by G W Langdon
Tom stared at his aching hand, caught in a hypnotic trance.
The numbing cold beat Ba’illi back. “Can you hear me? Tom!” he screamed, in a rising panic.
#
The knight burst into Tom’s room.
“I don’t know what happened,” Ba’illi stammered, trying to wrestle open the door on the dataPod. “It must have been the Stealth.”
He shoved Ba’illi aside and ripped the dataPod open. “It was Reuzk,” he said, examining Tom’s cloudy eyes. “Edg was a diversion for Reuzk to employ the Stealth.”
“Why? What for?”
“To download Tom’s neural Blueprint? How would I know?”
A terrible fear seized Ba’illi. “She said she’d cleared it with Reuzk and that nothing would happen,” he said, choking on the last words.
“Your Federation fantasies make you dangerous. Be careful where you step. Or I will step on you.”
Ba’illi slid away.
Tom blinked several times and a sparkle of recognition appeared in his eyes.
Queen Lillia swept into the room, past Ba’illi, and double-checked Tom’s eyes. “We can’t trust Reuzk anymore. Tom will want to go back in now that Reuzk has shown him Sarra. We must upgrade him to withstand Reuzk’s future deceptions and attacks.”
He rested against the dataPod. “My head and fingers hurt, but I’m all right.”
“You don’t know what you are. I’ll have the doctor run some tests.”
He rubbed his temple with his good hand and stumbled to a chair. “Do you have a Roll stronger than a Blue?”
Chapter 28
“I must stay the same,” Tom said, smoothing flat the white gown, bleached whiter by the overhead lights.
“Change is the whole point of the procedure,” Teripeli said, “but there’s no risk to your underlying personality. However, others might alter their opinions.”
“Sarra has to be comfortable with the new me.”
“We are not giving you special powers,” Queen Lillia assured him. “I understand the anguish, but it’s not safe to go back in unprepared.”
“Against a Stealth?”
“Reuzk denied he was behind the Edg attack, but who else could’ve orchestrated that degree of cyber intrusion? It certainly wasn’t Amie acting on her own and it’s too blunt for Lauzen.”
“Why the fuss?” he whispered. “Couldn’t I take another pill?”
“The brain is very complicated,” Teripeli said, pointing to the padded table with his good arm. “NeuroGenesis is a highly specialized procedure to access precise areas in your brain to trigger the growth of specific new synaptic networks.”
“What he’s trying to say,” Queen Lillia interrupted, “is that it’s not a simple matter of adding new neurons to one section of the brain. Changes have to be made throughout if we are to get the right results.”
“From a biological standpoint your human brain is very similar to our own,” Teripeli continued. “Even though you are an alien species, I’m sure I’m managing the correct areas to avoid conflicts.”
“I have to go back into Gi LaMon, but are you sure there’s no other way?” he asked, unable to stop staring at the five nebulous fingers on Teripeli’ stumpy reGen hand. “I don’t want to sound smug, but maybe nature isn’t as predictable as you assume.”
“There you go again,” Teripeli said. “True nature versus edited. When will you accept it’s all the same?
“Let’s focus on you,” Queen Lillia said. “All natural. All human.”
The headboard reclined and Teripeli fastened the restraining straps.
“Stretch out and relax, hands by your sides. Not too tight, I hope,” he said, tensioning the forehead strap. “We don’t want you wriggling free half way through.”
“Is that necessary? I’m not sure about this.”
“If you want to see Sarra again, then it’s the procedure or nothing,” she said. “I will not send you in unless you can defend yourself.”
“What exactly are you adding?”
“It’s a straightforward procedure,” she said. “Skills that will make Gi LaMon safer for you.”
“I supplied the VR subset,” Ba’illi said. “It’ll give you a deeper Gi LaMon experience and you’ll be a better judge of falsity; Deceivers and their kind will be less problematic.”
Queen Lillia frowned. “Ba’illi, you’ve exceeded my expectations.”
“You’ll be able to drive on your own inside Gi LaMon,” Ba’illi added, as he retreated.
“I supplied Bengi with the Art of Fighting neural subset,” she said. “If you run into someone as dangerous as Edg again you’ll know what to do.”
“You did? I mean…”
“You think because I am a female I can’t fight?”
“No, I thought the knight might be involved with that.”
Teripeli interrupted, “Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity are highly specialized areas of expertise.”
He stared at the lightMatrix above the table of his brain and spinal cord, highlighting in sharper, more vivid detail his main nerves and blood arteries.
“This structure,” Teripeli said, as the lightMatrix rotated and expanded the rear of the brain behind the stem, “is deeply folded and highly organized to coordinate movement. It also monitors impulses from the nerve endings in the muscles, so it’s vital to get it exact for the precise timing of complex motor tasks.
“However, this area also has to communicate with other parts of the brain: motor control, memory, concentration, perception, and vision. This is why it normally takes the brain thousands of hours to learn how to coordinate the right zones to achieve a seamless whole. For example, an expert fighter must have quick reflexes, but he also needs superior anticipation to have the quickest response time.”
“Are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this?” she asked.
He nodded.
“I need to hear you say so.”
“Yes, I agree,” he said in his clearest voice. “What now?”
“Relax.”
Teripeli spread a cold gel through Tom’s hair and firmed the red skullcap into place. “You think messing with Nature is dangerous, but there are times when there aren’t any other options,” he said, looking to Queen Lillia. He plugged the spine of the cap into Bengi’s connection at the top of the table.
She rubbed a cold swab on Tom’s arm.
Teripeli lifted a long, hypodermic needle and pushed the plunger up to remove any hidden air. “This will ready your brain for ‘Nesting’—to accept the new neurals.” He placed the needle tip over the artery and smiled. “I hope you’re not squeamish.”
Queen Lillia looked away.
Tom studied her, wondering why she really disliked needles.
“It’s a childhood thing I can’t seem to grow out of,” she said. “Trust me, you’ll be fine.”
Teripeli plunged the bright orange fluid down the needle. “All done,” he said, replacing the needle on the tray beneath the lightScreen. “Bengi will implant the neural matrix code to enhance the synaptic network connection between the five lobes of your brain.” He held up a smaller needle. “This is a sedative. Changing structures deep inside your brain is a slow process, even for someone as talented as Bengi so your mind won’t resist the inception. We need you asleep to eliminate conscious thinking and minimize subconscious activity.”
“How long will I be out?”
“Bengi will wake you up when he’s finished. We’ll run a few post operation validation tests to gauge the success of the upgrade and then you can go back to your room.” Teripeli placed the empty syringe on the tray. “Ten, nine, eight… seven… six… five… four…”
#
Tom blinked in the soft light and strained against the straps then remembered where he was.
“Good to see you back,” Teripeli said, sliding the skullcap off. “Everything went as planned.”
“Take your time,” Queen Lillia said, undoing the buckles.
; “I had the craziest dream. I was chasing a rabbit through the forest. This way and that, over and under, it didn’t matter. I was floating over the ground.” He chuckled. “And then I caught the rabbit. You haven’t changed me that much, have you?” he added with a silly grin.
“What happened to the rabbit?” Teripeli asked, as Queen Lillia helped him off the table.
He shook his head. “There was fear in its eyes, and then I woke up.” He swung his arms in wide circles to shake his circulation going. “I feel a little light-headed.”
“Get some sleep,” Teripeli said. “The next twenty-four hours are crucial to ensure a seamless Nesting.”
Queen Lillia put her arm around his waist and led him away. “I’ll have Ba’illi run some VR tests tomorrow. If they go as planned, then we’ll have a live test.”
#
Tom toweled the light sweat from his face. The VR tests two days ago to assess the uptake and penetration of the neuroGenesis confirmed a marked improvement in reaction times. He was free to return to Gi LaMon. However, the final test of the operation’s true impact stood in front of him.
“Choose your weapon,” Silak commanded, pointing to the racks of martial weapons.
He grabbed a long staff and limbered up front and back, side to side.
“Ever since you came to the monastery it’s been your favorite choice.”
“I aim to win.”
“Win?” Silak twirled the chained batons he’d brought from Gukre. Challenge deepened in his eyes. “Fighting is not a game. You can never win. Only overcome.”
He pointed the tip of the fighting staff at Silak. Was the fight a foregone outcome? Ba’illi said the ‘Art of Fighting’ subsets from Queen Lillia came from her fights against a reClone Vera had programmed with the one hundred and twenty-nine fights he’d fought against Silak in her castle. Could Silak bring anything new to the arena that she hadn’t already bested before?
He effortlessly blocked Silak’s three-punch, two-kick combination and back-flipped away. He dropped to the floor like a cat, landing firmly and with barely a sound. A swell of venomous anger coursed through his body. How could the small monk compete against him?
He fearlessly descended upon Silak, jumping high then smashed the staff down. Silak caught the staff in the chained batons with taunting ease and swept his leading leg out from under him. A chest-high kick sent him tumbling backwards.
“Try harder.”
He leaned back against the wall and let the cool surface sooth through the robe onto his back. His moment would come. He returned the staff to the rack.
Silak placed the batons at the edge of the woven mat and bowed. “Your anger makes you impulsive, too quick to reach the end. I thought I’d taught you better.”
He pushed off the wall and lunged ahead with sharp kicks and a flurry of punches. Silak brushed him aside and threw him to the floor.
“You are fast today, but you are reckless,” Silak said, helping Tom up. “Patience deceives your opponent into thinking you’re weak. Strike with confidence.”
He shook the ruffles from his robe, bowed, and started again. He drove forward against Silak’s punishing counter blows and pursued Silak around the room, blocking harder and retaliating faster than he’d ever tried as he worked Silak towards the corner. As expected, Silak pushed against the wall for added thrust away.
He feigned hesitancy and let Silak half-escape then triple-punched him in lightning succession beneath his exposed ribcage. He kicked the same vulnerable spot, elbowed Silak’s defensive block aside, and stumped his knee into the solar plexus then slammed him into the wall. He seized Silak by the throat.
Silak gulped for breath and his face reddened and lips turned purple. He kicked out to break the death grip, slower and slower as his oxygen-starved body sagged.
“I submit.”
He released Silak and flexed his muscles underneath his robe.
Silak stared up from the floor. “Where did you learn that?” he gasped, rubbing his throat. It’s not anything I’ve taught you.” Silak’s jaw set firm. “You fight with her wicked-witch ways.”
“I’m sorry,” Tom said, helping him up. “I don’t know what came over me.” He wiped the beads of sweat off his forehead and dropped the towel aside.
Silak buried his face in his towel and patted the heavy lines of sweat. He swallowed to ease the tightness in his throat.
He bowed. “Until tomorrow,” he said, backing away then turning and hurrying from the den.
Ever since the first day when he’d seen Silak fight five monks, all he wanted was to be such a fighter—better given that he was bigger. He’d achieved the goal, but his stomach churned with guilt because he’d cheated and lied. It wasn’t his fault that he had to if he wanted to see Sarra again, but it wasn’t the right way.
He stopped outside the hyperPod. Had his selfish need for Sarra driven him to sell his soul? Did he even have a soul? He kicked the hyperPod door and turned around to get his towel.
#
Queen Lillia held Silak above the floor with one arm
“What are you doing?” Tom yelled, charging into the fight room.
She glared at him then and without care or concern released Silak and left the room through a shielded Mimic door.
Silak clasped his swollen neck.
“What happened?” he asked, regarding the bruised finger marks around Silak’s neck. His puffy face and loss of dignity were clear signs of a sustained beating. He hadn’t done that, had he?
“I can’t teach you anything more. My time here is done. Thank you. Now I can go home.”
“You can’t go back. Not yet.”
“For better, or worse, the time has come for you to confront your new world.”
“But I’m not ready.”
Silak smiled through the pain. “Be careful, young Thomas. She is against you.”
Chapter 29
Reuzk landed Sirion outside the star-shaped, white-marble senate complex. The engines wound down and the navigation screen flicked off for an uninterrupted view of the hundreds of craft anchored in the circular bay of Lake Rekeila. Large sail yachts rocked in the rising wind as the desert heated up and sucked out the cooler crater air. The powered yachts of the elites bobbed on their moorings further out into the lake a secure distance away from the onshore scanners that might eavesdrop in on their delicate negotiations. At least, so they’d been led to believe.
He put on his jacket and adjusted the polished military medals. The Indigo Medal was political recognition for services to Heyre, but the Crimson Cross and the Red Star were hard-earned on Tilas for bravery and courage under fire. Fit for a real soldier.
Inside the main Senate Building, Chairman Kaiyo would say it was imperative they sign the Grand Alliance into law and clarify the relationships between Heyre’s three main power groups for a strong New World Order against the encroachment of Decay. Even though the Federation was far superior to anything the Senators’ civilian services could dredge from their Nu’hieté jurisdiction, President Lauzen would agree it was a good idea to share intelligence. Queen Lillia would support the Alliance to progress her double-game, which included a suspiciously recent uptick in the shuttle traffic from her castle to Abellia. He’d have to confront her one day, but he’d need more proof before President Lauzen would entertain open division. For some unknown reason, Lauzen valued her contribution to the Defense of Heyre. Was the human, Thomas Ryder, so important to him that he’d turn a blind eye to her subversion, or was there a deeper reason to aid and abet her subtle treason?
They all hoped for a clean signing ceremony, but it wouldn’t be that easy. It never was. What use would a piece of paper be when Decay’s warships arrived?
Colonel Hyasin, the head of Nu’hieté security, greeted him at the bottom of the ramp and they engaged in small talk about the trials of their respective jobs while they walked to the forecourt. He had known Hyasin for a long time, but he would never trust him. A lifetime Nu’hiete bureaucrat, Hyas
in’s calculated charm and unceasing half-smile were an inscrutable mask to endear his personal ambitious to the political elite. Hyasin was adequate for the task of political liaison, but he was no soldier.
The hyperLift stopped at the senate chambers on the seventy-eighth floor of the left wing.
“You first, general,” Hyasin said, courteously gesturing him into the foyer.
The privacy shield surrounding President Lauzen and Queen Lillia on the far side blinked out. It might be the low light, but she appeared darker than he remembered. Her hair was swirled into a tight bun and she wore a stern uniform that clashed with the foyer’s open design.
“Glad you could make it,” she said, greeting him outside the chamber doors. “I didn’t think you’d show with President Lauzen being here for the signing.”
“I want to be sure there aren’t last minutes alterations to the Alliance or any complications that I’ll have to deal with. No surprises?”
She gave Lauzen a brief glance. “That depends on how easily you’re surprised.”
Chairman Kaiyo, head of the Senate responsible for Nu’hieté’s governance and second only to President Lauzen in political power, sat at the top of the horseshoe-shaped table, flanked by Hyasin and Consul Myxil who oversaw matters concerning SubStrata. Reuzk and Lauzen sat together, opposite Queen Lillia and Darlak, her brutal Head of Domestic Security that included the troubled Outer Domains. The security shield powered up and the cityscape of Nu’hieté blurred behind the rain-swept panels.
Kaiyo sipped on his water and cleared his throat. “Let me start by saying it is an honor to have you here to complete what I think will be seen as a historic day for Heyre. I’m sure we can all agree a Grand Alliance provides our best chance to win the war and defeat Decay.”
Hyasin and Myxil nodded in agreement.
“Each of us has a vital role to play,” Kaiyo continued. “Queen Lillia rules the Eastern Sector across the bridge and the Outer Domains. The Senate that I chair has a detailed knowledge of the unique ways of Nu’hieté and the Federation has the technology to monitor the planet for abnormalities. We each have unique strengths, but we also have our weaknesses. An Alliance where each signatory freely supplies information to a centralized intelligence agency means an improved flow of information and the more efficient allocation of our considerable resources.
