Before Derward could reply the com system crackled, then a piece of music began to play. It started with a single instrument, a melancholic tone that grew more complex, with other instruments joining it until the sound filled their ears.
‘What is it trying to do?’ Bara shouted.
‘It’s antagonizing us,’ Derward said.
The music played on, the tempo increasing, the tone becoming more optimistic and frantic, and a memory sparked in Wynn.
‘Gershwin,’ he muttered.
Derward looked at him, confused. ‘What?’
‘Gershwin. The word just came into my mind,’ Wynn explained, talking loudly over the sound. ‘I think I know this.’
‘And how does that help us?’ Bara inquired angrily.
‘It doesn’t’ Wynn replied, dismissing it. ‘Do you have any weapons on board?’
She shook her head. ‘Nothing that will cut through that door. You don’t think I’ve thought of that?’
‘What about the com system? Can we talk to it?’
Bara thought for a moment, her eyes darting from side to side. After a few seconds, her face lit up with an idea. ‘If I trigger an evac situation the ship goes into safety mode and I’ll get access to the coms, but I don’t see how that will help us.’
‘If you can stop this damned music I’d be very grateful,’ Derward moaned.
‘I want to talk to it,’ Wynn said to Bara.
Bara muttered to herself, unconvinced, then returned to the exposed panel and began to work.
‘There,’ she said eventually. ‘I’ve convinced the system that there’s a fire in the drive section.’
A loud alarm sounded, killing the music.
‘Is this meant to be better?’ Derward asked.
Wynn ignored him and stood next to Bara at the panel. ‘Can I talk to it?’
She nodded and pressed a series of commands into the panel. The alarm stopped abruptly.
‘Okay, channel should be open,’ Bara said softly.
Wynn nodded, composing himself, thinking what to say. ‘Intruder, where are you taking us?’
The bot did not reply.
Wynn tried again. ‘Are we your prisoners? What’s our destination?’
The bot glanced at the door, then turned slowly back to the bridge consoles.
‘I demand you answer me!’ Wynn shouted in frustration.
The bot turned its head once more and a deep calming voice resonated from the com system. ‘I will answer. What would you like to know?’
Wynn, startled by the bot’s response, thought for a moment. ‘Answer my questions.’
‘I cannot say where I am taking you, not yet, but you are not prisoners.’
‘Then why won’t you let us onto the bridge?’
‘It is critical that you reach your destination unharmed. Given my previous encounters with you I anticipated some level of resistance to this. So, you see, you are locked out of the ship’s system for your own protection. Would you like some more music?’
‘No!’ Derward shouted from behind Wynn.
‘No,’ Wynn copied, more softly. ‘We just want to talk. Can we come on the bridge and talk?’
The bot cocked its head to one side. ‘I am sorry, but I suspect you’re trying to trick me. I was not born yesterday.’
Wynn smiled to himself. ‘Do you have a name?’
The bot did not reply.
‘Why are you hunting us?’
‘You,’ the bot replied. ‘I was hunting you.’
‘Why me?’ Wynn asked, suppressing a shiver.
At first the bot said nothing, then, ‘Please, make yourselves comfortable. We will arrive at our destination soon.’
Wynn stared through the window. ‘Is that all you’ll tell me?’
‘For now, yes.’
As he stared at the bot Wynn felt his frustrations ebb away. There was something about that odd voice of his, something familiar. He leaned against the door, letting his back slide down until he was resting on the floor. He glanced at Bara and Derward. ‘Any ideas?’
Derward joined him on the floor, cross-legged, back straight. ‘Why don’t we see where it’s taking us?’
‘That’s it?’ Bara asked as she paced the floor of the small space. ‘We’re just going to let him take my ship and deliver us to who-knows-where?’
She stared at them both on the floor and, with an exasperated sigh, joined them. ‘This is a mistake,’ she added.
‘Probably,’ Derward said with a sly grin, then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
‘What are you doing?’ Bara asked, sounding disgusted.
‘Meditating,’ Derward replied without looking at her. ‘Is that okay with you?’
Bara rolled her eyes, ignoring him. Instead she looked at Wynn, her face softening with a tiny smile. ‘Thank you,’ she said at last in a whisper.
‘For what?’ Wynn asked, keeping his voice quiet.
‘For what you tried to do back there,’ Bara explained. ‘For trying to save me. Trading yourself for me. That was . . . kind.’
Wynn shrugged uncomfortably. ‘Seemed like a good idea at the time.’
She shuffled next to him, leaning against the wall with her legs stretched out in front of her. He could feel the warmth of her arm against his own. They settled into a comfortable silence and, after a while, Bara’s head lolled onto his shoulder as she slept. Wynn let his own eyes rest, and he drifted in and out of sleep as he listened to the sounds of the ship’s drive system.
‘Attention.’
Wynn awoke with a jolt.
‘Attention, we have reached our destination. Please prepare to disembark.’ It was the hunter bot speaking through the ship’s com system.
Wynn stood up and peered through the window. He could just make out a portion of the view from the bridge. A huge ship approached, too close to see it all, slowing as it came alongside. They felt the vibration of contact as the two ships docked.
Derward looked at the ship, then turned to the others. ‘Shall we?’ he said, gesturing towards the lower decks.
Wynn and Bara followed him as they returned to the docking ring. On the opposite side to Derward’s lifeboat was another docking port. They watched as the lights to the hatch cycled from red to green and, with a gentle hiss, the door began to rotate. As they waited Wynn heard something moving behind them. He turned to see the hunter bot approaching. It stopped behind them, bowing reverently.
‘My name is Gofal,’ he said. ‘Please, follow me.’ The bot bent over and walked through the constricting hatch.
‘We could leave, get to the bridge, take the ship back,’ Bara suggested to Wynn in a low voice.
‘I have disabled your ship,’ Gofal shouted thought the hatch. ‘I will release it soon. Please, this way. They are waiting for you.’
‘They?’ Wynn mused to himself. He looked at Bara, then Derward and, with a resigned shrug, he entered the docking hatch. A breeze of fresh air greeted him as he stepped out into a much larger space. Gofal waited for him there, surrounded by a troupe of at least twenty guards. Each was dressed in a polished golden armor that fitted closely to their body. Over their right shoulder was a red cape that hung to the floor, and about their waist was a gun.
Behind him he sensed Bara and Derward coming through the hatch. They stopped at his shoulder, and he heard Bara let out a small gasp at the site of the guards.
One of the company – an older woman with a stony face – stepped towards Wynn.
‘We could not have hoped for this,’ she said, her voice faltering. She halted in front of him and lowered herself onto her right knee. The rest of the guards followed her lead and, one by one, they all kneeled in front of Wynn, their heads bowed respectfully.
Wynn stared at them, lost for words.
‘You are confused,’ Gofal said, ‘that is to be expected. Please, come this way, and you will have answers.’
KNOWING
Gofal led Wynn and the others to an ornate room many levels abo
ve. It was a round space, dominated by a vast circular table at its center. Around the edges was a view of space projected onto the high walls, the shifting image leading the eye towards the ornately carved ceiling high above.
‘Where are we now?’ he asked the bot.
Gofal held out a chair for Wynn, waiting until he was seated. ‘All of your questions will be answered shortly. The process will not be easy for you, but I will be here throughout.’
‘The process?’ Wynn asked as Bara and Derward sat beside him. Gofal said nothing. He walked to the edge of the room and waited, his blue eyes fixed on the gigantic doors at the other end of the space. After a moment they opened, and two guards entered. A third figure appeared, an older man with dark skin and a bald head. Wynn stared at the man as he came towards the table, his polished grey and red uniform catching the glittering lights. He stopped at the other side of the table, an odd expression on his face, and Wynn suddenly realized he had seen this face before.
‘You were there,’ he gasped. ‘I . . . I saw you, when I was in the lifeboat, on the Obsidian.’
The man said nothing. He glanced to Gofal who walked to his side and, with a gesture from the stranger, began to speak.
‘Welcome,’ Gofal said. ‘You are on board the Caerleon, the last arkship loyal to the Royal House of Kenric. This is Lord Chamberlain Cam Tanis, second-in-command to the late Prince Thyred. He is responsible for your memory block.’
‘You did this to me?’ Wynn blurted. ‘Why? What are you hiding?’
Tanis raised a hand, silencing him.
Gofal continued. ‘It was necessary, for your own protection during the attack on the Obsidian. We were afraid you would be captured and your identity revealed. We could not afford to lose you. But you are safe here and the memory block will be removed now. You will have access to all of your memories once more. This will, no doubt be a painful and disorientating process.’
‘How? How can you remove it?’
‘It is a simple audio primer, triggered by the sound of the Lord Chamberlain’s voice. When you are ready he will speak to you.’
Wynn realized he was trembling. He turned to Bara and she took his hand, her face full of warmth.
‘Whoever I am,’ he said to her, ‘whoever I turn out to be, it won’t change anything between us, will it? Promise me that.’
‘I promise,’ she replied, squeezing his hand.
‘I’m afraid,’ he confessed.
‘This is what you want,’ Derward said. ‘This is what you need. Let it happen.’
Wynn nodded, steeling himself, then he stood to face the Lord Chamberlain. ‘I’m ready.’
The Lord Chamberlain Tanis smiled, his dark eyes glistening, and he opened his mouth to speak.
‘Welcome home, Hal.’
Wynn felt a jolt deep inside his mind, and a flood of images erupted, vivid recollections with a clarity that took his breath away: he could no longer tell what he was seeing and what he was remembering. He fell back into the chair, aware of Bara and Derward’s concerned faces watching over him. His mind reeled: it was an explosion of memories, attacking him out of sequence, a cascade of joy and grief, of childhood adventures, of family occasions, of duty and training and education. He knew this ship, he knew this man in front of him, but most of all Wynn final knew himself. Tears fell from his eyes as he struggled to control his emotions.
Eventually he composed himself and stood up, taking in the room with a newfound understanding.
‘I know my name,’ he said.
ECHO
Orcades Draig opened the door to his mother’s suite and stepped over the threshold. The room was unchanged since her death, every ornament in place, the photos and art still hanging on the walls, even her collection of antiquated Earth novels was still here. Her holograph could be loaded with millions of books in an instant, she had no need to sit and read, and yet he had often seen her taking comfort in the yellowed pages of some long-forgotten text. How human.
At first, he could not see her, and he wondered if he was alone. He descended the steps that led to her garden room and found her gazing out at the view of The Infinite. Had she already been there? Or had his arrival triggered her holograph? She turned to greet him, her face weighed down by sadness.
‘Mother,’ Orcades said formally as he approached her. They embraced, brief and icy, then he retreated to one of the high armchairs that bracketed the windows. Slowly, she turned to the opposite chair, pausing to touch one of the flowers that grew in the stepped platform along the far wall of the garden room. She eased herself into the seat, arranged her gown, rubbed her hands together as if to remove some residue of pollen, then raised her eyes to him.
‘Well?’ Sinnsro asked brusquely.
Orcades gazed at her, as if seeing the holograph for the first time. It really was quite remarkable, easy to forget she wasn’t real.
‘Your Reader has fled,’ he replied without emotion. He rubbed the side of his head, hoping to ease the numb pain that festered there. Even without Reader Durante on board, Orcades had considered it wise to continue with his course of suppressants, upping the dose to avoid any surreptitious mental attacks.
Sinnsro Draig nodded quietly. ‘I have read the report. You felt it necessary to kill Commodore Thorwald?’
‘Necessary?’ Orcades asked, his voice rising. ‘Of course it was necessary. How could it not be? He had betrayed me!’
‘Under the influence of Reader Durante, or so you suppose.’
‘You doubt it?’
Sinnsro frowned, her anger growing. ‘I doubt a great many things, Orcades, most of all your ability to lead.’
Orcades stood, his face reddening. ‘We are on the brink of a great victory, and yet you doubt me? I have all but defeated the House of Kenric, I have killed its heir. Only one Kenric arkship remains – soon even that will fall to Draig. I have achieved all of this, and yet you question my leadership?’
‘You have made an enemy of the Church. Do you think that is of little consequence? Do you think you could win if they chose to turn their fleet against you?’
Orcades dismissed this with a wave of his hand. ‘They have no army, just rumors and fearmongering. They weave lies to keep us in check. Has anyone ever seen this supposed fleet of theirs?’
‘It exists,’ Sinnsro replied emphatically, ‘and you would be well advised to keep the Church as an ally. You must contact them at once, explain what has happened and beg their understanding. I have already sent a message to Librarian Horst. I only hope she is willing to hear your plea.’
Orcades’ rage grew. ‘You contacted them? You have no right!’
Sinnsro stood, stepping closer to face up to him. ‘You forget yourself, Orcades. I am still Valtais. This is not your time. You have proven yourself unready to rule in my place. I have given you too much responsibility too soon. It is clear to me now that I must command with a stronger hand until you are mature enough to take my place.’
‘No!’ Orcades bellowed. He swung his arm, catching his mother’s face. She stumbled to the floor, her withered hand protecting her head. She gazed up at him, simulated blood marking her lip, and Orcades saw fear and resentment filling her cool eyes.
‘You dare to–’
‘Be silent!’ Orcades screamed, his arm raised again. ‘You are not my mother.’
Sinnsro’s voice trembled. ‘I am, in all but body. The law of the people decrees it.’
‘Then the law will change,’ Orcades declared. ‘You are just a simulation, and your time is at an end. From today I am Valtais, and I rule alone.’
‘No . . . you cannot,’ Sinnsro hissed as she climbed to her feet. ‘This is our tradition, our birth right. Every Valtais is trained and advised by the ghost of the last, an unbroken line of continuity stretching back to the time of the Fracture. You cannot–’
‘Do not tell me what I cannot do, woman!’ Orcades said, turning away. He couldn’t look at her any more. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the pain inside his skul
l, then turned towards the holograph control system he knew was kept at the heart of her suite.
‘What are you doing?’ Sinnsro shouted as she watched her son march towards the concealed system.
Orcades ignored her, removed the panel cover and tapped in his authorization code. The system recognized his identity and the screen glowed, awaiting his command.
‘Step away from there!’ Sinnsro cried from behind him.
Orcades’ heart pounded, and a flood of emotion erupted inside him. Bitter tears fell from his eyes as he turned to face her. ‘I must rule alone. Goodbye, mother.’
He returned to the console and accessed the personality matrix. ‘Computer, purge all files of Sinnsro Draig from the holograph system.’
Behind him, he heard his mother’s holograph gasp.
‘Don’t do this,’ she pleaded, falling to his feet. ‘You’ll kill me.’
‘My mother died a long time ago. You are just an echo.’
The computer acknowledged his request and asked for confirmation.
Orcades stared at the screen, a tremble of hesitation holding him back. This wasn’t his mother, he reminded himself. This was just data on a very sophisticated holograph system, nothing more. Not flesh and blood. He could not rule in its shadow. It had to end. He tensed, resolute in his decision. ‘Delete all files. Permanently.’
Sinnsro Draig screamed. Her scream distorted into a staccato digital tone that faded away to silence. Orcades gripped the sides of the console, his eyes shut, waiting for the noise to end. When he finally opened his eyes again and turned around, he was alone in his dead mother’s suite. He bent down and took the ring of the Valtais from the floor where it had fallen. He held it to his finger and watched as it adjusted to fit him. He flexed his hand, studying the ring. He was Valtais now.
Orcades felt a strange sense of freedom, and an unexpected smile broke over his face. But tears still welled up in his eyes, and a dreaded knot of guilt weighed him down as he walked out of the room.
CHANGE
Wynn pulled at the collar of his jacket. It was rigid and formal, the material itching his skin. He wanted to take it off, to throw away this stupid uniform and return to his dirty overalls, to find Bara and escape on Lexica. He looked out of the windows, to the stars, and felt lost.
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