The Void Trilogy 3-Book Bundle

by Peter F. Hamilton

  Maybe Justine will manage to do something. Araminta couldn’t quite recall the last dream she’d had, the one with Gore and Justine in some room. I must see the rest of Inigo’s dreams, find out what happened to Edeard, why he inspires everyone so. I have to understand exactly what I’m up against. Then she stopped dead in the middle of the street as her subconscious finally triggered the memory that had been bugging her: the time display on the unisphere node. Araminta hurried back to the SideStar Motel, not caring if anyone noticed her half jogging along the deserted pavements and ignoring the traffic solidos to race across intersections.

  As soon as she was in the room, she locked the door and switched the unisphere node on. The central time display winking in the top corner of the screen always ran on Earth’s GMT, with a secondary display showing local time. Araminta immediately switched it to Viotia time and then Colwyn City. It took a moment while she did the mental arithmetic, aided by her macrocellular clusters, and then she ran the figures again. If she’d done it right, and the secondary routines in the macrocellular clusters were practically infallible, it was barely fifteen hours since she’d walked into Francola Wood. But that was impossible. She’d spent a whole day and night just trudging over that first wet, cold, miserable valley, then there had been the day by the oasis. The walk across the desert outside Miledeep Water, followed by sleeping the rest of the day away. That was when she worked it out—walking across the desert outside Miledeep Water and sleeping in the hotel accounted for a good twelve of those fifteen hours.

  The Silfen paths took practically no time at all. How could that be? I wasn’t even on the paths the whole time. Sweet Ozzie, do they manipulate time on the planets as well? But then, who knows exactly where the planets are, what universe or dimension? Come to that, were they even real?

  When she looked down at her feet encased in the cushioning artificial skin, she knew she’d walked somewhere and spent hours doing it. What had happened, or rather where and when she’d been along the Silfen paths, was of no consequence. She knew then that the Silfen wouldn’t let her use their paths and worlds as a refuge. It was instinctive knowledge, coming right from the heart of the Silfen Motherholme.

  I really do have to face this myself.

  “Oh, crap!” She picked up the bar of orange chocolate that had been part of the delivery and took a big bite before flopping back on the bed. There actually was no escape. So where do I start? Learning about Edeard was the obvious beginning, and to be honest, she was rather looking forward to immersing herself in his life again. But she felt it was more important to find out about Justine. She let her thoughts slow, mildly satisfied that she no longer needed Likan’s mélange program to achieve the calm alert state required for any serious interaction with the gaiafield—not that the Skylord’s thoughts occupied that particular realm. It was to be found in some parallel domain, its thoughts serene and content.

  “Hello,” she said.

  “You are always welcome.”

  “Thank you. And thank you for receiving our emissary. Are you the one accompanying her to Makkathran?”

  “I am with my kindred.” The Skylord’s incredible senses revealed a vast swath of space between nebulae, devoid of stars. It flew on and on through the emptiness, followed by a flock of its own kind who called to one another across the Gulf. They were all gladdened that minds were once again emerging into the Void, giant somber thoughts enlivened by anticipation.

  “Oh. Do you know where she is?”

  “The one you seek is within our universe. This is known to us all. For that we all give thanks. Soon there will be more. Soon we will guide your kind to the Heart again.”

  “Can you call to the one who is with her?”

  “My kindred are departed across the universe. Most lie beyond my reach. I will encounter them again in time, within the Heart.”

  “So how do you know one of us has arrived?”

  “The Heart feels it. We all know the Heart.”

  “Damn. Okay, thank you.”

  “When will you come? When will you be here with your kind?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Araminta withdrew her mind from the connection and permitted herself a brief feeling of disappointment. It would have been nice to talk to Justine. Instead, she had only herself to rely on, a state she was growing accustomed to. Her mind reached out into the human gaiafield again, stealthily, slipping into the local confluence nests like a silent thief. Her thoughts fluttered around the sight, taste, and smell of Edeard, and up into her brain sprang the wonderful lazy awakening on a soft mattress as dawn stoked the sky over Makkathran. A kiss touched Edeard’s cheek, the phantom touch sending a delightful tingle along Araminta’s spine. A nose nuzzled her ear. Then a hand could be felt sliding down her/his stomach, and her smile widened at the naughty sensation. Jessile giggled close by and thousands of years ago. “Now, that’s what I call rising to greet the dawn,” she said.

  The other girl giggled as well. Edeard’s eyes snapped open, and Araminta looked out through them into his maisonette.

  The Ellezelin forces capsule slid over the smooth fast-moving surface of the Cairns. Directly ahead was a big old house with walls of white arches filled with purple and silver glass, surrounded by balconies that overhung a pool whose water glimmered an inviting turquoise. Well-maintained formal gardens flowed down the slope to the southern bank of the broad river. Even under the wan light that filtered through the gray clouds scudding against Colwyn City’s weather dome force field, the place looked inviting, a real home.

  “Very fancy,” Beckia muttered as the capsule floated down onto the broad lawns. “The building supplies game must pay more than I realized.”

  “In an External planet economy, going multiple is just a smart way of avoiding taxes,” Tomansio said dismissively. “Bovey wouldn’t be able to afford this if every one of hims paid income tax.”

  The capsule door expanded.

  “Can I trust you?” Oscar asked quietly. The other two froze, then looked at him. Beckia’s gaiafield emissions were spitting out resentment. Tomansio was amused more than anything.

  “You can trust us,” Tomansio said, pushing a warm sensation of confidence into the gaiafield.

  “She founded you. You wouldn’t even exist without her. And you’re all waiting for her return.”

  “Common mistake,” Tomansio said. “We all understand her flaws, but we don’t forgive her. We were born out of her determination, but now we have grown far beyond her.”

  “Pupil and master relationship, huh?” Oscar queried.

  “Exactly. She accomplished a lot in her time, most of which was disastrous. We are about the only good thing that ever emerged from the Cat’s life.” He raised an eyebrow. “Unless she did have children …”

  Oscar simply responded with a wry smile.

  “Quite,” Tomansio continued. “So her continuing existence, albeit in suspension, is something of an embarrassment to us. It leads to misunderstandings like this one.”

  “Far Away rioted when Investigator Myo arrested her,” Oscar countered.

  “Far Away did,” Beckia said. “We didn’t. By that time she’d grown to a symbol of Far Away’s independence. Arresting her was seen as a political act of repression against the planetary government by an authoritarian Commonwealth. I’d point out the riots didn’t last long once the details of the Pantar Cathedral atrocity became known.”

  “But her principles remain with us,” Tomansio said. “The dedication to strength. Ever since our founding we have never broken our code. We stay loyal to our client, no matter what. Not even the Cat broke that. And we certainly wouldn’t double-cross you. Oscar, you demonstrated the ultimate human strength when you martyred yourself so our species could survive. I told you before, we respect you almost as much as the Cat.”

  Oscar looked into Tomansio’s handsome face, so redolent with sincerity, a note backed up by his gaiafield emission. He fervently hoped his own embarrassment at such a proclam
ation wasn’t evident. “Okay, then.”

  “Besides, that wasn’t our Cat, not the founder of the Knights Guardian. If we weren’t committed to you, I would take a great deal of satisfaction in tracking her down and finding out exactly which faction has violated our Cat for its own ends. Didn’t you say they’d cloned more of her?”

  “Not anymore,” Oscar said flatly, and walked out of the capsule. Beckia and Tomansio shared a quiet smile and followed him out onto the trim lawn.

  Mr. Bovey had come out of the house to meet the capsule, three of hims. Oscar hadn’t met a multiple before, at least not knowingly. He couldn’t ever recall hearing about any on Orakum. The leader of the trio, the one standing in front, had black skin and a face that had even more wrinkles than Oscar’s; several gray strands were frosting his temples. To his left was a tall Oriental male, and the third was a young teenager with a thick mop of blond hair. None of them was releasing anything into the gaiafield. However, their posture alone told Oscar they were going to be extremely stubborn.

  Oscar’s immediate response was to regret wearing the Ellezelin forces uniform, which was a huge visual trigger for any Viotia citizen right now. Then a deeper guilt began to manifest. He wasn’t here backed by Ellezelin authority; his sponsor was a whole lot more powerful than that. That was the problem. Marching into someone’s home with the authority and force to demand his cooperation was exactly the kind of fascistic repression that had so animated the young Oscar Monroe’s political instincts, which in turn led to him joining the Socialist Party at college and ultimately being seduced by radical elements. A journey that ended in the tragedy of Aberdan station.

  Talk about going full circle. But we have to find her. Overriding necessity, the siren call of tyrants everywhere. Yet I know she cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of the factions. Damn, how does Paula live like this?

  “What do you want?” the first Mr. Bovey asked sourly.

  Oscar grinned, letting his amusement free in the gaiafield. “Oh, come on. We know you and her had a thing.”

  The three Mr. Boveys stared defiantly ahead.

  “Look,” Oscar said reasonably, and plucked at his tunic. “This uniform, it’s a load of bollocks. We’re not Living Dream. I’ve never even been to Ellezelin. I work for ANA.”

  “Yeah? And I work for the Raiel,” Mr. Bovey replied, all three of hims speaking in concert. “So that makes us both supersecret agents.”

  “I saw her at Bodant Park. Me and my team here, we covered for her so she could get free. Ask her. We’re the reason she’s still out there. If she still is.”

  There was a flicker of uncertainty in the black Mr. Bovey’s eyes. “I met Araminta a few times, that’s all.”

  “It was more than that. Come on, man, she’s in shit so deep, she’ll drown if she doesn’t get some serious outside help. So please, if you know where she is, tell me.”

  “I haven’t seen her for days.”

  Tomansio grunted in understanding. “She didn’t tell you, did she? You didn’t know she was the Second Dreamer?”

  Mr. Bovey’s scowl deepened; none of hims would look at Tomansio.

  “Hell, that’s got to suck,” Oscar said. “She was probably trying to protect you.”

  “Right,” Mr. Bovey said.

  “She was frightened, you know that. This planet was invaded just because she lives here. And she’s all alone. She doesn’t know what she’s doing; really, she hasn’t got a clue. If you know where we can find her, if you have any notion where she might be, then we’re the ones you need to tell. Call ANA if you need my status confirmed. There are others out there who are looking equally hard, and I don’t mean Living Dream. The Second Dreamer is an important political tool right now. Who do you think caused the Bodant Park fight?”

  “Bodant Park massacre,” Mr. Bovey said. “You unleashed a massacre on our planet. There were hundreds killed.”

  “That was just the warm-up,” Tomansio said. “The agents involved in hunting her down will not give a crap about civilians who get in the way. Memory read will be the least of your worries when the others come here. And they will. Soon.”

  “We found you,” Beckia said. “The rest won’t be far behind. Think. Be real. The most powerful organizations in the Greater Commonwealth are looking for her. Your entire planet has been invaded because Living Dream is so utterly desperate. Do you really, really think she can elude all of us?”

  “I didn’t know,” the young blond one said through teeth he’d clamped together. “She didn’t tell me. How could she not tell me what she’d become?”

  “If she loved you, she would be trying to keep you out of all this,” Oscar said. “It was sweetly naive, and that time is now over. You have to make a choice. Do you want to actively help her? If so, talk to us. If not, run. Each of yous will have to try and make a break for it and pray that you don’t all get caught.”

  The three of hims turned to look at one another. Oscar was aware of the figures he could just see in the house standing still. “Give me a moment,” Mr. Bovey said.

  Oscar nodded sympathetically. “Sure.” He moved away, talking to his team in a low voice. “What do you think?”

  “He doesn’t know anything,” Beckia said. “If he did, he’d be out there helping her. He’s broken up by her cutting loose; he loves her, or thought he did.”

  “I’m inclined to agree,” Tomansio said.

  “There could be a dozen of hims out there right now helping to shelter her,” Oscar pointed out.

  Tomansio pushed out a reluctant sigh. “I find that hard to credit.”

  “Can you actually do a memory read on a multiple?” Beckia asked.

  “You’d probably have to gather all of them up,” Tomansio said. “And you wouldn’t know if you’d got them all until it was too late. Multiples are always cagey about their exact number of bodies; it’s an instinctive safety redundancy thing. Interesting psychological evolution. In any case, our time scale doesn’t allow us that level of luxury. If he’s going to be useful, it’ll have to be voluntary, and right now.”

  Oscar’s u-shadow told him Cheriton was calling on an ultrasecure channel. Liatris joined the call.

  “Brace yourself for the bad news,” the gaiafield expert said. “Living Dream has found her.”

  “Shit,” Tomansio grunted, throwing Mr. Bovey a guilty glance. “Where?”

  “Now, this is where it gets real interesting. After the confluence nests caught her at Bodant, Living Dream has been refining the emotional resonance routines based on her exact thought patterns. The upgrade has given them the kind of sensitivity which can detect the slightest emission from her mind. And a quarter of an hour ago she went and shared Inigo’s Eighth Dream.”

  “What’s she doing delving into the Waterwalker’s life now?” an irritated Beckia asked. “For Ozzie’s sake, didn’t Bodant teach her anything?”

  “Wrong question,” Cheriton said.

  “Where is she?” Tomansio asked.

  “Chobamba.”

  A puzzled Oscar had to call up the Commonwealth planetary list from a storage lacuna. “That’s over six hundred light-years away,” he protested. “That can’t be right. She was here sixteen hours ago.”

  “Your ultradrive could make that,” Tomansio said doubtfully. “Just.”

  “She’s found a way to screw the gaiafield,” Beckia said. “She must have. She is the Second Dreamer, after all. That has to give her some kind of ability the rest of us don’t have.”

  “Cheriton, are you sure?” Tomansio asked.

  “We’re confined to the building,” Cheriton said. “And I’m using a dead-drop relay to access the unisphere. Dream Master Yenrol’s been going apeshit since the nests found her. All the Dream Masters know about it; they’re working hard to keep it secret. I don’t think this is a scam.”

  “How the hell did she get to Chobamba?” Oscar wanted to know.

  “Do they know where on Chobamba?” Tomansio asked.

  “Not
yet,” Cheriton said. “But it’s only going to be a matter of time. It’s an External world, and Living Dream has several Dream Masters there.”

  “Can you warn her again?” Oscar said.

  “I’m not sure. There’s talk about shutting down Chobamba’s confluence nests, isolating her from the gaiafield.”

  “Stupid,” Tomansio said. “That’ll alert her to what’s going on.”

  “Liatris, can you shotgun Chobamba and warn her?” Oscar asked.

  “She hasn’t accessed the unisphere for days,” Liatris said. “There’s no guarantee she’ll get the message.”

  “If people know, it’ll be the talk of the planet,” Beckia said. “She’s bound to find out. We just have to make it public knowledge.”

  Tomansio gave Oscar a little nudge. Mr. Bovey had obviously come to his decision. The dark-skinned body was walking over to them, leaving the other two hims to stare pensively.

  “Yes?” Oscar said.

  “I checked with ANA,” Mr. Bovey said. He sounded faintly surprised. “You are who you say.”

  “And?”

  His face expressed a great deal of apprehension, mirrored by all of hims. “She doesn’t know … she can’t know how to cope with this. Nobody can. I have to place my trust in ANA. How ironic is that? Being multiple is supposed to alleviate the requirement of a technological solution to immortality.”

  “Can you contact her?”

  “No.” Mr. Bovey shook his head as if hes were mourning. “I’ve tried every minute since I found out. Her u-shadow is offline. She won’t answer my calls.”

  “I know this is painful, but is there someone else she’s likely to turn to?”

  “Her cousin Cressida; they were close. In fact, she was about Araminta’s only true friend in Colwyn City before we met.”