Spinward Fringe Broadcast 7: Framework

by Randolph Lalonde

  “There had to be another way to avert galactic warfare.”

  "Well, before Alice became human there were several options. Her transition changed the rules. That's why it helped Collins and Hampon place themselves in that company when Vindyne fell. It only took a few years for them to become important people in Regent Galactic. They're good at serving greedy needs, those two. Then Alice came along and gave destiny a kick in the ass again. Funny thing about destiny, it's a great big lie. Near-certainty is more accurate. Even death is getting pretty hard to predict. Oh, and Wheeler’s unlocked Collins’ memories, the ones with the predictions. That’s changed things so much that the game may as well have taken on a spinning wheel with bonus prizes. Just don’t get the apathy slice on your spin, or you’ll be caught out in the open. Dead for sure. Anyway, back to Alice, because she’s the real spinner.

  “Just when we thought we simplified the whole situation, Alice handed a few alien eggs over to an exile and suddenly the edxians got involved. Talk about a game changer. That darkness the Child Prophet keeps on squawking about is as real as this guitar. Well, actually more real, since I'm just a mental representation. You get the gist."

  "So Regent Galactic and our old enemies from Vindyne are really doing all this to save humanity?" Ayan asked in disbelief.

  "Great punch line, isn't it? Our oppressors are actually doing all this for our own good. Looked like it was going to work for a while too, but then some idiot freed Eve and threw the whole thing off-balance again. The Child Prophet version of Hampon tried to regain control of her, but that's not going so well. He knows that the future gets pretty dark and disorderly if she's put back in the box or dropped into a sun. Eve could be pretty important, but she's a coin toss at best, with heads being a force of preservation on the human side, and tails being a force of ignorant entitlement - like an angry teenager taking all her angst out on the galaxy with a few billion metal followers. You know what’s really funny? Alice is at it again! Only, this time it’s just her memories, but who could have predicted that? Anyway, before you start asking me questions about her I’ll move on, since I can’t tell you a damn thing about the most randomizing factor in this whole mess. If it weren’t for Alice, all this would be a lot easier, but she keeps things exciting, doesn’t she? Back to the point: As I relay this information to you, your short and long-term future is changing. You must have the most malleable mind in the entire galaxy. That might have something to do with the fact that you're still all soft from the womb, less than a year old."

  Ayan didn't know why exactly, but that last statement irked her so hard she found herself turning red. "I can remember decades just like I lived them. Sometimes I feel just like-"

  "Someone else," Minh insisted. “No regressing now. Time and experience will make it pretty clear that you've got inclinations all your own. Don’t try to fool yourself into thinking that you’re having a singular experience either, going through so many changes all at once that it’s almost unfair. Happens to us all, only most of us call it high school. Then there’s Jacob Valent, who happens to be going through the same thing. He’s got a head start, and that’s going to be helpful to you.”

  "I know, and I’ve taken a few mental notes watching him when I could. I can’t help but think that the first Ayan wouldn’t do any different than I have over the past couple of months though,” Ayan retorted.

  "That's the problem. You're listening to precedent instead of instinct. It’s just like your phobia of heights. If you acknowledged that you were afraid of heights for a good reason - because it's healthy to stay away from high places - you might be able to get over that fear long enough to stand on the ledge and enjoy the view once in a while."

  "Are you sure you're not the real Minh?" Ayan asked, crossing her arms. That was exactly the kind of advice she'd expect from him at his finest moments: leading and cryptic.

  "I'm a manifestation of your expectations of your quirky buddy. I could be a toad wearing a crown, for all it matters, only you wouldn't expect much from a tiny amphibian, even if he were royalty. Besides, Minh's much more entertaining." He plucked the first few notes of 'Flight Of The Bumblebee' before clearing his throat and continuing. "We keep on wandering off topic, so back we go. For a while, everyone thought Jacob Valent was the rogue element, and Hampon couldn't help but poke at him from a distance, see if he could get him to do tricks with that framework system of his, but then things shifted again. Funny thing about that, too; everyone seemed to expect Captain Valent to pick up a banner and lead a war against Regent Galactic, but he kept on getting distracted. That is, until recently.”

  “Now I’m the rogue element?”

  “Really? You haven’t figured out who the rogue element is?” he asked wryly.

  “Alice,” Ayan said. “Is she coming back?”

  “I refuse to confirm or deny, but I’ll insinuate all day. You may not be as much fun as the rogue element, but you’re better in oh, so many ways. You’re at the centre of things without being as unpredictable as a schizophrenic cat on stims. The rogue element is out there, it’ll do what it does and we’ll do what we can to work around it. The higher ups are tired of trying to control anything that unpredictable. They were even wrong about who the rogue element was for years. It turns out Valent was on a pretty straight path all along.”

  “What do I do with this information? I can't see how I can change anything in the Order of Eden from light years away," Ayan said, growing impatient. "Especially if Eve is awake. I'm not even going to get into asking about the hows and whys behind that one."

  "Make sure Jake doesn't get any bright ideas about direct revenge on the higher ups. There's no end to the anger he has for the Order of Eden and their leaders. From what the Machine can see, there's nothing wrong with him going after them indirectly. On the other hand, if he ever stands in front of Hampon, the Child Prophet, or Eve, Jake could literally become a different person. I can’t tell you what will happen to him because the Victory Machine can’t calculate it, and that’s rare. This thing can calculate sky luge tournament standings eight years in advance and be ninety eight point six percent correct, so when it can’t see the possible outcomes of something, it’s a big deal. Worst case scenario: Jake kills Eve, or Hampon and humanity’s chances of surviving the next century go down the crapper. Best case scenario: Jacob Valent is transformed by the experience, and his path changes drastically. Somewhere in between is just as likely, but do you really want to take the chance?”

  “No, definitely not,” Ayan replied.

  “Neither would I. There’s another thing. You have to send him on his way and put as much distance between you and him as you can for the next few days at least. It’s the only way to make sure he’s not in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you two get back together - and the chances are likely, trust me – he’ll be burdened by guilt. He’ll focus on taking revenge on Wheeler, Thurge, and everyone else who was involved in that android that looked like him. You’ll have trouble with him too, the memory of being assaulted by something that looked so much like him is still fresh, it’s too soon.”

  “I know the difference, it was obvious,” Ayan protested.

  “The subconscious is like Supersticky, things stick to it until you break out the brand-name solvent, which is always sold separately, damn those corporate geniuses. You’ll process your encounter with Android Jacob, but it’ll take some time away from the real Jacob. What’s more important to consider is how being with Jake will affect his thinking. He’ll be focusing on you when he should be coordinating with a team. If he doesn’t link up with a dependable crew and focus on being part of a competent group, if he’s focused on you instead, his future gets real dark. You’ll have to take care of him, and that’ll darken your world too. You leave him, and he finds a good crowd. Well, good by his standards, anyway." Minh-Chu began playing the Hall Of The Mountain King as he continued.

  “We’re just about to find our way back to each other,” Ayan said. “I can send him
away for a few days, I don’t have to leave him.”

  “If he sees you as a his damsel if you’re in trouble, it will distract him from a whole chain of events he has to forge. Sometimes the military policy of non-fraternization is the right one. Someone once said; if you truly love someone, you must set them free. If it’s meant to be, they’ll return. Trust. Just trust.”

  “How long?” Ayan asked. “How long do I have to stay away?”

  “Oh, don’t worry about that,” Minh-Chu said. “Here’s a real spoiler for you: you need time away too. You’re changing so fast that you need to have a few new experiences. You’ll be a different woman from week to week for a while, and when you come though, you’re going to be just amazing. If you get tied down to Jake it’ll be like turning the reverse thrusters up to full, and that won’t do you any good. This breakup is a good thing, it feels like crap now, but you’ll see. Go it without him awhile, you’ll thank me. Well, you won’t be able to find me to thank me, but you get the point.”

  “I’ll try,” Ayan said. “I’ll break it off with him and test your theory.”

  "Speaking of lone agents, if Liam Grady gets his hands on the Victory Machine, it's game over for pretty much everyone you know. There are too many potential bearers at this point, the Victory Machine is too exposed. The few people from Citadel who are responsible for that thing are pulling the plug, and they need you to find the next bearer and tell them to shut this thing down. You’ll know who to send when the time comes. It’s just not Liam Grady. We don't need someone like him, with all his pure intentions, to pick it up and start trying to straighten all the proper twisty lines that make the universe an interesting, yet survivable, place. Look at the mess we made, and we actually improved things compared to the first future we glimpsed through this doohickey."

  "But millions, sorry, billions of people are dead because of instructions-"

  "Information, the Machine only offers information," Minh corrected, picking a sour note.

  "All right, because of the information you provided to Hampon and Collins they arranged for the murders of billions of people. I saw it myself, on Pandem. It was so horrible that I can't watch the forensic playback."

  "The other options were worse. Even so, we're shutting it down. Even an artful cheater can’t say how the dice will land every time they're thrown. You’re central to how things are going to turn out in this corner of the galaxy. Don't let the past get in the way of what you have to do now. At this moment you have the people, the resources, and the political weight to accomplish a lot,” Minh said humourlessly as he stood and slung his guitar across his back.

  "What's my best option?" Ayan asked. "What's the next step that will lead to the best outcome?"

  "The future changes shape as we have this conversation. I'm not going to answer that kind of question directly because I have to keep fine-tuning things with the facts as they appear. If I simply told you what to do next, the results would change drastically."

  "So you'll give me more information about something if you see positive affects, less or different information if you see things sliding in the wrong direction," Ayan concluded.

  "And again, she gets it. The Machine leads us to the knowledge that the best way to protect the majority of humanity as this war begins is to direct the attention of the right people to Tamber. By doing what you thought was right, you and the crew of the Triton put that in motion."

  "The transmission to Earth and Freeground?" Ayan asked.

  "Exactly! Not only that, but the few things Jacob has said while the Aucharians were watching. That speech made its way around the Stellarnet. That man might not be the prettiest boy in the universe, but he sure knows how to get people on their feet!" Minh exclaimed. "What's more important to you is that Sol Defence has heard you loud and clear, and they’ve already given you the Triton. Citadel didn’t agree, but they’re not even playing the same game."

  “I could have prevented Laura’s death if we had this conversation yesterday,” Ayan said.

  “Not a chance. Some things just have to happen, no matter how painful they are.”

  “I wouldn’t have sacrificed her, there had to be another way.”

  “And that’s why this conversation didn’t happen yesterday,” Minh said. "Just keep thinking ahead, let people around you do what they do best and remember: the time to debate and negotiate is over. You and your people have to take action, keep what you have, and build on it whenever possible."

  “And you’re not allowed to give me instructions? That sounded pretty instructive to me,” Ayan said, cocking her head.

  “Just the drifty, ever-shifty facts, Ma’am. You’ve already seen what happens if you spend the next couple of days working your little butt off trying to get the Triton in shape.”

  “Right. Just thought you slipped there. You’re not telling me very much about the future though, it’s mostly been all about how the Victory Machine conducted a few ne’er do wells into taking over who knows how many worlds.”

  “One hundred and nineteen including resource and terraformed worlds. The Victory Machine is using you to adjust the future for the benefit of humanity. I tell you something, changes happen, the Victory Machine decides what to tell you next and the song goes on. If I told you something like, oh, you’re going to give birth to a litter of kittens on your thirtieth birthday, and it were actually possible, then your whole attitude towards felines would take a drastic shift, and I might have preemptively ended the lives of the whole litter.”

  “Okay, I get it, despite the mad example,” Ayan said. “I haven't said it aloud, but I've been thinking it. We need the Triton back. Even if we want to settle the colony, we still need that ship.”

  "And if you play your cards right that’ll happen. Little windows of opportunity that flash by, if you manage to open a few, you'll improve conditions despite the hell that's coming. I'll even give you an old school style prophecy to get you started on the right foot: Watch the skies from the ground. The toothy-grinned, taller than thou soldier must capture the silver meteor. Cryptic enough?”

  Ayan didn't know why, but she had the feeling that her time with the Victory Machine was coming to an end. "Wait! Should we move the civilians to the new colony?" When Ayan next blinked her eyes, she was standing on a large platform overlooking the ocean. Instead of walking towards a pedestrian lane, Minh was leaving via a long gangway that led into a broad passenger shuttle.

  "Wish I could stay for question period, but we've given you all the information you need to make the right choices. Follow your instincts, they've never been better."

  "Why do you look twenty years older instead of nine?"

  "Some paths can only be travelled one way. No point in telling you about something you shouldn't try to prevent. Oh, one more thing! Well, two. Wait, actually more like three. Two messengers will come with good news. The information they bring will eventually begin a contest between you and a good friend. You have to win. Now, a word from our sponsor,” he said as he turned to walk away.

  * * *

  In a blink Ayan was in the war room in Mount Elbrus, the last place she'd seen Roman before meeting him in the hospital. The dockyard was gone, and across the round table stood Roman himself, as he appeared months before.

  “Shadows fall. Citadel is watching, I'm sorry," he said solemnly. “They won’t let the Victory Machine make any more adjustments, save one.”

  "It's more than I thought I'd learn about the future when I woke up this morning. How firm is the future I last saw, and where was I right before I appeared here?”

  "I'm closing my connection to the Victory Machine, so I can't say. I only wanted to take a moment to say goodbye," Roman said. He looked weary, half leaning on the strategy table between them.

  "Is there anything I can do?" she asked. "Any family I can contact for you?"

  "My family was killed on Pandem. I'll be joining with them soon. Energy never dies, and someday mine will mingle with theirs. There is something el
se, though. Write my name on something you know will hit its mark when you start fighting the Order of Eden. I understand why they were guided to kill so many, but I hate how good they were at it."

  "I'll do it myself, and more than once," Ayan promised. "If Citadel has as much power as I think they do, then why didn't they just act on information from the Victory Machine themselves? Why leave it in other hands?"

  "Because they fear being hated more than they fear being revealed. Every time Citadel becomes too visible to the rest of the galaxy they find a way to disappear, but if evidence that they are directly responsible for all that’s happened, and their ownership of the Victory Machine gets out, Citadel will become widespread legend. They’d be dragged out into the light as villains. Be careful if you end up meeting even one of them in the future. They’re good at silencing people.”

  "Things would have turned out better if they did their own dirty work," she accused softly. "Wouldn't they?" It was hard to press when she knew he was dying, that anything she said would be a part of his last moments.

  "Maybe, but there’s no point in debating that now. I wish I could be a part of the punishment due Regent Galactic and the Order of Eden, almost as much as I wish I could spend another day with my family."

  "I'm sorry," Ayan offered, regretting her question.

  "Now, I have a gift for you. One more trip into the future, only this is more of a long-range extrapolation. A lot further this time. This is a future you’ll have to earn, a challenge. I wish I could give you more, but this is the end for me."

  "Goodbye, Roman. I wish I could have known you better," Ayan said.

  * * *

  The fitful air stirred around her bare ankles and the loose hem of her long, comfortably fitted dress. Tucked under her arm was a dark long coat, almost exactly like Jacob’s but brand new. Guards in armoured vacsuits bearing rifles made of heavier, higher quality stuff than the weapons she'd seen used by Triton soldiers were moving between multiple airlocks mixed in with citizens and military personnel.