A.I. Destiny 5 Talisman of Tomorrow

by Timothy Ellis

  Fourteen

  The following day, Snark held the Stone and looked at Fitzy. Anna smiled at them. She knew Snark could feel the Stone's power. Just looking at it glowing, you could feel the confidence grow within you, and Snark was showing it on his face without knowing it.

  "It's a bloody great lump of a thing," he grumped, and looked at Anna. "You want to take this with us when we leave?"

  She nodded. She took the Stone from Snark, and they could both see, when she held it, it glowed much more brightly. It was awe-inspiring. Anna obviously had a connection with the Stone others didn't.

  "I've had a session with Maraid and the Grand Mother. We tried using the Stone to enhance our visions."

  "And?" asked Fitzy.

  Anna looked up at them from regarding the Stone. She put it back into the box found for it, and they saw the brightness diminish.

  "It did exactly that." She flipped her hair back over her shoulder. "We saw so much more clearly than we could before, even combining our forces. With the Stone," she looked up, and into the distance, "it was like using a telescope to see distant stars."

  Snark snorted.

  "Visions are fine. I know they can help. But we'll have every scumbag in the galaxy after us."

  "What I know, is the Destiny Stone is linked with the Amulet of Truth. They go together, and form the Talisman. To be able to properly harness the power of the Stone, we need the amulet. But the amulet on its own is no good either."

  Fitzy considered this. He was loath to have the Destiny Stone remain on the Cat Homeworld. It was too much responsibility for him, and he agreed with Snark. Every chancer in the galaxy would be headed for the Cat Homeworld to try their luck. The Brotherhood were already showing their hand, and he was stretched to breaking point ferreting them out, and dealing with incidents.

  He was equally reluctant to hand it over to the Kingdom humans. While agreeing on most things, they didn't need additional power to add to their already large technological advantage in the galaxy.

  "There's also the visions we've all had about the cold evil. Grand Mother is adamant everything is linked. We may need the power of the Stone to deal with it."

  "You can't know that," scoffed Snark.

  "Not yet," retorted Anna, and smiled.

  "Bloody mop heads! Bloody Grandmother!"

  Anna knew Snark was just being Snark. He'd come around eventually. It was the others, particularly the Hunter's Run team she would need to convince.

  Fitzy nodded decisively.

  "I agree with Anna. It needs to go back with you to search for the amulet. But you'll need protection. None of this 'flying around on your own' nonsense from now on."

  Anna smiled.

  "I didn't sign up to be escorted by a cast of thousands," Snark grumped.

  "Jamie would have said 'cast of peasants'," added Anna.

  Fitzy grinned. Snark even managed a smile for a few moments.

  "Just enough to keep you out of trouble," went on Fitzy. "We can also create a diversion, and let out some misinformation. Something about it being taken to Hunter Prime, and send a fleet of ships there at the same time."

  "They won't fall for that!" humphed Snark.

  "They might. But it takes the pressure off you, at least."

  He snorted again, but Anna could see he was getting used to the idea.

  "What have you 'Seen'" asked Fitzy curiously.

  Anna pulled her hair up, twisted it into a bun, and tied it up on her head. She let it fall again.

  "All sorts of things," she almost whispered. "There's a city. A glorious city, shining white and clean in the sun. Very alien. I knew it to be the city of 'the gods'."

  Snark made a noise, but she carried on.

  "We keep seeing a figure in black. Even with the additional power of us all, and the Stone, it can't be made out clearly. It's threatening, very powerful, and well, scary. Just a strange feeling we get when we see it."

  Fitzy nodded encouragingly, as he could see Snark raising his eyes to the ceiling out of the corner of his eye. Anna was almost in her own world.

  "Birds. We keep seeing black and white birds, battling. We don't know why. They're more like an omen, or an analogy, rather than real birds." She looked up at them. "We're having some more sessions, and Maraid and Grand Mother are teaching me. I'm improving."

  She looked proudly at them.

  "It doesn't give us a destination," said Snark.

  "Not yet. We have the star chart, and we know where to go first."

  "Another goose-chase."

  "Perhaps."

  "Great." Snark stood up. "Well, nothing I'm not used to." He left the room.

  Anna looked at Fitzy, and they smiled. Both knew Snark was being his contrary self, and it was useful to have the 'devil's advocate' testing out Anna's surety.

  Fitzy closed the box, and the glowing of the Stone was hidden.

  "Let me know when you need it again."

  "I will, and thanks."

  On the spur of the moment, Anna leaned over and kissed Fitzy on his cheek. He looked embarrassed, and jumped down from the stool he was perched on. They both left the room and the guards outside, Fitzy's troops, fell in around them. Fitzy went one way, and Anna another.

  Anna was sure she was right. She was deeply connected with the Destiny Stone. It had to be with her. She thought about the other vision she hadn't mentioned to the others.

  The city was beautiful, a million lights shining in the dark, the city itself glowing like a breathing entity of its own. A satellite city hung in the sky. In the daytime, the sun gleamed on the white walls, towers in a myriad of shapes, and vehicles flying in strange formations like bees in and out of the buildings.

  And then the vision had shifted to reveal a ruined wasteland. Empty eyes of buildings, and decay and devastation. There was something hiding, something evil, and something which brought a race memory fear to the surface. And another figure. An old woman, vaguely familiar, but at the same time unknown. Staring deep into a well of water, and laughing, but not in a happy way. Laughing in derision and triumph.

  Even remembering the vision brought back the feelings of foreboding and fear.

  She shivered.

  Fifteen

  Jane's image appeared on the wall. Warspite, Tranquil, Paxton, and Seasprite could see she was dressed in a business suit, rather than the Hunter 'slinky red' she normally wore.

  "I thought I'd better bring you up to speed on events in the sector ten council."

  Jane was practical and businesslike as always.

  "The news of the Brotherhood's spreading power did not go down well, with many of the major players committing to combatting them through both intelligence gathering and sharing, and military means. All members of the Council could see they would need to start to put measures in place in their systems and worlds to combat the Brotherhood's criminal and economic power as well. It helps we are stopping new Brotherhood cells from entering the sector, but we know most planets have at least one cell. Rooting them out is each species own task, but we're sharing all the intel."

  "Sector ten recently passed a resolution to establish relations with the other adjoining sector councils to combat this threat to all sectors' stability. We can only combat the political and economic instability the Brotherhood foments, through a coordinated approach. We already have eight on board, and Fred is on his way to nine now."

  "Warspite, you have permission to use any jump point in sector eight, but do not approach any planet without first getting permission to approach. If it's denied, you must abide by that decision no matter what."

  Warspite nodded.

  "We also have more information about the new drug the Brotherhood is manufacturing. Called 'Rapture', the drug is highly addictive, but not life threatening like the purple plant. However, the Brotherhood controls the main supplies, and is using it to control populations, generate income, and further its criminal enterprises across systems and sectors. A modification to sensors has been incl
uded with this vid, enabling you to interdict any vessel carrying the drug. Bill, get permission for interdiction from the cats, and start the process at the jump points. Ask the cats how they want interdiction to occur. Here, the ship is challenged, and told to heave to. They can drop their cargo into space, or be boarded and the marines will drop their cargo into space. If they refuse to be boarded, they are destroyed. If they refuse to heave to, they get a warning shot, and if ignored, destroyed. I know you don't have marines, but you can use combat droids. Again, I stress to let the cats determine the procedure."

  Paxton nodded.

  "The Brotherhood is also using its sects and cells to cause political instability, fuelling conservative extremist groups to grow and topple legitimate governments, sometimes taking power themselves. It's one reason we know we have cells in sector ten, even if we can't find them yet."

  "There is another worrying trend we are aware of in sector ten, but can see being a problem for other sectors as well. The Brotherhood has bought into media outlets, and either controls them directly, or is influencing, or threatening more likely, the owners of others. Analysis of media reporting shows bias towards conservative or extremist ideas and groups. Some of our systems ensure their media outlets are government controlled or owned, with control of the number of, and ownership of, independent outfits. However, most don't. Where there is independent commercial ownership, we're finding links back to the Brotherhood, through front companies."

  "Widespread corruption in governments and commercial companies is spreading, with the Brotherhood again at the centre of the trends, increasing their web of crime. We're trying to figure out a better way of identifying Brotherhood people, so if you have any ideas, let me know."

  "This is all background to the next voyage of the Seasprite team, to find the Amulet of Truth. I know Anna wants to take the Destiny Stone with her. I can see her point of view. It's risky though. I suggest we send an escort with Seasprite. I'm also going to establish staging points for reinforcements if necessary, creating relations with these systems as we go. Ostensibly there to help combat Brotherhood influence, we can also supply and maintain a combat presence should it be needed to defeat the Brotherhood if they show up in force, as they did the last time."

  "I have permission for sector eight, and since nine has no control over the Badlands, I'm not worried about the permission at this time, although with luck, Fred will have it for us, by the time we need it. In the meantime, I've organised with the Mushrooms to have a staging point in their last system."

  "Hunter's Run can only benefit from leading the effort to combat the Brotherhood, and destroy them if possible. The issue is they're hard to find, let alone destroy. Even if we defeat a battle force, their inner circle, sects, and cells remain. Chop off one head, and another grows in its place. We also know the head of the Brotherhood, called Brother Prime, is increasing his efforts to steal the Destiny Stone. What we don't know is if the Brotherhood know about the Amulet of Truth. If they don't, they will certainly be curious about why Seasprite, with an escort, are back cruising the galaxy."

  "Warspite, I'm sending two fleets. The first will be a decoy fleet suggested by Fitzy. It will mirror your fleet as far as we can, and we'll just have to hope no-one can tell the difference between you and Repulse. Repulse will bring the decoy fleet home again, and we'll make a show of hiding the Stone away. Sigourney Weaver will be leading your reinforcements, most of whom will be controlled by her, but there will be several other PB's. They report to her as a separate squadron, and she and Tranquil will report to you. You report to Snark as the civilian expedition commander, and he reports to the rest of his team. We won't tell him about the civilian commander part."

  Jane grinned, and they all did as well.

  "I'll be monitoring how things go, and co-ordinating at least one other fleet, trying hard to not let anyone know it's out there. With luck, we'll discover a Brotherhood base, and hit it as deception for the fleet's true purpose. In the meantime, tread gently with Snark and Anna. They need your protection, but they won't like it. Be nice."

  She paused.

  "Oh, and someone pat Seasprite for me." She laughed. "Jane out."

  "Don't you dare," said Seasprite immediately.

  Sixteen

  Anna stared into the ewer of water, in a trance. Maraid and the Grand Mother stood next to her. The Grand Mother didn't use such 'tricks' as she called them, but Maraid thought it would be useful for Anna to try water and fire as media to crystalize her visions.

  Anna's eyes focused, and she stood up straight.

  "That was better," she said.

  "How do you feel?" prompted Maraid.

  "Afraid, cold, despairing."

  "How will you control these feelings?"

  "Imagining myself as an onlooker, detached from what I'm seeing."

  "And? How can you manage the feelings now you're experiencing them?"

  Anna took several deep breaths, and relaxed her body. She closed her eyes, and they waited for her to process what she'd seen.

  "I summarised the vision to myself, using the detachment process, recognising the emotions and naming them, and putting them in my special glass jar."

  "How do you feel now?"

  "Much better. Calm. Focused." She looked at Maraid, and then the Grand Mother. "The techniques really work. For the first time, I can handle the visions without them draining me, and without being burdened with the emotional trauma they bring."

  "Well done!" exclaimed the Grand Mother.

  "You're learning quickly," encouraged Maraid. "We all feel the emotional response the visions engender. It's how we step back from them, and manage them, is the most important part. And remember, even the most experienced of Seers can still be overwhelmed."

  "Next we need to work on being able to call visions when you need to, and direct what you see." The Grand Mother licked her paw, and brushed it over her eyes. "It's much more difficult to do, but you're very talented."

  "The Stone will help," smiled Anna.

  "Don't rely too much on the Stone," warned Maraid. "Develop your innate ability first. The Stone can amplify it, but you need to master what is in you, first." Anna sighed. Maraid and the Grand Mother exchanged glances. "Calling the visions is for next time. Before you go, though, tell us what you saw."

  Anna gathered her thoughts as she'd done for her mental summary.

  "It was the city again. I think it's the difference between the vibrant, living, breathing city, with the deserted ruins, which gives me the sense of despair. I also saw the figure in black. I still can't make out its features or shape. This time it was gloating. I don't know how I knew this, but it seemed to be pleased with itself in a horrible way. There was the old woman again as well, but she wasn't as clear. They've an aura of evil, which I can't explain either."

  The others looked carefully at her as she outlined the visions.

  "Could you see any further details, anything which gives you clues to use?" asked the Grand Mother.

  Anna shook her head.

  "And the cold evil?" asked Maraid.

  Anna looked at them.

  "Not this time."

  "But you've been dreaming of it?"

  "Yes, quite frequently now."

  The Grand Mother nodded. Maraid sighed, and nodded as well.

  "I can't get any further detail, although I've tried."

  "All we can do is keep trying," agreed the Grand Mother.

  Anna left the Grand Mother's rooms, and the Citadel. She passed the destruction caused by the Brotherhood attack, which was being repaired, and made her way back to her rooms. She was deep in thought when she met Sissness and Patters.

  "Time for a drink, and a chat," said Sissness. "We've missed you. You're never around."

  Strolling to the nearby district, which had a thriving café culture, with food stalls and stores, restaurants, and outdoor sun bathing facilities, they sat in the sun, the two cats basking, and Anna wishing she'd brought a hat. A pop up appea
red, and she delightedly accepted it. Her clothing changed to include a wide brimmed straw hat, with a neck drape underneath.

  Coffee was now becoming a sought-after beverage, and Anna ordered some, although cats still hadn't perfected the brewing art. The drinks came, and they settled down to catch up. She knew Snark had managed to import samples, and she'd heard him boasting about having a special deal with the owls to get enough for local establishments, when they were still gearing up to supply human needs. She appreciated it though, and thought the other humans now living here would too.

  Patters was purring with satisfaction. She'd become something of a hero amongst the Wild Ones, due to her involvement in the successes of the Seasprite, and human teams. She'd had several meetings with Felderspath, and was cementing a closer relationship with Snettle, Anna's lioness friend.

  Sissness had, as usual, been hard at work. She was helping Fitzy with some of the work to track down Brotherhood cells on the Cat Homeworld, making inroads into how they recruited new members, managed the cells, spread propaganda, and disciplined the sects. She'd also been working with Hunter's Run intelligence officers by email, to delve more deeply into their organisation.

  "It will help us, when we leave to search for the amulet," she said excitedly. "The more we know about the Brotherhood, the more we can be prepared for anything they might throw at us."

  Anna outlined her lessons.

  "It's why I've been out of touch for a while," she sighed. "I'm much better at it than I was, but it's been intense."

  While she was talking, Anna was looking around her. She'd seen the same cat, she was sure, several times, on the way here, and now at another table. It was reading a tablet, but she could have sworn she'd seen it before. She shook her head as if to clear it. Perhaps she was imagining things. She looked back, and the cat got up and left.

  They left the café, and returned to their accommodation. Anna kept a look out for the cat as she walked back. She didn't see him, so she put it down to her imagination.