A movement off to the left caught his eye. The dolin strode into view, the orange light from its eye bobbing like a searchlight. Smaller Medyran craft buzzed around its head while it swiped at them like a grizzly bear swatting a swarm of bees.
Quinn’s thoughts began to clear along with the smoke. Ga’zaan’s strategy had been to use the biotoxin to weaken the Kimn and then embolden the lower-level races to invade the enclave while he sat back and watched his enemies destroy one another. So why launch an attack now? What had changed?
The dolin. It was the most powerful weapon on the planet. Maybe Ga’zaan wanted to control it, or maybe he had decided he couldn’t risk it falling into Kimn hands. Either way, it seemed the appearance of the construct had forced his hand.
Quinn permitted himself a satisfied smirk as the dolin sideswiped one of the delta-shaped craft that had ventured too close. The vessel pitched, and flames erupted as it veered away. Three more vessels formed up, concentrating their beams at a point on the dolin’s chest. Black smoke rose from the point of impact.
The dolin had unleashed its own powerful beams when it incinerated the barrier separating the enclave from the lower levels, yet now its weapons were silent. Had time spent steeped in the gloom of Pann’s lower levels robbed it of its energy reserves?
Quinn’s smirk faded as he recalled basic physics. Anything composed of matter could be destroyed or disabled by a sufficient amount of energy. The dolin was resilient, but not invincible.
The remaining Medyran vessels ringed the construct and took pot shots as if seeking a weak point. No doubt Ga’zaan had ordered them to disable rather than destroy it. If the Medyr succeeded in getting their hands on it…
“Quinn.”
Ka-layne stood behind him, pointing upwards. Gingerly, as if he expected the transparent floor to give way at any moment, Quinn got to his feet. A huge vessel filled the sky. It took him several moments to take in its configuration—two huge spheres studded with lights and linked by a central tube. His heart plummeted as Ka-layne uttered his worst fears.
“The Agantzane—they’ve returned.”
~
The dumbbell shape hung over the battlefield, sounding a deep rumble like a brooding behemoth. He was shocked by the vessel’s size. The backdrop of space made everything appear small. Here, in the confines of Pann’s atmosphere, it dwarfed every other construction.
Its design was Shanata, the most powerful among the servants of the Agantzane until their world was pulverised by the Damise. The last time he had spoken with the Shanata, they held him responsible for the destruction. If they laid hands on him, he could expect no mercy.
“What are they doing here?” Quinn was far from sure he wanted to hear the answer.
“They are here to restore order.” Ka-layne’s voice carried no hint of doubt. The need for order lay at the core of the Agantzane ethos, so it was a reasonable conclusion. However, their genocide of the Japhet race had taught Quinn that they were not above exacting a little revenge when it suited their purpose.
“Can we escape?” he asked.
“This is a surface conveyor,” she replied. “Its speed is limited, and it carries no weapons or defensive screens. If the Agantzane’s servants fire on us or give chase…”
“All right,” Quinn said. “How about moving off in a slow, unthreatening manner?”
He wasn’t completely sure what that meant, but Ka-layne didn’t argue. Instead, she waved her hand, and a virtual screen appeared in midair. Her fingers danced, as if playing an invisible harp. Gradually, the Shanata vessel above them began to slip to one side. Consensus vessels deadened inertia, so he felt no sensation of movement. It took considerable mental effort to convince himself that it was he who was in motion.
His carefully crafted scheme lay in tatters. All he could think to do was get clear of the area, and then contact Ga’zaan in order to negotiate Conor’s release, though he had no idea what he had to bargain with.
“Detecting a power buildup in the Shanata vessel,” Ka-layne announced.
Quinn roused himself. “Are they firing at us?”
“No, at least…” Her eyes widened. “Hold on!”
A ripple extended from the Shanata vessel like a stone dropped in a pond. It passed over them, rocking the tetrahedron.
“What was that?” Quinn demanded.
“EM suppressor,” Ka-layne replied. “It’s Agantzane tech, designed to knock out all systems except theirs.” The virtual screen flickered. “Drive and inertial compensation systems are going offline. Hold on to something.”
Quinn glanced about but could see nothing to hold on to.
The tetrahedron listed. Quinn fought to stay upright. Across the battlefield, Medyran craft ceased firing and began to drift downwards like paralysed fish. One pancaked in a shower of sparks. Another flew over the first, igniting the sapphire sphere that was its star drive. The drive sputtered and went dark, and the vessel fell backwards, striking the ground and sending up clouds of billowing black smoke. A third made a tortuous grinding sound as it struck the wall of the Esrach and exploded in a massive fireball.
The tetrahedron juddered, rattling Quinn’s teeth, and then began its own rapid descent. The virtual screen shattered in a shower of pixels and vanished.
Ka-layne shook her head. “I can’t do any more!”
Instinctively, Quinn crouched as the Shanata vessel receded, and the ground rushed up to meet them. The tetrahedron hit the ground, and the two of them were tossed around like dice in a shaker. They came to rest on snake eyes, and everything went black.
~
Quinn awoke to a chorus of protest from virtually every part of his body. Battered and bruised, he pushed himself up by his elbows. The tetrahedron lay on one side. Beyond its transparent faces, he saw nothing but smoke and fire.
Ka-layne’s crumpled form occupied one corner. Quinn eased himself over to where she lay. Her chest was still and her pupils fixed. Cursing under his breath, he considered his options.
He could simply remain here. The wrecked tetrahedron offered shelter of a sort, but sharing it with the deceased was hardly appealing. Of greater importance was the presence of the Agantzane and their allies. If the Shanata ship had been taken over by the Damise’s Artificial Intelligence, then its arrival spelled doom for Pann’s inhabitants. Ximun had warned that they intended to use the AI to quell any and all resistance throughout the Consensus. Quinn had to rescue Conor and get off this planet as quickly as possible.
Ignoring the needle-sharp pain in his knee, he crawled to one side of the tetrahedron and reached out with his fingers. To his surprise, it gave slightly. Emboldened, he slammed his shoulder against the transparency, fell through, and landed outside.
Smoke tickled the back of his throat, and he coughed. The Shanata vessel’s bass vibration filled the air, and its dumbbell shape cast a massive shadow. The dolin stood over the battle area. Its orange eye still glowed, but it did not appear to have moved. Ximun had programmed the construct, but it was also charged with protecting him and Conor. It seemed the safest bet.
Setting his sights on the dolin, Quinn limped away from the tetrahedron. Steering clear of the flaming wrecks, he passed the bloodied form of a Cethlan—perhaps the one that had been caught with him in the earlier explosion. He fought down the bile rising in his throat. Arms, tentacles and shapes too charred to identify littered the ground. Any survivors had long since fled.
He was skirting around a pair of Anghard corpses when he detected a high-pitched whine. He glanced above and behind but couldn’t identify the source. He faced forwards and started. A small silver sphere hovered in front of his nose.
Light spilled from the sphere, and Vil-gar’s image appeared. Quinn sighed.
The little creature cocked his head, and his ear flopped to one side. “You are alive.”
For someone who claimed to be the most intelligent being in existence, his statement seemed remarkably facile. Quinn chose not to dignify it with a response.
“Do you realise the odds of your survival at this point?” Vil-gar went on, undeterred.
“No.” Quinn sidestepped him and forged on.
“That’s the wrong direction,” Vil-gar called after him.
Quinn stopped in his tracks. “What do you mean?”
“You’re making for the dolin because you believe it will offer protection, yes? That is a mistake.”
“Why?”
“The construct’s power reserves are gone,” Vil-gar replied. “It will take at least a day to recharge. It cannot help you.”
Quinn stared at the dolin’s towering figure. The Medyr must have come that close to seizing control of it. Now the Agantzane would no doubt reclaim their property. They’re welcome to it.
“I have to get Conor away from the Medyr,” Quinn said.
“Ah, yes. Sending him to them was another mistake.”
Quinn’s hackles rose. Only a fool would yell at his sole source of help. He forced himself to remain calm. “Conor’s life was on the line. At the time, it seemed the best option.”
“Do you always make decisions without considering the wider implications?”
“Sometimes, especially when it concerns those we love.”
Vil-gar shook his head and spoke with pity. “You are sorely in need of my counsel.” He brightened. “This way!” He headed off through the drifting smoke.
“Where are we going?” Quinn demanded.
Vil-gar waved but kept his face forward. “This way! This way!”
Quinn shrugged and trailed after him. If things went wrong, then at least this time, he would have someone to blame.
Vil-gar prattled as if they were on a field trip. “From your son’s account of the dolin’s defeat of the Anghard and Syn-moon’s return to the upper level, I successfully extrapolated your entrapment in the Esrach.”
And yet you chose not to warn us? Vil-gar had lied about his people sacrificing themselves to preserve him, and now this. Quinn’s distrust of him grew with every encounter.
“I underestimated the boy’s martyr complex,” Vil-gar went on. “But his summoning the dolin will not alter the outcome. The arrival of the Shanata vessel has added an entirely new set of variables, however.”
“Not expecting that, were you?” Quinn remarked in a catty tone.
The little creature showed no sign of irritation. “Quantum uncertainty dictates that I cannot know the position and direction of every particle in the universe. But my analytical prowess is as close to perfection as anyone might reasonably expect.” He cocked his head. “The Shanata have launched one of their landing craft. We must hurry.”
He scuttled between the smouldering wrecks, and his tiny sphere buzzed after him. Quinn quickened his own pace. “What are they after?”
Vil-gar scoffed. “Their purpose is obvious. They will take possession of the dolin.”
Quinn frowned. He didn’t want to get into a debate, but why would Ximun feel the need to secure the construct when he already controlled it? Did he intend to adjust its programming? Maybe he was going to alter its root command from protecting him and Conor to annihilating them. If so, then their need to get off this planet had just acquired fresh urgency.
“Where are we going?” Quinn asked again.
“To meet with the Cethlan, of course,” Vil-gar replied.
“The Cethlan? But why?”
“You need a ship. The Kimn’s ships are all but gone, and a sizeable part of the Medyran fleet is now out of commission.”
“And you think the Cethlan will give me one?”
Vil-gar huffed. “It’s highly unlikely.”
“Then why—”
“Because it’s the only course left open to you. You’ll have to try and persuade them.”
“Me?”
“Naturally. You don’t expect me to do everything, do you?”
Quinn barely resisted the urge to cuff him around the back of the head before remembering he was an interface and therefore immune to physical chastisement. Vil-gar’s manner was beyond irritating, but maybe he was right. Maybe, in his own way, he’s trying to direct me towards the best possible outcome.
A faint droning sounded from behind and above. Quinn searched the sky and spotted a dark oval. He tracked its trajectory. “Vil-gar.”
The creature halted. “What is it?”
Quinn pointed. “Is that the Shanata’s landing craft?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Then we have a problem,” Quinn said. “It’s not going for the dolin. It’s headed straight for us.”
~
Quinn faced Vil-gar and folded his arms. “All right, genius. Now what?”
Vil-gar vanished in a burst of light.
Son of a—
Quinn turned and watched the approaching vessel. He briefly considered making a run for it, but he could never outdistance the craft. If it was going to burn him down, he might as well meet death head-on.
The landing craft descended, hovered above the floor of the upper level, and tipped towards him as if getting his scent. Above the nose cone was a wide window, though Quinn could make out no details of the creatures within.
The vessel settled to the level in a rush of dust-scattering wind. Quinn stood his ground as a gull-wing hatch rose from its midsection. Black-suited figures swarmed down a wide ramp, their heads completely covered. Shanata—servants of the Agantzane. Mercifully, they did not appear to be afflicted with the Damise’s AI.
The Shanata formed up at the bottom of the ramp. They bore side arms that could burn a hole through him as if he were a paper mannequin. He started forwards. Might as well find out what they want with me.
They approached and, as if responding to an unseen cue, lowered their heads and dropped to one knee. Quinn blinked, and then his jaw fell open. Behind them stood a legless creature with an anemone-like body and waving cilia where its head ought to have been.
Grey?
~
Grey—engineering adept of the Osei. Together they had fought to rid an Osei vessel of the AI that had seized control of its systems and crew. But that meant…
“Greetings, Quinn.” Grey said in a high-pitched voice. “Our Unity owes its existence to you.”
Quinn felt a fraud. The AI had actually been neutralised by Aurek—a disembodied Elinare who had taken refuge within his mind. Aurek had been destroyed in the process.
Vil-gar reappeared in a blinding flash. “These servants of the Agantzane are your allies?”
Quinn sighed. “It’s a long story.” He addressed Grey. “This is Vil-gar—or, rather, his interface. He’s…” Quinn hunted for a description that was both truthful and tactful. “Very old.”
Vil-gar beamed.
Grey’s reply was carefully neutral. “I see.”
“What are you doing here?” Quinn asked.
“We have come for you,” Grey replied.
“You came all the way here to rescue me?”
“In a manner of speaking,” Grey replied. “Come, I will explain as soon as we are airborne.”
Quinn took a long, last look at the dying flames and the pools of spilled fuel tinged with blood. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Part Three: The Fleet
Quinn stared out of the clear-sided carriage as it whooshed along the central axis connecting the Shanata vessel’s fore and aft spheres. Lighted rings slipped past, as hypnotic as old-fashioned railway sleepers.
Vil-gar had withdrawn to his sphere, which now floated near the rear of the compartment. I wonder if he has an off switch, Quinn wondered idly. He stole a glance at the Shanata detachment seated farther forward on benches that lined either side of the carriage. The last time he had been on a Shanata ship, their Hunter-class vessels were chasing him after he had smashed through their blockade of Nemazi. Perhaps now’s not the time to reminisce. He forced himself to listen to what Grey was saying.
“After you turned back the AI that was consuming our ships, the Shanata realised you
were not the cause of the plague as they had assumed. We returned the infant you rescued from the destroyed Shanata system and convinced them you were not responsible for the destruction of their world, either.”
“So that was why they turned their weapons on the Yeshai when they tried to prevent our departure from the Korradan station,” Quinn mused.
Grey’s sibilant voice sounded from the centre of his mass of tentacles. “When we covered your escape, the Korradan were furious and ordered us to leave. We have been repairing the damage to our ships on the run, but we need to buy time. That is why we have sought you out, Quinn.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” Quinn said.
“Our evidence suggests that the AI is linked by a single consciousness, and that its various parts communicate on a non-local level. Word of our… defection appears to have spread. We raided a covert Agantzane depot in the Ghaffar system and managed to equip a number of plasma emitters, zahar launchers, and concussive drivers, but the AI appears to have the ability to track our movements. We’ve already fought a number of running battles with AI-controlled ships.”
Quinn stared out of the clear-sided carriage. “You seem to have emerged relatively unscathed.”
“The AI ships massively outnumber us, but we have a couple of advantages. One is that the affected ships are widely scattered throughout the Consensus, making it difficult to assemble a task force large enough to destroy us. Their ships also seem a fraction slower to react than ours. We’re not sure why, but it’s enabled us to stay one step ahead.
“The AI has now absorbed virtually every other ship and facility operating Agantzane technology. Our research has brought us no closer to combating the scourge. However, we did make one significant discovery. The Badhati made a run to Pakravan on the edges of Consensus space in the hope of securing equipment and supplies. When they entered orbit, a space-borne cloud of AI nanoids surrounded and penetrated their ship. The crew was helpless, yet the AI was unable to gain a foothold and withdrew.”
The Arc of the Universe Page 9