Broker-Chapter 252

Through the power of the Astral Eye, Sonya could witness things from far away. She’d intentionally only used it a few times. She wasn’t sure if it had made her uncomfortable in the past or if she had been simply too stuck in her own head to take advantage of it, but she had no such compunctions now. Her lips spread into a smile as her mind's eye traveled past the boundaries of her physical body and arrived elsewhere.

Her gaze opened within a small space - the rear of a limousine.

Brian Cameron sat back in his seat, holding the small envelope that contained the contracts she’d sold to him in his lap. He was running his hands over them almost lovingly. It kinda made her skin crawl a little bit. Across from him, the slightly portly Dwight dabbed his head with a handkerchief and glanced out the window. His lips moved and her cybernetic brain did the rest, tracing the movements and reading them in an instant.

“Are you sure about selling the Idol Isla to her?” he asked hesitantly. “The board won’t be happy about making an agreement like that without them. Not only that, she dismissed the staging crew.”

Brian snorted. “What does it matter if she wants to waste money? She paid more than enough,” he said with a sneer. “What’s in here is worth far more than all that and we can just move the staging crew to another project.”

How callous, Brian. I almost feel bad for those people. I don’t want your people on my ship, though, Sonya thought. At least that construction ability of yours is interesting.

“Without even a base crew, she won’t be able to get the vessel out of the harbor,” Dwight said with a sigh and a shake of his head. “This is why I can’t stand new money. They never think.”

“Not our problem,” Brian said with a shrug. “Once she realizes she can’t operate it without a skilled crew, I’m sure she’ll get bored. We’ll buy it from her at a used-item price and have made a profit, the board won’t complain at all after that. She’s cunning but young and a bit too-”

FWOOOOOOOT

The two men spun as the cruise ship docked at a distance from their window blew its horn and began to move. Sonya felt it shift beneath her as the engines went to work. Dwight was staring with horror on his face. “I thought you said she wouldn’t be able to get it to move!”

Brian’s eyes went wide and Sonya cut the connection, a satisfied smile on her face. “That’s what you get for underestimating me, Brian,” she said. “Enjoy those contracts. I really do hope they smooth things over with your board of directors, or you’re in a whole lot of trouble.”

She stretched her legs out over the lounge chair set along the side of the artificial beach on the deck of the ship. She’d changed into a swimsuit, sarong, wide-brimmed hat, and her favorite sunglasses. She reached for a can of soda in the chest of ice to her side and opened it with a crack, slipping a straw in and sipping merrily. <”How are the ship’s systems?”>

Amos’ voice popped into her head. <”Amazing. Brian might be a bit of a tool, but he knows quality. The ship definitely needs a decent number of people to keep it working around the clock, but the engines and auto pilot are all fully computerized,”> he said. <”Where do you want to go?”>

<”Out to sea for now,”> Sonya said. <”Then we’ll call in the ‘crew’.”>

<”As you wish!”>

She sipped her drink again as the sound of hurried footsteps came from around the central building of the cruise ship. Footsteps moving at superhuman speed. She turned and raised an eyebrow as Marta slid to a stop at the edge of the pool, kicking up a wind with her momentum. She zipped over to Sonya and came to a complete stop, her eyes sparkling. Sonya tilted her head and grinned as Marta practically bounced up and down. “What did you find?”

“Theater. Movie Theater,” Marta said eagerly. “Please? Please, please, please?”

Sonya laughed. “Work it out with Amos. Have fun!” she said and waved her hand.

Marta squealed and darted away again, rounding the corner like a rocket. Sonya shook her head and sipped at her drink again. “She’s so cute when it's just us,” she said and let out a relaxed sigh, stretching her arms over her head. “Sun feels nice! I could get used to this.”

Having fun? Ishtar’s voice rose up from her instincts.

“Sure am. Want to join me?”

I don’t think that marble body of mine is any good for swimming, Ishtar said. I do have some reading I want to do, so I might sunbathe a little.

“You? Relax?” Sonya snickered.

Well, I figured I might try it since I don’t have to worry as much about a certain silly girl I know, Ishtar countered as a Legionnaire portal opened to Sonya’s right, a marble statue of just over average human height stepping out. The air around it flickered for a moment before it took on the appearance of a woman that could have been related to Sonya. Short white hair and chilly eyes accompanied a muscular frame covered in scars. She was dressed this time in a set of black swim tank top and trunks. She rolled her neck and looked down at Sonya. “I have catching up to do, if you recall?”

“So you do,” Sonya said and lay back onto the lounge chair as Ishtar sat down on the neighboring chair.

“My books?” Ishtar asked and Sonya gestured, blue sparkles condensed on Ishtar’s chair and took the form of a pile of books. She looked them over. “Thank you.”

“What are you reading all those for anyway?” Sonya asked, rolling onto her side and resting her chin on her palm. “You’ve been doing nothing but consume books since the after-party.”

Ishtar… hesitated? No, not just that, she blushed. Sonya sat up. What’s this? What’s this?

“It’s… um…” Ishtar cleared her throat and looked away. “Something I need to do for the future.”

Sonya leaned forward. “Oh no, I’m not letting you get away with just that, not after that reaction! What’s going on? Tell me! Oh my god are you studying poetry to write something for Pandora? Oh that’s so cute!”

Ishtar looked at her goggle-eyed. “Sonya! I’ve told you before, there’s nothing going on there! She’s just… persistent!” she sighed as Sonya’s eyes only sparkled more. “Don’t…” she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She peeked just as Sonya hopped off her seat and got closer. She had to know now. She needed to know. Ishtar let out a weary sigh.

“Well? Tell me!” Sonya pleaded.

Ishtar looked away again and reached up to play with her hair, tugging at it absently as she stared off towards the widening sea. They were almost out of the harbor now. “I’m researching a name. For myself,” she said and looked down at the book in her hands, “You said you would help make documents. I wanted to pick my name for when the time comes. I thought it might be fun.”

If Sonya was capable of tears or contracting diabetes, she would be suffering from both right now. She held her hands over her mouth as she admired the adorable look on her big sister’s face. She never, ever imagined that Ishtar would be capable of being embarrassed and cute at the same time. She couldn’t help herself, she tackled Ishtar and clung to her. “You are so cute! I can’t wait to hear what you pick! Do you have any ideas yet? Oh, we should have a party when you pick one!”

Ishtar tried to pry her off. “I am not cute!” she barked. “Get off of me, you madwoman!”

“No!” Sonya laughed. “Tell me more!”

They wrestled for a minute before Ishtar somehow managed to end up with her head in Sonya’s lap. Sonya hummed to herself, playing with her hair and trying to make little braids in the spots where it was long. “I didn’t think I would have this chance,” Ishtar said quietly.

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“To be able to go out and be my own person,” she said. “I still don’t experience things the same way I would with a real body, but it’s close.”

“You wanted this?” Sonya asked quietly, tying off another braid.

“Yeah,” Ishtar said. “A little. In those moments where I thought it might be nice to stick around.”

“We’re stuck together now,” Sonya said softly. “And according to Old Man Set, you’ll be around even after I’m gone if I have any kids or something.”

Ishtar’s expression turned complicated before she nodded. “I’ll look after them, just like I looked after you.”

“So lots of snarky backseat driving?” Sonya teased.

Ishtar laughed. “If that’s what it takes to make sure they live up to their mother’s example, yes.”

“I wonder how that works,” Sonya said and made another braid/ “Maybe it’s time to visit Loki and the others for a little while. We’ll have time out here on the ocean.”

“Set has a lot he wants to teach you,” Ishtar said/ “You should definitely make time.”

“You guys are talking while I’m busy?” Sonya asked.

“Some,” Ishtar said.

A chime rang out in Sonya’s head and she glanced up towards the water. It was perfect, smooth, and blue. It went on forever. <”Amos?”>

<”We are out of range. No pursuers, no observers. I’ve done a sensory sweep of the ship as well. We are in the clear,”> he said.

She smiled and patted Ishtar’s shoulder. Her sister sat up and turned to her, the braids pointing out humorously on one side of her head. Sonya snickered and Ishtar scowled at her before rolling her eyes and smiling. Sonya got to her feet. <”Let our first group know it's time. Apologize to Marta, and have her come join me,”> she said and sauntered away from the pool to the dining pavilion. The large room was empty, the tables still being stored elsewhere until the ship was ready to sail.

She held up both arms and closed her eyes. Her mind touched on one set of coordinates and she gently tugged, pulling her attention back to where she was now. She languidly spread her arms and felt the portal begin to form. It spread wider and wider until it was almost fifty feet wide and eight feet tall. Her eyes opened slowly and she let out a misty breath, rolling her neck and standing proudly as shapes began to form in its rippling depths.

A woman in a white gown was the first to pass through, followed by a young man in a mix of modern combat armor and martial arts robes. Sonya brightened and spread her arms out wide in greeting. “Setsuna! Shuta! Welcome to the Idol of Venus,” she said brightly as the two cultists approached, glancing around in shock. More of the cult came through, dozens of them all staring gobsmacked at their surroundings. Sonya grinned as the last of them passed through and the room was crowded. She gestured and the portal closed.

Kato Setsuna was a woman with a mature frame. Long black hair that shone in the lights above. She wore simple clothes and carried herself with an air of dignity. Her son, Kato Shuta, was dark-haired like his mother, but his face and appearance was far more fierce than dignified. Sonya stepped up and met the two as they approached. She pulled Setsuna into an embrace before turning to pat Shuta on the arm. “Good to see you two.”

“We are relieved to see you in good health as well,” Shuta said with a half bow. “Your recovery is nothing short of miraculous.”

Sonya laughed and held a hand to her cheek, waving the comment off. “Oh! You’ll make me blush!”

“True blessing,” Setsuna said quietly, keeping her words short so that her ability didn’t break them up and scramble them as she tried to articulate herself.

Sonya turned and gestured to the massive window overlooking the deck behind her. “What do you think? I promised your people a home and a way for you to work for me. This is what I’ve come up with. This way you’ll be able to travel with me and assist me in the future.”

Shuta looked nervous, glancing around and turning his eyes on the throng behind him. He cleared his throat. “Are you sure we will be of any use? I don’t know how many of us are familiar with assisting in operating this sort of ship.”

Sonya shrugged. “No worries, Amos will help with that. He’s already familiarized himself with the ship’s inner workings and should be making up tutorials to help your people learn what jobs they need to. If any of them do happen to have experience, have them step up and we’ll put them in leadership positions.”

The two cultists glanced at one another and nodded. Shuta bowed to Sonya and turned to address the group. While he did, Sonya heard the door to the room open and watched Marta step in with her usual stoic poise. She strode towards her and came to a stop at Sonya’s side. “Hope I didn’t interrupt anything,” Sonya murmured apologetically.

“I’m still deciding what to watch,” Marta said quietly and winked at her surreptitiously.

Sonya snorted and turned to a thoughtful looking Setsuna. “Something on your mind?” Sonya asked with a tilt of her head.

“Excuse,” Setsuna said with a short bow and turned to gesture to a small gathering on one side of the crowd. They immediately turned and made their way over. Like Setsuna they were all wearing white robes, but they had pink veils over their faces. Sonya quirked an eyebrow and couldn’t help but appreciate the shapes she saw. Why didn’t I see these girls back at the Children of Dawn base in Japan? Were they hiding? Marta cleared her throat and she whipped her head back to see her friend’s disapproving look.

“What?” Sonya snickered.

“Hmph,” Marta rumbled.

“Like I’m not gonna appreciate artwork when it’s presented,” Sonya said with a roll of her eyes and then abruptly cut herself off and turned to face Setsuna and the - she counted them - eight women. “And who are these ladies?”

“Handmaids,” Setsuna said. “Attendants, mine. Now, yours.”

Sonya had to restrain a cough of surprise, she held up her hands. “Setsuna, that’s very kind! Don’t you need them though?”

“Anymore. Not leader,” Setsuna said with a patient smile.

Sonya pursed her lips and hesitated before glancing back at Marta, expecting more disapproval. Instead she saw the woman’s eyes sparkling. Sonya squinted at her and raised an eyebrow, “Marta… you good?” she asked.

“Head maid,” Marta murmured. “Head. Maid.”

Sonya closed her eyes and nodded. Of course, she thought before letting out a sigh and shaking her head,.“Alright, you girls can work with Marta here. She’s in charge of you.”

They all bowed as one and Sonya scratched the back of her head before looking up at an expectant Setsuna. “Come on, let me show you around. Amos will help Shuta get the cult settled in. After that, we’ll call in the rest of my people,” she turned away and started walking, a grin spreading on her face. “It’s time for all my forces to gather.”

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