“We have been waiting for millennia, trapped as we are on the remains of this dying planet. We began to think that we would never find anyone to wake them up, never find anything to take over the search for the perfect planet. You have nearly come too late, for the planet will last only a matter of hours more in its present state. You are our last and only hope of avoiding the extinction of our race. We had to bring the two morphics over to us.”
“Ye-e-s.” Six didn’t seem convinced. “But why didn’t you build your own spaceships?”
The animas shifted, their light flickering almost shiftily across the dark confines of the cavern. “We had become used to the ortholiquid. We traveled through the galaxy using that. There was no need to develop any sort of interstellar vehicles. We never thought ... that is ... we assumed ...”
Six smiled. “You took the ortholiquid for granted. So the rest of you were stuck here?”
“Indeed. The rest of us were ... as you put it ... stuck here. By the time we realized we needed to build spaceships, the radiation levels had decimated our population, and it became an impossible project. In any case, it would probably have required more energy than we could harness to reach escape velocity, because of the intense gravitation around the black hole. Those of us who were left did everything we could to resolve the situation, but we finally had to admit defeat. About a thousand years ago, after we had set up everything needed physically for a possible rescue, we gradually began to transform into animas. Then we settled in to wait, in the hope that somebody would come by, one day.” The animas seemed to shiver. “Until today, that has never happened.”
“So we are to be the saviours of your race.” Six glanced again at Diva. “Has it occurred to you that we might well be trapped here ourselves?”
“Naturally.” The light of the Ammonite animas glittered in the shadows. “But we have sensed the existence of a larger quantum being, through the minds of the trimorphs, although we have not been able to bring him here. He has the ability to transport you away. We believe that he will have a chance of survival. He will have to come. It is worth the risk.”
“To you, perhaps. The larger quantum being may not agree with you.”
“He must. It is our only chance of survival.”
“You have put him in a position where he must risk himself to save us.”
“Yes. He might not have done it otherwise.”
Diva tilted her head to one side. “You don’t know Arcan. He would have come to your rescue anyway.”
The trimorphs spun. “We are going to speak to Arcan about that. It is not ... pleasant to be dragged away from your home. My twin and I do not want to be so vulnerable again.”
The anima which was speaking flashed. “We did not plan this deliberately. We only drew the morphics here, to us. We could sense their quantumness as soon as they came into range. We knew that it would be our only chance. If you do not wish to save our race, then you must leave the artifacts here.”
“That would seem rather churlish, wouldn’t it? Not a very hospitable thing to do?”
“It is up to you.” The anima fell into a dignified silence.
Six pulled a face, and Diva rolled her eyes. They could hardly refuse to help the animas, when it meant merely taking a few small boxes and a couple of lasers with them. Bennel and Tallen gave slow nods, too. They had come to the same conclusion.
Six stared at the small shapes which still glistened in the darkness. “What about you? We could take you with us.”
“We will stay. We are the last ones. We were meant to witness the end of our planet. It was decided by the Ammonite senate thousands of years ago. Unlike the stopped animas, our destiny is to accompany Kintara on her journey into the abyss.”
Six looked revolted. “You mean you are deliberately going to sit here and wait for immolation? What a dumb thing to do!”
Diva kicked him lightly, and he glared at her. “What did you do that for? They are stupid to do it! As if an inanimate planet is going to thank them for sacrificing themselves with it! I ask you! It’s like going back into the age of the rocks.” He bent to rub his shin.
“Over the generations, we came to believe that it is the duty of some Ammonites to succumb with our beautiful world, with Kintara. She should not be shattered apart with no life to mourn her passing. That will be our culminating moment. We are prepared for it. Provided the stopped animas can be awakened, we can greet our end with great acceptance. We are the most ancient civilization in the galaxy, and our heritage must be preserved. Generations of our ancestors have lived only for this moment. Some of the plans were put into place thousands and thousands of years ago. The one thing we wanted beforehand was to make sure that the trapped animas would be released. If we have your solemn undertaking to do that, you free us to prepare ourselves for the end with great joy.”
Six looked at them sideways. He didn’t hold much with rhetoric. “Yes. Well, whatever. I think we should be going now, don’t you, Diva?”
She nodded, and Six stepped forwards. “We will do our best to find your lost planet,” he told them. “Although I will make you no promises.”
“We thank you.”
“Yeah, well, goodbye.”
In front of their very eyes, the diamond star aura began to disassociate itself again, falling gently apart, disentangling each thread, each spun fibre of light, until they were all separate again. The tiny flames of life retreated back to the recesses of the grotto, and hung sparkling against the instellite background.
Six nodded at Diva, and then at Bennel and Tallen, and they all, as one, turned and walked out of the grotto, away from the threads of light, away from the memory of the cubic shape, away from the memory of the slow death of the planet Kintara, and of everything still alive on her.
WHEN THEY STEPPED out from behind the waterfall, the small clearing was not just as they had left it. Although they had felt no vibration, a huge piece of obsidian was lying in front of the statue, which had been defaced by its landing. The scalloped eyes now had a grey line of fresh rock tissue marring them, where the volcanic glass fragment had sliced part of the rims away. It seemed poignant that the statue had been defaced just at that particular moment in time, but it was a necessary reminder to them all that they had very little time left themselves, if they were to get out of the abyss leading to the depths of the planet, and away in the shuttles before the final break-up of the planet itself.
Six stared up at the towering crag above them and at the slabs of stone which they would have to negotiate if they were to get back to the canths. “We have to go.”
Then he turned back to the trimorph twins. “Are you coming with us, or do you think you can get as far as the New Independence, up in orbit?”
The twins darkened, and one of them spoke. “We can’t travel anywhere. We would need ortholiquid. Didn’t you see the small bowl in the centre of the grotto? —You were nearly standing in it, so you should have done. But it is dry now. What little of it was left vanished thousands of years ago.” Both of the small globes spun and irradiated discomfort.
“The ortholiquid somehow knew that the planet was on the point of breaking up? So it left?” Diva raised one eyebrow. “I didn’t think it was intelligent enough to know that it ought to get out of here. And how could it leave, if you couldn’t?”
The twins looked irritated. “We don’t know why the ortholiquid does things, do we? We’re only morphics. In any case, we could probably have left too, thousands of years ago. The planet would have been much further away from the black hole then.”
“Well,” said Six. “If we don’t look sharp we are going to get sucked into the black hole along with the remaining Ammonite animas and what is left of Kintara. Arcan insisted that we brought two protected pouches up here for you two twins, so you could travel more safely. They are full of nutrients, and insulated from both heat and cold, which should help to restore you, he thinks. Since you can’t make it out under your own steam, you had better use them. Yo
u can transport out of them at any moment, of course, but he said to tell you that you would be wise to stay inside, at least until we get you up to the New Independence.”
Six showed them the two small watertight purses, made of vaniven leather, and waited until they had disappeared into them, one twin in each. Then he handed one to Diva, and tucked the other one as securely as possible inside his clothes.
Diva turned to Bennel and Tallen. “I ... I feel I know you both better. I suppose being in the collective aura has in some way brought us closer.” The other three nodded.
Diva looked over at Bennel. “You have many colours.”
“Thank you, Valhai.”
Diva hesitated, and then held her hands out to him. “You are more than worthy to be my friend. I hope that I am worthy enough to be yours. ”
Bennel held his palms up to hers, and they touched fingers. “I am honoured.”
Six gave a snort. “No you’re not, Diva can be pret-ty hard work as a friend.”
Diva shoved him, and he held up the armful of map as protection. “Hey! No! This is too important to be risked!”
Tallen was standing nearby, with a frown. “I was in the aura too,” he said.
Diva turned to him, hesitated, and then offered the Namuri her palms too. “We are both hot-headed, Namuri, and I often find I do not like what you say, but I have come to realize that some criticism of the meritocrats is justified, so I, at least, will try to change.”
Six widened his eyes deliberately. “Get that in writing, Tallen. She will forget before long.”
Tallen, after a slight pause, pressed his own hands against Diva’s, although his expression was still fierce. “It may be that not all meritocrats are completely corrupted. Yet. Perhaps there can be hope.”
They examined each other warily, the beginning of a grudging approval manifesting itself in the smallest of cautious smiles.
Six pointed upwards. “I think, while you two are waiting to get used to each other, we should make tracks, don’t you?”
There was a general sigh, and a moment of sadness as they looked back at the waterfall, realizing that they would be the last people alive to see that sight, in some way wanting to recognize the sacrifice of the small threads of life still behind that curtain, due to be extinguished very shortly. They lowered their heads, and were silent for a long moment to show their respect. Then the small group made its way to the first slab of stone set into the rock face. It had been hard enough coming down. It would be a nightmare going back up.
Chapter 11
PETRA AND MANDALON glared at each other across the magmite floor. It was an impasse.
“You cannot allow those guards attending the Second Votation entry to the dome without being searched,” she said in a flat tone which clearly expected no argument from her emptor. The blue namura stone flashed at her neck.
“Those attending the Votation are all the most trusted Sellite bodyguards,” Mandalon pointed out.
Her lip curled. “Precisely. That is the problem.”
There was a rumble of discontent from the burly Sellite guards surrounding the leader of Sell. One or two of them made a step forwards, in Petra’s direction. She was unimpressed.
“One of your own guards tried to kill you, not so long ago,” she said, in a cool voice which rang through the family chamber of the 50th level of the 1st skyrise. “This is only a natural precaution. Guards should be searched before they come on duty. Why has this not been scheduled before?”
The head guard stepped forwards, an expression of intense dislike running across his stolid face. “It was not thought to be necessary, Mandalon.” He addressed only his head of house, ignoring the Namuri girl quite deliberately.
Petra stamped her foot, which was now clad in a sensible white running shoe instead of the heeled pump she had initially been issued. “Who thought it to be unnecessary, pray?”
Mandalon raised one eyebrow at the Sellite, clearly expecting an answer to be forthcoming.
The man faltered. “Well ... it ... that is ... naturally nobody would expect ...”
The young leader of Sell dipped his head. “I think we should make sure that all bodyguards set an example,” he said. “See that it is implemented at once.”
The man bowed, promised revenge by a quick hard glance in Petra’s direction, and then withdrew.
“You are not making yourself popular,” said Mandalon 50, rather amused. “You do realize that they will now insist on searching you, too?”
She lifted her chin. “Let them try!”
Mandalon raised an eyebrow. “Then I predict some interesting scenes. I hope you can look after yourself.”
The girl looked scornful. “I can.”
“You may have to.”
“I may have to look after you, meritocrat!”
“And as your emptor, I sincerely hope that you can!”
“I will protect you with my life.”
Mandalon 50 sighed, and looked heavenwards. “Let us hope that such a sacrifice will not be necessary.”
“Your guards are sloppy and overconfident, and I see signs of corruption in them. I do not, however, perceive the same level of threat that you do.”
“There are too many Sellites anxious to prevent the Second Votation. One or many of them will act. I don’t know when or how, but I am sure that they will act.”
“Do you still have the orthogel fragment which Arcan gave you?”
Mandalon nodded.
“Then it is hard to see how they can harm you. Arcan will know where you are at any one time, and I can alert him instantly through any orthogel tube on Valhai.”
The leader of the Sellites looked uncomfortable. “I know. Yet I have had this insistent conviction for several weeks now. Just as Atheron plotted to have my father killed, I am sure that somebody on this planet is plotting my demise at this very moment.” He gave a shiver. “Someone seems to be walking over my grave.” He looked down at the ground sheepishly. “I suppose you think I am imagining it.”
Petra examined him thoughtfully. “You did not imagine the previous attack against your person, and there are many good reasons why one of your fellow Sellites might want to eliminate you.”
“You don’t have to sound so cold about it!”
Her gaze was clear. “You can hardly expect your subjects to love you when they know you are proposing to abolish the genetic manipulation which has maintained the status quo for so long in your society. It seems quite logical to expect an assassination attempt.”
“You do believe me.”
“Of course.”
“When do you think they will act?”
“I think they will want to make their move soon. If they leave it much longer they must know that I will have time to discover them. They will not want that to happen.” She fingered the blue stone at her neck. “They know that I am here to prevent anything happening to you.”
“They will not believe that a girl like you can do anything.”
“Then that ...” she straightened right up, “... will be their greatest mistake.”
“Are all your clan as proud as you are?”
“We have much to be proud of!”
“You are famous for stealing from the Coriolan meritocrats. That would not make me proud.”
The blue stone flashed again in the light. “It is hard to steal from the meritocrats! We train from an early age to become good thieves!”
“You and your brother were caught,” he pointed out mildly, “I am not sure how apt the word ‘good’ is in your case.”
Her mouth opened and closed like a puffer eel in outer space. “How ... how dare you! My brother and I were excellent thieves! And we don’t call it thieving, either. We are experts in repositioning wealth as social disobedience.”
“I just said you didn’t seem very successful at it. Perhaps you make a better guard.” Mandalon looked away.
“Just wait and see, Meritocrat, just wait and see!” Petra turned on her heel and
stumped out of his presence, her face white and set with anger. How dare he suggest that Tallen and she had failed in their task! Who on Sacras did he think he was?
THE GUARDS WERE waiting for her as she made her way back to the small quarters which had been assigned to her. There were four of them, and they were lurking on either side of the corridor, so that she would have to stop or push past them to get to her room.
Petra tensed. She knew what was coming, and also knew that it was inevitable. She spared a thought for Tallen, hoping that he was having an easy journey with the Valhais, and then surreptitiously drew the temaris stick she carried secreted about her tunic. She couldn’t and wouldn’t draw steel on these men, but she certainly intended to do as much damage as she could before their sheer numbers overwhelmed her.
“You talk too much, Namuri,” the head guard said, his eyes small glittering points of black in his face.
“And you are too overconfident, Volgorion!”
He lifted a huge hand to bring it down on the crown of her head, and she applied a vigorous use of the temaris stick. He doubled over with a whoosh of expelled air, and sank to the ground.
The other guards closed in furiously, and Petra was only able to get in three good blows to the face before they were on her. After that, there was little she could do except take the punishment that was coming. She closed her eyes, and thought of her clan and the blue namura stone about her neck as the blows rained down on her. In her head, she was planning the retribution which would come to these Sellites. For now, it was time to lie still.
Even so, it was impossible not to cry out as their blows connected. She tried to take it in silence, but could not. That made her feel ashamed of her lack of fortitude. She bit her lip over and over again. She didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of knowing how much they were hurting her.
As she put up with the heavy blows she felt her mind traveling somewhere far away. Through the closed lids and through the sharp pain, she saw a different planet, shining with a mystic, silvery light under a sky with a huge dark star, which had wisps of light flowing from it in opposite directions in the sky. As if she were standing on the planet, she sensed heat on her face, and turned towards its source. A small volcano was erupting close by. She turned more, and then smiled, for she had suddenly caught sight of her brother, seated behind someone on one of the canths, being carried towards the foothills at a tremendous gait. The impression was so strong that for one small moment she forgot where she was.
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