For a long time, Rai swam away from the land and down, deeper and farther from the shore. When she crossed paths with a living animal, no matter the type, she'd consume it in the manner of a Progenitor. Rai'd stun it with a simple touch, dissolve it to a molecular state, and then absorb it through her skin. She'd seen Vida do it so many times and it had never failed to disgust her. However, Rai assumed it provided necessary nourishment beyond eating simple meals. And what she was about to attempt would require a high degree of energy.
Rai continued to swim deeper and further out, and after a time her patience ran low. She focused with her mind's eye and yet nothing presented itself. She knew the Marker was no longer shielded, so why was she not able to sense it?
Could Vida be blocking her?
"Vida, you need to allow me to go to the Marker. I need to fix things for the colonists. I won't let this go. Let me do this one thing, and then we can leave your Marker alone. Please."
For a few moments nothing happened, and Rai wondered if her plea had fallen on Vida's stone deaf ears. But then Rai became aware of a distant hum that reverberated through her bones. In her mind's eye, the exact location was a pinpoint, not far ahead.
Lesson number one: even dormant Progenitors had immense power and ability to exert their will.
"Thank you, Vida."
Rai swam with confidence and soon stood on the silty ocean floor before the Marker. Despite the lingering butterflies in her belly, she placed both hands upon the stone, and it lit up, amber lines tracing grooves within the surface, expanding outward from her touch until the entire stone blazed in color. At that moment, her mind linked into the Marker's neural network and Rai lost awareness of her body.
The internal neural map was similar to the one on the Sanctuary ship, except it was much more extensive because it was complete. Rai recognized this Marker was still functioning in an almost living capacity because it was plugged into the living, breathing planet of Az'Unda. The Marker continuously monitored the entire ecosystem and all life upon Az'Unda. This wasn't just a rock stuck in the ocean floor. It served as a complex nexus, regulating all life on the planet.
Rai searched and discovered how the Marker tracked different species. She got more than she bargained for, however. Each one displayed a history and planned future timeline. The Progenitor was directing the evolution of all species, flora, and fauna, upon the planet.
No wonder the Progenitors were seen as gods by some, Rai mused. They had perfected a form of terraforming surpassing all others and had no moral qualms using it.
Rai searched for and found the species information on her human colonists. They were, not surprisingly, blacklisted as a foreign element with all other species ordered to seek and destroy.
Attached to the human colonists was a linkage to the virus which caused the plague. Rai pulled up the virus and asked it to deactivate. Nothing happened. She asked it to detach itself from the human hosts. Nothing happened. She asked it to die. Again, nothing.
What was she doing wrong here?
The threads from amber datasphere moved all around her in a rhythm of life and synchronicity. Except she didn't understand how to direct the flow to her use. Why?
And then it hit her. She wasn't thinking like a Progenitor.
Virus, she commanded, mutate. Instead of attacking the humans, strengthen their immune systems. In response, the virus shifted and changed before her very eyes, becoming something new, different. Shifting.
Rai focused again on the human species, and where they had been marked as a foreign element she now marked them as native. The system morphed to accommodate this change, and soon the display included projections of human DNA integrated with native strands within a few generations. Images of these future people were displayed for review and approval. They appeared very similar to the present, but they'd adapted to the shifting their Core counterparts took for granted. These humans would be formidable foes for the Juggernaut, thought Rai with a smirk. Rai approved the changes and the datasphere set the new course in motion.
Next, Rai identified the Core members in her mind and queried the datasphere on how to gift them with the ability to shut down the mutation in the now native humans at will, but only as requested with specific intent.
The system offered the options of marking the hominids as foreign or terminating them. Neither appealed. Rai countered with a request to cease mutation efforts and retain human's native status. The system churned for a few minutes and then gave Rai an acceptable response. The Marker informed her it had aligned the Core members systems to deliver the appropriate messaging to the human's system on cue. There wasn't anything left for Rai do to except explaining to the Core members how to enact the upgrade.
Looking around, Rai let out a heavy sigh. Her mission here was complete, but she wasn't quite ready to leave yet, for she had a secondary goal. Her promise to Vida. Reaching her mind out in all directions, she opened herself to the datasphere.
"Show me your history. History of this planet, history of Vidaaquar, and history of the Progenitors, please. Whatever you've got. I need it all."
There was a slight pause, and then the amber datasphere pulsed, flaring in intensity. A moment later, information poured into Rai like water down a parched throat. First, the history of the planet, which was extensive and went back before Vida began her work. Then the diaries of Vida slammed into Rai's consciousness all at once. Thousands of years' worth of information, too much to digest all at once, and then Rai was filled with a mountain of data which she briefly recognized as the Progenitor history she'd requested.
It was too much, but the datasphere wouldn't stop.
Everything went black.
Rai felt the warm sun on her skin, heard the pounding surf echo off the cliffs, and the murmur of voices in hushed tones.
Her eyes shot open.
She laid on a blanket on the sand surrounded by Juggernaut and her appointed 'entourage.' What the moons had happened?
"You're awake," Graeber stated. "Are you in need of anything?"
Rai met his gaze confidently. "No, I'm quite fine, thank you." She sat up and looked around. Brague stood just a few feet away. Both had been anxiously waiting for the Progenitor's reawakening, it appeared. "Thank you both for attending to me."
"We fished you out of the ocean a few hours ago," Brague replied, motionless, revealing nothing, except his implied suspicion.
Rai let out an exaggerated sigh and stood up, making a display of straightening her dress and then modifying the colors into tones reminiscent of the sunset. She'd reverted to her pre-transformation clothing at some point after she'd passed out underwater.
"I'm afraid I underestimated the capacity of this vessel." She shrugged. "Nonetheless, my task is accomplished."
Brague remained very still. "I checked since you returned apparently unconscious. The plague virus remains active."
A smile ghosted across Rai's face. "You doubt me, Progenitor? For shame. As I've stated, I completed the mission."
"But the virus..." he replied.
Rai placed her hands on her hips. "If you must, please rerun your scans on the virus. You will discover it now functions towards another purpose. I would tell you what, but that would ruin all the fun of running the scans, now wouldn't it?"
"I...suppose," he stammered.
"Now, where is the Core? I assume you have them gathered? It's imperative I speak with them." Rai arched a brow and tapped a foot impatiently.
"Allow us to escort you, Vida," Bauleel replied. "They are camped out on the beach up near the road overlooking the Cove."
"Good. The sooner I am done here, the better," Rai replied.
Bauleel led the way, although Rai knew it, as it was helpful to have a guide through the mass of Juggernaut crowding the beach. Graeber was close at her heels, and Rilte and Ponar followed at the rear, yet none spoke. She sensed the tension, and the questions they must have, but now was not a safe time to resolve them.
They climbed up th
e rough-hewn steps in the cliff wall of the Cove and soon faced the group of Core members gathered in a makeshift encampment at the top. Although they were only here for a short while, the Core had demanded decent accommodations, and gotten them, for many tents framed the space and tables with food and wine had been laid out as well. While she'd been busy at the Seed Marker, they'd been busy managing their lives via their comm units and negotiating with the Juggernaut. At her approach they gathered, eager to resolve this business and return to their normal lives.
Rai envied them.
"Thank you for your patience," Rai addressed the crowd in Vida's melodic tones, ensuring her voice would carry to all. "The plague virus is no longer a threat to your existence. In fact, it will now add a boost to all human immune systems. This will be a benefit as they adapt to the new shifter DNA."
"And if they choose to opt out?" Matriarch Natre asked. "How do we handle them?"
Rai raised a hand and placed it on Bauleel's head for example. "It's very simple. You stand as I am now, and the one wishing to renounce their claim to this soil states aloud, 'I am not of this land.' Let it be understood there will be no retribution for this act. The planet will simply no longer recognize them as a native organism needing inclusion via mutation, but neither will it see them as a foreign body needful of destruction. They will revert to an inactive status. You will be responsible for rendering them sterile. Is that understood?"
"Why entrust that to us?" Natre asked. "When you can do so much, why not be in control of all of this yourself?
Rai sighed. If not for the mystery of the Progenitors, she would indeed stay here and ensure the colony's transition. "I wish to see if you can be trustworthy. My host felt your healers would know the best methodology in this matter."
Natre inclined her head and bowed, a rare homage from the haughty Matriarch. "We are honored with your trust."
Rai turned to a nearby Juggernaut drone. "Will you convey my command to the Assessor? Make sure the Core members are escorted home with all due haste." The drone bowed and activated his communications terminal. Rai didn't bother to listen in, knowing he'd diligently recite in detail, or replay recorded video, everything that had transpired here for Brague's amusement.
Rai's back spasmed, and she fought to bring it under control. "Now, I must rest, for the journey was difficult for my host. I entrust this mission to you to oversee my purpose on this world. You can expect my emissary Ponar to report on a regular basis. You will report to him as you would to myself, without reservation. The Juggernaut will assist in your travel needs."
Rai turned to walk away and stumbled, but Graeber caught her arm and steadied her. "You're unwell," he stated, speaking in low tones, concern and distress laced in his tone. "We need to get you out of the public eye."
"Back to the Sanctuary ship?" Rai suggested. "Did they bring it here?"
Graeber gave a curt shake of his head. "Let's use one of the tents. It's closer and less likely to have prying ears."
They commandeered a tent at the edge of the encampment which was already abandoned and closed it up tight. Rilte waved off one onlooker, explaining the Progenitor needed time for quiet meditation. By the time Graeber got her to the sleeping cot, her legs had given out entirely, Rai's limbs spasmed in short, uncontrollable bursts.
Graeber crouched down next to her and held onto her arms, his emotions sliding from concern to anger and back again.
"She has myoclonic jerks," Rilte said. "With her Progenitor strength, she could break one of your arms."
"I'll take that risk," Graeber growled in response. "What's happening, Rai? First, they pull you out of the ocean unconscious, and now, you're losing control of your body. What happened down at the Seed Marker?" He pushed at her mind, but Rai shut him out, slamming shut the door.
"I, I," Rai stammered, "I got the plague stopped. Then the other change was done. It's all done. The humans are safe."
"Yeah, we figured that out," Ponar replied. "What did this to you?"
"I did." Rai felt tears run down her face. "I made a promise to Vida to find her people. I needed to know what she knew."
"You downloaded the Marker," Bauleel replied, intuiting her sister's dedication. "All of it."
Rai nodded as another wave of spasms hit her body. "At first, it went smoothly and then I just blacked out. I woke up on the beach."
"There's no way your brain can handle that much data, by the effects we're seeing. You have to ask Vida to delete some of it," Rilte replied.
"Even if I wanted to..." Rai said.
"Vida is, of course, helpful as a rock," Graeber spat out. He took her face in both hands, making Rai focus. "In your current state, Brague will not allow you to go on this hunt of yours for Progenitors. You will have failed. Do you want this?"
"No! Of course not!"
"All right, then transfer some of the data to me. Do it now, before they come and discover their broken Progenitor. You know the Juggernaut won't tolerate flaws."
"I won't endanger you."
"You'll doom us all if Brague decides the Progenitor is broken," Graeber replied, his tone terse. "I'll take a little risk here."
"But I won't have access to the information anymore," Rai replied.
Graeber frowned. "Sure you will. I'll be here, anytime you need it. Just think of me as offsite data storage."
"And me," Bauleel said. "Spread it out in logical chunks and whenever you need to search for something, we'll link up."
"I'm in as well," Rilte said. "And not just so my girlfriend will like me. It's best if the data load is distributed."
"You're right, this is overloading my neural network," Rai replied.
"I'd help out, Rai, you know I would, but as I'm staying here I won't be around for you to access the information," Ponar replied.
"Agreed. And thanks, anyway." Rai replied.
"How about you watch the door, and warn us if anyone is coming?" Graeber asked.
"Will do."
"Okay, everyone else, grab on," Rai said.
Graeber and Bauleel both took a hand, and Rilte held a foot. Rai concentrated through the spasms and opened herself to them.
Selecting distinct packets of data, Rai passed them to her peers. She would have been hard pressed to give a technical guide to her process, there was a flow to it not unlike the datasphere formed by the network of their connected minds.
The others commented as she passed the data, as was the nature of the telepathic connection.
"I'm barely skimming the surface of this, there's just so much," Bauleel said.
"I know what you mean," Graeber replied. "These diaries go back millennia. They are well indexed, dated, and tagged multiple ways, but I'm not a computer, how do I search them?"
"I will, later," Rai replied.
"Wait, I get the planetary history? That's a bum deal!" Rilte exclaimed, but he was just ribbing her.
Rai kept the greater part of the Progenitor history, thinking it would yield the most valuable data and be something she'd need to reference the most. Already her mind was quieting, normalizing towards homeostasis, and her muscles reflected the change.
"I think that's enough for now," Rai said aloud. "Does everyone feel okay?"
"We're okay," Bauleel said. "How are you?"
"Improving."
Bauleel and Rilte stepped away, but Graeber stayed near, maintaining the mental connection.
"I've almost lost you twice now." Blue eyes pierced her heart. "Do we have to hunt down this mission of yours? If we stay here, no one will touch us."
Rai propped herself up on one elbow, putting them face-to-face. "Are you so sure of that? So sure everyone is happy with the fate the Progenitor has dealt out? There are about fifty thousand colonists. Are they all going to love the change?"
"Of course not, but at least here we know the dangers."
"And yesterday you wanted to fly as far from Az'Unda as possible. Now, we'll go with the protection of the Hegemony," Rai replied
"An
d their ever watching eyes. What if you overreach again, like today? What then?" Graeber asked.
"It won't happen," Rai smiled.
"No?" Graeber scowled.
"No. Because you won't let me. You'll keep me in line, won't you? You'll make me see reason, remind me to be careful, and that not only my life hangs in the balance when I'm impulsive. Right?"
Graeber ground his teeth so hard Rai heard his jaw pop.
"I. Will. Not. Lose. You. Again," Graeber answered, his frustration palpable.
"Understood," Rai replied.
"We're about to have company," Ponar said. "It's the big boy himself, and he's headed straight for us."
Everyone shared a look. Rai swung her legs down onto the floor and sat up. Graeber put a hand on her arm to steady her, but she waved him off.
"I'm much better now. And I must appear recovered from my bout in the ocean. After all, I need to negotiate our passage with Brague. Who knows what his goals are at this point? Now, everyone, game faces!"
Rai closed her eyes and placed her hands calmly in her lap. She heard the movement of Graeber standing up, but he remained close by her side.
Moments later, Ponar opened the tent flap for the Assessor and Brague stepped inside, filling the space with his bulk. Rai opened her eyes and looked at him as if she hadn't a care in the world.
There was a beat where no one spoke. Rai waited for Brague to take the lead, which, predictably, he did.
"I have made the arrangements to return to the Core members to their varying points of origin," he said.
"My thanks for your service."
"May I inquire what you are doing, here in this tent?"
"Meditating. It was a convenient location."
His mandibles chattered briefly, but he soon quieted, controlling his outward display of irritation. "May I ask, have you settled the situation to your liking on this planet for the time being?"
"You may ask, Brague. And yes, I am satisfactorily pleased with the outcome to date."
"This is welcome news, Vida." He paused and looked around the room. "Could we perhaps have a private audience at this juncture?"
Dreams Manifest (The Depths of Memory Book 2) Page 26
