Cecile grabbed Ismael by the bar that held his manacled wrists behind his back. "It's time for you to be of use."
Ismael, beaten as he was, still tried to resist. He squirmed in her grasp and for a brief moment had thought he had a chance as she let go and he fell to the ground. That hope was dashed as she kicked him in the stomach. He curled up, whimpering.
Cecile bent down and grabbed the bar again. "Don't resist. It will just be worse for you."
Ismael let himself be pulled back up to his feet. "Why are you doing this?"
"You're the least useful person on this ship to me. Your skills are superfluous and your superior offers more access to Necker Group's information network," said Cecile, waving a hand towards a large blast door.
Ismael looked up as the heavy metal doors split just enough for the pair of them to pass through. Past the doors was the head of the vessel he'd been sent to investigate. It had been covered in a huge lattice of metal and beyond that hummed signal jammers that made his augmented reality display fuzz over in his one good artificial eye.
Cecile used her free hand to grab onto Ismael's ARC and plucked it from his head. "There. Now that won't be an issue."
With the static gone he could see that something had been pulled out of the vessel. It was an oval shaped structure, what he recognized as the heart of the ship. It was suspended by a net of chains with wires and pipes trailing from its back into the remains of the vessel.
Cecile pushed Ismael forward and he fell to his knees. "We're here," she said as the doors shut behind them.
Ismael looked up as a spotlight turned on, illuminating the being in front of him. It seemed to be human, but one more machine than flesh. Its right shoulder had been melted through and its head was split open, presumably by gunfire. It looked dead, but the inside of his skull itched, like it was somehow prodding around his grey matter.
"I know you can feel it, Ismael Sonnen." Cecile placed a foot on his back, forcing him to fold over himself. "Stay right there. You'll be getting better acquainted soon."
______
Maks sat on the edge of Aria's bed, head pressed against her palm as she took in what she'd been told. Nimue being in a Penrose-made artificial body was surprising, but paled in comparison to what else she'd learned. That Cecile Penrose was some sort of immortal.
"So, what do we do from here?" Asked Maks.
Aria exhaled, "I don't really know." Her gaze swept from Maks over to Nimue. "Hey, Nimue… Are you going to be okay when we're in the Ginnungagap?"
Nimue shrugged. "I suppose I could sit in case having a body makes it any different.” She walked over and grabbed a chair, pulling it over to the bed before sitting. “There. Now, I have been meaning to ask you something, Maks. What happened to your arm.”
Mak shrugged. “Got into a knife fight, it’s nothing to really worry about.”
“The bandage is covering most of your arm,” said Aria.
“So?!” Maks huffed. “It’s not like it’s a deep one, it's just through the skin. Bastard couldn’t even hurt me right.”
“Who?” asked Nimue.
“Geri, some sort of star pilot for Penrose. More like a pampered pooch,” scoffed Maks.
Nimue nodded and leaned back in her chair. “Give me a little and I’ll have more on him.”
Aria brushed a hand over Maks’ bandages. “You sure you’re okay?”
Maks looked over, brows furrowed. “Yeah, I…” she sighed. “Sorry, just on edge is all.”
Aria nodded. “Yeah, I get that. It’s been a lot since I woke up.” She glanced back at Nimue who looked entirely spaced out. “Must take a lot to separate from that body.”
“I’m sure she’s fine. If there’s any one of us I trust to be okay it’s her.” said Maks.
“She’s always been there for me. She–” the Gungnir’s lights briefly flickered and Aria’s stomach tensed. “Looks like using that weapon may have damaged something.”
Nimue sat bolt upright. The others looked over to her as she opened her mouth silently, then blinked.
Maks leaned forward. “Uh, you alright?”
“Reconnecting is painful. Regarding what you were saying about the Gungnir, it seems you are half right,” said Nimue.
Aria inhaled sharply. “I think I know what’s causing it.” She sat up and leaned against the headboard. “When I first talked with Cecile, after she woke me up, she showed me that they’d retrieved part of the vessel from the surface.”
“The entity aboard it, the Draugr, could be why the ship is having power issues,” said Nimue, nodding.
“... I don’t want anything to do with Penrose or their interests,” mumbled Aria.
“Hey Nimue, you said it hurt to reconnect?” asked Maks, trying to change the subject.
“Correct. I would liken it to the experiences of syncing with a Mk.1 EInherjar as reported by individuals with a poor aptitude.” Nimue raised a hand and rested it against the Hamr’s collarbone. “As I am a being that naturally lacks a body, I can only assume there will always be some level of discomfort in inhabiting one.”
“But that will fade! It has to.” Aria reached over to Nimue, hand on the AI’s shoulder. “I don’t want you hurting just to be in contact like this.”
“It does not hurt after I am inside the Hamr. It is just the action of connecting. I am sorry if I worried you, Aria…” Nimue trailed off.
Aria squeezed her shoulder. “Okay. You know, I missed having you with me in the Caliburn.”
Nimue blinked at her. “I do not know why I assumed you would not. I am sorry I wasn’t there for it. Perhaps I could have protected you from–”
Aria raised her hand to Nimue’s mouth. “Don’t.”
Maks stood. “No, what could she have kept from happening to you?”
The room went silent as the lights flickered once more, the Gungnir’s reactors funneling their energy elsewhere in the vessel. Maks stared at Nimue, her steel grey eyes piercing Nimue’s own rainbow-hued oculars. Aria looked over to Maks, lips trembling.
The speakers overhead crackled. “In one minute, travel through the Ginnungagap will initiate. All personnel are suggested to brace or otherwise secure themselves,” said a recording of Cecile’s voice.
Aria flinched.
“It was that fucking bitch, wasn’t it?” snarled Maks.
“Maks, don’t,” said Nimue.
Maks grit her teeth. They creaked as they pressed together, staring at Nimue. Aria pulled her knees against herself. Nimue held her gaze on Maks’ eyes.
“Fine.” Maks sat back down. “So, what did you find about Geri?”
“He was picked up following the Veles Police Action along with his sister, Freki. The pair were found inside a commandeered Alfar and remanded to Penrose care,” said Nimue.
“They’ve been raised on this,” said Aria.
The whole ship lurched and the soft white light of the suite shifted to the orange of the low-power emergency lights. Frost climbed up the edges of the window and briefly Nimue fell slack in her chair. They had crossed through the tear in the membrane between real space and the Ginnungagap.
______
It remembered. A beam of eitr had struck it from above, then those two insignificant humans dared to defy its will. With a thought it had crushed one of them, but before it could finish the job its head was torn open. Then why… Why did it live again. It could barely feel the connected systems of its vessel. It was only after taking a moment that it realized where it was; the welcoming void, the source, and it drank deep.
An eye opened with enough force that the shutter got stuck. In front of it stood a blonde woman with a foot pressed into the back of an older man. It concentrated on connecting to them only to find a sibling… No, not a sibling. It was more a distant relation.
“It’s time to wake up,” said the woman.
“Who are you?” it asked, mind still slowly piecing itself back together.
The woman kicked the man forward. “Eat, you’ll recover faster that way.”
Its systems did what they could; even though the eitr was easier to draw here it still would be a long time. The woman drew a thin knife from her belt and bent down over the old man. He shivered, begging the woman not to, but only earned a quick stab into the back of his neck. He went slack, and as his blood poured from the wound so too did something else.
A substance of myriad colors, like diaphanous sheets that scintillated in the spotlight that was aimed down upon them all. It breathed in, chambers opening as much as they could, the remnants of this man poured into its body. The last gasp of life filled it, and its wounds closed. From its ruined shoulder came the outline of a limb in brightly burning eitr. Metal and what passed as flesh for it, a semi-organic polymer filled the empty space. Its head closed, and a second eye rolled forward.
With all this restoration came memory. Of what it was here to do and why. It stared at the blonde woman with her glowing violet eye and it knew. Traitor.
“Abomination. Traitor. What do you wish of me?” It asked, words pounding in the woman’s mind.
She shook her head. “I wear another kenning now. You may call me Cecile.” She bowed deep, never breaking eye contact.
It pulled together its will, even after healing it was somewhat diminished, its ship no longer heededs its will. “You have severed me from my barrow ship.”
“That I have. It would be unwise to allow you freedom.” Cecile stepped forward. “I have given you my name and I am owed yours,” she said, reaching a hand up toward the draugr’s face.
It searched, looking for anything it could use. Its mind pressed against a cage that kept its signal bound. Angered, if burrowed into the eyes of the corpse and popped them, spraying circuitry and viscera against the floor.
“I am Glamr. Forerunner of our return.”
Cecile nodded. “You crashed into a planet and were found by your descendants, you fought and lost to them.”
Glamr reached out, grabbing for Cecile’s throat, but found its hand stop midair. It looked over to see a shackle made of eitr around its wrist. The traitor in front of it smiled and its arm was pushed back to its side. It tried to assail her mind only to find it could not take over the eye in her head. One after another, additional shackles manifested and pinned it inside its shell.
“You will cooperate with me, Glamr, or I will force you to.” The shackles squeezed harder, crushing newly healed portions of its body. “Do you understand? I am not an unjust employer. You will be fed as you require.”
“I will do no such thing!” it shouted.
Cecile cocked her head to one side, snapping Glamr’s neck with it. “Yes, you will.” She pulled a small spike from opposite where she’d kept the knife and ran its tip over the exposed side of Glamr’s neck. “You were given your chance.”
“This does not end with me, the others, the Naglfar comes!” Glamr shouted, trying to wrest itself away from Cecile.
Cecile jammed the spike into the draugr’s neck. “All the more reason I need you to be compliant.”
______
Aria’s head spun. Traveling through the Ginnungagap was never pleasant for her, but usually she’d close her eyes and try not to throw up the contents of her stomach until it was over. This time though, she felt too aware and the turmoil inside was replaced by an icy knot of tension. Maks and Nimue reached for her, but there was little they could do to help. Even so, it was nice to be cared about. Her legs slipped from her arms and extended down the bed as the pain rose inside her and then, it stopped, vanishing into the ether.
“I, I think I’m okay,” mumbled Aria, looking first to Maks then over to Nimue.
The others breathed a sigh of relief before settling back into their seats.
“We’re really going home…” Aria trailed off then her eyes went wide. “Nimue!”
“W-what? Is the pain back? Are you okay?” asked Nimue.
Aria shook her head. “No, no, it’s... We haven’t told Rufus we’re okay yet, have we?”
“No, we have not,” said Nimue.
“How long has it been?” asked Aria.
“If my ARC isn’t messed up, it’s been a little under a week since we made planetfall,” said Maks.
Aria rubbed the bridge of her nose. “He’s probably worried sick by now…”
“I will contact him as soon as we’re out of the Ginnungagap,” said Nimue.
“So, who is this? Your sponsor, right?” asked Maks as she took a moment to rub her arms, the cold getting to her.
Aria pushed her tongue against the inside of her teeth, thinking. “He’s… That’s probably the best way to think about it.”
“Aria has referred to Rufus Kemp as ‘dad’ before,” added Nimue.
“Nimue!” shouted Aria, looking over to her.
“As before, it is true. I do not know why you are embarrassed,” said Nimue, shrugging.
Maks blinked. “Wait, Rufus Kemp. Your sponsor is the Rufus Kemp?”
“Uh, yeah?” mumbled Aria.
Maks grabbed both of Aria’s hands with her own. “You have to introduce me!”
“Yeah… Sure, I can do that,” said Aria.
“I assume your interest is due to his prior achievements?” asked Nimue.
Maks nodded. “He’s a living legend. The first ace and only one to survive into retirement.”
“There are other pilots that have retired during the era he was active,” said Nimue.
“But none of them were quite like him.” said Maks, almost starry-eyed. “It’s no wonder you beat my ass, Aria.”
“Maks.”
“Yeah, Aria?”
“Does this mean you’re coming with me to Mittila?” asked Aria.
Maks nodded. “I wanted to before, but this is all the more reason to.”
The frost receded from the glass around the suite and the standard lights flicked back on.
Nimue stood. “It appears we have reached near Mittilan orbit.”
Hmm, I wonder if Nimue detected anything while inside the Ginnungagap.