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Elvians (The Silver Ships Book 18)

Page 14

by S. H. Jucha


  Scarlet Mandator watched the sequence play in the holo-vid. When it ended, a stalk rose and its tip rolled.

  Killian interpreted the stalk’s movement as a request to replay the vid and he obliged.

  The mandator watched the vid several times before inquiring, “What are Alex and this Elvian doing?”

  Renée replied.

  “But what of their digits?” the mandator beamed.

  The vid had shown Alex kneeling in front of Trobath, and Alex’s hand was imitating the Elvian’s.

  Renée replied.

  “The Elvians don’t appear to be aggressive animals,” the mandator mused. “Are they poisonous?”

  Renée inquired.

  “If the Elvians are essentially peaceful and not individually dangerous, who destroyed our ships and took Ollassa lives?” Scarlet Mandator demanded, the petals vibrating.

  Renée belatedly realized the conundrum that she’d been presented. If she specifically mentioned the AI, it could taint a future relationship. Alex didn’t believe the AI did anything more than follow the directives that had been programmed by the creators. As prisoners in their boxes, the SADEs followed the same guidance from their Méridien masters for the length of their imprisonment. Only freedom gave them the option to choose as they saw fit.

  Renée temporized.

  “Drones?” the mandator queried.

  Renée replied.

  “Then a sentient, an animal, must have programed them to destroy, to kill,” the mandator argued.

  Renée admitted.

  “You think they’ve changed,” the mandator proposed.

  Renée returned.

  “You present an intriguing concept, Renée,” Scarlet Mandator beamed. “Other mandators will be shocked by the proposal, but events in the Worlds of Light have proved that many dangers exist among the stars. I will consult the Life Givers first.”

  Renée queried.

  “I wear the crescents of the Life Givers’ approvals,” the mandator returned. “On such a critical subject, I’m obliged to speak to each of them.”

  Renée sent.

  “May the Light shine on you, Renée,” the mandator beamed, which ended the call.

  Immediately, Killian, Bethley, and Trium conferenced, and then they connected to the fleet’s SADEs, except for the leaders, who would be busy with Alex’s projects. Their aim was to devise a plan that allowed the smoothest integration between the Elvians and the Ollassa, should such a thing come to pass.

  * * * * *

  Cordelia sent.

  Vyztram replied.

  Cordelia affirmed.

  Vyztram replied.

  Julien sent.

  Vyztram inquired.

  Cordelia replied.

  Vyztram said, leaping to the point of the conversation.

  Julien replied.

  Vyztram surmised.

  When Vyztram failed to elicit a response, algorithms ran that sought to deduce the reason. the AI said.

  Cordelia replied.

  Vyztram said.

  Cordelia sent and closed the link.

  Julien gathered Renée, Tatia, and Cordelia and linked with Miranda.

  Miranda sent.

  Julien said pleasantly. The SADE received a grumble in reply.

  Renée inquired gently.

  Alex objected.

  Miranda interjected. She shared Alex’s disapproving expression with the others.

  Tatia quipped.

  Renée sent.

  Julien analyzed Alex’s objection. He seized on the underlying sentiment and sent,

  Alex allowed.

  Miranda showed Alex stripping off his jacket.

  Tatia sent privately to Renée. In reply, she heard Renée’s appreciative murmur of, “Hmm.”

  Alex slipped on the newly tailored jacket. It didn’t have a collar. The equipment the SADEs created had a harness, and Alex slipped his arms through the twin straps.

  Franz picked up the equipment’s collar and straightened the connecting tube. Then he lightly fastened the collar around Alex’s neck.

  Immediately, Alex felt the nanites in the collar adhere to his neck.

  Julien asked privately.

  For Alex, it did. When he’d first met Julien, he’d been directed to a cabinet, extracted a comm unit, and applied it to his ear. Then he yanked it free when the nanites adhered to his skin.

  Julien received Alex’s answer. It was a vid. The equipment’s collar was around Julien’s neck. The device was several times larger than Julien, and it was falling down an embankment. Julien was forced to run to keep up with it, while he struggled to unfasten the collar.

  A smile crossed Julien’s face, and he didn’t bother to respond to the vid. As long as his friend intended to wear the device and stay safe, he was content.

  Alex reached to remove the collar, and Miranda interrupted. she sent.

  Franz
exited the main cabin and closed the pilot’s cabin. Then Miranda lowered the ramp, and the traveler’s oxygen-rich air was quickly lost.

  Miranda remonstrated.

  Dutifully, Alex rose, walked off the ramp, and jogged several times around the traveler.

  Miranda monitored the device’s oxygen collection and supply rates. In addition, she tracked Alex’s blood oxygen uptake via his bio data.

  After the last lap, Alex stopped in front of Miranda and stared expectantly at her.

  “Everything is functioning fine, including you,” Miranda quipped.

  Alex entered the traveler. Miranda closed the hatch, and the ship restored the oxygen levels.

  Alex sent, stripping off the collar and the device before he slumped in a seat.

  Renée sent.

  Alex queried.

  Renée replied.

  Alex replied, remembering the inordinate amount of time Renée expended gathering a few simple answers from just one Life Giver.

  Renée sent.

  Alex responded.

  Tatia replied.

  Alex replied. Before he could query Julien and Cordelia, he received Z’s message, as the SADE approached the traveler’s bay.

  Z sent. Imagery followed, and Miranda shared with the conference group.

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