The Silence Within (The Young Ancients: Tiera)

by P. S. Power

  Who wouldn't want to play with her?

  They took turns, working on new tricks, and probably because she'd mentioned it, the almost impossible shield on shield grappling. It was a bit like trying to hug a greased pig. That was a thing that she'd done at the village fair several times, so at least it wasn't an unknown thing to her. With very great effort and using her whole body to keep his arm from moving, as well as moving very slowly, she got Mitchell's left arm locked out straight.

  "I... can't get out of it." He was trying, shaking his arm and pushing his body up to change the angle. It was really hard to hold him, but she managed it, using her crossed arms and legs and by facing downward, instead of up. It was really awkward, but seemed to be working.

  So much so that people stopped to examine the technique.

  They didn't say much, but did try it out with each other, or at least a few did. Then it was lunch time and today, unlike the day before, she wasn't asked to come in for the afternoon session. That made sense, being that she was just a student and while the task of teaching others and being a part of different things was spread around, so everyone could learn leadership, it wasn't like she was particularly special in that way.

  That meant heading back over to Tor's bakery, since it had been a much better meal than dried fruit the day before. He was there, but busy, actually helping a real customer, who was discussing a kind of bread that her mother used to make when she was a child, for holidays.

  "That sounds like a kagas loaf. I can make some up for you, so you can see if it's close to what you want? Then we can refine from there. The bits of meat baked in are the giveaway." Tor kept his eyes on the woman in front of him, who looked to be in her mid to late thirties and be wearing practical merchant style clothing.

  He waved at Tiera and pointed at the display case, which she took as an indication that she should help herself.

  The woman sighed.

  "That's... probably too much work, just for me to recapture a childhood memory, isn't it?"

  Tiera answered, not really thinking about it.

  "Not really. I mean, he's feeding me, and that sounds pretty good, so it won't go to waste, not even the test loaves. Plus, we need to start feeding the people over at the new Space Fleet training base, so they can have that too. Speaking of which, I should take some things out to them from here, so they don't starve while figuring out how to get food." It was bossy, and said with a tone that sounded almost like she just expected it to happen, but Tor shrugged and smiled at the woman, as if he hadn't been rudely interrupted. He was very gentle with her that way, and always had been.

  "Good points. So, this time tomorrow?" It sounded a lot more like he was making a date than just arranging a tasting, but the woman seemed to enjoy the idea enough. After she left, he explained, a little.

  "She's the local florist. I actually had a job with her for about two weeks, sweeping up and so forth, about seven years ago. I don't think she remembers me. Anyway, good idea, let me set up some trays. I headed out that way last night, but didn't learn a lot. What's the plan?"

  Tiera felt annoyed at being asked that, since she wasn't in the loop, was she? After a few moments she shook her head and remembered to hold on to the silence.

  "I don't know. My guess is that we need to get the Instructors in first, then set up what we need to learn ourselves. I mean, not that I'm going to be teaching there, but all of us. I really have no clue what we're supposed to be doing, other than just going up really high. Building moon bases, and space stations?" She was familiar with the concepts at least, since the Blue's had told her about them.

  Tor didn't know either, but did have four full focus stone trays, complete with covers, for her to deliver. It was something to do, if nothing else, which, she knew, was part of what he was after, as far as she went. Keeping her busy.

  Preventing her revenge. As if that would work? She smiled and took the load from his arms. They stacked nicely, though she had to set them down and get her fast craft out. She was still using the Timon design, which got Tor to come and look at it for a few moments, touching the side gently, and reading the pattern.

  "He really did nice work on this. The Space Craft are similar in a lot of ways, but I copied that from Burks, almost directly. Tim came up with this all on his own. The speed is still growing too. Definitely the superior vehicle, compared to my old ones." There was a strange look and then he sighed. "Don't tell him I said that, will you? I don't want him to get a big head. Not that he'd care what I said right now anyway."

  Tiera snorted at him and rolled her eyes, trying to convey how very dumb she thought he was being.

  "Well, you know, just leaving things won't help. You should try to smooth things over. Even I can see that. Yes, he's not all that happy with you right now, but with this thing about ma..." It wasn't something that she'd let herself think about much, but it was real enough, wasn't it?

  Tor knew it too, and looked at the brightly lit tables near the front.

  "I know, we should go and see about that soon. It could all go so wrong though. I mean, what if she's Gray? We have to check, but if she attacks us or tries to hurt someone, what are we supposed to do?"

  "Stop her. We know there are more versions of grandmother around and given everything, I can't swear that the one you killed was really her. Not the original. That might not matter either, for all I know. A good copy is probably enough, isn't it?"

  Looking a bit shifty suddenly, Tor waved at the food, which was inside, but visible through the windows on the front.

  "Well, get with Tim and set up a time. We'll all go. Green too. Maybe Denno, Orange and Kolb if we can get them."

  "And Doris?"

  That got Tor to make a face that was a lot darker than he normally would have, "I... can't read her. The Truth amulets probably won't work either. I'm not certain we should trust her."

  "Which makes good sense, but just means that we should treat her like anyone else, not some special case. People didn't have Truth amulets through most of history you know, and managed to get along with each other pretty well, sometimes. Besides, she's kind of our mother, in a way. She made us, like it or not. You don't get to pick family."

  That got a single laugh, and he winked.

  "You can handle that part too then. Are you coming every day for lunch? I can make you something a bit more substantial than sweets and bread, if you are."

  "Would you? That would be so wonderful! I'm starving all the time now."

  "I know, it's the growth, it will last a few years too, so, yeah, more food. About this time each day?"

  Tiera hugged him, since it was very nice of him to think of her and then got the stuff for the training facility. It didn't take long to get there, and she landed in the middle, which had been turned into compacted focus stone already, instead of a dirt and scrub grass field. It was Gerent doing the work, as Alice stood by, watching him, a smile on her face.

  The tall and stately looking honey blonde Ancient waved to her.

  "The first to use the new landing pad! Have you come to take a trip with me into space? I think we should make a point of going daily, or more. It will impress the others, since even when we did this regularly, that was hard to pull off."

  Tiera looked at the place, which seemed almost finished already. The wall really helped that way.

  "Can we be back by dinner time? I have extra meditation with Doris now. Do you know her?"

  That got a look that didn't seem nearly as pleased at it might have. In fact, Orange clenched her right fist and growled, which reminded Tiera more than a little of herself, if she were going to be honest about it all.

  "So, not friends? Well, try to get along anyway, since if you kill my Instructor, I'm bound to get bad marks."

  They did work out that they could get into orbit and back before she was needed at class. Many times in fact. The craft was set up in the central courtyard and Gerent got waved over. He still had his focus stone compression unit on and had been finishi
ng the far side, toward the town of Lenders, which was bare Earth still, with a low covering of snow mixed with green winter grass.

  Orange called to him, not waiting for him to get all the way there.

  "We're making a trip into space." It was said with a lot less accent this time and seemed efficient, rather than forceful. She normally seemed a bit aggressive, if only at the edges. Talking to Gerent made her soften a good bit.

  He smiled and looked at them, then the slightly glowing orange ship, which was taking up most of the central area now. It was a lot bigger than the three of them needed really, Tiera thought.

  "When will you all be back?"

  He seemed curious, rather than put out with them leaving on him, while he stayed to work. That was a part of his way though, being used to not getting the same things that everyone else did.

  Alice waved at the craft.

  "We. Us three. I plan to take six hours."

  Tiera tilted her head and then took down her fast craft, after handing the trays of food off.

  "I plan to take snacks."

  That decided, with her new brother seeming a bit worried for some reason, they took off and headed straight up. It took a bit, since Alice stopped and pushed the craft to the largest size she could manage, her hand on the arm of her captain's chair, looking out a vast shield window. The Earth was very far below already, and she shifted, so it was directly below the front of the thing. That made it look like it was right in front of them.

  "I can't take my hands off the controls for long, which, means that for now we'll need someone in this chair at all times. Once out of the gravity field we can just stay in place easily enough, but it's a safety issue. We don't have guidance computers. It isn't hard to control, much like the other craft Tor made. I'll do the first orbit, then we can each take turns. Right now, I think that we should all have something to eat, since we have gravity."

  That didn't take long, though the fare was better than any other meal she'd had in space. Tiera had mainly lived on paste that came from tubes the last time. It had been filling enough, but not all that tasty. This was better by far and the scenery was nice.

  Gerent watched it all carefully, and misted over a little.

  "This is more than I dreamed of. Thank you." The words were soft, but easily enough heard. Even over the soft hiss coming from an air vent overhead. Tiera looked up at it, but didn't know why it would be there.

  Or, well, she kind of did, since it would be about recirculation of the air and making sure it was breathable. What she really didn't know was how her brother had gotten that built in. Then, hadn't he said the specifications had come from their grandfather? It made more sense at least. Count Lairdgren had mentioned that he used to live in space, for several years, once.

  She stood and looked around.

  "We need to check bathing facilities, water storage and cleaning, living quarters, and kitchen space. I doubt we can cook up here." How would they pull heat from outside, after all?

  It took some doing, but it was clear they had most of those things, including the ability to make kitchens. The ovens and stoves got hot, and the room cooled a bit when she turned it on, clearly focusing the internal heat somehow. That would get uncomfortable, if they weren't careful.

  Alice nodded.

  "Clever. We'll need to remove internal heat anyway at times, once we have more people on board. Gerent, would you like to take the controls for the next pass?"

  It really didn't take long, though her Aunt assured them that thirty-six thousand miles an hour, which was what her best guess was, wouldn't cut it for real travel.

  "Even to get to Mars, the next planet out, that would have us traveling for over half a year. More if it's further away. This will do for trips to the Lunar base, and I think we can actually land this ship there, so that's a major plus. We need the ability to leave the craft on demand however. Can the clothing devices you use become environmental suits?" She didn't even bother pretending that Gerent was involved in that one, looking specifically at Tiera for it.

  "I... don't know, but I think not. They're good, but the materials they're mimicking are wrong. On the good side, I bet that Tor, or even some of the others at the school, the Lairdgren group, can fix that for us, if we can show them what's needed. We need air for them too, as well as a way to move them around. I..."

  She dug at her amulets and found her Tor-shoes. A flying rig might work better, but it was also harder to control in the enclosed space. It worked, which got Alice to regard her sharply.

  "Good thinking. Water as well, and some way to cool the outfits from the inside, even in a vacuum. I'll let you deal with that project. You think that magic is the answer for it?"

  That got a shrug. How would she know?

  "I can ask if anyone else has ideas, once we start on that. You should get in touch with Lyn and Denno. Julie White too. I haven't really met her to talk to. Everyone says she's nice. Also that you need to have your shield on around her or she'll seduce you, and take control of your mind."

  That got a grunt and a tap on the shoulder, that, Tiera realized, was hard enough that her shield had kicked on.

  "That isn't a jest either. It's why I dislike Doris so much. When we were younger, a few hundred years old, she kept me against my will for a time. She was not cruel, or anything like that, but it wasn't what I wanted either." She put a hand on Gerent's shoulder then, letting it linger gently. He focused on his job and didn't let them crash, even with the distraction.

  "Doris? She..." Wasn't Julie White, Tiera had been about to say, but the other Ancient didn't make her.

  "White's sister. They're the same, however Doris is better able to control herself. I saw her at the second meeting we had recently, and she's made herself look very different, but that isn't her true appearance at all. Then, many of us have changed over time." She paused and then shrugged, toned muscle shifting under her orange top. "Brown is no darker of skin than Green is, for instance. That bit of cosmetic change is due to his love of his color. They're of the same lot I think, although no one can confirm that now. Your Kolb can also look very different, and that scaring on his face is pure affectation. He does look better for it, doesn't he? Less untrustworthy."

  Tiera was given her turn at the controls shortly after that, and was asked to take the craft into a stationary orbit over Austra. That way Alice could get out her communications unit, and see if Brown was home at all.

  For a moment Tiera was afraid that would set their defenses off and they'd try to destroy them, but nothing happened at all, until Denno spoke, his voice just as clear as always.

  "Good morning, this is Denno." He sounded smooth and fresh, so it probably wasn't that early in the day.

  Alice cleared her throat.

  "Orange here. We're above your continent, and have demands." She sounded slightly sinister suddenly.

  "Oh? What would those be?"

  "We want an ice cream cone each, soft serve, and at least five people that want to try their hand at being instructors with the new fleet. We'll be by in ten days to collect them, if that's within a decent time frame for you? Test them for us, we don't need morons, or people that have low adaptive profile scores."

  Tiera tilted the ship a bit, so that they could all see the land below them well enough. It didn't fill the window, being too far away. She had to wonder what iced cream was, but didn't ask.

  Tiera sighed and tried to actually think of what would be useful, as far as personnel went.

  "Also folks that don't mind working with others. I think the plan is to have people from everywhere be a part of this, right? That's going to be interesting with the Tellerand." They'd try to convert everyone after all. It was required by their traditions and religious beliefs.

  Denno didn't ask who was talking, he just answered, sounding like it had been his plan all along.

  "We can do that. There's great interest already. We might have to have a lottery to find the winners. Tiera, could you bring Torrance by in a f
ew days? Several of my scientists would like to run brain scans on him, if that's allowed. He's done something like it before, so he should understand the basic idea."

  Like she could make promises like that for him?

  "Ask him yourself. He can come over on his own, unless you need me in particular for some reason? If so, I can try to make time. I'll probably have to run the bake shop for him, if he's doing that, since he doesn't like to leave it closed."

  There was a brief silence and then the sound of a long breath being released.

  "Ah, I forgot I had this device and could simply get in touch now. Very good. In ten days." He said more, but it was just him trying to be diplomatic and polite, which was nice, but a bit over done for just them.

  Then they did the same thing with Vagus, talking to Lyn Red. She seemed a bit baffled by the request, and they didn't try to extort treats from her at all, just asking for people.

  "I have only a few that can speak Noram standard, and most of those right now are either mages or sailors. Will you accept that kind on your crews? The ship men tend to be a bit hard. Aggressive."

  Tiera didn't care for the sound of it, but Orange didn't seem to feel it was a threat at all.

  That was fine with her, since, odds were, she wouldn't be around for that part of things. It didn't sound like a good fit, but maybe those men would surprise her? A lot of people really had, over the last years. Even ones that she thought she knew. Family members for instance.

  Being careful not to think about specific plans too much, in case her Aunt could figure out what she was thinking, she waited for the communications to be done. Then, when she spoke, she did it with the air of a person that didn't care about the answer, one way or the other. After all, it was true.