Scions of Change

by Amy DuBoff

  Wil tilted his head with interest. “How many Aesir are there? I always figured there were only a handful of you.”

  Dahl cracked another subtle smile, much more at ease and natural than he had been upon first meeting Raena. “Approximately two thousand members of the Priesthood left Tararia and the surrounding worlds before the revolution over one thousand years ago. Our ancestors decided that those numbers would not sustain us, even with our technology to extend our lifespans, so they propagated. There are approximately one hundred million of us now.”

  Her father audibly choked. “One hundred million?”

  “Yes. Is that surprising?” Dahl looked at him quizzically. “It is well below historical Taran population growth rates.”

  “You just didn’t seem like the sort to have families,” Wil tried to explain.

  “Us Oracles do not,” Dahl stated. “You would find many of the Aesir to be more like yourselves.”

  “Oh.” Wil leaned back in his chair.

  Everything I’d heard about the Aesir in the last few months made it seem like the Oracles were the extent of the Aesir order. If that’s not the case, then maybe there is more of a chance for partnership than we’d hoped. Raena gazed out the window for a minute before returning her attention to Dahl. “You said you can extend your lives. How long do you live?”

  The Oracle’s eyes widened slightly like she’d just asked a ridiculous question. “As long as we wish.”

  Wil tilted his head, clearly intrigued. “Through… cellular rejuvenation?”

  Dahl nodded. “It was one of the first technologies the Priesthood buried when they came into power after our departure. They wished for the Taran race to evolve as quickly as possible, so limiting lifespan so others may take their place was the best strategy to expedite that process. The High Priests themselves could use that technology to extend their lives and achieve the immortality they desire, but their thirst for greater power caused them to go down the path of genetic modification and cloning instead.”

  Raena was speechless. She looked to her father for commentary.

  “Are you one of the original Aesir who left Tararia?” Wil asked after a moment.

  The Oracle inclined his head. “I am.”

  Wil’s eyed him. “So, how old are you?”

  Dahl gave a slight shrug. “Age becomes less relevant with time. By your measures, I am just over twelve-hundred years old.”

  Raena coughed. “Wow.”

  “I… was not expecting that,” her father said from the seat next to her.

  “Some choose to pass over after they’ve led a full life. Others of us are driven by a longer-term vision,” Dahl said.

  “So this technology to extend lifespans—it’s something that can be used on a broad scale?”

  Dahl nodded. “Yes, so long as the genetic markers are in place.”

  “And what are those?” Wil questioned.

  “The sequence that was corrupted in the Priesthood’s interventions that resulted in the Generation Cycle.” Dahl fixed his gaze on Wil. “You and your children are the only Tarans outside the Aesir with that genetic sequence. That is why we invited you to join us.”

  “But in two generations we can have a patch,” Wil said.

  Dahl shifted his attention to Raena. “Perhaps, but that solution is not as guaranteed as we’d hoped. There are many variables. We have not yet decided if the matter should be forced.”

  Raena reflected on what the Priesthood had said while she was being held in their underground lab—something about crossing back the genetic lines within her immediate family. “Yeah, no. Not if I have any say in it,” she stated. Immortality at stake or not, going to those extremes would just bring us down to the Priesthood’s level.

  “That’s off the table,” Wil agreed. “We’ve been getting by just fine for the last thousand years without everyone living to crazy-old ages.”

  “A long lifespan is not for everyone,” Dahl agreed. “Of more interest to you may be our ship and weapons tech.”

  “I wouldn’t have thought military might would be your priority,” Wil said.

  “We suspected the Priesthood might come after us one day. We wanted to be ready,” replied the Oracle. “The key point is that our databanks hold all the records of past Taran advancements the Priesthood has kept sealed for the last millennia.”

  “And let me guess… you’ve had an independent jump drive all this time?” Wil said.

  Dahl cracked a smile. “Actually, no—you really were the first to piece together the necessary components. We have established a beacon network using the methods SiNavTech employs to scout new routes.”

  “Huh.” Wil shook his head.

  “If you have records, what about the fall of the Dainetris Dynasty?” Raena interjected.

  “I should clarify,” Dahl said, “all the data records from up until the time we departed Tararia. More recent history is as much a mystery to us as you, since we remained at a distance until the Cadicle’s coming.”

  Worth a shot, Raena thought to herself.

  “My biggest concern right now,” Wil said, “is what the Priesthood will do regarding that tear in the rift. The TSS has disarmed considerably since the war. We’re not prepared for a full-on fight.”

  “Neither is the Priesthood,” Dahl said. “They will use other tactics.”

  “Such as?” Wil prompted.

  “We don’t know.”

  Her father sighed. “Then without knowing what we’re up against, that doesn’t change the potential need for TSS’ influence in a more military sense.”

  “No, it does not,” Dahl agreed. “Whatever moves the Priesthood may make in the coming years, you must have a force standing by, ready to fight back.”

  “I had already arrived at that conclusion after our visit to the rift. The TSS is less entrenched in everyday affairs than most other organizations—we’re relatively autonomous. That puts us in the best position to mediate conflict.”

  Dahl nodded. “We were pleased to learn that your father severed ties with the Priesthood. If you had remained connected to them, this conversation would not be possible.”

  Wil studied him. “The way that voice—one of the High Priests?—spoke to you… Do you have an agreement with them?”

  The Oracle waited several seconds before responding, seeming to choose his words carefully. “When we left Tararia, it was with the knowledge that we were condemning our people to the Priesthood’s reign. However, our numbers were insufficient to make any headway without being silenced one way or another. Fleeing here, we were at least able to preserve a record of Tarans as we once were.”

  “Did you ever intend to go back to Tararia?” Raena asked.

  Dahl shook his head. “No, but we also did not expect any influencers to decide to take a stand. The recent developments in Sietinen were quite unexpected and welcome.”

  “But you knew about Ryan, and Dainetris,” she pressed.

  “An unfortunate collapse,” Dahl hung his head. “When we learned of your plans for Tararia, we knew an heir was needed.”

  Wil’s eyes narrowed. “Wait… Earlier you said that recent Taran history is unknown to you and you don’t have details about the Dainetris Dynasty’s fall, yet you knew a member of their family survived and that Sietinen has been planning an overthrow of the Priesthood? That doesn’t add up.”

  Dahl cracked a smile. “Our information is not in the form of official records, which is what you asked for previously, and those we do not possess. Our knowledge is more fluid—universal truths so profound they are written into the fabric of the universe around us. Simply put, the events unfolding now were destined to come to pass. Those are the insights we have gleaned in our study, and we have offered guidance where we were meant to do so.

  “Ultimately, the final path is up to you. The truths we read are… guidelines. No matter what you decide—staying true to the universal pattern or making your own way—you will define the future of Tarans for generatio
ns to come.”

  Raena slumped in her chair. “No pressure.”

  Her father offered her a supportive smile. “Fortunately, this is bigger than just one person.”

  “Follow what you learned while gazing into the nexus,” Dahl told her. “You will know what to do when the pieces are in place.”

  Raena took a deep breath and nodded.

  “But now,” Dahl went on, “we have almost arrived.”

  A moment later, stars began to show through the ethereal subspace cloud. When the cloud had lifted, Raena saw that the stars weren’t completely solid, but rather appeared as an echo—just like within the rift.

  Her jaw dropped. “Are we in a rift?”

  Wil tensed next to her as he, too, took in the view.

  Dahl inclined his head. “We are. But unlike the rift where the Bakzen resided, this rift is entirely natural. It is the largest of those we have come across in our travels, and where most of us now call home. The six others house smaller populations, scattered around the core.”

  “So you don’t live on a planet,” Wil inferred.

  “No, but our sect of the Priesthood hadn’t called Tararian soil home since well before we left—we had a temple inside Denae, much like the one the TSS now has as their Headquarters.”

  “There are other facilities like that…?” Wil questioned with audible shock.

  “Several. I expect the Priesthood sealed all of them, though.”

  Wil shook his head and let out a long breath.

  Raena gathered herself. “I don’t see anything out the window.”

  “The ring is ahead of us,” Dahl explained. “Come, we will get a better view.”

  He led them down the hall toward the front of the ship. The corridor terminated in a door, which opened into a spacious room with seating and facilities resembling a kitchenette.

  Mess hall or lounge, maybe? Her speculation was cut short when she looked out the windows on the far wall of the room, curving around the room above the nose of the vessel. In front of them was a ring, as Dahl had indicated, but the scale boggled her mind. They were approaching it perpendicularly, showcasing an expanse of parks and urban development on the inner surface of the ring orbiting around a small, artificial sun.

  Next to her, Wil was staring at it, mouth agape. “How did you build this?”

  “Piece by piece, like anything else,” Dahl replied cryptically.

  “No, just like your temples—for the size of your population, construction like this shouldn’t be possible.”

  Dahl chuckled. “I suppose I could not bring you here and not expect questions. Very well… We have certain nanotech that allows us to simply grow structures, if fed the proper raw materials. Our understanding is that the Priesthood suppressed this technology in favor of maintaining a population of workers too absorbed in their physical labors to pay much heed to the political environment.”

  Wil shook his head and scoffed. “No wonder. If you let everyone live a life of luxury, they’d start learning and thinking on their own. Educated people are much more difficult to control.”

  “And too short of lifespans for most to truly get ahead and change their lives,” Raena added.

  “Yes.” Dahl inclined his head. “We, on the other hand, choose to work toward self-actualization, to be the best possible versions of ourselves through continual introspection and advancement.”

  “And there are families here, you said?” Wil asked. “Young people, children?”

  “Of course,” Dahl confirmed. “Almost sixty million residents live in this ring.”

  Her father shook his head. “It’s going to take some time to get over thinking about you as just the mysterious people living on space ships somewhere out in the stars.”

  “You will adapt, I’m sure.”

  The Aesir ship glided toward the outer wall of the ring. As they neared, Raena noticed that there were ships docked along the outer edge in several ports that extended below the ground-level of the inner ring.

  “Why the ring structure?” Wil asked. “You obviously have artificial gravity on this ship.”

  “Of course, but you know it’s not the same. Centrifugal force makes for a most sustainable long-term environment,” Dahl explained. “I’m sure you’ll ask about the sun next. The technical specifications of its creation would take too long to explain, but it’s stable. And yes, we have an electrostatic shield around the ring, which can be tinted to mimic night on the rings. We still honor the twenty-five hour Taran clock of our ancestry. Right now, it is mid-morning.”

  “It’s incredible,” Raena breathed.

  “I would offer you a tour, but you must meet with the Council so that we may decide how to proceed. Visits such as this are unprecedented,” Dahl stated.

  “Of course,” Wil agreed. “We’ll follow your lead.”

  The ship docked in a berth just below ground level near one of the more urban-looking sections of the ring. Dahl led them off the ship and into the port.

  Unlike a space station with long concourses and gangways, the port reminded Raena more of a train terminal. The aesthetic of the space was sleek and sophisticated, with the same crystal light fixtures she’d seen on the ship, but this time accompanied by hydroponic plants arranged around the support columns and holographic displays denoting departure details.

  Raena took it all in, wondering at the incongruity of it all. “This looks like a functioning port,” she ventured when her curiosity got the better of her. “That makes sense in the Taran worlds, but how often do you travel to and from here?”

  “We are… around,” Dahl replied. “Consider our limited facilities here—we have groups tending food crops on various planets outside our homes within the rift pockets.”

  “Yeah, I guess you’d have to,” she realized.

  “Our way of life is not the concern, though,” Dahl stated. “We must come to accord about how to handle the Priesthood.”

  The Oracle led them to an elevator, which had controlled access through a biometric scanner. Though not registered in the system, Dahl had Raena and her father submit to the scan, which granted them temporary credentials.

  The elevator ascended a tower on the interior of the ring. Once past the first four stories, windows in one wall of the elevator car afforded a view of the gardens and temples dotting the landscape within the city wrapped around the interior of the massive ring. Raena marveled at seeing the ground seemingly curve up to either side of her, where “up” was really inward, and the sky wasn’t really sky at all. Thinking about it started to give her a strange sort of vertigo, so she opted to keep her gaze focused at the base of the tower as much as possible.

  After a minute of travel, the elevator came to rest on an airy level with a cantilevered section jutting out from the main tower. The result was both breathtaking and terrifying as Raena stepped onto a floor with glass block inlays, as though she was walking directly in the sky.

  Her father also seemed unnerved by the architectural choice, but that wasn’t too surprising, knowing he’d spent his formative years in windowless TSS Headquarters.

  Four figures robed in black were waiting for them near the elevator, hands clasped at their fronts and pale, glowing eyes that revealed the age and wisdom of those who’d witnessed a millennia of history.

  “We did not expect to have you here with us like this,” a woman standing in the center of the group said.

  Wil examined her. “We met when you examined me, didn’t we?”

  She inclined her head. “I am Jayne. Like Dahl, I am one of the original Oracles to have left Tararia. Whitney, Erron, and Kent are from our second generation once we had begun building our new home.” She gestured to her companions in turn.

  “That makes us a spry eight hundred,” Kent said with a warm smile.

  Raena was mesmerized by the power the Oracles possessed—an aura glowing around them even brighter than the most powerful Agents she’d witnessed. She’d expected them to look upon her as a pitiful, l
ower being in comparison, but she was surprised to see a hint of respect or even awe in their guarded expressions.

  “We have much to discuss,” Jayne continued. “Please, this way.”

  She directed them to a conference room that would put any other meeting space to shame. Whereas the other flooring had glass inlays interspersed with solid sections, the entire floor of the conference room was one seamless, transparent platform. Likewise, windows curved in a dome around the space, resulting in the room appearing like it was encased in a bubble—a bubble two hundred meters above the ground.

  Raena glanced at her father, and he took a cautious step onto the transparent floor from the comfort of the solid walkway.

  “Quite a place you have here,” he said.

  “If we cannot be directly in the stars, living in the sky is the next best thing,” Dahl replied.

  The conference table and chairs were well suited to the space, made of transparent plastic sculpted in minimalist, ergonomic forms. The Oracles took seats around the far sides of the oval table, leaving the two chairs closest to the entry door for Wil and Raena.

  When everyone was seated, Jayne began, “We know Sietinen and Vaenetri have been planning a political overthrow of the Priesthood. While your methods are admirable, it won’t work.”

  Wil folded his hands on the desktop. “And why’s that?”

  “Because you can’t simply remove them from power—or even imprison them—and expect that to be the end of it,” she elaborated. “Their labs are everywhere. If you remove the High Priests, they’ll have their consciousness uploaded to a new form and begin again.”

  Raena’s heart sank. “They can do that?”

  “They will do anything to perpetuate their existence,” Erron stated. “You’ve already witnessed what lengths they go to with the hopes of achieving their ends.”

  “Then how do we stop them?” Raena asked.

  “You must strike all their facilities simultaneously,” Dahl said.

  “We don’t have the resources to do that,” Wil objected.

  Jayne fixed him with a level gaze. “But we do.”

  * * *