They clear the edge of the world as the tug dives toward the planet, driving the asteroid toward Zaleria's home. Graviton powered missiles streak up from the surface, carrying antimatter warheads to try and ablate the surface. The defenders swarm the invader, and soon massive quantities of energy begin vaporizing mass off the asteroid—far more than is annihilated by the antimatter alone. Two missiles manage to nail the tug, at least eliminating its future threat potential, but the mountain's inertia is now unstoppable. The entire engagement lasts only a few seconds, as it streaks down and hits just outside Zaleria's home. The defense wasn't enough.
The asteroid burrows through the crust, deep into the interior of Juruele, causing a large jet of molten material to erupt back out into space, which then starts to fan out. This debris will rain down in the hours, days, and weeks ahead. Meanwhile, the shock wave at the surface is spreading out at supersonic speeds in all directions, while deep inside the planet, seismic waves are also propagating around and through the planet. They need to evacuate the far side before the seismic waves reach there and rupture the crust in that location as well, the planet's shape acting as a rough lens focusing the energy on a relatively small part of the opposite crust. They have a few minutes, enough for the next waverider to get there and get them out.
Achi sees Zaleria slump in her seat and feels her anguish. Her hatred. It is nearly feral. He can't reach her, physically, but he is already inside her head, consoling her at a deeper level than any other could.
She doesn't show any outward sign of being in communication with him, unwilling to share the fact of their connection with anyone right now, but he feels her reaction. Deep inside, she is clinging to him, and understands what he is sharing. It is the only thing keeping her sane. She doesn't have time to explore all his now recovered memories, but she doesn't have to dig far to feel his immense history of loss, anger, loneliness, guilt, and the tenacity to continue onward. I hear you.
She's found his memory of the question he'd asked the gatekeeper. He feels her react to one of his recent memories. You already have the basis of a plan, don't you? She realizes.
He keeps his best poker face on, not wanting to share it wider than prudent. Of course.
Jevelle speaks, so Clive can hear as well. “I've instructed the collective to prevent all communications into, or out of, this system until we say otherwise. The goal is to let the shell, and any accomplice it may have—either willing or otherwise—to think their attack has been successful. As of now, we must assume it is getting willing help. For those of you new to such things, I'm sorry to inform you that sometimes galan fall to baser urges. If someone is willingly helping this thing, they may very well end up being cast out of our collective, with no home to return to. That means as of now, you are not to share or discuss this matter with anyone that was not on Juruele. The collective will not allow it. I don't need to tell you this is a very serious matter. Through a mix of good fortune and some foresight, we've averted the murder of a galan and two other sentients. But we could not save Zaleria's home.” She looks at her and lowers her head. “I'm sorry.”
Zaleria shrugs, an intense resolve growing, feeding from her pain and anger, as well as from Achi. “Things can be replaced; my friends cannot. I will rebuild. There are plenty of worlds that will flourish under a galan's touch.”
They are nearing the D-ship that brought the tug. The pilot is horrified and nearly hysterical at what has just happened and appears unaware of anyone who would even consider doing such a thing. The ship was bringing cargo for the next group of trainees and some supplies to support the manufacturing of special equipment and gear, so there are only a few souls on board, but Achi doesn't think any of them are part of the plot. There would be no need to risk exposing oneself, when all that was needed was to embed enough malicious symbiots to commandeer the tug, which is now no more than space dust and photons.
They dock and unpack their small ship. Beltare slithers out first, less frazzled than he would have expected of her. He knows she doesn't like to be touched, except on her terms. Jevelle gets out, quickly organizes a party comprised of Trègar and half his squad, and heads out to secure the ship. She even had enough forethought to bring a couple weapons, one of which she hands to Trègar.
Achi looks over at Zaleria, who is starting to go numb from the shock. “ETA on the next shuttle?”
“It'll be close, but the next waverider will get there with some time to spare. They'll have a couple minutes before the first seismic waves reach them. They don't want to be on the ground when that happens. Thank you, guys…” she shares with their symbiots, which synchronized the evacuation and ultimately futile defense far faster than any galan could have.
Zaleria glances at Achi. I had a feeling you'd been letting our little friends have too many liberties, a secret you never shared with the rest of us.
I don't believe she hates me.
Clive walks over to them and whispers, “Penny for your thoughts. You two synced up again?”
To her credit, Zaleria remains completely impassive. “You sure you're not related to my mother?” She says sotto voce.
“You two work better as a team. For what it's worth, sis, I've been homeless before, too. If this guy offers you a place to stay, you could do worse.”
She wraps her arms around him. “I know Clive. You know, I never had a brother before. I could do worse. Thank you.” She gives him one last, firm hug and lets him go.
Fandtha walks over, deep in thought. “I've been running diagnostics on this ship. I can find no evidence of extraneous symbiots at this time, and I've used, uh, a few protocols of my own devising, modified based on your theories. Still, I think it best we get you mortals, eh, over to the other D-ship as soon as we can. I'll route the others there as well, er, once they depart. They're loading now. Two minutes until they must depart.” He pauses for about half a minute. “They're off—safely away. Good.”
“Jevelle, I'll be taking our host over to the other D-ship and there reunite with the rest. We will pick a destination after you depart,” Fandtha says.
“The pilot has reported the destruction of Juruele and is awaiting further orders,” she replies. “The ruse is now underway. Beltare and I will go with the ship and take command upon arrival at our destination. From there, we'll lead the investigation and make our way to Luna. All paths appear to lead there, as we assumed.”
Beltare walks over to Zaleria and embraces her, just holding her for a long moment. “I would spare you this pain, if it were within my power. I'm sorry we didn't do enough to prevent it.”
“I know. We all survived, and that is enough of a vict
ory this day. Please, find out who is helping this creature.”
“That is my number one priority,” Beltare assures her. She gives Zaleria a final embrace, then gives Clive a warm hug. “I look forward to playing cards with you again, when we get a chance. Take care of yourself. Thank you for helping us. I'm sorry we don't have windows. I'll see if I can do something about that.”
“Take care of yourself. Find the bad guys.”
“I will,” she says, before finding herself in front of Achi. “Disaster follows you wherever you go. You need to do something about that.”
He nods. “I find myself in violent agreement with you, on that issue. And Beltare…”
“What?” she asks, resignedly.
“I feel you are about to deal with some very unpleasant business, and I do not envy you the task.”
She stands there for a moment, unsure of what to say. “I think that is less profound than even I've come to expect of you.”
Achi sighs. “Truth is a double-edge sword, it cuts both ways. I believe you'll need to be strong, and not just for yourself. Better?”
She thinks about it for a moment. “Yes. I expect we'll meet again, if you avoid getting killed this time—any of you. I would not forgive you that. Zaleria is very vulnerable now. That needs to be rectified, soon.”
Achi nods. “No shit, Sherlock.”
Beltare stares at him a moment, before shaking her head. “I just can't bring myself to say it.”
Achi smiles. “I look forward to the day you will. Until then, please take good care of yourself, and our friends.” She nods, then turns and takes the remainder of the galanen and heads toward the bridge.
The others load up into the waverider and head over to the other ship. Achi and Zaleria look at the planet they just left. Juruele is on fire, from the gaping crater that used to be her home to the ruptured crust on the opposite side where the seismic waves crashed together. The entire surface appears to be engulfed in flames, with the skies rapidly darkening. It is unlikely much will survive, although life can be tenacious. However, it will never be Zaleria's home again, and it is a crushing loss. But she will grieve later, alone. Well, not completely alone. She will accept his being there for her. No one understands loss better than he does. Also, she has plans, and he is sure the collective will not approve, but she doesn't intend to ask permission. Nor argue with him about it, either.
It is a short trip to the other D-ship, the one they've kept orbiting Juruele. After the docking bay seals, they exit the craft to find Traemuña and Toshi waiting for them, alone. Traemuña walks over somberly and embraces her daughter, then holds out her hands and waves Achi and Clive over. Zaleria leans into her mother, stoically. Not showing any emotion, in part because she is in shock, and in part because her rage is counteracting her anguish. She gently pushes back after a short moment.
“I will take time to grieve later. Until then, we have much to do, and any time we divert from combating this thing is time wasted.” She gestures in the general direction of her former home. “That could just as easily have been Earth. It would have been the end of humanity. We must be smarter than we have been and far more aggressive. We can't let it plan, nor allow it freedom to act. We must find who is helping it and cut off its access to resources enough to do this. Achi is right; we must put it on defense. But smartly.”
“And you will need to establish your essence in a new home. That can't wait—this thing has tried to destroy you three times now; you are too vulnerable,” Achi says.
“And you've lived your entire life like this,” she reminds him.
Traemuña shakes her head. “He's right, and you know it. Don't let your emotions blind you to necessities.”
Zaleria glares at her mother for a moment, and Achi can feel her anger—knowing full well that Traemuña is focused on this in large part because Zaleria is her final gift to the universe, and she would not see it destroyed. But Zaleria lets the anger go and softens her countenance. “It just so happens that Beltare and Jevelle must do their job before I can rejoin them, so I happen to have some time to devote to that, and we will need a new training area for the recruits—one nobody in the collective knows about. I have given this some thought. I assume we're not wanting to stick around here?”
Toshi shakes his head. “No, you are right. We need to leave before anyone else shows up. Do you have a destination in mind?”
“Yes,” she replies, at the same time she reaches out with her mind to command the D-ship to translate into the next dimension.
Achi and Clive feel the change. A flattening and stretching. The colors deepening and increasing in complexity, showing colors for which they lack words to describe. They sense the gatekeepers right before they appear. And they see them talking to all the other souls on board. “Well met Hunter with Virtue, Clive Robinson. Perhaps Truth will join you at Perxephsis, you are there.”
“Wait,” Achi says, “I would ask you a question if you have time.”
“We have no need of time Hunter. Ask, and may you understand.”
“Who is Truth?”
“Truth exposes Bitterness and Pain. Hunter with Virtue and Truth overcomes Prey.”
“Thank you,” Achi says.
“You are welcome,” they respond.
The D-ship reverts to normal space. He queries his symbiots to discover they are on the far side of the galactic core from Earth, 25,000 light-years out along a spiral arm near a starburst region, and so over 50,000 light-years from Earth. The skies should be stunning.
Zaleria turns toward them. “Clive, I think you will find this place to your liking. It will be my new home, and I would like your input creating it. No matter what else happens, your contributions will be remembered throughout the remainder of my life, and those who may in future arise from it.”
And for once in his life, the street-smart kid from Philadelphia is left with no words to express himself. Clive stands there for a moment, trying to think of something to say, before he finally just straightens himself up a bit, sucks in a breath, and nods his understanding. Even Achi is moved by this display of affection.
Perxephsis orbits a large yellow-white star that has nearly exhausted its short, 3.5-billion-year stint on the main sequence. The planet itself is covered by huge oceans, with relatively small land masses compared to Earth. The primitive multi-cellular lifeforms on the planet will never have the chance to evolve into advanced, complex animals in the few tens of millions of years before the star exhausts its nuclear fuel and begins to turn into a red giant.
“I'd considered this place while searching for a home, before deciding on Juruele. It will suit my purposes now, and I think I will enjoy making my mark on it in the millennia to come.” Achi looks upon it, smiling at the memories he has of sailing a vast array of vessels across countless bodies of water in his life. He always found it thrilling, even when it was terrifying. He notices the planet has very active weather and realizes that was the main reason Zaleria chose Juruele. He describes what he sees to Clive, who—for the lack of windows—can't appreciate their new surroundings.
“I guess you'll have to just deal with wind-mussed hair, but at least you'll now have plenty of shower facilities for guests,” Achi says to Zaleria.
“I can always lose the hair,” she says, knowing full well Achi's dislike of bald women. She looks around at them. “Establishing a home and crossing over are traditionally two private moments in a galan's life, usually done alone, but not strictly so. In this case, I will ask Achi and Clive, neither of whom is galan, to accompany me, along with my mother.” And with that, she moves toward the waverider, not waiting for further conversation.
She enters the small cabin and sits, waiting patiently for the others. Clive enters, looking at her curiously, wondering what she is up to. Traemuña follows and sits gracefully next to Clive, her face a mask. Achi enters last and commands the door to close. The airlock opens, and they begin their descent.
“I assume you've already decided on
a spot?” Traemuña asks.
“Yes.”
“And you are sure this is how you want to do things?”
Zaleria looks defiantly at her mother, “Yes.”
Traemuña nods, leaving Clive to wonder what he is missing. Then it dawns on him, but he doesn't know if he should speak about it.
Zaleria, reading Clive via her connection to Achi, looks over at him. “Go ahead and speak your mind. Mother knows everything, as usual.”
“If you make your home here, in your current state, doesn't that by default now include Achi?”
Zaleria smiles, and innocently blinks a couple of times—a very human expression—as if she is just now thinking about that possibility. “Why yes, I suppose it does. Especially since he'll be standing right beside me, thoughts fully synced with mine when I establish my essence.”
“Has that ever been done before? I mean, what are the implications?” Clive presses.
Zaleria looks at her mother, whose face is still an unreadable mask. “I don't know. If it's been done before, I haven't heard of it. Mother?”
She shrugs, “Me either.”
“Won't you get in trouble?”
Zaleria shrugs, “Who knows? I don't particularly care. I greatly doubt it, though. Given everything else that is going on, the galanen have bigger problems than who I am bonded with.”
“Bonded as in mate?” Clive blurts out.
Zaleria just shrugs, “I think we're taking things a day at a time. There are many types of bonds, ours…will be whatever it is meant to be.”
Clive looks at Achi. “You okay with all this? I mean, wouldn't that make you galan?”
“Fate has never really given me any choice in the matter. I can either be fully or reluctantly included, but included I will be, unless Zaleria doesn't make another home. There is now no way to undo our linkage. Her essence will contain mine. I have no more choice in the matter than I did when I was changed. No more than you did in the circumstance of your birth.”
“Hey, no need to get personal,” Clive says. “This is some crazy, crazy stuff. And we didn't even manage to save anything to toast the new homemaker. Huh, this really gives new meaning to that word.”
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