Harold had thought long and hard since Bing had told him about the Tengu. He slowly nodded. 'Yes, I can. But now you have to tell me what is happening here? Why here, why now? The aliens landing in the Haulers reserve a week ago and you being here is not a random coincidence surely?'
The Tengu nodded and smiled, then frowned an instant later. Harold decided that they were probably a connected mind. Something that Harold found a little unnerving.
'Indeed, you are perceptive, but we wonder if it is sensible to trust you with the information. But then again, Maqua did and you did not go running off to the standard humans blabbing so ... maybe. We will think about this. Suffice to say that there are hundreds of us, at least three, on every reasonably sized habitat of humanity throughout the Sphere.'
Harold turned to Bing and Reg, who looked back at him. 'Do either of you know about this?'
Reg shrugged. 'Of course, Harold. The Tengu is a very good combat ACE that was perfected a long, long time ago when we ACEs came to the conclusion that we had been created to look after humankind. The only visible one is the one that we allowed to be made for Baron Willy der Boltz as we thought it prudent to see how the standard humans would receive him. We needed teeth and the Tengu are some of those teeth. There are others. But you are young! Why should you expect to learn everything at once?'
Before he could answer, Bing quietly spoke up. 'Harold, you are the very latest generation of ACE. You were created by Marko and Topaz on Basalt. That is one of the reasons that you are here, otherwise you would be treated as any other young ACE and given some menial task. Not this. So, the question remains. Do you trust us and will you work willingly and without reservation with the Tengu?'
Harold looked about him at the other ACEs who filled the secret underground bunker in the heart of the village. 'Why am I so important to you and do I have a choice in all of this?' The Tengu solemnly shook their heads. 'No, you do not have a choice, we regret to say. You have a direct connection to Stephine and Veg onboard Basalt. They are probably the most important entities in this whole part of the Sphere. We know that there are others like them, but we do not know how to contact those others. But you can talk to them and Marko, plus
Basalt's crew.'
Harold looked at them sharply. 'Stephine and Veg are certainly important and remarkable, but so is everyone on Basalt. I have been told that things seem to happen around them all the time. They are recognised as a sort of flashpoint. I am aware of the whole history of the crew, but I fail to see why Stephine and Veg are the most important. Fritz has done some of the more remarkable work. Surely he would be more important. And what of Marko?'
The Tengu cocked their heads to the same side, speaking quietly. 'Yes. It is agreed, Harold, that they are a remarkable crew. So you are aware of the final hours of Basalt's return mission to the library planet? The rescue mission that they went on with the Administration's enforcer, the Hauler known as Rick. The planet that subsequently was dragged out of orbit from its star by a wandering brown dwarf. That same dwarf that wrecked the Lagrange navigation points for that whole area because the star and all its planets were dispersed. Are you aware of that mission, Harold?'
Harold sat back on his haunches, wondering where the discussion was leading. He very slowly nodded, wishing that he was not so young and wondering if he too had not become a flashpoint. 'I am aware of that mission.'
The familiar voice of one who Harold had never met face to face spoke from the back of the chamber. 'Are you aware of those we call the Angels, Harold? Do you know that there was an Angel on that planet and that it bonded with one of Rick's proxies?'
He quickly turned to see the huge bird, Maqua, walking into the chamber. He resisted the strong urge not to run up to her and give her a big hug, thinking that it was probably not appropriate. All the ACEs, including the Tengu, gave her a smile and murmured their greetings. Harold frowned deeply at her question.
'Angels? Maqua, they are part of some of the standard humans' religious beliefs, are they not? I do not know anything of Rick and an Angel. I was told only that to save Fritz he had to fling him into orbit, and the only way he could do that was to stay behind in the library.'
She walked up to him, leaned down and stroked him on his head with an extended wingtip.
'Yes, that is so, Harold. They do make up parts of various religions. And they are also an entity that has walked amongst humanity over the millennia. And since our creation by humanity, amongst us also. Stephine is one of them. And Rick sacrificing himself to save Fritz? There is another story there. You look very surprised?'
'Um, yes. But thinking about it these few weeks has been one surprise after another, so I suppose I am just on a steep learning curve of surprises.'
All the ACEs chuckled and smiled at him.
'You must have flown for days to get here,' Harold commented to Maqua.
She cocked her head to one side, gave a quick nod. 'Yes, a long flight but an important one for so many reasons.'
Maqua bent lower and fired a laser signal directly into his left eye, from her right. His system received it, automatically checked it and allowed it into his conscious mind. He stopped completely still as another series of codings buried deeply in his operating software opened like flowers. They showed him the Angels, how they were the proxies of huge Haulers for segments of the octopoid empire and about how that empire had, over tens of thousands of years, declined. Various factions took themselves far away to allow an ordered devolution back to primitive states, whilst others wanted to take back the empire, including their main place of evolution, which was Old Earth. The thing that most startled Harold was that the octopoids had genetically shaped the proto-humans and formed homo sapiens sapiens as their servants on the land, so creating the ways that they reached the stars.
Harold snapped back to reality with the sensational thought that the octopoids were the original driving force that led directly to him and his fellow ACEs.
'So we are derived from the octopoids?'
Maqua solemnly nodded. 'Yes, it would appear so. They sped up the inevitable climb of humanity towards full sapience and the subsequent creation of our knowledge. Then humanity, because they probably felt lonely, created us. So yes, we are related to the octopoids. Does that bother you?'
Harold nodded emphatically. 'Yes, because the created battles on Cygnus 5 by the Administration destroyed a part of humanity's creators! 'It would be like us going to war with the standard humans to steal their technologies. There would be terrible consequences, surely.'
Maqua hugged Harold to herself, making him feel warm and cherished as she said, 'Yes, little one. There are consequences and we can only hope that the Angels will help us in the battle with their own creators.'
Harold looked up into the huge bird's eyes. 'But why do the Angels now walk amongst us, Maqua? Why would they bother?'
'Perhaps it is because they feel forsaken by their creators. Perhaps it is because they feel lonely too. I mean, just think how we would feel if the standard humans all decided to destroy their technology, forgo their sentience and go back to being hunter gatherers. What would be left for us? What would we do? Form our own civilisation maybe, or adopt someone else's? I would like to think that it is more likely they wish to be a part of us because they have all taken lovers amongst us. It's a nice thought.' Maqua looked down at the little dragon leaning against her. 'So, little one. Will you work with us, please?'
Harold felt safe amongst his own and in particular with Maqua, but knew that it was fleeting. He nodded. 'Marko told me not long after he breathed life into me that it is better to lead than to be led. He said that whatever I did I should always at least try to do the right thing. So yes, I will help in any way I can. But please tell me of what we are dealing with.' Maqua smiled at him. 'Come. .The Tengu are travelling north by their own means. You and I shall fly so I can show you what we are up against.'
Basalt
Urchin Star System
Marko, Stephine, Veg
and the ACEs were all in Basalt's galley making sandwiches, having just come onboard the ship when the major called them.
'All crew: well, that did not go very well, did it? One Skua destroyed and everything else damaged to one degree or other. So we have expended a lot of ammunition, fuel and we are still in an Urchin-infested part of space.'
The major looked out from everyone's screens and ran his hands agitatedly over his bare cranium.
Before he could carry on, Patrick interrupted. 'Major. I can see Marko's Skua. It is largely intact. 'Itwould seem that the Urchins most interested in it were consumed by the predators. I am not seeing any of the Urchins for hundreds of kilometres in any direction. 'Itwould appear that they fear the predator. On the current course, we will be within only eleven kilometres of that Skua wreck in a few moments. It would not take a great deal to recover it.'
Michael looked around his screens and sighed. 'Well, we came all this way to learn as much as we could about the Urchins. And we need a better plan to deal with the bastards as every time we go up against them, we sort of win, but we get busted up doing it. And the Games Board most certainly lost big time. OK, let's go grab the wrecked Skua and anything else drifting with it. Then let's go find a nice quiet piece of ice to chew on.'
He started tapping his screens, looking at the damage reports that had been generated by the craft themselves. Then opened his comms screens to give orders.
'Stephine and Veg, go grab that wreck as quick as you can. Everyone else on emergency repairs to our craft. Lists propagated. Patrick, deploy drones to check all craft, including Basalt, and get the astronomical drones out to look for a non infested piece of ice. Harry and Marko, you have control of the drones. Get whatever can be fixed and placed on the launch platforms right away. Let's get to work, everyone.'
Patrick spoke again. 'Nail has had his sentience fully restored. Stephine, he is on his way down to Blackjacknow. Fritz will be a few minutes more.'
The major acknowledged the news. 'Best thing I have heard in a while. My thanks to all involved.'
Marko sped up his mind, linking directly into the operating systems of all the repair and salvage drones onboard, sending them to the other Skuas and Hangers so they could repair the worst damage and get them flight- and fight-worthy as quickly as possible. Glint thought it very funny watching his father eating and drinking like an automaton while his mind was operating at an ACE's level. He gestured to Spike and fired a quick laser message across to him.
The little spider grinned and scuttled up Marko's arm, deftly removing the sandwich from his hand and, seconds later, they were rewarded by Marko biting down on the end of his fingers.
Marko grunted loudly and laughed out loud, almost choking on a mouthful of food which created even greater mirth in the ACEs. He commented at their speed.
'Funny fuckers! Yeah, I know. Don't multitask at different speeds! Can I have my sandwich back, please, Spike? Right, now bugger off, all of you. Lily's Hanger is the worst. Go help the drones get it operational again.'
They all trooped out, with each one giving Marko a little pat on his legs as they went past.
Fifteen hours later and thousands of kilometres away from the site of the battle, Basalt caught up and matched speeds with a slowly spinning 500-metre-long potato-shaped mass of ice and rock.
In the mess, Jasmine was looking at Fritz closely. 'You OK, Fritz?'
'Yeah. Massive headache still, but I think that I am on top of things.'
Stephine was also looking closely at him. She stood up with a cup of Veg's coffee in her hand, added milk and two sugars to it and walked quietly over to the long table and sat next to Fritz.
She placed the coffee down in front of him. He was moving data around on his slate at great speed and automatically reached out for the coffee and took a deep drink then without comment put it back on the table, not even looking up or acknowledging Stephine.
She looked back at Jasmine and at Lily sitting next to her eating breakfast. Stephine slowly raised an eyebrow and almost imperceptibly shook her head. Marko, sitting at the other table with Harry and Julie, saw the exchange. He finished his oats, stood up carrying the bowl and walked over to where Veg was leaning against one of the kitchen benches. He looked up at the big man and raised an eyebrow in question. Veg shrugged, so Marko gathered some fruit and went to sit with Stephine. As he sat down, he thought of a little comms tentacle forming on his right hand which, when he placed his hand next to Stephine's, slowly snaked across and latched onto her skin. Instantly her presence was in his mind. 'Good trick, Marko,' she thought to him. 'You are learning fast. You know that you can do this with Veg and Blackjack as well.'
'Nice to know, thanks. Fritz is not all there, is he?' 'No.'
'Is there anything we can do to help?'
'Yes. Get him to that blasted Urchin queen, I suppose. 'It is like the spark of his existence is missing. The intellect is intact. The genius is present, but the certain uncontrollability that is Fritz is gone. He is close to a normal standard human. You saw my final, confirming test. He hates sugar in his coffee. Only likes it in his tea. I am worried. What I could do would be to give him some of my essence, but I don't know that it would help.'
Marko inwardly winced. 'No. That would not work, Stephine. He would implode with that knowledge, even in that state. He could not cope. What of Nail?'
'You have seen him, Marko. What are your thoughts?'
Marko grimaced a little, thinking that Stephine was also a little changed since she had come back from her creators and wondered if he should bring it up.
'He is more serious. A spark of fun is not there. But the other ACEs can teach that to him. Not sure about Fritz.'
Stephine slowly nodded. 'Yes. I agree about Nail. He is a construct so you and Topaz could do that as well with the ACEs'help. Oh! Now there is a thought. I have believed for a long while that the Haulers created Fritz to solve their navigation problems for the very long-range jumps. All we have to do is find out which one made him. That entity could reintegrate Fritz's total mind again. Yes, that is what we will do.'
'I wonder, Stephine, if the same could be said about you. When you returned to us a tiny essence was missing from you. You are calmer, but a certain spark is also missing.'
Stephine looked down at him and he could see tiny tears form in her eyes.
'With everyone's help, I am slowly regaining that spark, Marko. 'It is good to be back exploring and learning again. So yes, I have a slightly different perspective to the one I once had.'
Marko sent her a smile and withdrew the tiny tentacle.
Patrick spoke through the audible comms system. 'All crew: we have synced movement with the target ice and metal asteroid. Astronomical drones are deployed to 100 kilometres out to watch for threats. Marko, the ice is your priority. Everyone else, including the ACEs and Jim, you have control of two drones each for rapid exploration and testing. Here are your individual areas to explore. We are down on all consumables. So as soon as viable mineral or metal masses are discovered please report them to me.'
Each one of the crew either folded out their forearm screens and took control of the drones, which were rapidly deploying from their housings on Basalt's hull, or in the case of the ACEs and Jim simply took direct control through their internal comms systems.
While everyone else was sending their drones out across the asteroid to search and take samples of it, Marko quickly walked up the central spiral staircase until he was on the bridge deck. He marched in and gave the major, who was inside his large control pod, a quick nod, and then climbed into his own pod, the screens immediately coming alive. He quickly looked over the contents of the hundreds of tanks spread throughout the ship, noting those that were the most depleted, while he deployed the water-generating and gathering equipment which folded out of the exoskeleton like two large vinelike masses.
'Patrick, the gear is coming online. Can you please place us within contact distance of the best-looking ice?'
Patrick acknowledged and the ship slowly turned and moved a little closer.
On his screens Marko scanned for relatively clean areas of blue ice and as soon as he saw two good areas set sufficiently far apart, he manoeuvred the drilling units onto the ice's surface. As soon as they made contact, anchoring spears were fired into the ice and once he was satisfied with the positioning, he programmed them to grind themselves down through the surface.
As the heads were sunk metres into the ice, the collars around the head units heated up to red-hot, melting the ice around them, and then cooled quickly, sealing the units in as the ice refroze. Marko then switched on the powerf ul microwave units at the ends of the head units, which melted the ice and boiled the water, generating steam which flowed back up the pipes through banks of sensors and filters, before going through condensers, with the resultant pure water being pumped into the holding tanks.
'Major, good water, some nice trace element percentages coming in as well. About eight hours and I shall have the tanks full. I have started the matter to antimatter conversions as well.'
'Good. Pleased about that. Don't want to hang around any longer than that.'
As the hours ticked by, Marko sat and watched his equipment. The heating heads sank deeper and deeper into the ice and his mind wandered, wondering if one day while gathering water fuel the equipment would find some startling treasure. But the radar units only showed hundreds of metres of clear ice interspersed with rock and metal deposits. Reports came in from the crew members running the drones that they were finding useful deposits and, using nanote miners, started the extraction of iron and nickel, which was transferred onboard Basalt as dust.
He reached out and tapped Stephine's icon on the comms screen. Seconds later, her image smiled at him with the main control room of Blackjack in the background.
Onyx Javelin Page 18