by mikel evins
“I went to sleep in the creche, and I was Lev,” I said. “I woke up in the creche and stepped out and I was Lev. And here I am.”
“And me,” said Yarrow. “I was Yarrow yesterday. I’m Yarrow today.”
“And me,” said Zang.
“I’m Lev,” said Jaemon, pointing at me. “I think that guy’s confused.”
Oleh looked startled for a second, then laughed.
“Yeah,” he said. “You’re Jaemon, all right.”
Jaemon shrugged and ducked his head.
“All right,” he said. “You got me.”
“Does that mean you want us to reconstruct you?” I said.
Oleh’s software simulation looked out the window again and took a deep breath. After a moment, he said, “Yeah. Yeah, I guess it does. When can we do it?”
I smiled.
“There’s no time like the present.”
27.
Oleh Itzal’s creche unsealed with a hiss, and the top hatch lifted. There was a hint of mist swirling, which dissipated quickly. He reached up and Yarrow offered him an arm. Oleh sat up, swung his legs out of the creche, and stood up. I wrapped him in a towel as he stepped out and then reached for a robe. Jaemon handed me the robe and I helped Oleh on with it. I tied a belt around it and Oleh dropped the towel and stepped uneasily away from the creche.
“Hey,” he said, looking down at the deck. “Gravity.”
“We’re under way,” said Jaemon. “Headed for home.”
“Where’s home?” he said.
“Callisto,” said Jaemon.
“Jupiter’s moon?”
“Yep. You should ask Lev about it. He loves it there.”
Yarrow held out eir arms and Oleh hugged em. Zang stepped close as they parted and gathered him into her arms.
She let him go and Jaemon folded him into a bear hug and pounded his back until he coughed and pushed away laughing.
I just smiled and said, “Welcome aboard, Oleh. Welcome to Kestrel.”
“Yes,” said Kestrel. “And welcome to the Fabric.”
“You’ll have to help me learn how to use it,” he said.
Mai stepped close to him and said, “I’ll help!”
Her ears were up and her grin was wide. Her pink tongue hung long to one side.
“I know you will,” he said to her, grinning back.
“Hey,” said Zang. “Somebody wants to see you.”
She stepped toward the hatch that led out of the creche room and into the infirmary proper. A silvery mech stepped through. Her chassis was a recent Ophiuchi model, high end, very posh. She had chosen a female identity, and had the curves of a human woman, but had chosen metallic skin and warm orange eyes. I thought she was beautiful.
She smiled shyly.
“Oleh,” she said in a familiar voice.
His mouth fell open. His eyes went wide. He took a faltering step forward.
“Angel?” he said, his voice nearly a whisper.
She dropped her eyes and smiled bigger, then looked at him again.
He stepped forward and caught at her hands. She let him take them.
“Angel, is it really you?”
“Reconstruction is not just for biologicals anymore,” she said. Her smile flickered with uncertainty. She looked into his eyes, but her gaze kept dropping away.
“Oh, Angel,” he said, and wrapped her in his arms. “I’m so glad. I’m so glad.”
They stood that way a long time, silently holding each other close, rocking a little from side to side. They spoke softly into each other’s ears. I started to feel like I was intruding.
Then they broke apart and stood side by side, holding hands.
“Lev,” said Oleh. “Tell me about Callisto.”
28.
My last sight of Angel of Cygnus was a view from a few tens of kilometers as we accelerated away. I used one of Kestrel’s telescopes to watch as the Cold Ones began the process of wrapping her in amber. The plan was to encase her in an impenetrable shell to keep the dangerous bits of her away from everyone and everything else, but to embed the Fabric in the shell, along with suitable safeguards, so that she could be studied.
There was no plan to repair or replace her drives. Angel of Cygnus would fall through the Solar System and away into the infinite dark. The Abjurer inside would dream of its hellish utopia for all time, alone.
The Cold Ones paid their bill, and more. They offered Esgar Rayleigh a bonus and told him to call upon them whenever he needed them. I still don’t know what they are, really, but I do know they’re our friends.
Oleh Itzal and Angela Cygni took passage with us back to Callisto. I told them all about it on the way.
Table of Contents
The Return of the Angel
mikel evins
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