Seen from above, the entire resort looked like a giant globe with its top flattened. Jasper, now on solid ground again, made his way around its circumference to reach one of the four main entryways, each one aligning with a cardinal direction. Joining the flow of the crowd, he found himself at the southernmost point. Adorned with plant decor and framed by elegant pillars, there would normally be resort staff there - usually locals - to greet guests and offer them an authentic, complimentary snack. But now, the doors were flung wide open, and people entered freely into the lobby beyond.
Although he saw his worry reflected in many of the faces around him, the flow of people was relatively calm. There were a few outliers, whoever, who seemed to find the situation more entertaining than anything else. He eyed a couple in expensive diving suits, still dripping water. They whispered to each other in thinly veiled excitement as he passed them, their attention focused on the firefight far above.
These people haven't seen war, the Old One spoke within him. Not like us.
That's what I'm worried about, he responded. From afar, the pleasure cruise had the illusion of something unreal, intangible. It was no wonder these coddled, rich travelers were unperturbed, secure. Still, it was better than sheer panic.
Inside the lobby now, Jasper crossed the polished marble flooring and skirted the impressive double-central staircase that led to both surrounding balconies above, and the sublevel floors below. While staff members ushered guests up and down the stairs, directing them to their rooms, Jasper headed deeper into the main level, rushing down a maze of hallways. The guests' residences, amenities, and restaurants were all situated right above and below this level. Most of the complex's sea deck was instead committed to administrative and guest services.
Checking his feed again brought up more private messages than the one earlier, directions for resort staff to gather for an emergency conference. Guided by the new alert, and the workers around him, Jasper eventually found himself in the sea seck's largest meeting space; the staff cafeteria.
"Oi, Jasper!" A voice called out. He scanned the room, spotting the burly frame of a man waving vigorously at him from a table. Returning the greeting, Jasper slid into the chair next to him with a sigh.
"Pleasant morning, eh?" The man, Arden, gave him a lopsided grin. "Something like that," Jasper responded, before greeting the two people sitting across from him. Helena was a cook in one of the resort's many restaurants, one that specialized in local seafood. The other was Edin, who, like his brother Arden, was a technician and maintenance worker for the resort. While the two men seemed unbothered, Helena smiled weakly. Her, skin, already paper-white, seemed even more devoid of color at the moment.
"Have you ever seen a dogfight like that before?" Jasper asked her. She shook her head and sighed, the slits along her neck opening slightly. Like all those born on Alto II, she possessed a set of gills - a very useful Factor for living on the waterlogged planet.
"We've never had violence like this before," she said, her accent thickening with emotion. "This is not a good sign."
"Well, I completely disagree!" Ardent grinned. "It means this place is getting pretty popular. People don't fight unless there's something they want out of it."
Helena scoffed at that. "We're on the edge of Standard space. What do they want - some fresh fish?"
"Look around," Edin spoke up, more solemn than his brother. This isn't the little retreat it was, anymore. The people that come here are filthy rich."
Jasper was about to respond, but his feed pinged for his attention, and then everyone's gaze was directed towards the front of the room.
There, standing within a flock of assistants, stood Annika Reyal, general manager of the Aquatime Resort. Instinctively, Jasper winced. There were few people in his life more oppressive than that woman - besides the second voice in his head, of course. But unlike the Old One, Reyal was a torment Aquatime's workforce could shoulder together.
"As I'm sure most of you have heard," Reyal's voice boomed throughout the room. "We've observed hostile activity in the atmosphere above Aquatime property." Jasper noted idly the line of scrolling text that appeared on his feed, matching her word for word. Likely it was for the workers who were currently corralling the guests.
"We're going to follow through with standard protocol here - guests will be confined to their rooms, and food and drink will be delivered by staff periodically, until the threat has passed. Everyone will be confined to the central complex, including any of the local population that desires shelter. We have enough supplies for self-sufficiency, if it comes to that, and the nearest base has been alerted."
Around him, Jasper noted the tension abate slightly, as people nodded along. She may be a blowhard at times, but Reyal's commanding presence counted when it mattered the most. Across from him, Helena seemed to relax a little.
"We should be secure for now - however..." Here, she trailed off, and Jasper detected the first flash of stress on the woman's face since she'd begun speaking. There was a brief hush, and then people started murmuring to each other, tension building again. Ardent called out a question, louder than the general din. "Who's attacking the ship? What's the problem?"
"Let me finish," she snapped, and the crowd quieted. After a moment, she began to speak again, but her words were more deliberate, more careful. On his feed, the words scrolled past slower.
"We picked up a message from the crew - an S.O.S. They're requesting assistance, and legally, any colony of the Coalition is expected to provide support, but, well -"
This is a settlement of tourists, and cooks, mechanics and fishermen... the Old One cut in, startling Jasper.
I hate when you do that, he thought. But you're right. We're not going to be able to offer much help."
Arden, who must have seen his reaction, nudged him, misinterpreting it. "Crazy, right? I've heard stories, but all the way out here?"
"What?" Jasper blinked, confused. Arden furrowed his brow. "Pirates! Weren't you listening?" He turned his attention back towards Reyal, who was still speaking.
"...They're defending themselves against the group, but aren't going to hold out long enough to reach the surface, apparently." She sighed. "Even if it isn't much, we still have to do what we can."
The meeting didn't last long after that. Workers were organized and divided; helping the guests, compiling resources and equipment. Eventually everyone had filed out of the hall, until it was just Reyal, her task force, and those selected to assist in direct support - including Jasper.
With a much smaller group, Reyal gathered everyone close. Jasper stood uneasily, people pressed against him. He recognized a good portion of the people there; a smattering of technicians and engineers, including Arden and Edin were present, but the majority of those left behind were part of the resort's security detail, and Jasper's own department: the medical staff.
"Jasper," Reyal had already singled him out, and he groaned inwardly. "We're going to mobilize a team to provide technical and medical support."
"Sure, Chief." He answered. Then he paused, confused. "Mobilized? I don't get it." She looked at him, her expression softening. Somehow, it had the opposite effect than she was hoping to instill.
"Listen, Drift." She said, keeping her gaze locked on him. "We're gonna have to send people up there, as bad as it sounds." Jasper shook his head, incredulous at the stern use of his last name. "That's crazy, Annika! It's a live firefight!"
"We have to!" She snapped, shutting him up. "That's how these things go." Her voice dropped. "It's Standard Law."
If looks could kill, the general manager would be in pieces on the floor by now. Still, Reyal took a half-step back, her expression uncertain. She could sense his animosity, his anger, even if she didn't understand why.
This is why I came here! His thoughts were hot and furious. To get away from a nightmare like this.
It's only to be expected. The Old One lacked even a drop of sympathy. In an era of unstable space, laws like this are commonplace.
I know that! He snapped back, but his anger couldn't tamp down the rising fear. The colony on Alto II was under governance by the Ferrum Rete. Most regulations were delegated on the planet-level, but apparently there were laws that were more binding. Jasper had no desire to stick his neck out for that cruise ship, to return to a battleground ever again.
Keeping his voice even, he spoke up again. "I don't understand. Why didn't they just give up the goods - or whatever the pirates are after. What about their self-preservation?"
Reyal gave him a look. "They didn't get the chance. It looks like there was no discussion between the two groups before the fighting started."
"What kind of defenses does this ship have?" A voice to the left asked. It was Riko, head of security.
"They have guns, it looks like... anti-aircraft, maybe. But I don't think there's any shielding on a tub like that." Annika sighed. "We can't fight them ourselves, obviously. We don't have missiles, ground-to-air lasers, nothing. What we do have, however, is medical and technical expertise, and so that's what we're going to send them."