The Sovereign, visibly shaking now, pointed at the constable with her free hand. “I am the voice of the planet! You can’t tell the planet to get out of your way.”
“Constable!” said one of the people who had come off the groundcar. “A moment.” And went over to say something quiet in the constable’s ear.
The Sovereign said, low enough so only Ashiban could hear it, “Tell the planet to get out of the way? How could I say something so stupid?”
And then lights came sweeping around the lefthand bend of the road, and seven or eight groundcars came into view, and stopped short of where the constable stood in the road.
A voice called out, “This is Delegate Garas of the Terraforming Council Enforcement Commission.” Ashiban knew that name. Everyone in the system knew that name. Delegate Garas was the highest-ranking agent of the Gidantan Enforcement Commission, and answered directly to the Terraforming Council. “Constable, you have overstepped your authority.” A man stepped out from behind the glare of the lights. “This area is being monitored.” The sound of a flier above, louder. “Anyone who doesn’t turn around and go home this moment will be officially censured.”
The person who had been talking to the constable said, “We were just about to leave, Delegate.”
“Good,” said the delegate. “Don’t delay on my account, please. And, Constable, I’ll meet with you when I get into town this afternoon.”
THE COMMISSION AGENTS settled Ashiban and the Sovereign into the back of a groundcar, and poured them hot barley tea from a flask. The tea hardly had time to cool before Delegate Garas slid into the passenger seat in front and turned to speak to them. “Sovereign. Elder.” With little bows of his head. “I apologize for not arriving sooner.”
“We had everything under control,” said the Sovereign, loftily, cloth still held over her face. Though, sitting close next to her as Ashiban was, she could feel the Sovereign was still shaking.
“Did you now. Well. We only were able to start tracking you when we found the crash site. Which took much longer than it should have. The surveillance in the High Mires and the surrounding areas wasn’t functioning properly.”
“That’s a coincidence,” Ashiban remarked, drily.
“Not a coincidence at all,” the delegate replied. “It was sabotage. An inside job.”
The Sovereign made a small, surprised noise. “It wasn’t the weev... the Raksamat?”
“Oh, they were involved, too.” Delegate Garas found a cup somewhere in the seat beside him, poured himself some barley tea. “There’s a faction of Raksamat – I’m sure this won’t surprise you, Elder – who resent the illegal settlers for grabbing land unauthorized, but who also feel that the Assembly will prefer certain families once Raksamat can legally come down to the planet, and between the two all the best land and opportunities will be gone. There is also – Sovereign, I don’t know if you follow this sort of thing – a faction of Gidanta who believe that the Terraforming Council is, in their turn, arranging things to profit themselves and their friends, and leaving everyone else out. Their accusations may in fact be entirely accurate and just, but that is of course no reason to conspire with aggrieved Raksamat to somehow be rid of both Council and Assembly and divide the spoils between themselves.”
“That’s a big somehow,” Ashiban observed.
“It is,” Delegate Garas acknowledged. “And they appear not to have had much talent for that sort of undertaking. We have most of them under arrest.” The quiet, calm voice of a handheld murmured, too low for Ashiban’s translator clip to pick up. “Ah,” said Delegate Garas. “That’s all of them now. The trials should be interesting. Fortunately, they’re not my department. It’s Judicial’s problem now. So, as I said, we were only able to even begin tracking you sometime yesterday. And we were already in the area looking for you when we got a call from a concerned citizen who had overheard plans for the constable’s little outing, so it was simple enough to show up. We were pleasantly surprised to find you both here, and relatively well.” He took a drink of his tea. “We’ve let the team tracking you know they can go home now. As the both of you can, once we’ve interviewed you so we know what happened to you.”
“Home!” The Sovereign was indignant. “But what about the talks?”
“The talks are suspended, Sovereign. And your interpreter is dead. The Council will have to appoint a new one. And let’s be honest – both of you were involved mainly for appearance’s sake. In fact, I’ve wondered over the last day or two if you weren’t brought into this just so you could die and provide a cause for trouble.”
This did not mollify the Sovereign. “Appearance’s sake! I am the Sovereign of Iss!”
“Yes, yes,” Delegate Garas agreed, “so you told everyone just a short while ago.”
“And it worked, too,” observed Ashiban. Out the window, over the delegate’s shoulder, the sun shone on the once again deserted road. She shivered, remembering the cracked flier windshield, the pilot slumped over the controls.
“You can’t have these talks without me,” the Sovereign insisted. “I’m the voice of the planet.” She looked at Ashiban. “I am going to learn Raksamat. And Ashiban Xidyla can learn Gidantan. We won’t need any expletive interpreter. And we can fix the handheld translators.”
“That might take a while, Sovereign,” Ashiban observed.
The Sovereign lifted the cloth covering her mouth just enough to show her frown to Ashiban. “We already talked about this, Ashiban Xidyla. And I am the Voice of Iss. I will learn quickly.”
“Sovereign,” said Delegate Garas, “those handheld translators are a good thing. Can you imagine what the past hundred years would have been like without them? People can learn Raksamat, or Gidantan, but as Ashiban Xidyla points out, that takes time, and in the meanwhile people still have to talk to each other. Those handheld translators have prevented all sorts of problems.”
“We know, Delegate,” Ashiban said. “We were just talking about it, before the townspeople got here. But they could be better.”
“Well,” said Delegate Garas. “You may be right, at that. And if any of this were my concern in the least, I’d be getting a headache about now. Fortunately, it’s not my problem. I’ll see you ladies on your way home and...”
“Translation unavailable,” exclaimed the Sovereign, before he could finish. Got out of the groundcar, set her empty cup on the roof with a smack, opened the driver’s door, and slid in. Closed the door behind her.
“Young lady,” Delegate Garas began.
“I am the Voice of Iss!” the Sovereign declared. She did something with the controls and the groundcar started up with a low hum. Delegate Garas frowned, looked back at Ashiban.
Ashiban wanted to go home. She wanted to rest, and go back to her regular, everyday life, doing nothing much.
There had never been much point to doing anything much, not with a mother like Ciwril Xidyla. Anyone’s wildest ambitions would pale into nothing beside Ashiban’s mother’s accomplishments. And Ashiban had never been a terribly ambitious person. Had always wished for an ordinary life. Had mostly had it, at least the past few decades. Until now.
Those Raksamat farmers wanted an ordinary life, too, and the Gidanta townspeople. The Sovereign herself had been taken from an ordinary girlhood – or as ordinary as your life could be when your grandmother and your aunt were the voice of the planet – and thrown into the middle of this.
Delegate Garas was still watching her, still frowning. Ashiban sighed. “I don’t recommend arguing, Delegate. Assassins and a flier crash in the High Mires couldn’t stop us. I doubt you can do more than slow us down, and it’s really better if you don’t. Sovereign, I think first we should have a bath and clean clothes and something to eat. And get checked out by a doctor. And maybe get some sleep.”
The Sovereign was silent for a few seconds, and then said, “All right. I agree to that. But we should start on the language lessons as soon as possible.”
“Yes, child,” s
aid Ashiban, closing her eyes. “But not this very moment.”
Delegate Garas laughed at that, short and sharp. But he made no protest at all as the Sovereign started the groundcar moving toward town.
COPYRIGHT
Selection and “Introduction” by Jonathan Strahan. Copyright © 2016 by Jonathan Strahan.
“City of Ash” by Paolo Bacigalupi. Copyright © 2015 Windup Stories Inc. Originally published in Matter, 27 June 2015. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“The Heart’s Filthy Lesson” by Elizabeth Bear. Copyright © 2015 Elizabeth Bear. Originally published in Old Venus. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“The Machine Starts” by Greg Bear. Copyright © 2015 Greg Bear. Originally published in Future Visions: Original Science Fiction Inspired by Microsoft, November 2015. This story is reprinted with the kind permission of Microsoft and the author.
“The Winter Wraith” by Jeffrey Ford. Copyright © 2015 Jeffrey Ford. Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, November-December 2015. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“Black Dog” by Neil Gaiman. Copyright © 2015 Neil Gaiman. Originally published in Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“Jamaica Ginger” by Nalo Hopkinson & Nisi Shawl. Copyright © 2015 Nalo Hopkinson & Nisi Shawl. Originally published in Stories for Chip: A Tribute to Samuel R. Delany. Reprinted by kind permission of the authors.
“Drones” by Simon Ings. Copyright © 2015 Simon Ings. Originally published in Meeting Infinity. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“Emergence” by Gwyneth Jones. Copyright © 2015 Gwyneth Jones. Originally published in Meeting Infinity. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“Dancy vs. the Pterosaur” by Caitlín R. Kiernan. Copyright © 2015 Caitlin R. Kiernan. Originally published in Sirenia Digest #111. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“Another Word for World” by Ann Leckie. Copyright © 2015 Ann Leckie. Originally published in Future Visions: Original Science Fiction Inspired by Microsoft, November 2015. This story is reprinted with the kind permission of Microsoft and the author.
“The Game of Smash and Recovery” by Kelly Link. Copyright © 2015 Kelly Link. Originally published in Strange Horizons, 17 December 2015. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“The Pauper Prince and the Eucalyptus Jinn” by Usman T. Malik. Copyright © 2015 Usman T. Malik. Originally published in Tor.com, 22 April 2015. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“Botanica Veneris: Thirteen Papercuts by Ida Countess Rathangan” by Ian McDonald. Copyright © 2015 Ian McDonald. Originally published in Old Venus. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“Little Sisters” by Vonda N. McIntyre. Copyright © 2015 Vonda N. McIntyre. Originally published by Book View Café. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“Calved” by Sam J. Miller. Copyright © 2015 Sam J. Miller. Originally published in Asimov’s Science Fiction, September 2015. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“Ghosts of Home” by Sam J. Miller. Copyright © 2015 Sam J. Miller. Originally published in Lightspeed Magazine, August 2015. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“The Deepwater Bride” by Tamsyn Muir. Copyright © 2015 Tamsyn Muir. Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, JulyAugust 2015. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“The Empress in her Glory” by Robert Reed. Copyright © 2015 Robert Reed. Originally published in Clarkesworld Magazine, April 2015. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“A Murmuration” by Alastair Reynolds. Copyright © 2015 Alastair Reynolds. Originally published in Interzone, March-April 2015. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“Oral Arguments” by Kim Stanley Robinson. Copyright © 2015 Kim Stanley Robinson. Originally published in Tor.com, 7 December 2015. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“Water of Versailles” by Kelly Robson. Copyright © 2015 Kelly Robson. Originally published in Tor.com, 10 June 2015. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“Capitalism in the 22nd Century, or, A.I.R.” by Geoff Ryman. Copyright © 2015 Geoff Ryman. Originally published in Twelve Tomorrows. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“The Karen Joy Fowler Book Club” by Nike Sulway. Copyright © 2015 Nike Sulway. Originally published in Lightspeed Magazine, October 2015. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“The Lily and the Horn” by Catherynne M. Valente. Copyright © 2015 Catherynne M. Valente. Originally published in Fantasy Magazine #59, December 2015. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“Blood, Ash, Braids” by Genevieve Valentine. Copyright © 2015 Genevieve Valentine. Originally published in Operation Arcana. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“Kaiju maximus®: ‘So Various, So Beautiful, So New’” by Kai Ashante Wilson. Copyright © 2015 Kai Ashante Wilson. Originally published in Fantasy Magazine #59, December 2015. Reprinted by kind permission of the author.
“Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers” by Alyssa Wong. Copyright © 2015 Alyssa Wong. Originally published in Nightmare Magazine, October 2015.
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THE BEST
SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY OF THE YEAR
VOLUME EIGHT
From the inner realms of humanity to the far reaches of space, these are the science fiction and fantasy tales that are shaping the genre and the way we think about the future. Multi-award winning editor Jonathan Strahan continues to shine a light on the very best writing, featuring both established authors and exciting new talents.
Within you will find twenty-eight incredible tales, showing the ever growing depth and diversity that science fiction and fantasy continues to enjoy. These are the brightest stars in our firmament, lighting the way to a future filled with astonishing stories about the way we are, and the way we could be.
The twenty-eight stories in this anthology feature the work of Greg Egan, Yoon Ha Lee, Neil Gaiman, E Lily Yu, K J Parker, Geoff Ryman, M Bennardo, Ramez Naam, Ted Chiang, Priya Sharma, Richard Parks, Lavie Tidhar M John Harrison, Joe Abercrombie, James Patrick Kelly, Charlie Jane Anders, Thomas Olde Heuvelt, Benjanun Sriduangkaew, Eleanor Arnason, Ian R Macleod, Sofia Samatar, An Owomoyela Karin Tidbeck, Madeline Ashby, Caitlín R Kiernan, Robert Reed, Ian McDonald and Val Nolan.
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THE BEST
SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY OF THE YEAR
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Science fiction and fantasy has never been more diverse or vibrant, and 2014 has provided a bountiful crop of extraordinary stories. These stories are about the future, worlds beyond our own, the realms of our imaginations and dreams but, more importantly, they are the stories of ourselves. Featuring bestselling writers and emerging talents, here are some of the most exciting genre writers working today.
Multi-award winning editor Jonathan Strahan once again brings you the best stories from the past year. Within you will find twenty-eight amazing tales from authors across the globe, displaying why science fiction and fantasy are genres increasingly relevant to our turbulent world.
The twenty-eight startling stories in this anthology feature the work of Kelly Link, Holly Black, Ken Liu, Usman T. Malik, Lauren Beukes, Paolo Bacigalupi, Joe Abercrombie Genevieve Valentine, Nicola Griffith, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Greg Egan, K. J. Parker, Rachel Swirsky, Alice Sola Kim, Garth Nix, Karl Schroeder, Ellen Klages, Peter Watts, Kai Ashante Wilson, Michael Swanwick, Eleanor Arnason, James Patrick Kelly, Ian McDonald, Amal El-mohtar, Tim Maughan, Elizabeth Bear and Theodora Goss.
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The fourteen startling stories in this anthology feature the work of Greg Egan, Aliette de Bodard, Ian McDonald, Karl Schroeder, Pat Cadigan, Karen Lord, Ellen Klages, Adam Roberts, Linda Nagata, Hannu Rajaniemi, Kathleen Ann Goonan, Ken MacLeod, Alastair Reynolds and Peter Watts.
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ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND
Those were Neil Armstrong’s immortal words when he became the first human being to step onto another world. All at once, the horizon expanded; the human race was no longer Earthbound.
Edge of Infinity is an exhilarating new SF anthology that looks at the next giant leap for humankind: the leap from our home world out into the Solar System. From the eerie transformations in Pat Cadigan’s “The Girl-Thing Who Went Out for Sushi” to the frontier spirit of Sandra McDonald and Stephen D. Covey’s “The Road to NPS,” and from the grandiose vision of Alastair Reynolds’ “Vainglory” to the workaday familiarity of Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s “Safety Tests,” the thirteen stories in this anthology span the whole of the human condition in their race to colonise Earth’s nearest neighbours.
The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, Volume Ten Page 69
