“Tell me your pathetic secret,” he said with an almost-convincing look of contempt.
“First,” I said, “I will tell you three facts which are widely accepted as true and yet which cannot all be true at the same time. All six known races have unique protein compositions. Neurotoxins, as proteins, are specific to each major race and affect no other. The jump drive components are guarded by a neurotoxin which attacks all six races indiscriminately.”
I paused and let him think about that. It didn’t alarm him, of course, but it puzzled him. He had probably heard most of those facts at one time or another, in some form.
“One of those must be untrue,” he said. “Is that the secret?”
“No, that’s the clue.
“What hardly anyone knows is the neurotoxin which guards the jump drive is not exactly a protein, but something like a protein. It functions like a protein, but it has no DNA. It is RNA-based. I don’t know exactly what that means, but I gather it’s a big deal. Apparently no other life we know of is RNA-based.”
Gaant shook his head. “So that explains the contradiction. Why is this significant?”
“RNA-based life means it’s from a different tree of life. It didn’t come from any of the biospheres of the six races of the Cottohazz, or any other independently evolved tree of life we have found on any other world. All of the life forms we know are DNA-based.”
“Where did it come from?” he asked, his voice growing cautious.
“No one knows.”
He frowned. “You mean one day it simply appeared, infecting jump drives? Like some sort of interstellar virus?”
“No, it’s always been there. You see, in a sense it is the jump drive cortex itself. The controlling mechanism of the jump drive is a bioengineered organism, or rather a colony of RNA-based microscopic organisms. The cortex, I’ve been told, is layer after layer of blank circuit boards. The organisms live there on the circuit boards, feeding on electricity. They are some sort of biological superconductors, and don’t ask me how that works because nobody’s figured it out yet. But they move on the boards in response to stimulus through the control interface, forming different electrical circuits as they do, and then the jump actuators fire and you’re someplace else. Like magic. When disturbed, they emit the toxin as a defense mechanism.”
He shook his head again. “Ridiculous! I’ve never heard of Varoki doing any sort of bioengineering, let alone anything that sophisticated-sounding, let alone three hundred years ago. If we built the jump drive that way, why haven’t we built other bioengineered devices since then?”
I said nothing. I just looked at him. The air circulation system made a faint whisper, the only thing that broke the silence for several long seconds. Gaant’s expression shifted, curiosity beginning to supplant anger.
“You are saying we did not build it? Then where did it come from?”
“Apparently, and I only have bits and pieces of this, it came from a derelict alien ship, but I don’t know where your guys found it—certainly somewhere here in your home star system, but it doesn’t matter.
“The thing is the Varoki didn’t invent the jump drive; they found it. But Varoki intellectual property covenants, the ones which formed the basis of the Cottohazz charter, cover invention, not found knowledge. So three hundred years ago Traak and Simkitik and Kagataan and those other two guys lied on the patent.”
“How can no one know this?” he asked.
“For the last three hundred years the patent-holding houses have shared and protected the secret, no matter how bitter and violent the competition between them became, claiming the internal workings of the drive were proprietary knowledge. All that time they have been trying to reverse-engineer the process that originally created the jump drive, and understand the workings of the life form that makes it go. And you know what they’ve come up with? Nothing.”
He stared at me for a while, then shook his head again. “I do not believe you. If this is true, where is your proof?”
“Oh, I don’t have any. There isn’t any, yet.” I laughed. “That’s probably all that kept me alive the last twenty-four hours. But here’s my other secret.”
I leaned forward and he did as well, almost involuntarily, and when our faces were close I spoke softly.
“I figured out how to prove it. It’s going to take some time, a lot of work, and it may get a little dangerous, but I’m going to do it. And when I’m done, there won’t be a big war, the Cottohazz will still be around, but the Varoki won’t be on top anymore.”
He licked his lips. “You would never do that. It will reduce the value of Tweezaa e-Traak’s inheritance.”
“She’ll survive, and my responsibility is her survival, not protecting her money. Besides, when she finds this out, I know exactly what she will want us to do. What did you say when we first met? That we had corrupted her? In my experience, she is incorruptible, because her decisions are guided by her courage. Yours are driven by your fears.”
He looked at me with eyes full of fear and hatred, all mixed up together. “You think Humans will replace us? You think you can take our place?”
I sat back in my chair. “I don’t want your place! I don’t want a galaxy where people think my son’s something more because he’s Human. I just want one where they don’t think he’s something less. And that’s what I’m going to give him.”
I stood up and looked down at Elaamu Gaant for the last time.
“You were right to be afraid of us, Gaant. One way or another, we were always going to be your undoing, but not for any of the reasons you thought. It’s because we aren’t who you imagine.”
* * *
E-Loyolaan provided a very nice executive shuttle to get me out of town the next morning, ahead of almost everyone else looking for a ride. The weather had cleared and the shuttle rose out of blowing smoke from the residual fires and into a brilliant blue sky decorated sparingly with white accent clouds. As we banked over the city I caught a single flash of gold far, far to the south, reflected sunlight from the Old Tower needle. The devastation of Sakkatto City below surprised and shocked me. There had been many more fights than I had witnessed, and smoke still rose from the base of Drak’zanaat Arcology, where Zdravkova had made her last stand and a cohort of Zack Mike troopers had shot their way in to save her.
I’d had one other meeting before I left, with the new second governor of AZ Simki-Traak Trans-Stellar, a guy by the name of e-Drepaank. He wanted me to carry a personal message to The Honorable Arigapaa e-Lotonaa that the governors of the trading house had no further intention of interfering with Tweezaa e-Traak-Lotonaa’s inheritance. The governors regretted the terrible consequences of the foolishness of his predecessor, the late Vandray e-Bomaan, but they assumed no collective liability for his disastrous miscalculations. They hoped to enjoy a constructive and profitable relationship in the future.
I asked about the e-Traak family and he said he could not speak for them, which meant the truce was only with corporate, not the family, and might only last until the family made another really good offer to them. So it was more a temporary ceasefire than a lasting peace, but it was better than nothing. I told him I’d pass along the sentiment. He thanked me.
The shuttle flew almost due north, over columns of uBakai Army units withdrawing back to their cantonments and bases. Sprawling urban strips along the maglev lines showed the lingering effects of conflict as well, and everywhere vehicle traffic filled the roads. People leaving. People going home. Army units returning to a very uncertain future. I wondered what would happen when loyalist units and rebel units returned now to share the same base. I wondered, but I didn’t really care. Someone else could worry about that.
Soon the shuttle reached and started following the long deep blue coastline of the Zhak Kakavaan. After an hour we passed over the canyon which held The Valley House. I tried to pick it out and saw it, a spot of pink in the black and grey rocks below, but I felt nothing.
I’d last been there
a lifetime ago, it seemed, but the span of a lifetime is negotiable. I’d left there to go to the reception in Katammu-Arc the evening of Day Four, Eight-Month Waning. Now it was Day Three, Nine-Month Waxing, nineteen days later. Nineteen days.
I’d stopped by the med center to say goodbye to Moshe and I’d told him about my post-death experience, how it had given me some sense of comfort when facing death since then, but no more, now that I understood it better. He’d shrugged.
“You know, you’re in a spaceship falling into a really big black hole, you pass that event horizon and all of a sudden you and that ship are spread about one atom deep all over the surface of the superdense core, and nobody can tell which carbon atoms were from you and which from the ship, ’cause one carbon atom’s like any other carbon atom.”
“Yeah,” I said, “that really cheers me up.”
He chuckled.
“Well, another interesting thing about a supermassive black hole is the closer you get to it, the slower time goes. If it’s massive enough, time slows down so much you die of old age in that ship before it collapses into the black hole, even though to someone outside looking in you’re gone in an instant.
“So time is local, see? It’s not universal. Who’s to say those last things your mind makes up—that it conjures from the best of your memories and imaginings—don’t last forever? Maybe forever depends on where you’re standing.”
Maybe.
I looked down through the shuttle window as we flew over more columns of military vehicles, these driving north, probably uKootrin forces withdrawing across the frontier. And then there were no more military vehicles, no more rising columns of smoke over cities and towns. The autumn noonday sun was not directly overhead, but slightly to the south, and so our shadow raced ahead of us, flashing over fields and forests and peaceful, intact towns, guiding our way to what would be my new home, because I did not think we would return to Bakaa, at least not to live, not for a very long time.
At some point we passed from Bakaa to Kootrin, from Gaisaana-la’s country to The’On’s, but I could not tell when. They looked the same to me.
Then we began shedding speed and altitude, the ground slowly rising and the grey stains of towns resolving into discrete pixels of buildings, then the buildings resolving into unique structures made distinct from one another by their sizes, colors, designs, but not the extent of their damage.
I saw the sprawling residential complex ahead and knew that must be our destination.
The shuttle settled on the yellow-painted foamstone landing pad. The small knot of people, so familiar, so precious, turned away and protected their eyes from the dust, then turned back, faces a mixture of anxiety and anticipation and love. The hatch hissed open, the boarding stairs unfolded to rest on the ground. I came out into sunlight, the brightest, most beautiful day I can remember, and I can remember some beauts. In two long strides I was down the stairs and enfolded in Marr and Tweezaa’s arms. After a long moment I found my voice and pulled back from them a little, turned and nodded to the hatchway and the other passenger.
“Marr, Tweezaa, The’On, I’d like you to meet my sister, Avrochka.”
CHARACTERS
NOTE: *Characters with an asterisk first appeared in How Dark The World Becomes.
The prefix “e-” before a Varoki family name indicates membership in The Select, the Varoki aristocracy.
Sasha and Company
*e-Lotonaa, The Honorable Arigapa, aka “The’On,” aka “Gapa” aka “Boti-On” (Uncle The’On): Varoki high-ranking official in the Cottohazz diplomatic corps, close friend of Sasha, Marrissa, and Tweezaa.
*Marfoglia, Marrissa, aka ”Marr,” aka “Boti-Marr” (Aunt Marrissa): Sasha’s wife. Human economist, and court-appointed guardian for Tweezaa e-Traak.
*Naradnyo, Aleksandr Sergeyevich, aka “Sasha” aka “Boti-Sash” (Uncle Sasha), aka “Xandinho”: Human former gangster and current head of Tweezaa e-Traak’s personal security detail.
*e-Traak, Barraki: (mentioned) Late brother of Tweezaa e-Traak.
*e-Traak, Sarro: (mentioned) Late father of Tweezaa e-Traak.
*e-Traak, Tweezaa: Varoki heiress to the largest fortune in the Cottohazz.
Employees and Associates
Ah-Quan, Baka: Zaschaan (or Zack) security guard assigned to protect Gaisaana-la.
Bonderovski, Gladys: Human, security guard.
*Borro (no other name given): Varoki personal bodyguard to Arigapaa e-Lotonaa.
Cartright, John: Human, security guard.
Darzi, Kamal: Human, shuttle pilot.
Gaisaana-la (no other name given): Varoki, Marrissa Marfoglia’s senior executive assistant.
Huang (no other name given): Human, shuttle pilot.
Jutaant, Tita: Varoki, security guard, killed in the shuttle crash.
Lee, Hong: Human, security guard.
Mafengi (no other name given): Human, security guard, killed in the shuttle crash.
Ramirez, Norman: Human, security guard, killed in the shuttle crash.
Swanson (no other name given): Human, security guard, killed in the shuttle crash.
Tenryu, Iris: Human deputy head of Tweeza e-Traak’s personal security detail.
Other Varoki of Note
e-Bomaan, Vandray: Second governor (equivalent of vice-chairman of the board of directors) of AZ Simki-Traak Trans-Stellar, the largest mercantile house in the Cottohazz.
e-Drepaank (no other name given): Replacement for e-Bomaan as Simki-Traak second governor.
Gaant, Elaamu: Motivational writer and speaker, head of a Varokist and anti-Humanist movement.
e-Kunin’gaatz, Rear Admiral Talv: officer in the uBakai Astro Navy, briefly president of the provisional government.
e-Loyolaan, Field Marshal Lieutenant Yignatu: Head of CSJ, the Cottohazz military provost corps.
Maganaan, Ita: Executive secretary of the Black Docks Citizens’ Council.
Prayzaat, Captain Arkerro: mid-ranking official in the Sakkatto Municipal Police Force.
Rimcaant (no other name given): Counselor (lawyer) and vice-governor of the Good-Soul Counseling House.
e-Tomai, Captain (no other name given): Junior officer in CSJ.
Humans in the Black Docks
(a slum district in Sakkatto City)
Abílo (no other name given): Guard.
Constancio, Cristiano: Fisherman.
Ferraz, Cézar: Fisherman.
Pacifico, Joäo: Fisherman.
Socorro, Eduardo, aka “Dado”: Fisherman.
Humans in Sookagrad
(a slum district in Sakkatto City)
Chernagorov, Corporal (no other name given): Soldier.
Conklin, William, aka “Billy”: Building contractor.
Dhaliwa (no other name given): Explosives expert.
Greenwald, Moshe: Former starship electrician.
Ivanov, Petar: Criminal software specialist.
Jayaraman, Divya: Student.
Katranjiev, Bogomil, aka “RG,” aka “Reasonable Guy,” aka “Bogo”: chairman of the Sookagrad Merchants’ and Citizen’s League.
Kalabratov, Andrei, aka “Andy”: Construction worker.
Konstantine (no other name given), aka “Kostya”: wounded refugee.
Krautmann (no other name given): Doctor.
Mahajan, Dr. Tanvi: Head of Sookagrad Human clinic.
Naradnyo, Avrora Sergeichnya, aka “Aurora”, aka “Avrochka”: Journalist.
Naradnyo, Sergei Ramonovich: Biochemist.
Pablo (no other name given): Petty criminal.
Petrov, Boris: Doctor.
Ripnick, Bela, aka “Lefty”: Petty criminal.
Stal, Nikolai: Prominent member of the criminal underworld.
Ted (no other name given): Video recording technician.
Wilson (no other name given): Soldier.
Wu, Dolores: Hydroponics technician.
Zaradavana, Yash: Laborer, becomes head of ammunition distribution.
Zdravkova, Des
islava Bogdanovna, aka “Dragon Lady,” aka “Dezi Oobiyets” aka “Killer”: Leader of Human resistance group in Sookagrad.
Other Humans
Lorioli, Lieutenant Arturo: Officer in 10th Bersaglieri Inserimento Meteorico.
Massignani, Major (no other name given): Cohort commander, 10th Bersaglieri Inserimento Meteorico.
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