by Mark Wandrey
"You may resume your seat," the Tog spoke, or rather the device resembling an ornate necklace hanging around hser neck spoke. The Tog's hands wove in intricate motions as subtle flashes of light glowed from finger tips. The arms were more like tentacles being composed a dozens of tiny bones held together by an intricate web of muscles. Hse strode into the room the rest of the way and settled on all four limbs in the empty spot of the table opposite Minu. With great difficulty she sat back down, all the time wishing her father had mentioned this one little detail of the Trials.
"Minu Alma, offspring of First among our Chosen, is who I speak with?" The translator asked.
"Correct, Concordia master."
"Your performance in the Trials was exceptional. Your desire to be Chosen must be overwhelming! Few have gone so far, or suffered so much misfortune in pursuit of our service."
"It is all I have wished for my entire life."
The Tog was quiet for a long moment before continuing. "How has the loss of a member of your team affected you?"
"I'm not sure I understand the question, Concordia Master."
"Someone who followed you, whom you led during the Trials, died underneath you. How has this affected your ability to lead?"
"Uhm, I guess that is a question I hadn't considered."
"Consider it now."
Minu tried to think of a good answer, she tried to think of any answer. As the seconds dragged on nothing came to mind and she knew she must say something. The look on the face of the boy she'd stabbed kept trying to sneak into her mind's eye. "It would cause me to consider carefully the possible outcomes of my decisions as a leader."
"Would you make the same decisions again?"
"If the situation was identical?"
"Correct."
"Yes," she answered without even realizing she was going to say it. Suddenly the uncertainty was gone. She remembered fully that they were attacked and she'd responded the only way she could. It was life or death. All the decisions she'd made, where she'd led them, and how it ended. It wasn't right to question that now. "Did I make mistakes? Without a doubt. Will I make the same mistakes again? No. Will I make new mistakes in the years ahead? Undoubtedly. But this has not shaken my willingness, my ability, my desire to be Chosen! Absolutely not." She set her jaw and crossed her arms under he breasts, unaware that the cybernetic arm was on top and very visible against her jet black jump suit.
"Very well, I have made my decision." They all rose and Minu followed their lead. "Minu Alma, you are Chosen." And with no further fanfare, hse turned and walked from the room. From behind they looked remarkably like a tailless horse.
The shock of her being named Chosen was broken when she looked around the room and noticed the expression on many of the Chosen' faces. On most of them it was surprise or confusion, notably two people showed very different looks. Dr. Tasker looked quite pleased, and Dram looked positively smug.
Second Jacob bowed to her and affected a smile. "Welcome, Chosen Minu Alma." Those others in the room echoed the welcome with mixed energy levels. "Your class has already departed for training at Steven’s Pass. A secretary will meet you outside with your orders and a travel voucher so you may join them."
"Thank you, Chosen Jacob."
"You are Chosen now too, you can call me Second." She nodded and the group turned to leave. Last out was Dram who gave her a small nod and a wink.
"What the fuck was that about?" she wondered as she left the darkened conference room behind to begin her new life.
* * *
The conference room wasn't really ringed by solid wall. It was actually an opaque controllable wall of moliplas just like the portal chamber back in Tranquility. With Minu departed, it reverted to its semi-transparent default state. Anyone still standing in the room would see that while ten Chosen and one Tog attended the Choosing of Minu Alma, many more had witnessed from the outside, including three more Tog.
The Tog who had spoken to Minu joined the other two accompanied by Second Jacob, Dram, and several other highly placed Chosen. The Tog all touched prime-fingers (roughly equivalent to a human middle finger) in a customary greeting. "It is done, then," said the one who had been in the room.
"I must protest," snapped Second Jacob with as much control as he could muster. To the other humans it was obvious he was quivering with rage. It was anyone's guess if the Tog could tell as they all turned their unblinking gaze on him. The feeling of being a germ in a petri dish was unavoidable.
"We are aware of your protests, sScond," said the first Tog speaker again, "and they have been noted."
"Noted and ignored," Second Jacob persisted. Several other Chosen nodded in agreement, all except Dram who remained impassive. Dr. Tasker moved up behind them and quietly listened. No one noticed his arrival.
"She is in no condition to be Chosen," agreed one of Second Jacob's supporters among the Chosen.
"She can barely walk!" agreed another, "And she may never be the same again after suffering that kind of trauma!"
"Are any of us ever the same again?" asked Dram in his deep voice. "The Trials change you."
"But for the women, girls really, it is unjustly hard," still another complained.
"She is physically recovering well," Dr. Tasker said to them, making several look around at him in surprise.
"As well as possible," Second Jacob growled.
"This revolves around your human concern of sexuality?" The speaker was on of the Tog who'd remained silent thus far. It was difficult for a human to tell one Tog from another, the only differences tended to be subtle colorations of their extremely fine fur. Making it even more challenging was that most of the colorations were only visible in the part of the light spectrum invisible to the human eye. Still, this particular Tog appeared a vivid shade of green with only a small dark patch below where a chin would have been.
"It is not as it seems, P'ing," Second Jacob complained.
"The human preoccupation with matters of sexual differences of your species, those being mostly perceived physical limitations, is one of the more disturbing qualities I have observed over time."
"I am sorry we have caused you consternation, Concordia Master P'ing," Jacob intoned with as much reverence as he could muster at the moment. To the humans his bitter dripping sarcasm was quite evident. “But I fear it is in our character to accentuate the differences between the sexes." The others all nodded, except Dram.
"Are you really? I have doubts. For more than one hundred cycles of your primary star we have Chosen humans to serve and learn under our instructions. The majority have been your sex of male. The vast majority! And all this despite our insistence that more female-sexually identified members of your species participate, especially considering the contribution to your initial survival that females made." The humans all remained respectfully silent while the Tog spoke; only straightening up when an answer was expected.
"Concordia Master, we allow any and all who would participate do so. We cannot help that so few make it to the end of the Trials."
"They are of course discouraged in every way your primitive society can manage. Every stage of the process emphasizes sexuality. Even the Trials themselves center on physical feats of strength and prowess, which is one of the few areas that your female sex are at a disadvantage."
"We are again sorry, Concordia Master, but our Trials are created by the rules you yourselves have set down for us-"
The Tog made a very human gesture of dismissal with a serpentine arm. "We do not question your right to your Trials, such is the Law." Hse was quiet for a long moment and the humans waited patiently. "Minu Alma is to be afforded all the considerations accorded as one of our special Chosen, is that understood?."
"Yes, Concordia Master," they all intoned together.
"Once she is healed and primary training completed, we will see her again.” And with that, the three Tog turned and left. The humans all looked around at each other uncomfortably then began to leave as well. As they exited
Second Jacob caught Dram's arm and held him for a moment.
"You had something to do with that, didn't you?" he accused.
"And if I did?"
"If you did, then it's on your shoulders."
Dram shrugged and smiled, looking down at the hand still on his bicep. "Is there anything else, Second?" The hand released and Dram left him alone with his thoughts.
Part II
Chapter 1
Julast 1st, 515 AE
Aeroport, Tranquility, Plateau Tribe
The dirigible docked at Tranquility Aeroport only a couple hours behind schedule. As was becoming common, the passengers were mostly the poor looking for a cheap way to cross the continent, the unhurried rich pursuing a luxurious trip, or those coming from remote locations. Minu was the first down the ramp having come from somewhere with limited transportation options.
Tranquility seemed little changed in the year she'd been gone. But as she left the Aeroport behind she realized looks could be deceiving. There were far more vehicles of Concordia manufacture than when she’d left. When she reached East Street and turned toward the center of town she looked for a trolley and couldn't find one. In their place were light rail cars, self-propelled robotic electric vehicles. It made for a much quieter street without the clanking old trolleys. Somehow it just didn't feel like home now. The new transports were only a dream when she’d left for the Trials. Things were changing fast.
Minu jumped in one of the open sided rail cars as it hummed by. A quiet voice welcomed her aboard and announced that one half dollar was subtracted from her account. "They even have chip sensors," she said aloud.
"Most of us don't even have the chips implanted yet," someone behind her said. The trams seats ran along both sides and she turned to see who had spoken. It was Jovich. "Welcome back, young lady!"
"Jovich!" she squealed and nearly climbed over the seat back to give him a hug. He returned the affection with only a slightly disapproving look. The tram warned her that she should remain seated. She ignored the warning and hopped over the seat back to sit next to the aged Chosen.
"When did you get back?" he asked her.
"Just a few minutes ago. I can't believe how much things have changed."
"You seen the new monorail station yet?" she shook her head that she hadn't. "The city fathers brought in a Concordia tunnel borer. The monorail that used to stop at the base of the plateau now cuts right through the living rock and emerges on the east side."
"Wow, how long did that take?"
"About a month, start to finish."
"Must have taken a lot of labor. They bring in people from other tribes?" Despite the fact that Bellatrix was ruled by a type of Republic, most people still referred to each nation as a tribe.
"Actually, the Concordia company that did the work used mostly robots and plasma drills."
For the last year she'd been learning about what Concordia technology could do. This was probably a minor project by their standards. Almost too small to be considered worth noticing. They used robot in the way humans used spoons, or shoes. Invisibly and seamlessly part of their everyday lives.
They rode on for a time, the tram stopping at each intersection for passengers to load and offload. Minu watched as most used their identification card to swipe the readers installed on each roof support column thereby having their account debited. The few with implant chips just sat and their accounts were debited automatically. The tiny computer implants were unheard of when she was a child, something only government officials and Chosen possessed.
"Have the Tog made a decision on my father yet?" Minu finally asked.
"No, but we expect they will soon. You shouldn't give up hope, you know."
"A year, Jovich. How many Chosen have returned after being missing for an entire year?"
"None," he admitted. She looked down at the slowly moving ground. He reached a weather beaten hand out to lift her chin until she looked in his wise eyes. "But none of them were Chriso Alma." She smiled and he patted her on the arm. "I wish he could have been there to see those stars pined on your sleeve."
Minu looked down at the little circle of six stars on each sleeve of her black jumpsuit. They were made from a gold platinum alloy taken from earth back when Bellatrix was colonized. Many tribes brought the tools essential to survival, some brought wealth and riches. The platinum marking their rank was forged from some of the precious metal to remind them of the folly which mankind was capable of. Three gold stars gleamed on Jovich' sleeve, reminding her how far she had to go to even get to where he was.
"Have you ever wanted to be First?" she asked him suddenly, without really thinking about the question.
"Good lord, no!" he laughed.
"Why not?"
"I'm a scout, I come up with ideas, I serve the Concordian as best as I can, and I advise those in power. If I were in charge, I don't know who I would turn to do the same for me, so here I stay."
For the first time Minu really wondered how old he was. He looked quite a bit older than her father. She was just about to get up the nerve to ask when the tram came to a stop outside the Chosen Plaza.
"Home sweet home," he said and hopped down, almost as if he knew a hard question was coming.
"You working tonight in the portal?" she asked as they walked into the paved square.
"Yeah, they prefer having one of the old timers on watch. We're less likely to panic and do something stupid." Minu thought that made sense. She didn't know what her first duty assignment would be, but she hoped it was working with him.
"If you get off early, come by and I'll make you some dinner."
"I just might do that," he said and waved. Minu stopped to watch him go until he walked up the steps to the portal building. She'd stopped next to the old oak tree descended from the one the first colonists planted there. Looking down she read some of the names etched into the tiles around the tree. The ceramic concrete tiles would be around for thousands of years after she was long dead. The name at her feet made her smile. Mindy Harper, First Mayor of Tranquility, the tile said. Her ancestor, and in many ways the reason her tribe survived to become preeminent on the world.
Minu squatted down and touched the tile, remembering being a little girl and her mother first showing Minu where her family came from. "Mindy outlived all her children," her mother told her all those years ago, "only one grandchild carried her genes onward. For a couple generations only one or two of her line survived to go on."
"So it's luck that I'm here at all?" she'd asked in youthful innocence.
"In many ways, I think your right."
Minu rode the lift up to her old apartment and went in. No one had pressured her to move her stuff out, no hurry they said. She didn't want to waste any more time. This was the apartment of the First Among the Chosen, not a young five-star, fresh from training. She spotted her bag on the floor by the door, delivered by the airline, and picked it up. She was going to move into her billet today, and this phase of her life needed to be closed.
As Minu unpacked the bag she realized that there was a bundle inside she didn't recognize. As she opened it a shiver went up her spine. The contents spilled out on the floor and there was a simple belt with a sheathed knife. Her hands shook as she picked it up and drew the blade. The length of steel gleamed in the apartment’s lights except where tiny flecks of dried blood adhered to its surface. Her hands were shaking so hard she dropped it, the knife she'd killed Alexis Krum with. Even a year later she had not yet reconciled the events of that tragic night.
When Minu arrived at Steven’s Pass and joined her class two weeks late, she'd quickly been reunited with her friends who were all, of course, now Chosen as well. For a couple days there'd been an unofficial silence about the subject of the trial. Then one day, during a free afternoon some weeks later, they all sat quietly in the corner of the rec center and talked. Each spoke their part, trying to piece together what happened. When it came Minu and Cherise’s turn and everyone listened.
Gregg and Aaron were both knocked unconscious as the raft was capsized and Pip nearly drowned when the raft rolled onto him. Cherise fought first two of Ivan's boys, then the bastard himself. She remembered in gory detail stabbing him through the neck. None of them knew what happened to Minu between the raft and the knife fight. For a moment she almost told them the truth, and shame fought a deadly battle with honesty.
Minu wiped away a tear as shame won and she kept the truth to herself. She locked it away in a deep dark part of her mind, like a deranged lunatic in an asylum, and turned back to the others. What she really wanted to know was why the true stories weren't allowed to come out?
Ivan had been the first to be questioned, despite the severity of his wound. He’d quickly begun to weave a complicated tapestry of lies. When Minu's friends were questioned they weren't asked their own versions, they were read Ivan's account and expected to validate them.
"We were all in the room together," Cherise told Minu, now a year later, "it was a horrible situation. We were all scared to death. If you looked at the whole situation maybe Ivan could claim we started it!"
"But they attacked us," Minu pleaded with them to tell the truth. "And to make it all the more egregious, the bastard who orchestrated the whole thing is now Chosen too!"
Ivan was in the meeting hall that morning when Minu first arrived. He'd made a point to catch her eye and wink at her. The scar tissue on his neck was very visible and somehow added a measure of menace to his appearance.
"Someone died, Minu," Cherise whispered harshly.
"You don't think I know that?" Minu snapped, her hands shaking, "I'm the one that killed him after he-" She'd stopped suddenly.
"What?" Cherise asked.
"-after he attacked me," she said. Cherise had narrowed her eyes in suspicion. None of them wanted to visit the horrible night any more. The discussion was over. Whenever anyone else asked her about the Trials Minu would not talk about it, and if they persisted she would unceremoniously walk away. Eventually everyone stopped trying. Minu suspected hers wasn't the only painful story from the trial. Regardless, she held no interest in forming a support group.
