by Tony Corden
Leah quickly subvocalised, “Gèng, what are the rules for duels?”
“Any citizen can demand satisfaction from another citizen of the same rank or a rank not greater than two below or one higher. The issue must be because of honour, and the weapons are usually pistols or swords but can be anything. The person challenged is able to choose the weapon. Should the challenged decline the duel they are considered without honour and demoted to a new citizen and are without rank. Duels are to first blood or the death by agreement.”
“Well, it looks like I can’t escape this so I might as well truly be intemperate.”
Leah turned to her challenger and said, “Westmorten, Westmorten, hmmm, now what did I say that might have sullied the common name of Westmorten? Oh, I remember, I have a view of James, I expect his last name is possibly Westmorten, which is true if indeed he is the legitimate child of Mistress Westmorten. Not that I have anything against illegitimacy per se except it would give me licence to call him a bastard, but that it is of no matter. Both he and Mistress Westmorten are so alike I do not doubt the familial connection. I did not say this aloud, but perhaps Mistress Westmorten can read minds as I did think that he was an honourless, unrefined, blaggard without any redeemable qualities.
“I considered offering to end his life if he tried to steal from me again, or even if he spoke to me. His character is tarred with indecency and his language with obscenity. Now, I assume you think I am besmirching the name Westmorten by these comments and you would be right as I did consider silently that I had no respect for a mother who allowed their dependent son, even though he is of age, to behave with such indecency. As you have the name Westmorten and you seek to defend such a family, I suspect you are just as reprehensible.
“Therefore, although I have no wish to cause you harm, I accept your challenge. I expect you wish a duel to first blood. I say this as your family exhibits craven tendencies for they sent you rather than the aggrieved. What are your suggested terms and when do you wish to defend your much-maligned honour?”
“Tomorrow at dawn, a duel by swords to the death.”
“I’m sorry, but I have to take my breakfast and my bath at that time. Also, I expect a few people will wish to be present to see your honour restored. Might I suggest nine as I have a meeting at ten and our dispute will certainly be finished before then? I would prefer not to kill you but as you insist I will agree to honour being won by death. Now, as I am free to choose weapons and as I have no desire to sully my new purchases with your blood, I regret to say I will not choose swords. I desire the duel to be decided by unarmed combat. Also, I suggest as it is the honour of Mistress Westmorten and James Westmorten that is at stake that they are present when I prove their infamy upon your body.”
Hugh looked uncertain and fingered his blade but his anger pushed him, and he said, “I agree, and James will be my second. Have you a second?”
Leah was about to say no, but Henry stepped forward and said, “I, Henry Ayers, am pleased to offer my services as a second for Captain Charlotte.”
Leah smiled and said, “Wonderful, I’ll let you work things out while I go have some tea. Good day.”
Moments later Ellen led Leah into a carriage and escorted her back to the Herrington. On the way, Ellen said, “Hugh is a famous duelist and one of the reasons Mistress Westmorten is overseer of the city. Even without a weapon he is almost twice your size and is very fit. I know he is practised in the art of fisticuffs. You are at a disadvantage without both eyes. I know you are from the Aether Worlds, and you will not die, but you will lose your rank and your property.”
“Have no fear, Ellen. Even if all that is true, then all it does is set me back to the start. Be encouraged, I have some skill and might even prevail.”
As Leah entered the Herrington Albert Lincoln approached her and said, “Welcome back Captain. Some purchases arrived for you and are available in your suite. I have already heard of your impending duel, and I wish you every success for tomorrow. Please know that despite the rumours I am somewhat convinced you shall prevail.”
Leah turned and with a smile said, “What odds are being offered?”
“I have two pounds on you at ten to one Captain.”
“Might you be swayed to make a wager on my behalf?”
“It would be my pleasure, Captain.”
Leah checked her finances and handed two thousand pounds to Albert and said, “I hope this is not too much?”
Albert took the money and after counting it said, “Not at all Captain, I will see if I can find even better terms for your wager.”
“Thank you Mister Lincoln. Now, I bid you good night.”
Leah went up to her suite and logged out.
ACADEMIA - DR ELLIS’ LABORATORY
Back in the Tower Leah hurried to the level which had the portal to Dr Ellis’ laboratory and after making sure she was correctly dressed, she stepped through. As soon as she arrived Dr Ellis’ AI must have notified him for he appeared and headed in her direction.
“It is good to see you, Leah, although I was quite upset last night when you did not show. I’ve been working almost non-stop to align the various accelerators, and I hope we can do a test run this evening. First, I think I deserve at least some explanation why you weren’t here.”
“Dr Ellis, according to the MIT Student Guide, I am not required to explain beyond a statement that I had a personal emergency. Even so, I think you deserve a better explanation. I am willing to explain what happened but I can’t explain it to you here where my explanation may be recorded because my reason is somewhat personal. I invite you to my personal space, or somewhere else if you have another suggestion.”
“I see, no actually I don’t really. Um, is this personal situation likely to happen again sometime in the future?”
Leah paused for a moment, thinking, then shaking her head said, “I hope not, but the future, at this time, is not able to be visited.”
“Now that was an interesting pause and turn of phrase. This is why I want you to work here. What do you mean, ‘at this time.’?”
“It’s nothing beyond some simple musings Dr Ellis, it’s just when you mentioned the future, my mind considered certain equations we discussed yesterday, and it opened up an avenue for further consideration of the equations I have derived.”
“Although my curiosity is alive and well, I will respect your privacy. I want some warning if it’s likely it will happen again.”
“Certainly, Dr Ellis. I, or my AI, will contact you immediately should there be any issue that prevents me from being here.”
“Good, then come and help me finish installing these accelerators. Many so-called ‘experimental physicists’ simply have their AI install new equipment, but I find doing it myself is good practice for when I have to work on the real thing. I know you don’t have access to a real laboratory yet but when you do you will find this invaluable.”
Leah spent the next hour and a half helping to install and then align the new equipment before she headed back to the Tower. Dr Ellis said he would work on testing the equipment the next day and hopefully the next time Leah was in the laboratory they could begin testing her hypotheses. As soon as Leah arrived in the Tower, she sat down and finished her daily diary. As soon as she’d finished, she logged out for a snack and a bathroom break.
Diary - 14 December, 2073
I’m still reeling from yesterday and the ongoing consequences. I’ve hidden my fears behind a wall, but when I think about it, I realise just how shaky that wall is. I’ve gone through today with a mask on, and no one realises that most of it is an act. An act that’s necessary so I don’t crumble into little bits. But what else can I do? I have to be strong for Dad and Conner? Or, do I? What would happen if they knew how frail I felt? How unsure? Would their confidence be shattered? Their hopes? Do I think less of them when they show their feelings, their concerns?
Maybe. Maybe I do. I’m convinced I don’t love them any less, it's just that knowing the tru
th changes how I act. I don’t think of them as failures, I just think differently about them. Their uncertainty isn’t—‘bad’, it just—‘is’. I’m pretty sure I’m being honest when I say that, but then I worry they’d think less of me if they really ‘knew’ me. Double standards I think. Am I giving them false hope? Or, am I just being honest and recognising that this is the best way to help them?
I’m probably foolish to think they don’t see straight through me anyway. Just like Olivia could read me at a glance I bet Dad and Conner see far more than I think I’m communicating. Her ability to understand all the non-verbal clues was uncanny. I guess it means that people aren’t all that different from each other as we think we are. I mean, and this is a scary thought, I understand the craziness I see in Meredith’s eyes. I recognise the cold aloofness in Nathan’s. Does this mean that somehow I’m potentially just as broken as I think they are?
If so, then that old saying, ‘there but for the grace of God, go I’ has more meaning. My circumstances, experiences, family, culture and friends shape me. Nothing is black and white, or just one dimensional. In the same way that I could beat my ‘clones’ because I had a wider foundation of experiences to draw upon. Maybe, put in Nathan’s shoes, and having his experiences, I’d be just as bad. Then again, maybe not. Those things may explain why he is like he is but they don’t take away from him the responsibility to rise above that and to be a better person.
I understand him, but it is my choices which determine that I am not him. Or Meredith. Or John Emerson. Or John Welford. I’m me, not only because of my experiences but because of the choices I made along the way. I can’t change my circumstances, but I can change what I do in those circumstances.
I can’t change how I feel at the moment, how uncertain. But I can change what I do with the uncertainty. The wall may be shaky, but it will hold, that is my choice.
9
December 15, 2073 - Part 1
THE STORK TOWER
After a midnight snack Leah headed back to the Tower. Gèng had arranged for some early morning meetings, but the first wasn’t scheduled until 1.00 AM real time. Leah had just under three hours of virtual time before she had to be somewhere or do something. She considered having a lesson but decided to spend some time just relaxing. She decided, in the end, to walk through the Tower and discuss its development with Gèng.
Standing at the front entrance, Leah could look out over a lush and fertile valley. In the distance behind the Tower, the valley was surrounded by tall mountains with permanent snow on their peaks. From the mountains small streams eventually gathered in a series of fast flowing streams which collected into a series of small lakes, one of which was close to the first and most prominent building which made up the Tower. Some streams actually ran past and through the Tower complex. From the lakes, a broad more peaceful river flowed further down the valley before disappearing eventually into a verdant forest some distance away.
Gèng had been working on increasing the size and complexity of Leah’s personal world, and they talked about what types of creatures might be added to the forest and valley. Gèng was working on creating a herd of horses for the valley in case Leah wanted to explore via horseback. Leah suggested unicorns and the discussion deteriorated into the possible inclusion of a magic system in Leah’s universe. No conclusion was reached but Leah found the discussion both relaxing and stimulating, although in different ways.
Gèng had moved the entrance podium which looked like a medium sized gazebo made of dressed stone with a red tiled roof. It now stood across one of the small streams and was accessible via a walkway and a traditional Chinese arched wooden bridge. The bridge was located just below one of the many small waterfalls. During the night the path was lit with Chinese lanterns and during times when it rained, and during the day, shade was provided by a tiled roof which appeared when needed.
Gèng had filled the river with fish and different types of wildlife. She was still working on a self-correcting ecosystem. She and Leah spent a little time discussing how to include a food chain in what was to be a peaceful setting.
The Tower itself was built on a series of rocky outcrops. Currently, there were four separate buildings. Streams ran between the buildings, and they were connected by a series of bridges and walkways. The central tower had eight levels, where each additional level looked slightly smaller than the one below it. Inside the building, Gèng manipulated the space and adapted it as needed. Besides the main level which included Leah’s favourite sofa and an assortment of other chairs, there was a room for meditation which was large enough to contain a swimming pond, trees and an open sky.
Each of the main worlds that Leah played in had its own level, although which world was on which level changed to help Leah easily get where she wanted to go. Besides a portal to enter the world, there were pictures of significant events, statues, and rooms to display items Leah had collected or earned as well as walk-in storage areas for clothing and weapons. There was a level for Dunyanin, one for Cosmos Online, and another for Pneumatica, although the Pneumatica level was accessed not by a stairway but by the SPIDER. Gèng created a separate tier for Leah’s studies, and this now included an area where Leah could construct her own virtual experiments. The sixth level was set aside for those worlds that Leah had entered but didn’t play full time, such as Dark Moon Duel and Runes of Destiny. On the seventh level, Gèng had begun to collate the slavery information in a visual form for Leah to access when she had the time. The final level was Gèng’s world.
The next complete building was used as a meeting place by people who worked for Leah. Susan, Stephen, Peter, and Leon to name a few had their own office area. One tier was used for group meetings. Most of them found they preferred to work in Leah’s world because of the fantastic views and atmosphere. Gèng organised the space so each office looked out over the valley most appreciated by its occupant. Gèng told Leah that each of the AIs belonging to people using the area had shown increased sentience even over the last week.
The other two buildings were mostly empty, although one had a training room and Gèng had equipped it with a range of weapons. When Leah had time, Gèng hoped John and others might take the opportunity to train with Leah. Leah hadn’t seen the training area before and loved the idea. She wondered if it was worth asking her dad to allow Conner to have an AI implanted if he could train with her occasionally. She decided she would leave it for a later time to discuss with Michael.
When Leah asked what was in the final building, Gèng explained there were portals to the top of the ski slopes she’d designed in the mountains, and she was storing skis there as well as working on designing boats and canoes for use on the rivers. Leah asked for some climbing equipment. Altogether the casual walk took an hour of virtual time, and when she’d finished, Leah made her way back to the study area and began to consider afresh the different equations quaternary level braid equations she’d formulated.
While she’d been talking with Dr Ellis, she realised her equations were limited in that they described how aether dimensions could connect two points in our space-time universe with an assumption that time was moving and unidirectional. While she’d taken account of relativity, she had neglected to consider how aether dimensions might be described and or constructed outside of the space-time matrix. Could she describe an aether dimension which allowed for instantaneous movement from one location in our universe to another? She also began investigating if it might be possible for a similar type of dimension to be constructed between a point in space and the same point at a different time. If it was possible, then how would time be described in that dimension?
After two hours she’d developed a few vague ideas on instantaneous translocation but had made no progress on the idea of time travel. Leah had suggested that Gèng let her increase her neural processing speed, but Gèng was adamant that until Leah’s system had fully recovered and Gèng understood the changes taking place that it would be foolish. Leah reluctantly stopped working
on the equations when Gèng told her that Susan and Sarafaraz would be arriving at the entry podium in five minutes. Leah sighed and headed down to the entry portal.
Leah greeted Susan and Sarfaraz at the podium and walked with them back to the Tower and into the lower level where they joined Gèng. Once they were all seated Leah said, “Gèng tells me you have a possible, or more accurately, a partial solution that would allow her to manage her own funds.”
Susan said, “We do, although it is more the Sarfaraz’s idea than mine. It’s from his research, and he’s done most of the heavy lifting. So I’m going to let him explain.”
Everyone turned to Sarfaraz. “To be clear, it is only an idea, but it’s the best we’ve been able to come up with. We were unable to find any precedence or possible loopholes which would let us open an account at any banking institution at all. What I did find was a possible solution, albeit a temporary one, in case law relating to Trustees, but first, some history.
“Toward the end of the twentieth century a young boy by the name of Brian Green became an orphan at the age of ten, and his inheritance, which was substantial, was placed in the care of the family lawyer until he came of age. By the time Brian turned eighteen, the money was gone and he was left with nothing when the bank took his home. To cut a long story short, he studied law and started working as a non-for-profit Private Trustee who dealt exclusively with inheritances. He was a fierce, and probably overly obsessive, advocate of the Trustee’s absolute responsibility to act with honour, integrity, and to maintain a personal morality that could withstand any test or temptation.
“His business never had much traction, and although he persisted until he died, he achieved very little as far as removing the very few bad trustees who existed. He did, however, gain some followers who held his absolute belief in the role and responsibility of being a trustee. Three of these began a group they dubbed ‘The Emerald Knights’. They offered their services to anyone who wanted a trustee beyond reproach. They were obsessive about accountability, and they constantly reviewed each other’s work and had independent auditors look over the books at regular times.