Queen

by Timothy Zahn

  “I believe, then, that we’re seeking a barracks room,” Nise said, looking around. “Do you know how this part of the ship is laid out?”

  “Not really,” Nicole said. “But barracks rooms are large, which means extra space between their doors and the doors next to them. That gives us something to look for.”

  “That makes sense,” Nise said. “Lead, and I will follow.”

  There were three rooms they could see from their position that had the kind of door arrangement that Nicole was looking for. In the second of the three, they found five of the six missing Wisps.

  The creatures were lying on the five cots closest to the door, their bodies stiff, their eyes wide open and staring blankly at the ceiling.

  “Are they dead?” Nise asked, an edge of uneasiness in his voice. “And you said there were six. Where is the other?”

  “I don’t know,” Nicole said. “Maybe they took it somewhere else. Maybe it was injured.”

  “Or was able to return to Q3,” Nise suggested. “Do you want me to go look for it?”

  “No, we’d better stay together,” Nicole said, walking over to the nearest of the five. Steeling herself, she gingerly laid her hand on its arm. Wisp? she called.

  There was no answer. Wisp? she tried again.

  Nothing. She moved on to the others, trying with each to spark a reaction.

  Still nothing. For all she could tell, they were indeed dead.

  “Their flesh is warm.”

  Nicole turned. Nise was standing beside one of the Wisps, his sword tucked into his belt, each of his four hands resting lightly on a different place on the Wisp’s arms, torso, or neck. “Are these creatures living beings, or are they mechanical constructs?”

  “I don’t know,” Nicole said, touching her Wisp’s arm again. Nise was right—the skin was definitely warmer than room temperature. “Maybe some sort of mix? A living robot or something?”

  “That’s possible,” Nise said. “Thii science has nothing like that, but we’ve often speculated on such things. I believe I can feel a faint pulse, as well, either a living heartbeat or else a mechanical rhythm.”

  “I can’t feel anything,” Nicole said. “But your fingers may be more sensitive than mine.”

  “Perhaps,” Nise said. “Are you certain these are the same Wisps that you brought across earlier?”

  “Yes,” Nicole said, looking down at them. “And no, I don’t know how I know that, either. But I do.”

  “I don’t doubt your word,” Nise said. “What shall we do?”

  Nicole touched the nearest Wisp’s cheek. Wisp?

  Still no answer. “Well, we can’t leave them here,” she said. “Maybe taking them back to Q3 will help them. The Wisps over there might be able to do something.”

  “Very well.” Leaning forward, Nise forced his arms under the Wisp’s torso and legs and lifted.

  He got the creature maybe two inches above the cot before abruptly dropping it back down.

  “You okay?” Nicole asked.

  “They’re heavier than they look,” Nise said ruefully. “We may need to do this together.”

  “Yeah,” Nicole said, making a face. They weren’t very far from the heat-exchange duct, but doing the back-and-forth trip five times was begging for trouble from the Shipmasters, especially with both of them encumbered with a Wisp’s worth of baggage. But if the Wisps were that heavy, the only option would be to go hunt down a cart.

  Impulsively, she leaned over, slipped her arms under the Wisp’s shoulders and thighs, and lifted. Come on, Wisp, she growled mentally at it. Wake up and smell the coffee.

  I smell no coffee.

  Nicole jerked back, yanking her hands out from under it, the echo of that unexpected thought tingling through her mind.

  “What is it?” Nise snapped, and out of the corner of Nicole’s eye she saw him snatch his sword from his belt.

  “It’s okay,” she assured him hastily, staring down at the Wisp. Its eyes were still open, but instead of just staring blankly at the ceiling it seemed to be studying it.

  Nicole caught her breath. Studying it?

  She stepped back and touched its arm. Do you know who I am?

  You are the Protector.

  That’s right. Can you see me?

  The Wisp’s eyes turned toward her face. Yes.

  Can you see the room you’re in?

  Its eyes shifted sideways. Yes.

  Describe it.

  It is a group sleeping room.

  “What is it?” Nise asked.

  “It can see the room,” Nicole said, hearing a slight trembling in her voice. “It can see me and the room.”

  “Did you think it was blind?”

  “You don’t understand,” Nicole said. “Up to now, none of the Wisps I’ve talked to could see more than a corridor or two past their own section of the ship. This one has somehow been— I don’t know. Enlightened? Unblinded?”

  “Perhaps reprogrammed,” Nise suggested.

  Nicole looked down at the Wisp. If Nise was right, and if all the Wisps could be reprogrammed …

  She touched the Wisp’s arm. What section of the ship do you belong to?

  I have no designated section. I belong with the Protector.

  Nicole felt a tingle run through her. Did that mean it could go wherever she did, and do whatever she wanted? If I give you orders, you’ll obey them?

  Yes.

  More importantly, did it mean it wouldn’t do what Fievj and the other Shipmasters wanted? If the Shipmasters give you orders, will you obey them?

  If you order me to do so, I will obey them.

  I don’t want you to do so. I want you to never obey the Shipmasters.

  Then I shall not do so.

  Not ever?

  Not ever.

  Nicole pursed her lips. Obeying her; not obeying Fievj. Good. Now, how much further could she take this? Do you remember Jeff? He came across with me earlier from Q3.

  Yes. I remember him.

  If I order you to obey him, will you do so?

  Yes.

  Then I order that. You’ll obey his orders, and mine. No one else’s. Unless I tell you to do so later.

  Understood. I will obey you and Jeff only.

  Nicole lifted her hand away, her mind spinning. Even having just one Wisp fully under her and Jeff’s control could be a big game changer.

  But if all five of them were the same way …

  She touched the Wisp again. Do you know what happened to the sixth Wisp who came over with us?

  It was confused. Unable to function. It was taken to a room of reserve to recover its senses.

  Do you know where this room is?

  No.

  Nicole nodded. So; just these five.

  Still, five Wisps under her direct control was way more than she’d had any right to expect. All right. Wait here for further orders.

  I obey the Protector.

  Nicole stepped to the next cot and laid her hand on the Wisp’s arm. Wake up, she ordered. The Protector wishes you to wake up. Please.

  I obey the Protector, the Wisp said.

  Can you see me?

  Yes.

  Can you see the room we’re in?

  Yes.

  I order you to obey me and Jeff and no one else.

  Understood. I will obey only you and Jeff.

  Two minutes later, all five Wisps were awake and had promised their obedience. “Wisps: stand up,” Nicole said aloud, moving to the door.

  Silently, all five stood. “If they’re to be your personal servants, perhaps you should name them,” Nise suggested.

  “I’m thinking they’re more allies than servants,” Nicole said. “But that’s a good idea.” She lifted a hand, leveled a finger at the leftmost Wisp. “I’m going to give you names,” she announced. “You will answer to Cambria.” She moved the finger one Wisp to the right. “You will answer to Firth.

  “Hagert.

  “Jessup.

  “Lehigh.”
>
  She ran the Wisps through the names a second time, just to make sure they’d all gotten them. “Any other suggestions?” she asked Nise.

  “Not at this time,” Nise said. “Interesting names. Is there a significance to them?”

  “Those are some of the streets from where I used to live,” Nicole said, a stream of dark memories running through her. “Streets I never want to see again.”

  Nise seemed to ponder that. “If the names don’t inspire you, why do you use them?”

  “Oh, they inspire me, all right,” Nicole said grimly. “They inspire me to never let anything like that ever happen to me again. Or to anyone else I know.”

  “Good,” Nise said, and Nicole could hear a hint of approval in his voice. “What now?”

  “First, we head back to the hive and get you more food and water,” Nicole said. “Then we find Jeff and he or I will escort you back here so you can return to Iyulik to see if there’s any further news.”

  “And after that?” Nise asked, gesturing toward the Wisps. “What will you do with them?”

  “Not sure,” Nicole said. “But I can tell you one thing. Whatever it is, the Shipmasters will never see it coming.” She lifted a hand and beckoned. “Wisps? Come with us.”

  thirteen

  “Well,” Jeff said, scratching his cheek as he eyed the five silent Wisps. “That’s new.”

  “I know,” Nicole said around a mouthful of green-paste flatbread. It was the first chance she’d had to eat in a long time, and she was determined to make the most of it. “The question is, how are we going to use them?”

  “Oh, I can think of a dozen possibilities right off the top of my head.” Jeff jerked a thumb at Kahkitah, sitting on the other side of the dining room table. “I’m guessing the Ghorfs could come up with a dozen more.”

  “Indeed,” Kahkitah said, his bird whistles quiet and thoughtful. “Tell me, do you know if the Shipmasters can tell one Wisp from another?”

  “No idea,” Nicole said. “I don’t even know how I can tell them apart.”

  “An effect of your connection to the Fyrantha, no doubt,” Kahkitah said. “Have you experimented with how many orders you can give a specific Wisp at the same time?”

  Nicole frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “He means,” Jeff said, “can you tell a Wisp to go to one of the tool lockers”—he paused, leaning over to look at the underside of the table—“pick out a number-four tri-wrench, bring it back here, and take one of the table legs off?”

  “Why would I—? Oh,” Nicole interrupted herself, nodding as she understood.

  “Exactly,” Jeff said. “If they can remember strings of instructions, we can use them for complicated jobs. If they can’t, we can’t.”

  “Shall we try an experiment?” Kahkitah suggested.

  “It’s as good a time as any.” Jeff gestured to Nicole. “Over to you, Nicole.”

  “Okay,” Nicole said, eyeing the Wisps. “Cambria, come here, please.”

  The Wisp glided to the table and stopped, and Nicole touched its arm. Cambria, I want you to go to the nearest tool cabinet. Get a number-four tri-wrench and bring it back here to me. Please.

  What is a number-four tri-wrench?

  It’s the fourth-smallest triangle-shaped wrench, Nicole said. It takes off triangle-shaped nuts. Do you know what wrenches and nuts are?

  No.

  Nicole made a face. Whatever the Wisps’ purpose was aboard the Fyrantha, apparently it didn’t involve the ship’s tools. This is a nut, she said. Taking its hand and guiding it under the table, she closed its fingers around the nut. This is a nut. Can you find a wrench that will wrap around it and bring it to me?

  I will try, the Wisp answered.

  Good. Go and get it now. Please.

  The Wisp turned and left the room. “Trouble?” Jeff asked.

  “It doesn’t know what wrenches or nuts are,” Nicole told him. “I tried letting it touch one, but I don’t know if that’ll be good enough.”

  “It apparently believed it was,” Kahkitah said. “Otherwise, I doubt it would have left without obtaining additional clarification.”

  “Good point,” Jeff said. “But it could easily just think it has enough clarification. Let’s see what it brings back.”

  The door opened. Nicole looked over to see Levi glance in, his expression tense. He started to turn away, spotted Nicole, and stopped. “There you are,” he said. “You’ve got a visitor. Fievj is coming down the hall.”

  Nicole felt her eyes widen. “Fievj is here?”

  “And looking for you,” Levi said. “I told him I hadn’t seen you in a while—”

  “Is he armored?” Jeff cut in.

  “You mean in that centaur suit?” Levi said, jerking a little as he belatedly noticed the four motionless Wisps. “Yeah. You want me to tell him you’re here?”

  “Is Fievj one of the Shipmasters?” Kahkitah asked nervously. “Oh, please—not in here. They frighten me.”

  “It’s okay, Kahkitah,” Nicole soothed, standing up. Back to his stupid-Ghorf persona; but his message was clear. Letting Fievj see a group of Wisps hanging around the blue team’s dining room would probably be a bad idea. “Thanks, Levi. I’ll go meet him out there and find out what he wants.”

  “I’ll come with you,” Jeff volunteered, standing up beside Nicole. “Levi, you want to wait here with Kahkitah?”

  “I think I’ll come watch,” Levi said, giving the Wisps one more look before stepping aside out of the doorway. “From a distance, if you don’t mind.”

  “No, actually that’s a good idea,” Jeff said. “I doubt we’ll need a witness, but you never know.”

  “Yeah,” Levi said under his breath as Nicole passed him. “Terrific.”

  They found Fievj three corridors away, walking with a measured, almost hesitant stride. He spotted Nicole and Jeff coming toward him, and it seemed to Nicole that he picked up his pace a little. “Remember that he has to turn around to get to his weapons,” Jeff murmured. “If he makes any kind of move, you duck down the nearest cross-corridor and run like hell.”

  “What about you?” she murmured back.

  “If we’re close enough, I’ll try to beat him to the punch,” Jeff said. “If not, I’ll be right behind you.”

  Nicole swallowed hard. And right here, with the two of them midway between the nearest escape routes, was Fievj’s best opportunity to kill them both.

  But to her nervous surprise, he made no effort to get to the weapons stash, but merely kept walking toward them. Another dozen steps, and they all came to a halt a couple of yards apart.

  “Protector,” the Shipmaster’s voice came through Nicole’s translator. “I’m Fievj. I speak for the Shipmasters.”

  “I know,” Nicole said. “And I speak for the Fyrantha.”

  Fievj might have twitched at that. Probably her imagination.

  “What do you want?” she continued.

  “We’re facing a crisis,” Fievj said. “I’ve been sent to ask for your help.”

  “Interesting,” Jeff said. “What’s the crisis this time?”

  “The Koffren.” Fievj hesitated. “You must first understand that the Koffren are not like the aliens we bring to the testing arenas. They’re … clients, shall we say. Clients with a strong interest in the Fyrantha and our operation.”

  “Yeah, we’d kind of guessed that,” Nicole said. “So you’re scared of them?”

  “You’re scared of two of them?” Jeff added pointedly.

  “They’re formidable opponents,” Fievj said. “You know that—you’ve faced them.”

  “Twice, actually,” Jeff said. “And we’ve beaten them both times.”

  “Well, the first time, anyway,” Nicole corrected him. “You told them to let us win the second time, didn’t you?”

  This time there was a definite twitch. “We made no such stipulation.”

  “Sure,” Nicole said. “There’s still only two of them.”

  “Not f
or long,” Fievj warned. “Not unless we can come to an agreement.”

  “What are you talking about?” Jeff asked, frowning. “What are they going to do, breed a bunch of little Koffren on you?”

  “Of course not,” Fievj bit out. “They’re going to bring in more of their kind. More warriors, and almost certainly better armed.”

  “How?” Nicole said. “Don’t you and the Wisps control the teleport rooms?”

  “If they choose to take them over, we cannot stop them,” Fievj said. “They are warriors.”

  Jeff snorted. “They’re warriors with swords and spider guns,” he said. “You’re warriors with greenfire weapons. Two clear shots, and it’s over.”

  “It’s not that simple,” Fievj said. “We aren’t—” He broke off. “We’re not warriors,” he said softly. “We don’t fight. Not like you do.”

  “We don’t fight, either,” Nicole said. Not that he was going to believe her, but it was still worth a try.

  “But you are leaders,” Fievj said. “You’re leaders, planners, and encouragers. You’re right, there are only two Koffren at present. But we cannot face them without you.”

  And then, maybe fifty yards behind Fievj, a Wisp came into view from a cross-corridor and glided toward them.

  Not just any Wisp. Cambria.

  And in its hand, the wrench Nicole had asked for.

  Nicole went rigid. If Fievj saw it …

  “So what do you want us to do?” Jeff asked, easing a half step to his right away from Nicole, clearly hoping to draw Fievj’s attention away from the Wisp as it came up to Nicole.

  It was a good plan. But not good enough, Nicole realized. Cambria would stop in front of Nicole and hand her the wrench, and even in that armored helmet Fievj’s peripheral vision was bound to be good enough to let him see the interaction.

  And if the Wisps didn’t even know what a tri-wrench was, there was no reason for one of them to be walking around with one, let alone bringing one to a Sibyl. The last thing they needed was for Fievj to start wondering just how much control she had over the Wisps.

  For that matter, even just a Wisp appearing here without orders or without Nicole calling for it might spark some of the same curiosity and suspicion. Her only chance was to pretend she was summoning it and hope Fievj didn’t have any rearview mirrors in there. She opened her mouth.