by C. Litka
05
After breakfast, Botts signaled me via my com-link and asked me to step around to its office.
'What's up, Botts?' I asked as I met it in the reading room.
'I've received word that the expedition has been approved by the Taoist elders.'
'As expected.'
'Yes. I've been asked to brief you on how we will handle the darq gem situation.'
'What darq gem situation?'
'As you suspected, the committee now believes that the darq gems are communication devices that act much like the neuro-links of your com-link, which is to say, it can read your brain activity, interact with it at the neuron level, but in the case of the darq gem, it can be used to take command of brain processes as well, and at a distance far greater than your com-link. We also suspect that it can also transmit this neuron-data instantaneously anywhere via a quantum com link.'
'That sounds plausible. My impression was that the true Scarlet Guard were acting as scouts, so communicating back to the mother ship seems likely.'
'Exactly. The problem is that these darq gems pose a great danger to humans, on two fronts. First, the ability of the gem to be used to take control of humans. And secondly, the great value humans place on the gems, both in the Unity and here in the Saraime. Since you have been discreet?'
'Not discreet enough' I muttered under my breath.
'About these gems, we propose calling them "thought lenses." By referring to them as thought lenses, and conducting our investigation remotely with Botts III, no connection to soul stones and darq gems need be made, hopefully avoiding the problem you encountered on your last visit.'
'It should work, though it is a deception of sorts..'
'Perhaps, but a thought lens is a far more accurate description of the object than the other terms, and can be easily justified on that account alone.'
'Is that Villain Viseor talking again, Botts?'
'Why not at all, Captain. It comes directly down from the Directorate, sir.'
Its eyes had brightened just a little, so I said, 'You're a poor liar, Botts.'
'Villain Viseor said the same thing.'
Malin asked me to step around to his office after the mid-round meal.
'I've had a long message from the Elder Council and the Directorate concerning some expedition to some uncharted island that you already know about?'
'Ah, yes. It seems that one of my old spaceer stories, an account of a visit to an uncharted group of islands by a documentary maker to film some rather strange people, the reputed Dragon-people or "Scarlet Guard" of the Dragon Kings - caught the Pela Committee's interest?'
'Care to share the story?' he asked, toying with his black stone.
I gave him an edited version - downgrading the mutiny into a shore leave that turned tragic, while emphasizing the possibility that the whole island was an ancient city or ship. 'So you see, the Pela Committee feels that this artifact may be an artifact of a machine-making alien race in the Pela, with perhaps ties outside the Nebula itself - hence the urgency to examine it.'
'And you're volunteering to lead it?'
'I'm volunteering to accompany it. Botts will be the principle investigator. I agreed to go along because, well, if they'd encounter any trouble, I'd feel responsible.'
'Will there be trouble?'
'Beyond the normal dangers of an extended voyage into an empty sea - storms, mechanical breakdowns, and getting lost?'
'Yes, beyond those.'
'Since Botts will be doing the actual survey work, the Complacent Dragon need not even enter the islands or get close to the Dragon-people, so there is no reason to expect trouble.'
'But? I detect a certain lack of eagerness.'
I shook my head. 'I just have bad memories of the islands. It should be safe enough.'
Malin shrugged. 'The directive is worded in such a way that it would seem we have a choice in the matter. But, I take it, you're not going to give me a solid reason to give it a miss.'
'They're just being polite. Botts said that it could go alone if need be. He's stood 100 plus days on watches as pilot, so it could easily take the Complacent Dragon out to DeAnjen's Islands on his own. We humans are being invited along out of politeness rather than necessity. If you'd rather not risk it, and I wouldn't blame you, let Botts go. I'm certain the machines would share the results.'
Malin shook his head sadly. 'No, that won't lift, if only because LyeCarr wouldn't hear of it. He would never forgive me if I pulled him from command to let Botts take his command to go explore some unknown island of legends and fables. And I doubt you'd pass it up, either.'
'For me, it's a matter of guilt. Me and my big mouth? I never seem to learn.'
'Right. I think we can hold off briefing your crew until the Complacent Dragon arrives. No point giving them one more thing to keep secret.'
'I agree. I can't help feeling that I should've kept it a secret.'
I went to see Botts afterward. It was well into the process of parts-printing the devices it - and the Pela Committee - felt they'd need for the expedition, from extended range radar for the ship, to survey tools to map and reconstruct the wreckage, to lab machines that would analyze organic tissues and metallurgic composition to determine the origin of the artifact.
'You will be accompanying me, won't you, Captain?'
'I wouldn't miss it, Botts,' I replied, 'As much as I'd like to.'
'That's just your Unity Standard half talking. Your other side, your "grandmother from the drifts" side, is eager for the challenge.'
'You're wrong Botts. My drifteer Grandmother's side of me says, "Give this a miss - you were lucky to get out alive the last time. Don't push your luck, you don't have an endless supply of it." It's my Unity Standard half that says I should share whatever danger there may be since I'm responsible for sending people to what I consider a very dangerous island. And my Unity Standard half also says that if the darq gems are as dangerous as I believe they are, I should help the Directorate understand their danger and advocate direct and immediate action.
'The thing is, Botts, I know that the island will not be forgotten. People - with plenty of resources and a fair knowledge of where the island lies - will be tempted to return. And given the wealth that even a few of those soul stones represent, the island will be found again. I'm hoping that the Directorate will see fit to somehow neutralize any threat darq gems present before another expedition reaches those islands.'
'There is little we can do at the present. But if we determine that they do represent a threat, we can act promptly, though the remoteness of the Pela means that any response will take several years.
'Well, I hope to make certain you appreciate the threat from a human's point of view.'
'We appreciate your sense of responsibility and dedication, Captain.'
'I'm just a superstitious spaceer. Hopefully, it is a very, very ancient and very dead artifact that is very, very hard to find.'
After dinner, I met Naylea as I came out of the hangar after working with Botts for several hours running the parts printer. I greeted her with a lurch of my heart and a wide smile.
'I want to apologize for my behavior at the bathing pool. It was unseemly,' she said gravely. She didn't seem to be kidding.
'Apology not accepted. If I accept it, I'd have to apologize for my behavior as well, which I won't do. You don't need to apologize for being Naylea Cin. I love Naylea Cin, and I believe she's still in love with me as well. And that being the case, our behavior was well within the tenets of the Way - we were natural, joyful, and, as committed lovers, there was no impropriety in our behavior,' I said, and held my breath. If she denied loving me...
'I no longer consider myself a Cin, but I acted as one. I was weak, and for that I apologize.'
'You were true to who you are. You're half Cin and I'm half Reeven and Qing. Nevertheless, we both have proven that we are able to live a Unity Standard life and a life in accordance to the Way. Trust me, I'm all for doing that. But believe it or n
ot, the Reeven and Qing in my makeup loves the Cin in yours - to a point, anyway,' I added with a smile. 'You can be yourself with me.'
I caught a fleeting smile - and a longer, sharper one in her eyes. I added, 'Enough said. I accept you as a Laezan, and respect your mission. We can settle everything else when the time is right.'
'You're making? Oh never mind.'
'What?'
'Nothing. But just so you know, the Reevens are known for their recklessness and the Qings for their ego. Don't let that side of you run - or ruin - your life...'