roruna (roruna) wrote in roads_diverged, @ 2009-03-30 20:05:00 |
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Entry tags: | discworld, firefly, roruna:vimes/sybil, theme 01: crossover |
"Dragonfly", [Discworld/Firefly], Theme #1: Crossover
itle: Dragonfly
Author:
Vimes groaned as the Watch landed at the Eavesdown Docks. He really hated coming to Persephone. That had been where he and the rest of the lads ended up after the war. That time had been a kind of death for Vimes and it occurred to him that the ‘Verse probably thought that being on Persephone had a nice kind of poetic irony. Persephone encompassed everything he hated about the ‘Verse. “That may be, sir but we get a lot of our work here too.” Carrot said as he and Detritus followed Vimes to the cargo bay doors. Vetinari had already set up his folding chair just outside the ship’s doors. Vimes pointed at Vetinari. “We’re going to be heading for
Carrot shrugged. Vimes was surprised. Usually Carrot could see things from anyone’s point of view. But Badger wasn’t just anyone. Even Carrot couldn’t find something nice to say about him. “You know why he’s made us come all this way, don’t you?” Vimes said through gritted teeth. Carrot thought a moment. “Maybe he already has the cargo waiting for us?” He said at last. Vimes hesitated. “Well… maybe.” He conceded. “But odds are, he just wants to wind me up.” Then Vimes squeezed in as much sarcasm into his words as humanly possible. “You know he likes that.”
“Afternoon, sheriff.” Badger said jovially as Vimes, Carrot and Detritus were led into his office. Vimes rolled his eyes. “Now Badger, you know I’ve never been a sheriff.” He said with treacle sweetness. Badger snapped his fingers and nodded. “Right, you were an inspector. ‘Course when we met, you was a sergeant. Am I right?” Vimes shrugged. It was always the same old routine. Badger loved bringing up the old days in Dyton when he’d been just another petty crook and Vimes had been a proper copper. Badger smiled as nostalgia appeared to overtake him. “Those were the days, eh sheriff? Oh sorry, Inspector.” Vimes tried to stifle a sigh. Eventually, the little tit would be done and actually get down to business. Vimes had long since given up trying to rush him. He wondered what tangent Badger would go on today.
Would it be the ‘how the mighty have fallen’, ‘I’ve got all the aces now’ or… “I really should thank you.” Badger was saying. “I’d have strayed no end if you hadn’t put my feet on the proper path.” He smiled widely but there was always that edge. Vimes had seen that little edge in Badger even in the old days. They were both from Dyton and once upon a time, Vimes had arrested Badger. Vimes couldn’t even remember for what but Badger spent some time in lock down and then went back to his old tricks. He’s a petty thief, Vimes knew. Always has been, always will be. Maybe the loot was different but Vimes doubted it. But Badger just loved to gloat. Vimes knew that he only ever gave him jobs because it gave him a chance to gloat.
Take a long look at me, he seemed to say. Then take a long look at you. Badger was a crook and he’d made something of himself by being a crook. His descendants would eventually be a legitimate part of the upper crust. Badger was a petty thief, a crook and one day some lord would boast that Badger was his great-great-great grandfather and brag about how the Badger family fortune was built. While Vimes’ descendants, if Vimes ever had descendants, wouldn’t remember him. Even if Vimes had still been a copper, his great-great-great grandchildren wouldn’t know his name. Vimes would never had left a big legacy by being a copper and while maybe he could climb up to the top of the petty crook heap and be a pillar of the community, Vimes knew he didn’t have it in him to be a true crook. He was just trying to get by and Badger knew that.
Sybil pushed the rented hover trolley that held the large safe. She dragged her upright rolling suitcase behind her and had slung her duffel bag over her shoulder. She stopped and pulled the duffel bag strap up. She just wished it would stop sliding down every other minute. “Good afternoon, madam.” Sybil turned in the direction of the voice. It came from a well dressed gentleman sitting in a folding chair in front of a ship. There was a little cardboard sign beside him that said “
A dragonfly, could that be some sort of sign? Sybil wondered. When she was little, she’d been quite keen on anything dragon related.* “What an interesting name. Why is it called the Watch?” Vetinari shrugged. “You’d have to ask the captain that. But I can assure that the little wheels spin and the big wheels turn and the machine works.” Vetinari got up. “Do you require assistance with your luggage, madam?” Sybil blinked and smiled. “What makes you so sure I’ll be going with you? I haven’t even told you where I’m going.” Vetinari nodded. “That is very true, madam. But you see, you hesitated. You showed some interest and any salesman knows how to pounce on that. Now I could go into some long winded dialogue about why the Watch should be your choice because it is very obvious that you don’t have any particular destination in mind. And any counter argument you brought up would be insufficient. So shall we save us both breath and time and just agree that you’ll be coming with us? My name is Havelock Vetinari, by the way.”
Sybil chuckled a little and nodded. “Sybil Ramkin… Yes, let’s.” Vetinari smiled a very brief smile and took Sybil’s duffel bag. He lifted it up and was about to set it on top of the safe when Sybil took back the bag as quickly as she dared. “It’s quite all right. I’ve got it.” Vetinari blinked and shrugged. Sybil followed him into the ship. “I’m afraid that there won’t be enough room in your state room for your safe.” Vetinari said. Sybil tried not to look too anxious about that. Of course there wouldn’t be room. State rooms were always rather cramped. A safe that was four cubic feet was never going to fit. She nodded. “Yes, of course. I understand.” She said at last. Vetinari looked at her for a long time and then as if nothing had happened said, “Let me show you to your room.”
Sybil followed Vetinari to the end of the cargo area passing a skiff along the way. He opened a little door that led into an open space with a spiral staircase on the right side and a narrow hallway ahead and slightly to the left. The first door on the right was open and Sybil saw a young woman with short black hair open a cello case and inspect the instrument inside. She looked up and nodded at Sybil. “A fellow passenger, Miss Sally Von Humperding.” They passed another door. This one was closed. Vetinari slid the door open and bowed. “This will be your room. We won’t be leaving for at least two more hours. That should give you time enough to get settled. The galley is at the top of that staircase down the hall.” Sybil nodded and then Vetinari left with a little bow.
Sybil sat down on the narrow bed. Both her suitcases were leaning against the wall. She had to wait at least two more hours before she was away from this place. What would
To the right of the stairs there was another door from which another woman entered. No, she was not just a mere woman. The ‘Verse really was full of surprises. She hadn’t expected that a ship like this would be home to a Companion. The woman gave Sybil a radiant smile. “You’ll be one of our passengers.” She walked gracefully to Sybil and offered her hand. “I’m Rosemary Palm. Most people call me Rosie.” Sybil took Rosie’s hand and shook it. “Sybil Ramkin. It’s a pleasure.” When they let go, Rosie said, “Sybil Ramkin? As in… Ramkin Real Estate Development? As in the Lady Sybil Free Hospital?” Sybil nodded and tried not to feel embarrassed. “Er… yes.” For once in possibly Rosie’s entire life, she looked surprised. The Ramkins were one of the richest families in the Core. They owned a fleet of private ships.
Why would she travel on a ship like this? Rosie almost started to wonder why she would want to go to
Sybil thought about the only crew member she’d met so far. He seemed to act his age. Rosie could see what Sybil was thinking and she chuckled. “Just wait. Ultimately every man is a boy.” They sipped their tea in silence for awhile. Eventually Sybil said, “Am I correct in assuming Mr. Vetinari is the ship’s engineer?” Rosie nodded. “Exactly. But considering the class of ship, I think ‘mechanic’ would be a more appropriate title.” Sybil smiled. Yes, she could understand that.
Sam Vimes. Now there was a name out of history. Sybil hadn’t heard that name in months. No wait, it must have been at least two years now. No wait… it was six. Funny how quickly time passes. He’d been a patient at that makeshift hospital she’d volunteered at during the war. When she first started working there, she’d always made it a point to remember a few details about every patient she looked after but well, it was a war and there were always so many and the more she learned about the soldiers, the more she realized that people are the same everywhere. They all talked about ‘back home’ and they all had someone ‘back home’. Either a parent, a child, a friend, a lover or a spouse. Except Sam. Sam didn’t have anyone ‘back home’. He would have been someone ‘back home’ to someone else except that he refused to stay ‘back home’ and worry helplessly. He’d followed his friends into war, rounded them up and made wherever he was ‘back home’ for them. Sam Vimes was impossible to forget.
But that wasn’t the Reason that Sybil couldn’t forget Sam Vimes. The real Reason… It was the same old story. The one about the wounded soldier and the kind hearted nurse. She wished that it could be something grander than that but it wasn’t. She’d taken care of him when he was hurt and he made her feel beautiful. He acted like her presence was the only bright spot of his day and while they were together, she could believe it. And the night before he was released from the hospital, they’d made love and Sybil accepted that she’d probably never quite get over him. “I think I might have met him. Vimes isn’t a very common last name.” Sybil could feel Rosie’s eyes watching her. She fancied that maybe Companions really could read or hear people’s thoughts. Maybe they really could look into a person’s head and see all their secrets, even the ones they kept from themselves.
She looked at Rosie. She probably wouldn’t say anything until Sybil said something first. Companions always take their cues from their clients. “We might not be talking about the same person.” Sybil said. “Perhaps.” Rosie said noncommittally. “Sam isn’t exactly a unique name and just because I’ve never met anyone else with the last name Vimes that doesn’t mean they aren’t out there.” Sybil insisted. “Of course.” Rosie said in that same noncommittal voice. Sybil sighed. “My Sam… that is, the Sam I’m talking about, was a Sergeant for the Independents. I met him while I was volunteering with the Red Cross. He’d driven over a landmine. Broke a lot of bones and got a slash over his—”
“Right eye?” Rosie finished. Sod. Sybil nodded. What a funny little ‘Verse we live in. Rosie patted Sybil’s hand sympathetically. “I know.” She gave Sybil a crooked smile. “Do you suppose it’s a sign?” Sybil shrugged. “Maybe but I couldn’t guess what.” She paused and then said in a voice so morose that Rosie wondered if she’d picked it up from Vimes, “Probably someone up there thought it would be funny.” Rosie nodded. She really did wonder if all the things that happened around her were just random or if maybe someone thought it would be entertaining. Only the clink of spoons on porcelain broke up the heavy silence. Rosie watched Sybil. She looked very thoughtful but not particularly upset. There were moments, very brief and probably imperceptible to anyone but a Companion or a psychic, when Sybil actually looked relieved. “How does he—” Sybil began.
“He looks good.” Rosie replied. She grinned and then said, “He hasn’t been seeing anyone either.” Sybil was silent a moment and then she started to laugh. When she pulled herself together she said as haughtily as possible. “Is that right?” She said trying to sound not remotely interested. Rosie’s smile broadened. “Yes. And he’s been really tetchy lately. I think seeing an old friend would cheer him up no end.” Sybil felt herself go a little red and she was trying not to grin. Rosie stood up. “You know, we have some time before the lads get back. When don’t you come to my shuttle and you can freshen up.” Sybil was really trying not to laugh or… gods forbid, giggle. “This must be a more refined ship than I first thought if there’s a Companion on board. I assume that you dress for dinner?” Sybil and Rosie’s eyes met. Then they smirked. The game was afoot. It was a game that was played quite often on the Watch. It was called ‘let’s wind Vimesy up’.
* Most little girls have unicorn collections. Sybil had dragon collections.