The First Cycle of Time Part 14

From: Cheryl Baumgartner(C Baumgartner, Posted Date: Feb 27th, 2011

 

790 broke the silence in the cryochamber. “Which one of my loves will give me a kiss as a reward for all my hard work?” Second Kai picked him up “Oh yes! My young and studly one!” And handed him to Fifth Kai who gave him a peck on the cheek.

“You are not worried about catching ‘robot head germs’?” Fourth Kai teased.

“No silly! Only boys can get robot head germs.” She said as she hugged 790.

“Oh promise of perfect beauty!” 790 sighed.

“So are you going to tell us what you did?” Third Kai asked.

“Well reprogramming the airhead was easy.  She will return to Mantrid and tell him that she found the people of Brunnia in mourning for The One.  She questioned a Priest who told her that The One was dead, Drowned in the ocean that surrounds this island.  When she got the information, she drowned him in the ocean.  But since she was so easy to program, I gave her a secondary program.  Whenever Mantrid Wakes her she will secretly contact Dara and tell Dara word for word what Mantrid says.  Even if Mantrid tells her not to repeat her orders, she will still report to Dara unless Mantrid tells her specifically not to tell Dara.”

“So you have programmed her to be a spy in Mantrid’s camp.” First Kai patted the robot’s head.  “Too bad I didn’t have you around back in the day.  That war would have been over in half the time.”  790 basked in the praise.

“So all that is left is give her protoblood.” Vlad said as she moved In front of Fifth Kai.

“Wait, we don’t want her waking up here on the LEXX.’ First Kai said.  “Mantrid may know what this is from her description.  She needs to wake up somewhere else.  Is that possible?”

Fourth Kai replied.  “Her protoblood is completely exhausted.  She is in complete protoblood failure.  She will stay that way until she is resupplied.  We could take her somewhere else to wake her.”

“It can’t be you or Vlad that does it.” Third Kai spoke.  “Mantrid would figure out what you are from her description.”

“Third and I will take her to the beach.  There’s nothing suspicious at all about an old man and his son walking along the beach.  And we certainly would stop to assist a woman we thought might be hurt.” First Kai said. 

“How can you not love such wisdom?” 790 piped up.

“You are one devious old man.” Second Kai said.

Fourth Kai handed Third Kai a small tube of protoblood.

 “Of course I am! How do you think I managed to survive for 240 years!” First Kai laughed.

 


Duke watched as the two older Kais placed the body of Priest’s wife in a moth and took off.  That meant that they were aware that Prince had not been exactly forthcoming in his meeting with them.  Duke had never met Kai but he had seen him from a distance.  It was time for an introduction.

Duke thought about the deal he and Prince had made 500 years ago.   Duke would spy on Mantrid and in return he and Prince would divide the universe between them.  He knew that Prince would stick to the deal, the problem was that Prince would stick to the deal in his own time and his own way.  It was time to cut out the middleman.

 

“So we store the construct in the cryopod and it ‘recharges’?  And while it recharges we are not stuck in the cryopod.” Vlad asked as Kai stepped down from his cryopod after settling his construct inside.

“Yes it allows us to interact with the physical world but also allows us to travel in the Other Zone as we need to.  Dara and Fifth Kai can see and speak to us in either form.  790 can also see our energy fields but cannot distinguish who is who if we are not in the constructs.  Tomorrow all of us Kai’s and Dara are going to start taking Aka’tai lessons from Third Kai.  Fifth Kai should learn personal combat skills but she is not alone.  Second Kai has no knowledge of how to fight.  He will be no help to Fifth Kai if it comes down to having to fight with someone.  We hope that learning some basic self-defense will help.”

“How can he be one of you and not know how to fight?” Vlad asked.

“His talent is aerial combat.  He is the most accomplished pilot the Brunnen G ever produced and he died at the age of 25.  When it comes to going head to head in an aircraft, he can kick all of our asses with ease.  But until he learns close up fighting he cannot be left as the only guard she has.  You, I or Third Kai will need to be with him.”

“Kai, Last of the Brunnen G come here!” Dara’s voice was panicked.

Vlad and Kai hurried out of the cryochamber to find Second Kai and Dara standing in front of Fifth Kai.  Standing in front of them was a man.  Kai did not know him personally but he knew who it was, Duke.

“Kai, I am here because you recently had a visit from a mutual acquaintance.  I think it’s time we had an introduction, and a meeting of our own.” Duke said.

“You speak of Prince.”

“Yes Prince.  You should know things that I believe he has kept from you, such as the connection between Mantrid and the Noah.”

“We are aware the Mantrid has possession of the Noah.” 

“Yes I saw the other two Kais loading First Lady Bunny into a moth.  So you are aware of that.  You are not aware that Prince and I have a deal.  He will share the ruling of this universe with me if I spy on Mantrid.  And so I have for 500 years.  But you better than most know how Prince sticks to his deals.  After all he filled his deal with you only when you would die moments later.   He certainly filled the letter of the deal but the spirit of the deal is another story.

I am well aware that although our deal is to share, he will find a loophole that allows him to avoid filling the spirit of the deal with me.  So I came to put a deal on the table with you.  I will report directly to you what I learn of Mantrid, in return you will help me destroy Prince.   Discuss it with your other Kais, take your time.

As a good faith gesture I will give you this.  Bunny is not the only soul from Water on board the Noah, May is also there.  And interestingly enough, she shares the same ‘malfunctions’ that Bunny has.”



“My knowledge of Duke is limited at best.  I only saw him once at a distance in a moth with Fifi when Gametown was attacked.  I do not know if he is more trustworthy than Prince or less.” Fourth Kai said to the Kais in the cryochamber later.

“So it’s the age old dilemma of ‘the devil I know vs the one I don’t’. First Kai said.

“What was your impression Second?” Third Kai asked.

“He made a very good point.  While Prince may honor his deals, he does so in a way that violates the spirit of the deal.” He directed his next words to Fourth Kai. “He had a deal with you to ‘bring you back to life’ if you defeated him in a chess game which you did.  If it had been his intention to honor the spirit of your deal he would have filled it immediately after his defeat.  Instead he waited and filled it just moments before you were trapped in Mantrid’s asteroid.  Although your death was necessary to end the Fourth cycle, his timing indicates that he had no intention of ever giving you life.”

“Prince and Duke were involved in a struggle to rule Planet Fire.  Both Duke and Prince were tied to Fire and Water.  Their destruction has given them free reign of the universe and the struggle continues.  The two seem to balance each other, I do not know what the consequences will be if either of them can tip that balance.” Fourth Kai said.  “But I do believe that we would have just as big a problem as we now have with Mantrid.”

“There is another option, my mother was quite fond of a political ploy called ‘playing both ends against the middle’.  We could use them both without ever committing ourselves to either side.” Third Kai spoke.

“I keep forgetting that you are your mother’s son.  And no one played the game of politics better than Adana.  So how do we play this ends against the middle game?”  First Kai chuckled.

“We offer them both the same deal.  They help us save the universe from Mantrid and we leave them assuming that we will support them in their power play without ever committing to it. “

“Why don’t we just tell them that we will remain neutral?” Second Kai questioned.

“Because it is not neutrality they are looking for, it is the backing of the Brunnen G.  We want them to assume that they have it.”  Third Kai replied.

“It seems that I am not the only devious one in this group.”  First Kai laughed.

“I think I will have to revise my opinion of petty bureaucrats.  It seems you are good for something after all.” Fourth Kai teased.

“So what’s the plan?” Second Kai asked. “How do we bait them without them getting suspicious?

“Well you and I will visit Prince.  He knows Fourth does not trust him and I believe he has an idea that First has not been fooled by him either.  But you and I just might be swayed to his side. We will make a deal with him to help us.  First and I will offer the same deal to Duke.  I guarantee that they will both bite.”