by Selina Brown
“It is Chaos, Jamie. Chaos affects her biosuit and the bodies of those around her.”
Jamie used the towel to dry his short hair and grabbed his EBrain from his office and accessed his Trickster notes. Ah, that’s right. He left the office and tossed the EBrain onto his bed. He walked to his bedroom window and stared out to the forest. “Can’t we shield her somehow?”
“Many thousands of years have been spent trying to work out a way for Chaos and Vitalii to exist. To date, there is no way for this to occur. The amount of Chaos used for creation is very tiny, smaller than an atom. It is placed in each living thing but many things cause it to degrade.”
Jamie rubbed his chin. “So, that’s why Chaos and Monad’s people can’t live together?”
“It is more complicated than that but only one form may live at one time. Imagine fish trying to live on land or people living in the water.”
“But they do live at the same time. Now.”
There was silence. “The Four Chaos Beings have restrictions that allow them to function in Vitalii. The Chaos Brethren can only live in direct contact with Chaos.”
Jamie was beginning to see a problem. “If you want people to believe your story, you need to work on the details.”
“The Chaos Brethren refused to stay in Chaos and refused the restrictions. They don’t die but they do corrupt and are corrupting fast in my time but slow in yours.”
Ah. A fish took a while—depending on one’s perspective—to die out of water. And damn. Ara was currently “younger”, and apparently it was affecting Jesran and Caleb the most, and then Bel, and Terzon. He had no data on Tekko. Her other friends were also fluctuating. Jamie sighed realizing Trickster had ended the call.
“Goodbye to you too.” He tossed the Voice onto his neatly made bed and laughed.
Sub-Log XVII
Saratoga City
Over the years, Ara and Caleb continued their friendship. They were sitting drinking in a local café in the city’s main courtyard with Bel. Saratoga no longer allowed unlicensed vehicles into the city, like most Aryan cities it was quiet with efficient public transport running drop offs and pick-ups at four locations.
“Did you hear about Earth?” Caleb’s eyes met Ara’s.
She shook her head and Caleb touched a strand of her hair, golden in the burst of sunlight. They had found a shared interest in that planet.
“Not just Earth but the entire Estancia Station.” Bel mused, his brown eyes blinking in the light that broke through the cloud. He shielded his eyes. “And there’s been a request to relocate the Regional Queen, Kellen, and Province Kings including Ross and he’s the Second Province King. The Aryan Central Authority feels that Queen Kellen and King Ross have had control over there long enough.” He lowered his voice. “Apparently, a number of worlds are being corrupted somehow and the Kings are restricting newscasters.”
“The Avatara—”
“Those idiots!” Ara burst out in annoyance but then remembered Jesran was one. She also noted Caleb’s grin.
“Ara, shhhhh.” Bel slushed her and ran his hand through his now short, blond hair. They had gone with him to the barber.
They glanced around making sure no one heard them.
“They are trying new forms of government on Earth.”
“Again! There should be laws against that type of manipulation,” she said angrily.
“There are, but the Koen put up a good case over the Right to Rule.”
“Why? Aren’t they happy bossing each other around?”
Ike still irked her. Caleb rubbed her back, soothing her. She had other encounters with the Avatara too. For some reason they were meeting a lot on Saratoga and she had heard Mum and Dad arguing about them.
“Never mind,” she hissed. “They are ruining the planet and destroying the humans!”
“Join the League for Humans then, Ara, if you feel that strongly,” Bel suggested, drawing her and Caleb further away.
She muttered. “I did. They just talk a lot. I have approached the Aryan Central Authority though, they said they are doing all they can do at the moment but, since the mind energy soul returns to their respective sources, technically humans aren’t being wasted.”
Bel shook his head in disgust. “That’s how they got their special license, the ACA approved it all.”
“I’m not even sure what that means.”
“What?” Bel asked.
“Well, where does the soul or the mind or the energy go?” Ara thought about that female of Dusty’s in the station who had died. She had been so … empty. Just a husk.
“The Superlunary, the—”
“I know that, Monkey. I mean where are they, where is the central location? Is the energy floating around someone in space or a dimension or place?”
Caleb rubbed his ear. “Inside the Cardinal Unit where all the fabrication and reconstruction stuff is kept? You know, I’ve never really given it much thought. There’s not a lot of information about the Artifacts.”
Bel said softly, “I don’t think we’re supposed to think too much about it. But the Artifacts for the Superlunary, Nexus, and Sawol are locked up tight on the Planet of Law.”
Ara wondered if she should ask Korbet again, telling him she was intrigued by the cultural nuances the Artifacts engendered. She sniggered over her pretentiousness. She said, “It’s disgusting that humans don’t even know that there are entire civilizations outside their region of space.”
A waiter walked by glancing across at their table. They huddled down pretending to study some maps for their next climbing and hunting trip. A combined group exercise.
“The Right to Rule is becoming a real issue,” Caleb whispered. “The Avatara feel there needs to be a level between the Inferors and the rules of the kings and queens. There is evidence that suggests that the royals’ control over the security of space and planet is too vague and more needs to be done at planet level. The royals don’t bother laying laws for individual ‘race’ or ‘species’ populations.”
“Don’t they?”
Caleb shook his head. “You really don’t like politics or history do you?”
“I failed politics.” She tried to sound miserable over that but they weren’t fooled.
Bel laughed at her. “Anyway, so they’ve decided they should have their own system of rule and they want to become the Fifth Gen—”
“What!” Caleb almost shouted, turning red.
Bel cringed. “The Avatara want to become Fifth-Gens, and removed from their Eighth Race status.”
“Can they do that?”
Now Caleb and Bel rolled their eyes at Ara.
“That’s what they are trialing on Earth.” Bel finished his drink.
“Aren’t Aryans changing the name to ‘Mega-Race’ and ‘Sub-Race’?” Ara mused.
Bel and Caleb shrugged.
She continued. “The Avatara don’t care about laws, they just want to rule over the Eighth Race, their own kind. What’s to stop every race then deciding to have their own systems of ruler-ship? And how messy would that get?”
Bel looked at her oddly. “You grasped that quick enough. It’s a murky area but because they are the Superors of the Inferors there is precedence.”
“Precedence?” Caleb tugged at his hair. “What?”
“Some history of ours is hard to get.”
“Ah, so you’ve been trying?” Ara was astute at many things but she couldn’t miss the sudden nudge Maya sent her. Ara was at a crossroad. Maya was suddenly tuned in to her and she felt so very afraid. At a touch, she opened her fist to allow Caleb to squeeze her hand. He connected to her using ArT.
“Are you okay, Ara?”
“Maya just connected with me.”
“She’s interested in the topic?”
Ara gave him a slight nod.
“So, bravely run away or do this together?”
Ara chewed her finger as Caleb looked at her fondly. He smiled then.
“You’ll be with me, M
onkey?”
“I will.”
“Me too.” Bel linked with them both.
“Shit,” Ara and Caleb said mentally at the same time.
“Sorry, but you guys are leaking something bad.”
They all chuckled.
She was more tempted now to ask Korbet but he might let someone know what they were doing.
Bel winked at her and carried the conversation. “I need your help, and Caleb’s.”
“Okay, what can I offer that your older brother can’t?”
“Caleb, Jadan might be my older brother but I have nothing in common with him. He’s a mother’s boy. He treats Inferors like germs. You don’t like them but you tolerate them.”
Ara turned and stared at Caleb’s red face. Caleb was about to berate Bel but the younger Aryan was quick.
Bel moaned. “Sorry, Caleb. Ara, I thought you guessed. Look, they aren’t in a Time Dilation Field anymore so Earth is in the 1500s. You two know how their ‘years’ work?”
They both nodded but Caleb was keen to talk about it more, TDFs were his field of expertise. Ara was beginning to think Caleb’s interest was only because it meant they could talk more. He refused to meet her eyes.
“There are already numerous religions, forms of government, monarchies, and other systems. They are manipulating as much as they can. It’s a real mess. The conflict is high because of it. Humans are dying. But now other systems in Estancia are introducing people too.”
“What?”
“Shhhhh, Baby.”
She frowned at Caleb.
“For instance, Roma and Sparta have been sending people there for training. There are a lot of wars. And their culture is influencing Earth, or rather it has been for hundreds of years.”
Ara felt sick. “That’s awful.”
“So, what do you need?” Caleb squeezed her hand.
“I need access to the historical records going back beyond the Dressian Gates.” Bel looked at them both.
Ara felt another surge of energy and nodded.
Caleb screwed up his face. “That could be tough. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Can I help?” Ara offered; in fact, with the Maya nudging her she started to feel that she didn’t have a choice.
“Yeah, once we have access I’ll need help stopping anyone from tracking us.”
She nodded. “What algorithms do they use in those things?”
Caleb snorted with laughter. “You’ve never used the history vaults?”
Ara’s face was getting hotter by the second. Bel smiled, trying to diffuse the impending argument. “We should show her. The kings are the ones who keep the vaults and the warlords are the only ones with the military history vaults.”
Cal nodded. “We can use ours and say Ara is failing history. That will give us a lead in anyway.”
Bel jumped up. “And it’s the truth!”
Ara look at Bel annoyed. The First-Gen didn’t seem to notice.
Caleb grinned at her. “He’s clueless.”
“Hey, Ara. You’re a queenling, you could take Earth and make your first claim.”
“Why?”
Bel looked at her askance. “Because that’s how queens get their regions and kings. Earth and other planets in Estancia may be open to claim soon and they have a few monarchies. You could effectively save the entire universe, with planets and their people.”
Caleb was shaking his head sadly at her and then ducked a fist. Ara was dragged up by the two of them. They walked to a public station when Caleb dragged them to an open horse and carriage. “Come on, Ara. It’s romantic.”
Bel laughed. “Yeah, with the three of us.”
Ara knew they were trying to settle her nerves. Maya was far too keen for her liking. They settled in the open carriage and, with a slight jerk, they were off. She said quietly, “What would I do, sail in and anchor the entire station to my ship?”
Caleb laughed. “We’re sitting in a carriage and she’s talking about boats.”
“Ships. I prefer water conveyances. There are horse drawn boats you know.”
“Well, excuse me, Queenling of the Oceans, ugh!” He yelped as she jabbed him.
“Shhhh, the horse driver is looking at us.” She told Caleb off.
Bel shook his head. “It’s not a horse driver, Ara. It’s a … excuse me, what is your title?”
The rough looking Inferor didn’t bother to turn. “It’s “Coachee”, this is a Landau, I’m the driver. That’s the horse. You’re in the Landau Mark IV, Prince Valdain.”
Ara and Caleb sniggered at Bel’s red face.
King Delario’s Palace
Arriving in Caleb’s sleek, silver Zarlton, latest model road machine of course, they were granted access but their times were logged in the vault. The palace was cool and quiet. Staff members were busy at their tasks and they strode energetically down two flights of stairs to access the library. They entered through two wide white doors, and then opened the sliding panel that gave them access to the virtual library. They entered the dark space. Ara was interested despite her aversion to history. Caleb began to insert his codes into a virtual window. A library solidified around them. Bel started walking toward a large set of doors. Caleb was walking as well.
“Why are you walking?”
Caleb shrugged. “I feel sick if I just stand still.”
Ara shook her head. “And you like spatial anomalies.”
He grinned at her. They walked and she just stood watching the spectacle. Years passed on either side of them marked by symbols and scenes. They came to large gates.
“I take it these are the Dressian Gates?” It felt as though Maya had a large hand at her back and was shoving her. Ara balked and refused to “walk”.
“No, these just access the ten years before.”
They moved through them and Bel headed for what looked like an old, stone castle. “Cool.”
Ara figured by now that those slower moving weren’t registered so she ran and moved them faster.
“Crap, Ara.”
She laughed at them as they ran, feeling like they had to run with her. For a moment, she had surprised Maya and that pleased her greatly. Ara saw passages ahead and took a left. “No, down here,” Caleb called out to her.
She turned but couldn’t see them, apparently they could separate. Caleb had taken a different passage. Ara re-joined Caleb and Bel and found old archives in a small, stone-walled room. Ara walked over to the solid-looking, wooden desks and studied the scrolls dispersed over the surface. Could she pick them up? They looked real enough so she reached down, her fingers touching a document. She yelped. “Hey, that hurt.”
“Sorry, Ara. I should have told you.” Bel quickly turned from her frown.
Caleb was trying not to laugh. Guards rushed in through a “wall” spoiling the simulated environment. Caleb told them she was still learning. Because she was Pure-Gen the guards bowed and apologized but still looked at her suspiciously. After they left, Caleb explained what she could and couldn’t touch. He opened a scroll.
“This is so cool.”
“Don’t your parents have this, Ara?” Caleb asked innocently. “In the barn maybe?”
She slapped his arm.
“Ow!”
“Baby.”
“No, you’re my Baby.”
They eyeballed each other.
Caleb said laughingly, “Ara’s family still uses BCIs.”
Bel looked horrified. “They give you brain damage.”
At the same time Ara said loudly, “Do not!”
“Ara, Ara. Still lying?” Caleb shook his head and jumped away as she lunged for him. “I saw the BCI in your room.”
“Dad gave that to Mum years ago, she tried to pass it off to me, and I told you that already!”
“Come on you two.” Bel complained. They obediently followed him to the next level.
Ara felt a chill. “It’s cold here.”
“Creepy, huh,” Bel said, distracted.
�
��Noooo, just cold.” Ara ignored Bel’s annoyed look.
Caleb was looking around for something. “We can turn off the environmental systems.”
They heard a noise behind them. They all turned. “What was that?”
“Don’t know.”
Bel and Ara stared at Caleb with disbelief.
“I don’t know!” His eyes narrowed.
They walked on.
They heard an eerie scream. Ara shivered as her imagination ran away with her. “Now that’s creepy, Bel. Caleb?”
“Maybe it’s Terzon’s sub-program. We used to play in here when we were little to try to scare our little sisters.”
They rounded a corner and their mouths dropped open. “What the—?”
Three armored men ran at them, yelling.
Ara started laughing but stopped seeing Caleb’s face turn pale.
He said, “They’re not mine, Ara.” He pulled at her arm. Bel had already run away. “That little shit.”
They ran but lost their way in the myriad of gloomy passages. They stopped around another bend.
“Where are we?” she whispered but her voice carried. They heard the steps of the guards following them.
C. Talk this way, it’s called “short ArT”
A. Are you teasing me?
C. Just a little … run!
They ran again and bumped into Bel who had weapons. She took a sword.
A. You’re kidding, right?
He shrugged.
B. Found them in one of the rooms
A. Why’d you run away, Bel?
B. I thought you were right behind me
They started laughing. They heard a yell and, as they ran, they ran into a small room with no other exit. To Ara’s horror, the guards ran in after them and attacked. She was thankful now for all the weapons training and fighting tips from Jesran. But Caleb ran into the wall and yelped.
Bel yelled at him. “This isn’t simulated! Somewhere we’ve entered a real place.”
At the same time, Ara raised her sword to block a strike. Clang went her sword. It wasn’t supposed to go “clang”. The three fought hard and then Caleb saw an opportunity. He grabbed Ara’s arm and pulled her. They ran further into the castle and crept into a room, closing the door behind them. Ara looked about her.
