Transformation
:
EXTRAS
Odeon was right; he didn't get any sleep. He'd left Medart as soon as
a messenger from the ship delivered the materials the Ranger had
ordered, and spent the next few hours comparing the Traditional
Catholic Bible with the one he knew so well, and studying their
doctrines.
With the exception of a couple of name changes, the Final Coming, and
the Third Aspect being the Holy Spirit instead of the Pr
tector--and,
of course, the accommodations the Systems Church had made for
Enforcement and the Satyr Plague--the two were almost identical. Where
they differed otherwise were matters of discipline, with the Systems
version stricter. It was even possible, he told himself, that the
Third Aspect used both names, and the Protector's appearance in the
Systems didn't rule out Jeshua's Second Coming to the rest of the
Empire. It did bother him that Jim had said the Protector was limited
to the Systems, but he reminded himself yet again that a mortal could
never 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 he
decided to take up either of Jim's offers. It probably wouldn't be a
good idea to tell him Pope Lucius' true identity, even though he was
certain it wouldn't be believed. But it wouldn't hurt to tell him
about having the Systems Pope's permission to celebrate Mass more than
once a day, and find out what would be expected of a priest who was
also a Ranger.
Odeon sighed when he got to that point. He'd managed to avoid facing
the fact so far, but he couldn't put it off forever; by bringing his
Family's welfare into the equation, Jim had made it impossible for him
to turn the job down. He'd known that even then, he thought, but he
hadn't wanted to accept it.
And he still didn't want to. He loved his Family too much to want to
leave them, particularly when it would mean he'd no longer be able to
love them. But as Jim had made him work out for himself, he could do
them a lot more good in the upcoming war by leaving to take a high
Imperial position than he could by staying. Dear God, but the prospect
hurt, though!
He sighed again. For the first time in his career, he was reluctant to
act on a decision as soon as he made it. This was the first one that
would bring about major changes in his essential self, and that
prospect frightened him. Even Shayan's mental surgery hadn't changed
what he was; it had only given him a couple of new abilities--very
minor ones, from what he'd read of Talent.
The memory of that surgery didn't help, either. Even though Shayan had
assured him it could've been done painlessly and in seconds, he
couldn't shake the association of mental changes with agonizing,
prolonged pain and violation. As he'd told Sara, though, if someone
needed his help as badly as she had, he didn't have any choice but to
try giving it, even though he wasn't sure he could endure such surgery
again.
That lack of choice was even more emphatic since the ones needing his
help included his Family. He had to submit to that surgery, endure it
to the best of his ability, and pray he'd have the strength to survive
it.
Live or die, he thought grimly, he'd be losing those he deeply
loved--and he wasn't sure whether he should indulge himself, tell them
all goodbye, or if it would be better to just go ahead and do it. That
decision could wait, though; he didn't want it to be obvious he hadn't
slept or--yet--that he was bracing himself to leave. He had just about
time 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 his
tunic pocket. Saying Mass had helped more than he'd expected; he was
feeling somewhere between resigned and serene when he went to the
dining room for breakfast. He'd also decided or been guided, he wasn't
sure, 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 the
necessary changes.
Fortunately for his peace of mind, he thought, the children weren't
there--maybe deliberately, because the Family's expressions told him
they knew something was going on. And, to his surprise, the new
Protector was sitting between Joanie and Jim, his plate holding more
food than Odeon would've thought reasonable for someone his size--if an
Aspect of God had to eat at all. Still, Jeshua had . . .
As Odeon sat down and began filling his own plate, Keith chuckled. "As
long as I'm in body," he said, "I do have to eat. And a Sandeman
warrior 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 that
decision primarily to help them. They also know I won't hurt you in
the slightest. We'll take care of it after breakfast, as you're
thinking. All right?"
"As you will it, Lord."
Keith grinned. "Better start getting used to giving orders instead of
taking them, Michael. Do you want just the abilities, or the mind-set
as well?"
Odeon tried to return the smile, but was sure it came out more like the
grimace he really felt. "I don't think you need to ask, Lord
Protector. If I'm going to do it, I'll do it right; I'll take whatever
you see fit to give me."
At that, he felt the other's approval. "So be it, Michael. You'll be
a real asset to your--and your Family's--new home."
* * * * *
After breakfast, the entire group went to the common-room. Odeon said
his goodbyes, embracing and kissing his Family head and spouses while
tears ran down his face.
Medart watched sympathetically. Odeon's feelings of betrayal and
uselessness might not have been enough to bring him to this point;
protecting his Family to the best of his ability, even if it meant
giving them up to do it, had done the job--something Medart had seen
the previous night, though Odeon hadn't yet realized it. He regretted
the man's present pain, but he was certain that once the Protector made
the necessary changes, Mike would find he job every bit as challenging
and 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 remain
conscious for the procedure or not."
Odeon sat down in the nearest armchair, grateful to his Family for
gathering around as the Protector stood in front of him. Medart held
back, which made Odeon grin briefly. "You ought to be here too, Jim; I
made the decision I did because you forced me to face the fact I could
do my Family more good this way than I could any other."
"Decision?" Cortin asked sharply, as Medart joined the group. "The
decision point was Mike's?"
Keith saved Medart from having to answer. "Yes. You all protected him
by your certainty that the decision would be Joan's; now it's his turn
to 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 I
could handle that kind of pain again."
Keith smiled. "You underestimate yourself, Michael; you are far
stronger than you believe. The only part of your basic personality
I'll need to modify at all is detaching you emotionally enough that
you'll no longer have or form close personal ties that would affect a
Ranger's necessary impartiality. The rest will be additions, or
speeding 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 to
take care of some details, so we'll leave in a couple of minutes. I
gave you everything a Ranger needs, in some cases more, and took care
of a couple of your problems--such as removing your allergy to teaching
tapes; you'll be able to use them now, and you'll need them. Your
intelligence has doubled; you have and know how to use a powerful
Talent that includes telepathy, mind-shield, teleportation, and
materialization; and you have the other abilities and attitudes proper
for a Ranger. I also removed the satyr virus from your body, so you're
no longer contagious, a service I will perform for anyone else who
leaves the Systems. I made only one overt physical change, since
you've chosen the Traditional Church, which means you can't be my
priest or devotee any longer. I've reset your biological clock to
where it would be if you'd been selected in the usual manner, but to
maintain it there, you'll have to go on anti-agathics; my powers, as
James told you, don't extend beyond the Systems. Otherwise you look
and feel exactly the same--but if you should need them, I've given you
a complex of hidden changes, all of which will activate if any one of
them 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 to
tell them what it is."
Cortin looked from Medart to Odeon, then back. "If Mike thinks
anything about the Empire is important enough that he'll give up Family
Cortin for it, I'll trust his judgement; as sole negotiator for the
Kingdom Systems, I am empowered to say the Systems will join the
Empire. I ask that you give us all the help possible to reach the
level of the rest of the Empire, and show us how to take our proper
place in it."
"Gladly, Excellency, and welcome. We'll be happy to help our newest
citizens. Do you need military support as well?"
"Familiarization and upgrading only," Keith said. "They have the basic
tech level, with minor exceptions. Medical training and learning about
the Empire are their primary needs, though other things will be needed
as they gain the population base to support them."
"Right. Admin Service teachers and a couple of heavy destroyers ought
to take care of those; anything else you'd recommend?"
"Not at this time, Ranger, though it might help if you could leave a
detachment from the Lindner. I'm sure Colonel Cortin would provide
them 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. "You
do look the same, except for your hands." he said at last.
Odeon looked at his hands, which no longer had the blue circled
triangles. That was a relief, now, not the terrible loss it would have
been before his talk with Medart last night. "You heard him confirm
that I'm still a Catholic priest, Jim. I would've thought that would
violate the separation doctrine."
Medart shook his head. "Not necessarily. Most of us are Omnist or
agnostic, that's true. Once in a while, though, there's a deeply
religious 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 couple
of the others--but since that's true of all adult Omnists, nobody pays
much attention to it. They'll pay attention to you, since you're the
first non-Omnist priest, but that attention in itself doesn't violate
the doctrine. As long as you don't try to impose your beliefs on
others, or imply that the Empire in any way favors one religion over
another, your beliefs and devotions are between you and your God or
gods."
"I can handle that, I think, if it won't prohibit me from exercising my
priestly functions for Catholics who need them."
"It won't, though it'd be best if you do any of that in private. It
may never happen, either; I'll warn you right now that Catholics are a
tiny 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'm
not thrilled about it, but it isn't unexpected." He paused. "Mind if
I change the subject?"
"Go ahead."
"I had limited telepathy before, as a side effect of Shayan's mental
contact. I'd like to try the Talent version, but mind-touching you
might 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 name
you 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 out
before--or at least not that fast.*
*I'd venture to guess it's the doubled intelligence,* Medart sent
drily. *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 my
best guess. Don't worry, you'll have time to get used to it; the trip
to Terra will take us about three weeks, and even if you weren't very
adaptable before, you are now.*
*Getting used to the way my mind works now may be the hardest part of
this whole thing. But I've known everyone except Shayan that I've
mind-touched before, and he initiated that one; how do I contact His
Majesty?*
*You know me, and I know him, so you ride along, so to speak, when I
contact 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 so
the illusory "movement" wouldn't lose him. Almost immediately he felt
another mind-touch, similar in general feel to Medart's but different
in detail, and Medart made the introductions: *His Majesty Emperor
Charles Davis, Ranger-candidate Captain Michael Odeon.* Then he
briefed 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 are
qualified, particularly with a Sandeman warrior making the necessary
changes. Jim didn't describe what being a Ranger involves, other than
being 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'm
qualified, yes, but I was given only the most basic information about
the Empire--not much more than I'd studied on my own. If I'm not
needed for immediate assignment, I think I should spend some time
learning about it.*
*We'll make that your first assignment, then. You can start on your
way to Terra, then do as much more here as you can till a more urgent
assignment comes up--which shouldn't take too long, there's never a
shortage of work for Rangers. Normally I'd have you work with Jim for
two 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 a
Ranger on the job immediately is that most of the jobs you'll get are
unique; there isn't usually any real preparation possible.*
*Both my studies and Jim made that perfectly clear, sir--but the
Protector removed my allergy to teaching tapes, so I'll be able to cram
in a lot more information than I would've been able to earlier.*
*Understood, but there's still a tremendous amount of information for
you to absorb.* Davis sent another smile. *You know how much getting
a new Ranger means, and I'd like to spend more time with you, but I'm
getting ready for a Grand Audience I can't put off just to chat. So
I'll talk to you later.*
*Yes, sir.*
With that, contact broke, and Odeon's consciousness returned to the
common-room. "What now?" he asked Medart.
But it was Keith who answered, entering the room. "You change
uniforms, 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 I
am--a lot more so than you were with your slugthrower."
With that, Odeon was wearing comfortable forest green, rather than the
snug gray he was used to. "Thank you, Lord Protector. I don't care to
wear a uniform I'm no longer entitled to."
Cortin followed Keith into the common-room, looking to Odeon like she'd
been crying. "Mike--the Protector told me I should ask your advice, if
you were willing to give it."
Medart swore to himself. This didn't sound like a promising start for
his new colleague . . . *Mike, don't say yes unless you're willing to
face the consequences. This is part of the Empire now, you don't have
the 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 the
advice, 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 our
answers."
"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 senior
spouse of Family Cortin and my heir, among other things."
Odeon thought about that briefly, then the answer was obvious--and as
unpleasant as Medart had suggested it might be. "We both know that,
even though I haven't changed much physically, I'm not the same person
I was at breakfast. The fastest and most economical way to handle my
change would be to have Captain Michael Patrick Cortin-Odeon declared
legally dead, a declaration Ranger Odeon will not contest."
Cortin winced, then nodded. "It makes sense, Mike--too damned much
sense. Okay, that's how I'll handle it . . . but in that case, it'd be
best if you weren't around."
"I won't be, for long; the Emperor wants me to go to Terra, and I need
to 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. It
would probably be better if I don't come back to the Systems unless I
have to on assignment."
"Yeah." Cortin started forward as if to embrace him, then dropped her
arms and stepped back. "That wouldn't work, would it? Keith told me
about your detachment . . ."
"No, it wouldn't. I won't forget any of you--but I don't feel anything
beyond liking for you any longer, either. The kindest thing to do is
break off now." Odeon studied her for a moment, then decided it would
be best to make the break with no delay at all. He made the sign of
the cross in the air between them. "God bless you and Family Cortin,
Colonel."
She returned the gesture. "And you, Ranger Odeon. You will have our
prayers."
Odeon bowed, then turned to his colleague. "I'm going up to the ship,
Jim. See you later."
Main Story Ends but
This continues in the novel Resurrection
which be found in the extras chapters