View Flat HTML
View Metadata
Search Post
Ivan has just recently been assigned to Earth. It's very cultural. He has already explained Vor to groups of natives four separate times. Some of them seem to find it really hilarious to call him Lord Vorpatril. He doesn't mind; some of those people are girls who giggle it and bat their eyelashes. He likes it here just fine.
After he finishes with his day-job duties (separate from attending diplomatic functions to stand around and look handsome) he attempts to let himself out of the room with the comconsole and all its data to sift through, only to find that the hallway has turned into a bar.
He looks over his shoulder. The office is still normal. Which is to say there are no other exits.
Ivan goes into the bar, squinting.
+ Show First Post
middlingalong
middlingalong
"Admiral Naismith is Miles's cover identity who he came up with by near-accident when he was co-opting a fleet of mercs in self-defense and then he gave the entire shebang to Gregor to get out of being executed for being a Vor with a private army and it's been a covert arm of the Imperial Service ever since and only a handful of people including me know about it but Mark figured it out smart-quick when Miles turned up at the embassy. Miles does his Betan accent when he's being Naismith, imitates Aunt Cordelia more or less. I only met a handful of the mercenaries. I think the one with an obvious crush on him is his bodyguard but I don't know if he likes her back. Forgot to tease him about it and find out. He probably does though."
"If I threatened you, would Miles come to your rescue?"
Ser Galen smiles slightly. "Good... that will make things easier. If I can trust anything you just told me. 'Magic'," he snorts. "I think that is all the use I'll be getting out of you for now."
middlingalong
"Magic time travel," says Ivan. "Maybe it happens whenever you have prisoners and I could do it because you were going to kidnap me later. That'd be sort of funny."
"Shut up unless you have something useful to tell me," he says absently, gazing through Ivan at whatever fresh plot he's composing.
Galen makes an irritated face, and stuns him again.
The next time he wakes up, he is in the same van tied to the same chair, and this time there is no synergine to mitigate his stunner hangover. In fact, he is being totally ignored, because Galen has another prisoner who is occupying all of his attention.
The next time he wakes up, he is in the same van tied to the same chair, and this time there is no synergine to mitigate his stunner hangover. In fact, he is being totally ignored, because Galen has another prisoner who is occupying all of his attention.
unmarred
Mark is backed up against the opposite wall of the van, looking at the floor, making no noise. Galen is standing over him holding a shock-stick.
"Have I refreshed your memory sufficiently?"
"Yes, sir," says Mark.
"Then you won't be defying me again."
"No, sir."
Galen jabs him in the stomach anyway. Mark barely flinches. Galen does it again. Mark's jaw tightens, and he blinks back tears, but he offers no other complaint.
"Have I refreshed your memory sufficiently?"
"Yes, sir," says Mark.
"Then you won't be defying me again."
"No, sir."
Galen jabs him in the stomach anyway. Mark barely flinches. Galen does it again. Mark's jaw tightens, and he blinks back tears, but he offers no other complaint.
unmarred
Galen glances contemptuously at Ivan.
"And now the prisoner's awake. You've wasted enough of my time, Miles."
"I still say the hostage-lure strategy is a poor use of resources," Mark says quietly. "He'll come, but he'll come with an army at his back. I remind you that he has one of those."
"Shortly to be my army, if all goes well," says Galen. "But I could just shoot Vorpatril right here, if you prefer."
Mark flinches very slightly. "I told you, I can negotiate safe passage—"
The shock-stick hits him in the stomach again, this time with enough power that he doubles over coughing.
"And I told you, I want more than that," says Galen. "For the last time, Vorkosigan. Stand up. You've had worse."
It takes Mark a few more seconds to straighten up.
"And now the prisoner's awake. You've wasted enough of my time, Miles."
"I still say the hostage-lure strategy is a poor use of resources," Mark says quietly. "He'll come, but he'll come with an army at his back. I remind you that he has one of those."
"Shortly to be my army, if all goes well," says Galen. "But I could just shoot Vorpatril right here, if you prefer."
Mark flinches very slightly. "I told you, I can negotiate safe passage—"
The shock-stick hits him in the stomach again, this time with enough power that he doubles over coughing.
"And I told you, I want more than that," says Galen. "For the last time, Vorkosigan. Stand up. You've had worse."
It takes Mark a few more seconds to straighten up.
unmarred
"Do we have to carry him, or will he come quietly?" asks Galen.
"I don't know," says Mark.
"Perhaps a little persuasion is in order," says Galen.
Mark shakes his head. "Maybe not - Ivan? You coherent over there?"
"I don't know," says Mark.
"Perhaps a little persuasion is in order," says Galen.
Mark shakes his head. "Maybe not - Ivan? You coherent over there?"
middlingalong
"Sorrrrta," groans Ivan. "Fast-penta plus stunner 's mother of all hangovers."
unmarred
"Ser Galen wants to force-march you to an unspecified location to hide you while he calls Miles to demand ransom. He has a shock-stick and a nerve disruptor and he's in a really bad mood. Are you going to do what he says?"
unmarred
Mark makes a well-there-we-have-it gesture.
"Well done," Galen says dryly.
Mark shrugs. "Besides, if you hit him the way you hit me, he might not be able to stand up afterward. I wouldn't give it good odds, in his condition."
"A valid point," Galen acknowledges. "Get him on his feet, but keep his hands tied. No use taking chances."
Mark separates Ivan from the chair in the specified manner.
"Well done," Galen says dryly.
Mark shrugs. "Besides, if you hit him the way you hit me, he might not be able to stand up afterward. I wouldn't give it good odds, in his condition."
"A valid point," Galen acknowledges. "Get him on his feet, but keep his hands tied. No use taking chances."
Mark separates Ivan from the chair in the specified manner.
middlingalong
Ivan lurches, somewhat, but manages not to fall.
He glares fairly ineffectually at Galen.
He glares fairly ineffectually at Galen.
unmarred
Mark does not glare at Galen. Mark does not look at Galen at all. Mark keeps his head down and herds Ivan out the back of the van. They cross a small grassy area and enter a door marked STAFF ONLY in the side of an enormous dark wall. Then it's down a lift tube and into a long hallway lined with mysterious access hatches and control panels. Mark has to manually haul Ivan in and out of the lift tube, since Ivan still doesn't have his hands free.
middlingalong
Ivan makes noises whenever his headache is perturbed - which is to say every slightly irregular step, when hauled, and the time he bumps into a doorframe - but otherwise keeps his mouth shut.
unmarred
They arrive at the end of the row. Galen points to an access hatch.
"Open it."
"You're not serious," breathes Mark.
"I am perfectly serious," says Ser Galen. "And unless you want to get in there with him, I suggest you open the hatch."
"Open it."
"You're not serious," breathes Mark.
"I am perfectly serious," says Ser Galen. "And unless you want to get in there with him, I suggest you open the hatch."
unmarred
"Under the Thames Tidal Barrier," says Mark.
"That's enough out of both of you," says Ser Galen. "The hatch, Miles."
He glares at Mark, who flicks one fearful glance up at him and then obeys. Ser Galen draws a nerve disruptor, to emphasize his authority. He points it at Ivan and jerks his head at the lightless hole in the wall.
"In."
"That's enough out of both of you," says Ser Galen. "The hatch, Miles."
He glares at Mark, who flicks one fearful glance up at him and then obeys. Ser Galen draws a nerve disruptor, to emphasize his authority. He points it at Ivan and jerks his head at the lightless hole in the wall.
"In."
middlingalong
Ivan looks at the nerve disruptor and contemplates unpleasantness. He looks at Mark and contemplates eventual mad rescue attempts. He swallows.
In he goes.
In he goes.
unmarred
"Close it."
Silence, then a quiet buzz as of someone getting hit with a shock-stick. "I said close it."
Nothing. Buzz. More nothing.
"Fine," Galen growls. His face appears briefly in the oval of light high on the wall of the pumping chamber before he slams the hatch shut and all light vanishes.
Silence, then a quiet buzz as of someone getting hit with a shock-stick. "I said close it."
Nothing. Buzz. More nothing.
"Fine," Galen growls. His face appears briefly in the oval of light high on the wall of the pumping chamber before he slams the hatch shut and all light vanishes.