The Mavrica Locket

The fanfare playing on the public address monitor interrupts me. My Zemeljski eyes adjust to its glare against the dim luminescence from the ceiling. A man wearing a colonial uniform stares at the camera with a stony expression.

This better be damn important! I place my datapad on the desk, then lean back in my chair. The melody makes me wince. Colonial announcements mean delays, which result in revenue loss for me—the Lis syndicate.

"Hello citizens, due to unexpected difficulties during the power grid upgrade, we are initiating code black." There is a brief pause. "I repeat, code black. Please follow appropriate procedures for evacuation. Notify your local services office if assistance is needed."

Evacuation? We've invested too much. Well, we could stay. Our infrastructure is independent of the colonial equivalents. Although, resuming mining operations will take some time.

A banner bursts onto the monitor.

"Urgent news from the Perditan colony: an accident during routine maintenance to the primary energy plant resulted in the collapse of the colony's entire power grid. Information regarding facility damage and fatalities remains outstanding. However, the colonial government—."

"Monitor off." Those imbeciles! Well, I didn't waste ten years of my life here for nothing. I snap my fingers.

One of my attendants rushes to my side. "Yes, Pani Lis."

I brush off the formal greeting. "We're moving operations underground. Send the code." I glance at the man. "Be discreet as well. We don't want anyone to catch on." Sometimes "Yes, Miss," or "Right away, Miss," seems like an obligation.

"Right away." He disappears into the darkness.

Oh well. No point fighting that tradition now. I snap my fingers again.

"How can I assist, Pani Lis?" A young soprano announces her presence.

"Launch the virus into the colonial network. I want their data to indicate operations with marginal success." They might come back otherwise.

"By your command." The woman vanishes.

I have a total of ten attendants. Each trained as expert bodyguards and fluent in the syndicate’s operations. My word is law; they complete my missives—period. Maybe that's why the colonials bother me so much. We're more efficient.

I jump up from my chair after considering the list of issues awaiting my attention. "I told those idiots the capacitors would blow if they started with the program upgrades first. Kurwa!"

I snap my fingers. "I need a drink. Bring me a bottle of Mirage." The liquor itself reminds me of my friend Mira. Its color changes in the light, a dead match to her hair and eyes.

"Yes, Pani Lis." He exits the office without another sound.

I pick up my datapad to refresh my memory—10,000 people without light or power on a moon that lives in darkness. Will everyone evacuate? Without power, they'll freeze to death in mere hours! I toss the pad on the desk, unable to concentrate. I press the comm button. "Mira!"

The door opens. Mira’s aquamarine eyes pierce through the gloom with their radiance. The sight of which puts me at ease. We're childhood friends; she understands me.

"Yes, Galina?" The Zemeljski's silver hair glitters as she approaches the desk—a spark of vitality in a world of perpetual twilight. She's the only one allowed to skip the formality of using Pani Lis.

I sit back in my chair. "Relax, my friend." I gesture for her to take a seat. "Drink will arrive soon. I think my brain will explode—damn colonials!"

She moves a chair closer to the desk before sitting. "I heard," Mira's laugh lightens my mood. "Wait for the drink, at least. Otherwise, your crimson hair might just ignite."

Her subtle joke reminds me how much working for Lis changed me. My teenage dream of having a family might as well be someone else's at this point. I've become numb to how my decisions impact others now. But, Mira keeps the embers of this desire from burning out.

Her eyes focus on me. "I have some pleasant news for you, remember the locket?"

I stare at her for a moment. "You're serious, right?" By tradition, only a Mavrica can lead the Lis. Not many exist. In my case, I found the locket last time. It changed my life—not that I mind being a Mavrica. Mira volunteered for the transformation to stay with me—I'm grateful she did, even if I don't understand why.

Her expression becomes earnest. "Knowing how important it is, yes. I'm sure you wouldn't hesitate to kill me if I were joking."

I nod, careful to control my emotions. "Fair point." That would never happen. She provides me with honesty in an organization structured on obedience.

A knock interrupts us.

I conclude from its rhythm that my request arrived. "Enter."

The man delivers a bottle to the desk before retrieving two glasses. After serving us, he returns to the shadows.

I snap my fingers. "Leave us."

After the attendants leave, I pick up my glass and swirl its contents. At once, a fragrant perfume greets my nose. We developed a fondness for it a few years ago. For me, the liquor calms the nerves.

"I'm impressed," Mira's eyes begin to shimmer. "Mirage is not easy to find around here."

I smirk. "There are some benefits to being the leader of the Lis." I raise my glass. "Na Zdrowie!"

Mira reciprocates; we both enjoy a sip. Its gentle sweetness sends my mind adrift.

"I know that look." Mira's eyes offer measured support. "You don't have to do everything yourself.”

She's right. If I continue like this, I may lose what little sense of self I have left.

"The adventurer notified me earlier that she acquired the locket." Mira inclines her head. "I imagine you'll want the repercussions from the evacuation to blow over first?"

"Yes, a couple of cycles, at least." I let the meaning of her words sink in. A wave of elation washes through me. "You know what this means, right, Mira?"

"I do." She smiles.

She knows about my desire to leave Lis—to have a life again. Without her presence, I might lose myself to driving productivity and profit. However, now I can name a successor!

***

"You found it?" I stare the blonde adventurer in the eyes. She appears Terran, but the accent doesn't fit. "I pray you've not called this meeting for nothing."

She doesn't blink. "Yes, but first the documents."

"Very well," I snap my fingers. One of my attendants hands me a briefcase. "You're sure this is all you wanted?" I open it, procure a small portfolio, and slide it towards her.

"I can't afford to leave a trail." She collects her reward. "I'm sure you understand."

Indeed. Good help is hard to find. "As you wish." I gesture to the portfolio she's reviewing in her hands. "I'm sure you'll find that everything meets your specifications."

"This will do." The woman slides the portfolio into her briefcase. She retrieves a leather satchel and places it in the middle of the table with a light thud.

I open it with my gloved hands to discover a jewelry case meant for rather opulent neckwear. I release the latch. At long last!

Inside rests the lost Lis artifact—the Mavrica locket. A smirk forms upon my lips. My predecessor told me I'd find it when the time was right.

I snap my fingers. An attendant steps forward with a bottle and two goblets. She serves the contents, leaving the drinks within easy reach.

"Excellent. A toast then, I'm sure retrieving this wasn't easy." I raise my glass. "To your future!"

Her gaze rests upon me for a moment. I counter by drinking from my own glass first. "Incredible," I set my goblet down. "I never get tired of Bloodwine."

"Bloodwine? I thought—never mind." She raises her glass. "No point in wasting this opportunity."

After a few swallows, her empty glass reaches the table. Appearing pleased, the woman smiles, "You were," terror consumes her features like a starving wolf. "r-ri-ght-t." She tries again to speak but cannot. Instead, how could you, is written across her face.

"Activate padded cuffs." Her chair confines her in multiple locations, enough to ensure she is immobile. "My dear, the toast served a purpose. You will soon be a part of something incredible—consider yourself lucky." Rising from my seat, I grab the heart-shaped locket. "A word of advice. This will hurt a lot more if you try to resist."

Flustered, she nods. Even knowing she can't escape, I can see her trying to pull away from me.

After opening the locket, I place the bottom underneath the pad of her right index finger. With the cuffs above her wrist, she's unable to ball her hand into a fist. "Nasledstvo!"

They touch; her body tenses in response to the locket's awakening. The space between the locket and finger closes as if being sucked by a vacuum—the woman's body jolts. From experience, the locket exacted its price, a drop of the target's blood to complete the transformation. When her body relaxes, I retrieve the locket for the next phase.

"Let me tell you about this locket." I close the locket before heading towards the back of her chair.

Only the slight nod of the woman's head reveals she's not unconscious.

"It grants a female the unique power to shape-shift into any race, except the Serrasi." I place the locket around her neck, secure its clasp, then return to my seat. "Only a few female Zemeljski possess this ability, about one percent of one percent, they're known as the Mavrica."

The sound of her heavy breathing culminates with the locket glow as it embeds itself into her skin just below the collarbone. I cringe because it reminds me of my transformation years ago. The Bloodwine helps ease the pain, but it also initiates the changes. It's a special blend that includes the blood of all the previous locket wearers.

The woman manages to meet my gaze. Why? Her eyes plead before a stream of tears erupts.

I walk over to her. "I promise a full explanation later."

As her body writhes in response to the invasion of Mavrica DNA, my successor falls unconscious.

"Deactivate padded cuffs." The restraints disappear. She slumps back into the chair, exhausted from the ordeal.

"Everyone, the DNA reprogramming takes about a Perditan day, the full transformation closer to a cycle." I point to one of my female attendants. "Step forward."

I observe surprise on her features before she complies. "Yes, Pani Lis."

"We'll be implementing some changes." I stare my attendant in the eyes. There's an awkward silence; I let the tension build a moment longer.

"First, Renia—."

Using personal names like this is rare. The attendants begin to stir. I move to the middle of the room before waiting for them to calm down.

"Renia will now protect Lis’ new pup." I turn to face the attendant again. "Help Mira move our newest member to her quarters.

Renia steps forward. Her eyes confirm she's determined to succeed. "I'll alert you when she awakens."

The women depart, carrying the hapless adventurer out of the room.

"Second, the rest of you will compete for positions to operate Lis as my lieutenants. Using our resources and personnel, presentations for your plans will be in two days. Until then, I request only two attendants at my side. The details are yours to negotiate amongst yourselves."

I leave the room as their eyes follow me. As the bulkhead closes, the sound of chaos ensues.

With a successor plus a better division of responsibilities, resolving operations here might be easier than expected.

After reaching my room, I head to the mirror before morphing into my former self. “What else did you dream about fifteen years ago?” A smile crosses my face when I realize that the old me is closer than I thought.

***