Revelations

CHAPTER EIGHT

Gyada went into a room with a raised sleeping mat, thicker than any she had experienced. With everything that had happened in the last few hours, she still felt very tired. When she lay on the mat, she found it more comfortable than she had used, including anything when she had been human before.

Soon, sleep overcame her.

The next few days were very frustrating for Boris and Janna as they sought to communicate with the woman who had been the Beast. It had taken two days to explain names and identify themselves to her. It was as if she had lost something of the concepts of being human and was slowly rediscovering them over the first week.

Their breakthrough came when they passed Shen practicing Kurtherian with TOM. She started speaking to them slowly and awkwardly in that strange language, as she was unused to speaking to anyone anymore. Eventually, they got her history from using that language.

TOM was amazed at how fluent her understanding of Kurtherian was, even if her Kurtherian speech was slow and methodical at best. Over the following weeks between TOM and Shen, they managed to teach her the basics of Russian and English.

She stubbornly refused to tell either of them of her past stating that it would be disrespectful to their leaders. When asked who she believed they were, she pointed to Boris and Janna. Everyone had smiled when they heard that.

She would be in for a bigger shock when or if she finally met Bethany Anne. She had identified the leaders of this base, so it could be said at least she hadn’t lost an understanding of human leadership roles. When she wasn’t practicing the language with TOM and Shen, Janna familiarized her with modern amenities. Although she still refused to wear a bra, complaining that they were torture devices, she did take to wearing other undergarments.

Boris busied himself continuing the setup of the defenses of the town, and the training of the men and women with weapons. They drilled in the responses they should take in an emergency. He insisted that everyone in the town should at least know how to fire a weapon, both rifle and handgun. He would not have a town under his protection be such an easy target again.

Gyada was unsettled by the fact that she could no longer hear the voice that had been her constant companion for centuries. She was now without that companion. Janna suggested that perhaps a young Were at her side would aid her. Allow her to adjust to this new and confusing world. Help her find a feeling of balance and purpose.

Moscow, Office of the Department of Settlements, Russia

“So, you called me here, Evgenni. Pulled me out just as the first buildings of my new settlement are going up. What the fuck is going on you son-of-a-bitch? We had an agreement. I could choose two places to settle my people from existing NVG bases. There was no restriction on this, yes? With how many decided to stay away we decided only one. “Boris glared at the political appointee. Evgenni was sweating heavily, despite the cool in the room they were in.

“Boris, this is not the agreement we made. The agreement was you take over any two bases that the NVG had held in Siberia and settle there. “Evgenni responded in a calm tone despite the obvious fear he held for Boris. Through the sweat and the light fidgeting, he was actually holding up extremely well. “I am sure that some sort of arrangement involving military personnel assisting in the security of…”

“Yob tvoyu mat’! Evgenni, you stupid son of a bitch. I will not risk having my people killed on political orders after what they have already been through. Do you understand pizdyonysh? The government did nothing… NOTHING… To protect my people when the NVG went after them them the first time. The military was involved in attacking them. “Evgenni’s face was steadily getting redder as Boris continued, and he opened his mouth to interrupt. Boris raised a hand to forestall any comment. “You let a proklyatyh nemeckih fashistov… German neo-Nazi… gain an incredible amount of influence and power within and without our military, and you expect me to sit here and accept you putting military forces amongst the people I protect? Nyet. I will support the government as I can, but my people have been through enough. Hell, for all I care you can deny the military’s protection if someone externally decides to target the town. “Boris sneered at the political appointee.

“Boris, please, it is not the time of the Reds. We do not kill people out of hand. They’re not looking for traitors in the way the Reds did. Your people are loyal children of the Motherland. We simply wish to be more involved in case someone does go after you.”

“No, Evgenni. You keep pushing, I’ll bring Bethany Anne into these discussions. “The bureaucrat’s eyes went wide, and face went white at the mention of Boris’ Czarina. Evidently, word about her had penetrated the Russian bureaucracies. “Part of the reason I cannot allow what you suggest is that Bethany Anne will be providing us additional support in protecting the town. It will also enable us to be available to assist the government should any… unusual… Problems pop up again. “Evgenni’s shoulders stiffened significantly at the mention of “unusual problems.”

Boris continued, “But to deal with these unusual problems, we need freedom from government interference. Many of the actions we will need to take will be somewhat… Grey. It is, therefore, better for everyone for the government to not have to acknowledge that they even occurred. If the military notices comings and goings of certain people from there, eventually someone who doesn’t need to know will connect those movements with events in other regions of Russia.”

“Boris, I am under orders here. I need to get something out of this, or I may as well throw away not only my career but my family’s well-being. “A look of hopelessness crossed Evgenni’s face. “Please, isn’t there something you can do?”

Boris thought about that for a minute. There were actually several things he could do. “I will make an offer to you, and provide something of interest for the government. We are getting housing delivered manufactured from the leftovers of the space mining operations. Basically, solid formed rock walls that can be fitted together to make a house. I will ask Bethany Anne to also provide the government with several samples of this material and make it available for the Russian government to purchase upon request at a discounted price.”

Evgenni twitched nervously in his seat, “And you offer for me?”

Boris smiled. “You’re a brave man Evgenni. Not many would have the balls to face me down like you have. So I offer you this. “Boris pulled a pair of radio transmitters from his pocket. “If your family and yourself find others harassing you, contact me through these. We’ll reach you far faster than anyone could imagine. And we will offer you a place in our community. If you choose to assist me by giving me further information of any rumblings against our town that would be welcome, but my offer of assistance to you in troubling situations is not contingent upon it. It is only contingent upon you convincing the government the that the deal I am offering now is the best one they will find provided by me and Bethany Anne. Understood?”

There was a wave of gratitude and relief across Evgenni’s face. “Thank you. “He sighed “I know you’re trying to do your best to be fair, Boris. But we are all caught between rocks and hard places these days.”

Boris nodded and shook Evgenni’s hand. Those radio transmitters were only slightly different from standard. Even if Evgenni handed them over to the government, there wasn’t anything Bethany Anne objected to governments having involved in their technology or manufacture. It was well worth the risk of the Russians getting a hold of them for the potential of future early warnings of problems from that same government.

Besides, Boris had to wonder why Evgenni had been chosen to be the government’s emissary. No one was ever chosen to be an emissary to him for nice reasons.