The Chaos Sutra

by Gregg Vann

  Brother Ryll abruptly silenced himself, halting so quickly that it was obvious to everyone in the room that he was hiding something. For a seasoned interrogator like Kiro Tien, the monk’s action spoke volumes, enough to fill an entire library.

  {You used someone’s mental matrix to program these androids to fight, didn’t you? An actual person}

  “Yes,” Ryll confessed.

  {It couldn’t have been a monk; your people don’t have the requisite knowledge or experience. And you certainly didn’t hire someone from off-planet, not if you wanted the Series 10 program kept secret. Which means you took the matrix from a transference candidate. Did you even tell them? Do they know?}

  Brother Ryll shifted around uncomfortably on his feet, but the monk remained silent.

  {Do they know?} Tien repeated, much louder.

  “No.”

  {It was my understanding that the Bodhi destroyed all of a transference candidate’s stored information, soon after the procedure was complete. To avoid even the possibility of duplication, and to assure them, in no uncertain terms, that their new life, was their only life. So either I’m mistaken about how the process works, or you’ve been lying}

  Though lacking an actual face, Tien managed to stare the monk down hard. He got his answer when Brother Ryll turned away, attempting to avoid Tien’s withering gaze.

  {You’ve been lying the whole time} Tien realized. {Haven’t you, monk? The Bodhi have been lying to all of the races. It’s no wonder you’re so well-informed, you’ve been spying on every civilization in the galaxy through the memories of their transference candidates, sifting through their minds to take what you want}

  “No!” Ryll yelled, startling even himself with the outburst. “It’s not like that. Not at all. It’s just that…well, sometimes there are residual memories, ones that feature so strongly in a person’s mind that they burn a shadow into our buffer units. We refer to them as afterimages, and have occasionally reviewed the memories. Only Brother Dyson and myself, of course, and only for specific purposes—like when we were searching for a pattern to use for the Series 10 template.”

  {You are a terrible liar, monk. I can tell there is more to the story. What else is there to know? What are you hiding from me?}

  Brother Ryll shrugged defeat, realizing that it was no use trying to keep secrets from Tien. Not anymore. “Over the years, we’ve recorded and cataloged each of the afterimages left behind in our buffers. And all of that information is stored on Bodhi Prime, in our secured databases.”

  Tien shook his ovoid-shaped head side to side. {All of your grand speeches and lectures about karma and balance, forcing your morality on the rest of us. But this… This is what you truly are. I don’t know that I’ve ever met a more duplicitous group than the Bodhi. At least the Udek are upfront about their ambitions, and even the Brenin didn’t lie about what they were doing, or try to hide their motives}

  “But the Udek and Brenin are strong, Tien. Don’t you see? We Bodhi are weak; we had no choice. It was a matter of survival. We must—”

  {That is a tired excuse, monk. And one I’m rapidly growing sick of hearing. Tell me, whose pattern did you steal to guide these militarized androids? Whose mind did you rape to get what you wanted this time?}

  Brother Ryll tried to back away, but Tien closed the gap in two strides, clamping the monk’s arm tightly in his metal grasp. Tien squeezed hard enough to induce pain, but not enough to break bone.

  Not yet.

  {Whose pattern did you steal, monk? Tell me!}

  “Yours.” Ryll whimpered. “We used yours…”

  Chapter Twenty

  “But you don’t understand,” Brother Ryll said.

  The monk gave up trying to squirm away from Tien’s painful, vice-like grip, and instead focused on the explanation Ryll hoped might free him. “It’s not you exactly. We didn’t copy your mind, Tien, merely your impulse to kill. We were able to isolate the afterimage of you sparing that child’s life on your final mission for the Special Corp, and then we mated that restraint to other recollections—of you unerringly killing your assigned targets over the years. The blended protocol was perfect! And successful in 100% of the simulations we ran.”

  Tien’s reaction was swift, and the push sent Brother Ryll stumbling across the room, crashing ignominiously into the empty crate where the healing chamber had been stored. The monk teetered for a brief moment before falling over into it. He looked up to find Tien standing over him, staring down into the crate. And though the android’s face was blank, Ryll’s troubled imagination colored it with a suitable expression.

  {We will deal with this later, monk. I promise you. But right now we’re leaving for Polit, and you will teach me everything you know about this body’s weapons systems en route. I want every possible advantage when we finally reach Ko’ln}

  “Of course, Tien,” the flustered monk replied. “Of course. Anything you want to know. Anything at all.” Brother Ryll raised one of his arms hoping Tien might help him out of the crate, but the Udek turned around and walked away.

  Tien approached Dasi and reached out to her with both hands. But she instinctively drew away from him, her face betraying a hint of revulsion.

  {I understand} he told her. {It can’t be easy seeing me like this}

  “No,” she replied truthfully. “It isn’t. But I will try to accept it.”

  {It’s only for a little while, Dasi}

  “I know. And I understand that it’s necessary.” Despite her obvious discomfort with Tien’s appearance, Dasi leaned forward and lowered her voice. “But I don’t trust this monk, Kiro. I don’t trust any of this. You watch out for yourself on this mission, and know that I’ll be perfectly content if you’re the only one who makes it back alive. The others and their plans mean nothing to me. Nothing. You be careful.”

  {I will}

  Dasi reached out and hesitantly gripped one of Tien’s hands, startled by the coolness of it. “Then I’ll go home and wait for your return. But I will visit this lab frequently while you’re gone, to make sure they are taking proper care of your body. Your real body.” Dasi let go of his hand, and then left the room with her escort in tow. Tien turned around to discover Brother Ryll standing right behind him.

  “I’m sure this is all very difficult for her,” he said.

  {Shut up, monk. We’re going to Maxal’s ship now to get underway; the sooner I get this over with, the better. There’s still one more person I need to collect before we can successfully travel to Ko’ln, and she’s on Polit. So let’s get moving}

  “Who is she?” the monk ventured cautiously. “Who is this woman?”

  Tien started toward the door, twisting his head slightly to reply over his shoulder.

  {Just another person who wants to see me dead}

  With Tien in the lead, they strolled into the hangar at a brisk pace, winding their way through copious amounts of cargo crates and maintenance equipment—all carefully stacked and stowed. The pair headed straight toward the jet-black spaceship parked near the hangar bay’s exterior doors, and as they drew near it, Tien and Brother Ryll saw the vessel’s pilot speaking with a small group of Obas engineers.

  {Maxal} Tien said loudly, interrupting the conversation. {Is the ship ready?}

  The large Blenej spun around at the sound of the odd voice, and his eyes shot open wide when he saw the android standing there.

  “What the hell are you?” he asked.

  “It’s Kiro Tien,” Brother Ryll explained. “He’s now inside this android body you delivered to me.”

  “Android bod—? Oh, this just keeps getting better and better.”

  Maxal was quick to shrug off Tien’s new appearance, and Ryll’s revelation. Like everyone else in the galaxy, he was familiar with the Bodhi and their machines—though, admittedly, he’d never seen anything quite like this one.

  “Yeah, the ship is good to go,” Maxal said. “Hell, it’s probably even in better shape than when I first arrived. These Obas have
quite a knack for technology. It’s no wonder they were able to fool everyone for so long.”

  Tien remembered a time, and not that long ago either, when the other races dismissed this world as lightly populated, and inhabited by an underdeveloped and uninteresting race. But no longer. The Obas had come into their own across the galaxy, and with remarkably few growing pains. A significant majority of their people still held strong, xenophobic views about off-worlders, and changing that mindset would take generations, not years. But the Obas were well on their way to integrating themselves into the starfaring community. They were also becoming a force to be reckoned with. The Obas had kept their actual population and level of technology hidden away for centuries, before finally revealing themselves as they truly were. That subterfuge suddenly reminded Tien of another race.

  His reply was directed at Maxal, but Tien tilted his head down to stare at Brother Ryll. {Yes. It does seems like everyone around here is just full of surprises}

  The monk took his full meaning, knowing that there would come a time in the future when this assassin demanded answers about the memories they’d stolen from his mind—questions about how many afterimages they’d kept, and what the Bodhi had done with them afterward. Brother Ryll wondered if he would survive that encounter when it finally took place, because Kiro Tien had killed men in the past for far lesser offenses. But the monk’s fear was tempered by circumstance, realizing he’d have to live through this current lunacy first. And the way things looked, there was a very good chance that future day of reckoning might never come.

  Maxal hadn’t missed Tien’s sharp glance at Ryll, or the inferred menace it contained. He didn’t know what happened between the pair to prompt Tien’s cryptic statement, but Maxal enjoyed the monk’s apparent uneasiness for a very long moment. Finally, he said, “Shall we?” And the Blenej pilot gestured toward his ship.

  As the Obas engineers began disconnecting the fuel and power lines from the fuselage, the trio entered the vessel via a small side ramp. Maxal settled easily into the pilot’s chair and extended a control panel out from the dash. Tien took the copilot’s seat beside him, while Ryll folded down a jump chair directly behind Maxal and plopped into it.

  “Did they load the spare parts and extra ammunition for the android?” Ryll asked. “And all of my repair equipment?”

  “Your crate is in the hold,” the Blenej replied, with a slight edge of irritation in his voice. “I have no idea what you put in it.”

  Seemingly satisfied, and oblivious to the undertone in Maxal’s answer, the monk leaned back in his seat.

  Tien glanced around the interior of the ship as Maxal prepped the flight systems, eyeing the extensively modified vessel with a great deal of interest. The craft appeared well worn but serviceable, and featured white padded walls, completely covered in exposed circuitry, wiring, and thick, multi-colored power lines. It was all interconnected through dozens of different-sized couplings, and the wiring spread out in every direction across the slightly curved walls like an aimless web, spun by a drunken spider.

  Behind him, Tien noted four jump seats, including the one currently occupied by Brother Ryll. And just beyond them was a pair of data screens mounted to a partition wall, right next to the door leading to the ship’s aft compartments. One of the screens displayed a view inside the cargo hold, while the other showed the current status of the vessel’s primary systems, including the engines and life support. Illumination was provided by a wide light panel overhead, spanning the length of the ceiling. It gave the interior a brilliant, if somewhat antiseptic quality.

  Maxal noticed Tien looking around the cockpit. As the whine from the engines grew steadily louder, he said, “Don’t worry. She’s sturdy enough. I’ve just never been terribly concerned about aesthetics.”

  {So it would seem} Tien reached out to touch the wall nearest him. {This stripped-down look reminds me of a Brenin scout ship that I flew during the war}

  “You flew a Brenin ship?” Maxal asked incredulously.

  {It’s a long story} Tien withdrew his hand and used it to adjust his seat, trying to get a better view out of the front window. {What do you call it?} he asked, gesturing around to indicate the ship. Tien knew the Blenej liked to give their vessels meaningful names.

  “Ayel’s Revenge,” Maxal replied proudly. “She’s no fighter. But still, a fine craft.”

  {As long as it does the job, I’ll be satisfied}

  “She’ll do just fine. But speaking of the job, why exactly are we going to Polit? It’s in the opposite direction of Ko’ln, and hardly the safest system in the galaxy right now. In fact, it’s probably one of the most dangerous, especially for someone who’s fallen out of favor with the Udek Confederation.” Maxal chuckled and pointed at Tien, keeping his finger a safe distance away. “If they knew who was inside that body you’re wearing, I think both sides would count you as the enemy.”

  {I’ll explain everything on the way, but the short answer is that I don’t have a choice. We must go to Polit first, so let’s get moving}

  “Understood.” The Blenej pilot checked over his readings one last time, and then announced, “The ship is ready.”

  Maxal contacted the Obas for clearance to depart and the bay doors opened promptly, revealing a solid wall of water. The cargo ship lifted up from the ground and retracted its landing gear, and then the vessel pushed through the force barrier holding the ocean back—sliding into the open water beyond without so much as a hint of vibration to mark the transition. Two mid-sized Obas warships were waiting to take up positions alongside them, acting as escorts, and then all three vessels started up toward the surface of the planet.

  The trio of ships continued to gain speed as they rose through ever-shallower depths, eventually exploding into the blue sky of Obas like large projectiles. The boundless ocean waters rapidly vanished during their ascent, lost behind thick, billowy clouds, and Tien focused all of his attention on the forward window, watching the daylight gradually fade as they climbed higher into the atmosphere. The colorful sky was soon replaced by the blackness of space, and the scattered white pinpoints of light marking distant stars. This was the first time Tien had left the planet since his escape from Bodhi Prime, and memories of that desperate flight to Obas surged into his mind. Tien’s senses became hyper-alert, searching for any signs of trouble.

  {Keep an eye out for any autonomous Udek surveillance drones. The Special Corp placed something out here to alert them if I ever tried to leave the planet, I guarantee it—something difficult, if not impossible, for the Obas to detect. This android form means nothing. The Corp has scanning equipment sensitive enough to detect my mental image no matter what body I happen to be occupying}

  “Oh, you needn’t worry about that,” Maxal replied confidently. “This ship is not only scan shielded, but all of the exposed circuitry you see here is purposely calibrated to mask every part of the energy spectrum, creating a white noise, anti-sensor field that’s nearly impossible to penetrate. Even if they can sniff out your mental pattern, stuffed down inside that android, they won’t be able to do it through my hull. I promise you.”

  Tien looked around the cockpit again as if seeing it for the first time, and he knew that Maxal was telling the truth.

  “I can shield this entire ship at will,” the pilot added, boastfully. “Even project fake sensor signatures to convince other vessels that I’m carrying different types of cargo. Or none at all, if I wish.”

  {You are no freighter captain} Tien realized. {You’re a smuggler}

  Maxal smiled. “Well done, Tien. Well done. And you just might be the most illicit thing that I have ever transported.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The two escort ships peeled away as Ayel’s Revenge left orbit, returning to their temporary base in one of the planet’s largest undersea caverns. Though operational, both vessels were part of the ongoing effort to retrofit the older ships in the Obas fleet, adding advanced shielding and weaponry designed to increase their
effectiveness and durability.

  The Blenej ship flew on unaccompanied, but several monitoring stations continued to track its passage. The Obas followed the cargo vessel closely as it coasted along its pre-approved flight path out of the system, watching for even the slightest deviation or hint of trouble. But nothing unexpected or untoward happened, and soon, the outermost moons of Obas fell behind the ship. Maxal brought the engines up to full speed and punched in the most expedient course for Polit, and then he engaged the autopilot before resuming his conversation with Tien.

  “Now,” Maxal said with a hearty smile, “where were we? Ah yes, I believe you were making a disapproving comment about my chosen occupation. Smuggler has such a negative connotation to it, don’t you think? I prefer to view myself as more of a facilitator.”

  {And what have you been facilitating on Polit?} Tien asked.

  “Nothing special, just some low-grade military tech, mostly communications and support equipment. You know, supplies I can easily source on Blenej and a few other worlds I frequent.”

  {And?} Tien said knowingly.

  “And…maybe a few weapons, from time to time.”

  {So you’ve been running the Udek blockade to supply the rebels?}

  “Yes,” Maxal replied earnestly. “I have. There’s no reason to deny it. I’m not the least bit ashamed of my efforts.”

  {Don’t you think you’re taking a risk telling me about it?}

  “Not really. The Obas who worked on my ship told me you have no love for your people. In fact, all of the rumors I’ve heard suggest quite the opposite. But more than that, we share a common goal at present. And exposing me, would expose you.”

  {I’m going to explain something to you, Maxal. And I want you to listen to me very closely. While it’s true that I don’t care about the Udek, or their occupation of Polit, for that matter, your employers in the resistance don’t mean anything to me either. So don’t plan on accomplishing anything beyond our very specific task during this stop. We’ll be on the planet just long enough to secure the cooperation of an old acquaintance of mine, and then we will immediately depart for Ko’ln. Your personal interests on Polit don’t concern me. Not in the least}