Watching Yute

by Joseph Picard

  All logic told her that she should get them out as soon as possible. But it was almost like a memento from Marcus. It was stupid, but they hadn’t harmed her, yet. it was a type of stupid that she was willing to take a risk with.

  ~~~

  Cassidy awoke. A vicious nightmare echoed in her mind, and her head was pounding, but the world didn’t feel like the inside of a blender anymore. As the details of reality came back to her, she looked around and saw many others in a similar condition as herself. Asleep, sleepy, or staggering with this ‘hangover’.

  But across the aisle in her bed sat Cipriana, paragon of serenity, reading in the lotus position.

  “Heya, Cip.” She muttered with an ounce of forced cheer, “What’s up?” Cipriana had earlier explained to her the cause of this ‘withdrawal’, but at the time, Cassidy promptly passed out. “Brock got any more info about this nanite crap?”

  “No.” Cipriana wanted to change the subject. “You still have to go see Grand Elder Armil. His airlimb is still parked on the helipad. Don’t worry about your shift, Armil’s Storms have the temple covered until everyone’s back up to par.”

  Cassidy stood and stretched. “So, outside reinforcements taking over the place, huh? Feels kind of wrong, but I guess it makes sense… and we couldn’t have asked for better than Armil’s guys. They’re like a sister unit to us, huh?”

  Cipriana nodded. “Put yourself together and get going.” Cipriana’s words came out a little colder than she intended.

  “Kay, Cip. Have you slept?”

  “Some.”

  Cassidy headed towards the helipad. The sun glared down at her, and for the first time she could remember, it irritated her. It was bright, and the light seemed to wash out the beautiful colour of the land. The heat felt more like heat than it used to, and less like warmth.

  Armil's airlimb sat ahead, perched on the helipad. Yesterday it looked like a modern aspect of a respected leader. Today, it looked like a big bulky chunk of military hardware with sand on it.

  Was it just this ‘withdrawl’ that was making her feel this shitty, or had she just been mildly high all this time? Were the nanites making them all a little stoned? Whatever. Worry about it when Brock comes up with more info.

  She stepped up to the open bay door in the middle of the airlimb, the two Storms that stood guard there snapped to attention and saluted. What rank are they, that they have to salute a Leftenent? She saluted back, just so they could break their salutes.

  One spoke to her in a disciplined but peaceful tone. “Sir, the Grand Elder is expecting you. Please head towards the aft.” He nodded towards a passage nearby.

  “Ah, thank you.” She walked into the relative dark of the airlimb’s interior. This was her first time onboard one. It was slick. She’d heard how much space they had inside, but until she stepped inside, she had a hard time imagining a mid-sized unit spending most of their time in one. The main bay was only slightly smaller than the women’s barracks in the base. As she headed back through the quiet, dim little metal hall, she passed several doors to soldiers’ quarters. Each metal sliding door had two names on it, and spaces for an additional two names. Finally she came to a door with ‘Grand Elder Armil’ on it.

  She knocked twice softly. Armil’s voice replied. “Come.”

  Cassidy pushed the door aside along its track to see Armil’s office. It was a stark contrast to the harsh metal she’d seen so far in the airlimb. This was a beautiful, ornate, yet tasteful room, decorated with traditional Aguei art, and touches of classical European furniture. Bands of woven cloth hung from the ceiling against the back wall, which held some similarities to Armil’s robe. A hint of a sweet incense still lingered in the air.

  “Cassidy.” Armil rose from his seat behind his desk, and spread his arms in welcome. “You’ve recovered from this… condition we had?”

  She nodded slightly. “The nanite thing. Yeah, I think so. I still have a headache.”

  “I see. The good doctor tells me that the usual guards here suffered the worst of the withdrawal, apparently having been exposed to the nanites the longest.”

  “Hm.”

  Armil sighed with a sombre smile. “Come.” He walked over to the side of his office, where a large rug was laid out. Across the middle of the rug was a dark wooden box a little over two metres long, but only about a third of a metre high and deep. Armil walked to the opposite side of the box and sat down, holding his hand out inviting Cassidy to be seated on the other side of the long box. She took a moment to stare at the box, and then sat down.

  “I know this new trouble is not foremost in your mind.” Armil said, eyes cast down at the box.

  Cassidy swallowed hard as Cheryl’s name hit her mind like a silent hurricane. She suddenly felt a lot like lying down and grabbing at the dirt again. “Yeah. You could say I’ve been a little preoccupied.”

  “It is a great injustice.”

  “Yeah.” Yeah, no kidding. What else do you say?

  “She deserves justice.” Armil said, almost as a question.

  “Of course! And… and Marcus too.”

  “Would you like to catch the man responsible?”

  “That’s why you and your Storms are here, right? You’re investigating.”

  Armil looked deeply into Cassidy’s eyes. “But you, Cassidy, have a personal stake in this. And you are Aguei.”

  Cassidy cocked her head to the side a little, unsure of where this was going. “Honourary Aguei, at any rate.”

  “There is no such thing. You are Aguei, or you are not. You, Cassidy, are. Would you like to catch the man responsible? To suspend your duties around the temple, and be an integral part of the investigation?”

  “Leave here?” It was a shocking thought, really. How long had she been here, and not gotten farther away than Yute central before feeling the imposed need to get back? “I don’t know much about that kind of work, I don’t know…”

  Armil placed both his hands on the box. “You would be advised of everything my people find out, and you could make decisions about what happens next. The law of the northers dictates that this must be investigated, but Aguei law grants you rights beyond those, as you are the closest Aguei to the slain.”

  “What... what about Cip and Marcus?”

  “Cipriana has waived her right in this. After talking to her, I see that I should have perhaps spoken to you first anyway. She also feels she is needed more by the others around the temple. I cannot argue that her leadership and kindness will be essential to heal the spiritual wound we have suffered.”

  Cassidy nodded slow but continuously, considering. “I… Alright, I’m in.”

  Armil nodded once slowly. “Then this goes to you until it is settled.” He lifted the lid of the box, revealing a Yute spear. This one was different however. It was not made of modern materials, but it looked no less sturdy. The shaft and side handle was one piece of hand-carved wood. The spearhead was rather different as well. Instead of the machine-perfect, glossy metal rounded tip spearheads of the guards’ spears, this one was sharply pointed, and made of black stone, crudely fashioned.

  “That spearhead… it’s the same as…”

  “Yes.” Armil nodded, lifting the spear with both hands. “It is the same stone as the statue. The rest of the beast’s spear has been replaced or repaired many times over the centuries, but the head has alw-“

  “Centuries? How old is it?”

  “Perhaps as old as the Aguei, perhaps older.”

  “Has it been carbon dated or anything?”

  “We do not need science to tell us that stone is old.”

  Cassidy should have expected an answer like that. She took the 'beast’s spear' with both hands. It was lighter than she expected, but carried its own unfathomable kind of weight. “Beast’s spear. So this belongs to the statue, hm? What am I supposed to do with it?”

  “Find justice.”

  “What, am I supposed to kill that guy with this?”

  Armil stood, and
walked over to a large painting of the temple. “For ages, this spear has been lent by the Grand Elder to an Aguei who deserves justice. It is for that Aguei to decide what form that justice will take. No other law, Aguei or norther, can interfere.”

  “What?” Cassidy held the spear out in front of her at arm’s length. “You mean that if we find the guy, I can legally…?”

  “It is your right.”

  Cassidy took her time to absorb the idea. Then came a knock at the door. Armil looked towards it, and called, “Come.”

  Colonel Nafim entered and saluted casually.

  “I’m sorry, Sirs. Am I interrupting?” Her eyes lingered on the spear in Cassidy’s hands.

  “No, Colonel. We’ve pretty much finished here for now. Cassidy has accepted the task, so it’s a fine time for you two to officially meet.”

  Cassidy stood in a pose much like guard duty, with the spear standing in one hand. Choosing to remember protocol, she saluted the Colonel. “Sir. Leftenent Cassidy Stanton, reporting for duty.”

  “No, Sir. You’re in charge. I realize you don’t have investigative experience, so that’s my job. I’ll conduct the investigation as I see fit, but every move is going to be approved by you first. If you get a hunch, we follow it.”

  “Sir?” Cassidy tilted her head.

  Colonel Nafim smirked. “And don’t call me Sir. I think you just became immune to rank.”

  Cassidy wandered back to the base, carrying her new spear. As she walked in, she noticed the looks she was getting; many curious about the beast spear, others looking away from it.

  Alan walked up to Cassidy on his way out. He put his hands on her shoulders and nodded with a sad smile before moving on without a word. She headed towards her bed. Cipriana, Wanda and Maxine were in the ladies’ barrack.

  “Hey, Cip, hey Wanda, hey Max, hey butterfly.” Cassidy jokingly waved at the butterfly design on the wall behind Cipriana.

  Maxine stared at the spearhead. “Damn, Cass.”

  “New pokey poke?” Wanda chirped.

  Cipriana sat in her favourite pose, eyes closed since Cassidy arrived. “No, old.” She corrected quietly.

  Wanda innocently asked Cassidy, “What’s it for?”

  Cassidy swallowed hard, and looked it up and down. She sighed. “Killing badguys, I guess.”

  “Ha ha. But seriously, what’s the deal?”

  Cipriana held her tongue, leaving the educational duties up to Maxine. “She’s right, that’s what it’s for. It’s been that way for ages. When something happens like… like what happened, the Grand Elder can lend this out for... well, for justice. I don’t think Armil’s ever lent it out before.”

  “Lucky me.” Cassidy sat on her cot, and allowed the spear to lean on her shoulder. “I think it comes with some kind of promotion, or title or something too. Armil’s Storms were treating me like a commanding officer or something.”

  Maxine stifled a scoff. “Cass. Crap Cass, the person holding that thing is basically the closest thing the Aguei beliefs have to an angel of death!”

  That woke Cassidy up. She’d never been compared to a mythological being before. “Woah. Um. Damn, what did I sign up for?”

  Cipriana opened her eyes, and spoke in her typical calming tone. “To do right by Cheryl. And Marcus.” Her breathing trembled very slightly.

  Cassidy stared at length into Cipriana’s brilliant emerald eyes. “You knew I’d take it, didn’t you Cip. That’s why you didn’t take it, isn’t it?” Cipriana only closed her eyes again, and resumed meditating. Cassidy gave her a few more moments to reply, but gave up and moved on to the net topic. “So, who do I talk to about requisitioning a pistol?”

  “What the heck?” Maxine blurted, familiar with Cassidy’s general distaste for firearms.

  “Well, the way I see it, I’m going to be running around looking for a killer, right? Sure, I’ll have Armil’s Storms backing me up, but frankly, unless this spear shoots lightning or something, I might need a sidearm.” What little levity had been in Cassidy’s tone was now decidedly removed. “If you’re going to do something, do it right.”

  “I guess I’ll take care of it,” Maxine said after a long pause. “Do you have a preference?”

  Cassidy shrugged dispassionately. “One that spits bullets.” She glanced over to Cipriana. At some point Cipriana had opened her eyes, and was staring at Cassidy with an expressionless face.

  ~~~~~

  :::C /33

  ~~~~~

  In front of the statue, Armil spoke to the group from the other side of a simple casket containing Marcus. Many of the attendees forced back tears, so Cassidy knew the words Armil spoke had to be moving, but she didn’t hear them. She was stuck in her own thoughts, which were primarily a void.

  She was still within this world enough to pay vague attention as Armil guided two of her colleagues in placing two flags over the casket in a complimentary manner. One was the flag of the Aguei; the other was the national Ayguolan flag.

  Cassidy made an effort to pay attention. It was possible that Armil would mention her and that old spear she had now. Whenever she managed to catch a few words, they were about Marcus’ lovable and kindly attributes, and only hinted at his ‘eccentric’ conversations with the statue that was looking down at the group right now.

  It wasn’t Armil’s style to bring up hunting down a murderer at a time like this. Then again she didn’t think it was his style to give out licences to kill murderers either.

  Pall bearers stepped up and lifted the casket. They started to carry Marcus out of the temple, the final destination being an out of the way spot to the side of the temple, selected by Cipriana.

  After the procession passed Cipriana, there was a tangible fracture in the air as Cipriana’s aura of peace shattered, and she collapsed to her knees. Maxine was by her side in an instant, and most people took notice. It struck Cassidy that Cipriana’s crying was like that of a widow. She may have never even hugged Marcus, but a bond of some kind was there.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Cassidy saw one of the pall bearers, Jim, give her a glance of concern. It was only then that Cassidy realized she was staring blankly forward at the statue, past it. And it was only then she realized she was trembling. She couldn’t stop it, she couldn’t move. She didn’t want to look at anyone or acknowledge anything. She wanted to collapse too, but she didn’t want to make a scene.

  She forced herself to walk over to where Cipriana and Maxine still sat. She slowly and carefully negotiated her trembling to sit with them, and put an arm around Cipriana. “Hi.” She said with a soft trembling voice, not able to think of anything better to say. Cipriana didn’t reply, but grabbed Cassidy’s hand tight. As glad as Cassidy was to be able to be any form of support to Cipriana, it was unsettling to see her in such a weakened state. Cipriana was supposed to be a gentle constant of the universe. It was all so wrong.

  “Are you two going to…” Maxine sat back to look them both in the eye. “Well… to where they’re going to put him to rest, to be there when they lower-“

  Cipriana silently interrupted. She stared into the ground as she shook her head no. Quick tiny little shakes.

  Damned funerals. Cassidy never got it. Closure? More like rubbing salt in a wound. And she still had to fly out to Cheryl’s family to go to hers. How the hell was she going to handle that?!

  “I’m going to call in a grief counselor,” Maxine said softly, flexing her new position as second in command, “You two are going to be first in line.”

  “What?!” Cassidy said, still gripping Cipriana, and staring into the ground. “Keep the quack away from me.” What the heck was Maxine thinking? She and Cipriana had every right to be upset. They didn’t need any outsider to poke into it.

  “Too bad.” Maxine said in a comforting tone. “Deal with it.”

  Brock wandered back from the burial alongside most of the attendees. He went to the ceremony out of respect, but he couldn’t get his mind off of the stupid nanites.

/>   They had been all over the place. They waited in the sand around the helipad causing little windstorms, some of them jumping onto new people who arrived. They got into cameras, weapons, watches, and shut them all off when in the temple. Very deliberate, but without any apparent ultimate goal.

  Maybe the system was malfunctioning. Maybe it was supposed to do something, and it didn’t, so the murderer came with his little wooden ‘shut off’ thing.

  It didn’t really smell right. And the poor folks here who have been infected all this time, being made ill when they left, pressured to return. How long had they been infected? Why didn’t they wonder about the odd little things? Well... they were high! Just enough maybe, to keep them from thinking about it all too much.

  If only he could have recovered some of the nanites before they self-destructed, he could have maybe gotten more answers. Marcus used to talk to the statue… he was high! If his post-mortem bloodwork was any indication, he probably had a huge payload of nanites in him. Probably some kind of control centre. Maybe killing him was part of shutting it all down.

  Bah, too damned late to check. Dead nanites, dead Marcus. Not that he thought he could find anything else on Marcus that would solve much. No stray signals had been floating around since the shutdown, and there wasn’t a live nanite to be found. Brock would take the next ride he could get back to Yute Central, and get back into his other projects. Whatever the hell was going on here, it was over.

  ~~~~~

  :::C /34

  ~~~~~

  “It’s a seventeen?” Cassidy held the pistol up against the light, reviewing in her head how to operate one of these damned things.

  “Yes, Sir.” Word had gotten to Armil’s Storms that Cassidy was looking for a sidearm, and one of the troops was dispatched immediately to fill that need. Cassidy had a feeling she could have asked for a tank, and it would have been supplied.