Chapter 1 Planetfall
Three weeks lighter the deep liner CPV Prince Sverond emerged at the high ocean port above the hospitality zone of Jran on on of the many southern continents of Sralan, bring with it a slightly drunk Xalia Ranva authority over glories past who had been spending a lot of time regretting her decision to come here. She was enough of a professional to remain on the safe side of very slightly tips. Just enough to take the edge of her nerves. Quopka, the man that had hired her was probably already waiting for her on the arrival deck of the ship. All she could do know was look like she knew what she was doing while trying to figure out what exactly she could do to help that man... and his planet entire planet added the more miserable part of her mind. She carefully checked the ceremonial paintings on her skin a last time making sure that they were impeccable, touching up some fine details before putting on her uniform. She and that uniform had gone through a lot over the past few centuries, they had survived quite a few adventures together, some of them caused by her impulsive nature but most by that of others. It's colour faded, becoming threadbare at the edges. Just looking at it it was clear that if it could talk it would be able to tell the most fantastic stories, it had witnessed so much and though it might have left its best years behind it, those times had been incredible. Xalia smiled, she closed her eyes, focusing on the past and what she and her uniform had been through, she grasped those memories and brought them back with her, she opened her eyes, the markings on her skin coming alive. The things she wore, bathed in this light became resplendent again reminding all who beheld them of their glorious past. Xalia left the room to go look for Quopka, she caught the eye of every one she passed, partially because seeing an authority in the flesh was something so rare that they would still be telling their grandchildren of this moment but mostly because a deep wave of nostalgia washed over them the moment she entered the room.
"Please, don't." Qupka said to Xalia as soon as he could shake off the effect of her power. "That you are here should be kept a secret as long as possible."
"How illegal is the thing you want me to do." Xalia said, eye brow raised.
Qupka looked around to make sure no one was listening, but they were standing on the far end of the deck and the people who had noticed Xalia where to busy reminiscing to actually notice them. "Nothing about this is illegal. But we are moving against very powerful people."
Xalia snorted. "Really?", she said crossing her arms, "Is another authority here that will try to stop us?"
"No."
"Didn't think so." Xalia said, "Your biggest problem still is that you want me to turn your whole planet into a past glory. I'd say we'll need all the help we can possibly get.
"There are other forms of authority Mrs. Ranva. At least as powerful as you and much more insidious."
"You've been talking in ominous riddles since we first met and it isn't doing you any favours." she said shaking her head. "The closer we have come to your home the more crazy you are starting to sound..."
Qupka grimaced, "I would sound crazier if I told you what is happening here. It really is easier if I show you. And for that it is important that you trust me, or at least indulge me, just a little bit longer."
"You are paying me well enough," Xalia shrugged, "and as long as we are not breaking any laws or ethical principles and there isn't anything better for me to do, I'll indulge you."
"I think you will understand what's we make planetfall."
"Sure. Please, go ahead."
"Your power? Please?"
Xalia had to restrain herself from rolling here eyes. "As you wish." with that she turned back into an unremarkable woman in a foreign uniform that had seen better days.
While Xalia wanted to go forward Qupka held her back, "Let's wait until the others have left. It will give you more time to take in the scenery." Xalia exhaled trying to remain calm.
"Please," Qupka said, "it is important, I want to know what you observe. Once we are at the ground port I'll invite you to dinner. As an apology."
"Food and lodging are part of the contract Qupka..."
"Yes but this I will pay for you from my own money. I now a good place down there and... well maybe it is mostly symbolic and I know I'm being very cryptic..."
"You do?" Xalia asked. "You also realise what a pain in the arse you've been the closer we came to your home?"
"I actually do, yes. And I'm sorry. Please just indulge me for a bit more, in a few hours I think you will have seen and felt what I need you to understand. And I believe that it is very important that you experience it first hand. It will make everything else easier. At least that's what I hope."
"You and me both Qupka, you and me both..."
They spent the rest of the time in silence Qupka trying to be solemn but he could not help himself from fidgeting. Xalia mostly looking out of a panoramic window, looking outside trying to distract herself. Below her she could see the dark opalescent blue of the high ocean and also below her but in the other direction she could see the southern sea of Sralan and its many islands. While she could not see them she could feel the transit pods launch from the port, as they sent out subtle shock waves through when they pushed themselves towards the planet.
Twenty minutes later most of the passengers had left the deep liner,leaving the deck mostly empty except for Xalia, Qupka and a few of the crew who were making a pointed performance out of cleaning the ship slowly moving the towards the last stranglers trying to push them out through social pressure. Xalia looked at Qupka lifting her eye brow, he responded with a tiny nod.Finally they left the CPV Prince Sverond, moved through the docking bridge into the arrival platform of the high port. the bridge opened into a large hall, white an polished, Xalia felt like walking into the inside of a giant pearl. The floor, the walls, the ceiling was all polished out of the same milky material, all of it glowing very faintly in a cool light. There was the faintest wave moving from the bridge towards the many exits leading to the landing pods. The hall it self was filled columns that were strategically placed so that one had to pass them by if one wanted to leave. Every single one of them containing a little store, as polished as everything else here, presenting all manner of things that could easily be carried away for the right price. Xalia decided that she wasn't going to fall for this kind of cheap marketing ploys, following Qupka towards the next exit she noticed that the shops had some kind of way of evaluating, as she passed the first ones those that followed smoothly rearranged themselves to present her with goods more to her tastes. 'I will be manipulated this easily.' she thought to her self.
"You didn't buy anything." she said to Qupka as she put on her new open coat that would protect her against the salt and humidity of the southern atmosphere, then she took the bottle of the strong wines this region was known for form a tired looking Qupka. "No," he said, "I hate this place.", he grimaced a bit, "And had you controlled yourself a bit more I could have shown you places on the surface where you could have found better things of a higher quality and for a better price."
"And I'm looking forward to. But this way I'm ready for the atmosphere down there and I can sample the bounties of your world even before we set foot on the planet. Win-win." she beamed. Qupka somehow managed to look even more tired, a corpse would have looked downright perky in comparison.
It turned out that drinking her welcome drink was more fun than anticipated. The transit pods were of a kind that Xalia hadn't seen so far. They too plummeted from the platform down to the surface but where this usually was either a rather tumultuous ride in the free fall models or a breathtakingly boring one in orbital elevator types, these somehow managed to combine the advantages of both. Their pod fell with terminal velocity towards the planet but as it fell it harvested all excess energy making the ride perfectly smooth. The only way to tell that the pod was moving at all was that inside once the decent started gravity stopped.
"This is really fun." Xalia said, pouring a little ball of liquid out of her newly acquired bottle, trying to catch it with her mouth. "I wonder though, this is really sophisticated, why don't we have gravity in the pod?"
Quopka looked at her his eyes dull. "Because it is more fun this way." the corner of his mouth twitched in slight disgust.
Xalia, having caught her drink, turned to face what was the floor of the pod drifted down a bit to look a Quopka. "You say like that's a bad thing... why?"
"Because it's wrong. It's just like the shops up there. This is all part of an experience..."
"I still can't see the problem with that because so far," she poured another little ball of liquid sending it flying, "it is a really good one." she twisted around jerking this way and that, trying to catch her drink.
Qupka sighed. "It is the wrong experience." he paused. "Look, this was all made to be interesting, captivating and fun, but this is not the Sralan way. These pods here... they are great. Marvels of modern technology. But these used to be wooden fliers." he looked out of the pod's window looking into the sky which was turning from black to blue, the stars vanishing slowly giving way to Sralan's cobalt sky. "Our terminals were built in orbit far from the port cities below, our pods would glide down the atmosphere trailing a tail of fire. From inside you could see all of the sea and islands surrounding your port and from down there..." finally life returned to his face, as his eyes lit up and a faint smile rose. "From down there you would see the fire trails, spirals in the sky interlocking with each other painting a flower into our sky. The journeyman's lilly, it called. There are cards with all the different lilies of our world. One look and you know what city you will find under that sky." Qupka was looking past the sky now his face warm. Xalia had long stopped moving, once her employer had become lost in his memories., she felt a wave of power. The feeling of love, just fading, a savoury taste, just tinged with bitterness. This was glory moving from the present into the past.
She followed Qupka's gaze into the past. "This used to be different kind of port." Xalia said.
"Yes."
She felt the pull of the time when this had been a shining jewel of this planet, gently polished over centuries turning it into a treasure that was carried in the hearts of all who knew it. Something that was part of the locals life, something that touched everyone who came here and saw it for the first time.
Xalia inhaled, stretched out her authority, garbed hold of that ancient glory. She exhaled igniting the sky around them bringing that long lost flower of the sky back from the sky reminding all those who saw it of a golden age now slowly fading.
Quopka just stared in wonder, his feelings overwhelming him as tears filled his eyes.
"I think, I'm starting to understand you." Xalia said, "and I might even be able to help you."
