by CJ Williams
Chapter 10 – Ebene Three
Germander beamed proudly at Carrie. “See?” he boasted. “I told you that Ebene Three is a beautiful planet, no one can argue that. Our Princess Gimi has good taste in real estate. I said Jandy could outrun those pirates. And now, here we are.”
Carrie stayed silent. No sense in either making Germander out to be a fool, or advertising the fact that she was the one who’d defeated the blockading force. Carrie’s implant skills had improved during her time upon Japurnam Five.
Germander’s fondness for Jandy had blinded him to her true capability. She was a good ship, but when it came to speed, she was about what you would expect of a freighter. One of the blockade ships had observed their escape and given chase.
When the destroyer closed, Carrie probed and quickly found the ship’s AI. This time Carrie confirmed what she suspected. The blockade was being operated by the Second Family.
The destroyer’s AI was not particularly high level. Rather than messing with orders to cut power to its drives and weapons, she simply ordered it to self-destruct. Her tactic also obliterated any chance of identifying her as a member of the royal family. She didn’t want that word to be passed back through channels.
She put the incident out of her mind. She had more urgent priorities on her plate. No matter what King Kkoli did, Carrie’s focus was on fighting the Bakkui. And she needed the information that Princess Gimi had. Looking down on Ebene Three, Carrie hoped that within another day or two she would have it.
“It is a beautiful place,” Carrie agreed. “Have you been here before?”
“Once,” Germander said. “From the stories I’ve heard it’s changed a lot since then. Some say it’s a vacation place, others call it hell. Of course, you hear the same about Japurnam Five. I guess we’ll find out. Excuse me, Highness.” He left to confer with the navigator.
The descent to the planet was gentle and took almost an hour. Germander was puzzled by her questions as to why it took so long. He answered that it just did. Carrie chalked it up to another difference from the Milky Way forces. In the Commander’s warships, you pointed your nose at the planet and let the AI handle gravitational stresses. Normal descents took a few minutes; a combat descent was about thirty seconds.
She crossed her fingers that she would find a replicator on this planet. The capital city’s spaceport came into view and Carrie reached out, trying to find the planetary AI. She assumed it would be in the capital and Germander confirmed this was normal. If so, it was proving difficult.
By the time they touched down, she still hadn’t detected a thing. There were dozens of small AIs dedicated to various functions, but she found nothing like JF307 on Japurnam Five.
Germander finished talking to the ground crew and came back on board, his face an equal measure of frustration and relief.
“What’s going on?” Carrie asked.
“There’s no Customs anymore,” he said. “Which is good because I heard they were tightfisted on this planet. But the planet lost its AI. They said refugees blew it up a few years ago. What a mess! The ground crew is only here because they’re hoping to earn a little hard cash.”
It was terrible news. Carrie estimated she had three weeks at most to find Princess Gimi and get her headed back to Japurnam Five. Without a planetary AI’s assistance to help locate the princess it was going to be nearly impossible.
“There must be someone in charge,” Carrie said. “Like a Tolliver maybe?”
“They call them governor here,” Germander replied. “But I warn you that when Ebene Three brags about their independence from politics, what they really mean is royalty. I doubt he’ll have any free time to talk to visitors, especially royal ones.”
“Let’s find out,” Carrie said. She rounded up Choego and two guardsmen and left Sunchall and the remaining guards to protect the ship. It was also to make sure Germander didn’t suffer a sudden bout of homesickness and leave them stranded.
In exchange for an extra silver coin, the ground crew arranged for ground transportation. It was a comfortable vehicle with a real driver who readily agreed to deliver Carrie and her entourage to the local seat of government.
The driver was chatty and Carrie encouraged him to talk. She needed information of any kind. The driver praised the governor. The planet had almost fallen into chaos after the sabotage of the AI. But in the following year he had pulled together a new government. Services were being provided and people’s lifestyles had resumed more or less to what they were before.
“If you want to know how miserable people are,” the driver said, “just count the piles of trash on the street. It’s the most accurate barometer for how people feel.”
Carrie tended to agree; it was the same in Kansas City.
“Here you are,” the driver said. “The People’s Hall.”
“Here’s two silver coins,” Carrie said, taking them from her pouch. “There’s two more if you wait. I want you to return us to the spaceport.”
“Take your time,” he replied with a huge grin. “I’ll wait all week for more of these.”
Carrie left her guardsmen with the coach and took only Choego into the building. Carrie didn’t ask questions, just peeked into the minds of the city employees as she walked into the building. This time of morning the boss was in his office on the top floor.
In the elevator Carrie waited for the numerals on the button to translate in her mind and then pressed number nine. When the doors opened, a receptionist directed them down the hall.
Through a wide door, one last secretary functioned as gatekeeper. She was insincerely apologetic. Sorry; since Carrie didn’t have an appointment, the governor was unavailable.
Carrie tried to persuade her with a gold coin, but the woman just looked insulted. Bribes wouldn’t work here.
Carrie spoke to Choego. “Please keep this lady from communicating with anyone for a few minutes,” she said, and walked into the governor’s office unannounced.
The governor was at his desk, a stack of papers in front of him. I am not here to hurt anyone, Carrie sent into his mind.
His momentary surprise quickly turned to anger. He had recognized her mental skills as those of a royal family member. He tried to put up a solid wall to keep her out of his mind but she brushed it aside. I just have a few questions and then I will leave. It is to your benefit to cooperate with me.
The governor’s face reflected his anger mixed with disgust, but not fear or astonishment. “Royals aren’t welcome here,” he said. “We’re politically neutral.”
“That’s a foolish sentiment,” Carrie replied. “But I don’t plan to stay, so relax. I’m looking for a royal. I want to take her home. It’s Princess Gimi. Do you know where she is?”
“Like I said. We don’t want you people here, throwing your weight around. It only brings trouble. Now get out!”
Carrie probed deeper into his mind. He knew nothing of Princess Gimi and did not believe she was on his planet. Carrie hoped she hadn’t opened a can of worms by bringing up the possibility, but it was too late for regrets. At any rate, she didn’t want a fracas with the constabulary. “Sorry to have bothered you,” she said. “I was misinformed.”
She left his office worrying that she might be on a wild goose chase, but it was too soon to give up. If officialdom didn’t know anything, perhaps she could hire a private investigation firm. The problem was those kinds of efforts took time, especially if the subject was trying to stay hidden. Carrie crossed her fingers that Gimi was here somewhere.
Back on the street, Carrie sighed. A police cruiser was parked behind her rented coach. Maybe she should have left the governor unconscious. Then again, perhaps the officer would be amenable to a bribe.
One of her guardsmen turned to greet her with a smile. “Highness. This is Sachon. He’s a cousin from my father’s side. I didn’t know he had moved here.”
Small galaxy, Carrie thought, bemused by the unexpected encounter.
“How can we help you
, Sachon?” Carrie asked.
“Highness. I heard a ship from Japurnam Five landed and then we got a complaint from the governor. I thought I should take the call.”
“I’m glad you did, sir. I was not aware Ebene Three frowned so mightily on the royal family. We were looking for Princess Gimi, but the governor was not helpful.”
“We’re not all that way, Highness. For the governor, it’s a matter of political ideology. I would call him willfully blind.”
“If you know anything, Sachon, please tell me more.”
Sachon shrugged. “Nothing I can verify. But rumors say she lives on the other continent. Supposedly, she keeps to herself and doesn’t want people to know that she’s here. My cousin tells me you’re related.” The man suddenly looked worried, as if he might have inadvertently spilled some very important beans.
Relax, Carrie sent to the police officer. Your cousin spoke the truth. I’m the younger sister of Princess Gimi and I must deliver her a message.
Sachon was startled by her mental intrusion, but then relieved as the unexpected words sank in.
“We are related,” Carrie confirmed. “How can I find my older sister? Time is very important to us.”
“I’ve heard she lives on one of the great boats that cruise the fjords. As I say, just rumors. Maybe someone in one of the coastal cities can tell you more.”
“Thanks for the information.” Carrie nodded at the administrative building. “You won’t get in trouble for being seen with us, will you?”
In answer to Carrie’s question, the radio on Sachon’s shoulder squawked; his dispatch officer wanted an update about the troublesome royals.
He smiled. “I’ll tell them I let you off with a warning.” Sachon raised his eyebrows. “In exchange for…?”
Carrie grinned. Human nature was the most consistent thing in the universe. She handed him two gold coins. “I imagine your captain will want a share of these earnings,” she said.
“It will keep him happy,” Sachon agreed. “And me out of trouble.”
“Then don’t tell him about these.” Carrie pressed two more into his hand. “We must be on our way, and thanks. You are a true kinsman.”
The officer looked at his cousin. “Stay here,” he urged suddenly. “There’s always a place for reliable men.” He cast a worried glance at Carrie.
A look of wistfulness filled her guard’s face but he shook his head regretfully.
“Stay if you want,” She said to her guardsman. “I’ll release you from your vows. It won’t hurt me to have another kinsman on this planet. Just remember, it’s a onetime choice. You’ll be here for the rest of your life.” Carrie wondered if he was leaving family behind but it was too late; she had made the offer.
The man nodded eagerly. Carrie gave him two coins as well and shook his hand. It was time to get a move on before she lost any more of her cadre.
“Back to the spaceport,” she told her driver. “Quickly.”
*.*.*.*
Servicing vehicles were pulling away from the Jandy and Germander was walking around his vessel, inspecting the exterior.
“We’re serviced and supplied,” he said when Carrie approached. “Any luck?”
“We need to go to the other continent,” Carrie replied. “Know where that is?”
“More or less. It was the mass of clouds in the northern latitudes on the far side of the planet.”
“Let’s get started then.”
Even in the relatively slow moving Jandy, the simple intercontinental trip took only a few minutes. Carrie looked down at the ocean.
“I can’t see the ground,” she said, standing next to Germander on the bridge. They were both trying to get a peek of the land below the clouds.
Germander scoffed. “No one ever has. Not from this altitude. I don’t know why they even call it a continent. It’s more like a bunch of islands.”
“How do you mean,” Carrie asked.
“Tectonic plates. From what I remember of my last visit, millions of years ago the mainland split off both sides. The orphaned land masses moved in opposite directions around the globe and met here, pushing against each other. It wound up being an unholy mountain range. Almost all the real estate is near vertical. If anyone tries to sell you property here, just spit in their eye and walk away.”
As they got closer, Carrie saw a few snow-covered peaks sticking up through the clouds. Those had to be very tall mountains.
“So how do we get below the weather?” she wanted to know. “I don’t recall seeing much in the way of ground radar on your bridge.”
“There isn’t,” Germander explained. “A space freighter like Jandy doesn’t need radar. Instead we’ll go out to sea and descend first. Then we’ll fly toward the coast under the weather. Question is, where do we start? The continent is actually a collection of tall peaks and deep fjords. You said the princess is on a great boat?”
“That’s what our kinsman said.”
Germander shook his head. “I don’t know how we’ll ever find her then. There are hundreds of those crafts in these waterways, maybe thousands. The big ones are vacation destinations. They make a living from luxury gambling.”
They sounded like riverboat casinos. It was hard to picture the famous princess as a blackjack dealer but it was an interesting concept.
Just then, she felt a tickle inside her mind. It was a fleeting touch from an AI, as though it accidentally brushed against her and then hurried on.
“There!” she gasped, pointing to the northwest. “That’s where she is. Mark that spot.”
Germander barked at his navigator to pull the desired coordinates. “At least we have a starting point,” he said.
He took Jandy out over the broad ocean and descended, away from the cloud-covered land mass. Once their altitude reached a thousand feet above the water he turned back toward the coast. On the horizon, dark gray cliffs rose from the sea, soaring straight up into the clouds.
“How tall are those mountains?” Carrie asked in wonder. Even though it was an intimidating barrier, the view was beautiful.
“Twenty, thirty thousand feet,” Germander said. “A few even higher. Those you saw poking above the weather are close to forty thousand feet above sea level.”
Straight ahead, a small coastal city nestled against a steeply sloping foothill that disappeared into the mist. Marine docks and shipyards took up most of the city’s industrial center. Business was focused on servicing boat traffic.
Carrie spotted one of the great boats. It looked like a cruise ship with at least eight decks of windows and balconies that gave passengers a spectacular view. It was pulling up to dock at a massive pier, custom-made to accommodate the thousand-foot-long vessel. An assortment of towers and rotating radar antennas sprouted from the top of its bridge structure.
Carrie reached out with her mind, but nothing of the AI she had felt came from the boat. It was simply a mechanical construct, manned by hundreds of crew and customer hosts.
The giant vessel had emerged from a relatively narrow channel that led inland. As they approached the coastline Germander began to slow. The city was located at the mouth of one of the great fjords that crisscrossed the continent.
“Keep going that way,” Carrie urged, pointing inland.
“Not so fast, Highness,” Germander replied a little testily. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he studied the way ahead. “Look at those clouds.”
“What of them?” Carrie asked.
“Don’t you see? Right here at the coastline, the ceiling is about two thousand feet. But the further you go back; it looks like the clouds get lower.”
“So?”
Germander gave her a startled look. “So?” he exclaimed. “Highness, those are mountains! If a ship like ours bumps against their sides, the mountain wins. My Jandy is a strong bird, but she wasn’t made to bang into hard rock. Let’s just take it slowly, if you don’t mind.”
“All right,” Carrie grumbled.
“Sorry,
Highness,” he said, as if sensing her thoughts. “This is a spacecraft, as I said. It’s not like I can put her on hover while we sort through possibilities. This is frankly insane, trying to fly up this canyon, but we’ll give it a try. We don’t have much choice if we’re to find your princess.”
Carrie watched the stark cliffs slide by as Germander navigated his way down the fjord. In places the sides closed in, making it a narrow pass, but then they widened out again. Carrie saw what Germander meant about the weather. The further in they went, the closer the clouds came down toward the water. If the thick weather reached the surface, they would have to turn back. Navigating the fjords without radar would be impossible.
One of the great boats slid silently beneath them. The riverboat captain greeted them with three sharp blasts from the ship’s horn. It was audible even inside the bridge.
“Probably thinks we’re idiots,” Germander grumbled. “I can’t say he’s far wrong.”
Germander’s sharp intake of breath drew Carrie’s attention to the way in front. There was a Y in the fjord.
“Which way do we go?” Germander asked. “They both look the same to me.”
Carrie listened intently with her mind. Nothing. “Go left,” she guessed. One way seemed as good as another. The canyon walls must be blocking any signal from getting through.
“Left it is,” Germander replied. He eased the ship to the right side of the fjord and lined up for the left-hand turn. As they passed the Y in the waterway, the Jandy wallowed from side to side. Germander swore loudly in complaint. “A draft down the other canyon,” he said out loud.
As he established their course on the left branch of the fjord, Germander swore again. The clouds had dropped even more. He descended again. From the bridge, it looked like the Jandy must be skimming just above the water.
Ahead the fjord bent sharply to the right.
“Damn it,” Germander exclaimed. “This isn’t getting any easier. If the way gets any narrower, we can’t keep going. I’ll have to turn around because we won’t be able to reverse course; there’s no way we can back out of here.”