Sisterhood of Suns: Daughters of Eve

by Martin Schiller

  “No,” Skylaar answered. “They were far more lucid than we are at our best moments. Thanks to the Pa’lla, we know exactly what happened, and it’s another facet of this affair that the Seevaans didn’t reveal.’

  “You see, our galaxy is not the only one that is sentient. All galaxies are aware, living creatures, and like us, the Galaxy Minds do not always get along with one another. Apparently, the galaxy that we call ‘Andromeda’ hates our galaxy for some unknown reason, and has for countless millennia.”

  “Rather like we women,” Josette interposed. “Don’t you think?” Maya certainly couldn’t disagree.

  Skylaar went on. “About twenty thousand years ago, ‘Ms. Andromeda’ apparently decided to become more aggressive, and she sent some of her children to attack our galaxy, and everyone in it. The Drow’voi referred to them as the Enemy, and since then, the name has taken hold.’

  “This Enemy is quite unique, Maya. Instead of possessing bodies, they are life forms of pure thought, with the ability to possess the minds and bodies of whatever host they choose to attack.’

  “The Enemy literally thought themselves here, spanning the intergalactic distance instantly, and once they had done so, they quickly infected the Drow’voi, managing to turn them against one another. To prevent the possibility of a civil war, and the spread of the Enemy’s influence to other races, the Drow’voi chose to turn the Tree against themselves.”

  Maya raised her hand again. “It sounded like you just said that this Enemy is still around,’ she observed. “Did I get that right?”

  “You did at that,” Skylaar said, “They very definitely are. Although the Drow’voi’s mass suicide weakened the Enemy considerably, they did not manage to eliminate it altogether. It survived the event, and simply assumed a dormant state. Now, according to a number of sources, including the Pa’lla, the Enemy has reawakened, and covets the Tree for itself.”

  Maya’s mental image of a bull’s-eye suddenly grew much larger. “So the Three are also in danger from being possessed by this Enemy? Or killed?”

  Skylaar shook her head. “Killed? Perhaps. But not controlled—and don’t ask me why, because even the Pa’lla can’t adequately answer that question. For whatever reason, the Three are immune to possession by the Enemy, possibly due to some agency being brought to bear by the Galaxy Mind. There is another danger that is just as grave however. This is the creation by the Enemy of their own Trio.”

  “Wait a fekking nano! “ Maya exclaimed. “I thought that you just said that only the Galaxy Mind chooses the candidates.”

  “We did,” Josette responded. “And it does. Thanks to its interaction with the Drow’voi however, the Enemy knows all about the Tree, and how it functions. The Tree also has one important flaw that factors into this equation. Any trio with even a hint of Drow’voi genes in their DNA can bypass all of the safeguards and take control.”

  Maya relaxed slightly. “You call that a risk? The Drow’voi are extinct! Everybody knows that.”

  “It is a risk,” Sarah insisted. “A very real one. What ‘everybody’ doesn’t know is that there is another Drow’voi complex on a world called Storm, in the Sagana Elant. It too is a machine, and it has remnants of Drow’voi genes stored inside of it. Somehow, it possesses the ability to merge these samples with the DNA of other races, and creates a hybrid being. The process is not perfect, and many of the subjects die, but some do manage to survive.’

  “We know this because a Sisterhood research team blundered into the device. Most of the women in the group were killed, but one of their number not only lived, she came away as a human-Drow’voi mix. Until recently, we had Dr. Shandra n’Aida under observation at the Odyne Naval Medical Center, on Thermadon. But she awoke from her coma, murdered her caretakers, and disappeared. It is highly likely that she was infected by the Enemy.”

  “Oh lovely,” Maya retorted sourly. “There’s more too, isn’t there?”

  “There is,” Josette said, clearly amused by her discomfiture. “As you know from watching over Sarah’s shoulder during your apprenticeship, the Marionites were involved in experiments with rarified genetic samples. They used them to eventually create their so-called Redeemer. The samples for that came from Dr. n’Aida herself. It seems that someone, who was involved in her rescue, had something to do with that.”

  For some reason, Josette looked straight at Jon fa’Teela when she said this, and winked mischievously. In response, the neoman’s complexion reddened and he immediately broke off eye contact.

  It was patently obvious that Josette suspected that Jon had been this mysterious ‘someone’, and by his reaction, the neoman had just confirmed it.

  Maya also didn’t care. She was too overwhelmed by the greater implications of what she had just heard.

  “If they made the Redeemer from N’Aida’s DNA,” she began, “then that makes him—“

  “--part Drow’voi himself,” Josette finished, “and if he and Dr. n’Aida have both been infected by the Enemy as we suspect, then the Enemy already has two of the Three that they require to seize control of the Tree.’

  “If they find their Third, then it is a virtual certainty that they will use the Tree to renew their war against every living being in our galaxy. Their aim will not be victory, but annihilation”

  A hard light came into Maya’s eyes. “Then we need to find them and kill them. And make sure that no one gets to that machine on Storm.”

  “That is one thing that Angelique has done right,” Josette conceded. “She tasked a Conversâzi ship to secretly patrol the system, and has operatives on station in Thenti. They have already interdicted several Marionite groups trying to reach Storm, and dealt with them, with extreme prejudice.”

  “Well, that’s something,” Maya replied. “Next question—a big one. Why us? Why give anyone this kind of power?”

  Josette laughed dryly. “The theories about that are almost as numerous as there are races in the galaxy, Maya. The most plausible one that I have heard is that it is some form of evolutionary testing. According to the Pa’lla theorist who conceived it, the Galaxy Mind may be doing this in order to determine what direction a race will need to take to reach a state of permanent perfection.”

  “By fekking with them,” Maya grimaced. “Isn’t this Galaxy Mind just a little worried that the User might decide to blow everything up? Including it, and its stupid Tree?”

  “Not in the least,” Josette answered. “While the Tree is virtually limitless in its powers, it is prevented by its programming from certain actions, including destroying the Galaxy Mind, or itself. Believe me, that very thing has been tried in the past, and to no avail.”

  “I see,” Maya replied. “Next big question. Who am I, and who are the other two women?”

  “We don’t know that for certain,” Josette answered. “We only know that you are involved. What we are certain of, is who the Singer is. In fact, she is quite famous, perhaps the most renowned musician in the Sisterhood.”

  “Celina,” Maya guessed.

  “The same,” Josette said, “and precisely because of her musical gift. We know this because the Drow’voi communicated through pure sound, and the closest analogue that we have to their language is music, and mathematics, which are at their heart, one in the same.’

  “As your dreams have already indicated, the Tree operates through a special song. Celina was given this melody by the Galaxy Mind itself. Which is why, when the Seevaans visited her studio and heard her play it, they forbade her from ever publishing it. It is simply too dangerous to have floating around in general circulation.”

  “Why?” Maya asked. “You said that only the Three can use the Tree. What good is the Song all by itself?”

  “It is worthless—at least as far as the Tree is concerned, “Josette stated. “For that to operate, the entire trio must be present, and only the Singer can use it.”

  “Okay…” Maya replied, impatiently motioning the woman to explain herself.

  �
�They had other concerns. The mere fact that we have the Song in our possession was one. Some races, such as the Greys, could see this as a justification for a preemptive war, and the Seevaans believed that by suppressing the Song, they could prevent that. Unfortunately, Trina discovered it, and in trying to sell it, alerted everyone in the Far Arm.’

  “This was one of the reasons why Angelique murdered her, and her Xee contact. She was angry about the damage that Trina had caused, and determined to bring the situation back under control. She also had personal motives as well, but those are not relevant to this discussion.”

  Maya glanced over at Sarah as Josette told her this, and she thought that she detected the faintest tightening around the woman’s eyes. But then it was gone, and she wasn’t even certain that she had seen it. Trina had meant something to the other Sarah, she told herself. Not to the woman she was sitting next to. She hoped.

  Josette had more to say. “The Seevaans were also worried about the hazard that a public disclosure posed to the Three themselves. If the Singer were identified through her Song, and kidnapped, there was the possibility that an enemy would use her to coerce the other two into doing whatever they wanted. But Angelique made certain that a protective detail was on hand to keep an eye on her, and so far, this has been successful. And just in case you are wondering, we did the same thing.”

  “Well, that’s one point for Angelique,” Maya said. It felt weird giving the woman credit for doing anything good.

  “Indeed,” Josette agreed. “The Seevaans had one more thing that they were worried about. The Song itself. Even without the Tree, it threatens their monopoly.”

  “Monopoly?’ Maya asked. “On what? Bug juice?”

  Josette laughed. “Oh Maya, I didn’t realize how little you understand about the galaxy and its economy. Really, you should read more material on this subject. Money, politics, and war all go hand in bloody hand.’

  “The Song contains enough elements within its structure to enable a clever species to decipher key command strings, and allow them to control other Drow’voi devices. At the moment, the Seevaans are the only ones who understand the Drow’voi programming language, albeit incompletely, and they want to keep things that way. What they are unaware of is that in addition to attempting to secure the Tree for herself, Angelique has also tasked the RSE’s computers with decompiling the Song. Her ambitions are rather wide-ranging.”

  “Yeah, “Maya grimaced. “So, now what?”

  “Now, we wait,” Skylaar said. “Celina is already in Ashkele, thanks to some coercion by Angelique. As for you, you are still having your dreams, but you haven’t felt the need to go and join her, and whoever the last woman is, has yet to reveal herself.’

  “Trust us in this Maya, you will know the time, and when it comes, we will go along with you to make certain that no one, and nothing, harms you, or your companions. After that, the whole thing will be up to the three of you.”

  “I think that this would be a good time to have our lunch,” Jezzika suggested. “We could all use a break.”

  Maya wasn’t the least bit hungry, but she was eager for the chance to air her head out, and quickly assented. When everyone rose from their places, she was the first one out of the room. Jon followed her.

  “Do you think we should tell Maya about the Seevaan war games?” Skylaar asked, once they had gone. This had been an oft-discussed issue among them, and still remained unresolved.

  “No, let us leave things exactly as they are,” Josette suggested. “She has enough on her mind without worrying over the added possibility of an interstellar war. I also believe that Jon should be kept ignorant as well. Given his current state of mind, there is no telling how he might respond.”

  “Yes”, Jezzika agreed. “We should also pray that when the time comes, Maya will use her power wisely.”

  Like the others, the swordsmistress was fully aware of the one small lie that they had slipped in with the truth. Although they had been honest with Maya about their lack of information concerning the identity of the third woman, they did know what her role was.

  And what Maya’s task would be. She wouldn’t realize it herself until the time came, but she was not the Guide, and she was certainly not the Singer. She was, based on everything that they had gleaned from her dreams, the User herself. And at this precise moment in history, that made Maya n’Kaaryn the most important woman in the Sisterhood, if not the entire galaxy.

  Grunvaald Haarmaaneplaatz, Vaalkenstaad Township, Zommerlaand, Sunna 3, Solara Elant, United Sisterhood of Suns, 1049.03|03|04:78:78

  Kaly’s next visit to the farm was for another ‘Thing’ and once again, she ensconced herself in the kitchen. Eventually though, curiosity and her growing sense of peace and security persuaded her to venture outside. She had the vague idea of finding the women and watching them, for a little while at least, and seeing what they were doing. By now she had become convinced that whatever it was, was safe.

  Except for the children playing in it, the front yard was empty. Then over the sighing of the wind, she heard the chanting of many voices, rising and falling from somewhere in the trees nearby. She followed the sound until she came to a clearing.

  Most of Grammy’s guests were there, arranged in a large circle and the old woman stood in its center with the Vice Admiral’s wife. The women around them were moving in unison, extending their arms and bending at the waist to touch the tops of their feet. At the same time, they were uttering a single, unintelligible word; “UUUuuurrraaazzz!”

  It wasn’t Standard, or even any of the Zommerlaandartal that Kaly knew. It seemed to be more like a proto-language, a pre-verbal means of communication that these tongues, and many others, owed their birth to. The sound of the chant seemed to resonate all around her, penetrating everything, including herself. She could feel it in her very bones.

  As she watched, and tried to understand what was going on, the women rose again, and extended their arms towards Grammy and Ingrit. The two of them stood there with their hands held upwards towards the sky. After a moment, they copied the gesture of the others, and then turned together on their heels towards the east.

  The air around the clearing seemed to grow pregnant with energy, reminding Kaly of the feeling that came moments before a summer storm was about to break. The sky overhead was clear though. This was something else altogether. Afraid to move and somehow break the spell, Kaly stayed were she was, waiting to see what would happen next.

  They remained silent for a few heartbeats, and then in unison, the two women let out a long, loud chant of their own. Their voices were strong and clear and their united cry was just as unintelligible to Kaly’s ears as the rest, but equally as powerful and purposeful.

  “FFfffaaaaa!”

  Something seemed to radiate from within them, and as it moved out over the meadow itself, its passage was signaled by a momentary shimmering in the air. Whatever they had just done, Kaly had felt it, and she knew with equal certainty, that their work was now complete.

  The circle of women relaxed, confirming this, but they didn’t leave their places. Clearly something else was in the offing, and Kaly realized that this was only a pause in the mysterious proceedings. She took advantage of the lull and found herself a seat next to Enggredsdaater on a nearby log.

  Her friend was not the only bystander. The Vice Admiral herself was also there, seated on a neighboring log, and they exchanged a polite nod of acknowledgement.

  Kaly leaned in to whisper in Enggredsdaater’s ear. “What did they just do?” she asked her.

  “Zey gazered power for za Vize one and her azziztant,” Enggredsdaater answered, just as quietly. “Zey took it from zem and zen zey zent it out for zose who needed za healing. Next, zey’ll work on zending on zome good luck.”

  Kaly shook her head, not quite comprehending this. “How?”

  “Zat’s zomzing zat I’ll leave vor her to explain,” Enggredsdaater replied, inclining her head towards Grammy. “I’m no Vitkaa. I just kn
ow a few zings.”

  The ritual went on, with more of the strange movements and incomprehensible chanting, and soon Kaly began to feel drowsy. Despite the unfamiliarity of her setting, the sun was warm and pleasant, and a feeling of tranquility seemed to fill the clearing.

  At last, she gave in, and let her eyes close, enjoying the sensation of just being at rest. A state that was somewhere between true sleep and wakefulness soon overtook her. She let the sensation carry her away, and eventually, she dreamed.

  She was back on the beach that she had seen so often. Lena was there, as always, waiting for her with her smile, although this time, they were not alone.

  Grammy stood nearby, and she gave Kaly a welcoming grin. There were also others on the beach, she realized.

  None of them were as distinct as Grammy or Lena were, and she only caught fleeting glimpses of them, but these were enough for her to recognize who they were; one was the ghostly image of Marisol, her fellow sniper with the Garda on Treya Angelaz, another was the terrorist girl that she had killed in Nuvo Bolivar.

  And there were more besides. They were far less distinct, and floated at the farthest edges of her perception. These were friends and family who had been killed on Persephone by the Hriss, and even enemies that she had slain in the name of duty. The beach, she realized, was a place populated by the dead.

  “Why am I seeing them?” she asked Grammy.

  “You have unfinished business,” the old woman answered. “With every one of them, but most of all, with her.” She was looking straight at Lena. “Every life that we cross paths with leaves a debt, an obligation. I think that you know what I mean. I also think you know what you will need to do.”

  Kaly thought that she did, and she shook her head emphatically. “I can’t do that. I’m not ready to let her go. I need her.”