The Pact (Nivan, Birdy)

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Conrad dipped his head in a ponderous nod. "Fascinating," He murmured to himself. "Perhaps if we are to travel out of the country, I will have you become as wholly human as you are able." There were ways to bypass metal-detectors and common airport security, but Conrad Joshka was the face of his father's corporation. The young future. He would not be able to maintain his social appearance by skulking from country to country, avoiding formal functions, and the security measures that went with them. No, eventually Ferrous was going to need to lose the metal.

"What about children? Could you mimic life well enough to conceive? Would the child be self-aware, a human? Or would it be born of you, and return to you as more of your self? Would it be a new self to mirror you, similar but separate?" The man was relentless in his questioning. If he was nearly as dogged in his political machinations as he was in this particular interrogation, it wouldn't be hard to see how he had come as far as he had.

"Come to think of it, what happens to you if your body is destroyed before our contract comes to fruition?"
 
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Ferrous pondered Master Joshka's question, trying to extrapolate off of what she knew from her former experiences filling the role of a lover for her various masters and mistresses. This young man certainly asked interesting questions, and no one in her past had ever requested child of her. Perhaps they had not believed it was possible. For a few moments silence filled the cab, before Ferrous spoke. "Forgive me master, but I can only speculate, as it is something that has not been attempted." She was silent again, her lips pressed together in a perfect expression of thought. "I do not believe I could create life independent of myself, even if I imitated a woman's body to the best of my ability. The cells would not be able to divide and grow by themselves, because they do not truly have any resources. I could cause it to happen as I cause this body to animate, but then it would simply be an extension of myself, another part of this body, subject to my will, if physically separate from the first. However, I have never attempted it. If I was careful and attentive to the needs of the embryo, I might be able to give it the things it needs to survive into a conscious being."

"Your second question is easier, master." Ferrous continued with a smile. "I do not believe there is any way this body could be destroyed, as every part of it would have to be split beyond my ability to control it. I doubt such a thing is possible. If it gets damaged in any way I can simply repair it." She paused for a moment, before smiling brightly. "If this body truly is completely and totally destroyed beyond my control, you are always free to summon me once more. There is no reason I would not come. If it would be reassuring, I could also give you a small bit of myself to keep with you, so that even if the rest of this is somehow completely destroyed, I could reform from that piece."
 
Equal parts curious and paranoid, the young master Joshka dipped his head. "Yes please, Ferrous. While I would undoubtedly summon you -in the extreme case that you were destroyed, and I somehow survived- I feel that time may at that point be of the essence. I would very much like to keep a piece of yourself with me at all times."

The young man leaned back in his seat, lacing his fingers over his stomach, as one leg crossed the other at the knee. "If you were able to create and sustain a child to a point at which it could survive on it's own, that... That would bring up some very interesting questions." He fell silent again, for nearly a full three minutes, as they drove.

"But some questions," He went on, as if he hadn't paused. "Are not for me to answer. While speculations on life itself, and the human soul are interesting, it is not my passion to unravel the mysteries of the universe. I do not expect you to bear me a child. As interesting as that would be. On to the matter of perception; How far do your senses range? Can you interface with human minds? Read intent? Emotions? Thoughts?"
 
Ferrous nodded her head promptly, before rolling up the skin on her finger rather like a sleeve. A single strand of intricately carved metal slipped out from among the other metal, looking like nothing so much as a very fine men's necklace. The thing coiled and looped briefly, before another end slipped out. The two ends coiled together in midair, spinning slightly, before forming into a heavy clasp. When the necklace was complete it fell into Ferrous' hand, from which she promptly passed it over to Master Joshka. "I hope this is suitable. It seemed the most subtle and most comfortable way to keep it with you, although if you have another idea I'm happy to redo it."

She sat comfortably in silence, waiting patiently for Master Joshka to speak once more. She nodded politely to his comment that he would not have her bear a child, somehow not surprised by that fact. By context, she was forced to assume that by range he did not mean a physical distance, but rather her ability to detect different things. "I fear those things are beyond me, master, as they are not actual physical impressions in a person's mind. If a person were to think of something, and I knew what they were thinking of, I could break the connection within their brain to keep that memory from ever surfacing again, but I have no way of knowing what that memory is, and could break something important.

"It is very similar to the fact that I cannot puppet another person's body through electrical signals. Once again, it is not of the earth."
 
Conrad accepted the necklace, and loosed the clasp only to fasten it again around the back of his neck. He tucked the piece of his servant into the collar of his shirt, and folded his hands once again over his middle. "I see. This will suffice. Thank you, Ferrous." He studied her contemplatively. Purely the physical. Matter of the earth. "It seems unlikely now, but I may have need of your ability to break a man of his mind. I shall consider conducting experiments on this ability, if you are so willing."

He waved the subject away with an idle flapping of one pale hand. "What of your physical senses? How are you, comparable to humans?"
 
"Of course, master." Ferrous agreed easily. She obviously had no moral dilemmas about mutilating or killing a man.

"Once again, it is a bit different. I do not truly sense from this body. I am bound within it, but perceive from everything around it. I do not have a mind that needs to interpret from senses. I can perceive all that is within the range of my influence while I am bound to that body, although there is the same delay as there would be for me to send things out. That is basically instantaneous within a few feet of me, but can take up to a minute when I am reaching the edges of my range.

"In some ways this makes me better, because I can know a lot more. It is also inaccurate in ways, because I cannot perceive things at a distance accurately. It might even be possible for something moving fast enough to escape my notice, at least until it gets very close."

Ferrous was silent again, trying to come up with a way around this. "I do not know if I can come up with a way to interpret light and sound, because they are not of the earth, but I can work on it, if you wish it master."
 
"While there is no need for you to re-invent the wheel, you may find it beneficial to be able to discern light patterns. You can obviously process sound-waves after a fashion, although I assume that has less to do with your ears than it does your proximity to the vibrations and echoes of the world around you. There are patterns to search for in assailants." He paused, gathering his thoughts.

"Men carrying firearms may be armed with metal. Every firearm will carry some sort of combustible. If you are alert for these particular cues, you may find hidden assailants. My wheel man, Hadram carries a small revolver in a holster under his left arm. It is loaded with six bullets. It is made of steel and bone. Can you sense it? Can you sense the combustibles within the bullets?"
 
"I shall work on that, Master, although it may take some time. It is not something I have worried about in the past because I can still get an impression of color," Ferrous said. All the same, she would do her best to find an answer. It might even prove valuable in the future. She had never "seen" things before, not in the way that most life did. It might be an interesting experience.

"I can sense it," Ferrous agreed, uncertain as to her master's insistent questioning. "It is well within my range." Briefly she wondered if it was necessary for her to clarify what exactly she meant when she said she could perceive all, but she decided that Conrad likely understood, but was using this as a way to confirm what she said, or refine how precise she could be. "I also know enough about guns that I could easily disable it without it being noticed."
 
Conrad nodded, and let his eyes slide closed. "You can sense the individual pieces of a firearm. You're familiar enough with the weapons to make them inert. That can certainly be invaluable, but only to a certain extent. I cannot rely on you as a bodyguard from all assault. This is good. I would grow weak, and lazy under your protection. Instead, I must continue to think. Continue to thrive, survive, and anticipate."

The vehicle rolled to a stop, and after a moment, the door opened to display the view of a grand mansion, some ways from the heart of the city. Not the corporate headquarters, then. Joshka sighed, and supposed he should have known that Havard would bring him here for rest, rather than the office. "Thank you, Havard. See to it that you rest as well. I will be leaving early come the morning."

The old driver nodded, and waited for the brief dip of Conrad's head to get back in the vehicle, and drive off.

Joshka and his new servant were left relatively alone, in front of the grand manor. "I want you to tell me when Havard's firearm is out of your range of manipulation, and sensation." He said, to the woman.
 
This was one of those points where Ferrous' method of sensing the world came to a disadvantage. She knew that it was very important to Master Joshka that she get the right distance and time, but with Havard moving away from them, it meant that he could very probably be further away than her range when she finally told him it was gone, because of the standard delay in her perception. It was like trying to figure out when a celestial body moving away from earth went outside the range of the hubble telescope. On top of that, there was the matter that it would take her signals time to reach the gun and truly have an effect, and during that time Havard could move out of her range.

Then again, Ferrous knew her ability. She already knew approximately the point where the gun would go beyond her range, and did not truly need to wait for it to reach that distance. She also understood how quickly the delay in her senses grew. So, a good forty five seconds before she truly lost track of the weapon, Ferrous said softly, "I could no longer manipulate the firearm."
 
Conrad nodded his head ponderously, as he approached the manor. It was a grand thing, though only two stories tall. Pillars at the front of the house held up a roofed balcony to overlook the courtyard, overshadowing the primary entrance to the house. The doors at the entrance were doubled, and made of rich, dark wood. The brass handles were polished to a shine. Conrad opened one, and allowed himself inside, leaving the door ajar for Ferrous to shut behind her as she entered.

There were more servants inside that greeted Conrad, and he met each of them with a bare nod in return. "You will be staying in my chambers, and looking over me as I sleep. I am at my most vulnerable then. You will be my last line of defense." He ascended a wide staircase, that split off midway up to two smaller cases, leading to separate wings of the house. "What of force. Can you alter, or redirect something's kinetic energy?"
 
Master Joshka's house was reminiscent in many ways of the old mansion Ferrous had seen on her previous summons to earth, back before everything had become made of steel and glass. The place even smelled old, which, considering the fact that there was not a trace of rot, mold, or decay anywhere in the place, was quite an accomplishment. Although she did not show it, the place was a comfort to Ferrous, who was still not quite used to the modern world. She would never let her uneasiness affect her actions, but the trace of something old was just the stabilizing force she needed.

The door swung closed behind her, the heavy door moving easily on well-polished hinges to click closed nearly silently. Ferrous kept herself a half pace behind Master Joshka, and ideal place to both be close enough to hear anything he had to say without appearing to crowd or push him. "As you wish, Master Joshka," was her reply to instructions on her nightly posting.

"I can alter motion easily," Ferrous agreed, having grown used to Conrad's questions, even if she thought the answer was obvious. "It is what I am doing right now for this body. As far as I am aware, there is nothing of this earth that can move fast enough that I cannot stop it once it enters within about five feet of my body. Likewise, I do not believe there is anything I could not move, or have change its shape."
 
Conrad took to the east wing, ascending the second set of stairs. entered through the first door they came across, which lead to a hallway, one richly carpeted and lined with vases, and ancient wall-hangings, pictures, and tapestries. He chose another set of big, wooden double doors, and pushed his way in to an opulent bedroom, complete with a four-poster bed.

"Would you be able to stop, or alter a bullet from it's trajectory? A volley of them?" He said, shrugging out of his coat, and moving to a nightstand. Hands fished in pockets, and he emptied his valuables from within. A small silver locket, his billfold, his wallet, a pocket-watch, of all things, and a small knife. Not an offensive weapon, but a utility.

He then moved to a hamper, into which he deposited his coat. His blouse was next unbuttoned, and added to the container. Shoes came off, and were tucked under an armoire at the foot of the bed, and socks were thrown into the dirty clothes as well. Joshka's skin was pale, though he had a star-shaped pucker beneath his left shoulderblade. An old scar.

Trousers fell, leaving the man in his undershorts, as he walked to the window, unfastening the latch, and levering it up to let in some of the cool night air, before moving back to the bed. He stripped back the comforter -far too heavy for spring sleeping- and folded it at the foot of his bed, before crawling beneath the sheets, and rolling to face his newest servant. "I expect to have more questions for you come morning, but tomorrow, we will begin our work. Taking over the world."
 
"I would," Ferrous agreed, following behind Master Joshka as he slowly moved through the house. "So long as it was close enough to me that there was no delay between my perception and reality. As I said, it is about five feet from any part of this body." As her master began to undress she averted her eyes slightly, staring at a point five feet to the left of him. It was not that she was uncomfortable with him undressing before her, the clothes made little difference to her perception of him, but it was a habit she had picked up when serving previous masters. Humans were not normally particularly comfortable with revealing their own skin, and did not appreciate the eyes of their servants roaming exposed flesh unless expressly invited.

"As you have a part of it on your person, that is also included. You have no need to worry for gunfire or poison, master. I shall assume you would prefer me to be as subtle as possible, should it ever prove necessary, unless otherwise corrected." As Conrad entered his bed, Ferrous moved over to the switch by the door, turning off the light.

"Good night, Master Joshka."

By morning the clothes in the hamper would be hung, completely clean although they had not been laundered. A new set of clothes, nearly identical to the first, would be neatly resting on a chair by the dresser. Ferrous, for her part, would be standing calmly, just out of view of someone looking in from the window or door, but still visible to Conrad, as long as he was facing the correct direction when he awoke.
 
Conrad -feeling the fatigue of the day upon him- let his eyes slide closed. There was some comfort in knowing that Ferrous would shield him from gunfire, and poison. She was rapidly convincing him that she had been a worthwhile time investment. Though when he'd started thinking of the spirit as a 'she' troubled him slightly. He couldn't grasp the creature's nature just yet. Or the more complex motives belonging to her.

"Good night, Ferrous." He murmured.

And he slept. He dreamed dreams of metal bodies, of magical servants, and of armies marching to war.

When he woke, it was with a start, sweat-drenched, and panting. The metal necklace was still cinched 'round his neck, and he sat upright in bed, his eyes seeking out his servant. There she was, illuminated by the early rays of the morning sun. Conrad's breathing evened out, and he threw back his covers. He wiped his hands over his face, and swung his legs out over the bed. "Good morning, Ferrous." He said, his voice still thick with sleep.

"I take it you have seen war. Battle. Bloodshed."
 
"Yes, Master Joshka," Ferrous replied, and left it at that. Of all the things about people that changed, war was surprisingly constant. The only thing that changed was how many people other people could kill with a singe weapon. She knew of nukes, and of the devastation they caused. And unless one of them fell right on top of her, she wasn't certain that she'd be able to stop it. That was another matter she would have to put her mind to.

As Conrad stood, Ferrous moved over to the dresser and silently helped him don his clothes. She was everything that any rich person could wish in a servant, silent, attentive, and anticipatory. Of course, most would not be so understanding or eager if they knew the truth of her. A part of her was still astonished that Conrad was taking all this so calmly. When he had gone into the jungle less than twelve hours ago, he certainly hadn't expected his ritual to work. Yet here he was, and here she was, and somehow Ferrous imagined that this was going to be a very standard morning for the Master. At least superficially.
 
It was a very rare thing that was able to shake Conrad for longer than a moment's time. Adapt and thrive. That was his creed. He gave the woman only a speculative glance as she helped him into his clothing for the day. He glanced to the window, the early morning sunlight playing across the ground outside, sparkling off the dew.

"Today, it will be my duty to negotiate the terms of a takeover for my father." He said. "It is unlikely that anybody will make an attempt on my life in a relatively public place, but you are to remain close to me none the less. In part because although I know this-" He lifted a hand to touch on the necklace, "-protects me, it comforts me to have you nearby physically. But the biggest reason I want you there, is so that you can observe what goes on in that sort of meeting. How I act. Where I demand, and where I give. It may be that some day I will send you to one of these negotiations on my behalf, and I expect you to do so with skill and grace."

He paused. "How far away from this necklace can you still use it to manipulate matter? Would it be a distraction to make more than one?"
 
"As you wish, Master Joshka," Ferrous said, a soft smile touching her lips. She hadn't had any particular intention to let him go alone, unless of course he gave her an order directly to the contrary. She would be an attentive student, and, perhaps most importantly, would remember everything that transpired during this takeover.

"As it is a part of my body, it works just the same as this form. I can sense things in about a mile's range, and can manipulate in that range as well. However, I can also limit my perception through that part of myself, which is what I have been doing up until this point, to keep from getting a delayed picture of the same thing. As long as I limit the range to about five feet, or the range where I don't get any delay in perception, I could probably create several. If you want it to be usable as more than a fallback safety measure, though, I will have to divide my attention between my two different perceptions in order to properly understand what is going on around me. This is especially true were a greater distance to grow between the two."
 
Conrad nodded, thinking as he made to exit the room. "I see. You are a fascinating creature, Ferrous. My scientists would love to study you. I am afraid that they will not have the opportunity, however." Out into the hallway he strode once again, folding his hands behind his back as he moved. "For now, I have expended my questions. I will have more shortly, I am certain. If you have any questions yourself, I encourage you to ask them. I trust you with my life. I trust you with my ambition."

He stopped, and turned towards his servant. "If you betray me, it shall be complete." He held the creature's gaze, for a moment, though he knew that her perception didn't involve her eyes. He wondered however, what truth there was to the old adage that the eyes were the windows to the soul. He wondered about borrowed, fabricated eyes, and where they led.

He turned to resume walking. "So I am taking a gamble, and trusting that in this life, you are benign. Trustworthy to the absolute. That means that I will answer you to the best of my ability, so that you can better do your job."
 
Ferrous' answering smile was soft and surprisingly kind. "I wish there was some way I could fully reassure you that I have no aims to betray you, master," she said, her tone kind. "Perhaps it would reassure you to hear that Temujin, Alexander III of Macedon, Thutmose III, and Charlemagne number among my former masters?" A slightly mischievous grin crossed her face, and her tone adopted an aloof quality, almost reminiscent of Conrad himself when he was strategizing. But not quite. She didn't want him to think she was ridiculing him. "Then again, I could just as easily be lying about that as well, so I guess you shall have to believe whatever you will." She laughed, breaking the tension.

"There have been many people who ruled portions of the world, Master, of all different types. What type of ruler do you wish to be? Are you going to be a conqueror, or a savior? Are you going to expand your influence through war, or through power and diplomacy?"
 
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