ushernet Chapter Uhrrbet Epilogue
Chapter Uhrrbet Epilogue
Uhrrbet lay on an entirely too comfortable mattress in a small darkened room looking numbly at the ceiling.
How had it come to this? It was a rhetorical question.
She knew exactly how it came to this.
She was stupid.
All she had to do was “shoot” that fucking Maaatisha in front of Vikkart to destroy him. That’s it. It was simple. It was easy. She didn’t need a grand gesture.
Then again, if she didn’t need grand gestures she would still be in her home, on Garthra, life intact and her son without...
She buried her head in her little hands for the hundredth time that day.
That was the thing that she admitted to nobody, ever.
It was all her fault, all of it. Her...
A ragged gasp escaped.
Her... husband... didn’t even want to get involved in what he knew was something too good to be true but no. What she had was never enough was it? And this?
This is the payoff, the grand reward. A bed in a Terran mental ward. A place where she couldn’t even die.
She started sobbing.
And stopped.
She wasn’t alone. It wouldn’t do for the nurses to see a Grey...
It wasn’t a nurse.
She smiled grimly as a middle aged woman with a streak of grey in her auburn hair softly closed the door.
“Please tell me that the Kart have decided to give me mercy,” she said quietly.
The woman looked at her with genuine sympathy in her soulless eyes.
That couldn’t be good.
The woman produced a neural induction helm.
“No! Somebody help!” she screamed... or tried to.
She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t move.
She looked helplessly as the woman, with a sad face, approached with that... that thing.
“Sorry, hon,” she said in a quiet whisper.
***
Suddenly, Uhrrbet was sitting in a well appointed Garthran study. Behind a desk, with a wicked fang laden opposum grin, was Maaatisha.
“Hello, Operator,” she smiled as terror consumed Uhrrbet. “How lovely to meet you at last.”
“And it’s lovely to see you again,” Uhrrbet said with a calm she definitely did not feel.
She was terrified.
“Not that I’m not absolutely delighted to see you again,” Uhrrbet said, a small bead of sweat starting to form on her nose, “I am a bit surprised. Vikkart...”
“My beloved said it was over?” Maaatisha said as she rose, smoothing her absolutely beautiful dress. “It is... for him. For me, not so much.”
“And what do you want?” Uhrrbet asked, filled with dread.
“For starters,” Maaatisha replied as she cracked her knuckles, “a rematch.”
***
Gasping and bleeding, Uhrrbet tried to get to her feet.
Not far away, Maaatisha was doing the same.
“(Cough.) Gotta hand it to you, Operator,” Maaatisha chuckled. “You can really show a girl a good time.”
“Glad (gasp)... Glad I was able to entertain you properly.”
“Bitch, we are just getting started!”
***
“That,” Maaatisha said as she wiped her face, “That was quite satisfying.”
“I am so pleased that you feel that way,” Uhrrbet weakly gurgled as she lay in a pool her own blood.
“Were the pain settings set properly?”
“Very much so,” Uhrrbet bubbled, “It was indistinguishable from the real thing.”
She looked up at Maaatisha with a weak little snarl.
“I should know after all.”
“From you, that is high praise indeed.”
“Fuck you.”
“You have no idea how long I wanted to do that,” Maaatisha sighed happily.
“I may have some idea,” Uhrrbet said, “Revenge is... was... a hobby of mine.”
She looked warily over at a battered and bloody Maaatisha.
“So, what now?” Uhrrbet asked, “Here I am, broken... Helpless... Though to be honest, I already was.”
“Hmm,” Maaatisha pondered, “I really hadn’t thought about that.”
She shrugged.
“I just wanted to kick your ass. So... mission accomplished, I guess.”
“That’s it?” Uhrrbet asked, unsure whether to be relieved or offended.
“Pretty much,” Maaatisha shrugged. “Turns out I only care about Vikkart. I don’t care about you at all. I suppose ‘Kick Uhrrbet’s ass’ just drifted onto my hierarchysomehow.”
She smiled pleasantly through blood soaked teeth.
“Your ass has been kicked. No further action is required.”
Maaatisha turned to leave, stopped, and turned around, smiling wickedly.
“I’m wearing it, you know.”
“Wearing what?”
“The wedding dress, you know, the one you created as a sick joke? Next week. I’m wearing it.”
“Congratulations,” Uhrrbet said dryly.
“Oh yeah, and you’re doxxed.”
“What?” Uhrrbet asked as she rose unsteadily to her feet.
“Last night, Jessica Morgan and the Hunt outed you Federation wide. Everybody knows exactly who you are, what you did, and even where you live. Everyone in the Garthranz system hates you.”
“The feeling’s mutual,” Uhrrbet said with a bloody cough.
“I win,” Maaatisha said.
“I know.”
***
“If you don’t eat,” the human nurse said, “we will make you.”
“Well,” Uhrrbet replied, “that sounds unpleasant.”
“It is.”
With a groan, Uhrrbet, nerves still howling from a beating that didn’t actually happen, struggled to her feet.
***
After an entirely unsatisfying lunch, Uhrrbet sat numbly in the day room making patterns with the speckles in the floor tiles.
It was surprisingly engaging.
“Uhrrbet, sweetie,” a human nurse said softly. “You have a visitor. Do you want to...”
“Police or lawyer?” Uhrrbet asked.
“Neither,” Evoron’s beautiful voice purred.
“Evoron!” Uhrrbet cried as she leapt to her feet.
“So, you want to kill yourself.” Evoron said calmly, “Was the sex that bad? I really tried, you know.”
Uhrrbet giggled and the first smile in quite some time lit up her face.
***
“So your got your ass handed to you and almost died,” Evoron snickered sympathetically (you can do that), “I have NO idea what’s that’s like. Don’t worry, you get used to it.”
“I’d rather not,” Uhrrbet said with a grim little smile.
“How long do you plan on lying here in this crypt of the undead?” Evoron asked, “Your wounds properly licked yet?”
“You don’t get it,” Uhrrbet replied without the energy to snap at him. “I’ve...”
“Been disgraced? Lost everything? Fled with only your life and the shredded shirt on your back? Had to dig through rotten garbage and hunt our version of rats to survive?”
“I’m not as strong as you are. I...”
She looked up at him.
“Why are you even here? I thought...”
“You thought that one little defeat would make me desert you?”
She nodded miserably.
“That is, without a doubt, the dumbest thing you have ever said,” Evoron said gently. “I finally find someone, perhaps the only one, that I can love and who will love me in return. A simple, or even a very complex beating won’t change that.”
“But my brain... my mind...”
“Has had a little oopsie,” he snorted, “Happens to the best of us. Didn’t the docs tell you that it is more than treatable?”
“How...”
“We eavesdropped,” he chuckled. “This is no different than withdrawal... mostly... Your brain got used to the stimulation and compensated. Then you immediately went what they call ‘cold turkey.’ You crashed. End of story. Now you just have to get clean. Do you have any idea how many of my crew have been to what the Terrans call rehab? Most of them.”
“But it could be permanent.”
“And standard Garthran psychiatric medications will almost certainly treat it. I haven’t been idle. I have, at great effort and expense, obtained a Garthran psychiatrist.”
“Obtained?”
“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to,” Evoron chuckled.
“But what if I really want to know?” Uhrrbet asked with a smile.
“Well...”
***
“Isn’t that piracy... or kidnapping... or something?” Uhrrbet asked.
“I prefer to call it proactive recruiting,” Evoron replied. “While a bit... reluctant... at first, he is now quite enthusiastic and is even bringing his family over. Let’s just say his compensation package is... significant.”
“Why didn’t you just, I don’t know, put out an ad or something?”
“To run the blockade and render aid to the most hated Garthra of the generation?” Evoron laughed. “I must say, my love, when you decide to make an impression, no half measures!”
“So what does he say?” Uhrrbet asked.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
“He will have to take you under care to be sure,” Evoron shrugged, “But he concurs for the most part but... um...”
“Um... what?”
“Did your family have a history of mental issues?”
“Seriously?”
“Well?”
“We’re Greys! Us having mental issues is the safest assumption that fool can make! If you brought a quack, I’ll shoot him myself!”
“There she is!” Evoron said brightly. “I have missed you, darling.”
***
“So how bad is it?” Uhrrbet asked.
“Pardon?”
“How much time am I looking at?”
“None.”
“What?!?”
“The fish is worth every credit,” Evoron replied. “I already have him on retainer. However, this one was pretty much a slam dunk. No physical evidence... of anything... anywhere. The hardware and software in the Federation was clean. It seems that whoever did the horrible crimes of which you stood accused dealt with a miscreant named ‘Kate’ who operates a terrible place out in this system’s scattered disk. They likely never had contact with any of gear or software. Don’t you just hate it when justice is thwarted?”
“Truly tragic,” Uhrrbet sighed with mock disappointment, “those bastards always seem to win, don’t they?”
“I know, right?” Evoron chuckled. “And if, due to your recent mental breakdown, you are under some paranoid delusion that you are under suspicion of piracy, extortion, and even murder, don’t worry. Again, no evidence. The ship in question is now in Kaarst space in the Federation and the crew did sign perfectly legitimate labor contracts. Now there is some question as to what would compel a crew to do that... But the exact words from the prosecutor was, and I quote, “They are slavers. Fuck them.”
Evoron smiled.
“They didn’t even bother investigating further,” he said, “Baxlon would just take it to trial and the jury would hear the word ‘slaver’ and buy you a beer. Besides, they like your style. But there are some complications that you did not escape.”
“How bad?”
“Financial fraud. The false lien is, while covered as far as criminal prosecution goes because the word slaver is involved, not appreciated by the various regulatory agencies and one very large and very powerful bank in particular. I’m pretty sure you know which one. You are done in the financial world. You will never issue another loan again and you will have to pay back the money.”
“Pay back the money?!?” Uhrrbet exclaimed with more energy than she had since this whole thing came to a head.
Evoron laughed.
“Pity the nurses didn’t know that trick.”
“I can’t pay it back! I don’t have the money! Fuck! Sixty...”
Evoron looked at her curiously.
“Oh, I forgot to mention, you only have to pay back the portion not donated to the Nama Memorial Foundation. Oops. Please forgive the over... Ow!” he exclaimed as Uhrrbet punched him in the arm.
“You scared the shit out of me!...”
She crossed her arms and huffed. Then she looked up shyly and smiled.
“Asshole...”
Her face fell.
“And... my son?”
“He’s doing quite well. Your ‘family’ is taking good care of him and I can personally assure you that none of them want for anything.”
“Thank you,” she said in a small voice.
“And from our investigations,” Evoron said gently, “getting him back is quite likely. Being a ‘filthy xeno’ actually plays to your favor for once. In theory, yes, as a minor he is blah blah blah but in practice, the would rather keep non citizen families together in convenient little packages.”
He reached out and placed his hand over hers.
“Especially when there are extenuating circumstances like this. This was an acute medical issue, and it was an accident of ignorance, not substance abuse. Prove the treatment works, do some counseling...”
“Counseling?!?”
“No avoiding it,” Evoron shrugged, “But do bear in mind that we have a fully licensed Garthran mental health professional on payroll. I suspect you will do quite well where that goes. Tick some boxes, sign some...”
Uhrrbet took a deep ragged breath.
“No.”
“Pardon?”
“No ticked boxes. No rubber stamps. It’s Kurr.”
She closed her eyes.
“I have to be safe. I have to know, for both of us.”
“Fair enough,” Evoron shrugged, “I will make clear what is expected of him.”
“Thank you.”
“Anything for you, my love,” Evoron said causing Uhrrbet to brighten up a little more.
“And... um... some of my business associates?” Uhrrbet asked, “How are they handling the news about my... breakdown.”
“You have lost some friends, that’s for certain,” Evoron replied. “Anyone who values their ‘privacy’ isn’t touching you. No hostile blowback, but a lot of blocked numbers. Needless to say, you are going to have to find a new fabric supplier.”
“Needless to say...”
“As far as your ‘storefront’ is concerned,” Evoron said with a smile, “It’s doing just fine. We have had a presence there just to maintain stability but it wasn’t necessary. Your... Not sure what they are... but Lagba really stepped up and kept the place rolling. They needed help with bookkeeping, payroll, and that sort of thing but I have people there who can handle that until you stop moping.”
“I... I think I’m ready to stop...” Uhrrbet said, “or as ready as I’ll ever be.”
Evoron took her by the hand.
“Come on, darling,” he smiled, “Let’s go home.”
“Sir?” a nurse asked as Evoron led Uhrrbet towards the doors, “SIR!”
***
Evoron left the mental ward to the curious gazes of his people.
“Where’s Uhrrbet, boss?” a pretty Threena asked. “I thought you were going to go get her.”
“Apparently,” Evoron said with an amused smile, “It doesn’t work that way.”
***
Uhrrbet stood in front of one big box of cloth scrap and discarded clothing and numerous smaller ones and stretched her back.
The fancy robotic sewing machines were gone or at least out of view. Most had been sold. A few remained in the workshops behind the storefront.
Replacing them was a huge clothing recycler, salvaged from a freighter at the star port. It was a beauty, far better than she could otherwise hope to get. Ditching the fancy snot weavers was a small price to pay for this baby. She wiped the sweat from her nose with the dingy apron she wore over a simple blue smock with some very nice cross-stitching, a gift from one of her people.
It was the most comfortable thing she had ever worn. You would rarely see her in anything else these days.
She smiled at the sounds of hustle and bustle coming from the back. Thirty people. Thirty paychecks. Thirty benefit packages, shitty benefit packages, but benefits just the same. She wasn’t made of money (anymore).
As she tipped a box of natural cotton garments and scrap into the recycler the door chimed.
She looked over and smiled. It was Craxi.
“Hey girl!” Craxi exclaimed as she pulled out a prepaid and swiped it through the reader on the old soda bot.
“You know the key code,” Uhrrbet scoffed.
“And I know you aren’t... um... well not anymore.”
“You should know I’m still a multimillionaire.”
“Yeah?” Craxina snorted, “And exactly how much of that can you get to?”
“Fair point,” Uhrrbet laughed. “But my boyfriend is LOADED. It’s nice being a kept woman.”
Craxi pushed a straw into her cream soda and looked around.
“Yeah, he’s keeping you in style.”
“You know damn well...” Uhrrbet started to huff.
“Yeah, yeah,” Craxi scoffed, “People need clothes. People need jobs.”
“Damn straight!” a brightly colored “Neephbank Financial Services” kiosk exclaimed. “And they need access to reputable financial services! Since someone...”
“Shut the fuck up, Solar,” Uhrrbet snickered.
“Excuse me,” the Neephbank kiosk huffed. “I am Neephbank, a division of Terran Solar financial services.”
“Still can’t believe Neeph pulled that off,” Craxi said as she leaned on the kiosk which bleeped with annoyance.
“Why not?” Neephbank replied. “It’s not like she’s running the bank, she just owns a few ‘Special Banking Services Kiosks’. Getting the license was not that much harder than opening up another dumpling cart.”
“Which she still hasn’t done,” Uhrrbet scoffed and then shrugged, “But these kiosks are every bit as good as I was. They even copied my exact strategies... you dick.” she added with a smirk. “As long as people get what they need here and it undercuts the loan sharks, I’m happy.”
“So how much does Neeph make off of these things?” Craxi asked.
“Not a goddamn thing,” Uhrrbet laughed. “She does just better than breaking even with the rates she’s charging... just like I did.”
She turned to the kiosk.
“Cool of you to do this, Terran Solar.”
“Have you ever tried to say no to Neeph when she gets something ‘up her butt’?” Solar laughed. “She credits you and your loans with her success and after you FINALLY got caught, she demanded that I ‘do something.’ To shut her up, I tried to put it back on her and she called me on it. The rest was paperwork... That I SUSPECT she had help with.”
“Not from me,” Uhrrbet replied. “I would like to remain out of prison. I don’t want to lose my son ever again. Fuck that.”
The door opened and some strangers entered, a battered adult and what looked to be three juveniles. They looked like more star port blow ins. They’ve been seeing more of them recently, this time from the “Asscrack.” She didn’t blame them considering exactly who were setting up...
Uhrrbet raised an eyebrow. She recognized the species. It was the one that the Forsaken had acquired a taste for.
She winced. No telling how they got out and what they had to do to get here.
No matter how bad you had it, someone had it worse. That didn’t make what you went through less horrible. It just means that it REALLY sucked for them.
“Can I help you?”
“Yetk,” the adult said nodding in the affirmative. It then started fumbling with a cheap and mostly broken translation device.
Magically the “Neephbank” kiosk started chatting in some strange language causing the adult to squeal and shudder as words came out in a flood.
“Escaped from the Harlequin... somehow...” the ATM said. “They just have the clothes on their backs and you can see that one of the kids is only wearing strips torn from the shirt of...”
“Tell them to hang on a moment,” Uhrrbet smiled. “I have a nice batch of cotton running. It should be ready to work in about fifteen minutes...”
She smiled and walked over to a large steamer filled with Jovian rice.
“Ask them if they have eaten.”
As she filled bowls to the delight of the newcomers, she sighed happily.
This is what life is all about.
***
“And here you go,” Uhrrbet said as she handed a large laundry bag to Littlefoot. “Everything altered or repaired as specified. Sorry I don’t have access to the good stuff anymore.”
“Meh, we have so much ‘good stuff’ that we are set for years,” Littlefoot laughed, “Hang on.”
Littlefoot darted outside and dragged in a large bag filled with blankets, sheets, and pillows.
“I’m not touching those,” Uhrrbet laughed. She then proceed to not touch but literally dive into yards and yards of cotton, satin, batting... and many other very nice things. “These are lovely!”
“Yeah, they were getting a little worn...”
“Gross...”
They shared a laugh.
“So where is your rich and sexy man?” Littlefoot asked. “Haven’t seen him around.”
“Oh he’s off on ‘business’ again,” Uhrrbet moped.
“I always thought you would be ‘on business’ with him.”
“I want to, but I have Kurr and...”
Uhrrbet poked her head.
“I have to be careful now. The pills help but...”
“Is it getting better? I mean at all?”
Uhrrbet shrugged.
“I have the pills and we have the dosage correct. They say that it might get better but nobody really knows.”
“I’m sorry,” Littlefoot said.
“I’m not.”
“What?”
“I have a great shop, great employees, a great guy, a fantastic kid... and I do so much more for the community than I ever did as a crimelord.”
“I’m so glad you realized that.” the kiosk said brightly.
“Shut up, Solar,” Uhrrbet smiled. “I even have this asshole to keep me company.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Littlefoot said. “Why is he here, I mean here here, in your shop here?”
“It’s the original site of Uhrrbet’s, ahem, loan brokerage,” the ATM replied. “People come here looking for Uhrrbet’s help, help that she can no longer provide, so I am here instead.”
“That and he wants to keep an eye on me,” Uhrrbet snarked.
“That is absolutely not not true!”
***
“And you are out of the game?” Littlefoot asked, “I mean really? You?”
Uhrrbet shrugged.
“I have the shop to attend to, my son to actually raise, for once, and my man’s appetites to satisfy.”
“OoooOooo!” Littlefoot squealed, “Appetites? Spill!”
“He’s insatiable,” Uhrrbet moaned as Littlefoot hung on every word, “It’s impossible to satisfy him. I mean, how many waistcoats does one man need?”
“You did that on purpose!” Littlefoot laughed.
Uhrrbet’s communicator pinged.
“Garthranz?” she asked in disbelief. “I hope it’s not another reporter. The story has to have gotten stale... by... huh.”
“Not a reporter?”
“No,” Uhrrbet replied. “Family.”
***
After Littlefoot left, promising more worn bedding to Uhrrbet’s feigned disgust (and genuine delight), Uhrrbet looked at her communicator again.
“Vaatoonia.” Uhrrbet muttered to herself.
“Family?” the ATM asked.
“Yes,” Uhrrbet replied, “Probably drunk and wants to curse my name over a speaker at one of her insipid parties.”
“You aren’t going to reply?”
“To that rawnose?” Uhrrbet said, “Not on your...”
The communicator pinged again.
It was Vaatoonia again.
“You know what?” Uhrrbet said to the ATM, “I’m going to be the one cursing this time.”
She acknowledged the message, clicked the link, and reversed the charges.
That will shut her up she thought to herself.
It didn’t.
Moments later, she was looking at Vaatoonia’s unpleasant face.
“Uhrrbet, darling!” Vaatoonia exclaimed as she looked at Uhrrbet, aghast, “What has happened to you?”
“Whatever it was,” Uhrrbet replied with a sneer, “It’s preferable to corpulence and decay.”
Vaatoonia laughed her grating false laugh.
“Oh Uhrrbert darling... you always had a sharp wit.”
What the fuck does she want? Uhrrbet thought with growing annoyance. It certainly wasn’t recycled clothes or a patch for her jacket.
“I am glad you appreciate it,” Uhrrbet said, trying not to snarl.
“I was wondering if you remembered me.” Vaatoonia said with that stupid overly cultured voice of hers. She was a townie the same as Uhrrbet before she managed to fuck her way into a minor and I mean minor noble house.
“How could I forget you Vaatoonia,” Uhrrbet replied evenly.
Yes, how could she? How could she forget being turned away from her doorstep, the doorstep to her MANOR, the manor with many extra rooms. How could she forget being told they have nothing to spare only to see servants filling compost bins with fresh food on their way out.
Yes, Vaatoonia, I remember you.
“These hyperspace calls are expensive,” Vaatoonia said accusingly, “so I will get right to the point.”
“Please do.”
“It seems that you have become quite the success on Terra despite... certain failings...”
There it is. Mystery solved.
“Yes, I have done quite well. I have a thriving business...”
Oh how she loathed this woman... How she hated her...
Something started percolating deep within Uhrrbet, silently worming its way through the subconscious, through the medication haze...
Uhrrbet smiled a faint but decidedly wicked smile.
“... an excellent business network (sort of true)... several properties (lie)... I’m even eyeing a little manor myself, out in the countryside...”
The ATM swiveled it’s cameras to glare at Uhrrbet. Uhrrbet looked at the ATM pleasantly.
Whatever you are thinking... Stop!appeared on the video screen. Uhrrbet... I’m serious...
“You certainly are doing well for yourself!”
“Life has been kind to me.” (HUGE LIE)
Uhrrbet...
“I’ll come straight to the point, then.”
“I believe you mentioned it but as of yet, no point has been offered,” Uhrrbet replied.
“As you know, we were... somewhat affected... by the same scheme that...”
“Killed my husband and if I remember correctly I should have drowned myself and my son over?”
“Hasty words, darling, hasty words,” Vaatoonia said dismissively, “and words intended for someone who can find no place where you certainly have...”
“That I have.”
“And, through no fault of our own, of course...”
“Of course...”
“We’ve had another, um, reversal.”
“How unfortunate,” Uhrrbet replied.
“And we were wondering if, you know, if you could...”
“I am terribly sorry Vaatoonia, but I have nothing to spare, same as you did.”
“I... I...”
“But in my case it is true. It takes money to make money and I, while quite comfortable, do not have nearly enough liquidity to assist. But...”
“But?”
“No,” Uhrrbet replied, “Nothing, please forget what I was going to say... I mean said...”
“What were you going to say? Please, Uhrrbet. If there is anything...”
Uhrrbet sighed heavily.
“You’re right...” she said. “You are right... While I do hold many things against you... You have a manor and a household that rely on you...”
“Yes! A household!”
Uhrrbet, no! Bad Uhrrbet! Bad!
“And it is a terrible thing to lose one’s place, especially when one’s family is so... affected by circumstance...”
“Yes! Exactly!”
“Drown it all,” Uhrrbet grumbled. “Fine!” she huffed. “Yes, I have the wealth and the business, and the properties... but the business isn’t how I got the wealth. I used the wealth I gained from another endeavor to finance it all. It is a business model, unique to Terra, that paved the way for everything I have achieved.”
“But that’s on Terra...”
“True,” Uhrrbet replied, “But it would work even better there where there is no competition and nobody is prepared for it, you know, like the Ponzi scheme?”
“Really?!?”
Too easy. Uhrrbet smirked to herself.
“Truly. And it only takes drive and ambition. It doesn’t even need that much of an outlay to start.”
“What is it? Please! Tell me!”
Uhrrbet, I’m warning you...
“Tell me, Vaatoonia,” Uhrrbet said in a hushed conspiratorial voice, “have you ever heard of multi level marketing?”
After a long phone call and many, many promises of guidance and support, Uhrrbet terminated the call with a satisfied sigh.
“Seriously?!?” the ATM demanded.