by Timothy Zahn
“Fine,” Sam said. “Just don’t forget about us.”
“I won’t,” Nicole promised. “I’ll see you later.”
Kahkitah was waiting just outside when she opened the door, in a posture that suggested he’d had his ear pressed against the panel a few seconds earlier. “Are you all right?” he asked as the door slid shut behind her.
“I’m fine,” she assured him. “Did you know that Allyce has left?”
“Permanently?”
“I don’t know. Did you know anything about that?”
“There was a report that she was out of her usual area,” Kahkitah said thoughtfully. “Ten or eleven levels above us, in the red work crew area. But not every team has a full-time doctor—blue team was very unusual in having two—and we assumed she was simply answering a medical call. Was she not?”
“Doesn’t sound like it,” Nicole said. “At least, if she was, she didn’t tell Sam.”
“Unless Sam is lying.”
“Yeah, there’s that,” Nicole admitted. “Let’s try something.” She turned toward the front of the ship and picked up her pace.
“Where are we going?” Kahkitah asked.
“For starters, away from here,” Nicole said. “I want to talk to a Wisp, and don’t want anyone else watching me do it.”
They went another four cross-corridors before she decided they were far enough away from the hive that they wouldn’t stumble across any of their work team. “Wisp?” she called. “Wisp? Come here. Please.”
“I didn’t think you needed to say please to the Q4 Wisps,” Kahkitah said.
Nicole shrugged uncomfortably. “One of the things my grandmother tried to make me do that I didn’t want to,” she admitted. “Politeness.”
“It does aid in interpersonal relationships.”
“Yeah, some of them,” Nicole said, thinking back to Trake’s gang. There, politeness got you nothing but ridicule. “Most of them, probably.” She waved a hand. “I suppose better late than never, like she also used to say.”
“Indeed.” Kahkitah pointed down the corridor to their right. “There.”
Nicole turned to see a Wisp gliding toward them. “Come on,” she said, and headed toward it.
They met the creature halfway. The Wisp stopped, and Nicole reached out and closed her hand around its arm.
Welcome, Protector, the voice came in her mind. How may I serve?
I want to locate Allyce from the blue work team, Nicole thought back at it. Can you tell me where she is?
She is on level 10 in bahri-four-four-six.
Nicole frowned. Bahri was the farthest forward section of Q3 and Q4, right behind the crosswise heat-transfer duct that separated the front half of the Fyrantha from the rear half. Level 10 put her only nine levels below the top of the ship.
What in the world was she doing up there? What’s in that room?
It is a supply room for animal treatment.
Do you know why she’s there?
No.
Is there anything up there that we don’t have in the medical center?
Many things. Do you wish a list?
Nicole hesitated. Would she even know what she was looking for?
Probably not. But Sam was a doctor, too. He might be able to spot something Nicole wouldn’t. Not right now, she told the Wisp. If I want one later I’ll ask for it.
Very well. Do you need anything else?
Not right now, Nicole said again. I’ll need a ride across into Q3, but I can call another Wisp once I’m closer to the heat duct. Thank you.
She released her grip on the Wisp’s arm, and the creature glided away.
“Did it know where she was?” Kahkitah asked.
“Level 10, bahri section, in one of the supply rooms,” Nicole told him. “It didn’t have any idea why she was there. Neither do I.”
“The specific room may not be significant,” Kahkitah said. “If she’s looking for a particular item, or for that matter merely studying the ship and its contents, she may simply be passing through.”
“I know,” Nicole said. “And I don’t have time to go find her now. I need to get over to Q3 and see if Nise or Iyulik is back from their recon yet.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“That shouldn’t be necessary,” Nicole said. “The Thii know where to meet me on level 36, and I won’t be traveling far in Q3 before I’m out of sight. Anyway, you and the other Ghorfs should probably start figuring out some strategies of your own in case Jeff and I can’t come up with something else.” She winced. “Or if we do and it blows up in our faces.”
“I’ll do all I can to ensure that doesn’t happen,” Kahkitah said quietly. “But you’re right. We do need to think and plan for the future.”
“Good,” Nicole said. “Better get to it, then.”
“We will,” Kahkitah said. “But first I’ll walk you to the heat-exchange duct.”
“I’ll be all right,” Nicole insisted, feeling some irritation. She didn’t need to be babied here. “The Shipmasters are smart enough not to come to Q4, where I control the Wisps.”
“The Shipmasters may be,” Kahkitah agreed. “Bungie may not.”
He had a point. “Fine,” she said with a sigh.
They found a stairway and climbed the four flights down to level 36. From there Nicole led the way to the centerline and called a Wisp. A few minutes later, as Kahkitah watched silently, she was carried across to Q3.
What do you see? Nicole asked as the panel closed behind them and the Wisp folded its wings. Do you see the Q3 part of the ship?
I see a corridor, the Wisp replied. There is no more.
Nicole sighed. Still unable to see anything beyond their own sectors.
On the other hand, that blindness might prove to be a useful marker. If and when the Fyrantha got the Caretaker connected again to the part of the computer that talked to the Wisps, the creatures should suddenly be able to see everything.
Of course, that might also happen if the Shipmasters got control of all the Wisps, too, either through the Caretaker or Oracle or some other way.
What Nicole could do about that if it happened she had no idea. But at least it might give her some advance warning that something had changed. Best to keep asking the Wisps that question.
The barracks room where she’d had Wesowee tell the Thii to meet her was deserted. Hopefully, that just meant that the Thii hadn’t yet returned, not that they’d gotten back and given up waiting for her.
Even more hopefully, it didn’t mean they’d come back and been captured.
That was an unpleasant thought. Still, it was unlikely the Thii had been taken without putting up a fight, and she couldn’t see any evidence of a struggle. She would just have to trust in their abilities, and hope for the best.
She should also get some rest. That was what she needed most right now. Not sleep, of course—she didn’t have time for sleep. But some rest, and some time to think.
She got a drink of water from the room’s dispenser, then chose a cot against the wall with the door but nearly to the corner. From there, she would be able to instantly see anyone who came in, while they would have to turn their heads to spot her. It wasn’t much of an advantage, but it was all she had.
She lay down on her chosen cot, grabbed two extra pillows and wedged them beneath her head so that the door was directly in her line of sight, and settled down to rest and think.
Two minutes later, she was asleep.
twelve
She was alone in a silent room, aware that there were walls all around her but unable to see them. She tried to cry out, but couldn’t speak.
Then, abruptly, the room became one of Trake’s parties, with a DJ scratching violently on his turntable in the corner. Nicole wanted to tell him to stop making so much noise, that she was trying to think, but once again she couldn’t find her voice—
“Protector?” the translation came in her mind. “Protector, wake up. Please.”
; Abruptly, the dream vanished. With an effort, Nicole pried open her eyes, to find Nise standing over her, his short sword gripped in one of his two right hands. “Nise,” she managed through a mouth that was surprisingly dry. But at least she had a voice again. “Sorry. I must have fallen asleep.”
Some of the stiffness seemed to leave his posture. More DJ turntable scratching—“No apology needed,” the translation came, the words this time sounding relieved. “I apologize in turn if I shouted unreasonably loudly. I was concerned that the Shipmasters had harmed you.”
“No, I was just overtired,” Nicole said, blinking a couple of times to clear her vision. “Are you all right? And is Iyulik here?”
“I’m unharmed and in good health,” Nise assured her. “Iyulik did not return with me, but remains in position above the teleport room.”
The last bit of sleep fog abruptly evaporated from Nicole’s mind. “You found the teleport room?” she asked, pushing herself up into a sitting position.
“Indeed,” Nise said. “Bungie led us to one of the Shipmasters, and we then followed them both to the room.”
“That’s great,” Nicole said. If she’d had a choice, she probably would have preferred the armory. But the teleport room was a perfectly good second target. “Where is it?”
“The precise location is a bit uncertain,” Nise said. “The markings in and around the air ducts are not as clear as in the normal passageways. But we believe it to be in the korvuli section of the ship, on level 52.”
“Do you know which teleport room it was? From the descriptions I’ve heard, I think there are at least two of them.”
“We found only one control room,” Nise said. “But a bit of exploration showed that it has two different sections, the one to starboard considerably larger than the one to portside.”
“So two rooms where people come and go, but both operated by a single control room between them,” Nicole said, pursing her lips. Actually, now that she thought about it, that made more sense for technology that the owners wanted to keep centralized and controlled. “Okay. So. Korvuli 52?”
“Yes,” Nise said.
Nicole nodded, visualizing the Fyrantha’s layout. So it was in the third section back from the ship’s bow, and just beneath one of the networks of horizontal air ducts. “How close was the room to one of the air ducts?”
“As I said, the rooms are directly beneath one of them,” Nise said. “Iyulik is able to watch through the various vents as the Wisps and Shipmasters conduct their business.”
“Yes, you did say that, didn’t you?” Nicole said, her momentary irritation at herself for having missed that point disappearing into sudden dread at the more important revelation. “You said they’re doing business in there? What kind? Are they bringing in new people?”
“Indeed,” Nise said. “Not aliens this time, but other humans.”
Nicole mouthed a curse. So the Shipmasters were indeed starting new work crews. “Did you hear anything about what the new people were here for? Like if they were new work crews or fighters or something else?”
“Nothing was said in my hearing about their purpose,” Nise said. “Though as each was brought aboard he was quickly moved from the room, so there was little opportunity for such discussion.” He made an extra-scratchy sound that Nicole’s translator ignored. “I will say that their choice of language left much to be desired.”
“Yeah, we humans can get that way,” Nicole said, wincing a little. “Sorry. I hope it wasn’t too bad.”
Nise waved away the apology. “It’s of no importance. I’ve merely never heard so many uses of excrement repeated so closely together.”
“Sounds like the group I used to hang out with,” Nicole said. “They probably thought it made them sound macho. Mostly it just got real tired real fast. Could you tell how many they were bringing in?”
“No,” Nise said. “I saw three arrive, but the process was going slowly and I thought it best that I return to report. Iyulik will have gathered more complete information by the time I return to him.”
“Yeah,” Nicole said, frowning as she tried to force these new facts into her thoughts and plans. Bringing new humans aboard was a worrisome development. On the other hand, knowing where the teleport room was counted as a good thing.
Complications … but for the moment, at least, she had a more pressing problem to deal with. “Okay, thanks,” she told Nise. “I suppose you might as well go back to Iyulik and see if he has anything new to report. You can find your way back to him, right?”
“Yes, of course,” Nise said.
“Oh, and you should take more water, too,” Nicole added. Now, too late, she realized she should have brought a fresh supply of their granola mix from the hive.
“That’s all right,” Nise said. “We made sure to bring several water bottles when we were first summoned to your side.”
“What about food?”
“Again, no concern needed. We brought some with us, and I gave Iyulik the rest of mine in anticipation of my return to the hive for more. It should suffice until you no longer need us there.”
“Okay,” Nicole said, hoping that was true. The whole thrust of the arena testing was for the Shipmasters to keep the opposite sides close enough to the edge of starvation that they were forced to fight. She had no idea how long Thii could go without food, and she didn’t want to be the one who made everyone find out. “Do you want to go back first and get some more food?”
“If you are returning, I would be pleased to escort you back,” Nise said. “Or are you going elsewhere?”
“I’m actually going to Q1,” Nicole said. “Just before you woke me up I had a dream that I think might have been the ship talking to me.”
“I was unaware the Fyrantha did such things.”
“So was I,” Nicole said. “And I might be wrong. But either way, I need to check it out. See, while you and Iyulik were following Bungie, some of us made a trip into Q1 to try to find the armory. But we ran into the Koffren and had to pull back.”
“Did all of you survive?”
“Yes,” Nicole said. “Though looking back I’m now thinking that the Shipmasters let us go, just driving us back, so that we’d run back to their tame Wisps and get dropped down the heat duct.”
“What?” Nise demanded, his grip visibly tightening on his sword hilt.
“It’s okay,” Nicole said quickly. “I spotted the trap in time and we got around it. The point is, by the time we got back to the duct the six Wisps I’d brought over from Q3 had disappeared and had been replaced by the Shipmasters’ Q1 group.”
“Where did the Q3 Wisps go?”
“That’s what I think the dream—the Fyrantha—was trying to tell me. I hadn’t really thought about it before, but I’m wondering if the Shipmasters took them farther into Q1, where they can’t see anything, and locked them in one of the rooms.”
“There are many things there that I don’t understand,” Nise said slowly. “What I do understand is that you are going to a place where you may need protection. May I accompany you?”
Nicole hesitated. It was probably more important that he get more food and then go back to Iyulik while she and Jeff started figuring out the best way to hit the teleport room.
But she also knew that Nise wouldn’t be happy if he knew she was wandering around Q1 by herself, and distracted people often got careless. “Sure,” she said. “Come on, let’s find us a couple of Wisps.”
* * *
They reached the heat-transfer duct wall without seeing anyone, either Wisps, Shipmasters, or Koffren. Two Wisps came at Nicole’s call, and after confirming they weren’t under Shipmaster control she had them take her and Nise across.
Wait here for us, please, she ordered as the closing door shut off the blast of heat behind them. And if my companion returns alone, obey his orders. Please.
I obey.
The Wisps opened their arms, and once again she and Nise were able to move. “Where do we begin?” the Th
ii asked, looking around.
Nicole reached back and got a grip on her Wisp’s arm. Do you know if any of your fellow Q3 Wisps are in here? she asked. Or if any are missing? Or can you see or hear or sense any of them?
There is no in here, Protector, the Wisp replied. There is nothing beyond the passageway where we now stand.
Nicole grimaced. Understood, she said. Please wait here.
I obey.
Nicole started to let go—One more question, she said. Can one Wisp paralyze another Wisp by holding it or picking it up?
Yes. Injured Wisps are often transported that way.
Nicole felt her eyebrows go up. Injured Wisps? She hadn’t heard about Wisps getting injured.
But now that she thought about it, maybe that was how the Shipmasters had convinced the Q1 Wisps to lock away the Q3 group she’d brought over. If they’d convinced the Q1 Wisps that the Q3 group was injured or sick, that might have done it. Could I order you to pick up or neutralize another Wisp?
Is the Wisp injured?
Not necessarily. I’m asking as the Fyrantha’s Protector. Could I order you to pick up or neutralize another Wisp?
As the Protector, you may order me to do whatever you wish.
Nicole wrinkled her nose. At least until the Wisp was back under Shipmaster control. Thank you, she said, and let go of its arm. “They don’t know where the other Wisps are,” she told Nise. “We’re on our own.”
“As expected,” Nise said. “Where do we begin?”
Nicole chewed at the inside of her cheek. Injured Wisps … “It won’t be too far,” she said, thinking out loud. “It won’t be something small, either, like a pump room or storage closet. Something with beds, probably.”
“Do Wisps lie down?” Nise asked. “I’ve never seen one that wasn’t moving.”
“Neither have I,” Nicole conceded. “Except the ones Wesowee threw into some of the others. They went down flat.”
“One of the Ghorfs threw a Wisp?”
“Yeah, they’re pretty strong,” Nicole said. “And the Wisps he hit fell over, too. But they all got up by themselves just fine, so I guess that tells us they can lie down.”