The Orphaned Worlds

by Michael Cobley

  Algae streaks marked where water had trickled in. Mud lay in fan-shaped deposits from which a few pale, sickly plants sprouted, not tall enough to reach the rim of the large circular stone platform that covered most of the floor. Its surface was incised with dense, interlocking patterns, half-geometric, half-plantlike, their grooves the source of that eerie luminescence. As her eyes traced the convoluted lines, she recalled Theo’s description of the warpwell chamber that Greg and Chel had found beneath Giant’s Shoulder.

  Be here, to speak, Segrana had said in her dream, but with whom? Was this stone platform something similar to the warp-well? Were they connected in some fashion? Perhaps this was an ancient means for communicating with Segrana. Eager to know, she carefully descended a rank of narrow stone stairs and stepped out onto the platform.

  The grey radiance immediately brightened. Some patterns gleamed like burning silver and curtains of light sprang up before her.

  WHY ARE YOU HERE?

  The voice filled the building and filled her head, resonating at low registers that made her skin tingle. She was astonished but felt no fear.

  ‘I answered the call of Segrana,’ she said calmly. ‘Why are you here?’

  TO SPEAK WITH THE KEEPER OF SEGRANA, WITH YOU, MACREADIE.

  ‘Keeper?’ she said, recalling some references to the honorific in the tales of the War of the Long Night. ‘The Listeners here call me Pathmistress, which is one too many high-and-mighty titles, to be honest. What about you – what should I call you?’

  I AM THE SENTINEL OF THE WARPWELL AT WAONWIR, WHICH HUMANS CALL GIANT’S SHOULDER. I AM HERE TO QUESTION YOU ABOUT ANOTHER HUMAN, A FEMALE CALLED JULIA BRYCE. SHE IS ONE OF THE HUMAN VARIANTS KNOWN AS ENHANCED, LIKE YOU …

  ‘Not like me,’ Cat said sharply. ‘My talents didn’t develop properly, so I didn’t get to become a full Enhanced, got it?’ She swallowed and glared at the shifting, shining veils. ‘So what’re ye interested in her for? I was told that she and some others were grabbed by that Earthsphere ship.’

  That was another part of Theo’s tale that had amazed her, the determination of the intelligence chief Pyatkov in trying to keep Julia and her team out of Hegemony hands, only for them to end up on board the Earthsphere cruiser, Heracles.

  AN ALLY OF MINE KNOWN AS THE CONSTRUCT HAS TOLD ME THAT FIVE HUMANS WERE SEEN IN THE COMPANY OF HURNEGUR AND JESHKRA, TWO NOTORIOUS INSURGENT LEADERS FROM THE YAMANON DOMAIN. BOTH LED REVOLTS AGAINST THE DOL-DAS OPPRESSORS AND THEN FOUGHT AGAINST HEGEMONY–EARTHSPHERE FORCES AFTER THE TYRANNY FELL. ALSO, BOTH HAVE RECENTLY CONVERTED TO THE SPIRAL PROPHECY, A NARROWLY INTERPRETED, HIGHLY MILITANT STRAND OF SAGERIST BELIEF.

  Listening carefully, Cat frowned. ‘Why are you so sure that these five Humans were Julia Bryce and her people?’ She was going to say ‘friends’ but real friendship was never Julia’s style.

  HUMANS ARE A RARE SIGHT FROM THE ARANJA TESH STATES COREWARD – THEY WOULD BE NOTICED. A DREDGE OF MAJOR MEDIA ARCHIVES TURNED UP A REPORT FROM BARAMU, AN OPENPORT ON THE BORDER OF BURANJ. FIVE HUMANS WERE SEEN BOARDING THE QOL-VALISH, A MULTI-CARGO HAULER BOUND FOR EARTHSPHERE, MORE THAN FOUR WEEKS AGO. ITS NEXT STOP WAS METRAJ BUT IT NEVER ARRIVED – ARMED HIJACKERS SEIZED CONTROL, LOOTED THE VALUABLES, KIDNAPPED THE FIVE HUMANS THEN LEFT THE SHIP DRIFTING IN INTERSTELLAR SPACE, ITS HYPERDRIVE WRECKED AND MOST OF THE CREW AND PASSENGERS DEAD.

  A square frame emerged from the curtain of light, a picture coalescing from the haze to show seven humans getting into an open-top barge. Two were in uniform, Earthsphere navy she guessed, while the others wore civilian clothing. One, a woman, was turned toward the cam as she gazed down at the busy terminal – it was Julia.

  ‘That’s her,’ she said.

  A second picture appeared alongside the first – in it, Julia and her team were standing in the lee of a transport of some kind, something with small oval portholes, stubby wings and a scoured, battered hull. A hulking Henkayan in grubby pale blue robes and meshcloth headgear was in front of Julia, talking to her; next to the Henkayan was a lanky Gomedran wearing a dark, close-fitting body suit. From the Humans’ body language Catriona knew that they were captives, and found herself feeling something like concern for them.

  THE HENKAYAN IS HURNEGUR AND THE GOMEDRAN IS JESHKRA. THIS WAS TAKEN ON A WORLD CALLED ZOPHOR THREE, WHICH IS LOCATED NEAR THE BORDER BETWEEN THE YAMANON DOMAIN AND THE KALIMBRYK AVAIL. IT IS AN ARID PLANET WHOSE LARGE WATER BODIES HAVE BEEN SHRINKING FOR CENTURIES, AND FOR ALMOST AS LONG IT HAS BEEN A HAVEN FOR REFUGEES FROM THROUGHOUT THE REGION.

  Catriona looked closer and could see, on one side beyond the blunt outstretched fingers of the Henkayan, an expanse of tents and shacks hazed by wind-borne dust and the smoke of cooking fires.

  ‘You seem to have enough to prove that it was Julia,’ she said. ‘So why am I here? What do ye need from me? … and how did you get Segrana to mess about with my dreams?’

  THERE ARE CERTAIN AVENUES OF COMMUNICATION THAT MAY BE USED ACCORDING TO CIRCUMSTANCE. KEEPER MACREADIE – THE WOMAN BRYCE AND HER COMPANIONS ARE ALL GENETICALLY AUGMENTED IN THEIR INTELLECT, SO WE NEED TO KNOW HOW DANGEROUS THEIR KNOWLEDGE IS. COULD THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON WEAPONS RESEARCH OR OTHER MILITARY PROJECTS AT ONE TIME?

  ‘Probably, aye,’ she said. ‘The Office of Defence was always coming up with wild theories and modification proposals, which the seniors and the pros were obliged to exhaustively analyse and test. I never became a senior, never joined one of the pro squads, and since the Enhanced don’t really go in for reunion parties there’s no’ much gossip to be had.’ She frowned. ‘But I did learn from Greg’s Uncle Theo that it was the spy chief, Pyatkov, who was totally committed to getting Julia and her people away. Aye, the more I think about it, the more it looks as if they were involved in something high-concept. Mind you, they probably know a lot about several projects.’

  IF THEY WERE FACED WITH THE THREAT OF VIOLENT COERCION, WOULD THEY RESIST OR WOULD THEY COMPLY?

  ‘They’d do as they were told, I expect, if the odds were against them. Why do ye ask?’

  The Sentinel was silent for a moment, and Catriona was suddenly acutely aware of how cold it was down in this sunken, stone-walled chamber. She shivered, thinking that the explanation for dragging her all the way into the depths had better be good.

  ACCORDING TO THE CONSTRUCT AGENT’S REPORT, THE ENHANCED HUMANS REMAINED ON ZOPHOR THREE UNTIL THREE DAYS AGO WHEN THEY LEFT ON BOARD A SHORT-RANGE SHUTTLE. AT THE SAME TIME, HURNEGUR AND JESHKRA ALSO DEPARTED IN THEIR SHUTTLES, ALONG WITH OVER FOUR HUNDRED SMALL SHIPS, MOST OF WHICH SEEMED TO BE JUMP-CAPABLE. ANOTHER REPORT SAYS THAT THIS FLEET RENDEZVOUSED WITH ANOTHER POSSIBLY LARGER ONE IN HIGH ORBIT. SHORTLY AFTER, THE ENTIRE ARMADA MOVED OFF IN FORMATION THEN JUMPED TO HYPERSPACE.

  ‘So what are ye saying?’ Cat said. ‘That Julia and her buddies cooked up some kind of mega-weapon, then it was off to the Yamanon Domain to have a go at the Hegemony?’

  IT SEEMS UNLIKELY, GIVEN THE NATURE OF THEIR BELIEF AND ITS INTENSE FERVOUR. CONVERSION TO THE SPIRAL PROPHECY HAS SPREAD RAPIDLY THROUGH MANY OF THE CAMPS AND SAND CITIES ON ZOPHOR THREE, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE SECOND SPIRAL SAGE OF BURANJ ARRIVED AND WAS PROCLAIMED THE PROPHET-SAGE. IT WAS HE WHO ANNOUNCED THAT THE DIMENSIONS OF THE UVOVO TEMPLE ON GIANT’S SHOULDER CORRESPONDED TO THOSE OF THE LOST TOMB OF THE DIVINE FATHER-SAGE ARIGESSI.

  ‘You’re not serious.’

  I AM VERY SERIOUS. WHEN IT BECAME KNOWN THREE WEEKS AGO THAT THE HEGEMONY RESEARCHERS HAD DUG A HUGE TRENCH IN THE TOP OF THE GIANT’S SHOULDER PROMONTORY THERE WERE RIOTS ON ZOPHOR THREE IN WHICH HUNDREDS DIED. RUMOURS ARE NOW RIFE THERE THAT THE PROPHET-SAGE HAS LEFT TO TRAVEL WITH THE DIVINE ARMADA TO ITS SACRED DESTINATION.

  Stunned, Catriona stared at the images still hanging before her. The implications seemed both ridiculous and awful.

  ‘You’re not suggesting that they’re coming here … surely they can’t …’

  THE PROBABILITY IS VERY HIGH. THE DISCOVERY OF DARIEN AND THE SUBSEQUENT EVENTS HAVE HAD A CATALYSING EFFECT ON ALL SPIRAL
PROPHECY FOLLOWERS – ALL ELSE IS SECONDARY.

  She bit her lip. ‘But why?’

  YOUR SOCIETY PROVIDES NO EQUIVALENT EXPERIENCE. THE PROVISIONAL CAMPS ON ZOPHOR THREE AND ANOTHER HANDFUL OF WORLDS IN THAT AREA HARBOUR HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF REFUGEES, EXILES AND OUTCASTS, COMPRISING ALMOST EVERY MAJOR SPECIES. MOST OF THESE COMMUNITIES GROW ACCORDING TO WAVES OF NEWCOMERS AND THE MOST RECENT ARE FROM THE YAMANON DOMAIN. THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THOSE CONDEMNED TO THIS EXISTENCE ARE THE POOR AND THE POWERLESS, VICTIMS OF POGROMS AND OTHER DEPOPULATION SWEEPS. CONDITIONS IN THE CAMPS ARE PRIMITIVE AND DESPERATE, IDEAL FOR THE SPREAD OF ULTRA-DOGMATIC CREEDS LIKE THE SPIRAL PROPHECY. THE FANATICS ARE ALWAYS THERE BUT THEY DEPEND ON THE BRUTALITY OF ANTAGONISTIC HIERARCHIES TO PROVIDE THEM WITH FOLLOWERS. THE PROPHET-SAGE HAS SAID THAT THE TOMB OF THE DIVINE ARIGESSI IS ON DARIEN AND HAS CALLED THE PRESENCE OF HUMANS AND SENDRUKANS ‘A FOUL SEDIMENT OF HEATHENS WHICH MUST BE SCOURED AWAY’, AND THERE ARE MANY WHO WILL LISTEN TO HIM.

  ‘So now they’re coming over in person to do a bit of scouring,’ Cat said. ‘But if that Brolturan warship is still here, the Earthsphere one too, they’re not going to be able to just walk in unopposed, unless …’

  EXACTLY. WITH THE ENHANCED HUMANS’ HELP THEY MAY GAIN A TACTICAL EDGE WITH SURPRISE AND UNKNOWN WEAPONRY. THEY ALSO HAVE A NEW ALLY, A TERRORIST FACTION CALLED THE CHAURIXA.

  She remembered them from the last newspaper she’d read, on the shuttle back from Darien. ‘Terrorists-for-hire, aren’t they? Specialise in high-profile mass-death atrocities, as well as assassinations …’

  YES. THERE ARE RUMOURS OF A CHANGE IN THEIR LEADERSHIP THAT MAY ACCOUNT FOR THEIR RECENT ATYPICAL BEHAVIOUR.

  ‘Okay, so how long?’

  UNCERTAIN. THE JUMP RANGE AND SPEED OF SUCH AN ARMADA WOULD NECESSARILY BE DETERMINED BY ITS SLOWEST ELEMENTS, AND UNKNOWN FACTORS MAY BE INVOLVED. THE BEST ESTIMATE IS BETWEEN FOUR AND EIGHT DAYS.

  Catriona smiled bleakly and ran her hand through her hair, teasing out a few fragments of leaf, realising how long it was growing. ‘An invasion of religious fanatics,’ she said. ‘They’ll be fighting with the Brolturans … unless they land all over Segrana, and then the Brolts’ll come piling in after them. We’ll be fighting two enemies. And how will they cope down on Darien? I don’t even know what’s been happening …’

  THE RESISTANCE IS WELL ORGANISED AND IS BEING DIRECTED BY GREGORY CAMERON AND THE SENIOR LISTENERS.

  Catriona felt relief on hearing one of her fears erased. ‘Greg’s still alive, then … that’s really, really … uh, good …’

  THE OCCUPIERS INTEND TO DEPLOY COMBAT MECHS ALL ACROSS THE HINTERLANDS AND FORESTS WEST OF THE COLONY SO CAMERON IS GOING TO LEAD ALL THE INSURGENT AND CIVILIAN FUGITIVES TO A STRONGHOLD IN THE MOUNTAINS. IT HAS A CHAMBER SIMILAR TO THIS ONE, WHICH WILL ALLOW COMMUNICATION IN EITHER DIRECTION. ONCE THE RELOCATION IS COMPLETE, IN APPROXIMATELY SEVEN HOURS, I SHALL INITIATE CONTACT AND INFORM THE RESISTANCE LEADERS OF THE EXPECTED INVASION. IF YOU ARE PRESENT, SOME VISUAL PERSPECTIVE CAN BE PROVIDED.

  Should I ask it to tell Greg that his uncle’s been snatched by Ezgara commandos? she thought sombrely, then said, ‘I’ll be here.’

  I SHALL PREPARE ACCORDINGLY. ALSO, YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT I HAVE DECIDED TO ADOPT A PROJECTION IMAGE IN ORDER TO PROMOTE BETTER DIALOGUE. MAY I DISPLAY IT FOR YOU?

  Surprised, she nodded. ‘Of course. Go right ahead.’

  Abruptly, the hazy glowing veils faded and were replaced by the semi-opaque figure of a young woman in a featureless one-piece garment with a vaguely military cut. Her tied-back hair was a pale corn hue while blue-grey eyes stared from a youthful, pretty face. She blinked a couple of times and smiled hesitantly. Catriona laughed in recognition.

  ‘So how is Ambassador Horst doing?’ she said. ‘Assuming he’s still alive.’

  ‘He is alive and well,’ the Sentinel said, its voice appropriate to the image, yet retaining a faint, deep undertone. ‘I surmise that you saw his daughter’s image in media reports … and I assume that Major Karlsson told you why it was necessary for me to relocate him from the warpwell.’

  ‘Aye, Theo and me had quite a chat,’ she said. ‘Y’know, Horst’s disappearance made the situation worse by making Sundstrom look weak. You could have kept him on Darien.’

  ‘The Hegemony emissary, Kuros, was in command of events by that point,’ the Sentinel said. ‘And since the Construct needed a Human or a Uvovo for a vital mission, I neutralised the ambassador’s AI implant then translocated him down the tiers of hyperspace.’

  It was the strangest experience, conversing with a translucent image of Horst’s dead daughter, while all the time knowing that an ancient machine intelligence was behind those eyes.

  And in her own thoughts she could feel Segrana watching and waiting, an echoing touch in which Catriona could sense nostalgia, amusement and hope.

  ‘How did you come up with such a detailed image?’ she said.

  ‘When I sent him down to the Construct’s custody, the Ambassador had with him an interactive simulation projector, a device containing a comprehensive, multifractive profile of his daughter that his wife had made back on Earth. I asked the Construct for advice on a suitable image and he sent me this dataform. In the meantime, the Construct has dispatched Robert Horst on a crucial mission, accompanied by a biosimulant of his daughter, Rosa. This appears to be part of his enquiries into the adaptive abilities of the Human model.’

  Catriona listened in amazement and a vague unease.

  ‘Enquiries?’ she said. ‘Are there any other versions of the Rosa … model?’

  ‘I do not know, Keeper, but it seems likely.’

  Weirder and weirder, she thought. She tried to recall the little that Theo had told her about the Construct and the warpwell but realised that there were vast unknowns gaping like crevasses on all sides. She had to know more.

  ‘Sentinel, I have many questions. Are you permitted to answer any that I ask?’

  The Sentinel, half-Rosa, half-machine intellect, smiled broadly. ‘Certainly – I am bound to cooperate with the Keeper and the Pathmasters.’

  ‘Great!’ she said, climbing back up the steps of the pit. ‘Wait there while I speak with my friends outside.’

  Just as well the invaders aren’t expected for another day or so, she thought as she hurried round to the entrance and beckoned to Listener Okass. Gives us a chance to put on a nice, warm welcome for them!

  PART TWO

  LEGION

  On board the Earthsphere cruiser Heracles, the more relaxed alertness of regular routine was reasserting itself, now that Kirkland, the colony president, had left for the planet’s surface. Down in Sensory, Second Lieutenant Claudio Smeraldi was holomonitoring his three operators as they got to grips with the new batch of test assignments. Of the three only Mazwai was an experienced sensor-hawk, while Gadowski and Halabi had recently been volunteered by Rostering. In the wake of the cloud-harvester debacle, the captain ordered increased staffing levels and a more rigorous training schedule, all of which Smeraldi approved.

  True, Sensory’s expert system, Hugo, was faster and capable of more multitasking than any human but Second Lieutenant Smeraldi knew that only a trained operator could contribute that nuance of judgement, that indefinable intuition, that crucial element of insight that could reveal truths and turn disaster into triumph. Yes, he mused, sending the inept Tuan Ho back for retraining was a wise decision by …

  ‘Contact!’ Mazwai said suddenly. ‘Small ship has just exited hyperspace at sub-boundary seven, incoming on F63-241.8. Single prow-mounted beam projector tagged for response: no other weapons points detected. Ship ident details – the Kasimir, long-haul cargo lugger, approximate capacity 1,800 cubic metres, port of registry is Daliborka …’

  In the holomonitor Mazwai paused to glance at Smeraldi.

  ‘Sir, that’s …’ ‘A Vox Humana colony, operator. Yes, I know. Any comm traffic yet?’

  ‘Yes, sir, we are being hailed by a Captain Janicek on full AV ch
annels.’

  ‘Delay him for a moment – I have to notify the captain.’ Then Smeraldi turned to another section of his holo-alcove and saluted the flint-eyed visage of Velazquez. ‘Sir!’

  ‘So, another visitor, Second Lieutenant.’

  ‘Yes, sir, a freighter from one of the Vox H worlds.’

  ‘I can see the details here,’ Velazquez said. ‘However, localweb updates make no mention of any VH vessels in this region. Speak with him, find out why he’s here and what he wants. I’ll listen in while conferring with Hugo. If he insists on talking with me directly, I’ll signal you what to do.’

  ‘Yes, sir.’ Smeraldi switched to Mazwai. ‘Put him through, operator.’

  A moment later he was face to face with a youthful, brown-haired man in a form-fitting pale green uniform with a ridged collar and rank insignia on his left chest.

  ‘Captain Janicek, I am Second Lieutenant Smeraldi of Earthsphere vessel Heracles, Captain Velazquez commanding. It would be helpful if you would state the purpose of your visit – the security of the Darien system is currently shared between ourselves and units of the Brolturan navy, who are habitually wary of unannounced newcomers.’

  ‘Of course, Lieutenant, this I understand,’ Janicek said with a nod. ‘Well, I am captain of this fine ship, the Kasimir, and we are carrying donor aid from the people of Daliborka to the people of Darien as a gesture of friendship and solidarity.’ He smiled. ‘No disrespect to you, Lieutenant, but I was hoping to speak to your captain on a pressing matter.’

  ‘Perhaps I could be of assistance, Captain. What is it concerning?’

  ‘Your helpful concern is most heart-warming, Lieutenant, but so pressing is this matter that a dialogue with your captain would be the swiftest way to resolve it.’

  Off to one side, Velazquez nodded.

  ‘Apologies, Captain. I can put you through now.’

  Smeraldi then sat back, regarding the two commanders in adjacent blocks of his holomonitor while the expert system, Hugo, waited in one of the smaller ones.