[Short Story] Just A Simple Delivery (Patreon)

Casey flashed across the war-torn landscape. He didn’t particularly want to be in the continental divide, but his pride as a courier required him to deliver the package no matter the difficulty. Plus, they were paying extra and the offered materials might be what he needs to upgrade his trusty courier’s pack one more time.

Still, having to travel through the divide was a dangerous thing, even for him, as the literal continent between the two major empires had been a battlefield for so long you never knew what might be lurking. Maybe if the delivery wasn’t so time-sensitive Casey could have gone by boat or plane, but no, they wanted same day delivery. That meant Casey needed to actually walk across the entire divide instead of the week or so a plane would take.

Casey shook his head and ignored the problems with the task, instead watching the surroundings jerk by as each step almost seemed to teleport him many miles at a time. Then he felt it. Between one step and the next, something had caught him and reality seemed to snap into place as his courier’s walk stopped.

Instead of his foot landing on the peak of the mountain in the background, it lands on a cobble path with a small rope across it. Standing behind the rope is a woman wearing a professional-looking suit with a smile like a shark and the roseyness of a corpse. Besides her is a suitcase that seems to float at just the right height that she can open it up at a moment’s notice. She taps on one of the flimsy wood posts holding the rope up, “Borders closed right now.”

The hair on the back of Casey’s neck raises. Few people can stop a courier like this and of the types who can, they all have to be close in power to do so. For Casey to be stopped? Well, suffice it to say, he hadn’t been stopped by anyone since he arrived on the planet a few thousand years ago. This was someone new.

Casey turned to the side and started to walk away, really putting some power into his step as he suddenly shifted over a hundred miles in one go.

The lady calls out, her voice barely raised and yet he can hear it clearly, “That’s a bit rude. By the tribal code of the Whalln tribe, one should always announce oneself if you’re seen approaching their lands.”

Casey feels it as the direction of his targets shifts again and he finds himself back at the cobble road. With a sigh, he turned to the lady, “Fine, hello, I’m Casey and I’m going to deliver a Package. Now if you don’t mind.” And he tries to step away again before she can react.

She chuckles as the local space locks down. “After I went through all the trouble of getting you here? Besides, don’t you feel even a little bit of shame settling here? While not too strict, the local cluster’s rules for people like us generally frowns on meddling like you have. Just because they have some good resources, doesn’t mean you can take advantage of them like this.”

Casey stops trying to walk away after the scenery seems to loop a few times. “Well, I’ve introduced myself, aren’t you going to return the favor?”

The lady’s smile ramps up a notch. “Don’t mind if I do!”

Casey gets a bad feeling as he can feel all the available paths to his target reduce down to having to go through the roped off road.

The lady continues, “While the Whalln tribe have been gone for a while, their legal code is well preserved as this stretch of land used to be on an important route between the two warring empires. This was mostly because they shifted their rules so that if you get caught and have the intention of traveling to someone on the other side of their land, you are forced to go through their land once you greet them.

“So to complete the greeting, hello Courier Casey, I’m Becca and while they have a different name for it in this galaxy, you would most likely recognize my profession by the more universal name. I’m a lawyer and I’m here to reign you in.”

Casey groans, “I’m not hurting anyone here. Can’t you just let me slum it in peace?”

Becca shakes her head once, “I’ve been hired by the council in charge of this galaxy to convince you to move on. Besides, we both know you’re just fleecing the natives for the only things of worth this mud ball has for people of our stature.”

Casey walks up to the rope divider and leans on the other wood post before taking out a small number of solar coins. “Maybe I will leave if I could just finish this last delivery?” The coins jostle around in his hand but instead of making the noise of metal clinking together, it sounds like a much quieter version of what a sun would sound like without the vacuum of space blocking it.

He leaves the small number of coins piled up on the wood post and tries to walk around it only to find himself directly in front of the rope again with the coins back in his hand. Becca shakes her head, “You almost left these. Though I don’t know where you were trying to go, we haven’t finished with the traditional Whalln greeting. Rules are rules.”

Casey takes a step back, “The laws of a dead country shouldn’t be this strong. Besides, I doubt the local galaxy has enough money to match these few coins.”

Becca laughs, though the sound doesn’t have any feeling of joviality in it. “Everyone needs something or other and you’ve been in this galaxy long enough that they’ve finally found something worth more than just a few coin-trapped suns. At least to me.

“As for the Whalln? While it is sad that since the last galactic survey of the planet, they’ve stopped being a local power, but their laws are still kept active in the central law repository. At least they will  be until the next survey happens.”

Casey takes a step back and snorts, “This whole continent has been dead since before I got here. They certainly aren’t in a rush to run those surveys.”

Becca shrugs, her suit barely moving. “Well, there is an active war going on. Can’t exactly expect civilians to come out here and risk their lives. I’m sure that once things have settled down, they’ll do a clean review to set all the new boundaries and record the legal structure anew.”

Casey sighs, “So there is no way you’re going to let me through here until I give up not just my current delivery, but also leave the galaxy?”

Becca, “I don’t want to over share, but the galactic council would very much like it if you moved on. So going by their laws related to Professionals, they’ve given you a hundred years to get out and that was ninety years ago. You don’t quite have enough time to make it out of here with your current ship, but I’ve been empowered by the council to offer you leniency as long as you leave the planet today and your ship never stops or slows on your way out.”

Casey sighs, “I didn’t want it to come to this, but this isn’t a courtroom and a true Courier always completes their deliveries.” And his body seems to fall apart into dust, having already escaped and simply left behind the [Dust of The Road].

Becca nods, She had noticed the change, but the super cluster’s code of conduct allowed for the opposition to state their piece as long as they didn’t intend to harm others. Using that chance to escape was well within his rights.

Of course, that didn’t mean she was going to let him get away. With a smirk, she pulls out a folder from her suitcase and begins to read from it. The language on the paperwork inside is long dead, coming from the previous cycle of the universe.

But that only made it more powerful in the field of science and law as a way to define all that had been. In this case, Becca has spent a number of well-paid years of study to define the rules of not only the Whalln, but a few other local powers, including the two warring empires. So she weaves together her case against Casey.

Many miles away, Casey is trying to make his escape, having crossed the border of that dead Kingdom. This isn’t the first time that his job as a courier had come a little close to that of smuggling and blockade running. Though he justifies it by the fact that the packages and messages he delivers were legal in the place he takes on the request and the place he is delivering to. Just because someone in between wants to throw a fit isn’t his problem.

Then that feeling returns as he can tell the lawyer is trying to pull him back. “Not going to happen!”, He shouts before pulling out a small letter with a wax seal on it. “I have permission to deliver this package.”

The feeling doesn’t completely go away, but it does feel as if before numerous chains had been binding him, some of those chains have broken.

Becca clicks her tongue. The local powers hadn’t informed her of the fact they had given him permission to deliver throughout this world. Her case now had many holes in it and the brief was highly inaccurate. After all, while the Whalln tribe and their laws still held some sway, the legal power of an active empire could Trump certain restrictions.

With a sigh, Becca tossed the handful of papers over her shoulder as they burst into a short, intense flame that burned away even the ashes of the paper. She turned back to her suitcase and pulled out a few specially prepared sheets of blank paper and a fancy pen.

Those papers floated out of her hand and arrayed themselves in front of her. Then with the pen she tapped each paper once, leaving behind a massive blot of ink. Ink that without prompt spread across each sheet and formed into letters and words small enough that no one in this galaxy would likely be able to read it without magnification.

This time, though, the language used is different. Since the past couldn’t bind him, Becca moved onto the present. For that, there was no better language to use than [Common]. Ubiquitous across known space and beyond, the language simply worked.

Casey groans as he had managed to make it halfway to his destination when space clamped down on him again. He turns around and faces Becca, “What? I went through the path. Sure, the borders are closed, but the place trying to enforce those borders no longer exists and so doesn’t have power anymore.”

Becca, “Since you don’t want to do this the easy way, court is in session. I call upon the realm of [ORDER] to send down a Clockwork Judge.”

As Casey hears her invoking a power which should not be named easily, even in one’s own thoughts, his legs react by trying to run without him even thinking about it. A thousand thousand false images split off from his body as he tries to escape and gets pulled back into place.

Then the air stills and the sky loses its shading, having been reduced to a monochrome black that shines with a deceptive brightness. From that unchanging sky, a large gear descends on the two.

Atop that gear is a being five times the size of the average humanoid and made up of an uncountable number of gears, many small enough that even Casey can’t make them out. In theory, with such fine gears the being could have made itself appear more like a natural creature. Instead, it uses those details to emphasize the large gears that make up the beings core.

A gravel takes shape in its hand and when the being strikes at the air in front of it, a utilitarian bench appears out of nowhere. Then, with a sound more like that of metal than either a male or female voice, it announces that the court is in session.

Casey quickly shouts out, “Arbitration! I want an arbitration and not a full judgment! There are time constraints involved.” Not that he really wants either, but an actual court session with this being would automatically last longer than his timeline to deliver his package.

The Clockwork Judge turns toward Casey and nods, “In recognition of the need for timeliness on the defendants site and the fact that he will be proceeding Pro Se, I see no reason not to.

Becca grimaces, it wasn’t unexpected, but still annoying. While fair that the judge recognizes the situation, it also makes things harder for her. People on their level of power were somewhat above the rules to begin with so arbitration is always open no matter how much she disliked it.

Stuff like this almost made her wish for the times when she practiced mortal law and the rules of a government meant something besides just because a suggestion to those strong enough. Not that the rules really ever weren’t simple suggestions for the rich and powerful, but at least during that period she only dealt with those weak enough to be chained by it.

The Clockwork Judge taps his desk with the gavel and it flows out from around them and turns into a table and chairs at which the other two are forced to sit. Then it turns to Becca, “State your case.”

Becca really wants to sigh of groan, but is too in control of herself to let such signs show. Instead, she lines up the five papers and summarizes them along with the goal of kicking Casey out of the galaxy. All the while using laws and treaties spanning from some local hamlet’s ordinance all the way up to one of the suggestions everyone understands as being rules passed down by the ruling structure of the local supercluster.

The Clockwork Judge turns to Casey who laughs, “I’ll leave if I can complete my current delivery. As a courier, one of the backbones of my job is completing my delivery. A delivery that as far as I can tell isn’t illegal.”

Becca points to one of her papers, “The exploitation of weak planets like this is strictly controlled. For the task you are doing, the reward you will receive is well out of the scope of reasonability.”

The Clockwork Judge gestures at the paper and a replica made of gears appears in front of it. “The law you reference does indeed prevent him from asking for such an unbalanced deal. Casey, do you have a response?”

Casey shrugs, “I didn’t ask for the reward. That is what they offered.”

The Clockwork Judge, “For someone of your stature, your pressure alone would be enough to force such an outcome.”

Casey shakes his head, “I came here to relax. If I had wanted these materials, I wouldn’t have had to stick around for so long. No one native to the solar system knows exactly how strong I am. They just see me as a particularly competent courier.”

The Clockwork Judge turns back to Becca, “Since he still has ten years to leave, his presence and actions are within the law, even if he does not have enough time to leave. Also, while not brought up, I will be filing an official reprimand against the source of this demand and giving Casey the Courier a full century and a day to be gone from the galaxy starting tomorrow.

“This demand is both too sudden for the scale and seems to have not gathered the correct legal requirements. However, the people who signed on do have the power to force it in this galaxy.”

Becca sighs and with a dead look states, “My clients would like to prevent the completion of this delivery.”

The Clockwork Judge pauses as a number of gears spin freely for a moment. “No”, it hits the table with its gavel. “This Judge is not mired within the local politics of your universe and so will not allow this. Casey, you are free to continue your delivery, though be advised that there are a number of well-equipped ships of extragalactic origin which have almost arrived here.”

Then the Clockwork Judge turns to Becca, “You should also be advised that your current employers have thought it wise to break their word to you. With my power, I [Judge] your contract with them null and void.”

Becca’s face scrunches up a little before relaxing. Then the table between the three vanishes and the Clockwork Judge ascends into the sky, returning from whence it came.

Becca turns to Casey and offers a handshake, which he accepts. She sighs, “Well, it isn’t often I get to fight it out with someone on your level. If only my previous employers had kept their word a little better. I’ll have to file a report now.”

Casey shrugs, “Yeah, it isn’t often I meet someone that can stop me for this long. Even as just a delaying tactic, it worked a lot better than most attempts. Anyway, I don’t want to know who employed you, but have you heard any rumors about why people are so eager to stop me?”

Becca snaps her suitcase closed in irritation, “Going by the grapevine, some idiot who inherited his position on the local galactic council wants to waste those materials you’re getting on his son. Mind you, not only is the son still a mortal, but the father is as well.

“Also, the local government might not know how strong you are, but they do know you can leave when you want to so they’re just trying to shove those materials off onto you. That councilor isn’t exactly known for being nice when stealing resources.”

Casey raises an eyebrow, “Then why are you working for them?”

Becca, “I’m not working for them. I’m basically being loaned out from the supercluster’s legal department because they requested someone get you out of here. Which, if I might add, is a completely legal and reasonable request.

“It isn’t like you weren’t planning to ignore their request. We both know this galaxy has no way to force you to leave as even the use of a nova spark weapon wouldn’t kill you or even damage your ship. The fact you’ve been limiting yourself to only using your abilities while walking on land is simply an act.”

Casey laughs, “If it wasn’t for the cost in lives I would love to see them try to handle me by exploding the sun. I’m literally carrying multiple suns in my pocket right now!”

Becca rolls her eyes, “Yeah yeah, you’re a big shot willing to throw down enough money you could buy the solar system multiple times over. Anyway, as I said, I’m going to have to make a report about this to the supercluster’s bar. Have a nice day and get the hell out of here.”

Casey smiles and then, with a step is miles away. Becca watches him leave until a mountain gets in the way. She sighs to herself and wonders what kind of idiot would be so powerful they can force her to summon one of the higher powers and yet is willing to do fetch quests for scraps when it is well within his right to just take the resources.

Casey, on the other hand isn’t thinking about much. With that delay, he decides to pick up the pace a little and manages to deliver the package a few minutes earlier than his original planned arrival time. After that, it takes him only a handful of steps to get back to the literal other side of the world to retrieve his reward.

He had originally planned to take things slow on the way back as well, but it sounded like trouble was coming and so it would be better to skedaddle to a new place.

As for why he acted the way he did? Maybe Becca or her employers could never understand, but Casey knew his path. Despite how easy it would be to simply step into the highest security vault on a planet like this and take what he wanted, that would be counter to everything he was.

As a courier, he delivered things for a reward and what is one of the main enemies of someone like him? Bandits, so it would be hypocritical to act like one just because it was easier. At least that is how he thinks about and given how far he has come, maybe there is something to his slightly idealistic view of things.