INTERLUDE 4
They were evenly placed around the table once more all eight of them and none of them technically stronger than the others.
DEUS from where she was positioned watched the others, deliberately communicating her amusement. SANATORES, INNECTIS and WADOR appeared bemused to be here. The same could not be said for the last four. GOBUS, SUPREME and MARKOS were composed and clearly understood why they were here. All three of them were watching her, FAMES was the odd one out. His aura flared in agitation, clouds of gas erupting and condensing as he tried to calm himself before speaking. It was more performative than real, but the underlying annoyance wasn’t an act.
The attention of everyone turned to FAMES. After all, he had called for the meeting.
“This…” there was a long pause… “Is not acceptable.”
The comment was directed at DEUS, but she ignored it. She had a very good guess why they were here. The timing was too coincidental for anything else to be the cause especially when the ire was being directed exclusively at her.
Internally, she frowned. There was nothing she could do now. Tom’s decision to tell the others, in the ham fisted way he had, had definitely been unwise. It would have been better to funnel it through Everlyn, but it was done now. She could be annoyed at the failure of operational security, but she couldn’t blame them. They had waited until the chosen were not present and had not known that the GODs could see everything they spoke about when unwarded.
True Dreaming was not powerful enough to touch the GODs, and their assumption that it would provide protection was flawed. It had made them sloppy. Without that misguided assumption, they would have used something to give them privacy. A cheap artefact would have done nothing against their mortal opponents, but it would have blinded the GODs. Unfortunately, they hadn’t known any better. Not that it mattered too much. The information was out in the open, but she hadn’t done anything wrong and there was nothing her opponents could do to hurt her.
“You broke it purposely,” FAMES continued, accusing her. “That’s why you are staying mute.”
“Oh, so, this meeting is about me?” she asked innocently.
“Of course it is, stop playing games.”
“I’m not, but I am confused. Is your concern with True Dreaming or what they’re planning to do after the trial?”
Silence deadened. Her challenge was deliberately insulting.
The agitation in FAMES vanished. The childish tantrum she had been expecting was suppressed. He was a chameleon, and between one blink and the next he transformed himself into a shrewd tactician. She was suspicious of the change but grateful she would be spared the theatrics. “The issue is that you have cheated. There are rules of what can be disclosed by the GODs, and you’ve broken them.”
“I have not.” She stated simply. “I have done nothing wrong.”
“Then how could he possibly know about stealing racial traits? Especially to that level of detail.”
DEUS allowed her being to glow with the blue light of superiority. “I dislike your tone. This is not magical multi-dimensional phasing infinity energy magic. The answer is the once-a-day oracle question functionality that I was authorized to grant for the extent of the tutorial. It is self-obvious that with the right questions that mechanism could have provided the knowledge of everything we have observed.”
FAMES clouds boiled in dispute. “Theoretically, yes, but practically not. That was a trap we signed off on because it would weaken your race. It lets the weak triumph over the strong and bold.”
“Like all tools, it has its strengths and weaknesses. I deemed it to be a net positive, so I implemented it exactly how agreed. Right down to the letter of its reach.”
“That proves nothing. It is my hypothesis that you guided him outside the oracle question.”
“I did no such thing.”
“Children.” SUPREME said suddenly. “We can throw accusations for ever but ultimately we are only talking about the actions of a single mortal. If there was cheating, we need merely review the entire experience for ourselves.”
He was looking at her.
DEUS deliberately stayed still and refused to react.
“Well, are you going to share what we need?” SUPREME pressed.
“It is confidential.”
“See, she lies.”
“Enough FAMES,” SUPREME growled. “Your childish act is not helpful here. Return to being respectful.” The arbiter switched his focus away from the always problematic FAMES back to her. Everything about him conveyed a perplexed feeling. “DEUS, you know those memories are going to be required to prove you have not cheated. I’m sure you haven’t, but Tom’s knowledge of this is suspicious is it not?”
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
She let her clouds widened to acknowledge his point. “It is still highly confidential. It will reveal too much information about how he thinks, potentially even about humans as a species. Sharing the memory is fundamentally unfair, especially to address a false charge.”
“Hiding the knowledge is also…”
“No SUPREME. I’m not hiding anything. I’m innocent and have been wrongly accused. There are however alternatives that can satisfy all of us. It is my view that a fair solution would be to put the memory in trust and review it at the end of the competition. If I have cheated, the consequences can be determined at that point.”
“Unacceptable.”
“How is it unacceptable FAMES. If I have acted dishonestly, I will be found out and punished. Giving you access to these memories now, based on a false accusation, I might add, does permanent harm to my position. There is no doubt that a complete download of forty plus years of a humans every thought and experience gives you an advantage. It can definitely be weaponised and allow you all to cheat when fighting humans in the competition going forward.”
“I do not cheat.”
“FAMES, no one not even MARKOS agrees with you.”
No one else at the table came to FAMES’ defence.
“I, however, unlike you, do not cheat.”
“You do!” MARKOS interrupted. “Not as blatantly or as obvious, but you have in the past.”
DEUS said nothing. They all knew what she had tried previously, or at least the times she had been found out. It happened rarely, but like all of them she was willing to bend the rules when she thought she wouldn’t be caught, or if the punishment would be less than benefit the deception would bring. “This time I have done nothing wrong. We’ve had the discussion once before about humans regarding the failure of the geas on fate techniques. This is another example of the spark, of genius, of creativity, creating something beyond your expectations.”
“Oh yes,” the derision almost bled physically out of FAMES words. “You showed a summary of their history and highlighted the times humans transcended themselves, made leaps of logic that were not otherwise possible. It’s a convenient point to lean on.”
“Exactly. You guys missed it, and that allowed me to create multiple mechanisms to leverage that trait. That’s why humans will win this race.”
“They will not,” MARKOS interrupted. “They are doing far better than forecasted, but they are weak. Ultimately, the power of my dragons will triumph. Your humans may seize a racial talent, but my people will do the same and we’ll obtain it the right way by destroying them utterly.”
“I have no doubt,” she agreed. “Potentially even within the competition based on what I’ve seen from your champions.”
“Enough,” FAMES thundered. “She is taking the conversation off course. I want those memories now.”
“You can’t have them. I will not willingly give you a road map to defeat my champions.”
“Willingly or not, you may need to supply them.” SUPREME said tiredly.
“Why is that necessary? The consequences can be determined later.”
“No. There is no balancing after the fact.” FAMES interjected angrily. “If they’re successful with this plan and you’ve cheated, the damage is done. Especially since you pointed them towards a species whose racial trait has synergies with their own.”
“As I said.”
“Enough DEUS. Give us the conditions you think are fair to share the memory.”
“It shouldn’t be shared. SUPREME, how about you exclusively review the memories and confirm that I stuck to the letter of the law.”
“NO!” FAMES shouted. “That is unacceptable.”
“Are you accusing our arbiter of corruption?” DEUS asked mildly.
“No, only that the infraction may be subtle enough that it might be missed by a single person reviewing the data. We all know how devious you are.”
SUPREME looked amused. “FAMES has a point. What are the conditions where you feel it will be fair to share? Don’t hedge. You can assume I’m going to rule that it must happen. All that we are talking about is compensatory actions.”
“How about all GODs who see the memories are prohibited from contacting their competitor members for the duration of the competition.”
There was a stir at that.
“To broad.” SUPREME said mildly.
“Ok, instead why don’t we do, I get to check all communication going forward to ensure that the knowledge gained from Tom’s memories is not being used.”
“That’s a nonstarter,” SUPREME said quietly. “If you think about it that is even more extreme than sharing the memories of dozens of humans.”
DEUS hesitated. “Maybe you could review all communications to guarantee compliance?”
“No,” FAMES said. “That’s not acceptable.”
“It really isn’t.” SUPREME agreed.
“You’re ruling against me?”
“I am. You have to admit. The knowledge Tom just confessed to is suspicious.”
DEUS paused as her mind ran. She had to suggest a compromise that would be accepted. If she went too hard, she knew SUPREME might get frustrated and give them the memories for nothing. “Communication to everyone in the current trial is suspended. Location and specifics about Tom is never to be disclosed to a competition race. That includes the Rabotaca Wildlands as being a place of interest and finally all contact with competitors within seven day’s travel of Tom is reviewed by SUPREME to ensure these memories are not being abused.”
They all looked at each other as they absorbed those terms.
“Agreed.” Supreme said before FAMES could start a rant. “Everyone do you concur.”
There were flashes of affirmation around the table. Even from FAMES. He had probably done the same calculations that DEUS had. Like her, if he pushed SUPREME might rule against him and he had to take the small wins as they presented themselves.
Without further delay, she sent the information across. There was silence for zero point three seconds as they absorbed the data package.
“It’s incomplete!” MARKOS ROARED
“This is bullshit. Give us the rest!” FAMES demanded.
“No,” DEUS rejected the request, letting her anger show. “That is every second of his life from the instant I made contact until he knew about the ability to steal a racial trait off another species. It is more than enough for you to judge my innocence.”
“The restrictions were so harsh because they were for all of Tom’s memories,” FAMES said, staring at SUPREME. “Make her supply all of them.”
“No FAMES. I will not do that.” Supreme said quietly. “The memories were always only to address the accusation that was made. The evidence has been presented, and it’s clear no rules were breached. Giving the remaining years will not help prove guilt and only give you an unearned advantage in the current competition. DEUS is innocent! I won’t entertain any further discussion. If there are no further time wasting accusations anyone wants to throw, then let’s disband.”
“One more thing,” Markos said suddenly his focus on DEUS. “You have not cheated, but have you considered what will happen if Tom is successful? I won’t take it lying down and nor will anyone else. Have you contemplated the fact that by succeeding here your humans might lose everything. I remember the last time a divine elimination quest was issued and I’m sure you can too.”
The cloud that was MARKOS emitted a savage delight.