Star Minds Next Generation

by Barbara G. Tarn

  ***

  Dadina stretched and yawned. Time to eat and get some sleep. She patted the repaired robot, sending it back to where it belonged, and rose from her chair. She exited her office and noticed only one room still had the lights on – Markandeya's.

  She approached it, wondering if he was busy with some interesting project. Even if Tyro was with him, they weren't expressing their mutual love in the Vaurabi Labs. They were very discreet and Dadina had never walked in on an awkward situation with them.

  She knocked and was let in, but she wasn't happy with what she found inside the office. Tyro and Markandeya were sitting with Shan-leo's ex, Izzy-lee. Dadina knew Izzy-lee had an artificial body, but it was the first time she'd seen her at the Vaurabi Labs since the accident. Someone must have told her the truth. Dadina hoped it wasn't Shan-leo. She'd never liked Izzy-lee, and the thought his ex could have visited him irritated her.

  "Hello, Dadina," Markandeya greeted her with a smile. "Izzy-lee has become aware of her status, and she was asking about her possibilities. What do you think of a mind upload on a starship mainframe?"

  "Are you kidding?" Dadina snapped, glaring at the green-eyed bitch, as she'd always called Izzy-lee. "You have an artificial body that allows you to feel and you want to lose it for what? Becoming a sentient starship? Don't be absurd!"

  "I'm not asking to be uploaded in the Haiduc's mainframe," Izzy-lee replied suavely. "I thought it would be useful to be able to travel on my own."

  "Then you'd probably need something that transforms," Tyro said. "Allowing you a sort of Humanoid body when you reach a planet, but that can morph into a more aerodynamic vehicle that can fly to the stars. I'm afraid we're not there yet, Izzy-lee. We can give you an enhanced body or turn you into a sentient starship, but not both."

  Izzy-lee nodded, pursing her lips.

  "I will think about it. Thank you for your time, Faka Sumirasko."

  She left, followed by Dadina's glare.

  "Why did you tell her about the Haiduc?" she asked the two scientists.

  "She's a Sire. She can still read our minds," Markandeya answered, amused.

  "I thought you had your mind shields on," Dadina grumbled.

  "I have them, but Markandeya never really needed them," Tyro replied. "He came here when the Vaurabi rule was over, and protecting your mind was less needed."

  "Mm. So, who told her she's an android?"

  "Some gynecologist she went to because she wanted her periods back. Shan-leo helped her accept her new status."

  "Oh." She was disappointed. Bitch. She sighed. "It's late, I guess I'm past dinner time, so I'll see you guys tomorrow!"

  Tyro and Markandeya wished her goodnight and they all left the Vaurabi Labs, locking them for the night. Dadina grabbed something from a food dispenser on her way to the upper floors, then went directly to Shan-leo's room. It wasn't so late that he'd be asleep, and she found him on his balcony, lost in thoughts.

  "Tell me you're not thinking of Izzy-lee," she said bluntly, sitting next to him under the starry sky. Shan-leo's room had a balcony with an amazing view even after sunset – unlike her much more spartan quarters. But that night she wasn't really in the mood for naming stars.

  "Actually, I am, but not in the way you think," he answered with a smile. "I'm comparing her to Bess-lin Meraini. I understand Uncle Kol-ian, but at the same time... I mean, if Izzy-lee hadn't lost her body and had managed to have my child, it would be like them, don't you think?"

  "You mean Bess-lin and Kol-ian?" Dadina asked, puzzled. She'd never seen the similarities. "You weren't betrothed to Izzy-lee!"

  "Because my father is not the Emperor," Shan-leo reminded her. "And Kol-ian broke the betrothal as soon as he could, especially when Bess-lin told him she wanted the Vaurabi blood in her womb. Which is what happened to me, I ended the relationship when Izzy-lee admitted she wanted me and my babies because I'm the last emperor's grandson."

  "Oh." Dadina pondered. "So why were you thinking about her now?"

  "Her, Bess-lin, and my little cousin Kay-low, actually," he answered. "Uncle Kol-ian said his son is an angry boy. I've been thinking I should meet him."

  "What, like, now? He's ten and you're a complete stranger to him!" she protested.

  "We're Sire, Dadina," he chided. "We can communicate with our minds."

  "So? You will break through the shields of a poor boy to tell him what? Hello, I'm your cousin, do you want to meet me?"

  Shan-leo chuckled.

  "I'll try the normal approach first," he said. "I'll visit Bess-lin and ask her if I can meet my cousin. And improvise from there."

  Dadina snorted and shook her head.

  "Fine," she muttered. "Let me know when you're ready to leave with the Haiduc. Good night."

  And she went back to her room to catch up on some sleep, still slightly upset at Shan-leo. Maybe she should use the opportunity of the Haiduc to leave Marc'harid – but to go where? Sylvania felt like a dull place even in her fondest memories...

  3. KAY-LOW MERAINI

  The aristocratic Sire families all had town apartments in luxurious buildings near the palace, as well as the mansions and other estates. Bess-lin wasn't at Mansion Meraini, since her son went to the Sire public school, so she was easy to find.

  Shan-leo rang her bell on a gloomy afternoon. The sky was heavy with rain clouds, so he assumed she'd be in with her son. Her apartment was in a condo complex with the most modern facilities, a big flat for wealthy people who needed a town pied-à-terre.

  He only vaguely remembered her, since he hadn't seen her in more than ten years. The redheaded woman who opened the door gave him a sense of déjà vu. Uncle Kol-ian himself hadn't changed much, and they were the same age.

  "Can I help you?" she asked, wary.

  "I'm Shan-leo Shermac and would like to meet my little cousin Kay-low," he said, spreading his artificial hand on his chest. He saw her glance at the prosthetic, startled by his words.

  "How kind of you to remember you have a cousin," she said, sarcastic. "Pity he doesn't want to meet you or his father or anyone from that side of the family!"

  "I understand we're total strangers to him, but I thought we could change that," he insisted gently. "It's not my fault if Uncle Kol-ian ignored him, and I admit I had forgotten about him, since he's never mentioned in my family."

  Bess-lin raised her eyebrows, skeptical.

  "So? It's too late, Shan-leo. Kay-low doesn't want to meet any of his Vaurabi relatives. When we bumped into Kol-ian at the mall, he made such a scene... I'm sorry, I'm only protecting my son."

  "From the other half of his family? I'm not his father, Bess-lin, I only want to talk to him..."

  "About what?" she snapped. "You two have nothing in common! The Sire aristocracy is falling apart. It all started at your grandfather's death, and Kay-low is growing up on a different planet from what we had! Please, leave us alone, Shan-leo, I don't like to be reminded of what I've lost – and my son agrees with me!"

  She closed the door in his face before he could object again.

  Haughty, icy Sire – much like his mother had been. More and more she reminded him of Izzy-lee, who had hoped to see him on his grandfather's throne when he got older. Well, now he was old enough, but had no intention of becoming emperor! Heck, he dreaded even ten years in the Council of Five!

  He snorted, frustrated, and went back to his room in the palace, wondering if only the Sire aristocracy were mourning the good old days of the Galactic Empire. He sat at the computer and started searching the meganet for news, opinions and weblogs, comparing them with what he already knew.

  He discovered there were Sire space pirates, hitmen trained by the Xi-kongian mob who worked throughout the galaxy, freedom fighters and other minor local squabbles as if the Star Nations – especially the Humanoid planets – couldn't really take care of themselves. Now that the war with the Reptilians was over, the tension was mounting among Humanoids for lack of a common threat.

  Dadina pinge
d him for dinner, so he got off the net and joined her in the shared living room.

  "How did the visit go?" Dadina asked as they sat together and ordered their food through the dispenser.

  "She didn't even let me in," he grumbled.

  "I told you." Dadina shrugged, averting her eyes.

  "It's the second time I heard someone wishing my grandfather was still alive," Shan-leo continued. "I mean, first Izzy-lee five years ago, now Bess-lin... I wonder if I'm the only one who's happy not being involved in politics with no privacy at all. But I spent my childhood in the limelight – maybe they wish it because they never had it?"

  "Probably," Dadina said, thoughtful. "Well, the Sire have always felt superior, and now that they're normal citizens of the Star Nations... why are you surprised they miss the old days? They governed the galaxy and now they're stuck on their planet – marvelous place, but still just a single planet."

  "They can easily afford to travel, especially people like Bess-lin." Shan-leo snorted. "They're not really stuck here like most Earthlings are on Gaia because they don't yet have the technology available to all like we do..."

  "Like I said, it's a matter of prestige, I think," Dadina replied. "So what will you do about Kay-low?"

  "I'm thinking of kidnapping him. When I was his age, I had already visited a few planets. He might like the adventure..."

  "Kidnap him?" Dadina asked, incredulous. "Now that's a way to scare him! He doesn't know you, Shan-leo, you're a stranger to him!"

  "And his mother won't let me near him, so if I want to spend some time with him, it's the only way."

  "Kidnapping? Come on, Shan-leo, get in touch with him online first and ask him! He's ten years old! Even if we bring Chibi to make him feel more comfortable, you can't just take him away from his mother!"

  Shan-leo sighed. "I was very happy to be kidnapped by Daniele and Gaurishankar," he muttered.

  "Of course, your father was with you," she reminded him.

  "My father was brainwashed at the time, I had to take care of him!"

  "Well, you had N'ell'onera! Does Kay-low have a bodyguard? A babysitter? Anyone you could take with him?"

  Shan-leo shrugged. "I don't know."

  "Well, find out! Contact him! Just don't do anything stupid, will you?"

  "Fine." Shan-leo stared fondly at her. "Thank you, Dadina."

  "Don't mention it," she grumbled, averting her eyes.

  ***

  Kay-low was too young to have a personal code and receive private messages, so Shan-leo had to figure out another way to get in touch with his little cousin. He tried to create a blood mind link like the one he had with his father, but it proved too difficult to reach out to a child's mind from a distance. Kay-low was old enough to keep his shields up and wouldn't allow a stranger's intrusion.

  So Shan-leo decided to try to meet him. In person he could probably create the bond. So he went with Dadina to wait outside the Sire public school – the same one he'd attended between twelve and seventeen years old. Before that, when his mother and grandfather were alive, he'd studied at the palace with private tutors, which his father had kept doing for the first two years after recovering from the mind control.

  Bess-lin was an aristocrat, but still sent her son to the public school, since the House of Meraini had lost much of its gloss after the fall of the Emperor. Shan-leo knew she'd hired a babysitter for the menial tasks of taking Kay-low to school and other boring parental stuff, so she wouldn't show up. And she'd hired a foreigner, so Shan-leo quickly checked the faces waiting outside the building.

  "That young man over there is Kay-low's babysitter." He pointed with his chin to a dark-haired, almond-eyed youth who leaned on the wall by the main door of the school. A quick mind scan confirmed what his eyes had guessed.

  "That's Hiro Shibata of Xi-kong?" Dadina asked, pleasantly surprised. They'd done the research together, since she was the tech geek. She wasn't a hacker like Kol-ian, but she was faster than Shan-leo who sometimes felt he was becoming a luddite.

  Shan-leo felt Dadina's admiration at the sight and smiled. The babysitter was nineteen like her, which was perfect for his plan – she'd keep the young man busy while he bonded with Kay-low.

  Then children started pouring out of the building. Shan-leo and Dadina stayed where they were, waiting for Kay-low and Hiro to emerge from the crowd. Eventually the young man and his charge walked towards them, on the way to Bess-lin's.

  Shan-leo went to crouch in front of Kay-low who immediately grabbed Hiro's hand, half-hiding behind his babysitter with a wary frown.

  "Hello, Kay-low, I'm Shan-leo, your cousin," Shan-leo said, sending soothing vibes towards the child. Kay-low had strong shields and it was impossible to tell if behind them was an empath or an icy Sire. "I came to meet you at your house, but your mother wouldn't let me in."

  "You're Shan-leo Shermac-Vaurabi?" Hiro asked, brightening. "The late Emperor's grandson?"

  "Yes." Shan-leo glanced puzzled at the young man, feeling Kay-low's mind stir. The child probably loved Hiro more than his own mother and trusted him blindly. Hearing his babysitter recognizing Shan-leo had piqued his interest.

  "It's an honor to meet you, sir! After the fall of the empire there was less need for bodyguards, so I was able to immigrate and find work here within days of my arrival!" the young man enthused.

  "Oh. Welcome to Marc'harid, then." Shan-leo looked at his cousin again. "How long has he been taking care of you?"

  Kay-low hid even more behind Hiro, still glaring, shields up. He had black eyes like Kol-ian and dark hair – more a Vaurabi than a Meraini in looks. The wary expression was very much like an old memory of C'ell'andy that Shan-leo had gleaned from the cyborg's mind – Kol-ian as a child, hiding from the world after his grandmother's death.

  "I had just turned eighteen when I jumped on the first starship out of Xi-kong," Hiro answered instead. "I've been with him since."

  Kay-low, why do you let him speak on your behalf? Shan-leo transmitted. I'm your cousin, he's a stranger from another planet...

  "Stay out of my mind," Kay-low snapped. "I don't want to meet my father's side of the family."

  "Why not?" Shan-leo asked.

  "He hurt my mother."

  "He... what? She almost killed him – and my father – to have you!"

  "The Vaurabi are evil."

  Shan-leo glanced at Dadina, puzzled. He knew some Sire hated the Vaurabi, while others wanted them back. He always thought Bess-lin was a Vaurabi supporter, since she'd done so much to have Kol-ian's child.

  "Some Vaurabi are very evil," Dadina said gravely. "The Emperor tried to kill us all. Shan-leo's mother tried to kill her own brother – your father. But Kol-ian isn't evil. I've known him since I was five, and he's very good at hiding his feelings, but this doesn't mean he doesn't have them."

  Kay-low had unconsciously come forward, but still held Hiro's hand. He stared intently at Dadina, probably reading her unprotected mind.

  "My mother was an icy bitch," Shan-leo said. "I never felt loved. So I grew fond of my bodyguard, an Ulba'wissian who was with me when Uncle Kol-ian had me and my father abducted to take us away from the emperor's control. I'm the one who can say the Vaurabi are evil, since they controlled my father's mind for years, but I always knew Uncle Kol-ian was different from the rest of the family."

  He slowly uncovered his memories for his cousin to peruse. He showed Kay-low how he'd met Roa, the black panther who had died because his uncle Orio-jan had slapped him. The original crew of the Falstelo welcoming him and his mind-controlled father. The mind-controlling device malfunctioning and almost killing Ker-ris – the only way to set him free. The Emperor teleporting on the Falstelo and knocking Shan-leo out because he dared defy him.

  "They call him the savior of the Sire," Dadina said with a grin. "So he can't be evil, can he?"

  "And he's not here anyway." Shan-leo shrugged it off. "I came to ask you if there's a place, any place where you would like to go, but your mother w
on't let you."

  Kay-low stared at Shan-leo before speaking. "Fantasilandia."

  "What? Where is it?" Shan-leo asked, puzzled.

  "It's an amusement park on Alahairo, with all his favorite shows featured," Hiro explained, amused.

  "Oh!" Shan-leo glanced at Dadina. "I guess the Haiduc has found a destination for its maiden voyage..."

  "What is the Haiduc?" Kay-low asked, gaining confidence. His curiosity was getting the best of him, and the prospect of going to an amusement park had taken away all the hostility. His mind shields were still up, but the glimpse of Shan-leo's mind must have softened him.

  "It's my starship. I got it for my birthday," Shan-leo explained.

  "You have a starship?" Kay-low's eyes widened.

  "Yes. All mine. semiautomatic and not very big, but it can get me where I want."

  "So you can take me to Fantasilandia?"

  "Absolutely."

  Kay-low grinned and exchanged a glance with Hiro before continuing his interrogation. "Why do you have silver nails?"

  "Like them?" Shan-leo showed off both hands. "Dadina did a complete manicure, but this and only this one," he pointed at the fake nail containing the microchip, "is the key to the Haiduc. One silver nail looked weird, so she painted them all."

  "Why do you have a fake arm?"

  "Because I lost mine in a flying car accident when I was seventeen. Now remember this. When you're older and have a girlfriend..."

  "Yuck!"

  "I said when you're older. Don't ever think of her when you're driving. Don't trust autopilots. Ever."

  "My uncle died in a flying car accident," Kay-low said with a little sigh. "Mom told me so. She'll never buy me a flying car for that reason."

  "Oh. I didn't know about your uncle. Must have happened before I was born," Shan-leo said. "Anyway, I wasn't given a new flying car after I destroyed the first, so I'm looking forward to using my starship. I'd love to take you with me, but I don't know how to bypass your mother..."

  "She's not in town," Kay-low said with an impish smile. "She went to the Grand Ballet at the Mega Arena and won't be back until tomorrow."