next level in our romance.”

This time, when North responded, four very clear words came to Éclair’s head. Do you love him?

“What?” asked Éclair, somewhat alarmed by the question and not completely sure why at the same time. “Of ... of course I do. Why ... why wouldn’t I? We’re together, aren’t we?”

North then started squeaking hopefully as she slowly brought up an image of Ryan that overshadowed some of Leon’s pictures.

“Oh, stop it.”

As Éclair finished her preliminary assessment, she mentally requested the portal to open as she hopped down from the vessel to the ground below.

“Looks like everything’s good to go, North,” said Éclair as she dusted her hands off. “I’m just going to go get Ryan. Remember. Be nice. He’s not used to dealing with sentient starships.”

North Star then gave a very mischievous wolf whistle down at Eclair.

Éclair rolled her eyes and pointed warningly. “You behave yourself.”

Ryan said something about wanting to check the supplies Zanderius had set down for them. Much of the forest lay in smoking ruins from Ryan’s flame attacks, but the woods were still dense with white, spike-shaped trees shooting out of the black ground. As Éclair followed Ryan’s path into the remaining woods, she was becoming steadily aware of how lonely she soon felt. During their time on Black Star, they were rarely apart. Plus, she was keenly aware of how foreboding the white woods seemed under the red sky of the unnamed world in the Black Star controlled galaxy. Despite the fact that she knew that Zand had annihilated every single Parasite on the planet, she still wished to get away as soon as possible.