by C. Litka
03
The next round Botts asked me to step around after breakfast. It led me to its office where it had brought up a chart of the Saraime and the surrounding endless seas on its large monitor. The chart showed two lines, one from Taira in the Varenta Islands, and one from Karena in the Dontas which converged at a point in the endless sea.
'As you can see, we have attempted to reconstruct your course. We have found, in the archives of the Order, an old chart that records a small group of islands in the Endless-sky that would seem to correspond to your Halfway Islands. I have used them as a reference point, though their current positions are subject to a fairly significant margin of error. Still, assuming that the air currents were constant, we can roughly converge the two courses at their end point - here.'
Which, in two dimensions was a point, but in three, was a broad arc, and given all the uncertainties, a very broad arc.
'Do you know the course vector from Taira or the DeArjen's Island?' asked Botts, as I studied the chart.
'I was not invited, nor did I spend any time on the bridge. However, when Captain KimTara was injured and it looked like the first mate might have to take us back, I was consulted and he had set a course vector for home.'
'Do you recall it?'
Strangely, and unfortunately, I did and reluctantly rattled off the bearings to the bright spot in the sky. Botts readjusted the point of convergence, slightly. It turned, its eyes bright. 'Most helpful.'
'It looks nice and neat on the chart, Botts, but it's not. First, because I don't know the actual return vector Captain KimTara set, since I was back in the engine room when we sailed. She may have used a different one. And since our gyroscope was destroyed when the tree trunk smashed the bridge, the Captain likely had to rely on her memory. Knowing her, I'd have thought that between her memory and the log she'd have been able to retrace our original course, and yet she missed her mark by the distance between the Verentas and the Dontas - 10 rounds sailing in a modern ship? Which suggests to me that the air currents are not very predictable, which makes that nice triangle you've drawn more theological than theoretical.'
Botts nodded. 'Point taken.'
'The other wild factor is that we found the DeArjen's Islands using DeArjen's special guide talent for finding his way back to anywhere he'd been. I don't know how that talent works. He may've lead us straight to the islands, but more likely he constantly adjusted our course as the islands came more in focus, or as the air currents carried us off course. And he may've first steered us to the Halfway Islands where he'd spent some time, and only from them steered us to the Dragon-people's islands by another vector altogether. All of which makes that triangle of yours even more theological. In short, I think you'd end up having to spend a great deal of time searching a very large sphere of the Endless-sky to find the islands.'
Botts gave a little twitch of a shrug. 'But it is not impossible to find those islands, is it?'
'Oh, it's certainly possible - with enough resources, time, and a great deal of luck. That's why I kept the story to myself. I told you only because I'd thought you and your comrade machines were free of greed.'
'The passion for knowledge can be a lot like greed,' Botts admitted. 'The Pela Committee is very eager to investigate this possible artifact, not only because of its great antiquity, but because it suggests that there may be a sophisticated, machine-using alien race within the Pela. The known dragons, like your companions, are intelligent, but not machine builders, or "evolvers," as we look on biological machine makers. So, if your island is actually a vessel or some other constructed artifact, then we may have the first evidence of a non-human race of machine evolvers. In any event, the artifact corresponds, at least in size, to the oldest legends of the Dragon Kings of Cimmadar and many other societies, so we have an artifact that we can directly place in the legends we are acculturating.
'And then we have its connection to the still mysterious darq gems,' added Botts with its little shrug-like movement. 'Speaking of which, the Darq Gem Committee would like a few minutes of your time after we're done here. They are eager to hear about your experience with their use, since we don't have humans to conduct tests on in the Machine Drifts.'
'I suppose, though I don't know how I can help them. I was unconscious most of the time during their use. What have you found out about them?'
'I have not been following their investigations, but it is my understanding that the gem has not yielded many of it secrets. It appears to be composed of some sort of designed matter that folds quantum-like into dimensions that we have so far been unable to unravel without taking the gem physically apart - which we are not yet prepared to do. Until you related your experiences, we had no idea what, if anything, it was designed to do, which is why your encounter with their use has energized that committee as well. You may get that statue yet.'
I just shook my head, and said, 'Through no fault of my own.'
'In any event, the discovery of an unknown design of D-matter, from the Pela, is deemed a high priority project since, due to the energies required to reprogram the universe to create designed matter, it seems unlikely to have been produced within the Pela. It may well be an alien artifact that originates either deeper within the system or outside of the Pela, and perhaps the Nebula itself. For security purposes alone, this calls for investigation. All of which is to say that investigating DeAnjen's Island has become a prime priority within the Directorate. A priority far higher than scanning books for this unit.'
'I hope that the Directorate and the various committees realize the effects these darq gems have on humans. And I don't just mean their strange psychic power over us. Their value might tempt even a Laezan or a Taoist. This matter should be treated very, very carefully.'
'Point taken, Captain. However, your old Lora Lakes shipmates know of them as well, and are subject to the same greed. It would seem that expeditious action is called for. If they are found to be a danger to humans, they should be removed from the island. And, if they suggest a risk to the Nebula, then we should be prepared to confront it,' Botts said, though I'm pretty certain, I was talking to the Plea committee rather than Botts.
'Yes, I suppose you are right. It's entirely possible that others are looking for that island as we speak. Hopefully unsuccessfully.' I feared that it was an actuality, likely, rather than possible.
'But you can't guarantee that it will be unsuccessful. The people in the know command enough wealth to finance an extended expedition.'
'True. Though I'd hope they'd have more sense.'
'Are you willing to trust that judgment?'
They had me there. 'No.'
'Would it not be prudent, Captain Litang, to assess the danger, and if need be, address it promptly?'
'Yes, I suppose so. If you can.'
'We have a great technological edge on any other seekers. Our reckoning may be rather crude, but we can search a vast section of the sky-sea with remote drones, making the task manageable.'
I wasn't going to win an argument with the Directorate. 'Yes, I suppose so.'
'Then you have no objection if we take this matter up directly with the Taoist Elder Council on Kimsara in order to allow the Botts III unit to conduct a search and the initial survey?'
'No. Do as you think best. I'm in no position to question your collective judgment.'
'Thank you,' it said, and then reverted back to Botts. Botts eyes glowed brightly, 'We will use the Complacent Dragon for the expedition, Captain. It is the Cimmadar transport ship I arrived in, so I have a claim to its use. And since it is powered by a micro-reactor, it is well equipped to undertake an extended search for the islands. I will begin printing the equipment we will need - radar, course-tracking beacons, search drones, and analytical devices. I will, of course, conduct the actual covert survey of the artifact myself. That should prevent or minimize any reaction by the natives. I will use the rocket sled to reach the island so that the Complacent Dragon can keep well clear and out of any danger.
The expedition should be no more dangerous than sailing the wide-skies in a well founded ship. I could, in fact, conduct the entire expedition myself, but the Directorate feels that our human partners will want to be included in the expedition.
'It would be like old times, Captain,' gushed this level 10 (plus?) sentient machine like a wet behind the ears youth, 'if you would accompany the expedition.'
'I'm far from excited to return to that island, Botts.'
'In any event, the expedition, once it is approved, will start from the Dontas, so it should not affect your plans, should you decide not accompany it.'
'Do I have a choice? I've been there before and know what to expect so that I can direct your investigation. Plus, if there is any danger - I don't think that it can be ruled out - I'd feel responsible for it. I'd be just as uneasy staying behind.'
'Danger seems unlikely,' replied Botts. And as its eyes brightened, 'And even if we encounter a little, it would be, as I said, 'just like old times, Captain!'
'That, Botts, is exactly what I'm afraid of.'
Its eyes grew even brighter.
I stayed on to be cross-examined by the Darq Gem Committee for a few minutes that amounted to over an hour. I told them all I knew, which wasn't much, several times, it seemed.
