Just a rough
Jun. 19th, 2006 08:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maderrSince I've got all kinds of details to check as I'm probably forgetting somethng that I would have made up on the spot ^^;; So pardon any errors.
Still, eventually this will pan out to be a full prologue :3
And now back to the stuff I should be doint ^_~
Planet 215414 (Tredad), Chelsan Manor
“I hate uncontrolled climates. I never understood why anyone would choose to live here.”
“Sir,” the IG private said, ignoring the sour comments, “if you’ll come this way.”
“Yes, yes.”
Turning neatly on his heal, the private led the way across the small field, shoving easily through the snow, seeming not to notice the biting, howling wind that threw ice and snow in his face.
“Confounded weather!”
“Ah, Lower Chancellor, you are at last arrived.”
The Lower Chancellor glowered at the speaker, a white-skinned human with dark green eyes and military-trim brown hair. He wore the dark blue uniform of IG soldiers, with the marks of a Captain and the tri-star crest of those who did interplanetary work. “Captain September,” he said, voice as cold as the storm outside. “Everyone is being remarkably unhelpful in explaining to me why I have been dragged back to this freezing hell.”
“Knowing you, they were too terrified,” September said bluntly.
Rolling his eyes, the Lower Chancellor shucked off his cumbersome fur-lined coat and gloves, then sat to strip off his snow boots. He was a stern looking man, medium-blond hair trimmed short, wispy strands falling over his forehead. His pale blue eyes were cool, at complete odds with the impatience obvious in his tone and manner. He was slender, and taller than everyone else in the room. Smoothing out his steel gray sweater and black slacks, he accepted a steaming mug from a private and then finally returned his attention to the patiently waiting September. “So let’s have an end to the mysteries.”
“She murdered her husband and then killed herself,” September said. “We are still determining motive.”
The Lower Chancellor frowned. “Bloody idiot. What was she thinking?” He grimaced in disgust. “Of course she wasn’t thinking, when did that fool ever think? How?”
“Knife. Shee stabbed him several times and then slit her wrists.”
“How typical of her,” the Lower Chancellor replied, though he could not keep the horror completely from his face. He frowned into his drink, then pinned his pale blue eyes on September. “Why could this not simply be reported to me back at Zero?”
Silence. September stared at him, clearly surprised. “I know you did not speak with your sister often, sir, but surely you knew…”
“My sister and I were dead to each other. What do I not know that was so important it woke me up and forced me to rearrange several days’ worth of work and meetings?”
September looked almost panicked. “Sir…you’re his only surviving relative.”
The Lower Chancellor went still, then slowly and carefully set his mug down. “Only surviving relative?”
“Your sister had a son.” September motioned to a door at the far end of the room. “He and his caretaker were the ones to find the body…”
“Leave it to my sister to be that cruel to her own child. At least she didn’t kill the boy as well.” He sighed, scrubbing a hand through his hair agitatedly. “What am I supposed to do with a child?” He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath, then released it as a long slow sigh. “No wonder no one wanted to tell me anything,” he muttered Striding across the room, he shoved open the door September had indicated – then stopped.
The boy curled up in a large chair, sobbing hard enough to make himself sick, looked so much like himself at that age it was terrifying. The Lower Chancellor hastily withdrew, wholly unprepared to deal with the situation. He was a Lower Chancellor, well on his way to High Chancellor. His sister had always fallen just short of being dragged off to Rehab. He’d managed to escape his worthless family. She had reveled in being part of it.
What was he supposed to do with her child? The easiest recourse would be to have the boy shipped off to where he could be cared for, educated, and eventually adopted. Wash his hands of his infernal family once and for all.
But the sobs tore at him. How many nights had he done the very same thing as a boy, growing up in the scummiest parts of Tredad with a family that had thrived in the scum?
He couldn’t bring himself to do that to this boy, though how he was going to raise a child only the stars knew. The Lower Chancellor sighed. “What’s his name?”
September looked at him in surprise. “So you’re going to take him?”
The Lower Chancellor sighed. “I might be a bastard, Captain, but I am not so cruel as to abandon him. I repeat – what is the boy’s name?”
“Pyotr.”
Still, eventually this will pan out to be a full prologue :3
And now back to the stuff I should be doint ^_~
Planet 215414 (Tredad), Chelsan Manor
“I hate uncontrolled climates. I never understood why anyone would choose to live here.”
“Sir,” the IG private said, ignoring the sour comments, “if you’ll come this way.”
“Yes, yes.”
Turning neatly on his heal, the private led the way across the small field, shoving easily through the snow, seeming not to notice the biting, howling wind that threw ice and snow in his face.
“Confounded weather!”
“Ah, Lower Chancellor, you are at last arrived.”
The Lower Chancellor glowered at the speaker, a white-skinned human with dark green eyes and military-trim brown hair. He wore the dark blue uniform of IG soldiers, with the marks of a Captain and the tri-star crest of those who did interplanetary work. “Captain September,” he said, voice as cold as the storm outside. “Everyone is being remarkably unhelpful in explaining to me why I have been dragged back to this freezing hell.”
“Knowing you, they were too terrified,” September said bluntly.
Rolling his eyes, the Lower Chancellor shucked off his cumbersome fur-lined coat and gloves, then sat to strip off his snow boots. He was a stern looking man, medium-blond hair trimmed short, wispy strands falling over his forehead. His pale blue eyes were cool, at complete odds with the impatience obvious in his tone and manner. He was slender, and taller than everyone else in the room. Smoothing out his steel gray sweater and black slacks, he accepted a steaming mug from a private and then finally returned his attention to the patiently waiting September. “So let’s have an end to the mysteries.”
“She murdered her husband and then killed herself,” September said. “We are still determining motive.”
The Lower Chancellor frowned. “Bloody idiot. What was she thinking?” He grimaced in disgust. “Of course she wasn’t thinking, when did that fool ever think? How?”
“Knife. Shee stabbed him several times and then slit her wrists.”
“How typical of her,” the Lower Chancellor replied, though he could not keep the horror completely from his face. He frowned into his drink, then pinned his pale blue eyes on September. “Why could this not simply be reported to me back at Zero?”
Silence. September stared at him, clearly surprised. “I know you did not speak with your sister often, sir, but surely you knew…”
“My sister and I were dead to each other. What do I not know that was so important it woke me up and forced me to rearrange several days’ worth of work and meetings?”
September looked almost panicked. “Sir…you’re his only surviving relative.”
The Lower Chancellor went still, then slowly and carefully set his mug down. “Only surviving relative?”
“Your sister had a son.” September motioned to a door at the far end of the room. “He and his caretaker were the ones to find the body…”
“Leave it to my sister to be that cruel to her own child. At least she didn’t kill the boy as well.” He sighed, scrubbing a hand through his hair agitatedly. “What am I supposed to do with a child?” He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath, then released it as a long slow sigh. “No wonder no one wanted to tell me anything,” he muttered Striding across the room, he shoved open the door September had indicated – then stopped.
The boy curled up in a large chair, sobbing hard enough to make himself sick, looked so much like himself at that age it was terrifying. The Lower Chancellor hastily withdrew, wholly unprepared to deal with the situation. He was a Lower Chancellor, well on his way to High Chancellor. His sister had always fallen just short of being dragged off to Rehab. He’d managed to escape his worthless family. She had reveled in being part of it.
What was he supposed to do with her child? The easiest recourse would be to have the boy shipped off to where he could be cared for, educated, and eventually adopted. Wash his hands of his infernal family once and for all.
But the sobs tore at him. How many nights had he done the very same thing as a boy, growing up in the scummiest parts of Tredad with a family that had thrived in the scum?
He couldn’t bring himself to do that to this boy, though how he was going to raise a child only the stars knew. The Lower Chancellor sighed. “What’s his name?”
September looked at him in surprise. “So you’re going to take him?”
The Lower Chancellor sighed. “I might be a bastard, Captain, but I am not so cruel as to abandon him. I repeat – what is the boy’s name?”
“Pyotr.”
