“This baby runs on a classical samoharo three core engine configuration,” Sid started to explain. “Providing it with enough power to reach the upper atmosphere. With the right improvements, it could even reach the Round Moon!”
“It’s also capable of vertical lift and has inertial dampeners for those with sensitive stomachs,” Alex added.
“Like you,” Sid interrupted. “And the cannons have enough power to cut through thick rock and even military grade shielding.”
“Mining ship? What kind of mining operation do they have on the Hegemony?” Harland asked, amazed at the sheer magnitude of the ship. “This thing is like a Montoc Dragon. How did you manage to get it built without no one noticing?”
“Who said it was for mining on the planet? And regarding your other question, that’s a secret,” Sid replied with a grin, or the closest thing a samoharo face allowed, which was him baring his teeth that looked more like the teeth rows of a shark. “So where do you want to go in such a hurry? Warptrains are not fast enough for you?”
“We need to reach Ravenstone as soon as possible. It’s an emergency,” Fionn explained.
“That place is in the Maze, right? What kind of emergency would make you go there in a hurry?” Sid asked, leaning against his ship.
Fionn showed Sid the damaged circlet. At first, the samoharo examined it in confusion, but then his eyes opened with realization, and he stared at Alex.
“This thing looks like…” Sid started to say.
“The portal we saw ten years ago,” Alex finished. “Someone is planning to do something worse than that and they need the notes from Leo Hunt’s research, who, by the way, is missing.”
“We don’t expect you to help us for free. We can pay you. And by we, I meant the Foundation and by payment, I meant more than just burgers. Upfront, if needed,” Fionn added.
“Ahem,” Harland cleared his throat and dragged Fionn away. “I need a word with you.”
Fionn had to bend forward to be able to listen to the whispers of his friend.
“You can’t offer that.” Harland was angry.
“Why not? This is to help find one of the researchers you are sponsoring,” Fionn replied, confused.
“Because the Foundation is broke,” Harland explained, raising his voice. “We were hoping that Hunt’s research turned up something that would help us cover the recent losses before he went insane and got kidnapped.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that? I could have helped. Please tell me you didn’t gamble the Foundation away,” Fionn replied.
“Of course not, you moron. I haven’t gambled since you helped me go clean,” Harland replied, smacking Fionn in the head. “It was a couple of rough years, that’s all. Let me handle the negotiations, alright? Before you promise to give away my house, too.”
Harland walked towards Sid with decisive steps, whistling a tune, confident of being able to deal with a samoharo. Fionn shrugged his shoulders at Alex and Gaby.
“Mister Sid, can I call you that? Do the samoharo have last names? Anyways, the payment will have to wait,” Harland explained, embarrassed, while Sid looked at the man. “But I’m sure we can arrange some sort of payment later.”
“I’m not sure I wanna risk my ship for promises,” Sid replied.
“Think of it, not as a risk, but a test drive. Do it as a favor for me,” Gaby walked towards Sid, embracing him, while he had his arms crossed, looking away. She kissed him on the cheek.
“I hate it when you do that, kiddo,” Sid told Gaby, freeing himself from the embrace. “Navigating the Maze is a challenge but it is possible, since you are looking at the best pilot in all of Theia. I just need to install something on the ship.”
“That’s why I love you. What are you going to install?” Gaby asked.
“A prototype of a semi-empathic Artificial Intelligence that a friend of Alex’s developed. I’ll need it to calculate the different vectors once we enter the Maze.”
“AI? I thought no one had developed a trusty AI,” Harland said. “They either go insane or can only do specific actions. The Foundation almost went broke funding a research project on AI that ended badly.”
Fionn could hear the bitterness in Harland’s voice. That a kid in a garage somewhere in the world managed to do what Harland’s researchers haven’t been able to do didn’t sit well with the man.
“Wello, this one here is a semi-empathic, quantum neural pathway, baby!” Sid exclaimed in a way that sounded like it was the most logical thing. “Which means that it reacts similarly to a human mind but is able to handle massive amounts of data in real time without burning out, provided that you allow it to rest from time to time. That said, it is not entirely sentient nor independent, which is why it can’t run amok. We still don’t know how he created it, but it works.”
“Why do you need its help? Didn’t you just claim to be the best pilot on Theia?” Harland asked, lifting an eyebrow.
“Being the best pilot doesn’t mean being a reckless yahoo. I like to play it safe. The Maze is full of space-time oddities that confuse senses and sensors alike,” Sid explained, simulating with his hands the flight of a ship crashing into a wall and then falling in flames. “Why do you think the freefolk built their school there? Because it’s the only place where they can practice their arts without blowing up the planet! The AI might improve our chances of getting there on time.”
“I will help you,” Alex offered. The two of them entered through the cargo bay into the ship.
“At least he didn’t nick that AI from a lab.” Gaby sighed.
† † †
A few minutes later Alex and Sid came out of the ship, looking miffed.
“I don’t know what’s going on with that thing,” Alex said to Sid while descending from the cargo bay ramp. “Who would have thought that AI had egos?”
“Duh, it’s a semi-empathic, quantum neural pathway brain emulator designed by hoomans. Of course, it has an ego,” Sid replied, annoyed.
“Problems, gentlemen?” Gaby asked, suppressing a laugh. It was like watching a stand-up comedy routine.
“Nothing that can’t be fixed later or prevent us from our trip. Now if you are ready to board, follow me,” Sid declared, doing a curtsey.
Gaby led the way, followed by Fionn and Harland. The cargo bay was packed with dozens of crates all tied down with straps and security nets, designed to safely hold fragile cargo. Several large coils of super strength tensile cables, similar to those used by harpoons, were also stored in the bay. Despite the cargo, there was enough space for them to walk around. Coming off the cargo bay was a padded corridor, looking more like a cave tunnel than a straight hallway. Along the corridor, different signs could be seen, both in core language and samoharo, pointing to places such as ‘kitchen,’ ‘living quarters,’ ‘gunnery station,’ ‘wayfinding,’ and ‘lab.’ Above a small stair, Sid opened a door, allowing entrance to the cockpit. The thickness of the door surprised Fionn, as it was more akin to that of a military grade shield.
The cockpit was spacious, located in the front of the ship to allow for a clear view.
“Looks impressive doesn’t it?” Sid said.
“How safe is it to have such a wide glass?” Harland asked.
“Quite. It’s actually reinforced glassteel screen view mirror, with sliding metal planes to offer an extra layer of protection in case there is a breach. Similar to those of a warptrain, or one of those ancient dreadnoughts. Except that it can work as a display, too. Technology marches on,” Sid replied, beaming with pride and a grin that showcased his sharp teeth.
The cockpit had two main chairs, for the captain and the copilot, with four additional chairs lined up behind. One of the second row chairs sat in front of a computer station, a hand written sign above it read “COMM.” The chair on the other end of the row sat in front of a similar station, but the sign abo
ve it was faded and Fionn couldn’t read it. Sid jumped into the captain’s chair, the one on the center left from the point of view of the door.
“Strap yourselves in, this will get bumpy,” Sid announced with a wide grin, while everybody in the cockpit fastened their seatbelts. Alex, Gaby, and Fionn took the back seats, behind Sid, while Harland had to take the copilot’s seat. The Figaro’s engines roared, and after a gentle push of the yoke, it started to fly towards the end of the large industrial warehouse. However, the warehouse doors remained closed. The Figaro was approaching them at increasing speed with no sign of slowing down.
“The door is not open. The door is not open!” Harland started to yell, panicking.
“I would be more worried if this thing falls,” Fionn said. He was actually enjoying the ride. He wondered if this was how it would have felt to be a Silver Rider during the apogee of the Montoc Dragons and the heroes of yore.
“Relax,” Sid said with a dismissive gesture. He pushed a button on the control console and the warehouse doors opened slowly. The Figaro reached the end and crossed the threshold, barely missing the doors by centimeters. Outside, the Figaro followed a metal track that spanned five hundred meters and ended in a curved ramp pointing upwards. The ship used that ramp to clear the surrounding trees and shoot into the sky, the acceleration pushing everybody against their seats. While the rest were feeling a bit dizzy from the push and the speed, Sid acted as if nothing was happening. Fionn wondered if samoharo bodies had evolved to withstand these kinds of exertion. The wings opened fully, expanding. The ion thrusters roared, unleashing their fury to increase the speed.
“Woohoo!” Sid yelled while the Figaro reached cruising altitude. Once there, Sid stabilized the ship and the trip became more comfortable for all the occupants, except for Alex, who was breathing into a paper bag. “Alex, please don’t throw up again.”
“I don’t feel well,” Alex mumbled.
While the ship flew at cruising speed, through the screen window Fionn could see tiny houses, roads and warptrain tracks with their light trails. Clouds above them created a maze of light with the sun rays coming through.
“This… this is amazing. The closest thing there is to flying on a dragon,” Harland exclaimed, looking through the windows as well.
“Flying is one of the most exciting experiences in life. Hoomans should do it more, if only they wanted to invest in better technology for their ships’ shielding instead of those crappy warptrains. Reaching the stars again is a dream,” Sid declared proudly, almost wistfully.
“What are you talking about?” Harland asked the samoharo.
“My people came from the stars and have forgotten that, but not me. I didn’t build the Figaro to merely fly below the ionosphere,” Sid said, proudly. “I plan to make it the first ship on Theia to reach outer space. Then the Moons, both of them, then the stars.” Sid explained, pointing to the skies.
“Lofty dreams. Expensive dreams, based on belief,” Harland scoffed.
“Sometimes belief is all you need,” Gaby replied.
“I have a long lifespan,” Sid countered with a dreamy look in his eyes. “I have nothing but time to prove legends right. And if this flight helps me to test some of the new systems, then I will be a step closer.” He was still admiring the sky.
“Are you expecting enemy fire?” Fionn asked jokingly, pointing to the button labeled ‘Countermeasures.’
“It’s Theia. I have learned to expect everything, and you better than anyone should know that,” Sid replied teasingly. “Anyhow, we will be at the Maze in a couple of hours. Now if you don’t mind, I like to listen to the news while I fly.”
Sid turned on the radio, catching the middle of the transmission, the voice of a female newscaster with a posh accent.
“Breaking news, a seventh freefolk settlement, north of Manfeld, has been hit by tragedy. Hundreds are dead after the massive explosion. No groups have taken responsibility for the blast, but anonymous sources within the government have stated this is the work of the New Leadership Party. The NLP has been under increasing pressure from the continental congress for its racist rhetoric. A spokesperson for the NLP has said that, ‘all these deadly incidents are the direct result of unsupervised use of magick by the freefolk freaks as they did during the Great War…’”
“That’s a lie.” Fionn punched a panel in anger, leaving a dent in it. While he had a mixed history with the freefolk, at least from his point of view, they were still part of his heritage. His father had been human, his mother freefolk. Although he had never felt at home with either side, he still cared deeply for both, even if most people thought of him as only human. “Sorry. It’s a sensitive topic. I hate that the freefolk get blamed unjustly. The same thing happened during the Great War when they were being used as slaves and weapons against their will. And people often forget that I have freefolk blood too!”
The radio broadcast continued, breaking the uncomfortable silence that Fionn’s unexpected outburst had created.
“The NLP leadership headed by Lord Adhemar and Madam Park, contested the accusations of racism by saying that rounding up the freefolk in special camps to be supervised was just a sensible measure to protect humans from potentially dangerous experiments. Both the Royal House and the Kuni Empire ambassador have declined to make any declaration.…”
“I think I better put on some music before he punches up all my ship. Suggestions?” Sid asked nervously.
“I have some tracks on my datapad,” Harland offered, quickly plugging it into the control console.
Chapter 8
Ravenstone
“This is your captain speaking: We have arrived at the Maze. The weather is warm, and a beautiful sunset welcomes us. Please adjust your seatbelts as the ride will get bumpy,” Sid said through the audio system of the Figaro.
Fionn took a look through the window, seeing the enormous canyon that formed part of the World’s Scar. Unlike most of those with freefolk ancestry or blood, he had barely been in the Maze, one of their sacred places. It wasn’t a place he had frequented as much as he should have, even though his mother and grandfather had insisted. The Maze was a holy place for the freefolk, where the different tribes went on pilgrimages with the hope of communing with the Trickster Goddess, the Red and Black Raven. She was one of the Twelve Ancient Gods of Theia, mother of two of the Mortal Gods of Theia and one of the few with actual proof of her existence. She was revered as the patron god of mothers, heroes, magi, and freefolk. And she was known for her peculiar humor, which informed how she taught lessons and helped people in a way they didn’t expect.
The Maze was just a small part of the World’s Scar, a trench that ran across the lands – and perhaps under the oceans – of the Northern hemisphere, extending from the Yumenomori lands of the western corners of Auris to the eastern limits of the Grasslands beyond Ionis. The legends said that the World’s Scar was created when the Trickster Goddess decided to intervene and stop a war, using her full power, almost cracking the planet. The Maze, located in the northeast section of the World’s Scar, was where she entered the mortal realm from Last Heaven and where her fabled library, the Ravenhall, might appear to the worthy.
As such, the Maze was one of the weirdest places in Theia. The region around it was surrounded by tightly packed, dense forests and limestone formations, reminiscent of ancient temples built by someone whose sense of dimensions differed from the standard geometrical canons. These structures stood as sentinels, watching over the travelers that crossed it. Whispering Fireflies were a common feature of the forests, their rhythmic chirping conferring on the place an eerily peaceful ambiance to the densely packed red cedar and pine forests surrounding it.
But the most significant characteristic of this ancestral place was the odd way time acted inside it. Some travelers said that crossing the Maze took them several days, while others declared that they were gone for only a fe
w minutes. An unlucky few never got out. Most people from the nearby towns avoided crossing it unless it was needed, forcing most of the trade and travel warptrain routes into longer detours to Portis or Mainfeld and then traveling to the settlements near the Maze on paved roads to find a guide to take them to the northern side, towards the freefolk populated Mistlands. Only some freefolk tribes and powerful wizards dared to live within it.
These anomalies made the Maze the perfect location for a place like Ravenstone. A private school for magi, the practitioners of the magickal crafts. As Sid had pointed out, the space-time oddities of the Maze created the perfect place to practice spells in a safe environment. People knew about the school, but getting there without a natural affinity for magick or a guide was almost impossible.
But with one of the few flying ships in the world, and a guide that kind of recalled how to get there, reaching the school should be easier, provided that you could navigate the time-space oddities that the Maze threw at your vessel.
“I think I will fly over the Maze and then go down once we reach the school,” Sid said.
“To reach Ravenstone you need to go into the Maze. Otherwise you won’t find the place,” Fionn replied.
“Why? That’s bonkers!” Sid exclaimed.
“Consider this: you have young students there, future generations of freefolk, which as a group, have been on the nasty end of aggressions for centuries. It’s logical that the school was built to be safe and unapproachable by conventional means or a guide. The spells that protect it keep it hidden from view. Bear in mind that when it was built, people rode dragons. Aerial attacks weren’t unheard off.”
“I’m not sure that makes one hundred percent sense,” Alex interjected.
“I hope you called beforehand to let them know we are on our way,” Sid muttered. “I would hate to be shot down by a trigger happy spellcaster.”
The Withered King Page 10