by S. H. Jucha
“If soma have deserted or lost the nest, they search for another. It’s the duty of a queen to come to their aid,” Sissya said. Miriam considered the queen’s words and stepped aside. Sissya’s wasat, Offwa, made to follow her, but she stopped him with a hand on his chest.
Leaping from the ship, Sissya landed close to Waffala, her great clawed feet spraying sand onto Waffala’s legs. It was a display of dominance, and Waffala dropped his head in obeisance.
“Warrior, what do you seek?” Sissya demanded.
“I seek a queen who tells her soma truths, a queen who regards the welfare of her soma above all else. In the Tamassa Soma, there is no such queen.”
“Do you understand now, warrior, we come from Sawa Messa?”
“Yes, Chona Sissya.”
“Do you have mates and pups?”
“Two mates and three pups, Chona. They wait in the rocks beyond,” Waffala replied, pointing behind him with one arm.
“Do you understand that we might never return to this planet?”
“Chona Sissya, I’ve witnessed too much of the aliens who accompany you. I’ve made the mistake of speaking of what I saw to my mates. I believe we will not see Nessila rise again. The lookout, who witnessed your ship’s landing, has already disappeared, and the nest’s soma were offered the strangest of reasons for his death, which only the wasat witnessed.”
Sissya clamped her jaw, preventing an angry hiss from escaping her lips. She was incensed at the duplicity of the queen and her wasat. It was the duty of these two individuals to care for their soma.
“Since my return to the nest, the chona and wasat have told me more untruths than I can count,” Waffala continued. “I beseech you, Chona Sissya. Take me, my mates, and my pups with you. But, if my presence is unacceptable to you, at least, take my mates and pups. They’re innocent of any wrongdoing,” Waffala pleaded and ended by dropping his head in abject submission.
“Warrior, I offer you my scent,” Sissya said, extending her hand, palm down, to Waffala, who dipped his muzzle and breathed deeply from his new queen’s hand. “Fetch your mates and pups, Waffala, and do so quickly.”
The sub-commander jumped to his feet, uttered a quiet yip, and took off at a dead run for a nearby pile of rocks. He returned quickly with two young females, who held the hands of three pups who were barely half their height. The females fell to their knees, pulling the pups down with them, and ducked their heads. Sissya offered her hand to each member of Waffala’s brood, and, as soon as they caught her scent, she motioned Waffala to board.
The sub-commander leapt into the traveler and barked a command to his mates to join him, but their reticence showed, and the females’ nervousness was communicated to the pups. Sissya extended her hand to a female pup, who responded on instinct, reaching out to her queen. The chona guided the young one to the traveler’s steps and lifted her up to her waiting patriarch. That emboldened the two male pups, who pulled free of their mothers’ hands and bounded up the ship’s steps. The matriarchs sighed in resignation and followed their mate and pups into the alien ship.
* * *
The hatch dropped and Alex was the first to climb aboard, only to suddenly halt at the sight of six new Dischnya aboard the ship. Julien stopped, just short of bumping into Alex, and stared over his shoulder.
“I’ve acquired six soma, Dassata,” Sissya said formally. She felt it unnecessary to rise on her legs and display her tail to underline her statement. Dassata was unimpressed by Dischnya displays of dominance. This had been a topic of conversation among the chona. Dassata had more power than all Dischnya combined, yet he walked and talked as if he was one of his soma. He let his words speak for him, and, because they carried truth, they displayed his strength.
“So I see, Chona Sissya,” Alex replied formally. “I’m pleased our visit to Sawa has proved fruitful to you.”
Julien sent an image of his avatar being thrown off a temple of learning’s top tier by an angry horde of Dischnya, only to be hauled back up to the top because the fall hadn’t done sufficient damage.
Waffala was busy the entire trip to the Rêveur, explaining to his mates and pups every interaction he had with each alien. Every so often, he would remind them that the aliens never harmed him, even when he had attempted to shoot their leader.
“I don’t know what awaits us on Sawa Messa,” Waffala said to his mates, “but it will be better than our deaths at the claws of Falwass.”
-18-
Return to Omnia
The Rêveur broke Sawa’s orbit, and Captain Lumley and Julien spotted, at the same time, the anomaly above Omnia in the liner’s telemetry feed.
“You possess the superior analytical capabilities, Julien. Can you confirm that we’re seeing a second city-ship?” Francis requested.
“We are indeed, Captain,” Julien replied, “and, as you hold the exalted position of Dassata’s ship captain, I’ll defer to you to deliver the message to him.”
“You’re so kind, Julien. I do love surprising Alex.”
“Don’t we all, Captain?” Julien replied, exiting the bridge and softly whistling an ancient tune known as a dirge.
While Captain Lumley informed Alex of the presence of a second city-ship stationed over Omnia, Julien commed Cordelia and requested an update. That conversation became protracted, and Julien delayed responding to Alex’s ping until he completed his communication with Cordelia.
When Julien closed his comm with his partner, he responded to Alex’s signal, sending,
Julien knew Alex wouldn’t mind putting off anything that threatened to take his attention away from investigating the meaning of the glyphs they’d discovered on Sawa. Alex and Julien’s scans of the temple stone’s backside and the carvings on the column were copied to the Rêveur’s library. In addition, the glyph imagery recorded by the SADEs from every site was uploaded to provide a reference to help solve the riddle of the buried temple stone.
Alex spent hours studying the odd carving, which consisted of a multitude of dots and a single, short line, without having any inkling of their meaning. It spun slowly in his main salon’s holo-vid and taunted him every time he passed.
The fact that the edifice’s architects had mentioned the sphere on the column, where all could see it, but buried this one stone’s image, indicated it was a critical clue. Adding to Alex’s building frustration was Julien’s report that he had yet to understand the carving.
* * *
When the Rêveur gained Omnia orbit and Sissya announced to Waffala that they would soon be delivered to Sawa Messa, the sub-commander requested a moment in the presence of the alien leader, and Sissya took him to the bridge with his mates. Waffala’s three pups were left in the care of Miriam and Glenn.
On the bridge, the sub-commander spotted Alex, and he fell to his knees, with his mates following his example.
“Rise,” Alex commanded immediately. When the three Sawa Dischnya came to their feet, Alex stared deeply into Waffala’s
eyes. “You never kneel to me again,” he said. “You live, and I live. You think, and I think,” he added, tapping his temple. “Because of this, we’re the same. You aren’t better than me, and I’m no better than you. Understand?”
Waffala understood each word the alien leader uttered. He spoke the Dischnya tongue well. It was the nature of his statements that confused Waffala. Every nest possessed a regimented structure. This was necessary for the soma’s survival. The sub-commander couldn’t understand how a leader, who traveled between planets and possessed great ships, wouldn’t be placed above all. How can the two of us be equal? Waffala asked himself.
Sissya chuffed in humor at the frown furrowing the sub-commander’s forehead. “Come, Waffala, this will take time to explain. Let Dassata resume his work.” She led the trio off the bridge.
“Some concepts, Alex, are too complex to instruct in a few sentences,” Julien said.
Alex grumped in reply.
Understood, Alex, Julien thought. It was one of his friend’s most endearing traits. Alex disliked the idea that one sentient was superior to another and, therefore, deserving of obeisance. Alex accepted that it was a norm in other cultures, but it would never be for those who worked in Alex’s orbit.
Deirdre took a traveler and returned the queens, wasats, and Sissya’s new soma planetside, dropping each group at their nests. She had Homsaff for company in the pilot’s cabin. Because of her tail, the queen held onto the back of Deirdre’s seat and asked questions the entire way to the surface. Deirdre made Homsaff’s nest the last stop, so the young chona had more time aboard.
* * *
When Sissya, Offwa, and her new soma stepped from Deirdre’s traveler, she placed Waffala and his brood in her wasat’s care.
“Where do you go, my queen?” Offwa asked.
“Make Waffala and his mates feel comfortable. Assign him adequate rooms, and he’s to have no duties until I agree to them. I’m going to visit Nyslara.”
Before Offwa could object, Sissya spun and took off at a run toward the neighboring Tawas Soma nest. She felt invigorated by the ability to travel to see another queen without fear or the need to be accompanied by a wasat and warriors.
When she spotted the first Tawas Soma lookout, she continued on at an enjoyable, steady pace. Nyslara’s rooms would be located near the center of her nest, where every queen dwelt. Judging she’d traveled far enough, Sissya chose a nearby tunnel entrance and stood with her clawed feet blocking the lookout’s scope. She couldn’t contain the chortle that escaped her muzzle.
While she waited, Sissya stretched her muscles, luxuriating in a newborn sense of freedom, until the hatch opened and Pussiro bounded out. She watched him scan left and right, no doubt, searching for her escort.
“I would speak with Nyslara, Pussiro,” Sissya said. “Is this the closest entrance to her rooms? I don’t wish your queen to walk far.”
Pussiro eyed Sissya with suspicion. The location of a queen’s rooms was carefully guarded by the soma of each nest.
“I’ll bring Chona Nyslara to this lookout,” Pussiro said, and disappeared back down the tunnel.
Sissya figured that she’d guessed correctly as to Nyslara’s location, because the chona arrived soon, laboring to climb the ladder. Others must have made to follow Nyslara, because she barked decisively to them to remain inside.
“Sissya, sister,” Nyslara said, greeting Sissya.
“Your birthing is soon, Nyslara. I’m pleased for you. I smell an heir.”
“Pussiro makes a good mate,” Nyslara replied.
“I would not bother you, Nyslara, but I thought it important that you learn of our trip to Sawa. It’s you who is leading the Sawa Dischnya into the light.”
Nyslara tipped her muzzle in appreciation, and Sissya launched into a detailed summary of the events, as they took place. She emphasized the state of the planet, its ferocious daily winds, scouring sands, and scarce foods. Then she spoke of the edifices, the hunt for information on the sphere, the multiple attacks, and the capture and return of Waffala. The conversation saddened Nyslara, who had hopes for the home world’s soma.
“Do you think Dassata can help them?” Nyslara asked, when Sissya finished.
“I think the nests are beyond help, Nyslara. Waffala spoke often of his queen and wasat’s untruths and their killing of a lookout to protect their stories,” Sissya replied.
“If the planet is in desperate decline, Dassata would need to transport the Sawa soma here, but we can’t afford to bring that type of treachery to our nests,” Nyslara lamented.
Sissya agreed with Nyslara. Their conversation ended soon afterwards, and Sissya wished Nyslara a safe birthing and a healthy heir.
Nyslara appreciated the report’s brevity. She was bulging with her pups and needed frequent rest.
* * *
Alex, Renée, and Julien flew with Svetlana to the Freedom, while the others packed equipment and personal bags and waited for a rear-loading traveler en route from the city-ship.
From the Freedom’s landing bay, Alex made his way to the owner’s suite and spent a long span in the refresher, while he continued to think through the image puzzle they’d gleaned from Sawa. Afterwards, he brewed a cup of thé and sat to wait for the SADEs to join him.
In the meantime, Julien caught up with Cordelia on the bridge. Their hands met, foreheads touched, and, for brief ticks of time, it was a transfer of the enduring commitment of two partners who wished to be together for all time.
When they separated, Cordelia linked Julien to the not insignificant collection of record files that were transferred from the Our People, the second city-ship. She watched Julien’s face, as he reviewed the data.
“Julien, you play too much poker with Alex,” Cordelia said. “I expected some sort of reaction, instead of your bland expression.”
“This will be a challenging conversation with Alex, my partner, and I’ve received his ping. He’s expecting us. We should make haste.”
Z, Miranda, and Miriam had no sooner hauled their gear off the rear end of their transport, including the enormous avatars, when they received Julien’s comm. They left Miriam in charge of their possessions and hurried to join Julien and Cordelia.
Before Julien, Cordelia, Z, and Miranda entered Alex’s suite, Julien added Rosette to the group’s comm link. Rosette was the fourth Exchange director at Omnia, and she was aboard the Sojourn.
“I’m ready when you are, people,” Alex said, pouring himself a second cup of thé and cradling it, as he settled into a chair across from two couches occupied by the four SADEs.
“Can we accept that your trip to Sawa was successful, Alex?” Cordelia asked cordially. “We didn’t receive any details from you.” She glanced from Alex to Julien and back to Alex.
“I’m not prepared to discuss what we found, yet,” Alex replied. “And I’ve asked the landing party not to discuss it either. At this time, I’d like to hear the Our People’s story.”
“The Assembly was overjoyed at the opportunity to receive shells from Omnia Ships and allow Haraken to complete the travelers and meet their contracts,” Cordelia said. “Of course, they inquired into the techniques of spraying a faux shell, but they were informed that the process was proprietary. The Assembly was so keen on the concept that the representatives proposed several means by which the delivery of travelers could be accelerated. This led to lengthy discussions with the local Exchange directors.”
“If we were to attempt to shorten the construction time of our frames and shells, we’d need a significant increase in engineers and techs,” Alex replied.
“And they’re available,” Cordelia said with enthusiasm, and Julien schooled his face to prevent wincing.
Alex focused on Cordelia, his eyebrows knitting together.
“Allow me to explain, Alex,” Cordelia continued hurriedly. “The Assembly announced to Haraken companies that if any of them wished to commit some parts of their workforces to support the buildout of the Our People�
�s construction bays and the traveler deliveries, they should submit lists of available employees, their skills, and daily labor costs. To fund this aspect of the venture, the Exchange granted a modest interest loan to the Assembly, and it will use the funds to pay the stipends of those individuals involved in the startup.”
“Cordelia, you’re talking about thousands of workers. How does the Assembly propose to transport them to Omnia, if both city-ships are here?” Alex asked.
“The workers are aboard the Our People now,” Z replied.
Alex had started the conversation in a relaxed, listening-only mode, but he realized that the conversation was taking a strange direction, and he focused his thoughts. “Obviously, the Our People is still spaceworthy, because it’s here, but that city-ship certainly isn’t ready for long-term occupation by humans,” Alex objected.
“In that regard, you’re quite correct, Alex,” Julien agreed. “However, the Freedom has abundant cabin space and facilities to spare. The Harakens could live there while they work aboard the Our People.”
“So, it was the intent of the Assembly and the Haraken-based Exchange directors to have the second city-ship act as both the construction hub for the frames and shells, and also operate as the carrier for delivery.”
“Precisely, Alex,” Z replied. “The Assembly was loath to empty one of its warships to act as the transport. The representatives cited the time period for each roundtrip and the number of trips, as they foresaw it, to be excessive and potentially undermining the planet’s defensive capabilities.”
“The Assembly chose to sell off the heavy equipment aboard the city-ship to empty the bays,” Cordelia said. “However, the returns for the outdated and heavily used equipment were unimpressive.”
Naturally enough, it was Z who focused on the logistics, saying, “It’s our estimate that three travelers can be laid up in every cleared bay. When the first of each three sets are completed and the second units are at 60 percent or better, it’s our estimation the Our People can set sail for Haraken. During the flight, the second travelers can be completed, allowing two travelers from each bay to be delivered. The workforce can continue to work on the third unit, while the first pairs are unloaded and the city-ship returns.”