The Alembic Plot: A Terran Empire novel

  34. Transformation

  Odeon was right; he didn't get any sleep. He'd left Medart as soon asa messenger from the ship delivered the materials the Ranger hadordered, and spent the next few hours comparing the TraditionalCatholic Bible with the one he knew so well, and studying theirdoctrines.

  With the exception of a couple of name changes, the Final Coming, andthe Third Aspect being the Holy Spirit instead of the Protector--and,of course, the accommodations the Systems Church had made forEnforcement and the Satyr Plague--the two were almost identical. Wherethey differed otherwise were matters of discipline, with the Systemsversion stricter. It was even possible, he told himself, that theThird Aspect used both names, and the Protector's appearance in theSystems didn't rule out Jeshua's Second Coming to the rest of theEmpire. It did bother him that Jim had said the Protector was limitedto the Systems, but he reminded himself yet again that a mortal couldnever truly understand the Mind of God; all he could do was accept.

  It wouldn't be difficult for him to make the necessary adjustments,either, though he'd definitely have to see the Terran Pope if hedecided to take up either of Jim's offers. It probably wouldn't be agood idea to tell him Pope Lucius' true identity, even though he wascertain it wouldn't be believed. But it wouldn't hurt to tell himabout having the Systems Pope's permission to celebrate Mass more thanonce a day, and find out what would be expected of a priest who wasalso a Ranger.

  Odeon sighed when he got to that point. He'd managed to avoid facingthe fact so far, but he couldn't put it off forever; by bringing hisFamily's welfare into the equation, Jim had made it impossible for himto turn the job down. He'd known that even then, he thought, but hehadn't wanted to accept it.

  And he still didn't want to. He loved his Family too much to want toleave them, particularly when it would mean he'd no longer be able tolove them. But as Jim had made him work out for himself, he could dothem a lot more good in the upcoming war by leaving to take a highImperial position than he could by staying. Dear God, but the prospecthurt, though!

  He sighed again. For the first time in his career, he was reluctant toact on a decision as soon as he made it. This was the first one thatwould bring about major changes in his essential self, and thatprospect frightened him. Even Shayan's mental surgery hadn't changedwhat he was; it had only given him a couple of new abilities--veryminor ones, from what he'd read of Talent.

  The memory of that surgery didn't help, either. Even though Shayan hadassured him it could've been done painlessly and in seconds, hecouldn't shake the association of mental changes with agonizing,prolonged pain and violation. As he'd told Sara, though, if someoneneeded his help as badly as she had, he didn't have any choice but totry giving it, even though he wasn't sure he could endure such surgeryagain.

  That lack of choice was even more emphatic since the ones needing hishelp included his Family. He had to submit to that surgery, endure itto the best of his ability, and pray he'd have the strength to surviveit.

  Live or die, he thought grimly, he'd be losing those he deeplyloved--and he wasn't sure whether he should indulge himself, tell themall goodbye, or if it would be better to just go ahead and do it. Thatdecision could wait, though; he didn't want it to be obvious he hadn'tslept or--yet--that he was bracing himself to leave. He had just abouttime to clean up and say Mass before he'd have to go in to breakfast.

  * * * * *

  Odeon removed his stole and kissed it, then folded it and put it in histunic pocket. Saying Mass had helped more than he'd expected; he wasfeeling somewhere between resigned and serene when he went to thedining room for breakfast. He'd also decided or been guided, he wasn'tsure, that since he was going to go, he might as well get it over with.Brief goodbyes after breakfast, then ask the Protector to make thenecessary changes.

  Fortunately for his peace of mind, he thought, the children weren'tthere--maybe deliberately, because the Family's expressions told himthey knew something was going on. And, to his surprise, the newProtector was sitting between Joanie and Jim, his plate holding morefood than Odeon would've thought reasonable for someone his size--if anAspect of God had to eat at all. Still, Jeshua had . . .

  As Odeon sat down and began filling his own plate, Keith chuckled. "Aslong as I'm in body," he said, "I do have to eat. And a Sandemanwarrior has a pretty high metabolic rate, so I have to eat a lot. Yes,your Family knows what you've decided to do, and that you made thatdecision primarily to help them. They also know I won't hurt you inthe slightest. We'll take care of it after breakfast, as you'rethinking. All right?"

  "As you will it, Lord."

  Keith grinned. "Better start getting used to giving orders instead oftaking them, Michael. Do you want just the abilities, or the mind-setas well?"

  Odeon tried to return the smile, but was sure it came out more like thegrimace he really felt. "I don't think you need to ask, LordProtector. If I'm going to do it, I'll do it right; I'll take whateveryou see fit to give me."

  At that, he felt the other's approval. "So be it, Michael. You'll bea real asset to your--and your Family's--new home."

  * * * * *

  After breakfast, the entire group went to the common-room. Odeon saidhis goodbyes, embracing and kissing his Family head and spouses whiletears ran down his face.

  Medart watched sympathetically. Odeon's feelings of betrayal anduselessness might not have been enough to bring him to this point;protecting his Family to the best of his ability, even if it meantgiving them up to do it, had done the job--something Medart had seenthe previous night, though Odeon hadn't yet realized it. He regrettedthe man's present pain, but he was certain that once the Protector madethe necessary changes, Mike would find he job every bit as challengingand satisfying as Medart himself did.

  When Odeon was finished with his goodbyes, he turned to the Protector."I'm ready. What do you want me to do?"

  "Find a comfortable chair, and tell me whether you want to remainconscious for the procedure or not."

  Odeon sat down in the nearest armchair, grateful to his Family forgathering around as the Protector stood in front of him. Medart heldback, which made Odeon grin briefly. "You ought to be here too, Jim; Imade the decision I did because you forced me to face the fact I coulddo my Family more good this way than I could any other."

  "Decision?" Cortin asked sharply, as Medart joined the group. "Thedecision point was Mike's?"

  Keith saved Medart from having to answer. "Yes. You all protected himby your certainty that the decision would be Joan's; now it's his turnto protect all of you." He turned to Odeon. "Which would you prefer?"

  "Since you say it won't hurt, I'll take it straight. I don't think Icould handle that kind of pain again."

  Keith smiled. "You underestimate yourself, Michael; you are farstronger than you believe. The only part of your basic personalityI'll need to modify at all is detaching you emotionally enough thatyou'll no longer have or form close personal ties that would affect aRanger's necessary impartiality. The rest will be additions, orspeeding up attitude changes you'd be going through anyway."

  "I think that's a relief," Odeon said. "Let's take care of it, okay?"

  "Okay."

  * * * * *

  Keith stepped back and smiled. "Done, Michael. You and James need totake care of some details, so we'll leave in a couple of minutes. Igave you everything a Ranger needs, in some cases more, and took careof a couple of your problems--such as removing your allergy to teachingtapes; you'll be able to use them now, and you'll need them. Yourintelligence has doubled; you have and know how to use a powerfulTalent that includes telepathy, mind-shield, teleportation, andmaterialization; and you have the other abilities and attitudes properfor a Ranger. I also removed the satyr virus from your body, so you'reno longer contagious, a service I will perform for anyone else wholeaves the Systems. I made only one overt physical change, sinceyou've chosen the Traditional Church, which mea
ns you can't be mypriest or devotee any longer. I've reset your biological clock towhere it would be if you'd been selected in the usual manner, but tomaintain it there, you'll have to go on anti-agathics; my powers, asJames told you, don't extend beyond the Systems. Otherwise you lookand feel exactly the same--but if you should need them, I've given youa complex of hidden changes, all of which will activate if any one ofthem is required. Again, with improvements." He smiled again."You'll do well, Michael, both as Christ's priest and as a Ranger.Joan, you reached a decision yourself while I was working; you ought totell them what it is."

  Cortin looked from Medart to Odeon, then back. "If Mike thinksanything about the Empire is important enough that he'll give up FamilyCortin for it, I'll trust his judgement; as sole negotiator for theKingdom Systems, I am empowered to say the Systems will join theEmpire. I ask that you give us all the help possible to reach thelevel of the rest of the Empire, and show us how to take our properplace in it."

  "Gladly, Excellency, and welcome. We'll be happy to help our newestcitizens. Do you need military support as well?"

  "Familiarization and upgrading only," Keith said. "They have the basictech level, with minor exceptions. Medical training and learning aboutthe Empire are their primary needs, though other things will be neededas they gain the population base to support them."

  "Right. Admin Service teachers and a couple of heavy destroyers oughtto take care of those; anything else you'd recommend?"

  "Not at this time, Ranger, though it might help if you could leave adetachment from the Lindner. I'm sure Colonel Cortin would providethem lodging, and Lucius and I will protect them from the Brotherhood."

  "I'll see to it."

  "We'll leave you to brief Mike, then."

  "Thank you, Protector."

  * * * * *

  Once they were alone, Medart spent a few moments studying Odeon. "Youdo look the same, except for your hands." he said at last.

  Odeon looked at his hands, which no longer had the blue circledtriangles. That was a relief, now, not the terrible loss it would havebeen before his talk with Medart last night. "You heard him confirmthat I'm still a Catholic priest, Jim. I would've thought that wouldviolate the separation doctrine."

  Medart shook his head. "Not necessarily. Most of us are Omnist oragnostic, that's true. Once in a while, though, there's a deeplyreligious one, and there's nothing prohibiting a priest." He grinned."If you want to get technical, I'm a priest myself, and so are a coupleof the others--but since that's true of all adult Omnists, nobody paysmuch attention to it. They'll pay attention to you, since you're thefirst non-Omnist priest, but that attention in itself doesn't violatethe doctrine. As long as you don't try to impose your beliefs onothers, or imply that the Empire in any way favors one religion overanother, your beliefs and devotions are between you and your God orgods."

  "I can handle that, I think, if it won't prohibit me from exercising mypriestly functions for Catholics who need them."

  "It won't, though it'd be best if you do any of that in private. Itmay never happen, either; I'll warn you right now that Catholics are atiny minority, the Traditional branch only one of half a decade or so."

  "That's the impression I got from the studying I did on Columbus. I'mnot thrilled about it, but it isn't unexpected." He paused. "Mind ifI change the subject?"

  "Go ahead."

  "I had limited telepathy before, as a side effect of Shayan's mentalcontact. I'd like to try the Talent version, but mind-touching youmight not tell me anything, since he spoke to you last night."

  Medart chuckled. *The feel is totally different--see?*

  *Yeah. I like this version a whole lot better.*

  *So do I. Ready for me to introduce you to His Majesty, so he can nameyou one of us officially?*

  *How-- Oh. Mentally, of course.* Odeon hesitated, shook his head.*Jim, what's happened to me? I couldn't have figured that outbefore--or at least not that fast.*

  *I'd venture to guess it's the doubled intelligence,* Medart sentdrily. *You're the first person to be given Ranger-level abilities,rather than growing up with them, so I can't be positive, but that's mybest guess. Don't worry, you'll have time to get used to it; the tripto Terra will take us about three weeks, and even if you weren't veryadaptable before, you are now.*

  *Getting used to the way my mind works now may be the hardest part ofthis whole thing. But I've known everyone except Shayan that I'vemind-touched before, and he initiated that one; how do I contact HisMajesty?*

  *You know me, and I know him, so you ride along, so to speak, when Icontact him. Just let me know when you're ready.*

  *Any time you are.*

  *Okay, let's go.*

  Odeon felt Medart's mind reaching out, and strengthened his contact sothe illusory "movement" wouldn't lose him. Almost immediately he feltanother mind-touch, similar in general feel to Medart's but differentin detail, and Medart made the introductions: *His Majesty EmperorCharles Davis, Ranger-candidate Captain Michael Odeon.* Then hebriefed Davis, in a series of rapid thoughts.

  The Emperor sent a chuckle. *That's quite a background, Captain Odeon.A unique way of qualifying as a Ranger, but I have no doubt you arequalified, particularly with a Sandeman warrior making the necessarychanges. Jim didn't describe what being a Ranger involves, other thanbeing dangerous at times, so did that process inform you?*

  *Yes, sire, it did. But it didn't intimidate me into changing my mind.*

  *Glad to hear it. Welcome to Imperial service, then, Ranger Odeon.*

  *Thank you, sir.* Odeon paused briefly, then continued. *I'mqualified, yes, but I was given only the most basic information aboutthe Empire--not much more than I'd studied on my own. If I'm notneeded for immediate assignment, I think I should spend some timelearning about it.*

  *We'll make that your first assignment, then. You can start on yourway to Terra, then do as much more here as you can till a more urgentassignment comes up--which shouldn't take too long, there's never ashortage of work for Rangers. Normally I'd have you work with Jim fortwo or three years as OJT, but none of the others came from out-Empire,so your suggestion is the most sensible--and the reason for putting aRanger on the job immediately is that most of the jobs you'll get areunique; there isn't usually any real preparation possible.*

  *Both my studies and Jim made that perfectly clear, sir--but theProtector removed my allergy to teaching tapes, so I'll be able to cramin a lot more information than I would've been able to earlier.*

  *Understood, but there's still a tremendous amount of information foryou to absorb.* Davis sent another smile. *You know how much gettinga new Ranger means, and I'd like to spend more time with you, but I'mgetting ready for a Grand Audience I can't put off just to chat. SoI'll talk to you later.*

  *Yes, sir.*

  With that, contact broke, and Odeon's consciousness returned to thecommon-room. "What now?" he asked Medart.

  But it was Keith who answered, entering the room. "You changeuniforms, Your Highness. Don't worry about the change in your sidearm;you know how to use a needler, and you're as accurate with it as Iam--a lot more so than you were with your slugthrower."

  With that, Odeon was wearing comfortable forest green, rather than thesnug gray he was used to. "Thank you, Lord Protector. I don't care towear a uniform I'm no longer entitled to."

  Cortin followed Keith into the common-room, looking to Odeon like she'dbeen crying. "Mike--the Protector told me I should ask your advice, ifyou were willing to give it."

  Medart swore to himself. This didn't sound like a promising start forhis new colleague . . . *Mike, don't say yes unless you're willing toface the consequences. This is part of the Empire now, you don't havethe option I gave you yesterday of answering as a private individual.*

  Odeon's answering thought was grim. *I know, but I can't refuse her.I can give her the same warning, though.* "Make sure you want theadvice, Joanie. As Jim told me last night when I asked
him for some,most people don't ask Rangers questions because they won't like ouranswers."

  "Keith told me the same thing. I'm still asking."

  "In that case, I'll answer. What's the question?"

  "What's the best way to handle your . . . change? You're still seniorspouse of Family Cortin and my heir, among other things."

  Odeon thought about that briefly, then the answer was obvious--and asunpleasant as Medart had suggested it might be. "We both know that,even though I haven't changed much physically, I'm not the same personI was at breakfast. The fastest and most economical way to handle mychange would be to have Captain Michael Patrick Cortin-Odeon declaredlegally dead, a declaration Ranger Odeon will not contest."

  Cortin winced, then nodded. "It makes sense, Mike--too damned muchsense. Okay, that's how I'll handle it . . . but in that case, it'd bebest if you weren't around."

  "I won't be, for long; the Emperor wants me to go to Terra, and I needto start learning a whole lot more about the Empire as soon as I can,so I'll be going up to Jim's ship, probably within an hour or so. Itwould probably be better if I don't come back to the Systems unless Ihave to on assignment."

  "Yeah." Cortin started forward as if to embrace him, then dropped herarms and stepped back. "That wouldn't work, would it? Keith told meabout your detachment . . ."

  "No, it wouldn't. I won't forget any of you--but I don't feel anythingbeyond liking for you any longer, either. The kindest thing to do isbreak off now." Odeon studied her for a moment, then decided it wouldbe best to make the break with no delay at all. He made the sign ofthe cross in the air between them. "God bless you and Family Cortin,Colonel."

  She returned the gesture. "And you, Ranger Odeon. You will have ourprayers."

  Odeon bowed, then turned to his colleague. "I'm going up to the ship,Jim. See you later."

  This continues in the novel Resurrection

  [Preparer's note: This is the end of the main story. The materialfollowing this note is the supplementary material linked to fromelsewhere in this file.]