by Jucha, S. H.
“Fascinating discovery, Julien. I suppose you have this data in a tidy package ready for transmission,” Alex said, smiling.
“Able and waiting,” Julien said, adding his own smile.
“Yes, but who do we send it to?” Alex mused.
“I vote for President Drake,” Julien replied.
“Logical choice, but his hands would be tied if he tried to use Haraken data obtained through back doors.”
“I vote for Charlotte Sanderson,” Alex said. “She could embarrass a good many people with this information.”
“But is embarrassment enough, Ser?” Julien asked.
“Both,” Alex and Julien said at the same time, and laughed uproariously at what they intended to do.
“Anonymous, I presume,” Julien said, dropping an image over his face.
“The Venetian mask,” Alex exclaimed, recognizing the image Cordelia projected during Founding Day. “No, not this time, Julien. I think we need to make a point. Send it from ‘Friends of New Terra.’”
“Done,” Julien said. He projected a small fedora, but then changed it. Then he changed that one.
Alex watched hats flip over faster and faster on Julien’s head, with the SADE’s eyes staring up at them as if he was examining each one. “Stop, stop, you’re making me dizzy,” Alex yelled, between bouts of laughter.
Julien settled on an ancient, straw panama hat, a contented smile on his face. “That information should keep the government, the media, and the populace entertained for quite a while.”
“Definitely help them with their vermin infestation,” Alex replied, but he wasn’t content to exit the system without a final warning to Kadmir and O’Brien. Soon after both men became aware that they were personally devoid of funds, each received a message on his reader. The anonymously sent text hardly gave either man an opportunity to read it before it disappeared in an intricate swirl of color, the reader recording no trace of the message or sender.
The text read: We are aware of you now. Send your people, drugs, or weapons into Haraken space or anywhere in the Confederation, and we’ll hold you personally responsible. Expect our retaliation to be swift and absolute.
Cordelia took delight in sending Alex’s message. Of all the SADEs, she was the most incensed by the events on Espero. That young people could be given dangerous drugs and kidnapped gave rise to a mounting outrage. The emotion was driven by her reorganized kernel hierarchy acquired during her time at Sol and dominated by what was akin to a maternal instinct.
After Alex had dictated his message to Cordelia, he crawled into bed beside Renée, who snuggled against him. As Alex held the love of his life, his thoughts turned to the future. Never one to seek public attention, nevertheless he had been proud to be considered a favored son of New Terra. But that was no longer true. In fact, it was quite the opposite for many powerful and influential New Terrans.
Realizing his presidency might now be a hindrance to the future of Haraken’s relationship with New Terra, Alex reviewed his intention to refrain from another term in office. In a year and a half, his presidency would end, and he had to believe it was the right decision. Time for someone else to lead, Alex thought.
In truth, Alex welcomed the opportunity to remove the weight of an entire world from his shoulders, but his intuition sensed that the universe wasn’t done throwing challenges at him. He chuckled at the thought that the stars might be warning him.
The rumblings of his chest caused Renée to murmur something unintelligible in her sleep, and she stretched an arm over Alex’s chest and a leg over his thighs. Alex hugged her close, the warmth of her body and love flooding through him. Time for a new job too, Alex thought. Wonder if anyone needs a good explorer-tug captain?
Alex’s thoughts made him smile. He was no longer a lone captain operating in the deep dark of Oistos. He had friends … good friends, loyal people, who were ready to follow him wherever the next adventure lay. The smile remained on Alex’s face as he fell asleep, his arms wrapped around Renée’s slender form.
* * *
Before the jump to Hellébore, Julien aided Z with the transfer to his director’s avatar. Unsure of the best time to initiate the subsuming of Miranda’s persona, Z had left it to Julien to signal the code that would result in his resumption of control.
Julien waited until Miranda retired to her cabin before he sent her Z’s code, which returned the SADE’s kernel to Z’s control. Then he gathered up Z’s personal possessions from his cabin and took them to him. None of Miranda’s mannerisms were evident in the avatar, as Z moved around the cabin, storing the clothing and accessories Julien brought him.
Installing the necessary cabling between the avatars, Julien waited until Z’s director avatar opened its eyes, and his fellow SADE confirmed a successful transfer before he left. What originally was intended to be a perfunctory transfer process now left Julien with a sense of loss.
Z was left alone in his cabin with the Miranda avatar, which lay on the cabin’s second bunk. She was dressed in the subtle Haraken wrap she last wore, her eyes wide and staring. Time passed while Z stared at her still form, and, in an uncharacteristic move for him, he stood up and gently closed her eyes.
Sitting down on the edge of his bed, Z reviewed Miranda’s memories. Rather than playing the files at his optimum processing speed, he frequently slowed to real time to appreciate some of the nuances of the events. Normally, he would have deemed this action extraordinarily unnecessary, but he couldn’t help himself.
At one point, Z wondered if he had become jealous of the Miranda persona and the intimate relationship she enjoyed with humans and the other SADEs. Then, as he examined that response, he realized it wasn’t jealousy or envy. Z wanted to be with her.
What have you done? the SADE asked himself. You’ve created an alternate persona who attracts you, but you’ve only the one kernel.
Z was still wrestling with the emotional impact of his discovery, when he reached the last file in Miranda’s memories. Oddly, it was encrypted, which drew his curiosity. His efforts to crack the code were proving futile until he paused to consider Miranda’s persona and applied a simple salutation, “Z, dear,” which allowed him access to the file.
It was a vid. Miranda stared into a mirror, and her eyes, appearing wistful, recorded her reflection.
“If you’re viewing this file, dear Z, then I’m gone again,” Miranda said. “Lately, I’ve wondered where I go. Why don’t I meet you? I find these worlds and my existence terribly exciting, and I will miss them.”
Z stopped the vid to concentrate. He never meant for the Miranda persona to have such longevity, which had enabled her to build a robust personality. It was an experiment that proved a valuable escort for the Haraken threesome. Now, Z saw his efforts as an error in judgment, an incredible admittance for a SADE, especially for one such as him, who prided himself on the accuracy of his calculations.
Z recalled the words he had often heard from Alex, Julien, and Cordelia — the messy world of humans. And now I’ve joined them, he thought. It occurred to Z to erase the persona rather than store it for another day, but that seemed like cowardice, erasing your mistake so it wouldn’t stare you in the face. Unable to come to a decision, Z returned to playing the vid.
“I see the continuity the other SADEs enjoy,” Miranda said, “and I’ve come to believe that I may not be a whole entity, despite feeling that I am. My greatest fear is that I will never return, and, if that’s meant to be, know that most of all I will miss meeting you. Be well, dear Z.” Miranda blew him a kiss and closed the vid.
Z sat on the edge of the bed for hours, wondering what he had created — mistake or miracle. Deep in his kernel, Z began to devise scenarios by which the miracle might come to pass. After all, he nursed a century-long desire to become mobile, knowing the possibility was extremely remote, yet he walked among humans. His hope was that one day Miranda might too — beside him.
— Alex and friends will return in the novella, Allora. �
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Glossary
Haraken
Alain de Long – Director of security, twin and crèche-mate to Étienne, partner to Tatia Tachenko
Alex Racine – President of Haraken, partner to Renée de Guirnon, Star Hunter First (Swei Swee name)
Amelia Beaufort – Close friend of Christie Racine
Benjamin Diaz – Minister of Mining, “Rainmaker,” Little Ben
Bibi Haraken – Ex-Assembly member, matriarch of the Haraken clan
Brace – Svetlana’s companion for a search of Toyo’s domes
Cedric Broussard – Z’s powerful New Terran avatar
Central Exchange – Haraken financial banking system
Christie Racine – Alex Racine’s sister
Claude Dupuis – Engineering tech, program manager for SADE avatars
Cordelia – SADE, Julien’s partner
Dane – SADE
Deirdre Canaan – Wing commander
Dubois – Haraken (New Terran) on duty at McCrery Orbital Station
Duggan Racine – Alex Racine’s father
Edmas – Teenage boy from Idona adopted by Julien and Cordelia
Ellie Thompson – Wing commander
Eloise Haraken – Close friend of Christie Racine, Fiona Haraken’s great-granddaughter
Eric Stroheim – Assembly Speaker
Escobar – Captain, ex-TSF officer, friend of Tatia
Espero – Haraken capital city
Étienne de Long – Director of security, twin and crèche-mate to Alain, partner to Ellie Thompson
Fiona Haraken – The Harakens were named in memory of her
First – Leader of the Swei Swee hives
Flit – Single person grav-drive flyer
Founding Day – Celebration of the founding of Haraken
Francis Lumley – Earther who immigrated to Haraken, Rêveur first mate
Franz Cohen – Wing commander
Ginny – Deaf child from Idona, adopted by Julien and Cordelia
Hatsuto Tanaka – Pilot killed at New Terra
Hive Singer – Mutter, who sings to the Swei Swee in their language
Jason – Burn-scarred child from Idona, adopted by Julien and Cordelia
Jason Haraken – Bibi Haraken’s son, Assembly member
Jodlyne – Teenage rebel from Idona, adopted by Julien and Cordelia
José Cordova – Rêveur’s captain
Julien – SADE, Cordelia’s partner
Katie Racine – Alex Racine’s mother, Haraken Assembly member
Libre – Celebration day on Haraken for the ex-Independents
Lisbon – Haraken tech searching Toyo’s domes for the missing girls
Mallory – Haraken carrying a plasma rifle
Mickey Brandon – Senior engineer, partner to Pia Sabine
Miranda Leyton – Z’s femme fatale avatar
Mutter – SADE, Hive Singer to the Swei Swee
Nestor – Trooper killed at the barricade
Nua’ll – Aliens who imprisoned the Swei Swee
Olawale Wombo – Senior scientist who fled the UE to Haraken
Oren Gestang – Haraken killed at Toyo’s dome
People – Manner in which the Swei Swee refer to their collective
Pia Sabine – Assembly member, partner to Mickey Brandon
Rainmaker – Benjamin Diaz, also called Little Ben
Reiko Shimada – Captain of the sting ship Tanaka
Renée de Guirnon – First lady of Haraken, partner to Alex Racine
Rosette – SADE
SADE – Self-aware digital entity, artificial intelligence being
Security Directorate – New Espero security building, twins are co-directors
Sheila Reynard – Commodore
Shera Beaufort – Amelia’s mother
Star Hunter First – Swei Swee name for Alex Racine
Svetlana Valenko – Wing commander
Swei Swee – Six-legged friendly alien
Tatia Tachenko – Admiral, ex-Terran Security Forces major, partner to Alain de Long
Teague – Ten-year-old son of Alex and Renée
Terese Lechaux – Medical expert
Tomas Monti – Ambassador to New Terra
Tyree – Deirdre’s companion for a search of Toyo’s domes
Willem – SADE
Yoram Penzig – UE scientist who fled the UE to Haraken
Z – SADE
Méridien
Confederation – Collection of Méridien worlds
House – Organization of people headed by a Leader
Independents – Confederation outcasts, originally exiled to Libre, rescued by Alex Racine
New Terra
Azul “Mr. Blue” Kadmir – Criminal boss on Udrides
Barber – Peto Toyo’s gang team leader
Barnett – Lisa Sparing’s alternate voice
Blondie (Jessie) – Aboard the Bountiful and killed on Jolares
By-Long Media – Media station Alex and Christie used for their broadcasts
Boker (Scar) – Toyo’s man, who later changed his allegiance to Kadmir
Busty – O’Brien gang member killed by Cherry
Charlotte Sanderson – Director of By-Long media station and reporter for Alex’s news story
Charles Stratford – Lead biochemist who designed the hallucinogenic drug
Cherry – Roz O’Brien leader on Espero
Chestling – Lenny’s friend supposedly killed by the Harakens, according to Toyo
Clayton Downing – Former president of New Terra, convicted and imprisoned
Consuela Ortiz – Wife of Orlando, orphanage owner
Dar – Boss of the Espero club crew
Darryl Jaya – Minister of Technology
Davie – Orphan child, first to test the anti-addiction compounds
Desmonis Distribution – O’Brien company warehouse at Espero
Dillon Jameson – Toyo’s head of dome security
Dolan Oppert – TSF general
Downing, Clayton – Former president of New Terra, convicted and imprisoned
Elman Ripard – TSF captain at Jolares
Embracing Arms Orphanage – Orphanage run by Orlando and Consuela Ortiz
Emile Billings – Senior lab chemist
Fangs – O’Brien gang member killed by Cherry
Finian Egan – Assembly representative
Fredericka Tillman Olsen – Investigator for Maria Gonzalez’s company
Geron Hanley – TSF prison therapist
Government House – Official residence of New Terran president
Hailey Timmion – New Terran shuttle captain
Henry (Wheezy) – O’Brien gang member
Hezekiah Cohen – Father of Franz Cohen, ex-Joaquin Station director
Janine – Wife of the biochemist Billings
Jessie (Blondie) – Aboard the Bountiful and killed on Jolares
Lacey – Receptionist at illegal Espero club
Legs – O’Brien gang member killed by Cherry
Lenny – Toyo’s plasma rifleman
Lisa Sparing – Kadmir’s mistress
Lunar Restaurant – Dining facility on Toyo’s dome where the Haraken girls are found
Lydia Zafir – Assassin on Toyo’s team
Maria Gonzalez – Security consultant business president, ex-New Terran president
Marty – Toyo’s receptionist at dome’s landing bay
McMorris – Former New Terran president who was murdered
Mincie – Billings’ daughter
Omi Yakiro – Kadmir’s security chief
Orlando Ortiz – Husband of Consuela, orphanage owner
Oslo – Security officer Lydia captures
Peters – TSF major Alex first met during Downing affair
Peto “Craze” Toyo – Criminal boss on Jolares
Portis – TSF colonel
Prima – New Terra capital city
PT Mining Concern – Registry of Toyo’s mining
company
Roz “Sniffer” O’Brien – Criminal boss on Desmonis
Sarah Laurent – Investigator for Maria Gonzalez’s company
Scar (Boker) – Aboard the Bountiful and on Ganymede’s moon
Serian – Boy who introduces Jodlyne to the dance club on Espero
Sol-NAC – New Terran language
Stan – Lab shift supervisor
Steve Ross – Investigator for Maria Gonzalez’s company
Terran Security Forces (TSF) – New Terran system police force
Tessie Bernoulli – Judiciary counsel for the government of New Terra
Trembles – Muscle at the illegal club in Espero
Udrides Resources – Kadmir’s mining company
Will Drake – New president on New Terra
Yance Deere – Senior security person with Toyo
United Earth (UE) and Earthers
Bunaldi – Hand of Justice mission commander, UE high judge
García – Reunion mission commander, UE speaker
Nikki Fowler – Director of Idona Station at Sol
Patrice Morris – Assistant director of Idona Station at Sol
Stars, Planets, Moons, and Stations
Cressida – Moon orbiting Ganymede, heavily mined
Desmonis – Moon orbiting Ganymede, location of Roz O’Brien’s domes
Flides – Kephron moon
Ganymede – Huge gas planet in the Oistos system
Haraken – New name of Cetus colony in the Hellébore system, home of the Harakens
Hellébore – Star of the planet Cetus, renamed Haraken
Idona Station – An outer rim station at Sol
Joaquin Station – New Terra orbital station
Jolares – Moon orbiting Ganymede, location of Peto Toyo’s domes
Kephron – Second planet outward from Ganymede in the Oistos system
Libre – Independents’ ex-colony in Arno system, home to the remaining Swei Swee hives
McCrery Orbital Station – new Haraken station built to handle freighter shipping between systems
Méridien – Home world of Confederation