by K. Aten
Olivara gazed at her daughter for long secs and moved her hand up to brush an errant strand from her brow, tucking it behind the younger woman’s ear. “So, how have you been? Your father says that the managing engineer of the Divinity Corp test facility informed the Imperium of a new cycle design. Was that yours?”
The Connate stretched out and put her feet up on the stone and wood table that sat in front of the lounge. “Well not mine, as you know. But yes, it was based on a design I found in a small cave located at the southern end of the Dara Mountains. The schematics showed an enforced illeostone tank and differently configured piping from the standard design. It allowed for the power of four stones in the tank instead of the usual max of two.”
“Cave? What cave?”
Olivienne smiled at her mother. Even though they didn’t share the same view on a great many things, they both loved a mystery. “I found old documents in a book from Pentole that referenced a cave of untold treasures. The maps were rudimentary, so much so that I wasn’t sure exactly which range of mountains they referred to. But once we had the translations complete, we narrowed it down to an area about two mahls square.”
The Queen looked at her in astonishment. “How in the world were you able to do that from such crude maps?”
The younger woman laughed. “The translation referenced a distinctive arrow-shaped rock formation that was known to the locals. It stated that the formation would cast a shadow to the west at middae during the first lune of summer. The end of the shadow was said to rest at the opening of the sacred cave.”
A dark brow wend up. “But its only spring!”
“That’s why it took us three wekes to run the numbers on the angle of the sun to extrapolate an approximate search area and then scour that area. But we did it and eventually found a cave carved into the hillside. We had to use aether-powered winches to move the large stone blocking the entrance and sadly animals had gotten into some of the oiled schematics. But others were fresh as the dae they were made. It was a magnificent find!”
“Traps?”
The Connate shrugged. “Minor ones only.” It had long ago been translated that the reason the Makers left their caches of artifacts and documents puzzle protected and oft times booby-trapped was because they believed knowledge should be earned. One translated text referred to the challenges as both test and rite of passage.
While the Queen would never admit it, she lived vicariously through her passionate and driven daughter. Olivara wasn’t old by any measure of the word. Most Psiere citizens lived to be around one hundred and fifty rotos. But she was a third of the way through her life and her daughter seemed so young and full of vigor at the age of twenty-eight. “How exciting! Any devices or stones?” Olivienne shook her head and her mother continued on. “I assume you went straight-a-way to the interpretists in the temple?”
Olivienne shook her head again. “No actually, I was anticipating a big find so I cajoled Interpretist Solgin into coming along. He’s one of the better ones and I only had to pay his way on the railer and bribe him with a gallon of golden mead. It was just dumb luck that the first schematic we figured out was recognized by one of my guardians. Specialist Soleng has a secondary degree in cycle and moto engineering and said it looked like the plans for his cycle at home. Rather than board the railer back to Tesseron, I made the decision to take a moto out to the test facility southeast of Pentole. Captain Shendo was not happy but the gamble paid off. The modifications dictated by the new schematics weren’t extensive, that was how they managed to complete two bikes in just a matter of daes. But, while they seemed rather minor, the increased performance was significant. I can only imagine how it will change all our engines moving forward!”
Olivara nodded. “Engineers are an intelligent group of men and women, it’s only a matter of time before the adaptions to current modes of travel begin.” Then the Queen sighed and shifted in her seat. “Speaking of Captain Shendo...we’re having some trouble filling his post as the head of your Shield unit. Apparently your reputation precedes you and no one who is qualified wants the job.”
The Connate shrugged. “So don’t fill it. I’ve got plenty of guardians, they do well enough.”
“’Vienne, not one of them would know a real threat if they saw it! You’re not just my daughter, you’re the heir to the Divine Cathedra and there are separatist factions on both continents who resent the royal rule. As much as it chafes you, your security is of the utmost importance! Did you at least go see the man that you nearly got killed?”
The younger woman felt her temper rise. “Of course I went to see him! It’s only been four daes since his unfortunate accident.”
Her mother snorted. “And?”
“And what? He threw a waste pan at me! It’s not like it was my fault he was injured. He was too old and simply couldn’t keep up with me while I was testing the cycle. He should have stayed at the facility like I suggested.”
Olivara closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “’Vienne...that is your excuse for all of them.” When she opened her eyes again, she caught the smallest flash of triumph on her daughter’s face and suddenly she understood the situation completely. “You’re doing it on purpose!” Olivienne didn’t say anything and the Queen’s voice rose in volume ever so slightly. “You are purposely trying to make them quit! Captain Shendo was the seventh leader of your Shield Corp unit in six rotos! They’ve all either quit or become too injured to continue with a career in active duty. This is a dangerous game you’re playing, Daughter! These are people’s lives, including your own!”
The Connate put her feet back on the ground and stood from the couch, her ire having risen too fast to stay seated. “What you don’t seem to realize is that this is not a game, this is my career! I find it sorry indeed if professional soldiers cannot keep up with one historical adventurist! I will not coddle hardened military men and women. If they cannot keep up with me then they are not fit to protect me! Maman, they are too old and used to the creature comforts of their station, it’s not my fault. I didn’t create the system, I’m merely trying to live within it.” Olivienne was prepared to argue further but was stopped by a long sigh from her mother.
“You’re right.” When Olivara looked up at her daughter and heir, apprehension was written clearly on her face. “A soldier’s ability to protect is worth nothing if they can’t at least outperform you. But it’s more than that, ’Vienne. I worry about you.”
The Connate resumed her seat and gazed curiously at her mother. “About my safety, or something else?”
Olivara smiled. “I will always worry about your safety. But I also worry about you.” She reached out and touched Olivienne’s chest above her heart. “I worry for you here. You have chosen a hard path in a life that is already made difficult by your inherited station. I worry that you will never find a match for your passions and spirit. I just want you to be happy.”
“I am happy. I mean, I love my job and I have evening company when I wish. Everyone gets lonely sometimes but you don’t need to have to par up to be happy.”
The Queen looked at her daughter curiously and the weight of decades of experience seemed to settle over her shoulders. “I’m never lonely.”
Olivienne laughed. “That’s because you have the perfect par! Papan is the best anyone could ask for. How could I hope to find someone as good as that? He is the perfect King to your Queen.”
The Queen smiled sweetly at the love that Olivienne carried for her father. Before he became King, and before they had even gone through the Ceremony of Consorage, Keshien too had been an adventurer. But despite his free spirit and love for thrill, he had grown into his role as King and her chief advisor. She had confidence that her daughter would grow into the role of Queen as well, though hopefully not for many decades yet. Despite her appreciation for Olivienne’s words she shook her head. “No one is perfect, as you should well know by now. The key is to find someone that not only compliments us, but that will grow and cha
nge with us as life makes and remakes our spirits anew. Neither I, nor your father, are the same people as we were when we first met. We have both grown as individuals. But we have grown together over the rotos rather than apart.” She placed a hand on the younger woman’s arm. “You don’t need perfection. You simply need love, passion, understanding, respect, and a drive to explore the world together no matter the challenge in your path.”
Olivienne looked at her mother in a new light. “And you have all that with papan?”
The Queen nodded. “All that and more.”
The younger woman sat silently for half a meen while she took in her mother’s words. “Well you don’t have to worry about me, maman. I’m sure I’ll recognize my par when I meet her. It just hasn’t happened yet.”
“History is full of the foolish and the blind. Perhaps you won’t recognize it when it happens...but it is your decision to make I suppose. I just want the best for you, I always have.”
The Connate smiled at her sometimes meddlesome mother and Queen. “I know you do.”
Olivara stood and her daughter followed. “If we can find a better fit for you as Shield Corp captain, will you at least try to give them a chance?”
Olivienne thought for a few secs and finally conceded that her mother was right. Despite how much she loathed to have guardians and handlers, she knew that her position demanded nothing less. Finally she nodded at Her Supreme Sovereign. “If you can find someone that is able to keep up with me, I will give them all consideration and respect.”
The older woman pointed a finger at her. “I’m going to hold you to that!” She got an eye roll in return. “How long will you be in the city? Perhaps you can have dinner with me and your father tonight?”
Olivienne walked her mother to the front door and gave her a hug. “I leave for the southern continent tomorrow morning but I can certainly spare this evening for my family. Safe riding, maman.” Her mother smiled and waved after she mounted the horse that had been tethered to the gate outside, then she rode off with Capt. Torrin by her side. The rest of the mounted guardians that had been waiting for her trailed along. Olivienne scowled at her own guardians that were posted around the property.
Dinner that evening was familiar and full of the gentle laughter and teasing that Olivienne had grown up with. Her younger sib, Kesharan, was also home for the meal. At seventeen, he would be entering the Academy in less than a roto. While he spoke of his interests and exam fears, Olivienne looked hard at him trying to recognize the boy she once knew. He had grown up so much. While they both had to deal with a daily life that involved guardians and royal duties, he was only the Sub-Connate. He would not inherit unless Olivienne were to die before she could produce a Connate of her own.
The Divine Cathedra always passed to the female heirs unless one did not exist. Then the male heir would hold the position of supreme leadership until a female heir could be produced. For the length of their history, it had always been so. The words of the rule were carved into the Divine Cathedra itself, the massively ornate throne that sat in the largest room of the palace. The Cathedra was both mysterious and powerful. Carved into it were the same texts and letters found in the main chambers of the temple pyramids. The throne also featured permanently affixed archeostones, a rarity in the world of Psiere.
There were only ten known archeostones in existence. Four in each temple, and two in the Divine Cathedra. It was the archeostones that recharged the illeostones. There were chambers in the temples dedicated only to the task of recharging the millions of dissipated illeostones from all over the contents. Depots existed in all the cities where you could turn in your exhausted illeostones and get recharged replacements.
Once charged and in the presence of water, the illeostones gave off aether. It was an amazing thing to see the reaction occur. It was even more surprising to realize that the stone only needed a drop of water to trigger release. The smallest of devices used just that, while larger ones like motos, railers, and cycles, had entire tanks of water with multiple stones inside. The aether reaction was incredibly strong and could power even the largest turbines. When the stones were dissipated then they were replaced by charged ones. Simple yet mysterious.
Devices and machines running on illeostones could be limiting for certain modes of travel. Railers and haulers had it easiest because they could readily carry supplemental stones. Dirigibles were the most versatile forms of transportation but also one of the slowest. Because of the weight of the illeostones, the dirigibles could only carry so many if they hoped to also transport passengers and equipment. That meant that while they could fly anywhere, they had a max range of about fourteen hundred mahls at about forty mahls per oor. So it was railers with their max speed of one hundred and fifty mahls per oor and no limits on goods or passengers that became the most common and economically feasible method of transport.
“Your mother says you’re taking the railer down to Dromea tomorrow.” Olivienne nodded. “Has there been another discovery?” Her father addressed her while they were eating traditional end-of-meal fruit tarts.
She held her hand out horizontal and wobbled it a bit while she chewed her dessert. “Somewhat. One of the documents I brought back from the mountain cave was like so many others we’ve found. It didn’t yield to either encryption key. This more than ever convinces me that there must be a third temple. Everybody knows by now that each temple’s documents have a specific key that is based on the temple name and for neither Archeos nor Illeos to work, it must mean there is another!”
Her papan chuckled. “Well not everyone knows that, Daughter. But I agree with you actually. I’ve always believed in the third temple theory.
Olivienne smiled at him and continued. “So at the bottom of this particular document there are a matched pair of temple symbols whereas all other documents only have a single symbol. I surmised that there must be a sib document to it. I used the railer voteo to call ahead to the Temple of Archeos and had them check the archives for any documents with the same pair of symbols but they found nothing. I thought then that perhaps the document from the cave was originally located in the temple here in the city and someone had removed it long ago and hid it in the countryside. To what end I know not. I made an educated guess and called Roz Gosten, the head of the interpretists at the Temple of Illeos and she has her team searching through their archives for a double symbol document while we speak. I’m hoping to hear something on my way down.”
Kesharan spoke up, clearly interested in his sib’s work. “What happens if they don’t find the linked document in Ostium? And what makes you think that if you do find it you’ll be able to translate? The other undecipherable sheets don’t have a double temple symbol, right?”
She cocked her head to the side and contemplated his questions. They were very good ones. “All documents have had a single temple symbol, with the exception of the one I’ve just found. I don’t know anything solid at this point. I’m not sure why there is a double symbol. Maybe it is another mystery temple document, maybe it is something altogether different. The real truths will come out once we can get the pair together. If the hypothesized linked sheet isn’t in Ostium then I think perhaps I will find the largest town nearest the western end of the Mea Mountains. Um...” She paused, trying to picture the map in her head.
It was her father who supplied the answer. “The actual tail of the range lies nearly equal between Gomen and Cordeesh. However, Cordeesh is another coastal river mouth city like Pentole so may be what you’re looking for.”
Olivienne nodded. “Yes, I think you’re right. So that will be my backup plan. However I really hope to find the document safe in the temple archive in Ostium. That way I would avoid tromping through the hot and buggy jungle of Dromea.” The other three laughed at her characterization of the notoriously wild and tropical southern continent.
The Queen lifted her glass of honey mead and the others followed suit. “Well then, I wish Olivienne the best in her search!”
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nbsp; The royal family continued the salute around the table. Keshien went next. “I wish Kesharan successful testing and placement within the Academy!”
The youngest Dracore raised his glass. “I wish papan success with the crusty men and women who hold elected places in the Imperium!”
Olivienne was the last to raise her glass and she made eye contact with her mother as she did so. “I wish maman the greatest of luck finding a suitable replacement for Captain Shendo, and the softest of seats on the Divine Cathedra for all her royal audiences.” The entire family laughed, knowing that both the task and the seat would be much harder than the Queen would like.
Chapter Three
“SER! ARMICRUSTES ARE coming ashore at Temple Beach! Report says well over two hundred.” Sergeant Beng stood at attention in front of her desk.
Always bad news with the good. Lt. Commander Tosh was in the middle of re-reading a telegram from Lt. General Tenet, head of the southern forces. It was a recall notice back north, to the Defense Corp headquarters in Tesseron. While she was excited to leave Endara behind, Tesseron surprised her. Typically new assignments would be given via telegram or they would just recall her to the Academy located on the island of Discentem, for supplemental training. Both academy schools, officer and base, were located on the island and because of that, the office of military reassignments was located there as well. Some assignments required supplemental training but usually the training was done in preparation for a promotion. It wasn’t a good sign if they were recalling her to Tesseron rather than pull her back to Scolla on Discentem Island.