by Mark Wandrey
Minu got out and looked around. Everything seemed the same, if a little more overgrown. It was hard calling on ten year old memories, so many things crowded between then and now. There was the cabin, the collapsed barn, a shed, and another strange round building about four meters across and three tall. She tried to remember her first trip to the cabin and something about her father telling her to stay away from the rickety outbuildings came to mind. She headed for the cabin.
The building was nearly five hundred years old and constructed with a combination of modern and ancient techniques imported from their home world. Dad lectured her from across the years. "Billy Harper, Mindy Harper's husband, built this house for them to raise their family before things went horribly wrong. He died shortly after it was finished. When Mindy retired as mayor of Tranquility, she came here to live out her days." She hadn't set foot on the island for a decade, but the building still looked fine. "I got the land when my father died," he'd explained, "I restored it and preserved the wood with Concordia technology. It should stand for another five hundred years unless there is a fire or some other disaster."
Minu stepped onto the front porch and took in the view. It was much as Bellatrix would have looked before humans arrived. The forest was composed almost entirely of the huge fern trees native to the world. Even across the expanse of lake she could see a few of the hardier Earth immigrant evergreen trees beginning to encroach the much smaller native plants. Another century and they would supplant those native fern trees, killing with an impenetrable fifty meter tall canopies of pine needles.
Down by the lake was the dock where she'd been given the necklace. Unlike the cabin it was not made of native material. Her father built it himself with dualloy pilings supporting translucent moliplas planks. It would still be there half a million years from now, though likely covered with a meter of mold and slime. She walked down to the dock, twice sinking to her ankles in the soupy ground. Landing on the remnants of the barn turned out to be a smart move. She didn't want to think of how deeply her three thousand kilo car would sink in the gunk. She walked out onto the dock and sat at the end where she'd sat when her father gave her the necklace. There was a piling on either side, one capped with a steel cover, the other moliplas.
"Never would have thought of this," she said and pried at the moliplas cap. After some work it popped free. There was a space inside, water tight and a few centimeters deep, and it held another chip wrapped in a water tight moliplas bag. She took it and replaced the cap. Might be a good place to stash something someday. Taking the chip she returned to her car and her tablet inside. The chip held only a single cypher key, and that unlocked all the rest of the secret files from her dad. She instantly went to the file marked two and opened it.
"Now I know it's you, Sapphire," the words read. "First, as I said before, don't assume I'm dead. You have to ask yourself how did you get this packet of files? There were three possible ways to get it. From me on my death bed. Handed to you by a Chosen I have delegated. Or finally delivered by a computer via a very unusual circular route." Minu nodded when she recognized option three. Having it delivered by an aunt she hadn't seen for many years certainly fit that scenario. The writing continued. "If it was delivered via the final route, you should consider that I may still be alive."
Minu's heart raced as she read on. "Copies of this packet were given to certain Chosen with instructions to give them to you should my death be a confirmed fact. And of course I could have given it to you myself, but if that was the case it is unlikely you will find anything you don't already know in these five files.
"When I created these files and the ways of getting them to you, I needed to come up with a contingency plans for many situations. One was that you would never be Chosen. Having been your father, I am going to discount that option out of hand." Minu smiled as she read. "Others issues are your level of technical expertise, what branch of the Chosen you have found yourself in, and what stage of your career you have reached when you got the files. I can only hope you are at least a three star Chosen now in service more than a decade at the time of this reading."
"Sorry to disappoint you on both accounts, dad," she said silently before reading on.
"You have to play with the hand fate deals you, so here you go. The chip is divided into five sections contain my logs, mission files, ideas, musings, and general mental masturbations." She blushed slightly at her father’s candor. Never once in his life did he ever speek to her like this. She deeply wished it was a real conversation, not these grumblings from the grave. “You've no doubt noticed these five main files, and will soon be frustrated to realize that three of them are still locked. There are three more cyphers hidden in secret locations. Scattered throughout these data files are the clues to find those last cyphers. Don't be angry, I needed to give you pause to find these clues to be sure you were ready for what the final three files hold. Since I have no way of knowing how old you are or what you're doing, this is a sort of control to keep you from knowing too much, too quickly. I have to make sure, somehow, that you're ready for the burden.”
“Shit,” she said and checked. Sure enough, the other three files were still encrypted. Why would he give her all this information, and hide from her three small text files? What could they contain that was so ground shaking that he wanted to be sure she was 'old enough' and 'ready for the burden', as he'd said?
“I'm hoping you can use these files and records to help the Chosen move away from being a group of professional scavengers and to become the soldiers we're destined to be. Our very survival, maybe the survival of the galaxy depends on what we do, how we act, and no small amount of luck. I can't go into this anymore, you'll find out as you unlock the other files.”
“What the fuck?” she said out loud, then finished reading the file.
“Read, learn, and explore. You'll find the clues as you go. The one thing you have to promise me is to not come looking for me. If I have disappeared, it was for a reason. Promise me, Sapphire.”
“I promise dad, for now.”
“I love you honey. I'm most sorry I wasn't there with you when your mother died. Good bye.”
Minu closed the tablet and took out the chip, turning it over and over in her hand. She'd come here thinking about retiring from the Chosen, maybe going into science, or teaching. Now, she didn't know. What the Chosen did might be vital to the survival of the galaxy? The little chip glittered in the afternoon sun. Outside a howler barked in the distance and others joined in while high in the sky an eagle screamed. With a deep sigh she made her decision.
Chapter 13
Julast 25th, 518 AE
Sanctuary Island, Plateau Territory
Minu spent the night in the musty old cabin, sleeping on the big bed that her mother and father once slept on when she was a little girl. She cried remembering the loss of her mother dying, then she cried with the relief of having talked to the ghost of her father, and that he might still be alive. She spent a lot of time crying for all those who died, and slowly she let go of the pain, coming to grips with it in the way a woman must. In the grips of her tears she wished for the ability of so many men who could swallow the pain and make it go away.
In the morning she explored the cabin and found some still edible food stored in the cupboards. Breakfast was ancient rice, pancake mix and freeze dried eggs. The stove was Concordia manufacture and powered by a nearly full EPC, so cooking was not an issue. It also provided hot water, heating and cooling. After eating she explored further. It looked like no one had been there in years, and that didn't surprise her. It was almost impossible to reach the island without a boat, and the cabin was nearly invisible from the shore. Besides, it was in a scarcely settled region of the continent. Despite being home to more than twenty million humans, that's an insignificant number on a world with nearly twice as much habitable land as old Earth.
It was hard to imagine that Mindy Harper once lived there, in the very same building, spending the last years of a spect
acular life. Curiosity lead her to eventually explore the spaces in detail. Might there be any interesting artifacts from Mindy's day? Just about every place Mindy lived throughout her life was a monument of one sort of another, except this one. This was a private place, a sanctuary of sorts. There was a monument in Founders Park that led one to believe that she was buried there, the truth was Mindy and her husband Billy were both lain to rest in unmarked graves here on this very island. About twenty generations lay between them and she never felt closer to the enigmatic woman than that morning.
The building was furnished entirely with handmade furniture including a magnificent dresser in the bedroom which was hand made by Billy Harper as a gift to his beloved wife. She ran her hand along the smooth carvings, imagining her ancestor working the wood, keeping their clothes in it, making it part of their lives.
Maybe some time when she needed a break she would come here and search more thoroughly. What interesting secrets had Mindy left behind? The story of the exodus was supposed to be complete in their history. Looking around the old time worn surrounding, she wondered. The more she learned and the deeper she got into the Chosen and Concordia culture, the more she discovered things were not as they seemed.
She spent one more night in the cabin before returning to Steven’s Pass. On the flight back she prowled through the thousands of files her father left her. As he'd said many were detailed accounts of Concordia worlds and what he found there, others were impressions of alien species, and more were just his imagining of how humanity could make its own way without the Tog protecting them. Only those three files were locked to her, and even with so many others to explore, those three made her burn with curiosity.
No sooner had Minu dropped her overnight bag in her billet than Dram appeared. "I knew you wouldn't be gone for long."
"I didn't."
"So what made you come back?"
"An old friend set me straight."
"Anyone I know? I owe that person a debt of thanks."
"Yes, you do. Maybe someday you'll have a chance to thank him in person."
Dram gave her a lopsided, curious grin. "Okay then. Council meeting is set for tomorrow. They would like to speak to you in person. A new assignment is being prepared."
"I expected as much." He turned to go and she grabbed his arm. "I'm going to have some demands of my own."
"Demands?" he asked, his dark eyes flashing.
"Call them requests, if you want, but I think I've earned some leeway."
"So you have."
Dram left her alone to unpack. She'd scarcely opened her bag before she had more visitors. Gregg, Aaron and Cherise were tapping on her open door. The boys looked downcast and Cherise was already crying. For a second Minu feared that Pip was dead, but it wasn't that. It was the first real chance for the friends to be alone together after Minu ran off. Gregg held up a bottle of mead, Pip's favorite brand. "Absolutely," she said and invited them in. In a way, they all needed to say goodbye. Many more bottles of mead would give their lives that night as the friends reminisced, laughed, cried, and said their farewells.
Chapter 14
Julast 27th, 518 AE
Chosen Headquarters, Steven’s Pass
Minu didn't remember much of the previous night after the first bottle of mead. There were many hundred bee keepers in the highlands around Steven’s Pass, and thus more than a dozen meaderies. It was by some accident that grapes didn't grow well on Bellatrix, and that led to mead being the favored drink. Minu personally had no taste for wine anyway. In the morning it took a long cold shower before she was alert and ready. The shower also gave her time to put her thoughts into order and afterwards onto a tablet for presentation. She had a pretty good idea what they were going to demand of her, and wanted to be ready for it.
The meeting chamber was by now almost ubiquitous to her. The sweeping table with the Chosen council seated in a semicircle opposite her, complete with a group of three Tog. Unlike all the previous times she'd sat in the hot seat, this time she felt no fear. They were here to get something from her, not to threaten or interrogate. Of course the formalities were first.
"Chosen Alma," First Jacob said, rising to his feet. "It is the determination of this council and our Tog masters that you're actions leading up to and through the vendetta against the Rasa were in accord with the highest tradition of the Chosen." Minu merely remained seated and nodded her head.
"We express our thanks in defending our interests," the lead Tog's translator spoke.
"You have rewarded our confidence well," another said. "Your choice to allow the disowned Rasa soldiers sanctuary is unorthodox, but not illegal. This development has been discussed in detail with our First and plans are underway to make them legal residents on your leasehold."
"So we would like to discuss your future career." Dram picked up the thread, standing with a tablet in hand. "We have reviewed your recommendations and your note that we were insufficiently prepared for the attack and acknowledge this as a deficit. Your new Shock Rifles have proven to be both innovative for our purposes, and also a possibly very valuable commodity."
He glanced at his notes and she prepared for the other shoe to drop. "We want you to spearhead the specialized training of five scout teams as dedicated combat units. Planning is already underway for another trial, to be conducted as soon as possible. Our losses have been too extensive to replace through reserves. We also want to reconstruct your research team, this time with top flight people, headed by you and Dr. Hurt, to continue your ground breaking research. What do you think?"
"Are you really asking my opinion?"
Jacob was still standing as well. He looked back and forth along the Chosen council and their aids then gestured, taking them and the Tog all in. "Do you think we'd be here like this if we weren't ready to hear your opinion?"
"Possibly." Jacob's lips thinned and she instantly got a better feeling about her position. When she first saw the Tog in attendance she’d reevaluated the strength of her hand, but his pained expression sealed the deal. "Okay, I'll tell you what I think."
Minu picked up her computer and stood. Jacob and Dram looked at each other and sat. Dram at least looked very attentive while Jacob looked apprehensive. "First off, your suggestion of five specialist scout teams is the like of applying a bandage to a severed head. It borders on mental masturbation."
"If all you're going to do is insult this council..." Jacob began.
"Are you going to listen to me or not?" Jacob gnashed his teeth and went quiet. "We have entered a new stage of our existence in the Concordia Empire. If our location is not public knowledge by now, it will be shortly. Species are certain to seek us out for our success against the Rasa, both as potential allies and as enemies. We cannot count on protection from the Tog or Beezer any longer. The day may soon come when the opposite is true.
“Fifty specially trained Chosen is pathetic." The council grumble, Dram remained attentive. "What I propose is what many will consider a radical change. First the creation of an entire new branch of the Chosen, the soldier branch. Red stars would be appropriate, I think. The scout branch will be absorbed into the soldiers as a distinct sub-branch. The Trials being scheduled should be altered with certain key criteria I am making available on the network now. This criteria emphasizes physical agility, marksmanship, fearlessness, and aggressiveness. These new Chosen should enjoy all the benefits of the Chosen, but not be eligible for sideways mobility without special circumstances, with the possible exception of command. The Rasa should be incorporated into this new military-style unit from the ground up. What they lack in technological innovation, they make up for in military tactics and raw tenacity. They can be invaluable in the creation of this new branch, and their loyalty to our cause tested at the same time. Though my instincts and experience with Var'at suggests there is no reason to be concerned about their new loyalty."
Jacob laughed and shook his head. "Is that it?"
"Hardly," she said and continued. His fur
y was evident to all now. "Second is that the Shock Rifles should not, under any circumstances, be made available for sale or trade, nor should their secrets be transferred to the Tog." For the first time the mute Concordian masters showed reaction. Minu didn't speak their silent language and they chose to keep their comments from being translated. Judging from the furious hand gestures and muted pulses of living light, she guessed the conversation was quite animated. "Though we are in debt to the Tog, under The Law this invention belongs to us and we are under no obligation to hand it over or even sell it. This new technology gives us a military edge and if I have any say, it will continue to be one for many years.
"Third, as you suggested a science team should be created to continue my research, it should not only have Dr. Hurt and Bjorn, but others of the best Chosen and civilian scientists. It is not only vital economically to humanity, it is vital to our very survival. My research into species producing new military innovations shows that they only have a fifty-fifty chance of surviving their own innovation. Often the birth pangs of that technology results in the death of the parent. I hope you understand what I'm saying. If a young species such as ourselves invents something ground breaking, they are more often than not destroyed in an effort to take that very innovation from them. Concordia species don't play well with others, especially the higher order species.” She looked right at the head Tog, P’ing, as the spoke the last part. Hse was staring back at her with those lidless almond shaped eyes.
