Through the Singularity

by L. Frank Wadsworth

  Trègar looks around. “Where is he?”

  “Watching his back,” Clive says, appearing behind Trègar with cat-like silence, holding his M4 across his chest, causing the other to start. “You rely on your symbiots too much. Humans don't have them, so you can't sense my presence unless you watch and listen. It is a bad habit, one you need to overcome. The shell isn't going to advertise its presence either, assuming there is only one. There is no reason it didn't make copies of itself, so I've been told.”

  Clive turns to Achi. “The others are coming, grouping together vice straggling in. A somber lot. What'd ya think, kimchi and beer? I can use your special sauce, unflavored, in the stir fry.”

  Achi nods. “I think that will do, unless you think they'll mutiny?”

  Clive laughs. “They're too stoic, or they respect Jevelle too much. Either way, if I thought they were preparing for that, I'd still be in the bushes. I'll get cooking.”

  The others walk into the camp and see Achi and Trègar sitting around the campfire. They look hesitant. “Where is Clive,” Rialle asks.

  “Good. You are learning to be aware of your surroundings. He is cooking dinner. Let me share with you the reason for tonight's harsh lesson. Clive already knows it, so we do him no disservice by using the most efficient means of communication.” Achi then proceeds to share with them all they've learned about Gravis' shell, the rough plan of the galanen elders, everything. He also shares with them some concept of what they are facing. He finishes with an absolutely faithful sharing of the night he was held in iron bands while his family and friends were tortured and killed and how he freed himself to save at least some of them.

  When he is done, several of them appear on the verge of shock, understanding for the first time the true brutality of evil. “I have been given the task of preparing you for the realities of war. We expect this thing to use humans as proxies, most of whom have little true sense of what they are doing. They will try to kill you, capture you, and make you scream like those I just shared with you. You may have to kill some of them. So your first lesson is to understand the price of failure. If you fail, mankind will fall. I shared with you a taste of what fallen people are like. If you are captured, you will need to destroy your unitary, to prevent worse things than corporeal death. This experience will change you. But you must prevail.” He hears Clive approaching; dinner must be nearly ready.

  He stands. “Lesson two: Keep yourselves ready for battle all the time. You've been injured, and you need sustenance. Food helps you deal with physical stress and gives your symbiots nutrients to speed your healing. Close comrades help sustain you even more. It is imperative you keep your spirits up, too, especially when things don't go as planned or we suffer a setback. Please get up, eat, and compare your experiences. Feed your symbiots, so you can quickly regain your full strength. Tomorrow, we start the hard stuff.”

  ∞∞∞

  “How are they?” Fandtha asks Achi.

  “Well. It was awkward at first, as the galanen have no real knowledge of war and the often baser emotions it bathes in. I was able to supplement our instruction with sharing of human memories. We taught them basic concepts of infantry tactics, small unit tactics, working together as a team, and airborne assault. We started with primitive weapons and graduated to current human, and then galanen, weapons. They were able to learn vicariously through my experiences, but that was only the beginning. The next phase was to help them think through strategic and operational concepts, rules of engagement, human tactics, and how they would try to exploit their weaknesses, counter their strengths. Then we talked about the moral element of force application. This latter part they were particularly interested in. They never imagined their 'cousins' had thought through the moral implications of violence. What does it mean if you use force? What does it mean if you refuse to use force, but then evil prevails? Jevelle was critical in guiding discussion on this subject. I think they found these concepts sobering, and humbling, but the galanen now understand what they are willing to do, and not do, and what they are willing to permit and risk. It’s the best we could do in two short months. They are fast learners; the rest they will have to learn on the job.”

  “And you remain adamant that you must return to Earth?” Fandtha asks him again.

  “Yes. I think I can do more good there. It is my home; they are my people. I will stay with them through the singularity, come what may. We need someone on the ground who can aid operations.”

  “When will you go?”

  Achi mulls this over, torn. “I think another month. I'd like to see our squad start training the next batch, make sure they're making good progress before I head out. But they'll need to start engaging in field ops soon, and I can support that better on Earth.”

  Fandtha nods. “Will you stay here or at the camp?”

  “Jevelle, Clive and I will stay here most of the time. We don't want to crowd the first squad's ability to lead, but we’ll stop by every evening for a debrief and then we’ll cut back our appearances. When we’re sure they're on top of things, I'll head out. While I’m here, I'd like to continue our discussions about security.”

  Fandtha nods his head. “As would I.”

  Achi feels a presence behind him, “What about you, Beltare? Will you be glad to see the back of me?”

  “I'm looking at the back side of you now, and it does not particularly stimulate me. Especially since you were able to detect my presence.”

  Achi laughs. “Someday you will understand my concept of humor better, perhaps after I leave, which is what it means to 'see the back of me' as I am walking away. A very old phrase. But don't be disappointed; you are getting much better. I detected you only by the change in airflow and muffling of background sound caused by your body's mass—which you can do nothing about. And I only knew it was you because you like to wear the scent of a flower native to your home world, if I am not mistaken.”

  “You are not,” she shares, again amazed at his powers of perception.

  “You have effectively closed your mind to me and quieted your symbiots, as well as your movements. Very few galan would be able to detect you and almost no humans,” Achi says as he turns to look at her. Beltare stands regarding him, about three meters away. She watches him coolly, as usual, tracking his movements, trying to figure out how he can keep aware of his surroundings with such care.

  “In the wild places of Earth, the hunter was often the hunted, as the larger beasts, hungry at the end of winter, would be happy to snack on my carcass. Their senses are far better than mine, especially their sense of smell. And most are oh so quiet.”

  Beltare frowns. “And how are you still able to read my thoughts with such clarity? Obviously, my mind is not as closed to you as it should be.”

  Achi smiles. “I did tell you to practice your poker skills. What you think is still written on your features. I can read your body language.”

  Beltare sighs. “I will not miss you, since you asked, but I will continue to think about what I have learned from you.”

  “I'm afraid our fates are now intertwined, so I expect our parting will not be long enough for your liking,” Achi states.

  Beltare smiles. “I know.”

  Achi laughs. “Well said.”

  He leaves Fandtha and Beltare, who are still working on security issues, to find Clive and Jevelle. Those two seem to have formed an interesting bond. She thinks very highly of him, and he enjoys her brash, somewhat impetuous style—which is rare for galanen in general and almost scandalous for an elder. Yet she has uncanny common sense and many great stories from her eons tending multiple garden worlds. She shared many of those with their recruits. He hears Clive's unmistakable laughter, followed shortly by Jevelle's from the kitchen. He walks in to find them eating an assortment of hot peppers, washing them down with a couple of their dwindling cans of beer.

  “You're going to have to resupply our drinks pretty soon. Have you taught our hosts how to make beer yet?” Achi inquires.
>
  “Not yet, I figured I'd leave that to you; you're the brewmeister. I'll stick with the food. Jevelle is pretty adventurous, although I think she may be regretting it at the moment. Bitten off more than she can chew, so to speak. But I still haven't been able to convince her to try a cheeseburger,” Clive says.

  Achi looks closely at Jevelle, her face and eyes nearly as red as her hair. Tears streaming down her cheeks and snot running out her nose. She wipes at them with a napkin.

  “I find human concepts of spicy food fascinating,” she says in a hoarse voice, “Yet it grows on you. These peppers are really good, once you master the burn, or ignore it as best you can,” she says right before sneezing messily. She wipes her face again, starting at her eyes and finishing with her nose, before laughing again. “Why the hell do you do this to yourselves again?”

  “Why not?” Clive asks, barely batting an eye before eating another hot pepper. “But everyone is different, and that is the beauty of spicy food. You add a little to enjoy the flavor; you add a lot to enjoy the burn. The combinations are nearly endless.”

  Jevelle laughs again. “Well, I certainly appreciate the way it blends with beer,” she says as she takes a healthy swig before belching nonchalantly and reaching for another pepper. “Are you going to spend some time with Zaleria tonight?” she asks Achi. “She's been moping around here since you've been camping on the other side of her planet.”

  Achi laughs. “Well, you at least don't seem to mind being nosy.”

  She tilts her head to the side. “I'm not sure if that is a compliment or insult. It doesn't matter. She's clearly missed you, and I'd say the same about you too, Mr. Poker Face.” Clive snickers, and she giggles a bit as she takes a bite of the pepper. “Oh hell, that's even hotter than the last one,” she says with her mouth open. She takes a few rapid breaths, chews it up, and swallows it—fresh tears leaking from her eyes. She returns her gaze to Achi. “Look, it's obvious to everyone you two have a thing going, so what are you going to do about it?”

  Achi blushes a little bit, but smiles. “I expect we'll probably keep avoiding it, at least for now. Too much else going on.”

  Clive looks at her and raises an eyebrow. Jevelle frowns and reaches for a hot pepper at the end of the row on the table. “You were right,” she says, picking up the pepper, moving it towards her mouth, and closing her eyes.

  “What, did you guys have a bet about me and Zaleria?” Achi asks, in mock anger.

  “Not you and Zaleria, just you,” Clive says. “I told her you wouldn't make a move, wanting to focus on work or something similar. She thought otherwise, although I think she was just hoping. You know, that 'old lady wanting to see the young 'uns happy' kind of thing.”

  “A gentleman would stop making references to my advanced age,” she says with faux offense. She looks at Achi. “So the bet involved a 'ghost pepper' whatever that is.”

  Achi shakes his head. “It's pure regret. You really don't want to do this.”

  She shrugs her shoulders. “I made a bet, and what the hell. It won't be the worst thing that's ever happened to me.” She takes a bite, and her eyes go wide. “Oh! oww, owww… I could be wrong about that.” she grabs the beer, spitting out the pieces of the pepper, and takes a mouthful, swishing it around.

  Achi just shakes his head. “That won't help,” he says under his breath as he walks off, listening to their laughter. They make an odd pair, he thinks to himself. But they enjoy swapping stories with each other. She enjoys the novelty, and he respects her wisdom and experiences. If nothing else, her mastery of English curses is far more advanced than any of the other galan here.

  Truth is, he is searching for Zaleria. He enjoys her company, and he believes she enjoys his, too. He sees Traemuña in the kitchen with Toshi, preparing dinner. She catches his eye and gives him a look that compels him to approach.

  “How are you this evening, Mother?” He asks playfully, but not dishonestly—he really does think of her as his mother.

  “I'm fine dear, but you'll have to choose soon, I think, whether Zaleria is your sister or, otherwise…” she trails off suggestively. She knows full well his growing feelings for her daughter.

  “I can think of a few ways to settle the uncertainty,” Achi teases, before changing the subject. “What do my revered elders prepare for us tonight?”

  “Humph, now we're 'revered' Toshi; how'd that happen? Almost makes us sound respectable. Well, I suppose you are,” she says, referring to Toshi. “Keeping to yourself, wading thoughtfully through the deep dark recesses of the collective, ferreting out long forgotten secrets, lies we tell ourselves to perfect our union.”

  Toshi nods, and says softly, in all apparent seriousness, “And coming up with a nearly endless supply of recipes we can try on our captive audience. None of whom suspect that I am actually using them as unwitting test subjects for my biological experiments, lulling them into a false sense of security by my facade of serenity.”

  Achi laughs and shakes his head. Toshi is the master of deadpan humor. “I'm sure it will be delectable, nonetheless. But getting back to Zaleria, I am, as I am sure you noticed, looking for her. And since you've all done a great job locking me out of your symbiots, and since she is apparently outside of local range, I'd appreciate any help you're willing to provide me in locating her whereabouts.”

  “And I thought you were a skilled hunter?” Traemuña says with a chuckle. “I know, you're just saving a little time. Still, I like to watch you work, you know, and I get bored sooo easily at my age. Oh stop!” she says as Achi begins to pout. “She's by the pond—probably avoiding you, you sullen child. Here, take her this, and have one yourself,” she says, handing him something that looks like a small, plump flower blossom, but which has a distinctly sugary scent. It is weighty for its size, probably full of juice within its thick, succulent flesh, he deduces.

  He takes them, bows slightly, formally, before backing away and heading for the doorway. He makes his way to the pond and feels her presence when he gets close.

  She looks up at his approach and smiles at him. “Hello, I heard you were back. Moving back in with us for a while? Should I anticipate having a sparring partner in the morning?”

  Achi hands her the blossom thingy. “Compliments of Mother,” he says while popping his into his mouth. It is very delicate, sweet but not overpowering, with an almost pear-like taste coupled with citrus overtones. Its flesh is slightly springy, almost like gelatin. “Ummm, that's actually quite good.”

  Zaleria nods. “I enjoy watching her and Toshi in the kitchen. They are old friends. He was once a student of hers, a long, long time ago. I think he is using this time to say goodbye to her; most of us, I think, expect she'll leave after this is over.”

  “She has galan waiting for her,” Achi muses. “Should be a wonderful reunion, I should think. How will relationships change in that timeless place, I wonder?“

  “Just one of many mysteries. That dimension is only one step forward. How many steps does the path wander? The galanen do not know, only that it is the first of others. But surely you didn't seek me out to wax philosophical?” she prompts.

  “Actually, I just wanted to be in your presence for a while. Does that bother you?”

  “No. I've missed you while you were gone. I've decided that we need to solve your comms shortcoming, one way or another. I haven't raised it with the others yet, but I plan to ask my symbiots to give you your own comms implant, and at least some connectivity to the collective.”

  “I'm not sure that is wise…” Achi murmurs. “I am quite tainted.”

  “So you say. I'm not suggesting I don't believe you,” Zaleria says hurriedly when he jerks his head up, “Only that I've come to learn that we hide much that taints our collective. Why should certain details of your past be any different? Don't obsess about the bad without also seeing the good that has replaced it. You've overcome much. The others sense that, even Beltare, if she were pressed. But giving you access to the collective will be
completely unprecedented. You are human, are you also galan, can you be both, or are you neither? Well, I think you are who you are, and perhaps that is all you need be.”

  “You're waxing philosophical,” Achi says, grinning. “And you're right, I didn't come here for that.”

  She shakes her head. “Listen to me, talking like a stuffy old elder. Come, sit here beside me.” She scoots over a little on the bench-like telitorri root she is perched upon. “Let's just contemplate the pond for a bit.”

  He joins her, enjoying the feel of her flank pressing lightly against his. She doesn't shift away, seeming to also enjoy the contact. He realizes she designed this bench to be specifically this size, just right for two. He delves into her memories; it used to be smaller. He smiles. “You've been making subtle changes to your garden.”

  “Have I?” she replies coyly. “Well, perhaps so. I've been hosting an inordinate number of guests lately, some more closely than others,” she says, raising her gaze from the pond to look at his face. “I'm glad you're back, if only for a short while.”

  He nods. “I feel I can do the most good back on Earth, providing ground support, intelligence, and resources for the galanen.”

  “And you also want to be with your people.”

  “Yes, there is certainly that,” he agrees, staring at the pond. Juruele doesn't have complicated life forms like fish, so there isn't much more than insect life stirring its surface.

  “Achi, what do you think the Being of Light meant?” Zaleria asks so quietly, he almost doesn't hear her.

  “Why, has that been on your mind?”

  “I keep coming back to it. The whole time I was unaware of what happened to me on Earth, I felt I was supposed to remember something important. It was that message,” she continues, her feelings completely opaque. She is getting quite good at hiding her emotions, Achi thinks to himself. A sign perhaps of how much this question is weighing upon her.

  He sighs, settling himself so he can provide a thoughtful response. “It's very complicated,” he begins. “I want there to be meaning to what He said, which influences how I interpret it.”