A Universe of Children

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. Billions have cried out regardless, and as far as Ochid could tell, it didn't matter whether they were heard or not. There's blood in the water and nothing stops. With hundreds of thousands of troops under his command, he couldn't stop the killing, and he's never wanted to try. Ochid was a brave man, and what he did, what he ordered others to do, made him afraid to die- just not afraid enough to change.

He's ridden the blood for hundreds of years, jumping from planet to planet at the head of half a million. His sword has broken three times, perhaps a thousand men in service to the emperor have lived long enough to say the same. There were things he could hold onto, accomplishments, his faith wasn't dead, but he feared there was a boat waiting for him, a boat on the seventh sea. If hell was any deeper than that, he'd find out.

What he's done in the last 200 years has tested him in ways that would disgust all who loved him, and perhaps the gods themselves. Service to the Emperor of the Spider's Web was far from what it used to be, and there was no one to confide in, at least no one that would live long enough to help him in any way that mattered. Mercy was treason, restraint was treason, you had to hate the enemy before you had the chance to know them and Ochid preferred to hate someone for a good reason. There was a time when serving the emperor was a simple thing, but she has been so unlike herself.

She had become less like a mother and more like a god in the centuries she's conquered, and it is easier to adore a mother. She had become paranoid, fearing gates that couldn't exist, invading worlds without proof that they were tethered to her own. She believed her empire was bleeding in times of peace, and so peace was nothing more than a forgotten promise, a goal that would remain out of her reach until the entire universe was defined with her own words.

It is easy to justify a war when you are winning. Very few protested and even fewer listened, and before long there weren't even whispers of mercy or condemnation. She had armies marching across dozens of planets, fleets tearing through space in the old ways, spies and assassins collecting those who spoke against her, and the horrifying truth was that the universe was better for it.

Every planet she touched flourished to fill the vacuum left by its butchered population. As every stranger understood who she was and what it meant to see her green banners, they became less determined to avenge their dead, to fight the change. The emperor gave what was left of those who chose to fight to her secret police, whose reputation was demonstrated by their lack of reputation. The universe had to be told at first why so many had vanished, and as people continued to vanish, no one had to be told anything. Ochid had seen enough to believe that every seemingly random disappearance wasn't random at all, they'd let some of the bodies be found from time to time, often enough to maintain order, and they were amongst some of the worst things he'd ever seen.

Ochid's great reverence for the empire and the emperor herself was what made his guilt bearable, he was in no hurry to discover what lies beneath the seventh sea, and death wasn't the only punishment for traitors. There were rumors of a beast kept in her throne room, a beast with the voices of those she used to trust. Officers, doctors, numerous relations, the ones who survived their visit with the emperor have whispered of whispers, the stifled groan of men and women who had vanished from her majesty's service. A haunting thing to recognize the voice of an old friend, long after they had disappeared.

Ochid would know before long whether the beast existed, he had been summoned to the throne room a little more than a month ago but he had only arrived a few sleepless nights before. It was impossible to sleep because it was impossible to know why he had earned an audience with her in this great age of whispers and killing. For the last 50 years she's only spoken to those she trusted or to those she intended to get rid of in a deeply personal way. Ochid had plenty to worry about, he couldn't be trusted completely with resolute violence.

He disobeyed some of the orders he received every now and then, not consistently enough to change the direction of the universe or to save his soul, but he did feel responsible for the conservation of a handful of lives. Despite also being responsible for the deaths of their friends and relatives and the utter destruction of their homes. He'd ignore a hiding place when he could, maim someone instead of taking their life, things that would get him killed if they were seen by the wrong people, but it was worth it. The few he saved helped him sleep when they could, and he was very tired.

There was a pale gold light in his room and he wasn't alone, to be a guest on the dreadnought Creator is to have a personal guard that cares for you ceaselessly. Ensuring you don't witness anything that would compromise your faith to the empire or its leadership. The royal guard has a reputation for being more suspicious and paranoid than the emperor herself and she does nothing but encourage it. They were famed in close quarters combat, to be a man lost in the labyrinth of the Creator, with a legion of these profound killers, is to be a dead man. They don't see much action now, but they saw plenty when Liette was first named as emperor. They weren't as reticent as the secret police, only because they didn't have to be. Their prowess and devotion to the empire, to the emperor, made people nervous enough.

This particular guard was named Immin, and Ochid made a point to ask her questions he knew she couldn't or wouldn't answer. His survival instincts usually kept him from bothering people like her, but she was strangely polite, and he wanted to explore the extent of this cordiality. She had eaten each meal with him, smiled, spoke when the words weren't poisoned with treason, and all without discarding her resolve. There wasn't a single moment in the last three days that Ochid didn't feel like he was dancing on the edge, she would have killed him in an instant if she felt inclined to do so. With her it was easier than normal to obey, to find comfort in blind service and in the cause this ship and its passengers represented. To doubt any of it for a moment would bring about the worst she had to offer, and curiosity in this regard was considered imprudent.

Immin took inhalants through her regulator to stay awake, she hadn't slept for even a moment since he stepped onto the ramp. Her awareness was unsettling but he felt safer for the same reason. Fighting someone under the influence of inhalants was like fighting an ape who could win a game of chess, and he was her responsibility as long as he didn't cross the line himself. Ochid hadn't had a dose of his inhalants since he left the front but he didn't need them to stay awake in this place.

The light in the room wasn't enough to read by, which was fine because he wasn't allowed to bring anything outside of his ceremonial effects. He only stayed in the room when he was trying to sleep, but when that effort proved to be pointless, he stared at its extreme variety of cargo. The room was more like a closet, it was large but it was full of things that didn't belong to him and certainly didn't belong in a guest's quarters. The disorganized buzz of its "design" didn't help him sleep but it did give him something to think about other than treason, torture, and death.

Immin's silhouette typically remained motionless and in the same place from the beginning to the end of each night but tonight she was disturbed by the electric drone of a secret code. It sang into her ear and she responded without moving, turning only to look in Ochid's direction.

"You've been summoned to the throne room, our emperor is waiting to see you now," she said the words softly but without jeopardizing the urgency of the report. The closet began to hum with purpose, a complex alarm for those who might need help waking up. Every room in the Creator was controlled by its abyssal corps. In the depths of the flagship there was a room built around a host of men. They didn't need to move, to see, or to feel to control the ship or to bring a room and its occupant back from the depths of their rest.

The lights slowly burned brighter until most of the room's secrets had dissipated as they would beneath a sun. A broken voice that did not belong to the person uttering the words oozed through a speaker somewhere in the room.

"Good morning, General Ochid. It has been 489 years, 13 months, and 20 days since the birth of our emperor, Liette Ynith. It is 0200 hours on Ugrium, the heart of our empire, and I invite you now to the throne room of our Lord, the heart of the Creator," The radio whined for a moment and then cut to silence as Ochid continued to prepare himself. The wooden doll in the corner of his room had done a spectacular job of keeping his full dress uniform in acceptable condition, after all, it was made in his image. Presenting himself improperly never failed to embarrass him and it was embarrassing enough sharing the room with Immin.

The moment Ochid was ready to leave, Immin sent another coded message and the door's complex lock twisted and turned until they were free to walk through it. The halls were patrolled zealously, no corridor was left without eyes of one kind or another. The emperor had grown paranoid indeed. Ochid didn't believe his were the accommodations of trusted guests, there were living quarters reserved for others like him but they were situated on a completely different level. He had never been here before but he knew what should have happened and how, the absence of procedure burdened him with anxiety from the moment he was received onto the ship.

The floor was a polished deep green and it swirled within itself like molten steel. It made some people sick but Ochid greatly admired its artisanship, and that of the rest of the dreadnought. He wanted to take his time as they passed through each impressive corridor, even though he had wandered through it time and time again in days past, but he felt an intense obligation to walk just as diligently as his escort. He daydreamed of those he was able to save and paid less attention to everything else. Trying to convince himself that it was worth it as he marched toward what could be worse than death.

He failed to notice in time that Immin had stopped walking. She didn't appreciate the physical contact but they both quickly turned to prepare themselves for his introduction. The door to the throne room was smaller than he expected, it was large but it didn't boast in the same way others had. He tore through dozens in service to the emperor's conquest but none of them were as practical or as beautiful as the great shield before him. It was covered from top to bottom with the engravings of every sea creature either of them had ever known or could ever discover in a century of exploration. Its dull green metal looked older than every other part of the ship by at least a thousand years but its strength had not been compromised.

"Do you know why you are here?" Immin asked the question and they both wished the answer was yes, it was rare to see such genuine curiosity in a royal guard, it was like seeing a doctor's eyes brighten at the sight of a new disease or a hideous mutilation but she didn't take pleasure in his anxiety, she was just used to it.

"Treason I assume," Ochid focused on the door as he said the word, deliberately choosing not to meet Immin's gaze.

"Are you a traitor?" she inquired sharply.

"I don't think so, but it isn't up to me. If all I had to do was tell the truth, I'd still be on Gratun with what's left of our forces there."

Before either of them could continue, the great door cracked open and a woman leaned out as far as she could without leaving the room, pulling Ochid inside with one arm. She slammed the door behind them and walked away toward a map built into the floor. Ochid was unsettled and confused, he adjusted his helmet in a daze and tried to follow her but his cape was pinned in the door. The woman started talking before he could catch up and in an embarrassed panic he ripped himself free and ran as fast as he could, hoping to hear enough of what she said to piece together the point that had been made. But she wasn't talking to him, as she turned to face him with shrewd suspicion, he saw the cat in her arms.

She stared at him and he stared at her, forgetting himself for a moment before snapping to attention. The woman had deep black hair and a fair complexion. She wore a full suit of armor that looked as though it was made from the other half of her chamber door. It too was decorated with the shapes of sea creatures, both real and imagined. She had a piercing glare, like that of a child's, and in more ways than one she looked younger than she was. It was hard to believe she was the one responsible for a war that has lasted these 207 years.

What Ochid tried his hardest not to look at, was her left arm. It was gaunt and discolored, like it had been completely drained a thousand years ago. It was armored, as if an arm like that wouldn't be completely useless, she even held it against her chest like it could do nothing but get in the way. Her cape was far too long and it was wrapped around her like a cloak to keep from dragging across the floor, which it did regardless. Ochid was speechless, she wasn't who he imagined in the slightest. He wasn't disappointed, she was threatening and it was easy to take her seriously, but she didn't look or feel cruel in any way and that was quite the departure from her reputation as the Eater of the Seventh Age. She looked worried, more than anything else.

The cat had no fur and it was much larger than Ochid believed domestic cats to be, this was the first time he had ever seen one.

"This is Otter, you aren't allergic to cats are you?" Liette held the cat up with her good arm as she introduced him. Ochid shrugged instead of explaining that every living cat in the galaxy belonged to only the wealthiest families, he couldn't find the words. There were no photographs, no drawings, only words to prepare him for this meeting, and upon seeing her he was convinced most of them were lies. She shrugged back, content with her own efforts of consideration, before lowering the cat to the floor and continuing to walk away. Otter found his way to Ochid's feet and jumped up on him repeatedly until he received the attention he was begging for. As Ochid removed a glove and bent over to pet the cat he noticed a sentence written along its spine.

Be careful, you are the only one who has disobeyed one of their orders, and they are listening to us now.

Ochid picked up the cat and studied him before sparing a confused glance at the emperor, who had turned around to study his reaction. It was strange seeing her for the first time, stranger seeing that she was nervous, he just looked at her and reread the words between Otter's shoulder blades without speaking.

"How is the campaign fairing on Gratun? I've heard morbid and intriguing reports of the opposition, terrible things in the great mud seas," she gestured for him to speak as he lowered Otter to the ground and stood at attention. He looked around the room with great suspicion before answering with fragile confidence and conspicuous confusion.

"The campaign is- going well, the people of the mud are nothing in the face of our admiration and dedication to you. I hope to return to my troops as soon as possible with tales of this celestial meeting and of your divine guidance. We will kill your enemies forever," Ochid had only spoken genuinely to a handful of his superiors, honeyed words came easily to him but he was surprised to find that he was being honest with her. She reminded him of his sisters and to find peace such as this in obedience is a rare thing. It was easy to defend them, even when they were wrong, especially when they were in danger.

"You look as though you've been poisoned, are you feeling well?" Ochid hoped his true concern wasn't obvious. His blade peeked from its sheathe as he positioned himself ideally. The throne room was designed for such occasion, you wouldn't find a better place to defend in the real world.

"I feel as though I have been poisoned, but worry not, it's just been hard to sleep. There are a great many people to consider when you are an emperor," Liette pointed to the ceiling as she finished speaking. Ochid looked up and saw nothing but the intricately carved legion that have been known to decorate her throne room for hundreds of years. He looked back down to Liette but she continued to stare straight up above them. As he studied the ceiling more intently he noticed it had changed in the seconds he looked away. One of the men had turned his head, frozen stiff looking in the opposite direction. He was alive, and he was listening to them.

"Some people must worry you more than others, how many could manage to keep the Great Emperor of the Spider's Web awake at night? The answer, no matter how small, will surprise me. Regardless, you have but to name them," Liette flashed a warning at him as he finished speaking.

"There are more than you could imagine, in this age of whispers one must consider what they can not see, and I fear I have gone blind," Liette whispered and Ochid was filled with curious dread. They both looked up and noticed that the man hiding in the walls had disappeared among the others.

"Why is the emperor forced to whisper in her own throne room? Why has this man not been tortured to death for treason?" Ochid drew his sword as quietly as possible as he spoke and searched for the intruder.

"Treason is the wind, what is and what isn't with every second that passes. Please help me," Ochid turned toward Liette right as she slid a needle into his cheek. He couldn't tell where the metal stopped, it felt as though it had poked through the other side of his head, and everything felt strange. He couldn't breathe and an enormous pressure filled his eyes as everything went black. His sword rang against the stone and he barely felt himself follow it to the ground.

"Guards! Guards! To your emperor!" a host of voices cried out, none of them belonged to the emperor herself and Ochid wondered if every statue in the room was alive.

"Please help me," she continued to whisper in his ear as her voice, the alarm, and the assembly of the royal guard faded with everything else.

---

Ochid was naked when he woke up, he couldn't see anything but he knew the procedure, prisoners were to have as few resources as humanly possible. He could only hope his eyesight had returned, he wouldn't know until he left this cell. He moved as far as he could to test the limits of his restraints but he couldn't feel anything. He couldn't tell if he was touching his face or if he was hanging upside down, though he was relieved to hear the rattle of his chains. The sound of footsteps did not offer the same comfort.

A red light flickered beneath him before flooding the room, and holding that light was a sheet ghost with no eyes, although it wasn't a sheet, it was the emperor's oversized cape. Ochid's back was to the floor but he wasn't touching it, there was a chain around each of his limbs drawn tight enough to suspend him in the air.

"You have the emperor to thank for your insensitivity, if not for her poison- you wouldn't be comfortable," Ochid strained to look at the ghost as it spoke. "They don't believe you'll be conscious for another two days, and you had better hope you aren't here when they come to fetch you."

"Are you just going to stand there menacingly? Or are you going to help me escape," Ochid stared expectantly, prepared to beg if he had to but you couldn't tell that from the look on his face. The ghost started to walk toward one of the anchors in the corner when it fell to the ground like a kite without the wind. Ochid ripped against his restraints in frustration, more violently than he should have, he could already start to feel again and he grew nervous at the promise of sensation.

Before he could panic, a head popped into the fabric as if it had passed through the floor, followed by a pair of narrow shoulders, and the rest of a woman's body. She stood slowly and turned to him, staring without eyes and without need.

"That depends entirely upon you, are you going to hang there until you are executed? Or are you going to help the emperor," The woman's voice sounded familiar just as the voice before hers, and Ochid began to understand why.

"You were there when she poked me with that needle, you and the others called for the guards."

"We were there when she saved your life, you were only a few reckless words away from getting yourself killed, she warned you to be careful, that they were listening."

Before Ochid could protest he was startled by a shadow that jumped onto his stomach.

It was Otter, he pranced toward his face and purred along the way. He was covered head to toe in writing, Ochid couldn't quite read the words as Otter nudged his nose against his face, but he correctly assumed it was a message from the emperor.

"Otter will accompany you and you are to keep him a secret. He bares the names of our enemies, some of them at least. Clean each one from his skin as you do what must be done," The ghost finished its thought and collapsed again, dropping the red lantern for the third time. Otter wandered from place to place as the emperor's cape was filled with yet another being, this one was much taller and much rounder, and he started talking before he pulled himself from the ground.

"You aren't a general anymore and it is possible, probable, that you won't be again. But you can be more- now. Do what you can for her and she will do the same for you. Being an emperor might mean nothing at the moment, but before our time is done, it will mean more than it ever has," the ghost set the lantern down gently and fell again to the floor.

Ochid was left with his thoughts for a time. His body started to ache and his cheek started to burn as he contemplated who he could choose to be. It didn't take him long to make up his mind but he appreciated the silence and wasn't in much of a hurry to talk with his solicitous allies. He had almost fallen asleep when he noticed the shape of what had to be the largest woman he had ever seen fill the cape and take her first step toward him.

The fabric no longer touched the ground, it floated around her invisible legs as she took two enormous strides and stood over him.

"Have you decided what you'd like to do?" she leaned over him as he felt a dull, cold pressure build around his wrist.

"Yes I'd like to help the emperor... would you have killed me quickly if I refused?" the metal groaned before it broke apart in her hands.

"I would have done what the emperor told me to do," the ghost tore the other anchors from the walls and Ochid could hardly feel the ground beneath him.

"You'll have to carry me if I'm to escape today, I can't walk."

"Oh I know," Ochid pulled his head from the ground to see the ghost open an ammo crate and strap what appeared to be his sword and a shotgun to the inside of the lid.

"See I'm not so sure I can fit inside of that."

"You'll fit... and you'll be comfortable," Ochid recognized the glint of a needle floating in the invisible fist of his escort.

"Wait."

"It won't feel like it, but you will need a doctor when they pull you out," the woman leaned over him and stuck the needle into his neck. Everything faded to red before it faded to black, and the last things he heard were the breaking of a few bones, the dislocation of a few others, and the abrupt closing of a wooden lid.