by S. G. Basu
“Sahiiraan Goren, as offensive as it might sound to you, our concerns have valid grounds. You cannot deny that our present is an outcome of a past that we had chosen willfully. And our future will also be a reflection of our actions of today. More than a hundred years ago, had you, the Solianese, listened to our concerns, our warnings, and our predictions about the worsening ecology on Tansi, we would not be a divided nation like we are now. You chose to ignore us and practically drove us away; sending us on an exile that was hardly a luxurious living under the waters back then. We, the Jjord, were always expendable to you—we were then and we are now.”
Premier Oliena paused and Maia noted the absolute silence that had fallen in the room.
Ren nudged Maia’s arm lightly. “Is everyone here named Sahiiraan?” he whispered.
“Sahiiraan is a title for leaders of the Solianese Houses,” Maia whispered back. “Each House governs a principality or a region.”
Her explanation was cut short when Premier Oliena started to speak again.
“You did not stop to find out whether we lived or perished, because you were so busy in your extravagant and careless ways. You destroyed the planet that you forgot you shared with others, driving it to the point of extinction. And all through it we suffered and struggled in silence, protecting our refuge from the poison that you unleashed. There were times when we thought it was hopeless, but we labored on.”
Premier Oliena paused again and took a tiny sip from the glass in front of her. It was interesting, Maia thought, to hear the other side of things. She had always considered the Jjord unfair and highhanded. While they still seemed to be that way to her, she had to admit that the Solianese had not treated the Jjord fairly either. The Jjord refugees who seceded from the Solianese parliament centuries ago were probably as helpless and scared as the land dwellers of today.
“It was by the grace of the stars that your civilization—the supposed great civilization of the Solianese—perished before Tansi did, or we would have not lived to see this day. When it all fell in a pile of ruin, we could have chosen to ignore your plight, but we did not. Our envoys came to your aid, restoring the lives, the remnants, or whatever survived. We had to put restrictions in place; we could not take the chance of letting you try to destroy Tansi again. It might seem unfair to you, but we had to learn from your terrible and unbridled greed.”
Maia stifled a sigh. Premier Oliena was voicing unpleasant facts, but the truth in them remained true no matter how horrid they sounded. The Solianese had destroyed their civilization and nearly destroyed Tansi. The Jjord had a right to be wary.
Oliena went on, her voice calm, unruffled, yet her words firm and hurtful.
“Our uneasy peace lasted only until the Xifarians arrived. Yet again, you did not show the tiniest bit of restraint in befriending them. We had warned you, asked you to be careful, but we were told to stay away. The Xifarians were your chance to escape the chains we had put on you, we were told. Once again you, the Solianese, forgot that we sustain you, that we give you food and water and heat and light.
“That was not the end. Your carelessness let the Damoclian Connector be destroyed. That betrayal cost us precious lives, almost destroyed Zagran, and destroyed our energy independence. We had no choice but to submit to our neighbors on Xif.”
Dani sighed softly, and sadness wafted through the stillness and touched them all. Maia had heard stories about the famed Damoclian Connector, but she did not know that it was more than just a myth. Built to share the energy sources between the two nations of the Solianese and the Jjord, it was supposed to be a giant feat of technology, a super conduit of energy that rose from the ocean beds to the planet surface.
“After all that, what do you expect us to do?” Oliena asked earnestly. “Trust you again with our lives and risk all chances of our own survival for you? Even when you cannot promise to bring forward the leaders of the Resistance? Even when you fail to get all your House leaders to attend this Council?”
“Yes. I am asking you to give us another chance and some more time to convince all the Houses to come to an agreement about the Resistance,” Tsininio said simply.
The portly Jjordic man waved his hand in dismissal. “Another chance to a bunch of dishonest and greedy murderers? Why can’t you ferret out those rebel rats, those thieves that pose as heroes, and hand them over to the Xifarians? Had you not pampered them and indulged them, we would not be in this situation today.”
“Calm down, Aloysus,” Premier Oliena said to the stocky Jjord.
Aloysus continued regardless. He seemed to be really keen on igniting the situation with his brash statements. “At this rate, forget about us assisting you, Tsininio. Even if you start begging for refuge, I would not provide shelters for your young. Premier Oliena, I think we should give these Solianese an ultimatum—follow our rules unconditionally, meet all our demands, and only then shall we consider letting you live.”
A huge commotion erupted in the chamber. While the aggressive Jjord man definitely seemed to enjoy the effect his words had produced, Premier Oliena shook her head in disappointment and sank back in her chair. She looked drained and exhausted, and nothing but hopelessness showed on her pallid face.
“This is outrageous,” Kusha said loudly. “I can’t believe they would let someone say such things in the Council Room. Obeying rules . . . I’m sick and tired of it.”
In a sudden impulsive movement, Kusha reached into his pocket and took out his red headband. He stared at it wistfully, his fingers lightly caressing the golden emblem of the sun at the center of the band. Then he slipped it onto his head. His face grew hard, and his eyes shone with determination.
“Guess you guys have to live with another strike,” he said. “Or if you want, I’ll gladly quit the team and the competition.”
They had all started to protest Kusha’s last statement when a voice made them turn around.
“What are you doing here?” It was Hans. He looked inquiringly from face to face, his gaze coming to a rest on Kusha and lingering on his headband. “I do not want to know how you got here, but you will be in serious trouble if someone sees you.”
Maia bristled inside at his admonishing tone.
“Let’s go,” Hans said. “I’ll walk you out.”
They quietly followed Hans to the door. Dani looked particularly crushed; her head was bowed and her eyes drooping. In the inner chamber of the Council, a furious debate raged. Hans stopped when they were all outside. He glanced briefly at the downcast face of his sister before looking pointedly at Kusha’s headband once again; something about it seemed to draw his repeated attention. As Kusha fidgeted uneasily under his stare, Hans chuckled.
“I haven’t seen you wear that headband before. Is that the latest fashion statement?”
“No.” Kusha shook his head. “It’s an inheritance.”
“Oh, I see,” Hans said. Maia thought she saw the hint of a shadow pass over his face. He broke into a smile almost immediately and gestured at the empty corridor ahead. “Well, you should get going.”
They walked back to the dorm in silence. The debate Maia had witnessed in the Council Room played over and over again in her tired mind. The future seemed worrisome, including their inevitable encounter with Aerika over Kusha’s headband.
29: The Karnilian Challenge
The dreaded confrontation with Aerika came a week later. The days that led up to that meeting were far more aggravating than the meeting itself. The anxiety, the gloating faces of Loriine and her teammates, and the tension that grew by leaps and bounds between Kusha and Dani did not make for pleasant living conditions. Since the trip to the Council Room, Dani had grown quieter, scarcely talking to anyone, and barely glancing in Kusha’s direction. Maia asked the girl about what was bothering her only to be replied with a vague, “Nothing, I’m fine.” Nafi, on the other hand, was sure that it had something to do with disappointing Hans.
“He expects too much of his sister,” she commented with her n
ose up in the air. “He should let her have some fun.”
Maia did not bother pointing out that breaking into the Council Room in the middle of the night might not exactly appeal to anyone’s sense of fun.
The unfortunate meeting with Aerika passed as painlessly as it could have, mostly because it was also the day when the first challenge was announced. Everyone was busy thinking about the task at hand, more than of the misfortunes of a certain team. That morning, they found Aerika in Palak’s classroom conversing with both trainers busily. Strangely, Aerika did nothing more than raise a quizzical eyebrow at Kusha, clearly noticing the reappearance of his headband, and take out what Maia presumed was a small recorder to note the violation. Not a single word was exchanged, but Maia knew they had been awarded the expected strike.
“We are here today to announce your first challenge,” Aerika said when the room had filled up. “You have two more weeks until the challenge, which means you still have a chance to catch up. Those who have been paying close attention will probably cruise through. As for those who have not, we can say good-bye to them right now.”
“Good-bye, Nafi,” Loriine crooned from behind them, and Baecca joined in with a snicker. Maia saw Nafi’s fist clench; she hoped that the girl would be able to hold her temper. They did not need yet another penalty against the team.
“The challenge is simple: you will have to reach the Karnilian Caves in an Aqumob. The first team to reach the caves will be the winner, and the rest will be ranked based on the time you take to arrive at your destination. Obviously, how fast you are will depend considerably on understanding the geology of the area, charting out the best path to the cave, as well as your ability to control and steer your Aqumob. Now, your trainers will explain in more detail.”
As Aerika stepped aside, Palak took the stage.
“Up on the screen you will see the map of the caves. And you also see our starting point, Zagran.” Palak pointed at the huge three-dimensional maps that showed the area that lay between Zagran and the Karnilian Caves highlighted in a bright yellow. “You will need to traverse the course from here to the caves in the shortest possible time. It will all depend on the path you select. So, choose wisely.”
A hand went up on the other side of the room. It was Jiri; he never seemed to run out of questions.
“Do we have to submit the details of our route in advance?”
“No, absolutely not,” Palak replied. “Your vehicle will be tracked and monitored at all times, so we will always know your precise location. You will be free to make changes to your route as and when you see fit, even while you are racing toward the destination.”
Jiri’s hand went up again, even before Palak had finished speaking. “But we haven’t even driven an Aqumob,” he said.
“You will. Soon,” Dill replied, as he stepped forward to join Palak. “However, since there is not enough time for you to master that vehicle, they will be on semi-autopilot mode. That means, even if you fail to maneuver it, it will take you to your destination using the safest and possibly the longest route it will be programmed with. So, while you might lose the challenge, you will not be lost.”
This time, Kusha’s hand floated tentatively in the air. “Will it be just us?” he asked. “Or will our mentor be with us as well?”
He was asking from their experience on Xif, Maia realized. For the final challenge, while the team had been responsible for the navigational tasks and had also helped in flying the craft, their mentor Miir had actually flown his Onclioraptor to the Seliban Temple.
“It will be just you.” Aerika stepped in at this point. “Although the mentors have been asked to guide you, it is not required of them to assist you beyond simple tasks. But if you have established a good rapport with your mentor, which I hope you all have, I expect them to be more than eager to help you with the planning. Also, you will be allowed to carry your personal weapon with you,” she said, looking at the eager but anxious faces. “Good luck.”
Aerika left the classroom soon but not before a brief stop near Kusha’s desk.
“Just so you know, your decision to wear that headband counts as a strike against your group,” she informed coldly.
No sooner than she had left, Loriine sang, “Two down, three more to go.”
More snickers and laughs erupted around the room.
30: Chicanes and Corkscrews
The choices were numerous, to say the least. Armed with stacks of maps, Maia and her teammates studied the maze of currents flowing through the section of the ocean separating Zagran from the Karnilian Caves. The more they probed, the more difficult it became to pick just one path. It was not simply the matter of the length of the paths, but also the properties of water that flowed through them. Kusha and Nafi volunteered to learn more about the heat, the flow, the speed, and every other mundane detail of the waters that could affect their timing.
Maia decided to research the caves, while Ren and Dani focused on the operations of the Aqumob. The Aqumob was definitely not as complicated as the Onclioraptor, but still it was no mean feat remembering every control, even with Dani’s experience with the vehicle.
“The Karnilian Caves is a horizontal chasm halfway down the Zsitanian Abyss. This abyss, which could hold ten cities the length of Zagran stacked one on top of the other, stretches to the deepest deep, the lowest point of the Tansian ocean floor,” Maia summarized a passage to her teammates as they assembled in their usual corner of the atrium. “It was found by accident. One stray Aqumob had drifted into the blackness of the chasm when its power systems failed. It was by a stroke of luck that the hapless engineer found his vehicle miraculously recharged while inside the pit, enough for him to rise all the way up to the surface and safety.”
The team sat engrossed as Maia described the Zsitanian chasm—how investigating teams explored the chasm soon after, and what was uncovered changed the understanding of underwater energy systems. The Karnilian Caves sat on a long fault line, which hastened the leakage of energy from Tansi’s superheated core. In order to tap this limitless source of power, a series of force spikes were soon driven into the fault line forming a mesh of conductors. Energy that flowed out through these spikes was fed into a grid that led up to Zagran’s power concentrators.
Then there were the Zsitanian currents—giant vortexes of water so strong that each could equal the forces of the entire surface waves taken together. No time was wasted in building the massive grid of water turbines that ran across the length of the chasm.
“Thus,” Maia concluded her reading, “the mightiest of the Roqowist farms came to life. In its entirety, this whole chasm is capable of producing enough energy to sustain all the underwater settlements, if not more.”
“What’s a Roqowist farm?” Nafi asked.
“Any energy farm that feeds into the energy grid is a Roqowist. There are other kinds of farms also, like the Challowist, which are standalone,” Dani explained.
“What’s the use of an energy farm that is not connected to the energy grid?” Ren inquired.
Maia remembered Dani mentioning the Challowist farms a long time ago in Appian. “They are used to charge up smaller appliances. Right, Dani?”
“Yes,” Dani replied.
“I wonder why we’re being sent to an energy farm,” Nafi muttered, frowning.
“Because of the complexity of the path, I guess,” Ren replied. “And maybe to show us the farms. It sounds quite impressive to me.”
“Any ideas on the routes yet?” Maia asked Kusha and Nafi, who looked at each other quickly before turning to face the team.
“Well, as usual, there are the safer routes and a few not-so-easy ones,” Kusha informed; his face grim. “The fastest one will give us a good lead over anyone else, but it would also mean that we have to depend on excellent driving skills.”
“Anything short of perfection might make us crash.” Nafi stole a furtive glance at Dani’s pensive face. “This time Miir won’t be around to help—it’s no one else but
us.”
“We’ll be fine,” Ren replied. “Dani and I have it all under control.”
“We need some more training on the thruster module,” Dani said. “We’ve requested Joolsae to help us with it, and she has promised to spend some time with us.”
“That girl is of no help at all,” Nafi fumed. “I had asked her for some special maps of the Northern Zsitanian Ridge, and I’m still waiting. I wouldn’t depend on her if I were you.”
“But she promised,” Ren protested.
“Well, of course.” Nafi shrugged. “Anyone can make promises, but it’s another matter altogether to keep them, or even try.”
“She is supposed to be a mentor,” Ren grumbled. “Miir was so much better.”
“Yes.” Nafi let out a long sigh. “Don’t get me started on how good Miir was. I admit, he could be rude at times, but he always did what he was expected to do and he always helped us. And this stupid Joolsae—”
“She must be busy with her own coursework,” Maia remarked.
“Maybe. But that doesn’t excuse her from helping us,” Dani argued. “It’s not like she is doing this just out of kindness. Anyone who volunteers for mentoring earns extra credit.”
“And yet, she fails to show up,” Ren scoffed.
“All right, enough about Joolsae. If she’s not here, then we have to figure it out without her,” Maia interrupted as Ren was about to grumble some more. She leaned over the large map of the Zsitanian region that Kusha had laid out. “This is what I think we should do. We take the fourth Trans-Zsitanian current from Zagran and head southward on it until we find the Antiotic 270, the cold stream that runs perpendicular to the Trans-Zsitanians. We can follow this until we reach the North Ridge of the abyss.”
“We will be with the other teams all along this stretch,” Nafi added. “All we need here is speed to pass the others and—”
“Or maybe not,” Maia interrupted. “We can simply choose to fall behind and stay out of sight, just like we did during the Seliban challenge. Then we dip into the North Zsitanian Fissure and come out far ahead of the rest, halfway into the abyss itself. From there we simply take a downward vortex that carries us to the bottom of the abyss and into the Karnilian Caves.”