Spear of Light

by Brenda Cooper

  At least there were parks. Yi led them to one, to a group of three benches near some scrawny new-planted saplings that didn’t throw any shade and a pretty sculpture of a tree that did. As they spread out across the benches, Charlie pointed at the tree sculpture. “At least the Next can’t grow real life as fast as they can grow a wall.”

  Yi gave him a puzzled look.

  “You’ve gone native,” Charlie said.

  Yi simply smiled. The smile wasn’t human, not exactly. It unnerved Charlie. Yi had saved Cricket and maybe all of them up at the Valley, but Charlie still thought of him as the most distant of the soulbots. Yi was so earnest and so serious and so . . . so thoughtful that it gave Charlie the willies. Chrystal had been almost as earnest, but she had also been naive and hurt, and thus more human. Jason was downright moody for a robot. Moody for a person, truth be told. Jason and Chrystal both felt like people. Yi had started feeling more like the true Next. He no longer made small talk. Charlie expected Yi to start talking to him from a different body any day, just like a Jhailing or a Colorima Kelm.

  He could tell he was in a sour mood, so he tried to settle himself.

  He spotted Nona coming up the walk. She was dressed smartly in a fitted gray jumpsuit, with a blue sash tied at the waist. So formal, so . . . professional. He got up and held a hand out in greeting. She took it, and he pulled her close to him, an instinctive move he hadn’t planned. Feeling the weight of her, smelling her shampoo and soap, he murmured, “You look like an ambassador.”

  She smiled softly, her face professional. “That’s because I am. It’s great to see you.”

  He felt lighter for her presence.

  She slid between him and Cricket on the bench.

  “Is it working then,” he asked her. “Being an ambassador?”

  She pursed her lips and shook her head ever so slightly before recovering. “Maybe. I’m meeting people, and sometimes they even come to me, now. But I’m pretty sure I haven’t solved a single important problem between the Diamond Deep and Manna Springs.”

  He smiled at that.

  “How is the town?” Manny asked.

  She sat back. “Frightened. Angry. Confused. I’m starting to hear calls to have you come back.”

  Manny lost his smile and grew serious. “Who?”

  “There’s a man who runs a grocery store—Frank? He wants you running things again. The store is doing great business. Hotels aren’t allowed to take anyone that isn’t approved by a small council of townspeople, and the owners are unhappy about that. They want you, too.”

  “Anybody else?” Manny asked.

  “Probably. Some people aren’t talking to me yet. People know I’m an outsider.”

  Manny looked so pleased that Charlie intervened. “Those are your friends. You won’t be safe there.”

  Manny’s smile insisted on sticking to his face. “Not yet. But someday I’ll be back.”

  Nona answered his smile with one of hers. “The town could use you.” She slid a hand into Charlie’s. “It could use you, too.” She glanced at Yi, who sat quietly. He sensed there were things she might say if Yi weren’t there. She did go on, but changed the subject. “The Port Authority is still throwing its weight around. But I don’t know what would happen if you did come home with me. You might get thrown in jail.”

  “I’m going to Wilding Station,” he said.

  She looked surprised. “Is that smart?”

  “I can’t decorate the inside of a bubble anymore.”

  She squeezed his hand. “I thought you might be going crazy. But you must be learning some things in Hope.”

  “The robots don’t come down and tell us about their plans. There could be more misbegotten mythology in Hope than there is Manna Springs.”

  Yi stood up, drawing all of their attention to him. He looked . . . awkward. Like he wasn’t entirely happy with what he was about to do. “I asked you to come here on behalf of one of the Jhailings. It will come to sit with us. Soon.”

  Before anyone could ask what soon meant, a silvery robotic figure emerged from behind Charlie and sat next to Manny. It wore a reasonably human body, with a face almost as human as Yi’s, although its hairless, smooth skull made it look more like a machine. This Jhailing’s chosen body bulked bigger than any of them, as if it wanted to intimidate.

  What could it want from them?

  It didn’t keep them waiting long. “Nona Hall.” Its voice sounded even more silvery than it looked, persuasive and full of honeyed overtones. “We have need of your communications capabilities back to the Diamond Deep.”

  Surely the robots had better communication gear than Nona. She simply watched it, wary.

  “You can reach Satyana Adams directly, without going through formal channels. We need to tell her some things. We’d like your help opening an accessible channel.”

  Nona nodded sagely, looking diplomatic now instead of surprised. “I’ll have to ask Satyana before I set up direct contact. Is there anything you want me to tell her now?”

  “There are at least two other groups on Lym who plan to attack us. We received word of the assault from the sea on the day it happened. We will not allow ourselves to be surprised again.”

  Nona stared up at it. “Of course not. But surely the Deep isn’t attacking you?”

  “Of course not. The Deep is working to help us, exactly as they—as you—promised. Satyana and the Council, in particular, are keeping their word. But the Shining Revolution is planning a major offensive, something far larger and worse than the attack we turned away a few weeks ago. We don’t believe the Deep’s High Council know about it.”

  “How do you know about it?” Manny asked.

  The Jhailing faced Manny. “We anticipated this long ago, but lately we have . . . gotten details. A serious attack on us here could do a lot of damage to Lym.”

  No one disagreed.

  The Jhailing continued. “You should know that we will protect ourselves, even if we must kill humans to do so.”

  So it did want to be intimidating. Charlie bit his tongue. Nona licked her lips and fidgeted, but didn’t waver in her cool regard of the robot.

  It continued. “In addition to the Shining Revolution’s pending attack—which will not happen for some time—another offensive is starting here. Probably against one of our new cities, Shute or Next’s Reach. We only have rumors so far, but we believe the rumors may be true.” It turned its attention to Charlie. “You might be able to stop it.”

  Charlie shared a look with Manny. He appeared as surprised as Charlie that the Next were starting construction in Neville and Iron’s Reach already. So fast. Everything was happening faster than he had imagined. It didn’t seem as if they had finished Nexity yet. Streams of materials still flowed into the city.

  Nona simply sat, waiting. Perhaps she was learning how to be a good diplomat. He wanted to spit out questions, but her path was wise. He waited with her, struggling not to fight, tensing calf muscles and forearms and relaxing them, trying to work the worry and anger from his system as invisibly as he could.

  The Jhailing continued. “Human leaders everywhere need to know that we will not hesitate to kill. We will not be stopped or even slowed down. It is in our best interest—by far—to avoid a fight. It takes resources and attention to go to war.” The Jhailing was still clearly addressing Nona. “I want you—who are family to Satyana—to make sure that she understands this in a deep way. Make sure she knows. Failure will result in deaths.”

  Nona’s hands curled hard around the bench at her sides, the tendons in her wrists showing. “Are you threatening Satyana?”

  “We’re threatening whoever moves against us.”

  Nona paled. “I’ll do my best.”

  The Jhailing continued. “It is because of our shared humanity that we offer this warning.”

  “I understand.”

  “The warning is also true for Manna Springs.”

  “I’m not certain they listen to me yet,” she said.
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  “We can’t help you with that.”

  This didn’t appear to be one of the Jhailings with a sense of humor.

  Manny had leaned forward, paying close attention to the conversation. “What do you know about my people?”

  The Jhailing paused. “Some of them would undo all of the good they’ve ever done here just to get rid of us. But they’re being led on by outsiders who don’t understand Lym’s value, and who are underestimating the damage we might do.”

  Charlie couldn’t hold his tongue anymore. “You’re threatening to destroy my home, over something someone who’s only here because you are here might do. How is that fair?”

  It fell silent. He suspected Yi and the machine were talking. “Talk out loud,” he snapped. “For us slow humans. Why did you come and what do you want?”

  Nona slipped her hand out from his, giving him room.

  He didn’t care if people around them heard his voice rising. “The people in Manna Springs? The ones you just warned us about? They’re angry for the same reasons that I’m angry. They’re pissed off because you came back here and you demanded. You didn’t ask anything, you never have. You treat us like what we think and feel and need doesn’t matter and then you say shit like ‘you’re warning us because of your shared humanity.’” He stood up. Some part of him thought he should stop, but that part was small and far away, buried by the voice that was tumbling out of him. “If you were ever human, it was so long ago that you don’t remember a thing about it. You don’t remember pain or anger or respect. You’re after some fucking goal or thing or whatever that’s so secret that Yi here doesn’t even know it.” Charlie was on firm ground here. Yi had told him this just two days ago. “You tell me why Lym matters to you and how you’re going to protect it. And you had better come up with something better than a promise to put a god-damned bubble over the whole thing.”

  The Jhailing didn’t move.

  Nona took his arm.

  Manny looked like it was a serious effort to keep the look on his face neutral.

  Charlie kept standing but stopped speaking. He waited, and took a deep breath to calm down. The Jhailing could kill him.

  “We were all born here,” the robot said. “And if I had never been human I would not be alive today. I can’t imagine that you understand us. Even Yi cannot understand us. He was born of our strength, but not of our exile.” It looked directly at him, its mechanical eyes a deep and swirled concoction of browns and blacks that only mimicked human eyes in the simplest way. He could almost see galaxies in them. “We mean you no harm at all. We don’t hate you. We don’t want to hurt you. But we will not be stopped. It doesn’t even really matter if you understand this.” Now it turned its attention back to Nona and Manny. “We are going to be ourselves no matter how you react. That is neither cruel nor enlightened. It is merely what is.” It stood up then, looming over Charlie. “Thank you for your time.”

  Charlie stammered out a “thank you” before he realized he had said it or wondered if he meant it. Of course he didn’t mean it. Damned robots. As he watched it walk away, he felt small and cold and afraid, and empty of the heat that had sent him spitting out so much anger at the Jhailing. He was used to being strong, and right now he had no idea how to be strong. In spite of that, he had to be.

  Beside him, Manny whispered, “I’m glad you gave him hell.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Nona came around to where she could look him in the eye. “It doesn’t matter. It’s done now. And no matter what you gave them, I now have marching orders. Find the invisible insurgents, warn them off, and try to keep the peace.”

  He stopped and looked down at her. She was incredibly capable, but that task would be impossible. She didn’t know anyone in Manna Springs well enough to stop them from anything, even if she could find out who was causing problems. And it didn’t sound like Manny could go back yet. “I’ll help you as much as I can from the ranger station.”

  Yi looked at him. “I can come with you.”

  He didn’t want to be with any of the Next right then, not even Yi. “I’ll call for you if it’s safe. But I think maybe I should start with just me and Cricket. We may need you here.”

  “There are two of me here.”

  “And if you do come, that one might be all there is.” He put a hand on Yi’s shoulder. “I’ll be safer without you, and you will certainly be safer.”

  Yi looked offended. “I’d like to help.”

  Charlie smiled. “For now, will you get Manny back safely to Hope?”

  Manny looked like he would prefer to eat nails but looked at Charlie and told him, “Good luck.”

  Yi started back toward Hope without saying anything. Manny followed, and the two of them were soon lost in the crowd. One bear of a man and a stick-thin robot. Charlie felt a twinge of guilt. Amfi was gone, and the soulbots were busy with whatever it was soulbots did in Nexity. Manny would be largely alone. This was a man who was used to being surrounded by a huge family and to having a whole town to take care of. It had to be hard on him.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  YI

  On the way back from the meeting with the Jhailing, Yi stayed largely quiet. This seemed to content Manny. Surely they both had things to think about.

  Charlie’s outburst had been interesting. Yi didn’t feel things with anything like the heat that Charlie did. He hadn’t run that hot even when he was human. That had been almost a year and a half ago. He could count it to the second if he wanted to. The problem was that it felt like ten years had passed since then. A lot had happened—they’d learned to get around as robots, which had taken months. He’d flown here with Charlie. The Next had followed, and he’d taken up learning again, and learned so much. He thought so fast now.

  He’d started to think that he was leaving feelings behind, and that that was good, even though the Jhailings who taught him had repeatedly told him that his emotions would keep him sane.

  Charlie’s outburst had illustrated the depths of Yi’s remaining feelings. He’d related to Charlie when he talked back. He’d understood that he resented being kept in the dark.

  Yi called his family and asked them to gather.

  He took Manny home to Hope and then returned to the city. On the way back, he spoke to Yi Two. We’ve been trying to learn what the Next want.

  Yes.

  We aren’t making much progress.

  His other self had a different opinion. We are. We can braid as a whole family now.

  But not with any of the older Next. Yi crossed through the gate between Hope and the Mixing Zone.

  That will happen.

  When?

  When they invite us, Yi Two said.

  See the problem?

  A pause. Yes. But it will happen. We just need to keep learning.

  Yi stepped up in front of one of the doors into the Wall. It opened easily for him, letting him into a wide corridor and then into the city. Nexity often changed overnight, as if some programmer drove it with his or her dreams. The parks had become a constant, with real, green grass. Today, steps and bridges for exercise soared over the parks, fresh lawns where Next sat with each other hung suspended in cradles below the bridges, and a large flat expanse that was in the process of becoming some new thing that wasn’t yet identifiable occupied a third of the city. We need to show that we are independent.

  Silence.

  Think about it. I will be there in a few moments.

  Everyone was home when he arrived. Jason One and Jason Two played a card game in the corner. Katherine sat on a stool with her eyes closed, a sort of semi-meditative state she indulged in regularly. Yi knew from experience that she monitored the room closely enough to participate if anything that interested her at all happened. Yi Two and Chrystal had collapsed in a corner, maybe braiding, maybe just talking silently. When he couldn’t see their faces they looked alike—both slender and dark haired and perfectly formed.

  They hadn’t all been in the same place a
t once for weeks. Not that they lost contact, but they were all busy. Perhaps they were finally as busy as on the High Sweet Home, in that last moment of being flesh and blood. Of course, then they had been building something for themselves, and now he wasn’t sure who they were building for. He still had the designs for the jalinerines in his head, and sometime he imagined making more of the sweet little animals.

  Did robots make living things?

  There would be a place for them. He knew that. But it felt plausible that the Jhailings and the Colorimas and the other high and multiple Next were planning a place where Yi still wouldn’t know what was happening, still wouldn’t understand what the Next’s goals were. Where they would never be his goals.

  He pulled himself back the room, to the moment. Having everyone together was a rare treat. Funny how so many of their rituals as humans had been around cooking, eating, cleaning, and sex.

  They no longer needed to gather around a dinner table. They moved and they played and they thought and they explored each other. They worked and studied. They talked across the vast networks of Nexity when they couldn’t be near each other. He loved braiding more than he had ever liked sex, the intimacy felt both deeper and safer.

  But what would happen to them over time?

  He had called the meeting. There were five more seconds, and so he simply waited.

  Big decisions were made when each of them was disentangled from the others. When they could choose completely on their own and not in the warm mingling of a braid. For this reason, he spoke out loud. “Thanks for being here.”

  Chrystal and Yi Two sat up. The Jasons set down their cards. Katherine opened her eyes and turned her stately, beautiful face toward him, radiating calm.

  “It’s time to change what we’re doing,” he said. “At least for me. I have been listening to the Jhailings since they created me.” He looked at the Jasons, who didn’t feel created at all, but rather violated. “We’ve learned a lot. Separately and together. We’ve become more than we were in many ways.” He caught Katherine’s eye, and she shared a sweet smile with him. “We’re growing. But it feels to me like we’re hitting a wall. We can learn to think faster, maybe we can braid more deeply. But whenever I try to really probe the Next’s goals or their technology, they slide me sideways into some other conversation.”