by Tony Corden
“To change metaphors, you’ve been handed control of the rudder of your own life. I’d love to sail with you, but this time you get to choose to come with me or not. We can sail together or separately, but I will choose to be there for you if your boat starts to sink and you need help bailing. Who knows, maybe you’ll set our direction, and I’ll follow you down some strange tributary. What’s scary is understanding that now you make those choices.
“To change the metaphor again, we all have to decide on what the constants are in the life we’ve been given. Over the years, I expect they’ll grow stronger and more certain, or maybe even become something else and change entirely. For example, I’m trying to work out if Thad is a constant for me or a variable. Either way, at the moment I care deeply for him. When it comes to you, I’ve already made up my mind. If you’ll let me, then I want to be a constant in your life, now and for as long as you’ll let me walk with you. The only one who can change that now is you.”
Gèng didn’t say anything but embraced Leah, then sat beside her to sit comfortably in silence for a while. Finally, Leah said, “I’m going to jump into Pneumatica for an hour or so then get ready to see Dr Ellis. Can you give me any hints on what to expect?”
Gèng’s avatar laughed silently, then said, “4: Edison would be cross if I said anything.”
Her face grew serious as she continued, “He was really upset when he heard what happened to you, or more accurately, to us. His AI took me aside and told me what he planned. I’m still trying to calm him down.”
“How was the party he took you to?”
If anything, Gèng looked embarrassed. Finally, she said, “4: He tricked me, sort of. It was a party, and I was his plus-one, but it was a family get together. His brother and sister and their families were there. He introduced me as his date and called me Paige. I’m having coffee with his sister tomorrow.”
Leah face split in a huge grin, and she seemed to be trying to do something, and then her face went all bleak before turning to flint.
Gèng looked worried and said, “4:Are you OK?”
Tears ran down Leah’s cheeks as she looked down and said, “I’m sorry Gèng, I’m fine. I’m really thrilled for you. I was so happy for you and so excited that I wanted to laugh and roll around on the floor giggling at the thought. I couldn’t, I couldn’t form the laugh, or the chuckle, or the giggle and I got so angry for a moment it blew away the happiness, and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let that take away from what you said.”
Gèng lent in and embraced Leah then said, “4: Don’t be sorry. I’d imagined you laughing at what happened, and the fact that you can’t makes me angry too. Not that I was looking forward to it, but you’ve taught me that laughing with someone is one of the ways you say you love them.”
Leah returned the hug, and they sat there for a while until Gèng said, “4: OK, up you get. Time for Pneumatica. You’ll arrive at the reception again. I asked Edison if he could work around it, but he can’t. Don’t be surprised if he’s there.”
Leah stood, and after taking a deep breath, she walked to the S.P.I.D.E.R. and headed for the portal to Pneumatica.
PNEUMATICA
Leah stepped through the portal and found herself once again in the main reception area for those entering Pneumatica. Audrey was once more standing near the counter at the end of the room. As Leah walked toward her, Audrey stepped out from behind the counter and curtseyed before grabbing Leah’s hands.
“3: A is for Audrey.”
“A: Commodore Charlotte, we thought you dead. Your ships returned with the tale of your bravery. Thousands of our citizens rescued and you and your ship presumed lost. The city will rejoice.”
Just then, Edison appeared.
“3: E is for Edison.”
Taking Leah’s hand, he bowed over it and touched it with his lips. “Ah, Commodore Charlotte, it is indeed an honour to see you again. I understand, however, that your visit here is somewhat of a secret. I assure you that neither Audrey or myself will let the news of your survival reach the city until you make it known.”
Audrey blushed and said, “A: Of course, of course, I would not share a confidence, Mr Edison. You have my word, Commodore.”
“Thank you, Audrey, I was about to ask you to keep the confidence, and I assure you I had no doubt that you would hold my confidence as tightly as you hold your honour.”
“A: You can count on my discretion. Have you time for a cup of tea?”
“That would be lovely, but I would prefer no one else knows I am alive.”
“A: I will get the tea myself. Please have a seat and rest while I make the arrangements. Mr Edison, will you join us?”
“E: Oh, um, yes, that would be lovely, thank you.”
Audrey left, and three armchairs appeared. Edison sat for a moment, looking thoughtful then said, “E: You know, Atherleah, I’ve never had a cup of tea with Audrey. She’s been here for years and welcomed millions of people, and this is the first time I’ve sat to talk with her. I knew she’d never say anything because that’s what her programming is, but never thought simply to ask her not to.”
Leah was quiet for a moment herself, then said, “Mr Edison, I must apologise in advance for I fear I must make mention of something best left for a more private venue. Perhaps it would more appropriately be shared after a great deal of pleasantries. It is, however, something that does play upon the honour of my dear friend and sister, the Lady Paige. So, sir, what might your intentions be? I ask only because she is a lady of great virtue and gentility. I would not wish to see her affections being set upon a scoundrel, a wastrel, or an individual who might bring harm to her purity of heart.”
Edison looked shocked for a moment, then blushed before laughing out loud. After he’d finally settled down, Leah said, “Sir, I fear that such hilarity could be misconstrued as an attitude of levity toward the substance of my inquiry.”
Edison’s face crinkled in a smile, “E: Not so, Atherleah, it was more a release of tension. My family has been badgering me for days about the Lady Paige, I haven’t been able to work out how to tell them she’s an AI. I’ve been worried about what they’ll think of me being so obviously taken with her. They’ll think I’m crazy. You put things into perspective for me. I was being selfish and thinking of myself and not of Gèng. I was worried about hurting my reputation, and I was not considering hers. It was laughter with a sense of self-mockery. Please be assured I will do everything in my power to do no harm.”
Leah nodded then said, “Then all is as it should be, Mr Edison.”
“E: How do you see clearly what I don’t?”
“It might be because I’m still young and idealistic. The truth is I’ve never met my boyfriend in the real world, and Gèng is more real to me in many ways than he is. She’s saved my life several times and held me when I’ve needed comfort. Even if I can’t decide if she’s got a soul or not, I know she’s my friend, and she loves me, and that’s enough for me.”
Edison looked to be preparing to add something, but Audrey returned with a trolley covered with sandwiches, pastries and a tea set. The three chatted in general for twenty minutes when Audrey said, “A: Pardon my curiosity Commodore Charlotte, but why are the words you speak heard without your lips moving, and what brings you back to this area of Pneumatica?”
Leah tried to answer Audrey’s questions and those added by Edison. Then, after providing Three’s details to Audrey, she logged out.
36
December 25 2073 - Evening - Part 9
PNEUMATICA
Leah was only back in the tower momentarily before stepping through the portal again. This time she found herself lying on a hard wooden board which was being jostled up and down and side-to-side as it moved. The image she put together had her in a cage on top of a large iron-framed wagon. It had huge metal-rimmed timber wheels and was being pulled along a dirt road through what looked to be a sparse desert-like biome.
Her wagon was one of five which were hooked tog
ether and being pulled by what looked like a steam-powered tractor with steel wheels. The driver was sitting in an oddly-shaped, heavily-sprung and thickly-padded chair which accommodated its thick tail. Sitting in the wagon with her were several Pyranthians, two of whom she recognised as Takobi and his brother. There was also what looked like another human woman although she had what looked like five horns shaped like bear claws framing her forehead and eyes. Larger claw-shaped plates both protected and protruded from her elbows and knees. Her face and body were more angular than rounded, and her nails were sharpened to points. In the other wagons were mostly Pyranthians, although there were several humans and three creatures similar to the driver of the tractor. Leah was in the second last wagon.
Leah somewhat pointlessly opened her eyes as she sat up.
“3: T is for Takobi.”
“T: Yuwata, you are awake. I hoped you would finally stop breathing so we could have a decent snack.”
“Ah, Takobi, my almost-handsome older brother, I assure you my bones would have stuck in your throat, and the flesh tasted like ash.”
“T: Now that I see you awake, I can see why you would make such a promise. Truly were you named, Yuwata Mumuna.”
“What did I miss?”
“T: Not much, we woke up in a pen where we stayed for two weeks before being loaded into these wagons. Since then we’ve been travelling through the wasteland you see around us. Now that you are finally awake, the rest of us might finally have room to lie down for a decent sleep if nothing else.”
Leah was still wearing the clothes she’d been in, but a quick check showed that all her weapons had been removed. She looked around at the other occupants and seeing Takobi’s brother said, “We weren’t introduced. My name in Aeolipile is Charlotte, though your brother calls me Yuwata.”
He said, “I am called Rundar.”
After that, Leah introduced herself to the others until she came to the female creature. The ‘woman’ hadn’t moved until Leah spoke to her. Seeing Leah’s attention aimed at her, her lips pulled back from her teeth, showing them to be longer than normal and shaped like needles with a sharpened point as she hissed at Leah. Her eyes were like that of a snake.
“T: That’s all she does, she hisses at us. No one goes any closer because she bites.”
Leah smiled. “Smart woman. Do you know where we are?”
“3: R is for Rundar.”
“R: We have no idea. The stars look different from those we know.”
“So, maybe she isn’t hissing but talking.”
“R: Then hiss back. I tried that, and she tried to bite me.”
“Maybe you hissed something improper.”
Turning back to the woman, Leah pointed to herself and said, “Charlotte.”
This time the woman ignored her and turned to look away, obviously no longer interested in what was happening.
“T: We do know that wherever it is, it is ruled by creatures like her rather than us or you humans. So, where have you been? We know you aren’t from this world and are one of those from the aether worlds. Is she from one of them?”
“I don’t know where she’s from. She could be from one of the other aether worlds, but the truth is there are millions of them and no one has visited all of them, nor could they. It’s more likely this is a part of your world or a universe that has been revealed for some purpose.”
“R: What purpose could there be in this wasteland?”
“Who knows, though I suspect that it is an adventure, a challenge with the opportunity for honour, glory, riches, or power.”
“T: Rundar, I told you we should cover her head. I was hoping not to have to look at her, but it might have kept her brains from being cooked.”
Leah smiled at the jibe before resting her head back against the edge of the cage. She concentrated on the area around the wagon, trying to give her brain time to clarify the image a little. The entry was at one end of the cage and secured with a large combination style lock larger than her hand. Every now and then, she caught a flicker of movement ahead of the tractor and far to their rear. She also caught the occasional movement off to the left of the trail behind her back. All of these were over a hundred paces away and were only visible on straighter sections of the trail and when the path levelled out. The edges of the trail seemed blurred, and it was edged by small metal poles inserted into the ground every two or three paces.
She turned to Takobi and said, “How many guards in front of and behind us?”
“T: There are about twenty ahead and maybe ten at the rear. They stay out of sight except in the evenings. They’re armed with swords, spears, and a variety of edged weapons. They also have a handheld device which throws sharp metallic spinning discs. The two leaders have a pistol-shaped device which sends light from the barrel that burns through anything, including steel. Some have body parts made from metal similar to your eye.”
“What about the lock?”
“T: We’ve tried hundreds of times to open it, even when the guards are watching. They showed no interest in our attempts. To them, we are goods to be transported, and that is it.”
“Who’s shadowing our route at the sides?”
“R: What? No one, the guards never leave the trail even when we stop for the night. They camp in front and behind us, but I’ve not even seen them step more than three paces from the track. It is as if they fear the wasteland itself.”
Takobi had turned to look behind him toward where Leah was facing. She said, “Takobi, they’re behind me on the other side of the trail. They are very good. One is staying level with this wagon, another is level with the engine in front of us.”
Takobi turned to stare at her, then let his eyes rove over the landscape. It was almost twenty minutes before he said, “I have no idea what is there. I caught the faintest of glimpses only once and would ignore it even now if I didn’t somehow believe you saw something out the back of your head.”
Leah had been concentrating on the other occupants of the cage, and in the time Takobi had seen one movement she’d identified ten occasions when there was movement and found another member of the cage whose stance shifted minutely each time. Leah turned to look at the woman, who hissed before Leah said, “What follows us?”
The woman just stared at Leah with disinterest then turned away. Leah said, “I was watching you as Takobi explained our situation, and when I asked about the movements. I know you understand what I said. You hardly moved, and nothing showed on your face, but the muscles in your arms and torso tightened in preparation to attack me. Every time I sensed the movements, you shifted your body slightly, each time preparing to attack if anyone said or did anything to attract attention to it. This probably means the thing or people out there are associates of yours.”
The woman showed little reaction, except there was a tightening of her skin, and the five claws around her eyes and nose seemed to extend for a moment as if they could form a protective covering over her face. They retracted almost as quickly.
Takobi said, “T: How cool is that? An instant face-mask. If she is worried the guards might discover those who follow, then they are not the ones who cause the guards to stay on the path. At night we have heard wild cries and shrieks from the darkness, but we’ve seen nothing. If these people have been following us, it is possible to survive away from the trail.”
Leah pondered that, then said, “Perhaps, they may have some artefact or protection not available to the guards. Maybe they are waiting for the right moment to attack, and she does not want a warning to be given. Either way, she knows more than she lets on. It’s her secret for now. Let me have a look at the lock.”
Leah moved toward the lock, reached her hands through the bars and ran her fingers over the lock. Markings covered the entire surface; they were a mixture of grooves and raised ridges, circles, ovals, spirals and straight-edged shapes. There were four large rotary tumblers with glyphs on the outer facing, one on each side. Leah slowly turned each wheel to feel if there was a
discernible movement at any point and to check the sequence of glyphs. When she’d finished, she sat back to consider what she’d found.
She moved back and forth from the lock several times to feel the markings and to turn the tumblers. Finally, after almost twenty minutes she said, “I think I can open this. When is a good time to do it? Now, or when we stop? If the locks on the other cages are similar, then it may take me some time to decode them. I have maybe four hours before I have to travel to other worlds. I can return at this time tomorrow for nine hours.”
Everyone, even the woman, turned to look at Leah. “T: You can? Or you think you can?”
“I think I can. I’m pretty certain, as the combination is the only way which fits the clues. I have made a few assumptions which could be wrong but even changing them would mean just over twenty alternate possibilities.”
“T: Then let’s leave. The guards are out of sight. I’ll grab the creature driving the cages. You can open them, and we will all sneak away.”
The woman held out a hand to stop Leah, and her mouth moved. Leah waited as Three passed the message on. “3: The creature is speaking. The accent is very sibilant. Her symbol is X.”
“X: Stop! You cannot leave now. We are too far from a sanctuary to survive in the deadlands without victuals, better weapons and greater numbers. You are too many to protect and are without understanding of your great predicament. The Ja’ mar will swarm, and then, without compassion, they will feed upon your spirits. You would doom us all to a certain fate.”
