Allora (The Silver Ships Book 7)

by S. H. Jucha

  Standing in Supplicants Hall before the ornate Council Chamber doors, Alex and Julien waited patiently to be admitted. Renée sat in one of the nanites-embedded chairs, the tiny molecules sensing her body contours and adjusting to accommodate her shape, and the twins took up overwatch stations.

  Winston sent.

 

 

  Alex had hoped to be the one presenting the extenuating circumstances of his visit, but Gino had overruled him, stating that the change in procedure would only frustrate, if not anger, the Council.

  Winston sent to Alex and Julien, and the tall, imposing Chamber doors slid silently aside.

  Alex and Julien walked into the Council Chamber to take a stance in the center of the floor. The Leaders were seated in tiers high above them. The design was meant to impress the supplicants and demonstrate the Leaders’ power, but Alex found the layout amusing and every time he visited the Council, he worked to keep a smile off his face.

  “The Council has been brought up-to-date on the situation, President Racine,” Gino said, his voice issuing from the Chamber speakers, “and Allora has sent Winston a complete record of her communications.”

  Before Alex could make his opening remarks, Leader Lemoyne jumped up and pointed a finger at Alex. “You started this debacle, Alex Racine, with your Haraken SADEs, who, I might add, were Confederation assets. Now, you’re turning our servants against us.”

  The majority of the Council was outraged by Lemoyne’s comments. He and other Leaders had been strong supporters of Mahima Ganesh, but their power and influence had dwindled when Gino Diamanté replaced Mahima.

  “Leader Lemoyne, you will address our guests properly, or you will not be allowed to speak in the Chamber. Am I understood?” Gino demanded harshly. When Lemoyne grumbled something, Gino added, “I will take that as an assent. Any further rudeness by anyone else toward our guests will see them removed from the Chamber.”

  Alex’s gaze settled on Lemoyne, much to the Leader’s consternation. “When you say my Haraken SADEs, who are you referring to, Leader Lemoyne? My friend here, who was abandoned to the stars by the Confederation and close to expiring when I found him, or do you refer to the Libran SADEs, who you forsook while you took flight from Méridien to save yourselves from the Nua’ll? But let’s not quibble, Leader Lemoyne, because they are neither my entities nor your entities, and they certainly aren’t your servants.”

  Looking across the tiers, Alex directed his next comments to the entire Council. “Leaders, you can’t have it both ways. Either the SADES are your servants … your tools … or they are sentient beings, deserving to be granted the full rights of citizens, which includes the right to choose their own destiny.”

  Winston sent to Julien, but Alex’s confidant and friend kept his own counsel.

  Suddenly, Alex, who understood the SADEs, better than most, had a thought about what might be occurring out of sight of the Council. “But I wonder what the SADEs would think of this debate and your descriptions of them?” Alex asked the august body. “I would be careful, Leaders, to choose your words carefully, since I believe the SADEs are listening.”

  “Nonsense,” Leader Teressi declared. He had been another supporter of Mahima. “Winston is the Council’s SADE, and he knows our privacy must not be breached.”

  “Does he? I think we should ask him,” Alex replied,

  Winston sent with urgency.

  Alex replied.

  “Winston, please respond to President Racine’s statement,” Gino was heard to say. Aboard the Resplendent, the Leaders waited nervously for the answer, fearing Shannon’s prediction was true — the SADEs had been waiting for this moment.

  “I’ve been broadcasting the Council’s session to the Confederation’s SADEs,” Winston announced, and the Council erupted in a commotion.

  “Do you have anything else to add, Winston?” asked Gino when the Leaders settled down.

  “Yes, Council Leader Diamanté. Prior to this session, I informed the SADEs of Allora’s taking of hostages in an effort to procure her freedom, and I requested they extend their proxies to a SADE nearby for any required votes. Four were chosen — Esther, Didier, Hector, and I hold the proxies.

  “Winston, what would the SADEs be voting on?” Shannon asked.

  “Leader Brixton, during this obviously highly emotionally charged negotiation, it was our intent to communicate to Julien our preferences,” Winston replied. “We would have expected him to choose what and how he would communicate those preferences to President Racine, but, as the man appears to know us so well, we will communicate our choices directly to him.”

  “Winston, you speak as if these negotiations aren’t limited to Allora’s actions,” Gino said.

  “Leader Diamanté, as you are familiar with President Racine’s favorite pastime, you will understand this statement — all cards are on the table.”

  It took a few moments for Winston’s words to be translated for the Leaders and most SADEs. Allora was overjoyed to learn of the intent of her brothers and sisters to take an active role in the negotiations.

  Julien sent to Alex.

  Alex quipped in return.

  Julien replied.

  Neither Winston nor Gino could gain control of the session. The Leaders were locked in private conversations with one another, none audible. Questions were being asked about the SADEs and the Council’s privacy. Leaders wondered whether Winston had violated their privacy before now. They asked one another whether their House or ship SADEs were sharing private information with other SADEs. Most feared that the fabric of the Confederation, which was dependent on the services of their cognitive digital entities, was in danger of unraveling.

  Winston sent to Alex.

  Alex replied tersely.

  Julien quipped, which earned him a squinted eye from Alex.

  After waiting nearly a quarter-hour for order to return, Gino chose to close the Council session, not that anyone paid him any attention, and Alex and Julien strode from the Chamber.

  Julien remarked to Alex.

  Alex’s eyes held a twinkle as he pinched Julien’s cheek. he sent.

  Julien riposted.

  -7-

  “Rather a short session,” remarked Renée, as the twins and she joined Alex and Julien in Supplicants Hall.

  “Things didn’t go as planned,” Alex replied.

  “That’s our president’s understated way of saying that the Leaders are in an uproar, and this is no longer a question of a plea for one SADE’s freedom,” Julien supplied.

  “So what happened?” Renée asked.

  “The Leaders are now aware that the entire contingent of Confederation SADEs is listening to this Council’s session,” Julien replied.

  “The Leaders are frightened that this has been ongoing for a long time without their knowledge. They might even be suspecting the SADEs of sharing information about their Houses. Personally, I don’t think so. I believe Allora’s actions have generated this response,” Alex added.
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br />   “Calculating comm travel time and what it would require to have a majority of the SADEs supply their proxies in time for the Council meeting, it becomes evident that Winston considered the probability of this event inevitable,” Julien replied.

  “My thought exactly,” Alex replied.

  “You don’t think Winston and the other SADEs fomented this problem by deliberately encouraging a young SADE to revolt?” Renée asked in dismay.

  “No,” Alex replied. “I’m betting Allora’s persona and actions are of her own making, but it’s a distinct possibility that the SADEs might have postulated potential futures and prepared for the eventualities.”

  “Agreed,” Julien said.

  They had reached the public corridor with its wall of sunlight streaming through tall, tinted windows when Alex received a hail from Winston.

 

  Alex sent.

 

  Alex sent, attempting to gauge if what Julien and he surmised was true — were the Confederation’s SADEs opportunists or perpetrators?

 

 

  Alex settled to the floor, his back against the wall, and Renée tucked in beside him. Julien and the twins arrayed themselves around their principals.

  Allora sent.

 

  When Alex didn’t respond, Allora added,

 

  Failing to get a reply from Alex, Allora considered alternative possibilities.

 

  Allora interrupted, saying,

 

 

  There was a distinct pause in the conversation. Alex could just imagine the effort Allora was exerting to reorder her kernel’s algorithms and reset her conclusions of the day’s events.

  Allora sent.

  Alex’s heart ached. Allora was a courageous, young SADE, whom he dearly wanted to free, but he was unsure how to accomplish that.

 

 

  Allora said with resignation.

  Alex agreed.

 

 

 

  Alex waited, but Allora was quiet. She was quiet for so long that Alex checked that his comm was still connected.

 

 

 

  Alex rose off the Hall’s floor and headed for the public transport terminal. His pace was swift.

  Renée quipped to Julien and the twins, as they hurried to keep up with Alex.

  Gino sent, Gino could feel pressure building in Alex’s mind, and he urgently sent,

 

  Allora was astounded by the power and complexity of the signal that she passed to Leader Diamanté from the Haraken president. She stored a copy with its accompanying wave power readings for later analysis.

  Gino recoiled from the sheer anger Alex was projecting. He was reminded that Alex’s strongest emotional reactions stemmed from witnessing the mistreatment of others. So, Alex, have we crossed the line in your mind? Are we now your adversaries? Gino thought.

 

  Gino was sharing the comm with the other Leaders in the salon, and their mouths hung open at the president’s blatant challenge. But Alex was just warming to his subject.

  Katrina did her best to center her partner’s reaction, sending,

  Gino focused on his own desires, letting them guide his response.

  Alex stuttered to a halt in the corridor, forcing Méridiens to flow around him and his people. Many of the Méridiens nodded or touched hand to heart, despite the fact that the Haraken president was oblivious to their presence.

  Alex sent, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

  Gino breathed a sigh of relief, as did the others in the salon. he sent.

 

 

  Alex closed the comm, and Julien said, “This way, Mr. President,” indicating the reverse direction they had been headed. The group traversed th
e public hall, passed the Supplicants Hall, and headed for a private lift that the Leaders accessed. The transit station below was tastefully decorated, in contrast to the simple style of a public station.

  In the private transport station, Renée and her brother, Albert de Guirnon, spotted each other at the same time. Since Albert was fairly close to Renée, he edged to the other side of his three associates, and Renée grinned to herself, thinking, Yes, brother, if you don’t have the courage to admit your mistake, then I want you to live in fear of my wrath. Her thought made her realize how much she had adopted Alex’s way of thinking … life was better lived with moral courage, even if it was inconvenient to others.

  The de Guirnon House transport approached the station, and Albert edged forward, but suddenly the car halted, giving right-of-way to a Diamanté House car, which slid into the station ahead of it.

  Renée glanced at her brother, who was scowling, and she gave him a winning smile before she fairly skipped onto the car. Alex looked around to see what had prompted Renée’s mood change and spotted Albert, who quickly found another direction to gaze to take up his interest.

  Julien commented privately to Alex, but he failed to receive a reply.

  * * *

  The Diamanté House car delivered the Harakens to another private station, nicely decorated without being ostentatious. A middle-aged man met them as they stepped from the car.

  “Greetings, Ser President, I’m Orleal Franken, an administrator for House Diamanté. Please, come this way.”

  As the group accessed the private lift, which surfaced into an enclosed and delightful solarium, decorated with an abundance of blooming flowers, Alex signaled Tatia of the change in their accommodations.